Kara looked over her own Wall of the Weird at the Smallville Gazette. She stared intently at Morgan Edge's face. "Why is he here? Why of all places, Smallville?" Kara wondered out loud.

"What's wrong with Smallville?" Chrissy asked defensively.

"He's all over the state mining for X-Kryptonite. He never stays in one place for long. Smallville is the only town where he's actually sticking around. What's so different about this town? Why does he need it?" Kara asked.

"This is your specialty," Chrissy passed it on.

"I know, right?" Kara agreed. "It's the people. There's something about the people of this town. Edge thinks he can use the people of Smallville as emotional blackmail against Superman."

"Why would Superman care about Smallville?" Chrissy asked obliviously.

"We need to know who he's recruiting and everything about them," Kara said as she looked at the pictures of the people Edge had recruited via Lana. As it happened, it was a diverse group of characters based on race, gender, and presumably sexual orientation. None of these individuals have any connection to Superman directly and were all selected by Lana, herself, anyway.

"The only thing Edge decided, himself, was making Lana Lane his recruiter. So, if these recruits end up going bad, he could put all the blame on her. So, does Superman have a connection to Lana Lane?" Chrissy wondered.

Kara smirked at her. "I suppose we should find out."

The next morning, Kara briefed Mon on the situation. "Edge is recruiting more people to be metahuman test subjects."

"Nice, more people to fight," Mon said eagerly.

"Mara, Kon, get down here before you miss the bus!" Kara yelled at them. "Look, no one is listening to me. I'm a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. They should take whatever I say as the word of God."

"Well, Edge is providing people with jobs so people can stay in their homes, feed their families, and survive," Mon pointed out.

Mara and Kon came down lacking enthusiasm and took their lunch bags. "I'll be working late as usual. It's not because I can't stand being around you all," Kara told them.

"That's fine. I'll be at Sara's house," Kon said.

"Nice," Mon smiled.

"What do you think you're doing with that human female?" Kara asked suspiciously.

"I'm just trying to be supportive," Kon lied. "She said she just wanted to be friends."

"Mara, keep an eye on your brother," Kara ordered.

As soon as they left, Kara turned to Mon. "You look and sound like Clark, the son of Martha Kent. The people will listen to you. We can use that to our advantage."

At the Smallville Gazette, Kara, Chrissy, and Lana met up. "The only change I've noticed is that they're a lot happier. They're truly excited to be there, to be a part of something greater than themselves," Lana said.

"What is he actually doing with them?" Kara asked.

"Personal development, self-development, trust exercises," Lana listed off.

"He's stalling," Kara rolled his eyes.

"Sounds like a cult, brainwashing free of charge," Chrissy remarked.

"They're also doing this comradery breakfast session. Really sinister," Lana said sarcastically. "I should get going."

"Yeah, I don't want you to be late. Dig deeper into this even at the risk of your personal safety," Kara ordered.

"Well, okay then," Lana said taking off.

"Edge is merely fattening these people up for the slaughter. These people don't have real jobs," Kara figured.

At school, Kon and Mara got called over by Kyle with Sara in the vehicle with him. "So...how can I help you?" Kon asked him.

"I just wanted to say thank you for helping Sara with her audition," Kyle said appreciatively.

"It was super-easy, barely an inconvenience," Kon replied.

"That really saved the day," Kyle continued.

"I know, right?" Kon agreed.

"I'll see you later tonight," Kyle said to Sara and then drove off.

"Don't mind him, he's going through a personality crisis after he lost a job offer with Morgan Edge and passed the fuck out in a bar during my audition last week," Sara explained.

Mara ignored Sara and eyed a group of girls that were dressed particularly slutty. Mara gave them disapproving looks. "Stay away from Tina Whitney. She's trouble," Sara warned Mara.

Mon walked into a diner and randomly found Emily, one of Edge's recruits already there. "Clark?" she identified.

"Oh, shit," Mon realized. "You...," he said lamely not knowing her name.

"I didn't know you were back in town," Emily gushed.

"Well, I have been living here for the last few months," Mon told her. "It's been Insane since we moved here."

"Me, too, but for the better," Emily said referring to her job.

"You mean Edge Industries," Mon figured.

"It has changed my life. I feel great. I can focus, think better, and problems I thought were impossible are like nothing now," Emily said.

"Whatever drug you're on, I want in," Mon smiled.

"You looking for work?" Emily wondered.

"I wouldn't go that far," Mon backed off.

"Just talk to Lana. She hooked me up, got me into the program. She's like responsible for everything that's coming my way," Emily said.

"Damn," Mon realized.

"Well, I got to go. Let me know if I can be of help," Emily said. "It's so good to see you, Clark."

"You, too," Mon said still not sure what her name was.

Mon was starving and was about to clean the diner out when he got a radio transmission from Brainiac 5. "There's an armed robbery in progress in Matazalan."

Mon considered food vs kicking ass and decided he had no choice in the matter. He activated his Superman suit and flew over to Mexico. As soon as he landed, he burst the doors open scattering several bank robbers. One robber bravely shot at him with his automatic rifle. The bullets merely bounced off Mon's suit. Mon slammed him against the wall knocking him out. In a split second, he swatted several robbers to the floor knocking them out. The bank robbers continued to fire on Mon from the second floor. Mon leaped up and tossed the two robbers onto the floor and then beat down two more on the second floor.

Mon frowned as he was experiencing hunger pains. "I could really go for a sandwich," he realized.

Suddenly, the leader fired his shotgun at Mon multiple times without effect. When he ran out of shells, the leader dropped his shotgun and fired an AK-47 rifle at Mon with similar results. Mon waited for him to run out of bullets and then smacked him to the floor knocking him out.

"Are you okay?" a Mexican officer asked Mon in Spanish.

"I'm sorry, I only speak American," Mon told him. "It's time this place got some truth, justice, and the American way."

"Si'," the officer said intimidated by him.

Mon smiled at him and then flew off.

Kara went over to the Smallville Gazette again. "Edge is buying a new ad in the paper for more recruits," Chrissy said.

"Yeah, well, consider it canceled," Kara shot down.

"We can't just turn down a half-page ad. I mean, we are a business," Chrissy said.

"No, we're a vehicle for me to talk shit. Money is a distant second for me," Kara corrected.

"I feel we'll go bankrupt as soon as you take down Edge," Chrissy predicted.

Kara ignored her and went out the door. "Where are you going?" Chrissy wondered.

"To make a scene," Kara said vaguely and then walked out.

At Edge Industries, Kara marched in ready to kill when she got stopped by Lana. "Where's Edge?" Kara demanded.

"He's in a meeting with the recruits," Lana told her.

Kara barged into the meeting. "You have some nerve trying to buy ad-space in my paper," she said to Edge.

"Mrs. Wayne...," Morgan sighed.

"Just walk away, Edge, before it's too late," Kara warned.

Leslie Larr went to kick Kara out. "Don't touch me, bitch," Kara told her.

"If you could all take a break so Mrs. Wayne and I can talk. It won't take long," Morgan said to his recruits.

Kara waited for the recruits to leave, taking careful note of all of them and all their diversity. "Well, that was desperate," Morgan chided.

"I know what you're doing," Kara told him.

"Providing good jobs for a community in need," Morgan said defensively.

"You're creating metahumans. You're giving these people powers," Kara accused.

"That sounds crazy-as-fuck. What's your evidence?" Morgan asked.

"I don't need evidence," Kara said dismissively.

"Wow, just fuck me," Morgan realized. "Even for you, this is getting out of hand."

"We both know it's the truth," Kara stared him down.

"In my experience, the truth is rather subjective. Who do you think people are more likely to believe: A has-been slumming it at the local paper or a man that's giving this town the best economy it's ever known?" Morgan asked.

"These people are not your puppets. They're mine," Kara said possessively.

"No one is being forced to do anything against their will. They just want a chance for a better life. It's all in my ad," Morgan said.

"You're fucking high if you think I'm going to publish this," Kara shot down.

"I guess word-of-mouth is going to have to suffice," Morgan said confidently. "You can't stop this. Maybe you can get Superman to come to you."

"I know that wasn't supposed to sound sexual, but...," Kara scoffed.

"Or maybe he'll join my side. He may take comfort in knowing there are others like him," Morgan suggested.

"Are you sure Superman swings that way?" Kara mocked.

"I'm excited to find out," Morgan said wide-eyed.

Leslie then entered the room. Kara gave Morgan a smile having found a true adversary she could respect and then walked out.

At school, Mara noticed Tina was looking at her. She closed her locker and advanced on her. "You've been giving me looks. Whatever it is you're feeling for me, it's wrong," Mara told her off.

"Wow, I didn't even...," Tina said defensively.

"I have enough of your kind to deal with. I'm too busy to convert you all," Mara told her off.

"I'm not gay, alright," Tina said flustered.

"See that it stays that way," Mara pointed her finger at her and walked off in the opposite direction.

"What a bitch?" Tina said incredulously as she walked back with her friends.

"Damn, girl, you set her straight," the baseball coach said to Mara.

In the auditorium, Kon and Sara practiced on the piano. "I'm sorry I messed up the intro," Sara said awkwardly.

"Apology accepted," Kon allowed.

"How are you so awesome at piano?" Sara asked.

"I'm really fast and precise with my fingers," Kon said suggestively.

"Well, thank you for everything. The time you've put into this means a lot," Sara said appreciatively.

"I consider it more like an investment," Kon said staring at her and then had a violent sneeze where he snorted ice onto his hand. "I've assessed the situation, and I have to leave."

"Wait...what's wrong?" Sara wondered as Kon bolted.

Kon sped back home sneezing the entire way.

At the home, Mon and Kara considered Kon's condition. "The Kryptonite exposure I received must have been a biological weapon. It could be communicable," Mon suggested.

"Well...shit," Kara realized. "Nice to know you can be a carrier for Kryptonian diseases. Why haven't I or Mara been sick?"

"Is this because I'm weak?" Kon asked.

"Yes," Mon said. "No," Kara said at the same time.

"I've never been sick in my entire life," Mon rolled his eyes.

Gen. Lane then entered the house. "This wasn't supposed to happen," he said.

"Oh, really? You expect me to believe that shit?" Kara scoffed.

"It was only meant as a last resort," Gen. Lane excused. "Just to weaken a Kryptonian temporarily."

"Well, you got my hybrid son sick," Kara said displeased. "People like us don't get sick."

"How do we fix this? This drama is getting on my nerves," Mon said impatiently.

"My guys are working on it," Gen. Lane lied.

"That sounds like bullshit," Kara doubted.

At school, Mara ran into Sara. "Have you seen Kon?" she asked.

"He's sick," Mara informed her.

"That's a shame. We had a really nice time together. I need him for this recital," Sara said.

"I'll see what I can do," Mara said sincerely.

Mara went back to the house and found Kon shivering uncontrollably in his room. "Is he going to make it?" Mara asked.

"Probably, maybe," Kara said nonchalantly.

"I'll tell Sara you can't make it," Mara said turning to leave.

"No, wait," Kon said getting up.

Kara forced him back into the bed. "You're not going anywhere."

"I can't just abandon Sarah. She's going to be on any minute," Kon said.

"Why the hell do you care?" Kara wondered.

"I'm abandoning her as her dad did. It will crush her," Kon said dramatically.

"You can't go anywhere. You could unleash some kind of plague on the planet," Kara told him.

"What is actually happening to him?" Mara asked curiously.

"The Kryptonian virus that hit me is affecting your brother," Mon told her.

Kon suddenly coughed frost on a lamp covering it completely. "That could be an issue," Kara said dryly.

"It's getting harder to breathe," Kon admitted.

"Alright, we're all going to the fortress to get checked out," Kara ordered.

All four touched hands and then Mon instantly teleported them all to the fortress.

At the Fortress of Solitude, Kara went to the computer. The Alura program became activated. "Kon is having trouble breathing," Kara began.

"He's in respiratory distress," Alura said.

"No shit. What's wrong?" Kara demanded.

"The Kryptonite is causing his lungs to fill up with fluid," Alura said.

"How do I get the Kryptonite out of him?" Kara asked.

"You'll have to burn the Kryptonite out of his system," Alura replied.

"I can take it," Kon said eagerly throwing off his jacket.

Kara's eyes went red and then went back to normal. "Fuck, I'm feeling it now, too." Mara also seemed affected shivering uncontrollably in the cold fortress.

"I got this," Mon said pointing his hand at Kon.

"Oh, shit," Kon realized. "I'm not sure about this."

"Kon...don't be a bitch," Mon lectured him and then fired a beam at him. Kon's body began to glow as he experienced the extreme heat and then the virus within him was killed off.

Kon fell to his knees toasted. His burned skin gradually returned to normal. "That...sucked," he said painfully. Mon then did the same with Mara. She cried out in pain as she felt the burn but was quickly cleared as well.

"Now, your turn," Mon said to Kara.

"Not just yet. I kind of like this vulnerability," Kara said giving Mon hungry eyes.

"Go back home," Mon ordered Kon and Mara. "Your mother is going to need a much longer treatment."

"We totally know what's going on. We're not idiots," Kon rolled his eyes as he left with Mara.

While Mon was giving Kara her "treatment" Kon and Mara came back to the house. Sara went on to do her recital with her dad assisting her with the guitar. "So, everything worked out even better in the end," Kon said pleased.

"So it would seem," Mara allowed and then noticed Gen. Lane waiting for them.

"My people are still working on a treatment," he said to them.

"We appreciate the effort, general, but we cured ourselves in our own way," Mara said politely.

"That was a badass weapon. I've never seen mother sick before," Kon said enthralled.

"You two aren't mad?" Gen. Lane wondered.

"The four of us are the most powerful beings on this planet, perhaps the galaxy. It's wise for you to take precautions in case we go rogue. We could be possessed by an unclean spirit, suffer from mind-altering drugs, be attacked by a psychological ability, or fall to our own natures. We may be physically invincible but we are vulnerable in our minds and emotions," Mara said.

"Yeah, plus we're not going to be here for too long. Once we leave, if you guys get attacked by Kryptonians, you're fucked," Kon said immaturely.

"From the beginning, my brother and I walked two different paths. In truth, Kon scares me," Mara admitted.

"And I don't trust you for shit. If you were allowed to be unchecked, you would launch a crusade against the galaxy," Kon shot back.

"You act like that's a bad thing," Mara said scornfully.

Gen. Lane eyed them both as they started fighting. "You don't think I'm a coward for being afraid of you?"

"Fuck no," Kon scoffed. "You'd be Insane not to."

"It's weird to say but as much as we fear our own parents, they also fear us," Mara said darkly.

"That's kind of fucked up," Gen. Lane remarked.

"It's the cost of power. We can't be treated as people but as nation-states. You should look upon us the same way you look at Great Britain or Russia. Trust...but verify," Mara replied.

At the fortress, Mon and Kara were in white bathrobes. After a long session, Kara was exhausted. "It's over," Mon informed her.

"Holy shit," Kara said panting from the ordeal.

"I'll help you to your feet," Mon said as he helped Kara up who could barely walk. "I'm proud of you."

"I knew you could fire energy blasts from your hands, your eyes, and your mouth but I had no idea you could do it from your...," Kara said amazed.

"Not another word," Mon silenced her.

Kara centered herself and was back to full power. The two dozen bruises all over her body immediately went back to normal. "Now, I want to make you feel vulnerable," Kara demanded.

"Do you want me to still keep Clark's face mask on?" Mon wondered.

Kara seemed uncertain about that. "No, you can take it off now."

At the house, Kon and Mara were bored as they were on standby. "You know how they are. They could take hours to get back," Kon said.

"I really don't like talking to you about this," Mara said uncomfortably.

"Why? It's within the sanctity of marriage. Not only is it legal, but it's also actually encouraged," Kon said.

"The things they do to each other...I don't consider holy," Mara frowned.

There was a knock at the door ending the awkward conversation. Kon went to the door and found Emily and another white bald guy named Carl waiting. "If you're here to talk to my mom, you can wait in the living room," Kon offered.

Mara eyed Emily and Carl entering the house with some concern. "You shouldn't have fucked with us," Emily said as her eyes glowed red. She fired heat vision into the kitchen completely destroying it and then slicing their dining room table in two. Mara and Kon took cover from the beam.

"Whatever my mother did, I'm sorry," Mara said to them.

Emily and Carl were about to fire heat vision beams at them when a Kryptonite gas canister was tossed inside the kitchen. All four of them were affected by the gas and fell to their knees. Gen. Lane entered the house with his grenade launcher. "Get out of here," he said to them.

"We could have handled them," Kon said coughing from the gas.

"Let's go," Mara said dragging him out of the house and into the barn.

Still weakened by the gas, Kon went into the barn and got himself a grenade rifle. Kyle then entered the barn. "I just came from the performance. Why weren't you there, Kon?" he asked accusingly.

"It's a long and ridiculous story," Kon excused.

Inside the house, Gen. Lane kicked ass on the two metahumans. However, they both eventually recovered with Emily throwing Gen. Lane across the room and knocking him out. Meanwhile, Kyle was told what was going on. "Give me a gun," Kyle requested.

"Fuck yeah," Kon said enthusiastically as he went for a second rifle.

The two metahumans stormed into the barn. Kon immediately fired on them. The grenade hit them both blasting them out of the barn. "You're really good with that thing," Kyle remarked.

"I know, right?" Kon grinned.

Kyle then fired heat vision destroying the grenade rifle. The rifle fell out of Kon's hands totally ruined. "What the fuck?" Kon wondered.

Kyle suddenly grabbed both their throats with glowing red eyes. "He didn't just want to kill your mother, he wanted her to suffer as well." Mon suddenly appeared as Superman and punched Kyle out of the barn.

At the house, the US Army went through the house looking for forensic evidence. "That was badass," Kara complimented as she gave Gen. Lane an icepack for his head.

"You know...I wasn't the best father. I was gone...a lot. I wasn't there to protect my daughter from getting bruised up. I wasn't a very good parent," Gen Lane admitted. "But, it was all worth it to keep this nation safe so other families would be okay. Tonight, that was your family."

"Thank you, general," Kara said sincerely.

"Ever since we tortured your aunt together, you've been like a daughter to me," Gen. Lane said.

"Those were good times," Kara nodded.

"As of now, Smallville and everyone in it is a military priority. We got this town on lock," Gen Lane told her.

"Yeah, fuck civil liberties," Kara rolled her eyes.

In their bedroom, Kon and Mara had a chat. Kon looked out the window and saw army guys going through the barn. "You think they're going to confiscate all my guns?" Kon asked apprehensively.

"We almost died," Mara reminded him.

"Please, we held back. If not for that Kryptonite, I would have killed all three of them without breaking a sweat," Kon said.

"Then, I am thankful for General Lane," Mara rolled her eyes. "Do you even think about how Sara would feel about that?"

"In a tactical situation, you terminate the enemy and then consider the ramifications. You don't have time to think about that shit in a fight," Kon said.

"That's only true in a fair fight. I want you to think before you kill these people," Mara pressed.

"Fine, whatever," Kon relented.

Later that night when the US Army had left, Kara got a phone call from Chrissy. "So, my theory is confirmed. When Kal landed in Smallville, his ship deposited Kryptonite fragments all over this town. Some of those fragments got buried in the mines and with water, they grew and grew. So, it's not enough that people be given X-Kryptonite. They have to have been exposed to it for years. That means only the people of Smallville have been exposed long enough to be Edge's army. That's why the bastard is here," Kara said.

"Just kill him. You want me to do it?" Mon asked exhausted by her.

"No, Mon. We have to see what he's up to," Kara insisted. Kara then felt an annoying signal in her ears. "It's Edge. He's calling for you."

"So?" Mon wondered.

"Kick his ass but don't kill him," Kara ordered.

"A mere human? This is a total waste of my time," Mon said as he flew off as Superman.

In the wilderness of Utah, Mon found Edge all alone. He was wearing a black Kryptonian suit with the letter "E" inside his crest. "I'm glad you came," Edge said pleased.

"I'm not going to stop you, but I will put you in the hospital for a few weeks," Mon promised him.

"That's exactly what Kara keeps telling me. You can't make that happen any more than she can," Edge scoffed.

"Oh, really?" Mon smirked.

Mon flew straight for Edge and cocked a punch to knock him out. Edge suddenly increased his speed and strength and backhanded Mon to the ground. Mon got back up completely befuddled. "Do you really think I would give others powers but not myself? You see, I got mine when Supergirl's ship crash-landed all those years ago. I think it's time I showed you what I'm capable of," he said as he began to fly off the ground.