Nightwing and Reyna looked down into the great room where a giant vat filled the majority of it. Nightwing could see Reyna's trepidation on her face at the sight of it, though she would never admit it. The room was busy with scientists and workers all working on something. Nightwing could trace where they were going to distribute the contents from the vat, but he couldn't find the controls.

"I need to take a closer look." Nightwing sighed.

"You're not actually going down there?" Reyna said incredulously. "You'll be seen."

"Maybe, maybe not, but if you want to use some of your magic, it wouldn't be unwelcome.* He smirked at her.

She gave him an exasperated look in return.

He quietly removed the vent grate. "Replace it once I leave." He instructed.

He carefully dropped down so he wouldn't make a noise. He managed to avoid the busy scientists as he made his way closer to the vat. A sickly green liquid sat threateningly inside it. He still couldn't see any controls anywhere. He needed to get closer still. He saw a man in a white coat like all the others, standing off to the side. He was isolated enough that Nightwing easily took him out and stole his lab coat. Since he was illusioned as a demigod, the coat covered up the armor and he was able to look like all the other scientists. He hid the body behind some boxes, and made his way down the stairs and up to the base of the vat.V He was halfway around and still hadn't found anything when he overheard two men talking.

"We're not ready. We haven't completed the formula, not to mention test it."

"This is the test. You have fifteen minutes before he detonates it."

Nightwing closed his eyes in frustration. Detonation. Of course there weren't any controls. It was remote controlled. Then he spotted something on the ground. An idea came to him as his eyes followed some electrical wires disappearing into a wall. He might just have a way around the remote control. But he had to hurry. He made his way back up to the vent where Reyna was waiting without incident and rejoined Reyna.

"I'm impressed. I hardly had to help."

"Wait, what did you do?" He asked curiously.

"I just helped people see what they wanted to see." She smiled. "Did you stop it?"

"No. It's remote controlled and we've got roughly 10 minutes to neutralize it."

"And how are we going to do that?"

"That way." Nightwing pointed behind her. She managed to turn in the small space and make her way to where he pointed. She stopped short where the vent dropped off.

"What now?" She asked.

"Now, we climb down." Nightwing said as he pulled out his grappling hook. He sidled up beside her in the close quarters and secured it on the roof of the vent. He couldn't help the smile as he noticed her blush. He threw the rest of the rope down. "Start climbing."

"I hope you know what you are doing." She said as she started climbing down the rope, which he couldn't help but be impressed by.

He turned on his arm computer and watched for wires through the walls.

"How much farther?" Reyna said sounding strained.

"Almost there." Nightwing said as he watch the wires in the wall through his monitor. "Here." He then kicked open a large vent covering. They climbed into a small dark room.

"Where are we?" Reyna asked.

Nightwing turned on a light and found the largest bunch of wires he could find and started cutting wires and hooking them up to his computer. "Everyone hides their wires. They're unslightly. Fortunately, that's an advantage for us. The good news is, I can access the vats controls from here. The bad news is, they're going to see everything I do. It should cause quite the stir."

Reyna drew her sword and held it at the ready. Nightwing got to work. It didn't take long for him to get in. He could see the list of chemicals, The function codes, there was nothing for the remote. But if he did this right he wouldn't need to worry about the contents being sprayed everywhere. He studied the ingredients that they were adding. It wasn't your run of the mill genocide concoction. He wasn't sure he could figure out how to neutralize it in time.

"We're running out of time." Reyna worried.

Then he came across one of the components. Even better, he knew how to counteract it. He gave a silent "Thank you." to Batman for cleaning him with all the chemicals and their counters. "I've got it." It only took a few key strokes, and he was able to direct the computer to insert the counter agent. Through the walls they could hear shouting.

"You did it?"

"It's as harmless as body mist." Nightwing grinned at her. His computer beeped at him, bringing his attention back. He swore. "They're trying to add more." Nightwing's fingers flew as he tried to counter each action they did. Strange sounds were coming from the other sides of the walls.

"They can smell me." Reyna raised her sword for battle.

"I need more time. I can destroy the contents and formula for good. I . . . just . . . need . . . some . . . time." Nightwing growled frustratedly.

"Stay hidden, and whatever happens, finish it. I'll draw them away."

"No. Wait. Just a few more minutes." He desperately didn't want her to go into battle without him.

"You'll get your minutes. No matter what happens, finish it. For Rome, for all half bloods, and for all mankind." Reyna gave him one last look before charging out of the room.

Nightwing opened his mouth to call after her, but it was too late. His screen beeped drawing his attention to it. They were remixing the pathogen. He was getting sick of this game, so he launched his special virus into their system, which gave him just enough time to counter act their work and begin draining the vat.

He smiled satisfactory as he watched his virus freeze their computers, when he heard someone call out, "Whoever is messing with my computers, you have ten seconds to come out before I inject this untested concoction on this threat to humanity."

Nightwing froze. Reyna!

"One!"

Nightwing frantically looked through the wires to find the one leading to the cameras.

"Two!"

He tested one. Nope.

"Three!"

He tested another one. Nope.

"Four!"

He tested another one. His heart stopped. A woman held a grotesque claw to Reyna's throat while none other than Lex Luthor held a syringe filled with green liquid in it at Reyna's neck.

"Five! I'm losing patience!" Lex said irritably.

What was he going to do? He tried to think of anything to turn things to their advantage. He looked at another wire which showed a camera angle of Lex's back and a small hand gun pointed to Reyna's back.

"Two!" Lex yelled

Nightwing leaped up, unhooking his arm computer along the way. He sprinted out the door and around the corner just as Lex yelled, "One!"

Nightwing held his hands in the air to show his surrender. They stood in a walkway where offices and doors were on one side and a railing on the other side with a view of a giant garage.

"No." Reyna grunted as she tried to struggle, but the Empousa tightened her grip around her throat.

"Perseus Jackson?" The Empousa said confusedly. She sniffed the air a couple of times and scowled at him. "You're no half-blood." She waved her hand and Nightwing felt the illusion dissolve around him.

"Nightwing." Lex said with vague surprise. "Very clever. That explains some things."

"I should have known it was you behind all of this, Luthor." Nightwing scowled. "It practically screams of your paranoia. You're being controlled. She's an Empousa, a Greek vampire. They seduce men. The demigods protect you from the likes of them."

"Seduce me?" Lex scoffed. "You should know, I can't be controlled, let alone seduced. Perhaps you are the one being seduced. Did this one catch your eye? Lure you in? Did she need protection from the big bad monsters?"

Reyna's eyes widened. She struggled beneath the Empousa grip on her neck. He could feel doubt begin to creep into his mind. He remembered the first time he saw her. She was exquisite in a red dress. Was she there to seduce him. Was she just a ploy to get the Justice League involved? Then he remembered all the kids they had rescued, fighting just to survive. He remembered Reyna's face after she returned from a kid's funeral, how she mourned each death under her command. He remembered her saving his life from monster after monster, including the first Empousa that almost killed him.

Nightwing set his jaw. "The only one who tried to seduce me was one of her kind, "Nightwing gestured toward the Empousa, "and she would have killed me if it weren't for a demigod. So I'd be careful if I were you. She'll dispose of you as soon as she doesn't need you anymore."

"I wouldn't worry about me as much as this half-blood's pedictament. Get the computers back into our control, or your precious half-blood will get very, very sick." Lex pressed the needle to her skin, making a noticeable imprint.

"Okay." Nightwing raised his hands higher. "Just don't hurt her."

"No." Reyna choked out.

Nightwing exposed his arm computer. He had no idea how they were going to get out of this one.