So yes, you may have noted a slight alteration of the title. I've decided to break this story up to two books, maybe three. Book One will wrap up with Chapter Sixty One and then we'll take a couple months hiatus before returning. Expanding the story in such a way will allow me to flesh out a few plotlines.
Chapter 55: Crisis Part Two.
A look of astonishment coupled with a hearty amount of skepticism crossed Kara's face when she looked at the three time travelers. To say that a maelstrom of emotions gone through her head would be the understatement of the century; the fact of the matter was she found herself confused. Clark's expression grew worried, Harry's emotions flew into the realm of panic, and Karen appeared highly skeptical, more so than Kara even was.
Kara folded her hands over her lap and took a moment to consider every bit of this situation. Lois, Lana, and Chloe seemed unwilling to state what they made of this entire mess.
"That's what history says," Imra chimed in when she saw the looks on the faces of all of the people in the room. For some reason and this was a point they agreed not to bring up, history altered as it pertained to Supergirl and Arcane's destiny. They were supposed to lead New Krypton but now the scenario was present as it unfolded. "History has been misread before and has the potential to be misread again, we must take certain matters up for a great deal of interpretation."
"But the most reputable sources say that," Rokk added, he did not like this any better than the rest of the team did, but he had to face facts and consider what was before them. History stated Supergirl died and then Arcane slid off the deepend. "It may be best if Supergirl heads to the future until this matter is sorted out."
"I don't run from my problems, true heroes don't," Kara answered when she folded her arms and refused to even consider the fact that she should be leaving for a moment. "You tell me what history says and you might believe it to be true, but a lot of things that are recorded, accepted as common knowledge, are likely wrong. I'm not going to believe what is written cannot be undone."
Clark clung onto some hope that this would not happen, this would be worse than anything he ever imagined in his life. He added in a firm voice with conviction. "Doesn't the fact you came here change the course of history already? The moment you stepped out of the future and arrived her and interacted with the Anti-Monitor, we're into the unknown."
"That might make the vision I had even worse, I might not die but you will," Kara told Clark and Lana and Lois both looked alarmed even though Lana was the first one to speak up.
"No, that's not going to happen, I'm going to make sure no one dies or I'll die trying," Lana answered, a statement that gave Chloe an ample amount of reason to wince and her head turned towards Lana. The woman had the decency to act apologetic when Chloe's eyes were on her. "Sorry, that's not the way I intended to have that statement come out."
"Could we please can the death talk?" Chloe asked when she looked from Kara to Clark to Lana and then to Lois, Harry, and Karen. "No one is going to die, no one is going to get killed, no one is going to die trying to prevent people from getting killed. History might say that Kara died, but you know what, we're going to make history wrong. And if you think that Harry's going to turn evil because of something like that, then none of you know him at all."
Chloe folded her arms when she placed her hand on Harry's and dared them to contradict her words.
"Perhaps we should ask the resident expert on Death, the head Herald what he thinks about what's going on," Garth commented when his eyes focused on Harry, but Harry stared back.
Immediately, the word Death hit Lois immediately and her brain recalled something, sudden realization smacked against her psyche faster than a speeding bullet. She could hardly believe that this was happening so she slowly turned around towards Harry, an accusation dancing in her eyes. She drew breath before she fired out the statement that she had on the tip of her tongue towards Harry.
"That was you wasn't it?" Lois asked suddenly when she looked at Harry, a statement that took Harry completely off his game and made him wonder what Lois was referring to.
"I beg your pardon," Harry responded when he looked back at Lois, trying to scratch his head.
"Under the dam, death, the guy in the robe, the guy who scared me half to death!" Lois yelled suddenly when it all came flooding back to her at super speed. She pointed an accusatory finger towards Harry, with madness dancing in her eyes. "That was you!"
"Oh yeah, that was me," Harry recalled in a dismissive manner but Lois did not seem to be too thrilled that Harry brushed off her very real trauma.
"You son of a bitch, you scared me half to you!" Lois snapped when she looked at Harry but then she stopped before she realized what she said.
'I just called my boss a son of a bitch, which meant I called his dead mother a bitch,' Lois thought when she realized what she said as her complexion grew suddenly pale. 'Oh, I am so fired, it isn't even funny.'
Harry's gaze found its way towards Lois's face when she gulped and everyone sat on pins and needles before he offered her a smile. Lois wondered what the deal with the smile was. It was certainly not a, "clear out your desk two days ago because you've been canned so hard" smile, it was an actual genuine smile. The smile was an actual genuine smile that was really creeping Lois out to the point where she could hardly believe how much his smile crept her out. There was a tense moment before Harry said the last thing that Lois expected.
"Congratulations Lois, you've been promoted," Harry answered in a cheerful voice and Lois nearly cracked her own neck when she did a double take. Chloe tried to find some amusement out of the situation.
"Um, thanks," Lois said, not knowing what to quite say about that.
"Back to business," Karen answered when she looked at Lois and Harry, and the two of them shifted their eyes back into the battle. "I think that we should..."
Before Karen could inform them what she thought that they should do, the scanners in the Shining Light Foundation mainframe computer went haywire. Since they were calibrated to pick up any unnaturally large spikes of magical energy, they went absolutely chaotic with the fury and the carnage. Chloe was the first one who rushed over to check the scanner and began to type in.
"Guys, you might want to look at this, it seems like the Anti-Monitor is...this doesn't make any sense," Chloe mumbled when she rubbed her fingers against her temples and clicked the mouse on the computer. The three dimensional holograms popped up to reveal what was going on in the world. "The Anti-Monitor...it's almost like that he's erasing everything in his path."
"Yes, he's erasing it and converting it into anti-matter, that's his fuel, that's what drives him," Imra responded before she placed a hand to her head and tried to shift emotions but she heard the despair of thousands of voices being snuffed out. "It's awful, all of it, they're dying, vanished in an instant."
"Can we stop them?" Clark asked, hoping to hear some positive reinforcement.
"Yes, there might be one way to shut down the Anti-Monitor but it presents a risk for the entire multiverse," Harry answered when his eyes turned to the rest of the team. "I can't understate that this is an all or nothing gambit, where we either succeed completely or fail."
"So no pressure or anything," Lana concluded.
"All of the pressure is on now," Kara remarked when she put her hand on Harry's and Karen put her other hand on Harry's, and the three Heralds stood ready to face this threat.
"Stay safe K...Clark, and don't die," Karen voiced before she turned around and hugged Clark like a family member, something that started to freak him out just a little bit given how she acted to him previously.
"I won't, don't worry," Clark answered before the three Heralds of Death prepared to go off.
"They have a plan, we need to have faith," Chloe remarked when the silence that manifested within their disappearance broke.
Kara, Karen, and Harry flew towards the source of where the disturbance took place, the latest attempt by the Anti-Monitor to feed and convert the energy into anti-matter. The trio made their way over the barren wasteland where things once stood, they once existed, but now the wave of power wiped it out in an instant. The three knew of their mission, it was one that was not going to be easy, but they had to fight like they never fought before, long and hard until the battle was one, no matter how long it took.
"He's got to be close somewhere, I can feel him," Kara managed when she looked out into the distance and the three Heralds spotted two dots glowing nearby. It was the only thing that showed up within the wave and within the mist. "We're going to beat him and no one dies."
"No one is going to die," Harry confirmed when the three Heralds watched from the distance and saw the force they assumed to be the Anti-Monitor gain momentum when it rolled over more life. "We're going to get his attention now."
Three beams of heat vision synchronized to fire into the swirling dark cloud into the distance and the eruption caused a pained grimace. They knew that whatever their target was, they connected with one hundred percent accuracy. The explosion rattled them when the Anti-Monitor turned up to face them and his eyes locked onto them.
"I thought of you as brave fools but this exceeds all my expectations," the Anti-Monitor responded in a crisp voice when he waved his hands.
"Everything you got, now!" Harry ordered before Kara and Karen aimed their hands and fired with a ballistic fury towards the Anti-Monitor. The impact cracked him against the chest and sent him hurling back a step. "Keep it up, don't stop no matter what, I think we've damaged him just a little bit."
Harry, Kara, and Karen impacted the Anti-Monitor with every single blast of energy that they could shoot from their hands. He tried to fire back hard but the combined power of the three Heralds of Death was barely enough to push him back. Harry maneuvered himself in front of the two girls in the line of fire, given that he had the closest ties to the Herald of Death powers. He was the strongest one of the three of them and energy blasts crashed from his hand before they impacted the Anti-Monitor hard.
The Anti-Monitor staggered back a few inches but the dust cleared to reveal that he barely been cracked.
"This is what Death sends as her heralds on this day and age," The Anti-Monitor responded when he held his hands into the air and clapped them hard to send the wave.
"Fire back!" Kara yelled when she blocked the attack with a wave of energy. The two bolts collided with each other in ballistic fury and the glowing continued to occur when the forces vibrated against each other.
"We're not going to make it," Karen voiced through gritted teeth when she felt a numbing sensation go through her hands. The blonde fired back and nailed the Anti-Monitor full force.
"Yes, we're going to make it," Harry argued when the three of them propelled the full force of their power.
The Legion of Super Heroes popped up into the battle for the second stream of attack but the Anti-Monitor was ready to block the attacks from their rings now. They were not going to displace him back in time again, even if the three of them fired with everything that they had. The three Heralds joined them with the six of them bombarding the Anti-Monitor with an attack. He lit up like a Christmas tree, but the universe shifted around at them.
"He's transported us into the Anti-Matter Verse," Imra murmured in fear when she ran her hands through her hair and tried to pick up a reading. "I'm not getting anything from him."
"He's nowhere, yet he's everywhere," Kara confirmed when she felt her body tense up when they looked around. The booming voice of the Anti-Monitor thundered.
"After all of these years, it astounds me to think that people take the word of Death at any kind of face value, but of all of the broken promises she's given me, the consequences will lie before you. The world will be reshaped, with the sacrifice of you three Heralds giving me enough power to go back to the beginning and rewrite history. None of you can stop it, so why bother attempting this futile effort?"
Harry hoped that he was able to break through the dimensional barriers to Chloe at the Shining Light Foundation, because they needed all of the help they could get. Dangerous shadow monsters, shapeless and hostile surrounded everyone, intent to smash them to smithereens at the first motion of resistance.
"They're in some place called the Anti-Matter universe?" Clark asked when he tried to figure out if he heard Chloe correct. Sure enough, Chloe nodded her head before she spun around to talk to Clark in the chair. She managed to get Harry's mental message before everything faded to black in her mind and got the coordinates that she needed to fire up the portal in the Shining Light Foundation. "And how are we supposed to get him out if the Anti-Monitor's trapped them there?"
"I can't believe...you got to go in there Clark, the Anti-Monitor wants you," Chloe answered suddenly and Lana and Lois's eyes widened at the thought of this. Clark looked apprehensive when Chloe continued her statement without another word. "Kara's going to die, and there's nothing any of us can do about it unless you go in there."
"I'm..."
"Clark, you're not going to die either," Chloe added with conviction in her voice when she began to punch in the coordinates to the Shining Light Foundation's portal device, not knowing how to work this thing as well as Kara and Harry did, but they managed to work her through the basics. "It's just...the Anti-Monitor never expected you to get involved, he thinks that you'll be protected at all costs."
"That makes sense," Lana answered when she stroked her chin thoughtfully and looked at Clark and Chloe. Lois, however, had a look of extreme confusion cross over her face when her eyes darted back and forth from Chloe to Lana to Clark and back. The dark haired woman took a moment to pause before she thought.
"What is going on, none of this makes any sense?"
"The mission of the Heralds of Death this time is to protect Clark, for his journey, but the mission has been written in stone throughout all time until the traveler comes," Chloe explained but Lois is confused. "Clark is destined for greatness, and if he falls before he rises into the hero that he's going to be...then there will be doom, the world will be plunged into utter darkness."
Lois had no idea what Chloe talked about this time but she had to understand. She figured out this much, Clark needed to be protected and she was allowed these powers for such a purpose. She felt Lana had the same gifts for the same reason, but Lois did wonder what would happen when Clark rose into his full powers. That was a bridge the entire group were going to have to cross collectively.
"Are you sure this will work?" Clark asked, feeling less sure about everything than he ever had been before. Chloe turned around properly to address the three of them.
"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but when the alternative is the full scale rewrite of human history, where none of us will exist past our next breath, do we really have many options?"
Clark shook his head; he would have to concede this point. Lana and Lois watched Clark, seeing that he stepped in to do what was necessary to win the day just like he always did. Clark walked over towards the portal and prepared to step on through but Lois and Lana followed him.
"You two don't..."
"Yes, we do," Lana answered when she looked at Clark firmly, in an expression that lead no arguments.
"We're in this today, no matter what," Lois said before her neck craned towards Chloe. "Are you coming with us?"
"Go ahead, I'll man things on this end, someone's got to bring you back home in case things go south quickly," Chloe answered, really wishing that she could go through.
Lois, Lana, and Clark entered the portal and felt the entire world change around them. They knew one thing; they were not in Kansas anymore.
Lois shivered, involuntarily when she looked around, while Lana and Clark copied her movements; there was little time to wait before a set of dark shadows shot out of nowhere before Lois, Lana, and Clark automatically blasted them into dust with their heat vision.
"Something tells me we got to stay sharp, if those things touch us..." Lois started before she stopped and dragged her finger across her throat in a cutting motion.
Clark, Lana, and Lois blasted another set of shadow monsters and a third set before they moved forward to the sounds of screams and the sound of battle. They saw him in all of his glory, the Anti-Monitor.
"I'm going to attack him," Clark told Lana and Lois and the eyes of both women snapped towards him. "Head on."
"Clark, that's nuts, you tried that before and your hands got burned," Lana protested but Clark was off like a blur of light.
"Fast as a speeding bullet, and about as subtle," Lois commented when she watched Clark speed off.
Clark gained momentum, faster, and faster before he slammed into the Anti-Monitor at his full force.
The Anti-Monitor gave a grimace of pain and that was all the distraction the three Heralds needed. Their eyes glowed with power before they raised their scythes and swung for the fences. The scythes cut deep into the Anti-Monitor.
"Fools, as long as you fight me in the Anti-Matter universe, the battle is hopeless," The Anti-Monitor grimaced and he aimed his attack towards Clark.
Kara tried to save Clark but a force field erupted from around her to block her into place. Harry darted in to take the blast in front of Clark.
"HARRY!" Kara screamed in absolute horror when she saw the blast slice through Harry. "NO!"
Kara unleashed the full fury of her powers when she saw Harry vanish on the spot where he stood and the heat vision busted the Anti-Monitor's outer shell. She flew at him with ballistic fury and Karen joined her with the pummeling of the Anti-Monitor. Fists beat against the chest of the creature and cracked him against him at this point.
Time stood still.
Harry Potter was gone, vanished, like he never existed. He vaporized on the spot from the attack from the Anti-Monitor, completely gone. Not even a pair of footprints had been left in the dirt, that's well he been blasted.
None of them could believe what happened, it defied all logical explanation, and time stood still when their blood ran cold.
"No, no, no, no!" Kara and Karen yelled in unison when they realized what happened and they blasted Anti-Monitor through the wall between the universes with everything they had.
Then something happened.
Suddenly and surprisingly, Harry re-materialized, every bit of skin burned off of his body, before slowly and painfully he re-healed. He looked gaunt, like a corpse, before he staggered forward and Kara and Karen seemed relieved that he was alright. Well at least alive anyway, the corpse like visage that he had meant that he was suffering a little bit.
"Stand back, I can finish him," Harry rasped when his body racked with pain after he just barely held himself together when the Anti-Monitor tried to release his next attack to finish Harry.
Each step was like agony but Harry opened up the walls between time and space, before he launched the Anti-Monitor through. The Anti-Monitor flew through time and space where Harry transported him one second after the end of all time.
Harry flew back out of the portal and then the portal on the other end opened. Kara grabbed him in her arms when he collapsed and spun around, a frantic expression dancing in her eyes.
"That's our cue to get out of here," Clark commented and sure enough the entire group made their way through the portal into the Shining Light Foundation.
There was a moment where they all took their breaths. Harry blacked out completely from what happened, no one but Karen, Kara, and Chloe knew that he died before he managed to reverse time and warp reality with his powers before sending a past version of himself from two minutes ago back with his memories.
Harry knew that there would be consequences to that but it paled to what the Anti-Monitor was going to do if he was allowed to exist.
There was a chance that he would be back; evil like that always came back.
Back at the Shining Light Foundation, Harry tried to regain his bearings but after everything that transpired that was easier said than done. The dark haired wizard shook his head and tried to pull himself up. A stabbing pain was felt through his chest when his eyes managed to adjust himself back to the light. Kara, Karen, and Chloe were all the closest to him. Kara's arms in particular were wrapped around Harry like a vice grip like she feared that he would fall to pieces if she let go. Chloe held her hands on Harry's arms and Karen was on his other side.
"I don't think I ever want to do anything like that ever again," Harry breathed heavily when he caught his breath and shook his head but Kara leaned in and kissed him on the lips firmly in belief. "The past is secure, the future is what it should be, and the Anti-Monitor is gone. And all it took was me nearly dying to do it."
"Where did you send him?" Clark asked from the doorway when he popped up. Harry gave a pained grimace when he turned to address Clark. "Oh, and thank you."
"Your appreciation is noted and...well appreciated," Harry managed weakly when Karen rubbed the side of his neck, something that he appreciated because he was sore. "I sent him one second after the end of time."
"Wait one second after the end of time?" Lois asked in confusion when her eyes focused on Harry and Harry responded with a brisk nod. "So after all of that, you know...you know when the end of time is and all of that?"
"No, I didn't exactly get a chance to check the calendar...good spot keep rubbing that, it's sore," Harry managed when he leaned into Karen's grip and Chloe stood by Harry.
It was not lost on Lois how close Chloe seemed to Harry but she supposed any kind of lecture was going to fall upon deaf ears. Especially given what she planned to engage in with Clark and Lana.
Plus, Harry would likely obliterate her from existence like he did the Anti-Monitor or worse, take away the promotion that he gave her earlier. A promotion Lois had no idea how she got it, but she was not going to complain about it. When someone gave you a promotion for something unexpected, complaining was the last thing that they did, for sure, one hundred percent.
Harry considered all of what happened and he came closer to dying than he ever did before, well perhaps that was just a tiny bit of a stretch. Death visited him like a creeping mistress and nearly swooped in to attack him this time and any other time. Harry considered himself lucky that he was able to pull himself together long enough to reverse his fortunes and he sensed Kara's despair when she saw him die. He felt bad for having to put his wife through that, but that alternative was just as bad, if not worse.
"I felt it too, I don't know...for a second I thought that there was a stabbing pain in my soul," Chloe managed when she joined Kara and Karen in hugging Harry tightly. "Why do you pull stunts like that?"
"It's been ages since I've pulled a stunt that reckless," Harry answered when he looked back at Chloe with an honest expression in his eyes, before his head shifted. "The last time I did it was during my school days. I supposed I mellowed out, matured, got better, I guess that was what happened. Although I don't really know how."
"History has changed thanks to that reckless action."
As it turned out the Legion Three stood in the corridors of the Shining Light Foundation when they saw Harry. Harry pulled himself up, barely able to stand but somehow through the sheer force of will, he got out of bed to greet them. A smile crossed his face when he paused long enough to address Garth, Rokk, and Imra with a twisted expression on his face. It was not because of their presence, but perhaps the fact that he really saw a lot of horrors throughout history when the Anti-Monitor blasted him.
Every single person who suffered, every single person that died, Harry saw them, every single human suffering ever, Harry felt them and it was like nothing that he ever imagined.
"There is a chance that an evil as great as the Anti-Monitor will return," Rokk told them when his gaze fixed upon them. "And if not him, then there will be others."
"As for him and the others, there will be us," Kara responded in a firm voice as they all nodded, convicted and ready for what the world was going to throw at them. No matter what happened, they were going to win the day and survive. There was no one who was going to beat them. "After Harry nearly died, I'm prepared for everything."
Harry decided that there was no nearly about what happened today, he did die. He almost saw Death's gloating face before he pulled the reversal of time and space to turn back the hands and reverse what was right. The dark haired young wizard and Herald of Death prepared himself for his next works but Imra was the one who spoke.
"Today was just one of many battles in the future,but now the next step in Clark's journey rests in his hands," Imra answered when she looked back at Clark. "He's coming whether you want to or not. History is unclear how the battle will transpire."
"Well if I'm as famous as I am in the future, then there's only one way it could have gone," Clark answered, feeling as if they had no need to fear after all that happened.
"Don't be so sure," Karen offered in a much softer voice than she had before and once again Clark wondered about her change in character. "The fact that you assume that you'll live could mean that your death is secured."
"I hate to agree with her, but she's right," Lana answered when she grabbed Clark around the hand. "Please tell me you won't go in there against Doomsday next time with the assumption that you're going to win just because history says you'll live. History says that Kara was killed on this day, and you see her here."
"You think that the inverse will be true?" Chloe asked, a bit fearful at this prospect.
The three Legion of Super Hero members exchanged nervous looks that was the one risk that time travel offered at any time, the most minor of actions could cause a reversal of fortunes. Time unraveled like strings, there was a point where nothing was set in stone now and all wondered if they would have a future to return to no matter what the cost.
"Be careful and prepare, the world needs you as a symbol, but do not rush to that moment until you're ready," Imra advised Clark when she slipped something into Harry's hand covertly and the Legion of Super Heros disappeared into the time stream.
They had one more pressing piece of business to take care of sixty years into the future from this point. They took a trip into Gotham City to assist the Batman of that time, a young man by the name of Terry McGuiness.
That movement left the entire group alone to consider what happened today and prepare for what was going to happen in the time to come.
Harry looked at the ring in his hand when the others turned away with the note that read 'just in case.'
"Good now that that's over with, I believe we have some unfinished business to take care of because someone still needs to pay for keeping secrets," Lois answered when she grabbed Clark and dragged him off and Lana went after her with a smile on her face.
Chloe could not resist and she called out cheerfully. "Have fun Clark!"
Kara, Karen, and Harry laughed but the dark haired wizard got out of bed.
"I've got an urgent meeting, with Tess Mercer," Harry stated to their questioning looks.
Chloe was the one that pounced on that statement. "You've been meeting with her a lot lately; one might think that you intend to add her to her collection."
"She's on our to-do list," Kara remarked nonchalantly which caused both Chloe and Karen to look at her with widen eyes. The blonde smiled prettily before she turned to Harry with a concern. "Do you want me to…."
"I can handle this, I'll be back in fifteen minutes and then we'll check out the gravesite," Harry answered before he got up to his feet.
"Good thing he has a lot of stamina," Chloe answered when she watched after Harry and smiled. "For a number of reasons."
Karen and Kara agreed with that.
Tess waited for her business partner to arrive, he never was late for one of their appointments but she figured that there was always a first time for anything.
Sure enough a polite knock on the door caused her to look up.
"Come on, it's unlocked."
Harry entered the office with Tess looking up at him and there was only one thing that she had to say.
"You look like hell."
He smiled ruefully. "Sorry, I've been very sick."
"You must have, you look as if you've climbed out of the grave to come here and see me," Tess remarked when she offered Harry a seat. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Harry smiled at her. "Why, are you playing nurse?"
Tess raised an eyebrow, to be honest she wondered about Harry sometimes, she knew he was married to Kara Kent but he seemed to carry on a close relationship with Chloe Sullivan as well, they appeared to be rather cozy in public. Often times the three of them together, but hey consenting adults and all that, there was no need to go all moral trip. It was the twenty first century, it was time to be more open minded.
"As much as that thought is intriguing, I've called you here on a matter of importance," Tess answered when she looked at Harry. He appreciated the passion in her eyes, the strong and bold demeanor, much like that showed by Kara, Karen, and Chloe. He was drawn to strong and confident women, not that there was anything wrong with that. Then again he could be pretty strong himself. "As you know the merger with Queen Industries fell flat. Everything went off the rails after Lex's unfortunate accident."
"Yes, that's awful," Harry responded when he looked at Tess without blinking.
Tess did not buy his sympathy for a moment but she did not call him out on it.
"The merger is still on the table because Luthorcorp stockholders are breathing down my neck, they want to take the company back for themselves," Tess stated when she looked at Harry. "Those vultures would ruin all of the hard work that I've done and sink the company faster than a stone. You might be the only one with the clout to make sure they fall back into line."
Harry felt intrigued at this but he wondered if there was a catch, there always was a catch.
"Fifty-fifty, the two of us, we bring this company beyond the legacy of Lex or even Lionel Luthor," Tess added when she looked at Harry with intentions in her eyes. "The two of us together…we could save the world."
She believed in her heart that they had a lot in common but why she could not know. It was an instinct that she had. Tess Mercer found herself determined to see what made Harry Potter tick, although for different reason than Lex did. She tried not to get lost in his bright green eyes; they were bewitching pools that she figured melted the hearts of most women he encountered.
"I'll think it over," Harry answered when he held himself up, feeling a bit over and looking at her.
"We'll revisit this in the future but don't wait too long Harry; I don't need someone who is going to be indecisive," Tess answered when she gazed at him for a little bit. "But I know you'll make the right decision and we'll meet in the future to consummate our deal."
"I anticipate it," Harry answered before he paused. "Draw up the papers."
Tess was surprised that Harry made his decision.
"I'll have them ready in the next ten days," Tess replied when she looked at Harry, awestruck at what he was doing.
"I'll be in touch," Harry answered when he reached forward and grabbed her hand, shaking it.
"It's a pleasure doing business with you," Tess responded when she drew back, staring at Harry for a moment, almost doing something impulsive. However she had great self-control.
She always did dream that someday her prince would come but gave up on that fanciful delusion years and years ago. Perhaps she was a bit premature.
"Good bye, Tess," Harry responded when he smiled and walked away.
"Good bye, Harry," Tess stated, when she watched him leave, appreciating the view when he did.
Raya waited at the edge of the Kent Farm, to be honest she missed out on most of tonight's adventure because she was trying to hunt down Doomsday. She understood the danger the monster posed and that was her way to protect Clark. The Kryptonian stood, while Clark met her, he had been under the influence of the Lazarus Pits.
Clark showed up with Lois and Lana back at the Kent Farm, okay Lois was carrying him.
"Clark, stop whining, I said I was sorry for dropping you in mid-air!"
Raya smiled at this proclamation from Lois and she stood forward.
Clark stopped when he saw her.
"Raya?"
"Yes, Kal-El, I'm here," Raya answered when she looked at him and Clark could not believe it. "You actually know that I'm alive, Jor-El faked my death to teach you a lesson about the fragility of life and sent me back to the Phantom Zone."
Clark opened his mouth but Raya pressed her fingers to it.
"I realize that it is not right, it is not just but that's what Jor-El did," Raya stated when she looked at Clark. "And he has a reason for what he does but I can't help but feel there is a more direct attempt to prepare you for the destiny, when it may come."
"We'll all in this for the same reason, to protect Clark," Lana responded when she looked at them all.
Kara chose Lana, Karen chose Raya, and Harry chose Lois, all to protect Clark and to help him on his guidance. They sensed something within the three of them and now they stood united. The Heralds would have other responsibilities, with Chloe perhaps acting as a bridge between Clark's protectors and the Heralds.
At least that's what the three of them figured collectively.
"So….I met you when I was under the influence," Clark offered and Raya nodded.
"And you kissed me."
"I'm sorry," Clark answered when he looked at Raya.
"It was not awful," Raya answered when she led Clark off and Lana and Lois walked. "I believe we need to come to terms with this new arrangement before we decide how to go forward with Doomsday."
They all nodded and flew off, with Lana taking her turn to scoop Clark up and fly away.
A quiet wind blew through Godric's Hallow in the dark of the night where there was no noise around other than that wind. The noise quickly was replaced by the appearance of three figures who flew through the air at the speed of light. The three Heralds of Death made their way to a certain gravestone in the graveyard, for two of them; curiosity ate away at them after the last several months while they figured out what this is. Now that they were finally on good terms with their counterpart, they could find out what the gravestone was and the secrets of the Herald of Death that had been lost. Was it something to aid them like what Karen suggested or something that would be able to control as Harry feared?
Harry, Kara, and Karen dropped to the ground in front of the gravestone. The moment the trio touched down, the gravestone blinked to life and red light illuminated them. It was almost as if it beckoned them forward and they stepped forward to accept the charges. They wanted to see what was behind this tombstone.
The three symbols appeared on the gravestone and with another movement, the three Heralds of Death pressed their hands to the gravestone symbols. The symbols for death lit up when their hands touched it and it bathed them in blinding gold light that filled through the graveyard. The trio stood back as the ground shifted and stirred underneath them.
This was an interesting development and a set of stone stairs appeared before them to lead down a secret passageway. This passageway led them to catacombs that looked to them that had not been visited in years. Someone scrawled symbols on the walls or something, words that even the three Heralds could barely make out even with their powers.
The only thing of note was sitting on a stone pedestal at the end of the corridor; they spotted the stone box before them. Harry, Kara, and Karen sped forward and three more symbols appeared on the stone box. Without another word, the three of them touched their hands to the symbols. The box remained still for a moment and they feared that it was not going to work for any time at all.
Then without warning the box broke open and a silver glint bombarded their senses; this glint ensnared their mind when the trio watched the item in the box. They crowded around for a closer look, their eyes widened at the majestic glee this box contained. It sat in the box and it was nothing really of too much value, well at least to anyone who did not know the true.
A silver crystal key shaped like a Grim Reaper's Scythe sat in the middle of the box and Harry snatched it up, when Kara snatched the scroll up.
"It's part of a map," Kara read the writing on the back of it. "The first of three parts of a map in fact."
"So there's more, this is just the beginning," Harry continued and Kara nodded in confirmation before she leaned in to face Harry.
"There are two more keys, two more parts of the map, and the real treasure is yet to come," Kara answered when she looked at Harry.
"Treasure or terror?" Karen asked to Kara and Harry at that point and the three Heralds had no clue whatsoever what that might mean. All they knew was that they had in their hands the key that led beneath the gravestone.
The three Heralds of Death flew off with the crystal key and the piece of the map, they knew that they had a long way to go and no one must know what they were doing. If this was a device to allow them to retrieve a person from the beyond without consequence or even one that could control them and their powers, they could not let anyone know what was happening.
They returned to the Potter House and Karen stood on the outside, a bit confused at this, wondering if she would be allowed inside. A smile spread over Kara's face before she invited Karen inside and Harry did likewise. Chloe already was there, as was Claire. Claire's eyes widened when she saw Karen.
"Hey," Karen answered when she looked at Claire and the young girl regarded her with suspicion.
"Um, hi," Claire responded before she reached over and grabbed Harry by the sleeve, so not to be rude. When Harry had his full attention on her, a smile crossed over his face. "Dad, who is this?"
"This is your mother's sister...for lack of a better term," Harry answered to Claire and Claire nodded, she understood Harry's implied meaning. "This is Karen."
"Oh, I guess I'm pleased to meet you," Claire answered when she looked back at Karen before she added. "You hurt any of them, and you'll be sorry though."
"Duly noted," Karen responded but she held up Harry.
"Why don't you go up to bed right now?" Kara asked Claire and Claire opened her mouth to protest before Kara gave her a firm nod. Claire spun around before she went up to her room.
This left Chloe, Kara, Karen, and Harry alone at this moment.
"So, it's time to welcome you properly into the family, I guess," Kara responded to Karen.
"You know, after all she's pulled, she does deserve to be punished a little bit," Chloe responded with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Harry grinned before he led Karen up the stairs and she supposed after she acted like a bitch, she could stand to be treated like one for a little bit. She could hear Chloe's voice from down the stairs.
"I'll get the paddle!"
To Be Continued in "The Magic in Me Part One."