Chloe's face remained contorted with pain until she passed out, arms broken and twisted, as Clark lay weeping over her chest. Lenaria left him there, lying on top of her as if to protect her… despite the fact, of course, that it had been him who hurt her in the first place. It gave her a sick pleasure to see him so humbled, so pathetic after all he had put her through. She could taste the despair coming from his mind; there had been such Empireth in the past, she knew, who fed on emotions, feasted on them. She had not heard the term 'vampire' until she came to Earth, but that was exactly what they had become: emotional vampires. There were side effects though; the need for strong emotions became all-consuming, and as time passed they needed stronger and stronger emotions to satisfy their appetites. Lenaria had known of Empireth who had taken to chaining others up in their basements, torturing them, all so they could make a delicious meal of their suffering. She was smart enough, however, (and to her own mind, civilised enough) not to attempt this with Clark. Such Empireth who did tended to end up drooling, vacant idiots.

Regardless, victory was hers to savour. Clark was brave, yes, but bravery made you take risks; it was exactly why she had given up on the red kryptonite idea. Eventually risks stopped paying off. Lenaria always made her move when the time was right, only miscalculating once when she'd struck at Clark in The Fortress. The result had, incredibly, been her own imprisonment. Still, she could not have known about the necklace. In truth, she still did not understand what the hell had happened there, but no matter. That particular danger had been dealt with, of course.

"No more," he repeated, over and over, unable to open his eyes, to look at what he'd done. Lenaria kicked him away, restricting his movement once more to ensure he didn't try anything. She felt a moment of dread as she considered what Clark might do if he were ever freed from her control. It had not been a lie when she told him his murderous thoughts upset her. The things she'd seen had been most… disturbing. She had awoken some terrible anger in the boy, something that had perhaps been hidden away his whole life, chained up just waiting to burst free and…

Control yourself, Lenaria! You are stronger than he is! And the boy has no way to break free!

The necklace that saved him before was safely destroyed, and although J'onn would undoubtedly come for him, Clark could have no hope there. It was the reason Clark yet lived - apart from the satisfaction of seeing him suffer - so that J'onn could walk into her web. She did not entirely care for the plan she had, but there was no risk to her, and better the final confrontation was on Lenaria's terms than any others. The Martian could not be left to his own devices, and while others had been able to capture Clark for her, only she could deal with him. If the unthinkable happened and The Kryptonian was somehow freed, she had Chloe with which to strike a deal… and also, thanks to Lex, Kandor was as good as in her possession. Besides, she felt no anger in Clark now. Now there was only weakness.

As if to demonstrate this, Clark pleaded with her as she grabbed Chloe by the hair, hauling her to her feet. She teased for a moment that she might hurt the girl further, before throwing her over her shoulder and speeding away. The distance between the underground 33.1 facility where Clark was kept and the building she stored Chloe was vast, but she covered it almost instantly. She hadn't had much time with which to fully appreciate the numerous abilities she'd absorbed from Clark, but the sensation of speed felt wonderful. If only she could work out how to fly; that power had thus far eluded her grasp. Chaining Chloe's ankle to the wall, she used her abilities to heal her arms. It made no difference to her what condition the girl was in, and the damage to Clark was done. Her only regret was that she could not use Lana for the same purpose. Still, while Sullivan might not be the love of his life, she doubted the effect would have been any different. She had agreed with Lex to leave Lana alone, but fortunately Chloe was more than sufficient.

The time for Lex striking deals with her, however, would shortly be at an end. He was a useful mouthpiece, and his influence was of benefit to her for now. Yet he already presumed to put an end to her plans, she knew, despite how he tried to hide his thoughts. She had offered him a chance, at least. If he had served her faithfully, he could have been treated almost as one of her knights. Instead he would be brought to heel, made her slave much as she had been made Mongul's. The bald-headed fool would soon see exactly what his greatness amounted to. She thought that, once she tired of him, she would now let him live, at least. She would leave the great Lex Luthor with just enough of his mind intact that he was aware of what she'd done to him. He would live out the rest of his life with a broken mind, lost and alone, gibbering and screaming in eternal torment. All while some part of him that remembered what he was looked on helplessly…

Returning to the other facility, she ordered two of Lex's employees to fetch an old bathtub with a copper finish that was stored there. She had to place it inside Clark's cell herself though – she did not want Lex to know how badly she had treated Clark, at least not yet. Soon enough it would make no difference what Lex knew.

"Take off the rest of your clothes," she told him, as he lay in the foetal position, looking for all the world like he had reverted back to infanthood. He looked at her weakly, as if he had no idea where he was. When he still didn't move, she kicked him in the teeth. "Have you not yet learned, Kryptonian, to do as your mistress commands? It is but a minor nuisance for me to go back and fetch Chloe AGAIN if you require further lessons."

Clark, looking shocked as if he had just been woken from sleep, unsteadily (but quickly) got to his feet. He almost fell, but Lenaria lent him her shoulder until she felt he could stand on his own. She had perhaps hurt him more than she had realised. His shirt was already lying in the corner, but he removed the lower half of his clothing, turning to try and conceal his manhood. Lenaria looked at his ruined body, pleased with her handiwork. Quickly moving back and forth, she filled the bath with cold water, using her heat vision to warm it a little. Once it was done, she instructed Clark to get in. He looked at her warily, but did as she said.

"So long as you behave, your torture is at an end for today," she told him. Of course, for the most part he could not misbehave, as she compelled him with her powers to do nothing to harm her. She still remembered him spitting in her face though. That he had dared to…! Placing her hands on his shoulders, she used her healing abilities to repair most of the remaining damage she had done to him. Clark gasped with surprise.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, turning his head so he could look at her.

"Do not think of it as a favour," she said, taking a brush and beginning to scrub at Clark's back. There were trickles of congealing blood all over his body. "At least not to you. One of the conditions I agreed to, when I asked Lex to secure your capture, was that he would be allowed to study you."

"The other was that you wouldn't hurt Lana, wasn't it?" asked Clark, quietly.

"Yes," said Lenaria, scrubbing hard. "I see no reason not to honour that agreement… unless you give me one, that is. Now tell me; what happened to the Kryptonian who escaped The Phantom Zone with me? Raya, her name is."

"Jor-El healed her, mistress," said Clark, after a moment's hesitation. She knew he had considered lying, but assumed correctly that she would simply take the information from his mind.

"A pity," said Lenaria, scowling. "Still, she would be a fool to stand against me. Now, regarding Lyla… I should thank you for saving her life. However, you told her that I tried to destroy Kandor, didn't you?"

"Yes, mistress," said Clark, voice drained of all emotion. "What have you done with her?"

"She is safe; I have temporarily halted the exposure sickness."

She did not mention Lyla's present grief over the loss of her friend. Lenaria's attempts to soothe her had thus far met with little success, but it would take time, as it had when she lost Cydane. Cydane had been like a sister to her; it was her family who took her in after the death of her parents in The Empireth War. Lyla reminded her of her old friend a little, and for the first time in perhaps her whole life, Lenaria felt as though she might be ready to assume the role of protector. True, she had offered her knights help, (particularly Edward), watching over them from afar, but it was for them to protect her rather than the other way round. Once she had disposed of her enemies, however, there would be nothing left for Lenaria to fear. Once she had secured her own safety, she could at last afford to use her power to shield those she cared for.

888

"This isn't going to work, J'onn. You're hurt too badly. You have to leave Earth's atmosphere so you can heal yourself," said Raya through gritted teeth. Her own wounds were bad enough, but not life-threatening. If it hadn't been for J'onn, she would be dead by now. The fight with The Eradicator had not gone well – she had been all but useless, managing to be little more than a distraction to the machine.

"Kal-El needs me. Lenaria has his mind right now, and she can shape it like clay. I have to…"

Raya caught him with her arm as he fell. A huge hole had been left in his chest from The Eradicator's final attack, a blast that utilised the massive energy the machine had stolen from The Fortress. J'onn managed to take the worst of it, saving her life. She felt ashamed; it should have been her who made the sacrifice, but she hadn't had the chance. J'onn was the one they needed now, the only one of them who could possibly hope to save Clark from Lenaria. Except…

"You won't last against her like this," said Raya firmly. "Besides, I think somebody else is going to take care of her for us."

The Eradicator had eluded them for awhile, until eventually they caught up to it and entered into battle. They had held up for a time mostly because they worked so well as a unit; Raya gave J'onn free reign of her mind, and the two fought as one entity. It quickly became clear to them, however, that they were outclassed. Nothing they attempted slowed The Eradicator down for long. They were starting to sense defeat when The Eradicator had suddenly looked pained. Afraid. Neither she nor J'onn had understood why, but pressed home their attack.

Furiously, The Eradicator had launched an all-out counter-strike. Raya had been blasted out of the way, stunned, and the next thing she knew J'onn was in front of her. She could see The Eradicator right through him… and without any special vision. The hole had been that large. Eradicator had grabbed her then, looking at her with an expression of hurt she could not associate with the emotionless creature Kimda had first introduced her to.

"Don't you feel it? He needs me."

"Who?" asked Raya, scrabbling desperately at unflinching arms as she tried to free herself.

"Kal-El. His pain… it's… I must go to him. He needs my help!"

Raya had readied her heat vision to try and force it off, but before she could use it she was tossed aside.

"I forgive you," it had told her. "All things will be forgiven."

Before she could get to her feet, The Eradicator had taken off. She tried to follow, but her speed had been too far depleted. During the fight, her body had begun to absorb solar radiation at an enhanced rate to keep up with the demand, but she had reached her limit. Instead she'd made her way over to J'onn, who somehow made it to his feet. Martians, while easier to damage than Kryptonians, still possessed an incredible durability. Not that it had helped them survive. In the distant past, the two great Martian races had gone to war with one another, and practically wiped themselves out. Kryptonians, Martians, Empireth… she and Kal-El, J'onn, Lenaria… all amongst the last of their respective kinds.

There was no way she could allow J'onn to die. Looking at him now, out here in a field in the middle of nowhere, he looked so vulnerable. So unlike the invincible bounty hunter that Jor-El had been friends with. Still, Raya had cast aside any idea of infallibility when Krypton had fallen. For a moment, she found herself transported back there, watching Jor-El quivering with anger after the council had ignored his warnings, seeing him helpless for the first time. She quickly snapped back to the present. J'onn had directed her here, following the beacon that was Lenaria's power. She shuddered to think what The Empireth was doing to Kal-El. Right now they were both down below them, beneath the Earth. Raya had found the entrance using her x-ray vision, but most of the rooms there appeared to be lined with lead.

"Well, I don't think The Eradicator beat us to it, anyway," she said. "I don't see how that's possible, but… well, you can sense Lenaria's still alive, and there are definitely other people still down there."

"Absorbing the knowledge of The Fortress must have given it a unique connection to Kal-El," said J'onn, wincing with agony. "It'll probably be nearby. Not even The Empireth stands a chance against it."

Raya nodded. The only one who could have gone toe-to-toe with The Eradicator was Zod, and she had already taken care of him.

"We should get moving," said J'onn. Raya blocked his path. Compared to J'onn, she was little more than a child, but she summoned all the authority she could manage.

"No, J'onn. I'm sorry, but in your condition you're nothing more than a liability. Lenaria would exploit your weakness, and who knows what she'll do if she gets her hands on you? You aren't strong enough to face her right now."

"And you?" asked J'onn, matching her stare. He was an imposing figure, but Raya was used to such. She looked up to the likes of J'onn and Jor-El, but that did not mean she would bow to them. "How are you planning to resist her control?"

"I'm not," she replied. "Our only choice is to take a page out of Lenaria's book. I lie low until The Eradicator shows up, and let him deal with her."

"The Eradicator doesn't mean Kal-El any harm," said J'onn. "However, letting him fall into that machine's hands could be incredibly dangerous…"

"I agree. It may have all the knowledge of The Kryptonians, but it's as simple as an infant. It's only goal will be to revive Krypton on Earth, with Kal-El in charge. That's why it told me it forgives me. I guess I'll have a place on it's new world. Except with what it took from The Fortress, it can turn us all into perfect Kryptonians… or what it views as such. Look, J'onn, don't worry. I won't let that happen. I just wish Kimda had never revived that thing in the first place."

"Not much we can do about that now," said J'onn, eyes suddenly darting about everywhere, as if sensing danger from all sides.

"Lenaria?" asked Raya, tensing.

"Something's not right. This isn't like her. I can sense her mind more strongly than ever. It's almost like… almost like she's issuing a challenge."

Raya frowned. J'onn was sounding uncharacteristically uncertain. She understood why. Her dealings with Lenaria had been limited, but she knew the Empireth was spineless. For her to be challenging someone as powerful as J'onn could only mean she had some trick up her sleeve.

"Does she know we're here?" asked Raya.

"I don't believe so, but… this can't be right…"

"What is it?"

"It's definitely Lenaria's mind I'm sensing down there, but…"

She saw what was happening before she felt it; all around her, things began to die. Birds fell from the sky like stones, and with her enhanced senses, she saw scores of insects, in the air and almost hidden in the grass, simply cease living. Her eyes widened with surprise – and then the mental assault hit her. Kryptonians were far less susceptible to mental attacks than some species, but even Raya was knocked off her feet, gritting her teeth as she fought to retain her senses.

J'onn, body now flapping as if being hit by a particularly powerful wind, launched a counterattack. Raya could practically feel the two wills colliding with each other. J'onn grimaced, almost falling, barely remaining upright. Raya was glad she was not the focus of Lenaria's assault – even being close by was bad enough. Forming coherent thought was almost impossible, but she heard herself calling J'onn's name. For a moment instinct almost took over and she prepared to blast mindlessly at those below in an attempt to break Lenaria's concentration. Remembering that there were innocent humans below, however, she instead ran towards the entrance, tearing it off with her superhuman strength. A ladder led down below, but Raya ignored it, letting herself drop to the bottom, knowing the fall couldn't hurt her. Lenaria's attack intensified, and Raya found herself bouncing off the walls, staggering along the corridor, unable to keep a straight line.

I can't take this, she thought grimly. My mind's going to be torn apart if I can't stop her quickly. A few people were lying sprawled on the floor, not moving. She stumbled forward a few more paces before joining them, her face twisted with agony. She couldn't let it end this way…

Her hand reached out, and she clawed her way forwards, chest heaving. She could feel J'onn trying to shield her from the worst of the effects, but knew he could only protect even himself for so long right now. The assault was so strong now that Raya knew where it was coming from, and had to restrain herself from blasting at Lenaria. There could be others with her, others that could get hurt. If any of the humans had even managed to survive this, anyway. She had to get face to face with The Empireth, and hope that with her attention on J'onn, Raya could take her.

The closer she got, the worse she felt. Twice she had to stop moving altogether, and the second time she thought she would never get moving again. Finally, however, she managed to slump against the door. She didn't even know if she had enough strength to open it, but as she pulled at it, it broke off casually in her hand. She would need more power than that, however, if she hoped even to gain Lenaria's attention.

As she opened the door, she realised that they'd never stood a chance, right from the beginning. She stood face to face now not with Lenaria at all, but with the purple haired girl she had met briefly on Kandor. Lyla, she had heard Kimda refer to her as.

"Too late, Raya," said the girl, raising her arms triumphantly. "As always, you're just a step behind everyone else. I suppose Jor-El must have enjoyed having such a slow girl around him, to make himself feel superior to."

Raya meant to speed in, but found herself unable to move. The mental duel was over; J'onn had lost. And that meant that Raya was now little more than Lenaria's plaything.

"You're not even here at all, are you?" said Raya, fighting to get free. She wasn't willing to kill Lyla, but if she could even knock her out, she could get away.

"I am sorry I had to mislead you," said Lenaria, using Lyla's voice as her own. "I am even more sorry I had to use Lyla in such a way. But I knew J'onn stood no chance, not against both of us linked together, and it seemed wise for me to be safely away from you both."

"Coward!" spat Raya.

"Well… I do prefer to act on the side of caution, yes. You would have been wise to follow my example. Perhaps then you would not be in this predicament, no?"

"Just kill me. Kill me and get it over with."

Lenaria's puppet gave her a little curtsy.

"Done."

Raya stared at her defiantly, thinking of Kal-El, of J'onn, of Jor-El. The last coherent memory she had was of Jor-El giving her the crystal that would protect her, and then everything Raya had ever been was obliterated.