Chapter 2

The darkness started to break away from her shattered sight and with it the burning began as her skull spiked as if hornets were festering in her cerebrum unleashing their sharp and painful stingers through the cortex of her head. She tried to scream yet was met with a strangled drowning shriek against the material twisted and pressed between her jaw tied so unbelievably tight it felt as if it was cutting into the sides of her mouth. As she tried to move her arms to get her hands to her face and rid herself of the gag her vision, though ragged, brought her a putrid sight. She then realized she was laying on some cold and rough stone ground, on her side with her wrists bound together by what appeared to be metal shackles that stretched and covered most of her hands too all but her fingertips. Her nails once so nicely manicured were filed down to where the skin was leaving dried blood along her digits. The bare flesh of her arms not covered by the metal restraints revealed veins that weren't their normal color of a humans. No. They were green, glowing as if someone had pumped…but it couldn't be! She panicked then started to thrash until she found a way to sit up whether it be from rage, fear or uncertainty either way...she was sitting up.

She shook her head of these thoughts as she no longer focused on the gag or her arms instead searching around the room only finding an almost circular stone prison with no door. Glancing up revealed nothing either as she sighed trying to relax her body even in her predicament. It was then a hum brought her attention to a certain part of the wall as a faint glow allowed the appearance of the device and a horribly written "Press Me"on the hanging black box with it's rim of red around what appeared to be a button. What stupid childish game is this? She thought smuggly rolling her eyes but gasped when the shackles on her wrists grew tighter and the metal cord she hadn't even realized was attached to them began to yank her arms upward forcing her to scramble to her feet that she now realized were bare. Working to calm her shakes she focused on her breathing only for the hum from before to get louder as she glanced at the button again with the glow now blinking as well that illuminated the demand on the tiny sign. Swallowing down her hesitance she lifted her arms up for the button..

All three sets of eyes were on the screen as they slowly took sips of their javas with exhaustion, stress, worry and indecisiveness playing through them.

"Her levels seem to be improving Alex. The green from her body seems to be clear."

"Yeah." The Director muttered to the Luthor beside her. "Shame that awful symbol they carved into her fucking chest won't go away." She growled clenching tighter to her cup. Both saw her anger fusing and bubbling to the surface.

"Why don't we check on things hmm?" Sam offered, trying her best to help by distraction as she slowly slid her fingers down one of the agent's arms then to her hand as their fingers me. Arias took a risk and curved them feeling Alex do the same. She knew then, she had a chance.

"I'm dying to see her face right now anyway..aren't you Director?" Lena added bumping Alex's other arm with her shoulder grinning and nodding.

"I think that's fitting. Just..once she wakes up….no telling her, got it?" Both women nodded as the Director turned on the other screen and the three women studied the scene before them. They were interrupted by a burst of the office door thrown open and doorknob smacking the wall rather hard. "Agent?"

"Director….the results..you….I...they…" The medical professional before her was stammering as she held out with shaky hands a manilla folder with papers slightly askew. "I wouldn't have just barged in if…" But Alex cut the tall slim athletic doctor off mouth aggap with one hand clenching to a sheet the others long forgotten but caught by the agent in charge of the lab since she'd taken over as Director. "Boss?"

"Wh…..were these tests ordered?" Brown eyes loomed on the woman whom nodded.

"Standard procedure Director."

"Does anyone else know?"

"I rushed over here the moment they showed on my screen." A slam of a fist against the desk brought both Arias and Luthor looking at her with concern.

"NO one else is to know for now! Got that?!" The doctor nodded mouthing yes before running off after setting the rest of the file down on the Director's desk shutting the door on the way out. Lena was the first to turn with arms crossed as if guarding herself for some odd reason.

"What test?"

"A kit." Alex spoke nervously which brought Arias reaching out with inhuman speed snatching the paper as her eyes grew large.

"You've got to be fucking…." The Luthor reached over to yank the paper out of her friend's hand as a hand came over her mouth feeling her entire frame rattle.

"DNA result is…"

"Luthor." Sam growled but Lena felt the rage bubbling through all three of them.

"Lex…..but he's locked up!"

"Not since the World Killer attack on the prison…..they are barely able to keep up the records since most systems were burned, blasted or blown up during the fights."

"My brother is…..free?" Green eyes trembled as tears began to fill them but when she saw brown eyes burn with fury she knew what was coming. "And he…."

"Raped my sister.." The ceramic mug Sam had been holding exploded in her powerful grasp upon the words muttered between them. "I think we will change the dynamics of our operation. This is PERSONAL now.." Far FAR more personal..I'll have both of you evil monsters torn apart inside and out for this!

"All from hitting a button….."...

"Hello Lillian.." A deeper and more haunting voice announced. "You've found your very existence made by the fruits of other's labors for you. You've used your own flesh and blood to breed perfection and discipline moving them as if a piece on your own personal board. In doing so you have created fear, hesitance and absolution of the darkest kind's. You call yourself the salvation of the human race but all you really are is someone who sucks the blood from others to survive in the swamps of others despairs. You Lillian, are a leech. So I ask you now, if given a chance to see through another human's eyes, would you still feel yourself a savior or a reaper?"

Eyes widened as it was no longer a hanging box that was illuminated but a single black chess piece dangling from a string clearly out of reach. She recognized its shape immediately.

"This game should be no stranger to you for it is this very game in which you place all the moves you've made and pieces you've moved. You deem yourself a queen in which you really only defend one king as he only serves to tend to you, like a puppet on a string. See before you a single pawn as example. For in this room are five pieces you need, to move the piece you seek in order to advance from this chamber. In order to obtain each piece you must SEE no evil here. As I'm sure you have realized, the shackles upon your wrists and hands keep you from using your fingers. However, with each correct move these shackles will move as well freeing two fingers at a time giving your more mobility with your hands so you may use them once out of the room as well as hang onto the pieces. Though, this chamber is not what it seems and you will find out shortly Lillian, that what you have SEEN may not be what you should SEE." A hum brought her shaken attention to the wall where an illuminated mirror appears and she's ready to walk towards it until… "Beside the mirror before you, where everything is not as it SEEms you will discover why it's important to SEE no evil. How much are you willing to truly SEE in order to know which ways are the right ways to move and survive. For if you fail this chamber shall be your neverending tomb. Live or Die to escape..make your choice." WHAT THE FUCK!?

Then another hum brought upon an eerie green glow and Lillian immediately felt a sickness bubbling through her noticing the veins along her exposed skin glowing. She was human! She was human.. Snarling she reached up and caught the gag around her mouth the shackles and yanked hard as she screamed out when the tearing of fabric brought scrapes deeply along her mouth and face bringing blood seeping down her face but she could care less.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" She howled but gasped as the metal lead attached to her wrists yanked as she screamed at the quick jerking it did to her shoulders. "I don't fail for anyone you fucking psycho!" She snarled as she jumped up and grabbed the piece above her only to be met by a sharp spiking pain through her hand in which she screamed in absolute agony feeling the sizzling in her palm even with shackles on turning her palm to face her seeing the spiked metal shard through her hand as she gushed out blood as the cord that kept yanking at her released and she slumped to the ground with her hand out sobbing from the pain of the spike feeling it burning even more. "Shit….it's…..acid…..coated….." Lillian brought the palm to her face to her mouth and snarled held her breath then bit the end of the spike hard using a tugging motion downward at the wrist and upward at the head as slowly the spike slid out of her hand and she coughed as the spike dropped in front of her. She howled the moment she accidentally licked her teeth to alleviate a slight burn from biting the spike only to be met with it on her tongue then in her mouth. It was then she felt two of her fingers able to curl and was grateful for the movement even though her hand was burning as well as her mouth. Instantly she flicked the chess piece before her that she had grabbed before and realized it was safe to touch now. She picked up the pawn then heard a hum as she noticed another pawn illuminated and hanging. Yet this one held a sign.

She stood wobbly but determined as she stepped toward the pawn and grumbled at the "LOOK TO CHART" leaving no other choice as Lillian made her way to the mirror once more and turned to the body map gasping with wide eyes. Her jaw dropped by what she saw then she faced the mirror and it made her want to vomit. Along one cheek was a single streak of green that bled out in the same sickening green associated with kryptonite. It was then she could see the curves of the chip inside her cheek.

"Fuck me…." Lillian growled as the burning started along her face right at the cheek where the chip was imbeaded and she gasped as a hum caught her attention at the side. There on a stool was a single scalpel and she realized with both hands with only two fingers she was going to have to use this instrument to cut open her own flesh to remove the chip in her cheek. Just when things couldn't get any worse another hum brought on the heavy purple and red glow of a timer revealing she only had a half an hour to complete this task in the room. Bracing herself for the pain she reached down and found a way with both hands and one finger each to handle the scalpel. No matter what it took, she was getting the damn thing out to get that other pawn..

Ethereal blues came into view as she lifted weak lids and felt the warmth of the bed she rested on attempting to speak but finding her throat hoarse. She was just about to let her gaze slide around until she heard a gasp and turned her eyes to meet the choked up sobbing beauty before her even when her green kryptonite orbs held so much understanding and unbridled concern. The trails of relentless tears brought agony to her weak heart but then she gasped as her eyes went wide and her entire body clenched unable to scream feeling the tube in her mouth down her throat and her frame spasmed as the machines went haywire and two medics came rushing in, forcing the Luthor back whom cried out Alex's name and the woman in charge a voice she knew well too commanded her team as she came into her sister's weak view.

"Focus on me Kar….focus on me.." The spasms weren't subsiding and it worried the elder Danvers greatly. "Focus….keep your eyes locked with mine okay?" A shaky nod brought Alex encouragement to move closer as she brought her hand up to her sister's face. "I'm going to take this out but I want you to cough when I tell you to, okay?" Another nod and a little less spasms gave the mode of action to the Director whom clenched the tube. "One….on count of three okay? One, two….three!" Alex pulled the tube from the depths of the blonde's throat whom coughed gasping then coughing and whining still shaking but no longer spasming. "Good job sis. Want water?" That nod brought her hope and she reached on the side to press the button and raise the med bed holding a cup with a bendy straw in it. "Slow sips okay?" Alex waited for the gulps to be done. She was grateful they had changed her gown so the first thing Kara saw wouldn't be the gruesome damage to her chest. Looking to the doorway brown locked to green and saw the hesitance as well as the guilt and Alex shook her head just as Arias walked to stand beside the Luthor. "Hey, look who's here to see you?" She motioned to Kara whose eyes widened in terror upon seeing both the women as she gazed around the room and Alex knew exactly what she was looking for. "Come in."

"Looking for these?" Sam smiled holding up glasses dangling over a crooked finger.

"H...how?"

"Because we are idiots, that's how." Lena popped off with as Arias laughed and Alex shook her head. Immediately Kara turned away looking as if she would start sobbing. "Hey hey, Kara..shit I didn't mean to…"

"I lied to you..to both of you…." The blonde sobbed coughing as Lena took the cup from Alex immediately refilling it then kneeling before her best friend pulling stool closer. "Lee…" The Luthor put the straw to the woman's lips.

"Drink. Breathe. Relax." Lena told her as Kara sipped slowly and did her best to calm her breathing. They were all caught off guard by a beeping of an alarm as the blonde tried to sit up more but both Lena and Sam pushed her down. "Relax. Your sister is running the world's finest top secret agency you know?" Blue eyes rolled. "That's what I thought. Go let her be boss."

"Yea, let US take care of YOU for a change."

"Sam." Kara tried but Arias shook her head.

"I'm so sorry Kara. I mean shit…..she...I...she…" But the blonde shook her head.

"Wasn't you." Sam studied the determined eyes of the true Kryptonian hero before her. How could she not see it before? Was it the glasses? Arias face palmed shaking her head chuckling. "What?"

"I can't believe neither of us saw it Lena." She rebudled and Kara put her head back sighing.

"Um….since my sister isn't in here…." Kara began until Alex stepped back in noticing the Director paying attention to her phone. "What's up?" Brown eyes turned to the group then landed on her sister tilting her head some then dropping into the doctor's chair. "Ally?"

"Okay…." Alex began looking at both women whom shook their heads as her gaze flickered back to her injured sibling. "..I know..you have standards.." Blue eyes shifted some as if storms began to brew in the hero's orbs with the krinkle beginning to show and a brow raised. "For the greater good, okay sis?"

"Hey Sam..want to grab a bite?" Lena motioned to her friend as Arias nodded quickly and both started to make their way out of the med bay. But it was the Director that slid before their attempted exit. "Alex?"

"Director?" Sam tried with a cheeky grin but the woman shook her head motioning them to sit their asses back down.

"Nope. If I gotta face this..YOU both get to face it with me." Now Kara was really confused as just on cue her stomach let out quite the loud and rough grumble. All three turned to stare down then back up. "Hungry much?"

"Explain much?" Kara retorted and Alex threw her hands up then folded her arms leaning in the doorway.

"Go on, might as well not keep it from her now." She spat out as Lena sighed.

"Explain what?" Kara asked even more confused as to just what the hell was going on.

"Well you see Kar….I had this fundraiser party for one of my non-profit hospitals overseas and….."

For such a noisy and packed evening turn out and speech after speech about the greater good of all creations vast or small..barely any were contributing for the cause. It repulsed her greatly and it made her want to pick up another glass from the table but she held herself back and studied the crowd hoping another investor would be willing to do something..charitable.

"Greedy, stuck up pricks.." She grumbled under her tongue along with a few choice Irish and Gaelic words much too inappropriate for the company. Just about to cave for another drink she was caught off guard by a chuckle to her side and turned to find the older man nursing what seemed to be a lighter wine though she wasn't sure. She took in his appearance and found him by a guess to be in his fifties perhaps, though these days you couldn't distinguish age. Studying his amused expression as his head turned she met his unique yet firm lighter blue eyes. She saw it then, and her own expression went from curious to amused. This man before her was far more intelligent than anyone else would pick up on.

"I would have called them more..rabid rats that scurry around and savagely attack one another if it gave them just another meal to indulge their fat piggy banks and belched guts..wouldn't you Miss Luthor?" Lena liked this man already.

"A man whom sees that must indeed see beyond that too. You know me, whom might you be?" Green eyes studied his features focusing solely if this man would lie but when he spoke she found no ill tone nor change to his demeanor. He graciously held out his hand.

"Kramer….John. If I may ask, was that Scottish you spoke before?" Laughter escaped her as she took his hand accepting the shake.

"Irish and a tad Gaelic too."

"Yet you are Luthor?"

"Oh heavens not by choice." The man tilted his head slightly as both of them pulled their hands back. "Might I grab….what are you having?"

"Chardonnay actually. Did you?" She nodded. "Then allow me to be a gentleman and fetch one and we can walk and talk?"

"That would be perfect." Lena watched with curiosity as he quickly went over to the bar and without any hesitance handed the tender three large bills explaining to him to keep the change, ditch the rest of the evening and go read to his son. Green eyes filled with warmth at the exchange. The man made haste up the stairs to hold out the drink. "Did you know him?"

"We met before set up and he and I discussed his trials of late. His young son was recently diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. He doesn't make much at these gigs and doesn't get much time to spend with his son. His wife died in a crash two years ago and it has been a struggle for them. They weren't offering him much for this fundraiser/gala. I wanted to offer him more but at least tonight and the next two nights he can spend with his son reading to him and tending to him." The speech this man before her gave touched her far more deeply than any she had heard throughout the night and it left her own voice barren to response. "Sorry for getting off topic."

"No I…" Lena set her glass down gathering herself better as she turned away from him to lean against the rail by the garden then face him once more. "Do you have his info?" A nod brought a great smile to her face and with her own his followed. "I run two hospitals out of town but….I'd love to see if there is something I could do."

"Miss Luthor.."

"Lena."

"Lena.." The man spoke with a bigger smile and shook his head chuckling. "You grace me with a rare condition of understanding there truly is some REAL good left in this world." Reaching into his pocket as she pulled out her phone and took down the info of the bartender awaiting his own as well. "Are you certain?"

"I may be young Mr. Kramer…"

"John." Lena smiled nodding.

"John, I may be young but I am a pretty good judge of character as well as definition." Now the man leaned closer slightly taken back by her study of him. "If I had to guess, as I have you have been taught to keep a hawk eye out for those that would take advantage of any situation possible to further their agendas and fill their pockets. I'd further guess you gave trust only to be crossed in the most fatal of ways and it has left you far more cunning than you let on to others." Lena stopped for a moment but his nod offered her continue. "You seek to do good when all you are seen for is bad and wrong perhaps evil. I see it in all of two minutes with the man you handed what….$400 dollars to, as a tip?" The man chuckled nodding.

"You leave me at a….rather lessened amount of responses Lena."

"I'm good at that. Also at chess."

"As am I. Perhaps we should play. But in the meantime…" The man reached into his not so expensive tux pulling out a single folded paper then held it out to her. "...put this to good use for the children, the sick, the ailed." Reaching out to take the paper she unfolded the check and widened her eyes at the amount and then flicked her gaze to him speechless once more. "My personal number is the first of each sequence I've written on the back. Text to that number and I'll send you an email that is safe to use, just make sure yours is untraceable."

"This is...far more…"

"Than anything you would have received by any of these rats tonight. But I must tend to things with my own matters and I hate to leave you alone at this time of night. May I offer you an escort to your hotel or…"

"Thank you John." She spoke doing her best not to cry but she couldn't help it.

"I didn't need to hear any speech tonight. I came only to talk to you. I've studied all you've done and watched your name be drug through every horrid mud pile there is. You are doing the right things Lena Luthor. But to me….Lena. Just Lena." She still felt herself ready to sob as she watched him start to step down the stairs then he stopped and turned making a firm eye contact with her. "If….trouble that...can't be handled by the correct hands comes your way, and you need guidance or..belief, even…..approval..message me. I'll respond sooner than you think. Have a pleasant evening Lena. Your drink is on me. Be safe in your travels."

There wasn't any response she could give as she glanced back down to the check for an insane amount made out to her cause then back to where the man once was, but wasn't anymore. All she could think was…..she had to tell her best friend when she got back..

"So, who is this guy?" The Director asked as all three women turned to the Luthor with curious eyes.