(Author's note: It was my original intent to keep Chloe in the stories in this series, but with the real life involvement of Allison Mack in the NXIVM organization, where she has pleaded guilty to some of the charges, I can no longer in good conscience keep writing Chloe in my stories. I have added a scenario to explain her departure/disappearance from this series. Thank you for your understanding, and enjoy!)

# # # #

"Hey, Olsen," Dan Turpin mumbled around a mouthful of doughnut as he sat at his desk; he held the partly-eaten doughnut in his left hand, a cup of steaming coffee in the other. "Didn't expect to see you here on a Saturday morning." He put his cup down and took another bite of his doughnut then looked at the young photographer sitting in the chair next to his desk; he leaned back, folding his arms. "So, what can I do for you? Desk sergeant said you wanted to see me."

"Yeah," Jimmy said, "had a run-in with someone in Smallville last night you might recognize." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone.

"'Smallville'?" Turpin asked, confused. "A little out of my jurisdiction. What were you doin' out there?"

"Visiting Linda Kent," Jimmy asked.

Turprin paused, then he smirked. "Ah, Kent's cousin," he said. "Well, that makes sense."

"Turpin, she's just a friend," Jimmy protested.

"Sure," Turpin replied, unconvinced. "So, you and Kent's cousin were hanging out in the farmhouse-"

"Barn," Jimmy corrected.

"Okay, the barn," Turpin said. "And?"

"And Linda's dog found a group of teenagers there," Jimmy continued. "We tried talking to them when this guy showed up. Linda tried talking to him, but he...attacked her-well, us. Knocked us around like ragdolls."

"He attacked you?" Turpin asked, concerned. He sat up straight and grabbed a pen, scribbling notes on a pad of paper in front of him. "You two okay?"

"Yeah," Jimmy said. "Managed to get the drop on him, but he disappeared before we could get any answers."

"So why come to me?" Turpin asked. "Why not go to Sheriff Ross?"

"Because he wouldn't be able to tell me who the guy is," Jimmy pointed. "You can."

"Oh, really?" Turpin asked, folding his arms. "You got a description of this guy?"

"I got a picture," Jimmy said, holding up his phone, showing Turpin the picture Wally had sent him on the screen.

Turpin leaned close, peering at the photo, his expression unreadable. "Well, I'll be damned." He took the phone to get a closer look. "This brings back memories."

"So, you are 'Brooklyn'," Jimmy said.

"Haven't been called that name in years." He glanced at Jimmy. "What does this have to do with your attacker?"

"Because he looked like that guy," Jimmy said, pointing to the Guardian in the picture, "and those teenagers looked exactly like these teenagers-even used the same names."

"And that picture was taken over twenty years ago, Olsen. There is no way those are the same kids-or that that's even the same Guardian."

"Of course not, but someone's going to great lengths to recreate these personas exactly-right down to their clothes-and there's very little information in the Planet archives. Since you're in this photo, I was just hoping any knowledge you have could help me figure out why these people were in Linda's barn."

Turpin wanted to make a snarky comment at the photographer's tone but decided against it. He handed the phone back to Jimmy. "Look, I really don't know too much about 'em besides their names; we were rivals."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I was part of the Boy Commandos-that's what we called ourselves. Those kids were the Newsboys Legion." He saw Jimmy trying hard not to smile. "Watch it, Olsen. It was the height of the Cold War; we all wanted to fight Russian spies like the Guardian, stuff like that."

"Did you?"

"More than our fair share," Turpin said, "though you won't find it in the papers. Outside this one shot, Guardian made sure our involvement was not mentioned in the papers. Harper also made sure of that."

"Harper?" Jimmy asked.

"Officer Jim Harper," Turpin answered. "Worked with Metropolis PD in the eighties; beat cop in Suicide Slums. Good guy, really involved in the community. In fact, he was the one who adopted the Newsboys."

"You said you knew their names?"

"Uh, yeah," Turpin replied slowly, racking his brain. "Jonathan 'Gabby' Gabrielli, Patrick "Scrapper" MacGuire, Tommy Thompkins, Anthony 'Big Words' Rodriguez, and Walter 'Flip' Johnson."

"Do you know where they are now?" Jimmy asked.

"No," Turpin replied. "Like I said, wasn't really that chummy with them in the first place."

"What about Harper?"

"I can guarantee you he's not involved."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because Officer Harper was killed in the line of duty in two thousand eight," Turpin replied bluntly. "Now, I think I've provided all I can." Jimmy could hear the undertones in Turpin's voice and took the hint. He nodded, stood up, and turned to leave. "Olsen." Jimmy turned around and saw Turpin standing up. "Whatever's going on, tread carefully. Wouldn't want you or your girlfriend getting attacked again."

"She's not my girlfriend," Jimmy protested, his cheeks turning red.

Turpin smirked. "Sure," he said as he headed off, leaving Jimmy sputtering.

# # # #

Linda stayed with Dick for several hours before heading back to the farm. Jonathan and Martha, having been told by Lacy Malverne earlier, were waiting for Linda in the kitchen, offering sympathy and consolation. Linda was appreciative, but wasn't in the mood to talk and excused herself to her room, where she paced slowly, her head swimming with a million thoughts.

After an unknown amount of time passed, the young girl stopped and quickly walked over to her desk. She pulled open the upper right drawer, took out the few items inside, then ran her hand over the bottom. There was a small click and the bottom popped up, revealing a hidden compartment containing her octagonal key and the crystal from her ship. She grabbed her key before putting everything back as it was and closing the drawer then headed over to her window. She opened it and leapt out, the wind fluttering the curtains as she took to the sky, unseen.

A few moments later, Linda landed outside the Kawatche cave. She took a step toward the opening, then stopped as a wave of unease and guilt hit her gut. She hadn't been to the cave since the whole incident with the Fortress, and she had made a promise to stay away from the place. The teenager hesitated briefly, but then she remembered how Dick was suffering-and all unease and guilt faded; she gripped the octagonal key in her hand as she marched into the cave.

# # # #

It was almost midnight as Jimmy-dressed in dark clothes-padded softly across the rooftop of the Digital Network Analysts Projection, Inc. building just outside downtown Metropolis; he had a small bag slung across his shoulder, and he gripped a handheld flashlight as he made his way over to a rooftop access door. The photographer tried the knob, but it was locked, so he reached into his bag and pulled out a lock pick set; he put the flashlight in his mouth, aiming the light as he started working on the knob. He had been working for a few minutes when he heard a soft whooshing sound, and he stiffened. Swallowing nervously, he slowly turned his head, expecting to see Superman. A wave of a relief when he saw Linda, also dressed in dark clothes, her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. The beam from Jimmy's flashlight shined in her eyes, and she turned her head, shielding her eyes. Jimmy winced and quickly shuffled a few things, grabbing the flashlight with his hand and lowering the beam.

"Sorry," he said softly.

"It's okay," Linda said quietly.

"So, you, uh, apparently got my message," Jimmy replied.

Linda shrugged. "Wasn't much of a message," she said. "'Meet me on the roof of the Diagnostics Network Analysts Projection, Inc. at midnight'." She shrugged. "Snuck out; no one saw or heard me. Found something?"

"Oh yeah," Jimmy said excitedly. "Here, hold this while I work." He handed her the flashlight, then went back to picking the lock. "So, I talked with Turpin this morning, and he told me the names of the teenagers in the photo, but said he didn't know what happened to them. He also mentioned the guy who adopted him, an Officer Jim Harper of the Metropolis PD, but said he died in the line of duty in two thousand eight. So, I went back to Planet to do some more digging, and Perry's there. Guess what he's doing?" Linda stared at him blankly. "He was packing up Chloe's desk."

"What for?" Linda asked.

"There was an opening for a foreign correspondent in Afghanistan," Jimmy explained. "Chloe jumped on it immediately."

"She's leaving?" Linda asked softly. "For how long?"

Jimmy shrugged. "Not sure, but he told me Clark and Lois were getting her apartment packed up and put her things in storage, so I'm guessing it'll be a while. Perry said he was going to ship her work stuff to her." He heard the click of the final tumbler and grinned. "Bingo." He glanced behind him and saw Linda's sullen expression; he approached her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I know it's a bit of a shock, but this kind of thing happens all the time in journalism. Chloe'll be fine, don't worry."

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Linda asked.

"No, I did some digging," Jimmy replied. "Looked at Harper's file; exemplary record, no complaints or reprimands. Turns out Harper did die in two thousand eight; he was shot and killed during a raid. Got a police funeral, twenty-one gun salute, the whole nine yards, buried in Shuster Cemetery. Here, look at this." He put away the lock pick set and pulled out his phone; he pulled up a photo and showed it to Linda. "That's what he looked like." The photo was an unassuming man who appeared to be in his thirties with brown hair and green eyes.

Linda paused, tilting her head. "Wait a second," she said as she took the phone to get a closer look. She studied his face carefully, furrowing her eyebrows.

"He looks familiar, doesn't he?" Jimmy asked.

Linda nodded. "His eyes. It's almost like deja vu looking at him."

"Yeah, I thought so, too, so I looked for anything else on him. Guess what I found?"

"What?"

"His picture in a personnel file here at Diagnostics Network Analysts Projection, Incorporated," Jimmy answered. "The file said he was Head of Security, so I decided to pay them a visit, see what I could find."

"Any luck?"

"Well, they weren't very forthcoming, so I...kinda made a scene. And, like flies to honey, security showed up-and guess who was in charge?"

"Him?"

Jimmy nodded. "When he saw me, I swear I saw his eyes flinch slightly, almost like he recognized me. And I got a good look at his build-same as our helmeted visitor in the barn. Linda, I think they're the same person."

"But if that's true, then he looks exactly like a man who supposedly died six years ago," Linda pointed out. "Which means it's either a hell of an uncanny resemblance or-"

"Or there's something else going on," Jimmy interrupted. "Now, I already did some digging into this place-nothing out of the ordinary, tech company, deals with electronics for businesses-but that could easily be a cover for something else. I also didn't see any security cameras or alarm devices when I was here earlier-which is weird for a tech company-so we shouldn't have to worry about getting caught." He looked quite proud of himself, but he could see Linda looked less than impressed-almost distracted. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah," Linda said unenthusiastically, not sounding very convincing.

"Try again," Jimmy replied. "What happened? Rough time at your studio?"

"Honestly, I didn't get the chance to go," Linda explained. "After you left, Mattie found me and said that Dick needed to talk to me, so I went to his house, and-"

"Wait," Jimmy interrupted frowning, "you went to Dick Malverne's house?"

"Yeah," Linda said.

"So, you lied to me?" Jimmy interrupted, frowning.

Linda furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"

"You said you didn't want to be around Turpin," Jimmy said angrily, "and that you'd be working in your studio."

"I didn't," Linda protested, "I mean, I didn't want to be around Turpin, but I didn't go to my studio."

"Because you decided to spend time with Malverne," Jimmy retorted.

"Well, only because-"

"You know what?" Jimmy interrupted. "It's obvious your priorities have changed, so just go, and I'll check this place out myself." He yanked the flashlight from Linda's hands before angrily opening the door, storming inside. Linda just stared after him, confused, then she frowned and marched after him, heading down the dark stairwell. She saw him a few floors below, and she blurred down to catch up with him.

"You're not doing this without me, Jimmy," she hissed. "What happened last night happened in my barn, so I'm coming with you-and like it or not, you won't be able to stop me."

"Whatever," Jimmy muttered as they headed down the stairs. They didn't say anything else until they reached the bottom level. They opened the door leading into the main hallway, and Jimmy carefully peered out. The hallway was dark and deserted, no sign of anyone-not even a security camera or guard on duty. The photographer slowly crept into the corridor, heading left, with Linda following behind.

"Do you have any idea where you're going?" Linda asked, annoyed.

"Yeah, I do," Jimmy replied curtly, but he didn't elaborate. They walked in silence until they reached the end of the hall, seeing a door marked 'Authorized personnel' with a numerical keypad on the wall beside it. Jimmy started typing in various combinations, but all he succeeded in doing was getting a red light; he muttered under his breath as he continued trying. Linda rolled her eyes and grabbed the doorknob, easily twisting it off the door. Smiling smugly, she opened his hand and placed the knob in it before opening the door, revealing an elevator on the other side. Jimmy scowled at her before brushing past her; she quickly followed, not bothering to hide her smirk.

"So, where to now," Linda asked, folding her arms, "or you going to admit you don't have any idea what you're actually doing?" Jimmy glared at her before he jammed the button marked with an asterisk. The doors closed, and the elevator started downward. It was quiet, save for the sound of the whirring "So, what is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem," Jimmy said gruffly, staring ahead.

"Oh, really?" Linda asked. "So, is this how you treat all your friends, or am I just the exception?" Jimmy snorted, and he opened his mouth, but he was interrupted as the doors suddenly opened; the two found themselves staring into a large, dimly-lit room with rows of tanks on both sides.

"Looks like we found something," Jimmy said lamely as they stepped into the room; they separated, slowly walking around to examine the tanks. Most of them were filled with a liquid of some kind-and various creatures that reminded the young photographer of comic book monsters. He saw one of the creatures and froze in place, eyes widening. "Uh, Linda, come here."

Linda had been examining papers at a nearby desk, but she quickly walked over. "What is it?"

Jimmy nodded at the tank, taking out his phone and snapping a few pictures. "Look familiar?"

Linda peered at the tank, seeing the large body, the scaly rock-like skin, the long spikes and claws, and her eyes slowly widened. "Well, I guess we know what happened to the Minotaur."

"Question is," Jimmy said, "who brought it here in the first place?"

Before Linda could say anything, the sound of numerous-and loud-metallic clicking sounds echoed through the room. Jimmy and Linda instantly recognized those sounds and quickly stiffened.

"Hands where I can see them!" a voice echoed. The teenagers glanced at each other for a few seconds before following the instructions. "Turn around-slowly." The two slowly turned around and saw about twenty men in black uniforms surrounding them, all with large and very expensive weapons pointed at the teenagers. Linda noticed a patch on their arms with a familiar symbol on them-a stylized DNA helix-but before she could point it out to Jimmy, the group parted, and the Guardian-wearing the same costume he had on the previous night-slowly walked over. He stopped in front of the teenagers, folding his arms.

"The more pressing question," he said sternly, "is why the hell you two are here?"

(End of Chapter 4)