5.

Smallville

January 5, 14:17 UTC

The world was a blur around Cassie as she fought to get to her feet. The midair explosion was so sudden, she didn't have time to fly to safety after grabbing onto the injured Wolf. She had made sure to take the brunt of the fall, providing the bleeding animal a cushion to land on to spare him from further injury since he was still bleeding.

Looking to her right, she saw the white predator lying still with his ears twitching. If he were making any noise, she couldn't tell due to her ears ringing. Dirt filed her mouth, making her spit while the world finally slowed its spinning and her body feeling incredibly stiff. In all, she felt miserable, but that would be what one would expect being caught in an explosion and falling some thirty plus feet head first to the hard, packed dirt.

"M…M'g…ann…Co…ner…?" Getting to her wobbly feet, Cassie took one step and immediately fell to the ground again. She couldn't help herself as she regurgitated, which made her head hurt even worse.

She saw Wolf struggle to get to his feet but laid a hand on his shoulder. He got the message and lay back down as she forced herself to trudge forward when she felt something coming at her from the side.

"Cass, Cassie," M'gann said via mind link as she knelt by her side. Her skin had turned back to its regular green coloring by now. "Can you stand? Where are you hurt?"

"I…I can't hear too goo…good. Ugh, my head feels like a blanket's been wrapped around it. Hard to focus."

"You may have brain trauma." Looking around, M'gann helped her friend to a sitting position. "Stay here. Those things don't seem to have followed us after that."

"How…how did you…"

"I put up a psychic shield after Conner pushed me out." She showed the blonde Amazon her right arm, which was scraped by some of the debris from the truck hitting her.

"Conner, where is he?"

"I'm right here," the super strong team member growled over the mind link as the last chorus of Def Leppard's 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' played on the 'ironiclly' still functioning stereo. "I told M'gann to check on you and Wolf first."

Cramped was not a word Conner would use to describe his current situation. In fact, he would most likely kill to be cramped as his left knee was pressed against his chin and his body was in a severely bent angle within the smaller confines of what was left of the truck when the radio began playing Beastie Boy's 'Brass Monkey'. He quickly smashed his fist into the deck, ending the music as he forced his way out of the cab. "Gruh, I hate monkey music."

Emerging from the wreckage, Conner shook his head to clear the cobwebs out and looked the area over. They were now on the outskirts of Smallville between the highway some five miles away and the exit to the bridge which lead there. He then met up with the others and helped look Cassie over when the fluttering of wings caught his attention.

Looking up, the trio saw a swarm of the creatures approach hastily and land, forming a wide circle with them in the middle. A line of ground soldiers arrived soon after and took positions among the flyers. Each had their weapons raised and charged should the heroes try anything as a Boom Tube opened at the head of the gathered soldiers.

"Jockeys, Parademons, stand down!" Coming out of the portal, the blonde woman with Superman's powers lead three others behind her, Lashanna, Barda, and Volcanna. The four were in their battle gear from when the team members last saw them and stood proudly among the creatures.

"So you're the super boy I have heard so much about, the clone," the blonde woman said menacingly. "Care to tell me your name?"

Snarling, Conner never let his eyes leave the black clad blonde or the others behind her. "Not really."

"Come now, I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"Cass, can you stand?" M'gann asked.

"Not…not really. Feel kinda…si…sick." Blackness threatened to take Cassie as she fought to remain awake.

"I heard him call himself Tommy back in Hawaii," Volcanna said as she crossed her arms. "If nothing else-"

"Conner," the demi Kryptonian finally said. "My name's Conner."

"And I'm Kara," the blonde from the portal said. "Now I'll make this very simple and easy for you, come with me willingly, and I won't have my Furies kill your little girlfriends and mutt. Fight me, and I'll have them killed after I beat you senseless. You have my word on both counts."

"Conner," M'gann mentally said, "we can't chance a fight with Cassie and Wolf down like this."

"I know, but what other choice is there. I don't know why she wants me and she may just attack you three even if I-"

"You're not seriously-"

"Get rid of your soldiers, the…jockeys or whatever you called them," Conner ordered.

"What's the matter?" Kara asked. "Don't trust me?"

Conner only stared threateningly at her.

"Very well. Barda, if you would please."

Pulling a small device from her belt, the large muscular woman known as Barda pressed her thumb to it, activating several Boom Tubes. The Jockeys and Parademons then headed into them at Kara's signal. In less than two minutes, they were all gone, leaving the four women with the four team members.

"M'gann," Conner thought. "You see an opening-"

"Conner, no!"

"Take it!"

Charging forward, Conner wound his fist back and attacked Kara as her Furies gave her some space. His first punch sailed wide, missing Kara by a fair amount and was immediately struck in the spine by a hard elbow. Staggering, the male Kryptonian ripped what was left of his over shirt off and threw it to the ground. The appearance of the red 'S' shield made the Fury leader stop momentarily. Images instantly flashed before her eyes at the sight of the symbol. The momentary distraction provided an opening for a fist to connect with her jaw.

"Good hit." She slowly wiped the corner of her mouth from some stray saliva and put the images in the back of her mind. "But not good enough."

Faster than Conner could blink, Kara delivered a kick to his stomach, doubling him over then landed a blow to the side of his head. Not giving him a chance to stand from a roll out, she again kicked him in his midsection.

"You dare call yourself a Kryptonian?" Kara taunted. "Your nothing but a cheap imitation!" She nailed a kick to his face with the top of her boot when she felt a pressure in her head and turned to M'gann. "No, no, no, little Martian. Your old friend Psymon taught us some tricks to keep you out of here." She tapped her temple and grinned evilly. "Just for that, Voclanna, if you please."

Taking to the air, the fiery maiden rained down fire around the Martian woman and her comrades, forming a cage to weaken her and keep her from using her powers but leaving her strong enough to keep watching.

Returning to the task at hand, Kara blocked a flurry of punches from Conner then responded with a flying knee to his face. Blood flew from his mouth, something he was never used to as he landed on his back. Stalking methodically around him as he tried to get back up, Kara spat on his back.

"Conner, Conner, please," M'gann said over their link with Cassie and Wolf lying beside her.

"You can't fly, no heat vision, and nowhere near as strong as me. Like I said, cheap imitation." She planted her boot on the side of his head and forced him face first into the dirt. "Kryptonians do not bow." She picked his head up by grabbing a fist full of his hair. "Kryptonians do not yield." She slammed him back into the ground then lifted him up again. "You will never be a real Kryptonian."

"Shut it!" Turning faster than she expected, Conner knocked her hand away and landed an open palm strike to her face as he brought her to the ground with his forearm over her neck.

He was just about to hit her when she flew upwards and slammed him back into the dirt with her boot across his neck. She increased the amount of pressure she applied, cutting off his air supply as she leaned on a knee. She then began to stomp on his chest, arms, and stomach with a sinister look on her face.

"Stop it!" M'gann yelled with a cracking voice. "Let him go!" The flames around her increased, making her sweat profusely and weaken even more.

"Sounds like that one cares for you a little too much." Grabbing the back of Conner's shirt, Kara drug him closer to the fire cage and signaled for Volcanna to join her. "I want you to take a good look at this pathetic clone, Martian. I want you to remember the look on his face before I take him back to my lord. If he means anything to you, you will deliver a message to your little league of freaks. Tell them Lord Darksied is coming and the world as you know it will come to an end. Surrender to us, and the Earthlings will be spared as slaves. Fight back, and not only will you be destroyed, but the ones you deem as innocents will suffer your fate."

"Just, please…please let him go. I'm begging you." Tears cascaded down M'gann's face as she pleaded Kara to let Conner be. "Please."

"Isn't that romantic?" Kara whispered as she touched the side of her face to Conner's and smiled wickedly as she cradled her arms around his head. "Only someone who loves you deeply would beg for your life, sweetie. But not everyone can get what they want." She then licked the side of his face, tasting his blood as he stared at his girlfriend but could do nothing.

Standing at her full height, the blonde Kryptonian placed a hand on her hip and looked at M'gann contemptuously. "Too bad for you, you won't be getting him back for the time being. Volcanna on the other hand, I promised her she could play with him after our lord finished with whatever he has in store for him."

"And I will so enjoy doing so." Lifting Conner's face, Volcanna placed a deep kiss directly on his lips, making M'gann look away as Kara laughed. "Mmmm, yummy. Was it good for you, hero?"

In response, Conner spat in the flame woman's face, earning him as hard slap across the cheek from her.

"OW! GAH, THAT HURT!" Grabbing her hand, Volcanna winced in pain as her hand throbbed.

"Volcanna," Kara said as she punched Conner hard enough to knock him out. "I told you, only I and Barda can physically harm him without weapons. Now get ready, it's time to go."

Turning around, Kara snapped her fingers, signaling Lashanna to advance with her electrical whips. She tied Conner up as Barda once again activated the Boom Tube and carried their unconscious captive over a shoulder.

"I will keep my word in case you were thinking I may be a liar," Kara announced from over a shoulder. "Your boyfriend fought me and lost, so you three will now die. Volcanna, make it slow."

With a grin, the fire wielder extended an arm and slowly made a fist, with her good hand, bringing the walls of the fire cage together with M'gann caught in the middle with Cassie and Wolf. "Conner!" she yelled as Barda disappeared through the portal with Lashanna behind her.

"Have fun," Kara said as she headed to the Boom Tube when a blast struck near her and her Fury.

"Leave my sister alone!" Swooping in from the sky, Garfield leapt off the Supercycle and morphed into Brahma Bull. He rammed Volcanna away, causing her to drop he fire cage to recover from the hit.

"Gar!" M'gann said the moment she saw her blood brother was alive then turned to the black clad female Kryptonian. "Kara!" she yelled as she flew as fast as she could at the blonde who was recovering from Sphere's energy blast.

She had her eyes glowing brightly as she cocked a fist back, fully intending on putting all of her physical and mental Martian strength behind a single blow when she saw the female Kryptonian's eyes flash red. She never had time to change course or to slow down as twin beams of heat fired from Kara's eyes. M'gann had no choice but to phase herself, hoping it would be enough to protect her.

The moment the beams came in contact with her intangible form, she let out a high pitched shriek as she felt the intense heat and fell to the ground. She balled herself up as pain shot through her and cried from the beam's residual effects.

"Martians," Kara said. "So powerful, yet so weak at the same time."

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Joining the fight, Raven had her black energy surround Kara before exploding. The powerful blast was enough to knock her close to the portal.

"It's the witch Klarion wants!" Volcanna announced.

"Fall back," Kara ordered. "We're not prepared for this."

Both women fled quickly into the portal, which closed a second later as Garfield and Raven made sure there were no more threats around. Sphere circled the area before landing and let out several beeps, not that M'gann noticed. She was still in pain from the dose of heat vision and the world was a complete blur to her. Even Garfield, who had slid to a stop beside her couldn't get through to her. It was a near exact replay of what happened on the hidden Reach ship last year only this time, she was injured. The only word he could get from her was, 'Conner'.

Around an hour later, a green aircraft appeared in the sky as a small group of League members arrived via one of Green Lantern John Steward's constructs. Superman had flown in beside it and immediately went to where Garfield was sitting with M'gann on the Supercycle.

"We got here as soon as we could," Superman said as he came within a few feet of the two while John landed the craft. "Where's Kon-El? What happened?"

"Um," Garfield said just as Nightwing bounded out of the craft with Starfire behind him. He tossed the cell phone he 'borrowed' before he got to Smallville in the cycle and stood. "Well-"

"Hey," Nightwing interrupted once he saw Raven on her knees beside a prone Cassie and Wolf. She had a large transparent, black dome around the two with her hands on it. "What are you doing to them? Who are you?"

"I'm healing them," Raven told him flatly. "They were seriously injured and couldn't wait for you to get here."

Getting in front of his team's second in command, Garfield made sure he wasn't going to try to get her to stop. "Relax, this is Raven, remember? The one I told you about in my report? She's with me. As for Conner, well…"

"He's…he's gone," M'gann muttered softly.

"What?" Aqualad asked as he arrived with Zatanna and Robin.

"There…there were four women with an…an army. They took Conner and…said Darksied's coming." She looked up at Superman with watery eyes. "I tried to stop them but they hurt him so bad and Kara-"

"Kara?" the Man of Steel asked.

"She…she was the Kryptonian Cassie and Diana fought before. She…she beat him and had him taken away. She was so much stronger." She then looked up at Superman. "As strong as you."

As M'gann spoke with the others, Robin knelt beside the black dome where Cassie was. "Is she okay?" he asked Raven.

"She'll be fine. Another few minutes and she'll back to her usual self." Her empathy easily picked up on how the Boy Wonder felt about the injured Amazonian powered girl. It was different than the feelings she felt flow from the Martian when she arrived, certain and strong compared to the masked teen's conflicted and uneasiness. It was as if he was unsure if he could be with the injured girl.

"Just…please take care of her."

"I will. Now let me concentrate."

Over at the Supercycle, Nightwing and Aqualad discussed the reason the city had been evacuated when there was no chemical spill whatsoever. Even Batman was fooled, something that never happens, which means somehow even his intel was wrong.

"We'll find Conner, M'gann. I promise," Superman told her as he reassuringly placed a hand on her shoulder. "When we get to Bludhaven, we'll go over everything that happened and go from th-"

"Boom Tube opening!" John Stewart yelled as he surrounded himself in his ring's arua of protection, ready for a fight.

Those able to do so took defensive stances and were ready for anything as a tall, dark figure made his way out of the portal. There, in front of them all stood Vandal Savage, his scarred face in a smug sneer as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Be ready for anything," Aqualad commanded his teammates. "Keep your guards up at all times."

"Mi' luwakta ena'a shumlaha," Starfire said as she floated several feet from the ground with her hands encased in glowing green orbs.

"Savage!" Superman yelled sternly. "What business do you have here?"

Chuckling, the immortal supervillian eyed each one of the team and League members. "I come with a request."

"Not interested," Robin said as he readied his bow staff. "Unless you want to surrender."

"On the contrary, little bird. This is something your red and blue friend will be most interested in."

"Get on with it, Savage." Already in the air, Superman was more than ready to attack when Savage held out a black cloth and threw it to the ground.

Using his ring, John grabbed it and brought it close, unfolding it as he did so when his eyes grew wide. "Superman." He held the fabric up to show his partner the red 'S' shield on the other side.

Prying his eyes from the villain, Superman turned to see what the Green Lantern was holding when M'gann spoke for him.

"What did you do to Conner!" The Martian girl's eyes flashed green as she floated into the air. "Where is he? I'll rip the information out of your-"

"You will do no such thing except settle down and keep quiet," Savage said condescendingly. "Should anything happen to me, the Boom Tube will close and the clone will die slowly. But don't worry, you'll get pieces of him back, over time. But as I said, I have a request to make to the Man of Steel."

Floating closer, Superman cracked his knuckles from the force he exerted in his hands. "Make it quick, Savage. Tell me where Kon-El is, now."

"I'll do you one better, I'll show you."

Narrowing his eyes, Superman pondered if he could take Savage down and make it through the Boom Tube before it closed. In the end, the gamble was too great for him to take. "What do you mean 'show me'?"

"Come with me," Vandal said calmly, knowing he was in control of the situation. "Come with me without a fight, and I will take you to the half-breed. Refuse, and never see him alive again."

"I'll go," M'gann announced as she stepped forward and grabbed the torn piece of Conner's shirt. "I won't fight or-"

"He doesn't want you. He wants the super man." Returning his gaze to the man before him, Vandal smiled evilly as he awaited the Kryptonian's answer. "It's really an easy choice, Superman. Come with me, or let him die alone, just like how he was born."

"Where are we going?" Superman asked as he floated closer.

"You'll find out. Yes, or no?"

The answer was easy to make. Conner, his clone, the one he saw as a brother and had proven himself as more than a carbon copy, had his life hanging by a thread that Superman himself couldn't break without him dying. The atmosphere was incredibly thick with tension as the others waited for his response.

Landing on the ground, he turned to the others and looked them over before centering his eyes on Nightwing. "Tell Batman what happened here. Tell him I followed Savage without knowledge of where I will end up, for Kon-El."

Giving a slight nod, Nightwing held his hand up for the others to stand down. Once Savage turned his back, he pressed his thumb to the base of his index finger and fired a small tracer at Superman's leg. He managed to hit a spot where it would be concealed by his cape as he vanished into the portal and it closed.

"You let him go?" Starfire asked as she dissipated the energy from her hands. "I thought you would order an attack."

"Did you hit him?" Aqualad asked as he ignored the Tameranian.

"On the leg." Turning to his wrist computer, Nightwing brought up the tracer's signal. "Hopefully they didn't go off world or…crap."

"What?" M'gann asked. "Where is he?"

Walking to where the portal was, Nightwing bent down and searched the dirt until he found what he was looking for. "The Boom Tube rejected the tracer. It only allowed Vandal and Superman to go through."

"I knew I should have gone after them," Robin said.

"I don't think that would have worked. If they can reject the tracer, then they can potentially have only certain ones capable of going through."

"So we just lost both Conner and Superman," Zatanna said while running a hand through her locks. "Just like that."

Wrapping her arms around herself, M'gann stared into the dirt as she clutched the red and black fabric tightly. She knew something bad would happen for what she had done, but she never thought Conner, the one who, despite her betrayal had accepted her back, would pay the price for her transgressions. She felt warm tears again and became numb, not noticing Garfield had come to her side and hugged her to offer support.