Jonathan and Jordan found her in the hall of her dorm. They'd been let in, thinking they were here for the party going on downstairs. People always said they looked older than their ages, which came in handy.

Jonathan recognized her from her pictures. "Natalie?"

She turned and started stepping too briskly for them not to think she was running from them.

"Wait! This is going to sound crazy, but we think you're our sister," Jonathan called after her fleeing form.

"Kind of," Jordan added. "It's complicated."

She froze, but she didn't turn around.

"But you already know that, didn't you?" Jordan asked. "No doubt you looked up Mom when you first arrived."

This time she turned around.

"You are the girl in the photos," Jonathan said. "I knew it! You're Natalie Luthor."

"I am, and I did look her up. It hurt more than I expected even watching her from a distance because your mom isn't really my mom. I'm just trying to build a life for myself here. I didn't want to be found."

"I know, but your dad's here," Jonathan said.

"And I really don't want to see him," she said with a fire in her eyes that made her Lane genes apparent. "He's dead to me."

"Look, I don't know what your history is, but we need help," Jonathan said. "Your dad's trying to kill our dad. He was possessed by some Kryptonian consciousness, and he's trying to fight it off, but he won't get a chance if your dad kills him. Maybe you could talk to him. Remind him that he's someone's parent and that we need him."

"I don't think anything can get past his hatred of Kryptonians or I would. Believe me, everything takes second place to that."

She thought back to memories she'd long been trying to forget.

Her father had been a good dad growing up, but even as a young girl, she sensed the change in him whenever Superman was around like he became another person. His smile turned into a frown and he would look at him in a way that made her uncomfortable.

She didn't understand it then. Superman only ever looked kindly at her mother, at her, and even at her father. She was probably the only child in the world that regularly had conversations with the superhero. He was always asking about her. What she was studying in school, who her friends were, and he was genuinely interested unlike a lot of adults. It made her feel special that such an important man was her friend. She didn't have any uncles only aunts, but if she had one, she couldn't imagine a better one.

"I have something for you," Superman told her one day when she was about seven, "being that it's so close to Christmas."

She jumped and tingled with excitement. "What is it? What is it?"

He pulled out a light brown bear. His fur was matted in places and one of his ears was a little worn, but it was still a very cute bear with a golden ribbon around his neck and the sweetest little black button eyes. He placed it in her arms with great care as one would pass a baby.

Her mother was smiling, and her father was eyeing it with disdain as if he couldn't see the beauty in it being so well-loved.

"It was mine when I was little," he explained. "His name is Mr. Bear. He's always been a great friend to me, but I think he's ready for another child to love him. You can tell him whenever you're afraid or sad or even happy."

"Superman gets afraid?" Natalie said disbelievingly.

"Everyone has fears, and you'll discover Mr. Bear is a very good listener. Talking about it always helps, I find."

It was funny she should be thinking about that day down in the bunker. She hugged the teddy bear close as she still had it. She wished she was still of an age where she could whisper her worries into her teddy's ear and that would be enough to make them go away.

She heard a noise as her mother stubbed her foot in the dark.

"Mom," she whispered, rolling over and sitting up. "Where are you going?"

"Go back to sleep," she said with a furtive glance at her dad, but he was out like a light. He could sleep through anything even the end of the world. Natalie wished she could sleep. It had seemed like forever since she had slept more than an hour or two at a time.

"I want to come with you. I wasn't even sleeping."

"I'm going to talk to Superman, but things might not go like I hope."

Her eyes widened. He was dangerous now. What could she be thinking?

She sighed. "I have reason to believe, in fact, I know that Superman's mind is being controlled, and I think that if he knows he still has someone who cares, it'll help him take control again, but it's only a theory. He may already be gone inside."

And she could die. She didn't say it, but Natalie knew. "Then let me come with you. He'll know that he has two friends."

"I can't let-"

"Mom. I'm 14. I'm not a little kid anymore. If you fail, we'll all die anyway. The army has already been defeated."

"I guess you're right about that. Okay, you can come."

The bunker was outside the city in an abandoned field. It was nearly pitch black outside.

"How are we going to find Superman?" Natalie asked. "It's not exactly like he has a cell we can call."

"I have a way," she said. "Whether he'll respond to it or not in his state, I don't know, but it's worth a shot."

She pulled a strange-looking device out of her purse, and she explained, "This will emit a special sound that only Superman can hear and those like him. He can pick up the signal and know it's me no matter where in the world he is."

"And he gave you that?" Natalie asked. "Why?"

"He's helped me out of more jams than I like to remember. He thought it'd be a good idea for me to carry it. I only use it when I absolutely have to, but it's one of the perks of being Superman's friend, I guess. Jimmy has one in watch form."

"That's really cool and I don't know, scary. I didn't know you got into that many situations."

"It turns out people don't like you prying into their business all that much," she said with a sprinkle of humor mean to lighten the dark reality that she was in a dangerous line of work. "And this is yet another situation. I need you to get behind that tree over there."

She did to make her mom feel better, but it's not like Superman or whoever Superman was at the moment couldn't hear her.

She pushed the button, and he was there in seconds.

He didn't land quietly though. His heat vision shot out, but her mom ducked. "Superman, you have to fight him. The world needs you."

"The man you call Superman is no more," he answered, and he shot out another blast, which she dodged again.

"Please, Clark," she said. "I need you."

Natalie frowned. Who was Clark? But he responded to her mom's words, and writhing on the ground and groaning in pain, he fought back until he won. "Lois?" he said as if waking from a fog.

She was on the ground, hugging him, as her tears spilled. "Clark!"

Natalie came out of hiding. "Does this mean everything's going to be okay now?"

"I hope so," Superman said, smiling her way.

Her mom, more a realist, told her bluntly, "There's a lot more to be done." She helped Superman get to his feet. "I know I said I would never reveal your secret weakness."

"But this is an exception. Let me do it though. If you were to broadcast our weakness for the world to hear, he'd come to kill you or send his right-hand assistant to do it."

She shook her head. "If he finds out that you're not under his command anymore, you'll blow your cover. You're the world's last hope. My broadcast will buy you some time."

"I don't care. I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself. End of story."

"Hey, guys. I think I may have an idea that would fix both those problems. What if Mom broadcasts, but then Superman appears behind her and it looks like he kills her with his heat vision. You can control the intensity of it, right? Direct it at her without killing her. The camera will zoom in on you and your eyes. Mom can scream off camera to make it realistic. The news is out so people have a chance of protecting themselves, everyone thinks Superman is still part of an evil army, and Mom, you can hide without the Kryptonians looking for you."

"When did you get so smart?" Lois asked with a smile.

"She gets it from her mom," Superman said.

That's when Natalie knew that he loved her, and her mom didn't seem neutral towards him as she returned his soft look.

"Nat Bug," she said, calling her the name she hadn't called her since she was little. "I need you to go back inside the bunker and keep the TV on. When the newscast comes on, make sure your dad watches it."

"You're not going to tell him about our plan?"

She shook her head sadly. "He doesn't trust Superman or even me. That's how strong his hatred and prejudice is toward those not born on this planet. He'd try to interfere. When the time is right, I'll tell him."

Natalie nodded. Not knowing then just how right her mom had been in making that decision.

To the boys in the present, she said, "I may not be able to appeal to him, but I will help you stop him."