Chapter 12

When Paula had been deep in surgery, the alarm had been blaring. Lena and Sam both looked up nervously, and Artemis, Artemis in particular had been a bit perplexed as well. Gwen rubbed her temple in frustration. It caused the hairs to stand on the back of her neck.

"Oh, please tell me that's not the alarm that I think it is," Gwen said.

"Someone must have breached the L-Corp security," Lena said. "Go and check it out, please."

"Right," Gwen responded. "Could be a false positive, I hope it's a false positive."

Lena's implied statement of go check it out, told Gwen what she needed to do. And one of the reasons why Lena hired her, as an extra measure of security. Of course, Gwen's intelligence and qualifications got her on the radar, but she had other abilities which Lena had been interested. She had been paying Gwen for security as well as working as an intern at L-Corp.

Artemis heard something click to life. Her communicator and Artemis promptly switched it on.

"It's not a false positive, is it?" Artemis asked.

"No," Harry said. "It's someone called the Beetle. At first, I thought he would be here after...well, he's after the nano-technology, they're using on your mother's surgery."

"Which is currently embedded in her spine," Artemis said with a grimace. "Oh, please tell me he wouldn't rip out! What do you want me to do?"

"Whitney is coming round, Raquel and I are up behind him," Harry explained. "Jesse's got Sam's daughter in a safe room...and you need to make sure that he's….."

"He won't get his hands on it," Artemis said.

"He's a world class mercenary, who won't stop at anything to get what he wants," Harry said. "The only reason he hasn't made a more obvious attempt to kill us, because that's not what he's being paid for."

Oh, that comforted Artemis, a whole lot. She moved over towards Lena who noticed her talking to Harry.

"Harry, says it's someone called the Beetle, and he's heading up here," Artemis said. "He's not after...well Harry never said what he's not after, but he is after the Nano-Technology."

"Do what you have to do, and Sam and I will look after your mother," Lena said.

Artemis swallowed and reached into her bag. She slipped into a utility closet and then changed into her gear, complete with her bow. The high tech bow would hopefully be able to counteract any weaponry the Beetle would have, although she felt unarmed compared to a mercenary.

Out of the corner of her eye, Artemis caught a glimpse of Spider-Girl of all people, crawling on the ceiling, and disappearing through a vent. Today, had just gotten that much weirder.

No time to fret. Artemis had to stop Beetle. Her mother's life depended on it.

Kid Flash zipped in front of the Beetle to try and cut him off.

"Hold it there, Beetle Fett," Kid Flash said before raising her fist. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

Okay, fine, she was mixing the pop culture references. Kid Flash, at the speed of light, rushed towards the Beetle. The attempt to vibrate through her suit caused Kid Flash to get a splitting headache and knock her down to the ground.

"Vibranium, shit!" Kid Flash groaned.

One of the two metals on Earth which even a speedster could not vibrate through. Beetle armed his cannon and started to freeze Kid Flash starting at the ankles and moving up her legs. Cold, one of her most unfortunate enemies, and Beetle was about ready to freeze her cold.

An arrow shot into Beetle's back and caused an explosion which only distracted him and barely dinged the man. Beetle turned around and Artemis fired three more hard light arrows in attempt to damage Beetle's armor in any way whatsoever. The arrows reflected off of it and the Beetle flipped Artemis back. Artemis skidded to a stop.

Beetle sent a blast of energy upwards and the ceiling almost came crashing down onto Whitney's half frozen body. Until Superman blocked the ceiling debris and threw it back at the Beetle, who had smashed the ceiling back with a punch. Rocket jumped on Beetle's back, only for Beetle to shrug her off and sent Rocket going down.

Oh, and right on the bad ankle, and that smarted a lot. Rocket tried to pull herself up, only to collapse. At the last minute, she blocked Beetle's latest energy pulse and slammed it back. Not even damaging the armor, although she did stagger him back.

Harry freed Whitney from the ice and she leaned against him, breathing heavily.

"Oh, Captain Cold has nothing on this guy,' Whitney managed as she could barely stand.

Beetle sent a sonic pulse at the quartet of heroes and sent them off. Whitney rolled over onto the ground, and once again leaned on Harry to get up.

"You should know, he has Vibranium in that armor, along with whatever other technology he has," Whitney said.

"That makes things more complicated," Rocket commented. "Yeah, I know, should have sat this one out."

Beetle blasted up and there was only one more floor before he reached the upstairs. Superman grabbed Artemis and Kid Flash underneath his arms with Rocket following in close pursuit. The Beetle could not be allowed to reach that final floor and reach Paula.

Because, as Artemis had pointed out in the most uncomfortable way possible, The Beetle would not hesitate to rip Paula's spine out, with the Nano-Bots inside of it. Especially if there was enough zeroes on the check.

Despite those annoying pests of teen sidekicks stalling him, alongside Superman, Beetle managed to make it to his goal. He would abduct Lena Luthor as well and force her to take him to the scarab.

Another complication hit, when three lines of sticky webbing wrapped around Beetle and pulled him back. He sliced out of the webbing and got a vent covering to the face with the feet behind it.

"So, which one are you?" Spider-Girl asked. "George? Paul? John? Ringo….it's Ringo, isn't it? It's always Ringo!"

Beetle turned his attention towards Spider-Girl and blasted a few beams of energy towards her. Spider-Girl dodged the attack and came up to the air.

"Damn it, Ringo!"

Superman dropped Artemis and Whitney down on the ground floor. Rocket followed just in time to see the battle between Spider-Girl and the Beetle hit it's fever pitch.

"Oh, Supes, it's an honor, but...this guy just won't get the hint!" Spider-Girl called out.

Very interesting to see how Spider-Girl just happened to show up at L-Corp. Harry would have to think over that matter later. Beetle had been nailed to the wall with impact webbing, which he quickly got out of it.

"I've got a plan, but we're going to have to lure him to that lab," Spider-Girl whispered pointing down to the hall.

"Guys, we need to stop Beetle from going to Lab Sixteen!" Superman called to the team.

"Dude, use your indoor voice," Kid Flash murmured. "Wait, what's in Lab Sixteen?"

"The scarab, along with a more potent form of nano-bots than the one's Lena's using for surgery," Superman said. "But, we can't let him get them, no matter what."

"Should we really be saying this in front of the B-E-E-T-L-E!"

Artemis and Rocket got the hint and Artemis fired an arrow which the Beetle deflected. Their fervent attempts to keep Beetle away from the lab only made him head to the lab soon.

"Hopefully your plan works," Superman said.

"I'm certain it will," Spider-Girl said. "Well ninety-seven percent anyway, there's always that three percent margin of error...sciency thing….it's what….just trust me, okay?"

Superman raised an eyebrow and Spider-Girl thought now was a good time to keep her mouth shut.

"Yes, I do."

Beetle made his way to the lab and ransacked the place, looking for any kind of control switch which would reveal the Nanobots or the Scarab. A slamming of a fist down onto the wall caused Beetle to turn around, right as a containment unit opened up and blasted him with nano-bots which disabled his armor.

"Well, he wanted nano-bots," Spider-Girl said. "Funny thing about Lena's creation, they can be used for surgery, and they can also be used for dismantling weapons. Bet you my webs that's one of the reasons why I'm sure this clown was sent after them."

Beetle's weapons systems shut down and the pod electrified him, putting him down to his knees. He would wake up, without his armor, in a holding cell.

"Good job Spider….Girl?"

Harry noticed Spider-Girl disappeared into the night, leaving Artemis, Whitney, and Raquel all surprised as well.

"She could give Batman lessons," Raquel said.

"No kidding," Artemis said. "Where did she go? Who is she anyway?"

As for where she went, Harry could not really say. As to who Spider-Girl was, well Harry had a pretty good idea who she was.

Safely out of view, Spider-Girl pulled off her mask, revealing the smiling face of Gwen Stacy. The modulator added to her mask hopefully disguised her voice, although she had a feeling Harry suspected something.

"Lena?" Gwen asked.

"Yes?" Lena asked.

"Beetle's been contained, Lab Sixteen," Gwen said.

"Good, we'll find a way to get something out of him before he's shipped to ARGUS," Lena said. "You did it!"

"It was a team effort," Gwen said. "And to think, I always thought working alone would be the way to go."

Today had been a very long day for Artemis and she hoped for some good news. Lena shook Artemis's hand and smiled at her.

"So good news," Artemis said.

"The surgery was a success," Lena said. "We're still have to monitor your mother for the next few months for any adverse side effects and there's rehabilitation, but we took one large step towards a better future for her mother. She'll be out of it for a while, but when she recovers, you could go and see her."

"Thank you, for everything," Artemis said.

"Your mother deserves a second chance," Lena said. "And anything to help a friend of Harry."

Artemis could not help, but be a bit too emotional. She threw her arms around Lena with a hug, practically jubilant at the news of today.

Downstairs, Harry waited for Lena to join him. They would walk down together where the Beetle had been moved to another lab. The ARGUS agents would be here within the hour to pick up Beetle and bring him up.

"Queen Shuri will be very interested in learning how you got your hands on the Vibranium you used for your suit," Lena said. "And I'm interested in a couple of things as well. Namely, who are you working for?"

Beetle stared down Lena and said absolutely nothing. He almost demanded Lena do his worse. Because, the her worse would not be anywhere near some of the torture Beetle has experienced during his life during basic training.

"I told you he wasn't much of a talker," Harry said.

"Your suit has records of your transactions," Lena said. "Once I trace back to what Swiss bank account you've gotten the payment from, I'll know who is pulling your strings."

"That freeze gun was recently added," Harry cut in out of the blue. "Along with that sonic weapon, and the modulator, which increases the vibrations...it's about ready to come off."

Artemis's arrows must have done some damage on one of the weaker parts. Harry vibrated his hand through the case and pulled out the modulator part of the weapon. He frowned and flipped it over into his hand, studying it from back to front.

"Maxwell Lord makes these," Harry said. "But, mostly for the Military."

"And not just our military."

An attractive brunette woman stepped into the room, with a small group of government agents.

"Director Lyla Michaels, ARGUS," she told Harry as she shook his hand and gave him the same looking over all women did. "And no need for an introduction, I know you are, and your work is appreciated...but there's a problem regarding holding the Beetle."

"Problem?" Lena asked. "If ARGUS doesn't have the capabilities, I can design a cell…."

"No, it's not that," Lyla said. "It isn't a problem of capabilities, it's a problem of jurisdiction. The Beetle is a Latverian National, and thus...it's a very sticky political situation with the United States and our leader. And the President doesn't want any trouble."

"Yes, I've followed the news," Lena said. "You want to avoid trouble with Victor Von Doom, although your truce is just tenuous at best."

"I'm sorry," Lyla said. "The President had a very intense discussion with Doom, and well Doom was not happy with the Beetle's attack, but he has ordered the Beetle to be brought to the Latverian embassy."

Beetle's eyes showed the first emotion beyond stoic indifference. Fear. Fear of what Doom would do to him.

Harry heard the Beetle's heart beat, which had been very faint earlier, speed up. He heard stories about Doctor Doom, and in fact, his country shared a border with Perita's, and boy, had there been conflicts with that border which would put the troubles between Quarac and Biayla to shame.

"Oh, that scares you, doesn't it?" Lena asked.

"We're supposed to take him straight away," Lyla said.

Beetle had been taken out of a holding cell and lead off by Lyla and her agents. Harry, holding the one piece of his technology which could definitely be traced back to Maxwell Lord.

Perhaps, it was time the two of them met face to face.

Maxwell Lord played a game of chess against one of the most advanced computer systems in the world. It had taxed his brain, but once Lord learned of it's patterns, it had been downright dull.

A hovering of a figure next to the window made things a little bit interesting. Maxwell Lord rose up and saw Superman hovering over the outside.

"You missing something?" Superman asked.

"Yes, I'm missing a lot these days," Lord said. "In fact, I have the police report right here which indicates that AIM raided several of my production factories. They are scavengers after all."

"The Beetle came here tonight, and for the second time in many weeks, someone was after technology created by Lena Luthor," Superman said. "Your problems with Lionel and Lex are well documented."

"Yes, but Lena is not Lionel, and she's certainly not Lex," Maxwell said. "And you should be looking into AIM, and the potential of them sending this Beetle after L-Corp. I'm a victim of them."

"I don't believe you," Superman said.

"Well, the police believe me, and you might fly around playing the hero, but you're not the police," Lord said. "Vigilantes, they always have an inflated sense of their own morality. They think they know about them. Especially you...but you are not without your qualities. And you might be the key to help change the world."

Lord poured himself a drink and did the same to Superman. Superman declined and Lord just shrugged and took both drinks for himself.

"In almost a year, no male has been born, thanks to Aresia's attack," Lord said. "And the death rate of men climbs with each passing day, week, month, and throughout the last year. Every day, more men succumb to illness and I've projected in the next ten years, the male population will be depleted. The cure just slowed the deaths, but did not stop them. And what if women are killed as well, should the disease evolve? Or someone, in a misguided attempt to balance the scales creates an equivalent to the virus that targets men, but against women. The human population would be wiped out in twenty-five years, if that. Earth a barren wasteland in an entire generation."

Superman remained silent. A prickling in his mind and Superman forced Lord out of his mind. Lord slid back on his chair, nose bleeding and a small amount of drool dribbling out of the side of his mouth. He recovered very quickly.

"I'll be keeping a close eye on you," Superman said. "And the next time you try and enter my mind, you won't be leaving with your sanity in tact."

If Harry didn't shatter Lord's mind, Megan, who had always been lurking close by in Harry's head, would most certainly shatter his mind like she did Psimon's and Doctor Destiny's. But, having a telepath for a mate gave Harry a stronger control of his own mind.

Maxwell Lord grabbed a towel and pinched his nose. The blood would stop flowing eventually. He assumed.

"What are you?" Lord murmured.

Several towels and tissues laid upon his desk soaked with blood before Lord managed to stave off the bleeding.

"Oh, Jesse helped me, and I think I'm going to smash the report," Ruby said. "Not as hard as you want to smash Harry but…."

"Ruby," Sam said sternly. "I don't want to….smash Harry."

"Right, you want him to take you out to a nice dinner, take you back, and seduce you before fu….funning your brains out," Ruby said, averting the obvious words at her mother's glare. "Seriously, he's hot...maybe in a few years…."

Gwen just smirked and Artemis joined her, along with Harry and Jesse.

"So, you were supposed to go down stairs to check out the Beetle?" Artemis asked.

"Yeah, about that, I got trapped in the elevator," Gwen said. "Bad times….so what happened?"

"Well, Spider-Girl showed up and kicked some serious ass against the Beetle," Raquel said. "You should have been there, it was amazing."

"Spectacular as well," Artemis said.

"Damn, and I just had to miss it," Gwen said.

"Yes, quite...amazing how she couldn't stick around long enough for you to meet," Harry said with a smile towards Gwen.

Lena came up the steps and Harry met her practically halfway up the steps.

"Beetle's on his way to Latveria now, under Doom's...tender care," Lena said.

Perhaps it was just Harry, but he would not want to be under the tender care of someone with the last name of Von Doom.

"Lord's slippery," Harry said. "He must have hired AIM to rob his own warehouses, to give himself an alibi. And they must have gotten their hands on the Vibranium somehow."

"I've been in contact with Shuri, she sends her best," Lena said. "One of the mines had been attacked two weeks ago, by a man named Ulysses Klaw. And Klaw has been in contact with Maxwell Lord."

Well, this wraps up pretty much everything, although trying to implicate any of these people, especially Lord, was going to be about as hard as anything. Although, if Lord ever tried what he tried with Harry, or anyone else close to him, then he would be joining John Dee in the low-brain activity ward of Arkham Asylum.

"Oh, and we upgraded the security, fixing that one tiny hole, and a couple more which could be a problem," Lena said. "I'll go up and check on Paula."

"Okay, let me know if you need anything."

After Lena moved up to check on Paula's progress, Whitney grabbed Harry's hand and sped him to the nearest bedroom. It happened so fast Harry's head spun. One minute he had been in the hallway, and the next minute, Whitney practically threw herself at Harry and shoved her tongue down his throat.

The kiss lasted a long time before Whitney broke.

"Guess the time is right now, isn't it?" Harry asked.

"Well, if you keep waiting for the time to be right, then all you're chasing is excuses," Whitney remarked. "And life's too short for second guessing."

Harry grabbed the beautiful redhead speedster around her waist and kissed her in a way which sent tingles through Whitney's spine.. This feeling had been better than the speed force tingling through her veins. It was a very long time coming, and perhaps Whitney should have taken the jump on her birthday like Helena did.

Whitney West finally decided to stop running from her feelings.