"Oh, you know my secret, do you?"
Karen Starr, Kara Zor-L, had been known to shove her own foot firmly in her mouth, and speak without engaging her brain. To her credit, Harry didn't lose it and she just called him out for being a vigilante without any kind of proof or anything. It might be a little bit embarrassing if she was wrong.
Of course, she was a quick thinker, which got her out of at least half of her problems. The blonde blinked shook her head and tried to pulling her figurative foot from her mouth.
"Well, you know, that you run the biggest new corporation in Metropolis, the SLO?" Karen asked her. "You know, if you're not with SLO, you're SOL, as the slogan goes."
"I remember that one," Harry commented with a smile, he was pretty sure that this was not really the secret that she was going to go with, but she was going to allow it anyway. "But, it's not really a state secret that I'm a part of that corporation, I mean, it's kind of an open fact, isn't it?"
"Oh yes, yes, I know, but there are just some things that you're doing, that aren't as open of a secret," Karen said, deciding to choose her words as wisely as she could. "You've been trying to stop Luthor at every turn, the entire business world has been wondering if you have it out for him."
"Lex Luthor takes everything a bit personally, doesn't he?"
"Yes," Karen said and she mentally added something to herself.
'More than you can ever know.'
"The fact is, the people of Metropolis do deserve options, and while STARR labs is a great option, as you well know," Harry said and Karen gave him a smug grin at that statement. "It shouldn't be the only great option that the fine people of this city have at their disposal though."
"Oh yeah, there should be more great options, I agree with that," Karen said excitedly. "You're just going to make the people of this city…..well you're really turning things on their head and I know you've been in talk with a couple of companies that are going to…well that have similar aims and are taking a very anti-Luthor stance."
"He's sweating for the first time in forever, not so smug, not so arrogant as he used to be, but yes, I'm trying to make this world a better place for all and if he suffered for it, then bonus points."
Karen blinked and grinned.
"And I'm sure that your friend has spilled the beans, hasn't she, about what I was up to?" Harry asked and Karen looked at him, so Harry had to clarify for her. "You know Patricia Swann."
"Yes, she mentioned you a time or two, in the most glowing of ways, I can assure you," Karen reminded him, taking the drink that she had and drinking it, mostly to give her something to do so she would shut up.
"I'm sure she does, my meetings with her have been nothing but positive, her father would be proud," Harry said and Karen smiled at this. Patricia would have been pleased to see Harry said that, if she had been here that was.
"He didn't exactly leave the smallest shoes to fill, you know," Karen commented and Harry smiled.
"No, he didn't, but some people are well up to working up to the legacy of their parents and then a little bit beyond it."
"Were you?" Karen asked, but then she realized that she might have said a bit too much, yet again. Harry didn't really mention much about his parents, other than the fact that they died when they were really young and when he was not even out of diapers.
Karen turned about ten shades of red, with Harry's eyes locking onto hers. The blonde wanted to find a nice hole to go in and retire for the rest of her life. But to his credit, Harry played it rather cool to be honest.
"I'd like to think that I made my own legacy."
That was a blunt statement if there ever was one but Karen thought that it was a pretty fair statement all things considered. Especially with all of what Harry did, his legacy was one that she thought that she should be proud of building.
"Okay, fair enough," Karen said and Harry let the subject pass without further comment, which was a relief to Karen.
"You know, there is a spot open for you if you want it…..I know you're in with STARR but the two companies are working closely together so…"
"You know, I might have to take it up with you in the future," Karen said, with a smile. She looked into his green eyes and saw sincerity, he wanted to help Metropolis. There must have been something in his past where he failed in helping someone, which was something that Karen could relate to.
She remembered being put on that ship, and the last thing that she saw before being rocketed off of the planet was Krypton falling. She managed to leave with a good deal of Kryptonian knowledge but not everything.
Knowledge that could help her and Harry's future plans together but the problem was telling Harry of her heritage and that was a big step, one that she was not willing to take at this point in time. Not saying that she was not willing to take it in the not so distant future, just not today.
"So, how are your classes?"
"Oh, I think that I'm doing very well in them," Karen said and Harry smiled back at her.
"So, am I going to have to create brand new records for you to break?"
Karen laughed in amusement, but she did enjoy a nice challenge or two.
The easiest way to figure out whether or not Lex Luthor was plotting was whether or not he was still breathing. The businessman was ready for pretty much anything that he could do and he was currently on the phone with one of his contacts.
"My current…..problem aside, the project is on schedule, just keep up your end of the deal," Luthor told the person over the phone. "Wayne returning would give you some difficulties, wouldn't it? But I could have thought that you had complete control over the company, that the prodigal child returning, it wouldn't be a problem."
Luthor heard his response but he didn't really want to listen to excuses.
"Keep her distracted the best you can, that shouldn't be too hard, given her reputation, there were people for the longest time who thought that she did something stupid and got herself sold into slavery overseas," Lex commented, not caring. He didn't really think that the business world was any place for females, as they were emotional, irrational, and made foolish decisions, especially when caught at the wrong time of the month. "Powers, I'm warning you…just don't disappoint me. I never took disappointment all that well and I certainly won't from you."
There were reassurances on the other side of the line but Lex thought those to be absolutely hallow. That being side, he placed the phone down and rubbed his temple, sighing long and hard.
The problem was that this was one of the more competent of his business contacts. It did make unsurping people's assets and companies a bit easier when the people there did not have that much going on upstairs. But it made dealing with them in the meantime to be a headache and a half.
Luthor tapped his fingers on the table, waiting the intercom buzzed, with Luthor's secretary on the other line.
"Sir, he's here to see you."
Lex smiled, he knew who this person was, and he was not a person who would be kept waiting.
"Well what are you waiting for, send him in!"
"At once sir," his secretary commented in a dry voice and the door opened, to reveal the imposing figure making his way into the office. He was large and cast a shadow over everything as he walked forward.
"I must say, I was surprised to hear that the legendary Lex Luthor of all people wanted to acquire my services."
"Well, to be fair, your reputation precedes you, as you were the man who broke the Bat."
"Yes, the Bat never did recover, I broke him, and the Clown finished him off, taking him down in a fiery explosion, it took both of them in fact" the large man said in the shadows. "But, I'm sure that I can receive a fair amount of credit."
"If you had not crippled him, he would not have fallen," Lex said, his father and the man behind the cowl had been business associates from back in the day. Both were gone and Lex thought that the world was a lot better without them, both of them. "That being said, welcome, have a seat my friend."
"I prefer to stand."
Lex shrugged, fair enough. Even if he stood, he would be giving up a good amount of height to this man. While he was not completely pumped up, he obviously still kept himself in good shape. Given that the rumors of the ravages of the drug that he took, he was trying not to be too dependent on it and became a formidable force without it.
"Fair enough," Lex said, this was not a man that he was going to spend much time arguing with. He was a man that could break anyone he chose, including Lex. "You know of my problem."
"Yes, this Supergirl," the man in the shadows said, cracking his knuckles together. "Did she stand you up or something?"
"Funny," Lex said, but he didn't say any more than that. "She's a danger to the city that I built, and I'm willing to pay you enough to strongly consider retirement if you do just one thing…"
"Eliminate her, I understand," he said roughly.
"I don't want her eliminated, I want her completely and utterly broken, in the most humiliating way possible, so her adoring public can see her downfall," Lex reminded him. "Do so, and I will go with triple your current rate."
"You are very generous then, Mr. Luthor," the man said in his usual crisp tone. "But…what of the other?"
"Just merely an urban legend, I assure you," Lex said, he was trying to keep his concerns about this so called Shadow Vigilante to himself, mostly because if he lost it right now, it would be bad that he would lose face.
"Sometimes an urban legend can prove to be reality, as I well know from the fabled Batman," he warned Luthor.
"Very well, if he interferes, I trust that I do not need to tell you to do your job."
"Of course not Mr. Luthor, I'm a Professional, and I will give you your money's worth and then even more."
Lex smiled, he loved it when a plan came together. Metallo might have been useful technology but the man behind it was not exactly the most equipped for the job. Now he was not going for swift science but rather an interesting combination of both brains and brawn, a deadly combination that could not be beaten no matter what.
"Excellent," Lex said with a smile on his face and he handed the briefcase to his hired thug. "This is half of the money, you'll get the other half when Supergirl is stuffed and mounted in the study in my mansion."
"Oh it is most generous, and clean bills, a rare delicacy," he said, running his fingers over the money that he had. He always had been handed filthy money dripping in grime and disease, but he took some unsavory jobs in his time.
"Wayne Industries has been known for generations for one of the top companies in the world," a man with silver hair said, standing at the top of the stage. There was plenty of applause, polite applause at that.
The demonstration from the Wayne Industries people at Met-U was there and Harry had scored some prime seats for both him and Karen. A fact she appreciated immensely.
"Derek Powers, he was the acting CEO of Wayne, after the death of the last one, his father worked on the board for years, so…you can imagine how he got his way in," Harry whispered to Karen and Karen studied the man on the stage, what she saw was not too favorable to her opinion on him.
She knew his type, businessman who was able to say all of the right things to pacify stockholders, while also doing shady backdoor dealings. He was giving a speech how Wayne Industries would continue to grow.
"I don't want to consider myself stepping on anyone's toes here in Metropolis, and I am pleased with the work my good friend Lex Luthor has done so far."
Karen wrinkled her nose and Harry looked on at amusement at the look on her face.
'Good friend Lex Luthor, okay, I don't like you already, and I don't even know you,' Karen thought, crossing her arms underneath her chest and leaning back in her seat.
Harry didn't catch that thought from her but her facial expressions allowed him to construct a good enough view of what she was saying, so it was all good, at least he thought so.
"Thanks to our effort to clean up crime in Gotham City, costumed psychopaths that were the rage twenty and thirty years ago are now no more," Powers continued. "And now we extend our efforts to Metropolis, where we give these criminals a chance to have a more productive life, to use their abilities for good rather than terrorizing the people. Gotham City has already built a special tasked force with reformed criminals working alongside GCPD personnel and we're going a long way to making the caped vigilante obsolete with these newly deputized agents of the law."
There was some applause, but it was the polite stoic kind of applause, the type of applause where they were only applauding to be polite.
"Thank you for your speech, Mr. Powers."
The person on the stage was the type of individual that demanded the attention of all eyes towards her. Her silky black hair offset her beautiful gorgeous blue eyes, along with a purple blouse, a black jacket, and a long flowing black skirt, along with stockings and high heel shoes, which she moved in rather gracefully.
"Miss Wayne I think…"
"It's been a long time since I've been here in Metropolis, but my father took me here on business for years sometimes," the woman said, and she smiled. "I'm the daughter of Bruce Wayne, Helena Wayne, but the legacy of my father, while great, in more ways than one, should not be something that defines me. Wayne Industries is all about each generation being better than the last, and setting brand new records, standards to strive for. And I've looked into Metropolis, and have seen two promising businesses, that I will be discussing terms of a business relationship with. The Shining Light Organization or SLO as you all know it as, and STARR Industries. I was as saddened as anyone else to hear about the death of Virgil Swann, for he was a longtime colleague of my father and he was pretty much an honorary uncle to me."
There was a moment of silence, some of the teachers at Met-U were hit hard, the lectures that Swann gave on a guest basis until his health became too much were eagerly anticipated by the students. And the teachers as well come to think of it.
"However, the legacy lives completely on through his daughter Patricia, who I'm sad to say could not make it here today," Helena said, and she acted like she was blissfully unaware of Powers seething in the corner after she took charge and took control of the speech. "And the legacy will continue to live in, in Metropolis, in the world, and in beyond."
There was a more generous applause other than the polite one that Derek Powers said.
"Metropolis has already been cleaned up thanks to the efforts of Harry Potter…..who I understand is here in the crowd amongst you as well."
'Oh thanks a lot Helena, way to put me on the spot,' Harry thought, shaking his head. He stood up to be acknowledge and there was plenty of clapping, along with a few screamed marriage proposals. Not that he wasn't used to that before but that was behind him.
Karen smiled in amusement, and Harry turned towards her. She had a sheepish smile on her face, as if she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"One of the brightest students that Met-U has ever seen, Harry has built a company in a short time that has shaken up the status quo in Metropolis, but I'm sure that Metropolis's favorite son could not be afraid of a little competition, especially when it benefits us all."
There was a certain amount of spite in her voice, for those who were a little bit eagle eared and able to hear such things.
The truth was that she, Patricia, and Lex spent a lot of the time in each other's company, unfortunately, while their fathers did business. And Lex had his issues then. Then again, she was surprised that she didn't have her issues, given her father and to a certain extent, her mother.
"Never the less, the clean energy project that SLO and Wayne are working with, is being rolled out next year," Helena said and Derek Powers looked suddenly like someone had slapped him in the face and then went and kicked him in the balls.
He knew that if he interrupted this, things could look bad but if he didn't exert his control over this matter soon, things would be worse.
The fact that she was in bed with Harry Potter, that could prove to be problematic. It appeared that she was doing more on her long trips than going out and being a party girl.
The presentation went all that well, even though Derek Powers obviously were trying to use it to subvert some younger minds to his future vision of Wayne and the partnership that he was trying to forge with Lex. Harry was amused by the way that Helena pretty much dove in and took control of what was happening in the press conference.
Harry made his way over towards her, with Karen following closely behind her.
"Something tells me that your Acting CEO wasn't really expecting our business agreement."
Helena turned towards Harry, her full attention locked on him, and a warm smile crossing her face as she looked him over.
"The key word is Acting, he's not the official CEO, in fact, effective today, I'm taking control of my company, and…..the Board would be wise to agree with that fact," Helena said and Karen raised her eyebrow at that point.
"I don't want to know, do I?"
"It's best that you don't," Helena said and she smiled. "It was nice to meet you again…"
"So the two of you have met before?" Karen asked and she looked towards the Wayne Heiress, who raised her eyebrow. She decided that an introduction of some sort was in order. "I'm Karen Starr….."
"Oh, right Patricia mentioned you, you were the one that Doctor Swann found and took in," Helena said, but she didn't say anything about that. The two shook hands with each other it was a firm handshake, with Karen taking extra care not to put too much pressure on. "And you must be something special if Harry's taken an interest in you and agreed to be your student menotr."
Karen raised an eyebrow.
"He gets dozens of requests for people to be mentored, mostly they're trying to use him as a tutor to keep their college athletes from dropping out," Helena said. "You know, the people who don't have the grades to officially get in, but they only get accepted because they're star athletes in high school."
"And the type that they think that high school never ends," Harry added, he would rather put himself behind someone with actual potential, and not someone who was one torn ACL away from taking someone's order at a fast food place.
"Well I'm privileged that you came to me…..because you requested me, and…I'm sure that the school was willing to pay you big money to get behind their star athletes and make sure they pass by the skin of their teeth."
"I don't have infinite time in the day, to deal with them," Harry said but he switched subjects. "So how was your trip?"
"Well two cancelled flights and some weird person following me halfway from the airport but other than that, it was fine," Helena said and Harry gave her a brief smile at her.
"Given some of the rumors that were flying around…"
"Do you mean the rumors that I was abducted by pirates and sold?" Helena asked. "Actually, that almost happened, but the people involved weren't very competent so I escaped."
That statement was given so casually that it amused Karen. It amused Harry as well but he was doing a better job at concealing his amusement.
And given who her father was, she was rather capable of getting herself out of any situation.
"Most people would be kind of disturbed by that…"
"My first hostage crisis was when I was five, so you just try and roll with these things after a while," Helena said with a shrug.
"What is this clean energy project, anyway?"
"Actually that's what I was what I'd like to know."
Harry, Helena, and Karen turned to see Derek Powers. The man was standing there right next to them, a calculating look upon his face and if Harry had to hazard a guess, such a look was not good.
"Well, the fabled Harry Potter, it's an honor to meet you, although I do wish Miss Wayne had informed me of the exclusive deal that she secured," Powers said, extending his hand but Harry just smiled.
"Well, you were busy with your new SCU initiative in Gotham City, and I must say, arming dangerous people like that, some people would raise an eyebrow of how you're keeping them under control."
"They've paid their debt to society," Powers said. Jervis Tetch might be long since dead but his work lived on to help put these people in line. "So, this clean energy project, Wayne does have a full plate, so as CEO, I would highly recommend shelving the project until at least late next year….."
"Actually, Acting CEO and no longer even acting because I'm back, and you'll be moving back to your smaller but still very comfortable modest office further down the hallway from mine," Helena said and Derek chuckled nervously.
"Your father liked to be this difficult…"
"Well, you should know because he never wanted you hired in the first place, funnily enough how yours snuck you in when my father's body was still cooling," Helena said and Powers once again looked at her like he'd like to say something or maybe do something but now was not the time with witnesses around here. Especially someone like Harry Potter, because he knew better.
Karen and Harry watched this byplay with interest, it was like some kind of twisted tennis match.
"I'll speak to the Board," Powers said and he walked off, trying to save face, he had already been humiliated once today, twice if you count being blown off by Harry Potter and treated as an afterthought.
"Well, he could be a problem."
"Yes, well I didn't expect him to just concede power quietly," Helena said, walking with the two away from the crowded room. There were too many people around.
"My office is up the hallway, it's secure," Harry said and Helena looked at him.
"Are you sure there are no bugs in there?"
"Believe me, I have an exterminator come by at the end of every day like clock work to make sure," Harry said and Karen could see that Helena accepted that statement.
That statement, it must have been code for something or other, but she wasn't sure what it was. She suspected that she might find out.
"The only reason why I didn't fire him was that I wanted to figure out what his angle was with Luthor."
Harry wanted to know that as well, it appeared that things were about as he needed to.
"Should I even be here?" Karen asked and Helena looked at her.
"Given the partnership that we're building with STARR and the role you're being groomed for, you're going to be part of anything that's going to be happening soon enough," Helena said, waving off Karen's protests and smiling at her.
Harry added, pouring coffee, which both of the women took graciously. "Besides, it would be kind of rude to tell you to leave after all you've found out."
Karen could tell that there was another secret and once again, she really couldn't throw any stones from her glass house because she was holding onto even more secrets than anyone likely.
How much did Helena know? How much did she guess?
There was just something about her tone that Karen picked up.
'Don't be paranoid, that's how secrets get told before they're ready to be told,' Karen thought and she realized that she drained her cup of coffee already.
Out of all of the earth things she had, coffee might have been among the most addicting, unless one counted chocolate. Chocolate was far and way the most addicting thing on the planet.
She did realize how beautiful Helena was and she wondered what was going on between her and Harry. Then again, she could say that they both were pretty good looking, much like she was, given that she turned a few heads in her day.
"An APB for downtown Metropolis, a group of civilians have been held hostage at the Metropolis Plaza in downtown Metropolis, I repeat, at downtown Metropolis. Then men are large and wearing masks and have military grade technology. All MCU personnel report for duty, I repeat, all MCU personnel report for duty."
There was one individual who was reporting for duty. Her all too snug outfit wrapped around her body, and her golden blonde hair flowed through the air. The red cape flapped in the wind as she made her way forward.
'Okay, civilians, got to make sure that none of them are hurt all that much.'
Supergirl was on the case and she could take them out, if she made her way through the roof entrance.
Lifting off the panel with her super strength, she slid down and hovered in mid-air. The blonde continued her descent, going closer to where she needed to go.
That being said, the blonde could hear forces and she paused, using her X-Ray vision to see the men, women, and some children on the ground.
It was tense but Karen could take them out, if she timed her attack right at the precise angle. She shot through the air.
CRACK!
All of them went down completely, and Karen helped the hostages up.
"Get out of here, you're safe…"
Karen was grabbed by her cape, choked in surprise and forcefully yanked back into the shadows. She was caught unaware from this sudden display of force.
"Of course they were safe, I have no intention to harm them, they are merely bait, to set the trap for you," a man dressed in a black body suit and trenchcoat with a black mask said, and he raised his large arms, to try and smash them down on her head.
Karen blocked it and pushed him back, punching him in the face hard.
"I don't know what you intended to do with that attack but…"
He hurled a silver cylinder device into the air and it erupted a loud wave of sonic energy to bombarded the hearing of anyone who was nearby. Karen managed to shield her hearing but it caused her to be caught kind of off guard. The blonde shook her head, her mind was completely disrupted.
At least long enough to get a punch to the midsection, powerful enough to knock the wind out of her.
"Just who are you?"
"You may call me Bane, I will be the one that will be responsible for breaking you Supergirl."
Supergirl dodged her large but skilled foe and slammed him down into the wall. He threw a powder into the air and the backlash caused her vision to be impaired.
"You have been protecting this city, a noble warrior, but that will make your defeat all that much more gratifying."
Bane slammed his hands down onto the back of her neck and she struggled to get it together.
She looked up and saw the red solar lamps that flickered above her. The blonde thought that she was growing weaker and that was the proof. He had done his homework.
She tried to fly towards the exit but he grabbed her from behind, slamming her down to the ground.
"Now, I've got you," Bane grunted, wrapping his large arm around her chin and choking the life out of him. She struggled, squirming out of his grip but it was hard to hold on and the breath was driven from her body.
"Yeah, you've got something, bad BO maybe," Karen panted, she could feel something choke out of her body and she nearly blacked out from the misery and the pain. She pushed him back against the ground.
Suddenly, something or rather someone grabbed Bane from behind and hurled him halfway across the room.
"Are you okay?" Arcane asked and Supergirl looked up, purple bruising around her neck.
"Solar lamps," she managed and Arcane smiled, and he lifted his hand, but stopped.
"That's actually a nice trick, releasing paralyzing gas that would knock anyone out who would be taken down by the red solar lamps."
Bane swung an axe and tried to part his enemy's hair with it, but he dodged the attack.
A silver bolt shot from the sleeve of his costume and destroyed the axe. His costume analyzed what he had to deal with.
'The armor would cause magic to be negated, not that I could do a powerful enough spell to even ding him in my condition,' Harry thought but he jumped up on the large man's back and stuck his spiked gauntlets right in the eye sockets of the mask.
Bane gave a loud howl, and he moved around, like a wounded bull.
"That might have been a bit extreme," Karen said, and she could still feel the ravages of suffering a beating without the yellow solar energy to heal her. "So, what do you think?"
He pulled a rocket launcher out from underneath his trench coat and fired.
"That's the thing that's a bit extreme," Harry replied gravely.
A loud explosion blew up the front of the plaza but it took all that Harry had to prevent the debris from flying out and killing anyone else.
She could see Arcane slumped over onto the ground, and she saw that he took the brunt of the explosion.
Bane rushed over and mowed them both over with his large body, and then grabbed both of them around their heads.
"And now, I have you….."
Karen managed to summon all of the power that she could to push him off, and send him flying into a stack of barrels which tipped over from the impact.
The blonde dropped on her hands and knees, panting severely and there was one thought that was going through her mind.
'That didn't do nearly enough, got to find some sun, if I can,' Karen thought but she could see his hand grab her foot from the debris and he pull himself up.
"Don't you get it, I have you know."
Harry had one more trick up his sleeve but he never got a chance to implement it, when there was a figure that swooped down from high above.
She was imposing, dressed in a skin tight black leather costume, that emphasized her curves, and a red bat log on the chest. It was hard to tell whether the costume was padded but one thing was for sure, it was heavily armored.
Bane turned his attention to her and gave a low rumbling laughter at her presence.
"Well there is a Batwoman…..I'm flattered…..but there won't be one for much longer."
She pulled out a retractable baton and motioned for him to bring it.
Supergirl and Arcane raised their eyebrows, well this was new. They watched this new party smash Bane in the knee cap with the baton and the large assassin turned around, raising his hands, and she dodged once again.
The fight was on.
To Be Continued on August 1st 2014.
