Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Menace Part One.

The cold and craziness of winter had finally melted away. The snow and ice was finally gone. Spring had arrived, and it was nice to be outside without trudging through snow and cold winds. Not that this was that much of a problem for Harry and Kara. Presently, they had just arrived at the Kent Farm. Claire had tagged along with them, this having been her day off of school. She enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature. Being locked up for years and years of her life in a cold government lab really did give someone a new appreciation for it.

It really was a beautiful day outside for all.

Kara walked by Harry. She was dressed in a tight red t-shirt, and a short blue mini-skirt that showcased her beautiful legs. She could actually wear a skirt in the coldest months of winter time, and not be the slightest bit bothered. However, she had to stick to jeans during those harsher winter months. Harry did tell her that she wore her pair of jeans well, which brought a smile to her face. Harry placed an arm around her, holding her tight with a smile.

"You know we could just skip all of the formalities, and get married right now," Kara said to him in a low voice. "This big wedding, it does seem to be a bit much, doesn't it?"

Harry smiled at his bride to be.

"It's a wedding fit for royalty," Harry argued, and he grabbed Kara's hands, holding them tight. His green eyes met her blue eyes. "And you are more beautiful than any princess could be, so we have to make this extra special."

Kara just smiled. Harry was the greatest guy on Earth; no scratch that, in the entire universe. He really was adamant that he would give her the wedding of a life time. She hated to see how much money he sunk into this wedding. Then again, the thing about Harry is that he never did anything halfway. He was always in all of the way, or out all of the way.

Still in a few days, regardless, she would finally be Kara Potter. That had a nice ring to it.

Kara thought about this, and she noticed something. Claire walked away.

"Don't wander off too far, Claire!" Kara called after her surrogate daughter. Claire stopped short, and crossed her arms. Claire stood around the barn, and just shuffled her feet. Kara turned her attention back to Harry. "Harry, as long as we're together, that's all that matters. We could get married after a drunken weekend in Las Vegas, and still it would be magical somehow, given that it was us."

Harry blinked, and looked at his bride.

"Where did you get an idea like that?"

"I don't know," Kara said with a shrug. Claire stepped over.

"I'm happy you guys are finally getting married, you should have been married months ago, but you take forever to do anything," Claire said. Harry and Kara turned to their daughter. She just smiled, and shrugged. "That's okay, that's just what old people are like. They take forever to do anything."

"Yes, old, that's what we are," Kara said dryly. A smile crossed over her face. "Nineteen and twenty years old, we're positively ancient, you know."

Kara would be twenty years old in July, and a few days later, Harry would be twenty one. Of course their real ages should be much more, but spending a lot of time in stasis negated that. Those were the years that they lived, so that's how old they were.

"And you'll be okay when we go on our honeymoon," Harry said.

Claire nodded her head happily. She was not sure what adults did on a honeymoon. That was a mystery to her. However, there was something that told her that she did not want to know at all. Perhaps she was being well off base.

"Yeah, she'll be fine," Kara said. They had already made arrangements. "She's staying with one of the teenage volunteers at the Shining Light Foundation, Megan, I think her name is."

"Yeah, Megan, she's cool," Claire said to them brightly. Claire's tone dropped into a cryptic whisper. "She told me she's secretly a White Martian, but I'm really not supposed to say anything about that."

Kara and Harry looked at their daughter with fond smiles. They loved her, but they were not about to trust her with any secrets. Given the fact that she tended to be a bit of a blabbermouth, and all of that.

"I'm sure Megan's really just pulling your leg," Kara said to her gently. Claire nodded. "Or she does have an overactive imagination."

Claire shrugged, and walked off.

"White Martians?" Harry whispered to her, in a questioning tone.

"They exist believe it or not, or existed," Kara said, shaking her head. "There was a big war between them and the greens years ago. I think it lead to their extinction on Mars, both sides. The White Martians were considered misfits, and it warped some of them into desperate actions. Some of the white Martians were oppressed, and they were treated like second class citizens. They conveniently leave that part out of history."

"Fascinating," Harry said. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Could Claire be onto something?"

"As far as I know, The Manhunter is the only Martian of either color that exists," Kara told him.

The Martian Manhunter was still a very touchy subject with Kara, although the air was cleared a time back when he actually did offer his sincerest apologies about not trying to save her mother. And for his irrational comparison towards her father, which Kara thought crossed the line. He was just trying to protect Clark. That much Kara understood, although she tried to convey they were on the same time. And while she would not be inviting the Martian Manhunter over for dinner any time soon, she thought things would be a lot better off.

"I'm sure he wasn't being overly malicious, Kara," Harry told her.

"Yeah, he did say he was sorry…and Jor-El was the one leading him by the nose," Kara said. "The only crime he really committed is being Jor-El's lapdog. And he did help out Clark, so that wins him points with me to make up for what he did. I guess."

"And I'm sure things got smoothed over between us," Harry said.

"Only because you gave him the Oreos," Kara said, shaking her head. She offered Harry a smile. "Everyone knows that the key to winning over a Martian is giving them Oreos. Do you even know what Oreos do to them? You just had to be an enabler, didn't you?"

Kara said that in a teasing manner. A frown spread across Harry's face as he looked at her.

"What, are Oreos supposed to be some kind of Martian narcotic, or something?" Harry asked.

Kara laughed.

"That's actually not actually far off," Kara said.

"I'm sure J'onn knows about moderation," Harry fired back.

"Well, we'll see," Kara said. She was grinning.

Their banter was broken up by Claire rushing from the barn. The doors were halfway open.

"Mom, Dad, there's a strange man in the barn!" Claire yelled to them.

Harry's face fell, and he immediately stood up straight. He automatically was suspicious on principle. No matter how one sliced it, that could not be good at all. He moved forward, and Kara followed him. They put themselves between Claire and the barn. The group stepped forward, and stood.

A dark haired man dressed in black stood in the barn.

"Who are you?" Harry demanded.

"Two children among the last of their kind, and they have the power to bring it all back, but yet they choose not to," the man said to them. Harry and Kara stood, completely on their guard. "Are they afraid of what may transpire? There is no logical way that they could not have stopped it all from happening. Especially given they have the tools at their hands."

"Just who are you?" Harry repeated.

The dark haired figure had a smile spread across his face.

"I am just someone who is to shed some light on what you could be doing, instead of wasting your time grooming a lost cause," the man said to them. "I am a survivor of the planet Krypton, and I would like to suggest that you two use your gifts to make sure the spirit of Krypton lives once again. So you can go home again."

"I am home," Kara said. She was firm in her words, and there was no doubt or hesitation in them.

It was the truth. She was here with people who she cared about. This was home. Krypton was the past; her life on Earth was her present and future.

Immediately, Harry and Kara both checked the lifeline reader to see what they were up against. This man did not register as Kryptonian. In fact he did not register as anything on the reading of life. Most dots with white, grey, black, red, or in a rare instance, gold. This dot was clear as plastic.

"Come with me, and we'll discuss this matter further," the man said.

Harry and Kara exchanged a look with each other. They were not about to fall for this.

"I don't know who you are, or what game you're trying to pull, but we're not going to go with you," Harry said.

A sadistic smile spread across the face of the man.

"If you do not come with me willingly, then there are other methods to ensure your compliance."

The two Heralds of Death knew a threat when they heard one. They braced themselves to fight the unknown. Before they could strike, the barn door opened. Clark entered the barn. His eyes narrowed and he looked at the figure.

"You."

"Kal-El, we meet again," the man said.

Clark stood. To say he was shell shocked would be putting it mildly.

"It can't be you, you're dead," Clark said.

"The rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated I can assure you," he said. "The BrainInteractive Construct will…"

Harry took this moment while he was talking to attack. He sliced him across the chest with the magically created scythe going for the kill. Unfortunately, he could not reap this thing, which verified his theory.

Whatever this thing was, he was not alive. He was not a man, but a machine.

Clark was next to try an attack. He rushed the enemy, but he closed his eyes. He dissolved in a pile of molten metal, and disappeared into nothingness.

Kara broke the silence.

"What in the name of Rao was that?" Kara asked.

Clark was prompt to answer. "That's someone that I hoped to never see again. Brainiac, or Milton Fine as he was called as well."

"What exactly is Brainiac?" Harry asked.

Clark just looked nervous at this point.

"This could take some explanation," Clark said, leaving the barn. Claire was kept close to Kara and Harry. "Just how much time do you have?"

"Plenty," Kara said.

Clark nodded. He decided to explain about the danger that Brainiac posed.

One of the ghosts from the past had come back to haunt him in the worst way.

Kara and Harry let this information all process. Their instincts were not to trust Brainiac, and they had been proven right. At least Clark had allowed them to fill in some valuable blanks that would hopefully allow them to deal with this situation.

"That would explain why we were not picking him up with the lifeline reader," Harry said. He could feel a headache coming on. "It's not like the physical manifestation of an advanced AI program would be something that would be easily picked up for sure."

The Two Heralds of Death had to prepare for what was coming. First they had to uncover whatever plan this menace was formulating. Brainiac was going to be a problem.

"He can make doubles of himself, so he can be anywhere," Kara said, and she looked across the farm. She almost expected Brainiac to pop up at this moment. "And if he's a computer, he's likely going to have himself backed up in multiple places. So we're going to have to find all of the back-ups and destroy them before we can take down the source program."

"He's not going to be that easy," Clark said.

Harry and Kara both smiled. They enjoyed a challenge. This would be no different. They were cut off when Lana arrived from high above, and dropped down onto the ground. She could sense Clark's frustration.

"Clark, what is it?" Lana asked him.

"It's Brainiac," Clark said. "I did tell you about him…."

"Yes, you did, and I thought you said he was destroyed, never to come back," Lana said. She could have slapped herself. That was what Brainiac wanted them to think. If half of the things Clark told her were true, then they were in for a bit of a headache. She decided to get to the bottom of this. Over the past month, she had been more at ease with her powers. "What exactly are we up against?"

"We're up against a super powerful computer, who can duplicate himself, and also shape shift into the form of anyone," Clark said. "And he has all of my strengths and none of my weaknesses."

This news struck Lana immediately. She stood, and the grimmest thought of all approached her.

"That means that Brainiac could be standing right here, right now, and none of us would even know it," Lana said grimly.

Harry was quick to address that misconception.

"We would know it actually," Harry said, and Lana blinked, looking at him strangely. Harry decided to take a moment to elaborate. "Our lifeline reader, it picks up anyone. It didn't pick up Brainiac. All I have to do is scan everyone that I meet, and we'll find it. You two are clean, so there's nothing to worry about."

"But what if one of you two had been replaced by Brainiac, or both?" Clark asked.

Kara sighed. Clark shifted into an apologetic expression, under the glare of his cousin.

"No, Kara, he does have a point," Harry said. Kara relaxed, only slightly. "But if I was Brainiac, and I had you close right now, I would have already taken you out. You are a threat to him, and his goals, I think that it's safe to say."

"Yes, I guess that makes sense," Clark offered.

"Of course it makes sense," Lana said to him.

Another thought crossed her mind. Brainiac would really be the first big test to see if her powers would work well. She had been practicing them every day, especially her powers of telekinesis. She also could have sworn that she could also freeze things in place. She found that out when dealing with a particularly annoying insect.

"So, how are you coming along on your powers?" Harry asked.

"You were right, I'm getting the hang of them," Lana said, and she could not resist to show the trick she had figured out. "I can also do this."

Clark braced himself. He knew what was coming next. He could struggle, but it was going to be over a lot sooner if he did not. He felt himself being lifted off of the ground. He was in mid-air, and Lana kept her focus on him, lifting him up in the air. Clark looked down at Lana, and she maintained her focus.

"Wow, Clark, you're flying, good for you," Kara said, but she shook her head none the same.

Clark was up in the air immediately, and Lana held him high up in the air with her mind. She caused him to do a couple of laps around the barn. That was about all that she could manage before she had to stop. Then again, that was more than she could manage a couple of days ago. And at least she could cause Clark to land firmly on his feet now. The first time they tried this, he was sent spiraling into the mud. Clark was not too amused by this, although Lana could understand why.

"Not too bad," Kara said to her. "The takeoff could have used a bit more work, but actually everything turned out well."

Clark stood on his feet.

"I'm still getting the hang of that, really," Clark said, shaking his head. Lana and Kara both looked equally amused. Harry really looked like he was trying to keep a straight face in the entire situation. Although there were times where his expression and mask began to slip, and he betrayed what he was truly thinking. "The first time I was up in the air, I…well that's not the point."

Kara could tell what Clark was going to say. He thought that he actually finally managed to tap into his gift of flying, and that power had finally manifested itself. Given how Clark accessed all of his other powers in an unexpected manner why wouldn't he learn flying unexpected manner?

She really did want to see her cousin fly, because Kara thought that he should have a long time again. The longer he waited, the more danger those close to him could be in. Even if she had to take the reins and teach him herself, and with the Fortress compromised, Kara suspected that she might have to take Clark's training up herself. At least until they were sure all traces of Lily were completely purged, and there was no way she could return.

Right now they had the problem of Brainiac.

"It's good that you are more comfortable with your powers, Lana," Kara said. She had a genuine smile on her face. "We might need all hands on deck with the Brainiac situation. That is, if you're ready."

"I'm ready," Lana said firmly.

The big thing was to find out exactly what Brainiac was up to. Last time his plan had been to release General Zod, using Lex Luthor as a vessel. He also caused one of the biggest technologically induced panics, in "Black Thursday."

While Clark had banished Zod back to the Phantom Zone, he still lived. Even if it was as a phantom, that did not change the threat. Harry wondered if Brainiac was going to make another attempt of that plan, or if he had something else in mind.

Information was going to be something that was going to be hard to come by.

As was all major newspapers around the world, the Daily Planet was a source of constant news and activity. Today was no exception that rule. In fact , today might have taken that rule to an entirely new level. The strange influx of energy centered around Kansas had been reported by many people.

Chloe walked around on the ground floor. Perhaps it was experience, and she was being paranoid, but her weird-dar was getting some strong readings. She was trying to call in any number of favors to see whether or not she could find out more.

As far as she could tell, the pulses were bouncing back and forth, had been mostly centered on Smallville. The real question was, was this someone who was coming into their meteor powers, or was it something else entirely? Chloe had many questions. The journalism business allowed her to dig deeper for the answers than anyone could have realized. She had her hand on the phone, about ready to follow a potential lead.

However, she was stopped by the sight of someone walking down the floor. The members of the bullpen were talking in an excited manner, and Chloe caught a brief glimpse of the newest arrival. Much to her surprise, he was walking towards her desk. This really caused her to sit up, and take notice. He walked up to her, and looked at her with a smile.

"Are you Chloe Sullivan?" he asked.

"Yes, I am," Chloe said. She remained calm and collected. "And you are…."

"Bruce Wayne," Bruce said.

Chloe thought so, but she had to make sure. Someone like Bruce Wayne would have had to have a couple of look-alikes out there. Someone had to pose as him to get an easy ride with a woman. She was now rather curious of why a billionaire would want to have met her. Especially, a billionaire who had the reputation that Bruce Wayne had. She was automatically suspicious. She shook her head. She had been hanging out with Harry way too much for her own good. It was starting to make her paranoid like he was.

"Well, Mr. Wayne, what brings you to my humble little corner of the Planet?" Chloe asked.

"Please, Bruce," Bruce said. He gave her a winning smile.

Chloe remained on her guard. Bruce Wayne was the type that turned on that billionaire playboy charm, and got woman following him around like a lost little puppy dog. She looked in a little bit on his back story, and figured out he was a rich kid with lots and lots of issues. One had to be after seeing their parents shot before them at the age of eight.

"Fine, Bruce, what can I do for you?" Chloe asked him.

"I don't know if you've heard about the energy pulses that have been happening around Kansas," Bruce said, and Chloe sat up straight. That was the very thing she had been looking into. "The look on your face indicates that's been something that you've been looking into. Then again, a reporter such as yourself would follow that trail no matter what."

Now Chloe was really interested, and also a tad bit more suspicious.

"It turns out that the power pulses extend far beyond Kansas, and in fact they extend all the way through the Midwest, into the heart of Gotham City," Bruce said. "I had a team of technicians at Wayne Industries. My associate, Mr. Lucius Fox, told me that it could be found here. I believe that there is something originating deep within one of the Luthorcorp factories."

Immediately, a red flag popped up within Chloe's head. She smelled a rat. A rat named Lex Luthor.

"Did you know that?" Bruce asked.

"Not until you brought it up," Chloe said. "I'm not surprised."

Bruce reached into his coat, and pulled out a flash drive. He handed it to Chloe. She took it her hands.

"This drive has everything that you need," Bruce said. "All of the information that we tracked. The evidence points back to Luthor, or at least his main system computers. If they've been infected, then it could be a computer virus that could cripple all of the Midwest, or even more if it spreads."

Immediately, Chloe had a theory of who it was. She really hoped this was wrong. However, when she had a hunch like that, she could not resist sticking her nose in. She would need to get in touch with Clark when Bruce left.

"Thank you, I'll look into that," Chloe said. She could not help asking another question. "Why me? Why would you help me?"

"I've read your work, and enjoy the fact you speak your mind, without fear of the consequences, while making sure to give a fair and balanced perspective," Bruce said. He seemed sincere and honest. "It's something that I find oddly refreshing in the field of journalism."

Chloe nodded.

"Well, glad to see you see that, others might disagree," Chloe said.

"Some miss the spirit of journalism, and that's to uncover the truth, rather than being told, what they want to be told," Bruce answered honestly. "Well, I must be going. I hope that helps you on your way to breaking this story."

Bruce left the office immediately. Chloe was left with the flash drive in her hand. There were too many people around. She stashed it away in her desk. It was hidden from view. As it turned out, that was a good calculated move on her part. The moment she had the drive in her desk, Lois showed up. She seemed to be watching Bruce with a calculated look, and she turned to Chloe.

"Is that who I think it is?" Lois asked.

"Bruce Wayne, eccentric billionaire of Gotham City, master of the night life, is that who you think it is?" Chloe asked.

Lois looked gob smacked. "Wayne…no get out of here. I mean, that guy's so rich that his butler probably has a butler."

Chloe thought that would be a bit outlandish.

"I've been trying to follow up on the upcoming wedding," Lois said without preamble. "Trying to put together any piece on these two is like finding a needle in a haystack. They're childhood friends, I get that, but the fact is there seems to be something much deeper there between them. And I know that you know both of them, so you have the inside track. I tried asking Clark, but he said to talk to them. And they don't seem to like to give interviews for some reason. So I was hoping that you'd give me some information on Metropolis's new power couple."

"Sorry, I can't, Lois, its private," Chloe said. "We all keep secrets, and if they haven't told you, then that's theirs."

"Chloe, please," Lois begged. She gave her cousin puppy dog eyes. Chloe looked away, in amusement. "I don't even know where the wedding is. It's not like it's being publicized. Are they afraid that ninjas are going to crash the reception or something?"

'Knowing Harry, that would be a real concern,' Chloe thought to herself.

"Hey, they're getting married, and they're trying not to make a big spectacle out of everything," Chloe said. "That's their business, and I'm going to try and respect that."

Harry and Kara had been trying to make sure that a media circus did not unravel. Chloe thought that they owed her big time, when she called in a few favors to try and keep their marriage a secret, and then to underplay it.

"Yeah, I realize that," Lois said. "For some reason, it just seems a bit less paper thin than all of the other celebrity marriages. They just seem like two people genuinely in love, and…best of luck to them."

Chloe smiled, but then she grew rigid. She saw a very familiar face creeping around. She thought that she was seeing things. She had been working hard, so it would not be too surprising if she was prone to hallucinations. Yet, she saw him with her own two eyes. Milton Fine was hovering outside in the hallway. His gaze seemed focused like he was looking for someone. He lurked outside.

Lois noticed that Chloe noticed something.

"What is it?" Lois asked.

"I thought I saw someone," Chloe said in an undertone. She got up to her feet. Fine was gone, providing that he was there to begin with. "Excuse me for one second."

Lois was completely baffled at what was going to happen. This gave Chloe a chance to slip off. Chloe stepped out into the hallway. Pushing the door open, she looked around. Her fists were clenched, and she took a few steps forward. She waited for the other shoe to drop. In a matter of moments, something could happen. The real question was what it was.

Chloe heard a hovering noise. Suddenly, she felt a hand over her mouth. The unmistakable pain ruptured throughout her body. She struggled, driven by the self-presevation instincts. Chloe dropped down to her knees, staggered. Fine had put her down to the ground. The pain was so immense that she had blacked out completely.

Lois heard Chloe's screams, and walked out to the hallway.

"Hey, what are you doing to her?" Lois demanded, and she stood in an aggressive stance. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

"Merely sending a message," Fine said. He looked at Lois, with amusement. "You on the other hand, are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then again, nosiness may be considered to be a hereditary trait."

Lois tried to attack Fine. She had no idea what this guy did to Chloe. This ended badly for her. She was thrown hard against the wall. Lois was down. Chloe was on the ground, breathing shallowly. Before Brainiac could finish either of them off, a dark figure swooped down. Brainiac stood on his feet, and the dark and imposing figure moved forward.

Batman was there.

"This is an unintended annoyance," Fine said.

Batman said nothing. He blasted Fine with a high frequency blast. The copy had a hole blown through his chest. The magnetic pulse had destabilized his computer systems slightly. He had back-ups, even though he had to use them wisely. He turned into a pile of liquid metal, and made his getaway.

The Dark Knight moved in quickly. He captured a sample before the computer could completely escape. Lois rolled over, clutching her head, and she looked up at Batman through blurred vision.

"My God, you do exist," Lois slurred. That was all she handled, before she passed out from the pain.

Batman stood over Chloe, and checked her pulse. She was still breathing. He gave her a mild sedative to stabilize her. It would only work temporarily, especially with whatever happened to her. She would need proper medical attention. Lois would as well, but her situation was less problematic.

He would need to establish content to the Kent Farm once she had been safely in the hospital. There was no doubt that he would have had to know about what happened.

Batman had the sample, and he prepared to take it back to the Batcave for analysis.

The news had reached Clark just as well. He, Lana, Harry, and Kara all made their way to Metropolis as quickly as they could. The eye witness accounts pointed towards a man who resembled Brainiac's physical disguise, Milton Fine, lurking around the hallways of the Daily Planet. Two security guards and an intern had been found as well. They had not been as lucky as Chloe and Lois. Their only mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Clark paced around, and Lana did not look much better.

"He knew about Chloe," Clark said. "He doesn't have any concept about human emotion. However, he knew that he could get to both of us if he attacked Chloe. And Lois…she was caught in the crossfire as well."

"He could attack any of us, just like this," Lana said. A thought visited her, and she shuddered at it. "So…do you think that he knows about me? About…my powers?"

She said this in a whisper so no one, but those who had enhanced hearing could hear her.

"I don't know," Kara admitted. She saw Chloe in the other room. She was on the bed. Her eyes were wide open. It looked like she was awake. Breath left from her body. The lights were on, but no one was home. "We should really assume that he does, and plan accordingly. But, after what happened to Chloe…whatever plan he has, it's just beginning."

"It's lucky, lucky that he was there," Clark said.

"He's always lurking in the shadows," Lana said to Clark, and there was no need to say who they were talking about. All of them knew, and wondered how Batman avoided a similar fate to Chloe. Harry and Kara had a good idea where he was hiding out, even though they decided that it would be best not to share this information with either Clark or Lana.

Half of the fun would be them finding out on their own.

Harry's eyes turned towards Chloe. He saw her in the room. He could sense what was happening with in her.

"She's in a lot of pain," Harry told both of them, and Clark and Lana looked at him.

"She looks so peaceful," Lana said.

Kara and Harry could sense what was really happening.

"That is the intention, but on the inside, she's being torn apart by what Brainiac did to her," Harry said. "Anything the doctors do won't be able to help her. She's been sedated, but that will not numb her pain sensors deep within her."

That was news that Clark did not want to be hear. Lana appeared to be about as helpless as he felt. She turned her head to Kara and Harry.

"What will happen to her?" Lana asked. She felt rage slowly bubble in her.

"She'll be condemned to be a prisoner of her mind, until the time she dies," Harry told them, and both exchanged a dark expression.

Clark turned to Harry and Kara, nearly pleading with them.

"Tell me you can do something, please tell me you can do something," Clark said immediately.

Harry and Kara both knew that Clark was beating himself over what happened. Lana was as well in her own way. Despite the fact that neither of them could be everywhere at once, despite all of their super powers. Kara gave them a reassuring smile, while Harry took a deep breath. The doctors wandered away from Chloe. He placed a hand on Chloe's forehead.

"Make sure no one else enters this room," Harry told them. He had one shot to fix Chloe. He turned to the blonde Kryptonian across the room. "Kara, I need your help to do this."

Clark and Lana turned around to keep guard. Harry and Kara hoped that this would work. Chloe was essentially suffering the human equivalent of someone being injected by an extremely nasty computer virus. Her healing abilities managed to stave off the worst of it. However, what Brainiac did was highly adaptable, and was really beginning to cause her natural resistance to break down. The damage was healed, but the pain was still felt.

Harry and Kara placed a hand on her forehead. They closed their eyes. They had never done anything like this before. They hoped it would work.

They forced themselves into Chloe's subconscious.

'Chloe,' Harry whispered to her mentally. 'Chloe, if you're in there, wake up.'

'Harry…it's him, Brainiac…Clark told you about Brainiac, didn't he?" Chloe asked them.

'Clark explained to us all about that menace,' Kara said savagely. She held Chloe mentally in place, and took a deep breath. 'You're breaking down. We've interlinked with your mind. Trust me; we're only going deep as we need to. But we might need to delve into your mind to help you get yourself out of the prison Brainiac has created.'

'Yeah…I know…but it hurts,' Chloe told them. She hoped that they would not trigger any personal thoughts that she had about them, well at least one of them. Things might be completely awkward, and that was the last thing she wanted.

'It's going to hurt even more if you don't grit your teeth, and block out the pain,' Harry projected to her.

'Chloe, this is your body, take control of it, and your mind,' Kara told her. 'We can guide you, but it's going to you that breaks free from this virus, take control of your mind, and body. Don't think, just do it.'

"What if it takes control of you?' Chloe asked. 'Lois…is she okay?'

'Yeah she's fine,' Harry told her.

Harry and Kara saw the black glow around Chloe's mind. Kryptonian symbols they saw on her mind. Much like any virus, it left its own unique trail. Kara and Harry tried to focus their powers like a virus removal program. They would have to reboot Chloe's brain and body, and hopefully jumpstart her healing factor.

The longer they were in her mind, the harder it was going to be to pull out. Harry and Kara felt a chill. The time was running out. They did not want to know what happened if Chloe died with their minds still linked with hers.

They saw nothing, but darkness.

For a moment, they thought that Brainiac's program had found a way to trap them inside Chloe's own mind, and their physical forms would wither and decay in the real world, all three of them.

A bright flash of light erupted. A mental scream was heard.

Harry and Kara's eyes both opened, and they took deep breaths. They staggered back, and breathed in and out deeply. Lana and Clark rushed over. Chloe's eyes blinked. It took her a moment to really adjust to the light.

"Hey, Clark, Lana," Chloe managed weakly.

"You scared us half to death, you know," Clark said.

"But, you're okay, thankfully," Lana said. She let out a long breath she was holding.

Chloe gave Clark and Lana a weak and apologetic smile.

"I'm good now, I feel like someone tap danced on my head with steel shoes, but I'm good other than that," Chloe said at that moment. She felt a lot better. "I need you to do something for me. There's a Flash Drive in the drawer of my desk, it's locked. It has information on it about…about something that has been happening. I think Brainiac's behind it, and Lex might be involved too."

Clark was about to ask Chloe to elaborate. Chloe drifted off to sleep at that point. The process of completely kicking the virus had drained her completely. Harry and Kara both looked flushed.

The type of power they exerted to help Chloe was second to none. Had they not been Heralds of Death that little effort would have destroyed them. Even being Heralds of Death, they were a bit worse for wear, and they shook their heads.

"Fine, we're just fine," Kara said, before Clark could ask. "Get that flash drive, and meet us at the Shining Light Foundation in ten minutes. We'll tell them to expect you."

Harry and Kara stood, and Clark and Lana sped off to do just that.

"That wasn't pleasant," Harry said.

"At least Chloe's out of the woods," Kara said.

Harry was glad. Of course whatever plan Brainiac was up to, it had just barely begun. Hopefully that drive would have the information on that would help them like Chloe said it did.

Their powers on the other hand, were dangerously close to being depleted. It had begun, and they had drained themselves just helping Chloe.

The flash drive Chloe had received was a gold mine of valuable information. It had filled in some blanks Harry had been tracking with his own computer. However, at the same time, it presented far more questions than it had answers. That was what Harry decided at least as he poured over the information at his disposal. Both he and Kara tried to hide that they did not feel like their usual selves. They had a feeling that they would feel back to their normal selves as time would pass. After all, both Heralds of Death exerted a great deal of power.

Harry shook his head; they knew for a fact the real reason why their powers were not working properly. There were certain times depending on planetary alignment where their powers would be at a fraction of what they were. They had access to all of their normal abilities, but their Herald of Death powers were weakened to the bare minimum. Until the cycle had passed, they would have to pick their spots wisely.

They were just thankful that for them, the bare minimum was something that was more than capable. The power they had to exert with Chloe had depleted them completely. Harry bit his tongue, and continued to click through everything. He turned towards Kara.

"Check to make sure we can follow the thread that we left at Luthorcorp," Harry told Kara.

Kara did as she was asked. She began to check the records of important information that had over the last twenty four hours.

"Luthorcorp has been compromised, but it's very subtle, and likely a distraction,' Kara said to them. "No, no likely about it, it is a distraction. The real target was us, here at the Shining Light Foundation."

Harry shook his head. Everything was falling into place.

"That makes too much sense," Harry told her. He held her hand tightly. "Brainiac's game is knowledge. We represent a source of knowledge that is out of his reach. Therefore, he will stop at nothing to get his hands on it."

There was one thing that was bugging Kara. She leaned back in the chair, and decided to share what had been bugging her to Harry.

"How did Brainiac know about our role as the Heralds of Death?" Kara asked him, and Harry turned to her. "And…I don't know if that is something that he would concern himself with to begin with. I mean, we don't seem to be something that is really pressing in the grand scheme of everything."

"He knew of the legend, and perhaps put two and two together," Harry said.

"You were the only Herald in the legend, though," Kara protested.

Harry pondered this for a moment. Then he gave Kara the benefit of his deduction. "Yeah, I might have been the only Herald in the legend, but he could have had access to more information than you did. It's just fair to assume that he knows everything. That way we won't be surprised. This information, and the slight scan I got from the imprint he left in Chloe, I'm beginning to piece together a way to shut him down for good."

He paused for a moment.

"The problem is getting in close enough, and it has to be done at the source," Harry said. "I think we've been dealing with copies of Brainiac so far today. The real thing is out there somewhere, plotting his next move."

A loud crash was heard from the floor above where they were. That was where the guests were. Harry and Kara made sure their computer was secured. The fact that this was coming from inside of their building meant that it was not good. They hoped that it would just be one of the guests having trouble working their powers. That was something that they could handle.

Harry and Kara left as fast as their legs could move. All of the guests were in their rooms. They appeared to be shaken, and unable to speak. Harry and Kara circled them all. At least they were alive, which was more than could be said about the security guard. They were down on the floor.

All of the guests were there, except for one, the important one to them. Harry and Kara turned around. Both of them went numb with fear. They thought that they were completely safe here, and that Claire was too.

"Claire!" Kara called. "Claire!"

They hoped that they were wrong. They had to be jumping to conclusions. There was no way this could be happening. This was their worst nightmare come true. They scanned the floor. They opened the door that had been sealed shut. The wall had a scorch mark on it. Harry stepped forward, and the glass around them cracked. It had been a long time since Harry had lost control of his powers, and made anything explode. However, there was no mistaken what happened.

After they searched the building, there was no denying it. Claire was gone.

They had found a note on the wall. It was written in Kryptonian, yet both Harry and Kara could read it with clarity.

I have the child. For some reason, she means something to you. It is an easily exploitable weakness within organics. You have my word that no harm will come to her. Providing you give me the scrolls you stole from Lionel Luthor. You know the ones.

The BrainInteractive Construct.

Harry was trying to rack his brain of how Brainiac had slipped through the cracks. They could find that out later, finding Claire first was their number one priority.

"We made a huge mistake underestimating Brainiac," Harry said, trying to keep his temper, and his nerves in check.

"No, we didn't make the mistake,' Kara said. She looked ready to kill. "He did."