Chapter VIII
"There he is, right on schedule," were the words of Stephanie Brown to Superboy, as they, the floating observers they were, watched Harm navigate into the center of the forest. The fog had already begun to lift, a testament to the success of XS and Impulse as they blazingly altered the current of the fog. The overhead fog had parted as the thick clouds swam towards the rear clearing of the forest.
In perfect sight, Spoiler and Superboy prepared to swoop down on their target, but something, or more accurately, the absence of something impeded their motion. No where to be found were their friends whom they assumed would be trailing behind, but no matter, they mutually conceded. XS, Impulse, Robin, Secret, and Wondergirl had all managed to do exactly what they intended to do, and know was the hour Superboy and Spoiler do the same.
With the charm only one such as Superboy can afford, he gibed, "Think you can handle this one without breaking a nail?"
"Can you," Spoiler quickly rebutted, her words rich with venom. "Hardee Har Har. Guffaw." Superboy sarcastically replied as she exited the Supercycle into Superboy's arms. Raising her above his head and gathering as much strength as his tactile telekinesis would entitle, he lanced her at Harm below.
Slicing through the remnants of the fog at roaring speed, Spoiler's foot aimed squarely at the neck of Harm. Barely detecting her in time, thanks in great detail to his emanate jewel around his neck, Harm expertly rolled out of the way, just missing Spoiler's attack.
Though evading Spoiler, Harm was greeted by the pounding fist of Superboy who swooped in and punched him across his face the minute he completed his roll. Leering in pain, Harm started to feel the tide of the bout turning in their favor. While outnumbered, he was not helpless or without means of attack.
In his cunning guile, Harm, as he rose to his feet and checked his jaw, sneered, "Ah, Superboy, I was wondering when the great clone of clones would catch up to me. So far my plan has been almost as easy as your hooded friend here."
To no surprise of Harm, his words enraged Superboy, who barked, "Hey! Leave her alone!"
It was here, in this frail and passing instance that Spoiler, Stephanie Brown saw something she wondered, but secretly hope existed in Superboy, and for that matter every soul on Earth. The passionate determination in even someone as immature and conceited as Superboy gave her the tiniest, but most sincere ray of hope in the world. He had reminded her, through word and action, why she was where she was.
"Thanks Kid, but I can handle myself!" and riding her sentiment, she lunged towards Harm with a quick kick that thumped across his numbed chest. Wounded by her subterfuge strike, Harm wobbled two steps back, and noticing the damage done, Superboy decided to capitalize.
Pressing his red gloved hands to the soil, Superboy widened his tactile telekinetic wave across the ground below Harm. With a cocky smirk, Superboy nonchalantly produced a seismic earthquake around Harm. The once tranquil Earth fractured into rubble and plates that tumultuously jutted up into the sky in, carrying with them a confused and suffering Harm.
Despite the severity of the move, Harm, in his painful determination, managed to grab hold of one sedimentary plate of Earth as he and the rubble around him were tossed into the air. Harm realized he would have only one opportunity to do this right as he desperately held onto the plate of Earth and calculated his next step.
As he clung to the side of the boulder, Harm struggled, but finally succeeded in propping both legs against the rock. A chunk of the enormous rock broke apart as Harm kicked the boulder to gather enough momentum to back flip off of it. Somersaulting in the air above the boulder, Harm hastily took aim at Spoiler and, before either she or Superboy could see, blasted her with a scintillating lightning bolt.
The strike, equally accurate and throbbing, burned into her shoulder, causing her to scream wildly, "AAGGHH!!" Superboy, ignoring Harm, rushed over to Spoiler, sharply yelling, "NO!" This lapse in Superboy's concentration succeeded in providing Harm the opportunity for escape he so sought. Cutting off Superboy's path to Spoiler, Harm executed a swift sucker punch deep into Superboy's unsuspecting stomach, forcibly draining every last breath of air from out his lungs.
Lissome stepped and silver-tongued, Harm toyed with Superboy as he writhed in pain, "On your knees over a girl? If I didn't know better, I would have thought you Robin." Satisfied by his work, Harm maneuvered deeper into the forest, intent on slipping out through the back. All the while, he could hear the jumbled sounds of the police entering the forest front entrance through the waning fog.
Hurt, as much by the blow as the spoken word, Superboy assured himself Harm could not have meant Robin and, and Wondergirl? Could he? Maybe that was the reason he and Spoiler had not seen Robin and Wondergirl trailing behind Harm. Maybe, Robin had, had feelings for Wondergirl? Impossible, the Kid reiterated, can't be, no chance, no how. The Kid alone had eyes for Wondergirl, and Robin, well, Robin was just alone, in Superboy's made up mind. From love Superboy's emotions transitioned to hate as his mind returned to Harm.