Chapter 15

When she met the Blur and he asked her to find his friend it did occur to Huntress this whole thing could be an elaborate set-up so she has been cautious about tackling it. So far it seems the Blur was telling the truth because nothing she had encountered in her search had spoken of a trap. What Huntress had found so far has to make her confess that perhaps she underestimated Poison Ivy a little bit. Not that she didn't think Ivy was dangerous because the green-skinned villainess most certainly was but as she searched for the Blur's friend what she found was that Ivy had set up her own little underground eco-terrorist network. She traced where the calls Ivy made went to to a location, broke up a little terrorist cell that happened to be based there and found to her annoyance that the Blur's friend had been moved on to some place else. His friend was never in the same place for very long it seemed.

His friend being Lana Lang. Helena wondered how he knew her precisely because...well ok she knows nothing about who the Blur is under those dark shades so he could well know Lana Lang. Thinking back on what she saw of his body he could easily pass as a model so that could be how he knew Lang. Thinking back on that night on the rooftop a few days back still brings a satisfied smile to Helena's face. It had been really good. When this mission is over maybe he'll be interested in making that a more regular thing.

Ah well Helena can return to those pleasant thoughts later. Right now she had managed to find the location of the next link in Ivy's network after some 'gentle persuasion' of someone she interrogated at the last place. Ok so there was nothing gentle about it but she's the Huntress and she gets what she wants through any methods she deems necessary short of killing(Dinah's and Barbs' influence) but you'd be surprised what you can live through Helena muses with a cold predatory smile.

The Huntress fires a line to the building across the street. She has a hunt to finish and with any luck this is where she'll find Lang.


The Batcave...

"At this rate he is going to put us out of a job," Batgirl jokily remarks. What is she remarking about? The fact that someone, more precisely Clark, had been working his way through Metropolis' crime bosses and criminals for the last few days. From what she, Bruce and Dinah deduced he would show up, beat the living crap out of anyone who got in his way, do the same to said crime boss and then leave them all beaten, bloodied and tied up outside a police station with convenient evidence placed upon their person say for example some packets of drugs.

The bright spot Barbara was hanging onto was despite his out of character behaviour he had not killed a single person. He had not crossed that line.

"Your jokes are incorrect," Batman corrects Barbara. "His actions are creating a power vacuum and when people move to fill it this city will erupt into war."

"I hate to be doomsayer here," Black Canary says. "But what if he is creating that vacuum for himself," Dinah feels she has to suggest.

"Or creating it for someone else," Bruce argues.

"You mean Ivy don't you," Barbara assumes because it had taken hours of reviewing tapes during which point there was a small interruption of a few minutes. Suspicious yes so they went to pay Ivy a discreet visit and through thermal imaging binoculars from afar concluded that the Ivy in her cell was a replicant and that the real Ivy had somehow managed a switch. They left the fake where she was for the moment so Ivy didn't know they were onto her.

"Taking over the city isn't really her style though," Dinah shoots a hole in that argument.

"She tried it once before," Bruce reminds the two Birds of Prey.

"Yes by replacing people in power which you foiled and she has never tried it again. Besides we checked everyone important. They weren't replicants," Barbara reminds him. Besides she refuses to believe Clark would work for or with Ivy...at least of his own free will. Maybe somehow Ivy figured out a way to get control of him but when Barbara met him a few days ago he was acting strange yes but under someone else's control? Barbara saw no signs of that and she knows what to look for. She can't help but feel she is still missing something. A piece of the puzzle.

"Any sign of Huntress?" Dinah asks.

Bruce snorts. "You mean apart from the burned down buildings and the beaten up and shot with arrows victims she is leaving in her wake?"

Dinah smiles oddly. "Yeah."

"No," he says extremely unhappy by Huntress' rampage. This is why he doesn't like her. She causes nothing but chaos in a world he is trying to bring some semblance of order to. The one thing he can't link to her is a series of odd small earthquakes which struck Gotham a couple of days ago. In fact Bruce had not been able to explain them full stop. It was beginning to get aggravating.

"Must be serious if we're having team meetings," a voice suddenly speaks out of the darkness.

All look in that direction as a masked figure in a black costume with a blue bird like design on the front walks into the dim light. Nightwing.

"What are you doing here Dick?" Barbara asks, her voice laced with slight hostility due to her mixed feelings about him. She still likes him yet she is angry at him at the same time.

"You texted me asking me to come saying you needed my help," Dick says confused that she doesn't seem to remember that.

"I did no such thing," Barbara insists.

Dick pulls out his mobile phone. "Really? Because this is your number is it not?" he asks her as he throws her his phone.

Barbara looks at the details of the message and frowns. It is her number but that was impossible. She pulls out her own rarely used these last few days phone. As she shifts through it an angry expression manifests upon her face. "Son of bitch!" she growls angrily.

Dick takes a step back in face of her anger. "Ok. What did I miss?"

"He swapped it. This isn't my phone!" Barbara proclaims furious at herself for not noticing and at the person responsible. Clark swapped it round for the exact same model. Must have been when he threw her. He is fast enough to easily do that and that was the only opportunity Barbara can think of when he could have done it.

Dick is still utterly lost. Bruce brings him up to speed and the safe assumption about who sent the text. "Ok so this Blur character sent the text to bring me here why?" Dick asks.

"It's a game. It's all a game," Barbara says getting a little tried of this and getting very annoyed at Clark.

"And we have to stop playing by his rules," Bruce determines because that way led to defeat and Bruce won't be defeated. Not in his city. Some way somehow this was going to stop and Bruce was going to take the Blur out.

At this stage Alfred enters the cave. "Breaking news on the television you might wish to see Master Bruce," he informs them of what he spotted.

Bruce brings up the news feeds on the screen which is showing a shot from a helicopter of the Municipal Park as strange plants are taking it over transforming it into an exotic jungle.

"So either the authorities are using some new kind of super-grow or I'm guessing Poison Ivy escaped," Dick snaps off a quip.

The image changes to a figure dressed all in black hovering above the park as it changes.

"That him?" Dick inquires.

"Yes. That's him," Barbara confirms.

"Doesn't look so tough," Dick expresses his opinion.

Police start to surround the park and as they do so Clark swoops in, disarms them and knocks them out all in a blur of motion that is almost impossible to follow. Then as the cameras watch he lowers his shades to the end of his nose.

"On no. Don't," Barbara pleads in a whisper. In her mind she is thinking, 'Please Clark. Don't do this.'

Two red beams shoot from his eyes and vacated police cars start to explode. Some of the police foolish start firing their guns at him. Guns which are soon melted into puddles of molten metal before Clark continues to toss the police around like ragdolls.

"Ok. Someone forgot to mention the whole shoots lasers from his eyes dealy," Dick complains feeling less confident about taking this guy down than he did a minute ago.

Bruce gets to his feet and pulls his cowl up. It was going to take fire-power to take this guy down and that means the Batjet. If he had to engage in an aerial battle then Bruce engaged in that battle to win no matter what it took because he was going to stop this destruction one way or another.


Heat streams from Clark's eyes as he makes another car explode and the police dive for cover. He glances over at the park that is rapidly transforming. He checks his watch. Honestly how long does it take to get Batman's attention?

The roar of aircraft engines answers that one.

"Finally," Clark says with some glee. He was getting bored of putting on this show. He bends his knees and flies straight up high above the city. He spots the Batjet circling around in an arc toward him. He folds his arms across his chest and waits. This ought to be good.

Batman grips the stick fiercely as he spots his target. Barbara had made mention of trying to avoid a direct confrontation. He, however, what he sees is a dangerous threat that is too far out of control and seemingly under Ivy's control. Ivy is dangerous enough as is. With the Blur the damage the two could inflict could be massive so Batman will put the threat down. Besides if the Blur can knock Grundy out then the most the missiles would do is most likely stun him.

Batman presses the button and two missiles streak away off the bottom of the Batjet and fly straight at their target.

3...2...1...

And Clark catches the two missiles, one in each hand. Now Clark even under red kryptonite is not a cruel unfeeling person and he has no intention of leaving these little toys where beings weaker than himself could hurt themselves so he throws the two of them high into space with enough momentum to break earth's orbit easily.

"Going to have do better than that!" Clark shouts not caring about the fact Batman can't hear him. "Hey I know. How about we play chicken?" Clark then zooms forward directly at the Batjet as it flies at him.

Seeing his missiles caught with consummate ease had given Batman pause for momentary worry. Seeing the figure glad in black flying at him he decides not to chance it and he pulls the stick hard left.

Clark grins and wishes he could make some mocking chicken noises to humiliate the Bat but nobody would hear it. Oh well. Maybe next time. Clark accelerates from his relatively slow speed to a black blur streaking through the sky and aims it perfectly to clip the wing and engine with his invulnerable body.

As Clark guessed Batman would do he uses what power he has left to aim the jet at the water beyond Gotham's docks. Confident that is where it will land Batman ejects. As he parachutes down an enormous force plucks him from mid-air and drags him across Gotham's sky at a speed so great to almost cause blackout due to the G-forces. Batman fights it off and he finds himself in mere seconds back hovering above the park in a unbreakable grip.

"You know you're really not as good as people say you are," Clark tells him. "After all the first time we met I saved your ass and this time I'm kicking it...and I'm not even trying," he says with an arrogant laugh. Clark then rips off Batman's utility belt. "Ivy wants to have some fun with you so lets see you survive her jungle without your little toys. Enjoy!"

Clark then drops Batman and watches him fall. The branches of Ivy's new little forest slow the fall but still that has got to hurt. Oh well he'll leave Batman to Ivy for now. He has to deal with the 3 costumed heroes approaching on motorcycles. Clark shoots downward and lands on the road directly in front of them with so much force he craters the tarmac.

The 3 bikes skid to a halt and off leap Batgirl, Nightwing and Black Canary.

"Well. Well. Well. If it isn't the star-crossed lovers and the dumb blond," Clark greets them sounding a little nasty. How does he know who Nightwing is? Well like when he spied on Babs to find out who Batman was it wasn't hard for Clark to zip over to Bludhaven one night and spy on one Mr Dick Grayson from on high and whose address he got off of Babs' phone when he 'borrowed' it. From there it wasn't hard to spot the costume hidden at the back of the closet.

Meanwhile Dinah is shooting daggers into him for the 'dumb blond' crack. She hates that cliched assumption.

Clark holds Batman's utility belt up for them all to see. "One already down. 3 to go and the truth is I could have already ended this. In fact all Ivy really wants is Batman so I'll tell you what. Hop on your bikes, turn around and leave and I won't humiliate you all in front of your beloved public," he says gesturing at the tv cameras and the crowds of people standing around watching this.

"You don't seriously expect us to do that," Batgirl critiques.

Clark's lips curve up into a cocky grin. "Honestly? No I didn't but come on. I told you what this was."

Barbara is getting sick of this. "A game. It's all a big game...a big laugh. Is that it?"

"You got it!"

"Where's Batman?" Nightwing demands to know what the Blur has done with him precisely.

Clark points at the jungle that was once a park. "In there. Ivy is playing her own little games with him. Now I'm sure you want to rush to the rescue and I'll let you...if you can get past me," he challenges them to try.

Nightwing takes a step before Batgirl grabs his arm and stops him. "Nightwing. Don't," she tells him knowing fighting Clark this way is pointless. It needs a plan.

Clark chuckles. "If you were smart you would listen to the girl but since you were stupid enough to leave her I don't credit you with enough brain cells to do so so let him go Batgirl. Let him have his shot. Hell I'll let him have the first one for free."

Nightwing shakes Batgirl off and she shakes her head at him. Dick's pride was going to be the end of him.

"Get ready," Batgirl whispers to Black Canary as Nightwing closes in on the Blur as, A, this will go badly and, B, Barbara thinks possibly Dinah's power could be effective on Clark. It's a hunch she hopes is correct.

Clark puts his hands behind his back and drops his head forward a bit. "Come on there Sport. Give it your best go."

Nightwing reaches behind his back into his own utility belt and slips on a pair of electrified knuckledusters. He walks right up to the Blur and cracks the knuckledusters across the man's jaw. The only reaction is Nightwing calling out in pain as the dusters buckle under the impact.

"That almost tickled," Clark mocks. "And also that is the only free shot you're getting. Now for the ass kicking you are about to receive you can thank Batgirl for teaching me the moves."

"Batgirl?" Dinah asks at a whisper as in do they act yet.

"Not yet," Babs whispers back as she watches Clark throw a painfully obvious punch almost in slow motion. She thinks she should be angry at him for toying with Dick but she is also still kind of angry at Dick so is half-tempted to let Clark humiliate her ex a little bit so to sum it up she is a little conflicted on this whole thing as she watches Dick and Clark 'fight'.

Although fight is not the term to describe this as Clark evades or blocks everyone of Dick's attacks. Like she thought Clark is toying with Dick. With Clark's speed for a normal mortal you need him to be distracted to have any chance of landing a blow. Barbara decides she can't let this charade continue. "When you see an opening you hit him with your most powerful Canary Cry," she tells Dinah as she runs forward, leaps, flips herself off Dick's shoulders and over Clark's head.

Clark catches a punch from Nightwing and holds it in an iron grip as he turns his head to look at Batgirl as she lands gracefully. "Poetry in motion," she compliments her moves. "However since I know you know you can't hurt me I'm thinking you're trying to provide a distraction. Here's a hint. You want to distract me show up without the costume...or any sort of clothing," he says with a lecherous smirk.

'That lecherous jerk!' Dick angrily thinks in his head at the way this guy is coming onto Babs...his Babs! That's it! Despite his hand being caught in an unbreakable grip he swings his leg up and slams it into his foe's mid-section...which results in an immense cry of pain as it feels like he just kicked a solid piece of granite.

Clark turns his focus back to Nightwing. "Are you still here?" he mocks before taking Nightwing's fist that he is still holding and using it to punch the hero in his own face. "Stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself," Clark laughs gleefully as he furthers the humiliation before he finally gets bored enough to release the fist.

Nightwing hobbles back a few steps on a leg that for all he knows he just broke while shaking his head to clear it.

Clark blurs forward, brings his hand up to Nightwing's jaw and flicks the young hero on it extremely gently as Clark isn't wanting to knock him out just yet.

That tiny flick sends Nightwing spinning 360 and his head feels like a bell that was just rung.

Clark gently kicks Nightwing in the stomach and there is an audible 'oof' as all the air is forced out of Dick's lungs.

Dick grasps at his stomach and gasps to get his breath back. He raises his head just as Clark delivers an uppercut that sends Nightwing literally into the air, head over heels backwards until Nightwing crashes down face first on the tarmac unconscious.

"Ooh. That's gotta hurt," Clark jokily remarks before turning his attention to the 2 heroines. "Now let me see. Two hot chicks and little ol' me. That is a weekend of fun right there."

Dinah has to say that right now the Blur is putting Ollie to shame for cockiness and arrogance. "In your dreams," she scoffs at the threesome suggestion.

"Your loss sweetcakes."

'Sweetcakes?' Dinah thinks incredulously. Superpowers or no this guy is so going down she determines.

"Leave her out of this!" Babs querulous voice yells at him. "If you're angry at me take it out on me."

Clark shakes his head and laughs. "Angry? I'm not angry. It's just a game."

"You know I'm sick of you saying that. What does that even mean?"

Clark turns to face Batgirl and walk up to her but Dinah recognises this as her chance. She takes a deep breath and unleashes her Canary cry.

The air ripples around the shockwave of the hypersonic cry Dinah's vocal chords can produce and it slams into Clark's back catching him completely off guard sending him flying forward. Batgirl drops to the ground to avoid being hit by him as he flies over her head.

Clark slides to a stop and shakes his head. His ears are ringing like crazy and in fact to be truthful to his sensitive hearing that hurt...a lot. He gets back to his feet and turns to face Dinah. Now he could easily be angry here but in fact he can't stop himself making the following quip. "Wow. I bet you're a screamer in bed right?"

"You'll never find out," Dinah swears.

"Oh I'll definitely make you scream by the time this is over," Clark says with some seriously dark overtones about what he means.

Black Canary takes a deep breath and unleashes the full power of her sonic cry. The force of it pushes Clark back several feet. He could have dodged but the arrogance and cockiness red kryptonite brings to the surface drives him to prove he is a greater force. He starts to walks forward, his arms raised his front of him, against the push of Black Canary's power ignoring the agony the hypersonic cry has on his ear drums.

Dinah runs out of breath and prepares to take another when Clark blurs forward and clamps his right hand over her mouth which at the same time holds her exactly in place.

"That's quite enough," he tells her.

Dinah narrows her eyes and glares at him hiding her fear of what he will do when she spots blood trickling from his ears. Best guess is that her Cry burst his eardrums.

Using his free hand Clark reaches up and touches the blood before bringing his fingers stained in his own blood in front of his face to look at. He has never really looked at his own blood before. It looks amazing similar to human blood...in colour at least. "You know until that fight with Grundy I had never been hurt before. Congratulations. You're now the 2nd person to have ever hurt me," he tells Black Canary. Ok maybe he means the 3rd person but Maxima hurt him in that enjoyable way of being hurt when you are getting laid.

Juts wait until she gets free. Dinah will find more ways to hurt the jackass but as for right now even the simple grip of his hand over her mouth is too strong for her to break free.

Clark glances at Batgirl back on her feet. He'll deal with her in a minute. He turns his attentions to Black Canary as his left hand goes to her behind and he pulls her into him while keeping his right hand clamped over her mouth. "Now I really don't want to hurt you," he tells her. "After all lets face it you're hot with a great ass and terrific legs," he compliments her as his left hand trails down her right thigh taking a long good feel of the toned wonder that are Canary's legs.

Dinah just continues to glare at him and pays no attention to the ministrations of his fingers on her thigh. She is in no way enjoying it at all...and she is so lying to herself.

"Blur!" Batgirl's voice calls him in a low gravelly tone that indicate she is angry and has had enough of Clark's games.

"Oops. The old ball and chain is calling," Clark says to Dinah in the one moment before he brings his left hand to her head and flicks her gently knocking her out. Some remnant of the gentleman in him has him catch her and gently lower her to the ground. He turns to face Barbara. "You know I could have ended all of this in seconds," he points out.

"Let me guess. You didn't because it's all part of the game," Barbara assumes from what he keep repeating over and over.

"Now you're catching on."

"What has Ivy done to you?" she asks the only question that makes sense of this situation. Ivy has managed to find a way to drug him Barbara guesses.

"Freed me!" he declares his arms outstretched to the side. "Freed me to tell you the truth of things as they are. Freed me to point out just how dumb you all are," he insults her and the others too even though their unconscious and can't hear him. He then raises his index finger. "But first," he says before blurring forward right at Babs and that is the last thing she sees before what feels like to her is an immense blow strikes her head knocking her down when in fact from Clark's point of view he only very gently tapped her on the side of the head.

Clark lowers Batgril to the ground gently after catching her and stands there with the 3 heroes down around him. With the police scattered and pulled back. With their cars burning and as he looks at it all all he can do is let out a long hard laugh as the game reaches its final round.


Some people call Huntress' love of violence a personality flaw. She calls it a survival necessity first and something she enjoys doing second as she works her way through the little band of Ivy's minions she found in this location. She kicks one of Ivy's girls in the stomach. This was the first time she had come across Ivy's personal henchgirls whom she dressed in those green outfits. That told Huntress she was either very close or this was it. This is where she will find her quarry.

The girl, and she is little beyond a girl, Huntress would say she is no more than 18, the girl she kicked clutches at her stomach and glares at Huntress with contempt. "Mistress Ivy will hear of this," she swears. "Then when she holds dominion over this world you shall pay for this affront."

In reply Huntress snaps off, "Losers say what."

"What?"

Huntress smirks. "Exactly," she says as she punches the stupid brainwashed minion out. She then pulls out a retractable staff and opens it up. She swings it round over her head hitting the two trying to sneak up behind her but she heard coming a mile off. They drop to the floor. She retracts the staff and puts it back in its pouch. She pulls out her crossbow as the now last minion, probably the leader of this little band, charges. Huntress hits with deadly accuracy putting the arrow into the woman's leg. She falls to the ground.

Huntress comes to stand over her aiming her crossbow between the eyes. "Now then. I don't really go in for long interrogations but it all depends on you. Tell me what I want and your discomfort will be minimal. Don't...and well you can guess the rest," she warns darkly.

The woman holds her head high despite the pain. "I will never betr...ARGH!" she screams as Huntress plunges another arrow into the other leg.

"Bored now," Huntress says in a malicious tone as she reloads. "Look sister if I have to I'll just kill you and search this place top to bottom but that just takes up time I would rather spend doing something else. Now tell me is your loyalty worth more than your life?"

The woman thinks. She can't betray Mistress Ivy can she? Does she want to die though? Huntress isn't like the other heroes. She would probably do it from the stories she has heard. "What do you want?" she asks, deciding to live.

Huntress has to repress a smile. That would ruin her image. "Lana Lang."

"Basement. 3rd door on the left."

"Now you see was that so hard?" Huntress asks the one moment before she swings her boot round and kicks the woman in the head knocking her out as well. She makes her way to the stairs down to the basement. She walks down cautiously just in case there are others she has missed or some kind of security measure. Huntress reaches the 3rd door on the left. Locked. She kicks it open and finds a plain room with a red haired woman sitting on a simple bed, her stare blank. Huntress reaches into one of her pouches and pulls out a syringe. Knowing what Ivy does meant she had come prepared. She jabs the needle into the woman's neck and injects the contents. The woman starts to sway and Huntress catches her. "It's alright. Just give it a minute to work and you'll be back to normal," she explains. The contents of the needle neutralise Ivy's mind spores.

Lana raises a hand to her head. "What...where...who?"

"Take it easy. It'll all come back in a few minutes."

A few minutes past before Lana gasps as she remembers what happened. "Ivy...she...I told her...Clark," she says less than coherently. 'Oh no,' Lana thinks to herself. She remembers. Red kryptonite. Ivy had been particularly interested in that and by now...Oh god Clark is probably completely out of control. Her head drops into her hands.

"Hate to break up whatever you're musing there but we should go," Huntress says as she grabs Lana by the arm and physically drags the redhead to her feet before pulling her along.

Lana allows this to continue until they are outside where she pulls her arm back.

Huntress stops, her expression not very happy. "What?" she asks resisting the urge to knock Lang out and just carry her.

"Thank you for rescuing me but what is going on? How did you find me?" Lana asks her.

Huntress puts her hands in her hips. "This isn't the place for this!"

Lana folds her arms across her chest in a defiant posture. "I'm not moving unless you tell me."

Huntress makes an irritated grunt like sound. She so doesn't need this. "You really don't want to try this with me," she gives her one and only warning.

"Try me," Lana dares her.

Huntress gives serious thought to hitting Lang but gives a little leeway. "The Blur asked me to find you. Said you were his friend."

"You've seen him?"

"Yeah."

"Was he acting odd?"

"Odd?"

"Out of character because..." she trails off not sure how much to say.

"Because Ivy drugged him?" Huntress put forward.

Lana nods slowly.

"He said it didn't work on him...although..." He was acting a little out of kilter Huntress supposes.

"She did. She drugged him," Lana gathers from the way Huntress trailed off. "She has no idea what she has done," she comments from remembering that time when they were 16 and the class rings. Clark was out of control and now he is probably stronger than he was then. He didn't even have all the powers he does now back then.

"Alright. Give it to me straight. The whole story," Huntress demands wanting this cleared up.

Lana sighs and tries to word this as carefully as she can while telling as much as she can. "The Blur is my friend," she concedes that fact, "and Poison Ivy used her mind spores on me and got me to spill his secrets. There is...a substance that alters his thinking. When I mentioned it she seemed very interested but from what I remember saying I don't think she really has any idea what she has truly done. He's more dangerous than you can possibly imagine and nothing...absolutely nothing can stop him doing whatever he wants."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. The...substance makes his mind work completely irrationally. He acts out his impulses, his desires, his darker wants because in essence the substance strips away the normal inhibitions and controls that we all have to keep our darker sides under control and the longer he is infected the worse he gets. It's hard to explain fully. It's still him and yet it isn't." Lana has a sudden thought. "Then again the last time this happened was when he was 16. He's a different person now so I'm not sure what it might unleash from his psyche."

Huntress sighs. Great. She had sex with a guy who isn't thinking straight. That's up there with her not so great moments but in her defence she didn't know. "Ok. I need honesty and I get you want to protect your friend but I need to know what I'm up against."

Lana looks at Huntress and shakes her head. "You...you can't stop him. You can't hurt him. Nothing does. He's invulnerable...virtually."

"Virtually?" Huntress queries because virtually means there is something that can.

"You'll never get near him. He can see and hear you coming from miles away. You have to distract him first," she says recalling this from personal experience. She was the one that provided the distraction back when they were 16 as Clark's parents sneaked up on him with green kryptonite to incapacitate him long enough to get the class ring off. Distracting Clark back then wasn't that hard. All it took was a short skirt, low cut top and her flirting with him like crazy. Now however Lana isn't entirely sure how to do it.

Huntress sighs again. If she is to believe this she will have to get help. She reaches into one of her pouches.

"What are you doing?" Lana wonders.

"Getting something I'm not suppose to still have," Huntress answers mysteriously. She pulls out a small circular metal device. She taps the centre of it. "Huntress to Watchtower," she says into it.

There is silence for several moments before the voice of the Martian Manhunter can be heard. "You are not suppose to still have that communicator," he says in a stern tone. When she was booted out she was suppose to return it.

Huntress bites back a retort. "Look humour me. Is anything going on in Gotham? Specifically involving Poison Ivy and a guy dressed in black."

"How did you know that?"

"That's a yes. Look..." Huntress looks at Lana. "I need you down here. There's someone you need to meet because if you don't...I think this will end badly and I know you have no reason to trust me but...give me the benefit of the doubt this one occasion."

More silence. "I will teleport down in a few minutes to your location. Don't move."

"Roger that. Huntress out." She looks at Lana. "The Martian can do virtually everything I've seen the Blur do. That distraction enough?"

Lana isn't sure about anything except they have to restrain Clark until they can clean his system of red kryptonite. Lana doesn't know how to do that. Therefore she has no choice but to turn for help and considering how powerful Clark is only the Justice League can probably do it.

A shimmering column of light is the first sign as the Martian Manhunter materialises a few feet away using the Watchtower's teleporter which is Martian technology J'onn willingly shared. His features are inscrutable as his gaze fall upon Huntress. "Huntress," he acknowledges her, although not with any enthusiasm after her unacceptable behaviour that led to her being removed from the League.

Huntress raises her hand in a quick wave. "Yeah. Yeah. I ain't exactly thrilled either Martian but if you want to know what is going on speak to her," she says pointing at Lana.

J'onn's gaze falls upon the woman with auburn red hair.

Lana fidgets nervously feeling slightly intimidated in the presence of the large green alien. "Hi," she says her voice a little bit squeaky. "So the thing is...you can read minds right?"

"Yes."

"Then read mine. It'll be quicker," Lana decides. If she had a choice she wouldn't do this but there is too much to explain and probably not enough time considering it has been days since she was taken. Who knows how bad Clark has gotten by now.

"I do not normally intrude," J'onn says not wishing to do anything she will find intrusive of her privacy.

"I appreciate that but trust me there is too much to explain otherwise."

J'onn is still uncertain what is going on but the woman seems willing and if this gets him answers so be it. "Please relax and try not to fight me. I will not harm you in any way," he promises her, his voice softer and gentler.

Lana nods. J'onn's eyes glow as he peers through her mind. It takes a few minutes to get everything he needs. "A Kryptonian," he says in a hushed whisper.

"A what?" Huntress asks.

"There are stories...myths throughout the universe of their power," J'onn mentions primarily to Lana.

Lana takes a moment. That was an...interesting experience. "It's not a myth what he can do. Please. You have to help him before it goes too far," she pleads.

J'onn is now in full understanding of what has transpired. He steps forward and places a reassuring hand on Lana's shoulder. "I give you my word we shall do all in our power to restore him to himself. I think you know the easiest way to accomplish that."

Lana nods. She knows what he is referring to. "He use to keep a piece in a lead box back at home just in case we ever had to stop him," she says referring to the lump of green kryptonite Clark kept after the first time he was exposed to red kryptonite.

J'onn nods and activates his communicator. "Wonder Woman come in please."


Up in orbit around Diana is observing the peace talks between Maxima and the representative of the Krenon aboard the construct the Guardians have created. Essentially a large green space station. The Krenon representative was a rather...repulsive being to look at. Diana tried not to judge but he was malformed and twisted with cybernetic implants everywhere.

From her elevated position overlooking the table around which the 3 parties sit, Maxima opposite the Krenon with the Guardians, short grey aliens, in-between, Diana hears the call from J'onn. She excuses herself from the other observers, varying alien dignitaries who have an interest in the outcome and exits through the green door out into the corridor. "Yes J'onn. What is it?" Diana inquires.

"I know you are busy but something urgent has come up in Gotham."

"Can't Batman handle it?" she inquiries knowing that Bruce hates anyone else in his city so therefore she will only intrude when absolutely necessary. It's easier that way and makes getting along with Bruce smoother.

"No," J'onn says with a seriousness Diana has rarely ever heard J'onn speak with. He summarises as best he can the situation.

"The Blur has teamed up with Poison Ivy?" she seeks to clarify.

"She has drugged him. He is...not himself. He is unstable but I believe your lasso can hold him."

Well of course. Her lasso was a gift from the Gods. It is unbreakable. Nothing can escape its hold. "But Batman..." she starts again.

"Can't handle this. If what I have learned is true about what the Blur is he is on a par with you and I. Could Batman handle either of us?"

Diana doesn't say it to protect Bruce's pride but if she wanted to take him down she could. "Where are you?" she asks.

"I need to get an item to assist us restore the Blur to himself but in the meantime he needs to be contained. Whatever it is Ivy has planned she has already begun to put into action. We do not have time to wait until I can return. This needs to be stopped now."

"I understand," Diana says trusting J'onn's word. If this is as serious as he seems to believe she will go deal with it. Before Diana can go deal with it screaming comes from the conference room.

"YOU CAN FORGET IT YOU DEFORMED PILE OF INFERIOR GENETIC MATERIAL!"

Maxima.

"YOU DARE THINK ONE OF YOU IS WORTHY TO BE JOINED TO ME! I'LL BURN A THOUSAND STAR SYSTEMS FIRST INSOLENT TOAD!"

Diana listens a tad more closely to pick out the half-mechanical voice of the Krenon representative. "Heed my words Almeracian. Decline to accept the proposal and there will be war."

Diana hears a sound she thinks is Maxima spitting on the Krenon. "HAVE A CHILD WITH THAT REVOLTING ROTTING PILE OF FLESH AND METAL YOU CALL YOUR PRINCE? I WOULD RATHER MATE WITH A SLIME DEVIL!"

Diana makes a disgusted face. For once she can't blame Maxima for her reaction. If the Krenon prince looks anything like the representative she wouldn't want to mate with that either. Diana hears some pleas from the Guardians for calm before coming stomping towards her is Maxima who has obviously stormed out.

Maxima spots Diana. "Can you believe what they requested of me?" she shrieks. "Me have a child with that filth? I'll see stars consumed first."

Diana knows she needs to go to Gotham but Maxima is irate and she is powerful enough to cause immense damage so Diana needs to calm the fiery Queen down. "Why do they want to...?"

"Have a child with me?"

Diana nods.

Maxima snorts in revulsion and disgust. "Mongrels. That is what they are. Spliced together pieces of genetic material and technology. Almeracians have been selectively bred for generations. I am the result of thousands of years of my predecessors choosing only the strongest and most genetically pure of mates. They want my code to strengthen what they laughably call their bloodline. Do that and they will withdraw their so-called claim to the disputed territories as if they have one. Those systems clearly belong to my empire."

Maxima then seems to take the effort to forcibly calm herself. "I guess it is war then," she states in a calm, resigned tone. "Very well so be it," she decides before she looks to Diana. "I suppose I should thank you for the hospitality. It was better than I expected from such a primitive world inhabited by weak creatures."

One thing Diana had learned during Maxima's stay is that she and perhaps most Almeracians have little regard for lifeforms they consider weaker or inferior to themselves. By the way don't think Diana hasn't noticed that Maxima said she should give thanks but hasn't yet...and if Diana is any kind of good judge of character Maxima probably won't give any kind of gratitude.

Maxima makes her move to leave but before she does she says, with no hint of humour, "When I am victorious over the Krenon perhaps I'll invade your world next."

Diana really really hopes that is Maxima just displaying what passes as her sense of humour.

"Or perhaps I'll just come for a vacation," Maxima amends. "I think slaying your pathetic earth criminals would be most relaxing. What do you think?"

Diana does her best to respond diplomatically. "Well I'm certain your majesty will be busy for a long time to come but we at the Justice League would of course be honoured if you should choose to grace us with your presence once again."

"I am certain you would be," she says with an odd little smile.

And with that Maxima walks away and while Diana hopes that somehow war can still be avoided she also hopes that it is a long long long time before she ever meets Maxima again. With the talks broken down Diana first seeks Hal out to tell him she must go to Gotham and leaving him here to deal with this for the moment. Besides her and the Justice League were really only observers anyway and not involved seriously. This does not need her the leader to be here.

With that done Diana has herself teleported down to Gotham and to her confrontation with the Blur.


Maxima walks with a broad stride toward her ship her mind on the upcoming war and still partially on the Kryptonian male who dared to have the indignity to leave her. When she woke up and found herself all alone Maxima was furious and was tempted to level the city just to find him. Her council had been strongly hinting at her to find a husband and produce an heir. It was her obligation as Queen to continue the bloodline.

Down in that city as she redressed herself and her anger calmed slightly she thought on it and realised the exact wording of her obligation was simply to produce an heir. A husband was not an obligation. In fact as she thought on it more in the days afterwards why would she want a husband?

Maxima likes to rule unrestricted by anyone. A husband of any sort would be a hindrance...a burden upon her even and if her council pushed the issue well...

Maxima places her hands upon her stomach. If they pushed the issue she can point out to tests she has had done on her ship that proves she has fulfilled the obligation to produce an heir. Kryptonians it seems lived up to their reputation as being extremely potent.


Author's Note: I'm not trying to portray Clark as a deadbeat dad or anything. He truly will not realise that he has fathered a child with Maxima or who Maxima really was any time soon but at some point in the future he will come face to face with Maxima once more and learn of the child he has fathered. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; We find out what Ivy is up to, what Clark is up to and why he has been doing all this...and oh yeah the classic Clark vs Diana battle royale will be included as well.