Chapter 10: Ready, Aim, Fire Part 1: Virgil Swann
"You, Christian!" Brainiac shouted. "Halt in the name of Lionel Luthor!"
Virgil sped away from several of Brainiac's men as they pursued him. He looked up and noticed a statue. Seeing gray paint on the ground, Virgil quickly rubbed it all over himself and stood by the statue to make it seem like he was part of it. When Brainiac investigated, Virgil stepped on Brainiac's head, knocking him down, as he sped off.
"After him!" Brainiac shouted.
At the farm, Bruce and Lois were up a tree wearing leaves to blend in as Oliver observed them.
"I love climbing trees, but I never thought I'd be one." Lois said.
"You missed a spot, Lois." Bruce said with a smirk as he plucked a leaf from the tree and put it on Lois' mouth.
"Bruce, any sign of the courier?" Oliver asked.
"Not yet." Bruce said plainly.
"Well keep looking." Oliver said plainly. "And fix your camouflage. I can still see you."
Oliver then turned to Clark, who had grown a few inches.
"Clark, why aren't you in position?!" Oliver snapped at Clark as he rushed to the opposite sight of his position with bows and arrows.
"I'm going!" Clark groaned. "Don't get your jeans in a bunch!"
"How am I supposed to work with a bunch of amateurs like this?!" Oliver asked Jonathan, Martha, and Conner angrily.
"What's wrong with Oliver, Jonathan?" Conner asked. Oliver seemed a lot snippier than usual.
"Well Conner, the courier we're waiting for was a friend of Ollie's father, Virgil." Jonathan explained.
"He's a freedom fighter, and a Story Keeper for New York, and Oliver wants to make a good impression." Martha explained.
"Here he comes!" Lois shouted from the tree.
"Positions everybody!" Oliver said at once as everyone prepared to defend themselves and Virgil.
Virgil, a sandy-haired man with blue eyes like Clark's, rushed to their position, chased by several guards.
"He's not gonna make it!" Bruce exclaimed.
"I'll activate the emergency barricade!" Oliver shouted as he fired an arrow at a bundle of barrels, but he instead hit a wall.
Working quickly, Jonathan took another arrow and severing the rope himself, releasing several barrels that blocked the soldiers' path.
"You Christians can't escape Luthor's justice forever!" Brainiac shouted as he slipped and fell while the others hid.
Inside the farm, Jonathan shook Virgil's hand.
"Virgil." Jonathan said with a smile.
"We're so glad to have you with us." Martha said happily.
"Not as glad as I am, Martha." Virgil said, catching his breath after his extended chase. "For a moment there, I didn't think I'd make it. Now, where's Ollie?"
Jonathan went to check and found Kell shooting a sand back with a bulls-eye on it with arrows.
"Ollie, don't you wanna see, Virgil?" Jonathan asked.
"I can't believe I missed that shot." Oliver groaned. "He's going to be so disappointed."
"Everyone misses a shot now and then." Jonathan points out.
"You don't understand, Jonathan." Oliver sighed. "My dad was the greatest leader the Story Keepers of Star City ever had. He'd never have missed."
"There you are!" Virgil called out as he came over to them with Conner. "Oliver!"
"Uncle Virgil, watch this!" Oliver shouted as he hit a tree with an arrow. "I don't understand!" Oliver said angrily. "This never happens!"
"Well, you hit the mark when it counted." Virgil said comfortingly. "You saved my neck back there."
"I thought Jonathan hit the tar-" Conner began to say before Clark quickly covered his mouth.
Virgil then looked Oliver over and smiled.
"You are the image of your father, God rest your soul." Virgil said. "I also bet you're every bit the leader he was too. That reminds me, I have something for you."
Virgil reached into his pocket and held up a necklace with an angular G on it.
"Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough." Virgil said. "It's your family crest."
Oliver put the necklace on.
"Thanks Uncle Virgil." Oliver said with a smile. "I promise I'll be worthy of it."
"Virgil, did you and Ollie's dad really led an uprising in Gotham?" Bruce asked as he suddenly popped up.
"Did you really defeat an entire garrison of Luthor's troops in Metropolis?" Lois asked as well.
"Tell us about the freedom fights in Star City!" Clark called out.
"That's enough!" Oliver snapped. "Uncle Virgil doesn't have time to entertain a bunch of children!"
"Well of course I do." Virgil said with a smile at Jonathan's young charges. "Ollie, you remember the way Jesus said we should treat children?"
"What?" Conner asked. "What did he say?"
"Well Conner," Virgil said as he sat down and picked Conner up and set Conner on his lap. "One day, Jesus and his disciples were on the way to Jerusalem. It had been a long, hard journey. The disciples had become irritable and were quarreling with one another.
"During a stop and meal at a welcoming house, Jesus asked, 'What were you arguing about earlier?'
"As it turned out, they had been arguing about which one of them was the most important.
"In response to this, Jesus picked up a young boy that giggled, and Jesus said, 'I have already told you that my kingdom belongs to people who are like this child.'
"The disciples knew how important children were to Jesus because of something that had happened on another occasion. Jesus was teaching as the disciples tried to keep the children out.
"Noticing this, Jesus said, 'Let the boys and girls come to me. Don't stop them. Anyone who does not accept God's kingdom like a little boy or girl will not get inside.'
"So you see, Oliver, Jesus holds children in very high regards."
"As do I, Virgil." Oliver said grandly. "What good is a leader without followers? Alright everyone, break time's over. Attention!"
All the children stood erect.
"It's time to show Uncle Virgil how efficiently we can set up for tonight's meeting. Move out!"
All the children walked off.
"You know Virgil, I think Ollie might have missed the point of your story." Jonathan observed as Oliver ordered the children around like an army sergeant.
"I think you're right." Virgil said plainly.
At Lionel's Metropolis palace, he was observing a model of Smallville as Lex watched in silent disgust.
"Now let's see..." Lionel pondered. "Where shall I build my new Pantheon? Try to the south, Dominic!"
Dominic picked up the model of the pantheon and walked off as Brainiac arrived.
"Hail, Luthor!" Brainiac called out.
"Ah, Brainiac." Lionel said offhandedly. "I understand you lost another Christian courier in Smallville's market district."
"Lionel," Brainiac defended. "The district is riddled with secret passages and tunnels. It's impossible to accurately patrol... So what if we burned it to the ground?"
"Hm..." Lionel observed. "That would provide a perfect spot for my pantheon. Don't just stand there, Dominic!"
"But Dad, a fire in the market district could kill hundreds of people!" Lex protested.
"Wonderful." Lionel said with a wicked grin, which after becoming a Christian, Lex noticed more and more. "Brainiac, have you a plan?"
"As a matter of fact," Brainiac said as he held up the model of a huge canon. "I call it, The Wrath of Luthor."
"Impressive." Lionel observed as he put a small charge in there and fired at the model of New Smallville's market district, setting half the thing ablaze. "Oh, I like it."
Lex quietly slid over to a servant fried of his, Davis Bloome, and knelt down low to avoid being heard.
"You must get word to Jonathan." Lex whispered. "He's holding a meeting tonight in the market district. I'll do what I can to stall Brainiac, now go."
Davis nodded and sneaked off, Lionel absorbed in the simulation of the market district burning to the ground. Lionel sickened Lex to his very core these days.
Uh-oh. It's never good when Brainiac's happy.