Part 52

Olivers Secret Base

Holding Room

Oliver followed Zan into the room where for the last hour Conner had been interrogating AC who had attempted to kill both Lois and her two sons, but instead ended up killing Bart who had come to their rescue. Oliver still was coming to terms with Barts death. It was a hard thing for him to accept, but then so have the last five years.

"So what have you learned?" Oliver announced the moment he entered the room even before Zan closed it behind them. Olivers eyes locked right onto Conner paying little mind to AC who was strapped to a chair who was already feeling the effects of dehydration.

"He's marked," Conner replied grimly.

"Marked?" Oliver exclaimed as his heart skipped several beats. "You mean..."

"Yes," Conner answered nodding his head. "He belongs to Darkseid." It wasn't what Conner was hoping to find, but ever since they learned the truth that Darkseid had been in control of Andrea there was that lingering question if he had marked anyone to be his agents, his followers. Conner had checked Bart three times over, but never found a mark. One scan with his x-ray vision and Conner saw the mark in AC.

"I already told you, you stupid idiot I'm not with Darkseid," AC shouted as he struggled to free himself from the binds holding him to the chair. "I would never work with that monster. I haven't even seen Darkseid. Not since the day he tried to land his planet on top of ours."

Oliver knew AC maybe a lot of things, but there was no way he would have willing joined with Darkseid. Not even for revenge. Something had to have happened. He had to have come across someone or something that thirsted on his anger and grief turning AC to an open beacon for Darkseid to attach himself to, very similar to how he fell prey to Darkseid so long ago. "How did you know Lois was alive?" Oliver demanded to know. Someone had to have told him and he wanted to know who. AC didn't even bat an eye at the question. He remained silent and still. Oliver got right into AC's face, he was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another."Tell me, ...or I swear I'll..."

"You'll what?" challenged AC not at all intimidated. He looked Oliver hard in the eyes, with no emotion, just nothingness. "You'll do what Oliver, because there is nothing you can do to me that can be any worse than what I've already lost." He's already felt the greatest pain in the world. There was nothing else that could ever compare to it. "So bring it on, I can't take it..."

Oliver sighed heavily. He could see the painful look in AC face, the same look he had seen the day Mera and little AJ had died. When AC whole world came crashing down, when trust and respect became lost and a friendship died along with it. "Please Arthur, if the team ever meant anything to you ...answer the question." But even as Oliver said the words, he himself wasn't sure that even that was enough. Because there are just some things you can't go back to, something they are beyond repair and what happened with the Justice League just may be one of those things. But perhaps there was someone else he would do it for... "If not for me..." he bowed his head mourning the friend he had lost. "for Mera, because we both know this wouldn't be the path she wants for you."

"You don't have a right to talk about my wife," exclaimed AC angrily.

"You're right, I don't. I don't have the right," Oliver answered with a broken smile. "But that doesn't change the fact this isn't what she would want for you. She would never want you to hurt Lois or two innocent boys, not even to get back at Clark. She want better for you than this. I know you know, I'm right..."

Olivers words struck AC in ways he didn't think were possible. The two may no longer be much of anything to another, but he knew Oliver was right about Mera. She wouldn't want him to harm Lois in any way. Mera and Lois had been friends, two people who had come to respect and understand one another. Never had he felt so ashamed for his actions. He wasn't even really sure why he did it. Only that his anger and hatred for Clark was so strong he'd do anything to want to bring harm to his former ally. "It was Victor," AC announced as he looked the three in the eyes. "He told me Lois was alive and that she would be with you."

"Victor?" Oliver questioned. How was it possible that Victor knew Lois was alive and would be with him? If Victor knew it would only make sense that Clark would know, but if Clark knew Lois was alive they would all know about it, because Clark wouldn't rest until Lois was back with him. So that could only mean one thing. Someone else had told Victor and had used him to get in touch with AC, knowing very well AC would want revenge upon the man who killed his wife. And there was only one person who could gain from Lois death. The same person who gained from it the first time around. "He knew!" Oliver exclaimed, not believing he hadn't figured it out sooner. "That bastard he knew!"

"Who Victor?" exclaimed Zan. "Wouldn't he have told Clark?"

"No," Oliver announced shaking his head. "The one who told Victor, that Lois was alive."

"Darkseid," exclaimed Conner seeing where Oliver was going with us. "He would be the only one threatened by Lois coming back from the 'dead'."

"It's not just that," Oliver eyes both Conner and Zan. "Darkseid knew from the very beginning Lois wasn't dead."

"So let me get this straight, you think Darkseid put planes in motion for Lois to be kidnapped and kept underground, so that he could work his way in with Big Blue," inquired Zan.

"No, I think the plan was for Lois to die, but things didn't go exactly to plan," answered Oliver knowing all to well that Darkseid had known that Lois was Clark, light, his strength. The one thing that kept him from falling to his knees.

"That would have to mean that an agreement was made between Darkseid and Corben," added Conner. It would have been the only way it could have worked, but Conner did not know how Corben was able to convince Darkseid to let him keep Lois. Darkseid could have easily killed Corben without lifting a finger.

"That would explain what Corben said to me before he died," Oliver announced remembering John Corbens final words. 'He'll be coming after them...' "I thought he was talking about Clark..." But Corben hadn't been talking about Clark. In John Corbens final moments his concerns weren't about Clark learning the truth about what happened to Lois. He knew Clark would never hurt Lois. He was afraid about Darkseid coming after Lois and the boys.

"Is someone going to explain to me what the hell is going on?" exclaimed AC.

"You lost that right a long time ago," Oliver exclaimed coldly as he turned back to AC looking him hard in the eyes. "Why should we tell you anything after what you tried to do to Lois? After what you did to Bart?" Oliver wasn't ready to forgive AC. AC came here with on purpose to kill Lois and her children. He was going to kill them and he didn't care. The only thing he cared about was revenge. "You haven't even shown one ounce of remorse for killing Bart..."

"Remorse?" exclaimed AC looking Oliver hard in the eyes. "And how many lives do you think Bart took, just because he had a change of heart doesn't mean he deserves a heroes mourning!" AC wasn't about to apologize for killing Bart. In his eyes Bart was no different than Clark. He deserved to be punished, he deserved to pay the ultimate price.

"And what about Lois?" Oliver hammered AC looking him straight in the eyes as if he were staring into his soul. "Does she deserve to die? What about her boys do they deserve too?"

"I'll admit that was an error in judgment," AC answered grimly knowing that going after Lois and her two children wasn't one of his finest moments and the look of horror on her face will always haunt him. He had always cared about Lois and would never intentionally want to hurt her. Something had just come over him, something he couldn't explain.

"It was more than an error in judgment," exclaimed Oliver harshly. "It happened because you refused to let go of your anger and hatred that you made yourself an open target for Darkseid to sweep his way into you and got yourself marked."

"Fine!" exclaimed AC. "You want to hear me say it! I screwed up!" Tears were running down his face, because for as long as he lived he knew he could never forgive himself for what he tried to do to Lois. "You know I would never mean to hurt Lois."

"But you did..." Conner answered grimly. "...And not just her."

"I know," AC answered with a heavy sigh. "That's why I need to know what's happening with me. What does Darkseid have to do with it?" He needed answers. He needed to understand.

"Darkseid has to do with everything," Oliver announced finally given AC the answers he was seeking, not because AC deserved to know, because he didn't. He didn't owe AC anything, he was doing this out of respect for Mere, for AJ, because a part of himself blamed himself for their deaths. It was for them he would tell AC what was going on. It would change things between AC and him. What was done was done. There was no going back. AC was a murderer and he would be treated as such. "Andrea is Darkseid, he's been controlling her since this whole thing began..."

"Wh-what?" AC couldn't believe his ears, but it all made perfect sense. Darkseid had tried to seduce Clark the first time he had come to Earth, but Lois's love for Clark, her belief in him was what protected Clark from being taken over. "...Does that mean Clark is marked too?" Never had an answer scared him so much, because if the answers were yes. It would make everything he has done today all the more worst.

Oliver and Conner shared a grim look, Zan looked away, because he too had asked that question and gotten the same response. "We don't think so, no..." Oliver shook his head. "It would be too easy to take over Clark like that. Darkseid knows it would be more effective if Clark believes everything he does is for a reason."

"So he's manipulating him,"

"Probably," Oliver answered with a heavy sigh.

AC was silent for several moments as he thought back to everything that's happened and then a thought accord them him and his heart skipped a beat. He licked his lips and he looked up at the three set of eyes staring down at him. "I don't think I'm the only one Darkseid may have marked. I think Victor is infected ….or at least what's left of him."

"It makes sense, Victor was the one that told you about Lois," answered Oliver. There was no other way possible that Victor could have known and not have told Clark. Not unless someone else had complete control over Victor.

"Bart did say, it was Andrea who was always pushing Victor to get more upgrades done,' added Conner. "Probably wanted to take away as much of his humanity as possible..."

Oliver sighed heavily, though Victor didn't have to go through with any of the upgrade. He knew he was part of the reason for Victor wanting to upgrade himself, after the computer virus he had uploaded years ago into Victors system as a fail-safe in case there was ever a problem and then five years ago at Sktrykers when he flipped the switch on the virus Victors trust in him had been broken. And now Victor was likely Darkseids lapdog.

"There's nothing human left in him," answered AC who had given up pulling on his restraints. He knew that the moment he came face to face with Victor after so many years apart. The moment he heard his voice. It was nothing like the young man he had met all those years ago. And in that moment an overwhelming fear and dread came over him. "And soon there wont be anything human left in me." AC looked Oliver hard in the eyes. "You should kill me now, before Darkseid gets control over me!" He ignored the looks of shock and fear over his former comrades faces. "You can't save me. It's too late for that..." He couldn't let go of his anger. His hatred of Clark. He would never be sorry for killing Bart. He would have killed Victor too if he didn't believe he wouldn't survive.

"No!" exclaimed Oliver shaking his head. "Too many people have died already." He couldn't go through watching one of his teammates die, former or not. Not again. He has seen too many die already. They're were barely any of them left now.

"And more could die if you don't end me," exclaimed AC. He could never forgive himself if he took any innocent lives. He would do it himself, but he didn't have the strength to do so. "For all you know Darkseid could be listening in right now. He could know our location..." He could feel his heart pounding against his chest thinking of every horrible possible thing that Darkseid could be doing at this very moment.

"And if he is," Oliver answered. "It's already too late..." He knew that if Darkseid was listening in. He had been from the moment AC stepped through their doors, which mean he already knows their location and knows that AC failed in killing Lois and the boys. "We're not killing you AC..."

"Then you have just signed everyone's death here," AC replied coldly, because it's only a manner of time until he uses me to kill all of you. "And I wont be able to stop myself..."

"You could if you let go of your hate," Conner announced looking AC hard in the eyes. "The darkness inside of you. Oliver beat it once, so can you..."

"I can't," AC answered.

"Can't or wont?" exclaimed Zan as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"I have nothing to come back to," AC announced angrily. "My family is gone, my kingdom has deserted me. All I have left in my anger, my hatred and thirst for revenge." He had nothing left to fight for, noting but getting back at those who have hurt him. And Clark was at the top of that list.

"So you're taking the cowards way out," exclaimed Oliver disappointingly as he crossed his arms against his chest. "I guess I was wrong about you all those years ago."

"If you have learned anything in these last five years Oliver, you should already know, that none of us are who we thought we were," AC answered with a heavy sigh. He had given up the fight. He had thrown in the towel.

. "No I guess we're not, I guess I just expected better," Oliver answered with a heavy sigh.

Arctic

Fortress of Solitude

Hidden Prison

Andrea looked behind her back making sure no one had followed her through a secret passageway, a passageway not even Clark knew about. It led down to a dark, gloomy and cold hall. Where only one small dim light was shining at the end through a small window of a door. Andrea approached the door and opened it. Inside someone was sitting in the shadows huddled in a corner. The figure barely moved as they heard the door close behind Andrea.

"So how is my favorite prisoner today?" hissed Andrea as she stepped under the light reveling her face to the figure sitting in the shadow.

"Oh just as marvelous as the last time you asked, you hag," exclaimed Lex sharply as he looked up at Andrea wanting to lash out at her, but like every time before forgot about the chains that restrained him his bench.

"Wonderful," Andrea answered with a devious smile creepy over her face. "I want you to be comfortable, because you're going to be here for a very long long time. You have your father to thank for that ….or should I say his father."

"His father, my father, their father, does it really matter?"

"No," she chuckled as her voice turned more sinister, more Darkseid sounding. "I suppose it doesn't. His soul would have been mine either way, just as yours would be ..if you ...well had a soul."

"You still have Kent strung around your finger doing your bidding?" Lex asked. And when Andrea didn't answer, a smile crept across Lex's face. "You're starting to lose control over your pet aren't you?"

"Only for the moment," answered Andrea not seeming concerned. "But after tomorrow, he'll be mine again and the world will know what real fear is. There will be no turning back."

"Suppose I kill myself and send you back to the hole you crawled out from," announced Lex boldly.

Andrea just laughed not at all impressed by Lex's threat. She walked closer to him breathing her hot breath into his face. "I'd only bring you back, you should know that by now Lex. We are linked forever, as long as you bear my marking. I will never be unbind from this world."

"Suppose you are wrong and he turns on you, just as you turned him against his allies?" challenge Lex. He knew he had nothing to lose Darkseid needed him.

Andrea-Darkssid wasn't impressed. "That isn't going to happen, not as long as he love this body I've been wearing. Andrea has been good to him, consoled to his needs..."

"You are a fool if you believe he can be swayed by some seductive lustful woman body, because while I may have hated him with a passion. I do know that Lois Lane will always hold the key to his heart."

"Then it's a good think Lois Lane is dead!" Andrea exclaimed.

"Or is she?" Lex laughed grinning. "I may have not known all those years you were inside of me, but those last couple of days before you took your new form. I remember a few things and one of them involves Lois Lane being alive after to destruction of Metropolis..."

"Then it's a pity there is no one here for you to tell," Andrea answered not the least bit concerned that Lex knew the truth about Lois. "No one even knows your still alive. Not even Kal-El, not that he would believe you. After all you have tried to kill a number of times..." Andrea started back away back into the shadows towards the prison door. "Until next time Lex Luthor, or do you prefer Mr. President..."

Andrea laughed all the way out the door, her laughter echo throughout the hall. Once she was several feet away, a form wearing black leather crept out from behind an ice wall. They slowly walked up to the door and poked their head up looking through the small window. It took them several moments to recognize who the person was in the room. "Lex..." gasped Diniah. She couldn't believe it. She thought Lex had died along with the other corrupt politicians. They then tried to open the door, but it wouldn't open. It was locked. Why was Lex still alive? And why is Andrea the only person who knows about this place? She wished she could have heard Andrea and Lex's conversation, but she needed to stay out of sight. It had been hard enough following her down here? And what about what she had saw earlier with Andrea, the changing of eye color and the forming of energy in her hands? Something Andrea shouldn't be able to do.

Something was going on here. Something big. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach and she thought back to her last conversation with Conner when he came for Courtney's body.

"Yeah, well at least he isn't working for a devil," Conner snapped.

"Clark is not a devil, he's a hero!"she exclaimed proudly.

"I wasn't talking about Clark!" exclaimed Conner.

"Then who the hell were you talking about!" she exclaimed.

"Do yourself a favor Diniah and open your eyes, before it's too late."

'Open your eyes...' those three words repeated over and over in her mind. She kept thinking back to what she had seen. She thought of how Andrea always was around Clark. How quickly their relationship grew. And that's when it hit her. Her heart starting racing rapidly against her chest. How stupid could she had been? There was a reason why Andrea hardly left Clarks side. Why she kept pushing Victor for upgrade after upgrade. Andrea was Andrea, she was someone else, but who? Conner said. '….at least he isn't working for a devil.'

Devil which of their enemies would Conner have refereed to as the devil. She thought of all the enemies they've had over the years, but most of them were all dead. They had killed them all. So who could have Conner been talking about. And that when the light went on and shiver ran down her back. "Dar-...Darkseid..."

To Be Continued