(Author's note: Special thanks to MysticWolf1, who got me thinking about this story again. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint; I'm a bit out of practice (of course, if your expectations are already non-existent, we won't have to worry about that). I had to read back a lot of the earlier chapters to remind myself of a few things, and to try and keep the ending in synch with the beginning. I have added a recap to save anyone else having to do this (for a recap of the proceeding story, Condemned Memories, see chapter 1).
Recap: While enjoying some time in each others company and exploring the former capital of Krypton, Kandor, Lana and Clark end up on the scene of an accident. Rescuing a girl calling herself Faye and her friend Pendar, all of them find themselves escorted to the headquarters of the Citizens Patrol Corp, who are charged with keeping the peace in the city. Clark is surprised to discover that a Kryptonian scientist named Kimda, who was once friends with Jor-El, has replaced Preus as the Sergeant presiding over them.
As Clark and Kimda confirm their respective situations, word is brought to the Sergeant of an intruder breaking into the Kandorian Hall of Justice, and using the technology there to communicate with a criminal in the Phantom Zone. Although powerless under Kandor's red sun, Clark insists on accompanying Kimda and the CPC, where they discover that the intruder is Brainiac, communicating with General Zod. Realising that none of them stands a chance against Brainiac on Kandor, Clark agrees to return with him to Earth, where he finds that the machine has been harvesting cities, shrinking them and placing them inside bottles as he did with Kandor. When Brainiac threatens to destroy the cities, Clark is forced to open a portal to The Phantom Zone, in doing so releasing Zod, but also the Kryptonian Raya and the Empireth Lenaria. Lenaria once again aligned herself with Zod while captive, knowing Brainiac would eventually help free him. An all-out battle for survival takes place at The Fortress, with Raya eventually managing to use a Kryptonian crystal given to her by Jor-El to force Zod's essence out of Preus' body and trapping him within. One of the BrainInteractive constructs is also captured with the help of the robot servant Kelex. However Clark and Raya are badly wounded during the battle and Lenaria seizes the initiative, locking Clark in his own mind. Afraid that Jor-El might intervene, she flees the fortress uncertain whether Raya will survive.
She does, thanks to Jor-El healing her wounds; however there is nothing he can do to free Clark from Lenaria's mind trap. He instead sends Raya, with Kelex, to Kandor to retrieve Lana, but also with another mission which he does not reveal to her. On Kandor, Raya finds Lana along with Faye, using a crystal from the Fortress to send her back home. Raya remains behind, wondering what her other mission might be.
Lana returns to the fortress to find Kelex has reprogrammed Brainiac to follow Clark and Jor-El's commands. However, Brainiac detects an unknown presence possessing Lana. When Brainiac threatens to kill her to prevent the intruder doing any harm to The Fortress, Faye reveals that she is inside Lana's mind as she wants to see places outside Kandor. She confirms what Lana suspected, that she is an Empireth, the same as Lenaria. Her name in fact is not Faye at all, but Lyla. When the CPC began exterminating Empireth, led by Preus, Faye helped Lyla to escape, but was mortally wounded as they fled. As Faye lay dying, Lyla used her Empireth talent to take her memories, using an illusion to take on the girls appearance. Knowing she can never live freely as an Empireth, she moved in with Faye's father, pretending to be his daughter.
Brainiac takes Clark back home to the farm and Lana sits with him, unable to do anything to help. She is pleased when Chloe arrives, but this quickly fades as she realises her friend is being controlled by Lenaria. Chloe shows her footage of Lenaria having healed all the sick people in the local hospital, including Pete (who was there recovering after Brainiac wounded him during Condemned Memories). Lana flees, only to find Pete also waiting for her. The two of them take her to Lenaria. Once there, Lyla emerges again, trying to reason with Lenaria. While she does, Clark appears to save Lana and his friends. Although surprised her mind trap failed, Lenaria is confident she can bend Clark to her will. Clark deceives her, making her think she has succeeded, before stabbing her with a Kryptonian dagger. The two battle, with Lenaria winning after Lyla inadvertently distracts him. Lenaria then creates a circle of fire to draw out the Martian Manhunter, who Jor-El summoned to aid Clark. As J'onn has a weakness to fire, he loses his form and dissolves into a slimy pool. Lenaria sees Clark recovering, and fearing she is about to pass out from blood loss, and doesn't have the strength to control him, sets aflame the cabin Chloe and Pete are in. This forces Clark to choose between them or her, and of course Clark rescues his friends, allowing her to escape again.
Meanwhile on Kandor, Raya learns the true reason Jor-El sent her there. Buried underground she uncovers a laboratory Kimda is using in an attempt to clone Empireth. Kimda uses a machine known as The Eradicator to capture her, explaining that he was responsible for the deaths of some of The Empireth during Preus' reign. His conscience tells him that reviving their race is the only way he might redeem himself for this act. His attempts so far have been unsuccessful, but he believes he can use Lyla, who he saw steal Faye's identity, to reach his goal. Raya also learns that this Kimda is a clone, as the original was abducted by Lenaria while she was still working under Mongul, and had died on Warworld.
When Clark learns Raya might be in trouble he sends J'onn to Kandor while he and Brainiac recapture the stolen cities from the remaining constructs. After a difficult battle they obtain the cities and also the ship that brought Brainiac to Earth. Brainiac then uses this to restore all the lost cities.
While Clark is away, he sends his friends into hiding. Unaware Lenaria has begun working with Lex, Lana accidentally gives away their location. Feeling she has exposed herself to too much danger, Lenaria decides to act behind the scenes, using a deranged meteor-freak named Joshua to launch an attack on Clark's friends. Able to manipulate the sulphur in living things, Joshua is able to turn human beings into bombs. The attack kills Pete and wounds Chloe, with Joshua himself being accidentally killed by Clark.
Lenaria's plans begin to bear fruit, as she uses Lex and begins to manipulate the media into believing she has come to save Earth. She takes credit for the restoration of the cities, but uses Lex to warn of another alien threat. She reveals Clark's secret to him, but despite her instructions, Lex announces to the world only that there is a threat, not that the threat comes from his former friend. She then makes a deal with Lex; she will spare Lana if he captures Clark and Chloe for her. Trying to learn Lex's intentions, Clark sends Brainiac disguised as himself. Lex is bemused when Kryptonite fails against him.
However, he has already sent their old adversary Mikhail Mxyzptlk after Clark and Chloe, and the youth successfully captures both.
Back on Kandor, J'onn meets with Lyla, who has returned to her own body. While J'onn rescues Raya, The Eradicator tries to kill Lyla, believing Kimda a traitor to his own people for his plans to revive The Empireth. J'onn saves her, but fearing a confrontation would destroy the whole city, takes everyone present (Kimda, Raya, Lyla, Eradicator and Lyla's friend Pendar) to The Fortress. The Eradicator absorbs all the energy from the place, and leaves with J'onn and Raya in pursuit. During this time, Pendar, who now knows the truth about Lyla/Faye, confronts her. When he starts to get violent Lyla uses her telepathic abilities to shut his mind down, but goes too far; the damage is irreversible. Kimda advises Lyla that any native Kandorian who leaves the city will fall victim to a mysterious illness known only as 'The Exposure Sickness'. He leaves Lyla there to go and find Jor-El, who left the fortress before his consciousness could be absorbed and took residence in his vessel, Lionel Luthor. During his absence, Lyla develops symptoms of the exposure sickness and passes out.
She awakes to find herself a prisoner of Lenaria, although unlike Clark and Chloe, Lenaria treats her well. She heals the sickness in her body, but warns that it will always return, so Lyla must stay close to her for her own good. Although Lyla does not trust Lenaria, and knows of some of her crimes, she feels an undeniable bond with the older Empireth. Lenaria also seems to feel this, but this does not prevent her using Lyla as a tool against J'onn and Raya.
A battle with The Eradicator leaves J'onn and Raya hurt, but knowing Clark is in danger, they try to help. J'onn uses his abilities to detect Lenaria's mind, the two engaging in a mental duel, the backlash of which seemingly kills every human nearby. Raya, also affected, charges into the facility to confront Lenaria head on, but when she instead finds Lyla, knows they have been tricked. Lenaria has possessed Lyla and drawn them here, while she is safely away somewhere else. Lenaria kills Raya and captures J'onn.
In-between all this, Lenaria enjoys torturing Clark, who is powerless to resist, as he is held under her telepathic influence. When even his thoughts offend her, she forces him to hurt Chloe, who she keeps as an ace-in-the-hole should Clark somehow find a way out of his predicament. She delights in telling him her plans for him; to make herself look like a hero, she will force him to kill millions before personally intervening and killing him.
However, The Eradicator also has plans for Clark, and infiltrates the facility where she and Clark are located...
888
Finally, after all her years of labour, Lenaria was free. She had been forced to conceal her presence for years, knowing that on Earth there was one far stronger than herself, one who also chose to hide. Slowly she had begun to draw people to her, and in time she had begun to claim exciting new powers for herself. Finally culminating in the taking of Clark Kent's abilities, making her stronger than she'd ever dared dream was possible. Even that had not been enough to ensure her victory, but now, finally, she had won. There was no longer anything for her to hide from.
She would take Lyla out of that abysmal construction of Lex's and find somewhere far more suitable for them both to live. It was unfortunate that she'd had to get Lyla involved in events like that, but it would be made up to her ten times over. Besides, what the girl did not know would not hurt her. She felt like she was making progress with her, despite everything. Lyla seemed willing to open up to her, and there was much Lenaria felt she could share with her too. Not everything, of course.
Tonight they would celebrate. Lenaria gathered a few things she had brought to the facility, glad of the fact that she would no longer be forced to hide in places like this. She would have Lex's cooks prepare them a feast, and perhaps she would even allow a little wine for them both, as a treat. She didn't think alcohol would affect her anymore, but that was alright. Empireth were generally non-drinkers for obvious reasons, and Lenaria drank rarely. The only exception had been the occasional glass to try and settle her nerves. She gave a disappointed sigh when she realised that Lyla would be in no mood to celebrate. Still, it would be nice to spend the evening together, talking, getting to know the girl. It had been a long time since Lenaria had female company, since her knights were all men. She hadn't realised how much she missed her old friends, especially Cydane.
Her back stiffened as an alarm broke her train of thought. All thoughts of her new-found safety vanished instantly. Clark! Where was Clark!?
She laughed nervously when she found he was still where she left him, still under her power, of course. And, as she kept telling herself, even if he was free, he was no match for her. That calmed her; whatever the source of the alarm was, it wasn't anything for her to worry about. There was no longer any need for her to be so skittish. She used her x-ray vision to locate the source of the problem, and was pleased to find Lex's guards already on top of the situation. Two of them were escorting a lone man, hunched over with his shoulders sagging. It looked like he could barely move under his own power – the guards were having to support him. Lenaria made her way to them, curious but no longer concerned.
"We don't know who he is or how he got in," explained one of the guards. "He demanded we take him to you."
The man the guards were propping up looked vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place him. It didn't help that a stream of blood ran from his nose, obscuring most of the lower part of his face. The rest of his face was dripping with sweat, and his eyes were distant.
"Exposure sickness," the man told her, sounding strained. "Starts of like a common cold. More advanced symptoms developing. Don't have long. Listen to me. No time to explain. But if you want to live through what is coming, you need to read my mind. RIGHT NOW!"
Lenaria frowned, forcibly reminding herself that she had nothing to worry about. Everything was already dealt with. Yet if that were true, who was this? If he were suffering from exposure sickness, he must have come from Kandor, like Lyla and Pendar.
"I won't fight it," he insisted. Much good it would do him if he tried, she thought, and began probing his mind. His thoughts came to her in a rush of urgency, almost too much information for her to take in at once. Yet she caught the most important part, and at that, her eyes became saucer-like. She broke contact, though just as she did she saw something else in there that she didn't care for. It was almost... well, she couldn't quite think of it... a sense of anticipation in him, perhaps?
Dangerous, she thought suddenly, unsure exactly why she thought it. This man is dangerous.
Right now, however, it was not him who worried her most.
"No," she babbled, unaware she was speaking aloud. "No, I can't die, I..."
"The Eradicator has lived for over two-hundred thousand years," the man said. Half his mouth was raised, but Lenaria couldn't tell if it was because he was wincing or smiling. "In that time, there is absolutely nothing that has come into it's path and found itself incapable of dying."
Lenaria held back an angry retort, biting on her lip. She knew now how she knew this man. Kimda, one of the Kryptonians she had sent to Warworld. Bizarrely, however, she was much older than when they last met, while he was much younger. The Kimda she knew had been grey-haired, face weary with age, making his obvious infatuation with her at the time more than a little creepy. Lenaria did not as a rule use sex as a weapon, but in Kimda's case playing along with him had proven useful in securing his capture.
The fact that he was alive and rejuvenated was troubling, but secondary to the matter at hand. That feeling of danger from him persisted, but it didn't seem to be about revenge. She let it pass for now - Kimda could do nothing to her in his present state; it was The Eradicator she had to worry about. Despite everything she could do, she was outmatched against this machine. But Lenaria had never yet found herself in a situation she couldn't ultimately get out of, and there was no reason for her to start now.
And yet...
This was a drastic move, the last resort of any Empireth. During the war, her race had found themselves crippled by the same armour Clark once used against her. Unable to use their telepathy, their enemies had believed there was no way for them to fight back.
They suffered for that belief.
The armour could protect them from a telepathic assault, and the Allies believed that sufficient protection. However, as Clark knew, it required near-direct contact in order to actively suppress The Empireth's abilities. As a last resort, some Empireth had essentially overloaded their telepathic cells, resulting in an explosion which destroyed both Empireth and target. Just like the humans Lenaria had used to attack Clark's friends, they became suicide bombers. That was how Lenaria's parents had saved her life when the Allies reached their home. They sacrificed themselves to give her a chance at life, and Lenaria had not squandered it.
Of course, it was not something Lenaria herself would ever consider doing. That left Lyla... but she couldn't do that, could she? She had told Lyla she would protect her, and she meant it. True, she'd taken a risk (a calculated risk, she assured herself) in order to trap J'onn and Raya, but this was condemning the girl to death. When Edward died, Lenaria was desperate for him to know that she never used her power to influence him. Her knights were expected to protect her, but it had always been their choice. She wouldn't ever have... but...
But there are worse alternatives, Lenaria. Much worse.
The voice sounded like Edwards, but even though her husband's thoughts were always with her, she could not believe it really was. She wanted to think he would approve, but even he – who had done terrible things in her name – would have been appalled. She looked at Kimda, wondering if he might have some plan, but the Kryptonian's eyelids were opening and shutting as he tried to stay conscious. Should she kill him now? Something about him was dangerous, she knew, and she didn't have time to further probe his mind at the moment. No, leave him alive for now. He might have other knowledge she needed, and if need be, she could try to use him to slow The Eradicator. It was too powerful, too fast for any Kryptonian to kill directly, but together he and Clark could buy her time if she needed it. Also, if The Eradicator survived the initial explosion, she could use one of them, along with The Kryptonian dagger, to finish it in it's weakened state. Lenaria, obviously, would be staying well away from it.
She shivered as she pictured the machines cold, lifeless eyes. Even with the likes of Zod and Mongul, she had been able to negotiate. The Eradicator only wanted one thing, and that it would simply take from her. No, she thought, sudden anger cutting through her fear. Clark Kent would not be free, not for one more minute of his life. Unthinkable though it was, she would get everything ready with Lyla. Just to be sure. She would use it only if she must, only as the absolute last resort. The girl would not suffer, Lenaria would ensure that much. She would have no idea what was happening, if it really came to it. There was still time for her to think of something else. There was the dagger, but it would be almost impossible to use against such a fast opponent. She would be prepared if it came to the worst. For now she had to get herself to safety, giving instructions to the guards (who she told nothing of what was coming) on what to do with Kimda. Once they had gone, she trembled, almost collapsing.
"Forgive me, Lyla," she whispered.
888
When Chloe awoke, her arms moved without thinking. With a gasp, she expected to feel unbearable agony… but felt nothing. Mouth open, she moved her arms round and round as she half-expected to hear some horrible cracking sound. There was no pain however, other than a kind of horrible resonance of memory. She remembered being there, looking at her best friend, and being terrified of what he was about to do. Involuntarily, she trembled. Was what Lenaria had done merely an illusion designed to punish her?
Of course not, she told herself. It was designed to punish Clark far more than her, and it would hurt him all the more for the fact that the pain he had inflicted was real. Clark had tried to kill her before, when given a kind of subliminal message, but he'd never even remembered that afterwards. This was something he would remember all too well, and she knew it would be tearing him apart. If they somehow made it through this, she knew they wouldn't put it behind them so easily. If Clark even thought for a moment that she was looking at him in fear…
And she would, Chloe knew, especially if Lenaria was still controlling Clark at the time. The Empireth had surely healed her, as she had back on Kandor, but just like that time she hadn't done it out of kindness. Probably did it because it made it easier to think, and at a time like this, all Chloe could really think of was being taken to Clark again and maybe this turn round he would instead wrap his arms around her neck and…
"I don't blame you, Clark," said Chloe, not even realising she had spoken aloud. It didn't really matter though; Clark would blame himself, and Lenaria would have what she wanted. Bad enough that he was already feeling guilt over Pete's death. She felt her own share of guilt over that one - Pete had died right in front of her. She kept thinking that she should have been able to do something. Yet a part of her – a part that she hated, and hated all the more for the fact that it was right – knew that if she'd done anything other than run, both of them would have died. And then Pete's sacrifice would have been in vain.
Trying to stop turning events over in her mind, still hearing the sound her arm had made when Clark casually bent it out of place, she turned her mind to her prison. This place was unlike where Clark was being kept; she hadn't had much time to take in the view, but it had looked like some kind of cell. This looked like a basement floor of a warehouse or something to her. There were a few boxes and things scattered around the floor, but not much of interest. Lenaria hadn't thought to do the place up for her. She tugged at the chain attached to her ankle and, amazingly, it didn't simply break off.
Okay, hoping for a bit much there, Sullivan, but I guess you're due a bit of luck any time now.
This seemed almost funny until two minutes later, when she suddenly threw a tantrum and began yanking at it repeatedly. She considered calling for help, but even if someone could hear, it wouldn't be someone who would actually help her. Slumping weakly to the floor, she wondered how Lana was doing right about now. Surprising that Lenaria had let her go, especially since she'd earlier wanted to turn her into some kind of mutant. She was glad her friend was alright, at least, even if it was probably only a temporary reprieve. If she did survive, Chloe could only imagine what kind of world she would end up living in.
She thought she'd begun to get a grip on herself again when suddenly she heard someone approaching from outside. Until then, she hadn't even realised how terrified she was. As soon as she heard, she began pulling at the chain again, desperate. She's come back, her mind gibbered. She's come back oh god and this time this time she'll…
"You?" she asked, surprised when a figure entered her field of vision. She wasn't afraid at first, but when they advanced towards her, she saw she had reason to be. "What are you… NO!!"