A/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry for not posting in a while! Been working on something else!

Chapter 16

Kara reeled from her announcement, retreating a step. Barry stared at her, his muscles coiled, ready to do whatever needed to be done if Kara gave the word.

"Lena? You think I'm Supergirl?" Kara asked, trying to laugh. She saw the look on her friend's face—the disappointment blended with a deep sense of betrayal, and Kara's heart just about shattered.

She saw that the next five seconds would determine their relationship. The lie of who she was had scared her, as she wondered what the reaction would be if Lena had ever found out. Now her eyes stared back at her with an unfamiliar glean she would always see first when she looked back if Kara couldn't convince her otherwise.

"Don't bother denying it, Kara. I know you are Supergirl. It all makes sense," Lena responded, her voice a mere whisper as she staggered backwards.

Kara reached for Lena, the woman allowing her to. "Lena, I don't know what you're talking about. Of course I'm not Supergirl."

She shook her head, her eyes glazing over, no doubt replaying ever interaction that they had. Every talk, lunch, every ridiculously preposterous lie she had conjured up to leave and save someone's life. Everything. The months she had spent fabricating a double life to keep who she was from her best friend. Every interaction they had every had was surely under scrutiny as Lena tore apart each carefully constructed sentence

"I've been studying this for hours, Kara. I'm not some crazed fanatic grasping at straw! I know you are Supergirl."

Barry raised his hands and approached the woman, feeling very awkward and very out of place at the moment. The air was ripe with a tension that disputed any possible knowledge that might allow Barry to know how this was going to unfold.

"Lena, I can vouch for her. She's not Supergirl," he insisted, his voice slow and careful.

"And why should I give a damn what you say? I don't even know who you are," she retorted, her gaze whipping towards him, her eyes narrowed at the man she only just seemed to notice was in the room.

"I'm Barry Allen. I mean, I guess you shouldn't, I mean I would like you too, but I get why you don't." He noticed the confused looks and hurried to clarify. "I'm Kara's boyfriend. I know for a fact she isn't Supergirl."

Kara closed her eyes, already seeing where this was going and how Lena was going to respond. Barry, for all his good intentions, was not going to be able to refute the facts that were already filling Lena's head and clearing any doubt she might have had.

"Your opinion still doesn't sway me. If anything, your argument works against your claim," Lena countered.

She grabbed a newspaper off her board and a different picture as well, holding them at eye view to Kara.

"That's you. Please don't try to lie, Kara. I already feel like an idiot for not noticing my best friend was Supergirl."

Kara stuttered, her face turning a deep red. One moment. One friendship. Her pulse quickened.

"Lena, I-I can't," she whispered, her heart cracking with each word.

She nodded, resignation undeniably covering her face. "I know. I was angry. I wanted to be furious that my best friend had lied to me this whole time about who she was, but it wasn't my secret, and I understand why. I know why." She bit her lip. "The only part that matters is the fact that Kara Danvers has always been my hero just as Supergirl has always been National City's. But they both believed in me, and that's why I can't hate them. I don't have it in me, but I need some space to digest what happened to my mother, to my whole way of thinking. I created a monster meant to kill my best friend," she murmured to herself, horrified. "I-I need space."

Lena's face was stained with tears, and Kara grimaced with every tear that fell from her eye. Each word seemed to pierce her invulnerable skin right to her heart. She had expected this, but she never expected it to hurt as much as it did right now.

"O-of course, Lena. I-I," she paused thinking better of it, "—of course."

Lena nodded, her face red and puffy. She had felt like a fool, she still felt like a fool. She was now even more responsible for the loss of Mon-El, for so many other things that had hurt Supergirl because they had inadvertently hurt Kara as well. Barry Allen might be her boyfriend right now, but Kara's face still bore the pain of losing Mon-El and losing her planet. She didn't know how she hadn't seen it before. The haunted countenance hidden behind a sunny alter ego, the reserved, unsure personality, the slouched physical difference from the straight backed superhero, hands on her hips and ready to defeat the threat ahead.

It was the stereotypical hero disguise that she saw in damn comics, yet Kara masterfully pulled it off. It was almost as if she were a split person, and in some ways she was. She was so confident is certain areas and then clueless in others. She wanted to be able to say it was Kara's amazing acting that fooled her, but in truth it was her ignorance. She had all the signs in front of her. The power to perhaps change how she had acted and save Mon-El.

Angrily she shoved her palms into the board, pushing it back and watching as it slammed into the wall behind it sending everything tacked on to the ground.

She didn't know what to do. For the first time in a long time, Lena Luther was lost.

Kara dragged Barry out of the building, the two of them nearly becoming a blur to the people around them. He could see the tears on the brim of her eyes. This woman, Lena Luther, was important to her, and he could see through the strong façade she was slowly starting to build to hide her feelings.

"Kara. Kara, wait up!" he called after her, grabbing her wrist.

"What should I wait for Barry?" Kara demanded, whipping around to face him. "Lena h-hates me, and I-I just lost a friend. Rao, she even knows I'm Supergirl! How the hell did she figure that out?" She tore her hand from his grip, her fingers raking through her hair. "I can't believe this. What have I done?"

Barry reached out again, grabbing her hand and holding it between both of his, trying desperately to provide her with some sort of comfort—anything to help her. "Kara, listen! Lillian must have told her before she died. Kara, you can't blame yourself for this. She doesn't hate you. She just needs space."

"Space, Barry? She needs space? Like hell she does! She never wants to see me again! I-I lied to her. I-I looked her in the eyes and lied."

Barry let go of her hand, moving to cup her cheek in his hand. "Hey. Hey, you're going to be fine, Kara. You and Lena are going to be fine. She's not mad at you. Space and time. Sometimes it's the best thing we can do. I need you to trust me, okay?"

Kara laid her head on his chest, Barry's arm wrapping around her back and pulling her close as if he could wield off any other misguided fears just by hugging her.

"Let's get back. There's nothing more we can do," he said, his voice low and gentle.

Kara nodded, wiping her face and attempting to compose herself. Her phone buzzed, and she saw a text from her sister.

/turns out oliver is coming today. He heard the news and wanted to come asap. Hes going to train u and then a meeting. /

Kara groaned. "Great," she muttered to herself, typing a quick response.

/Super. Thnx/

/you're going to be fine kara. I put my money on u winning/

Kara rolled her eyes. "I'm going to die."

/yeah I'll totally win. Barry and I are heading back. Be there soon/

Kara looked up towards Barry, showing him her phone. "Let's head back. Apparently Oliver is coming today."

Barry sucked in a breath, carefully wiping stray tears from her face. "Be careful. Check the area for arrows. You never know what he is going to do."

"Are you saying he's going to shoot me?" Kara questioned, incredulous and slightly afraid.

He shook his head. "Probably not." He paused. "Hopefully not."

Face palming her forehead, she groaned and the two of them walked back. Kara couldn't forget Lena, and the crushing distance that she was supposed to heed to. Lena was her best friend. Shaking her head, she remembered Barry's advice, determined to give her space and time.

The two entered the DEO, Kara's fear growing exponentially as she thought of arrows piercing her skin. Barry recognized the look and didn't know whether to laugh or give her a hug. He settled for both, grabbing her in a tight embrace.

"Kara? I was joking…mostly. He's not going to shoot you. You'll be fine. I think J'onn wants me to get situated at the DEO and we'll go from there."

Kara glanced at him skeptically. "Are you sure you want to work at the DEO?"

Barry shrugged. "I don't know. It's not really my speed—"

"Barry!"

"—but I don't know if there are any other places for me to work."

"What about NCPD? Pretty sure they're in need of a lean genius speedster as their top forensic scientist."

"Great! Sounds like I fit the bill." He laughed. "I'll think about it."

"Good." She plastered a painted smile on her face, sucking in a deep breath. "Well, I guess I should show the Green Arrow how we superheroes do it in National City, huh?"

Barry shook his head and leaned in, kissing her. Her nerves vanished for a second as the two parted down two different hallways. She entered the Kryptonite room, seeing Oliver, decked in his Green Arrow suit and holding his bow.

Kara gulped, seeing an arrow already nocked in. "What, uh, what are you doing with that?" she asked, her muscles coiled in anticipation.

"Has anyone realized what a terrible idea this is?" he asked her.

"Wh-what?"

"This," he clarified, his hands gesturing to the vast area in front of him. "No one thought it would be bad to have you constantly exposed to the only mineral that can hurt you? Not to mention this room is easier to break into than the revolving doors at S.T.A.R. labs."

"Well, I mean, the DEO is pretty secure anyways, so we always thought it would be enough to have it encrypted to mine, Alex's, and J'onn's handprint."

"Which would be a good idea if it wasn't hackable. For god's sake, Felicity could probably hack this an earth away."

"Oliver, are you just going to whine about how poorly guard the DEO is or are we going to train?" Kara retorted, already sick at his constant complaining.

"That's the point, Kara. You guys are reckless. You don't take the necessary precautions to keep a damn government facility properly safe. Then you catapult yourself into situations without waiting and get your ass handed to you be people you should easily be able to beat." He took a breath and pointed to a bowl of water in the middle of the platform.

"What? Do you want me to drink it or something?" Kara questioned, leaning over to inspect the bowl, half expecting it to explode in her face.

"No. Slap it. I turned the levels up just enough to neutralize your powers. Slap the water."

"Oliver, are you joking?" She was about one second away from running and getting Dr. Hamilton to see if he had a concussion.

"Yes. Slap the water. I'll be back in an hour."

Kara's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me. You want me to slap this bowl of water for an hour?"

"Yes, I do. When the bowl is empty, fill it back up."

Oliver nodded towards her and exited the room, the doors sliding shut behind him. The last thing he heard was the soft muttering underneath her breath as she sat down, hand raised above the bowl. He met Sara outside of the room, the woman glaring at him.

"You have her hitting a bowl of water, don't you?"

"Yes, I do, Sara."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Why? She's already stronger than all of us combined."

"When she's under the sun. In there, she's weak with pretty much no immune system other than what Caitlin and Alex shoved down her throat when she was recovering. She needs to build up muscle and more importantly, she needs patience."

"Hate to break it to you, Oliver, but I think you're teaching her anger more than patience."

"Sara, instead of questioning my methods, would you mind asking Cisco to try and construct a different kind of room for us to train in? I'm not a scientist, but I highly doubt that continuous exposure to Kryptonite is going to help her."

"Wow, Ollie. That's very nice and smart of you. Of course I will."

The blonde woman strutted off to find Cisco, only tagging along with Oliver because he had asked just in case he needed help training Kara. The man roamed the halls, examining each room and door, every weakness, blind spot, and weapon that the DEO had. He glanced at his watch, noticing an hour had passed and trekked back to the room, opening it to find Kara slam her fist into the bowl and break it.

Oliver rubbed his eyes and walked over to her, seeing the water pour off the sides of the platform and filter into an oddly placed drain in the middle.

"Going well, Kara?"

She whipped around, smiling at him. "Went well the first two times I did it. Then it started to get really really really annoying. What's the point of this?"

He grabbed her hand, looking at her red knuckles. "Kara, do you trust me?"

"Of course, Oliver. But this," she said, pointing to the shattered bowl, "is really pushing it."

"Just trust my teaching. I'm not just making you slap a bowl of water just to slap a bowl of water."

"Great. You're going full Mr. Miyagi, aren't you? Wax on, wax off. Paint the fence but really you're doing karate moves?"

Oliver sighed. "Kara, you aren't taking this seriously. You need to think smarter. Be smarter. It doesn't matter if you can lift one hundred tons if you don't think about what you can do because of it. Geniuses have taken down people stronger than you."

"Oliver, I don't thi—"

He swung his fist at her, connecting with the side of her cheek. Her body, loose and unprepared for the strike, carried with the momentum and flung her body to the side. Oliver tilted his body backwards, kicking with his leg, hitting her stomach. She fell to the floor, angry, and quickly stood up. She rushed him, off balance and lopsided from the multiple hits. Oliver easily redirected the energy a different way, pushing her to the side.

"Don't get angry. Become calculated. When facing a superior opponent, become smarter."

Kara's anger deflated, seeing that her fury was leading her nowhere. Seeing the attack a split second before it happened, she moved out of the way, the hit missing her for the first time since they started.

The two of them gauged each other, reaching a comfortable, fluid movement of fighting. Kara could sense his next move just as he could sense hers. A second after the thought, something changed, and Oliver altered directions, his fist coming back and hitting her again.

"Don't get comfortable. A fight is always changing, moving. Be able to adapt quickly. You are a good fighter, no doubt due to what your sister has already taught you, but you can get better."

He walked over to the wall, turning off the lights. Kara's injuries immediately beginning to heal, the bruises and blood vanishing. Oliver held out his hand, Kara taking it and shaking.

"Not bad. When you first got to earth, how did you control your strength?"

"I didn't. I pretty much destroyed everything in the house before I finally got a hold of it. Jeremiah helped me believe that I could hold back when it came to hugging and shaking hands."

Oliver nodded. "How much can you carry?"

She thought about it. "I'm not sure. I've never really been tested."

"How fast are you?"

"Not sure either. We haven't tested it in a while."

"What about how hot your vision gets? How cold your breath can be? How far can you see? Hear?" He paused a moment, the questions overwhelming her. "I don't think we could ever completely gauge the answer to any of those questions. Barry is constantly getting better; I am constantly getting better. You are as well. However, you don't utilize every arrow in your arsenal. You hold back against an enemy but sometimes you can't. Sometimes you have to give them hell with everything you have. Don't forget about everything else you can do, got it?"

Kara nodded, trying to truly hear what he was saying. She didn't want to fall into any more traps. She didn't want anyone else to die. "Thank you, Oliver."

"Of course, Kara. I'm not a therapist, in fact I rarely share my feelings, but I recognize the benefit of talking about them. With anyone."

Kara nodded, unsure of what to say. Her demons were a part of her. They never left her alone, almost always reemerging when something happened in a fight.

"I'll be here every Monday and Thursday to train if you decide to continue."

"I'll see you then," she responded, winking at him.

She would have to continue training with him. She was fighting recklessly and without a plan. She'd done it her way and people had died. Now it was time to try it his.

Oliver wandered out of the room, moving to inspect the facility even more. For a government facility, this place could serve to be more discreet and guarded.

Kara smiled as he left, the unsettling anger at the embarrassment of sitting and slapping a bowl of water replaced with unwavering trust in her green clad friend from a different earth. Her phone dinged, and she quickly pulled it from her pocket, grinning as soon as she saw Barry's name.

/hey i hope the training wasn't as terrible as u thought/

She swiftly typed out a response.

/it was actually pretty good once i got past having to slap a bowl of water/

/ha. That sounds like a very oliver thing to do…so if you aren't busy meet me at your apartment./

/hm what do you have up your sleeve barry?/

/just meet me there okay?/

"What's with the goofy grin there, sis?" Alex asked, walking up behind her and hovering while she read the messages. She raised an eyebrow at her, pushing her shoulder.

"Of course it's Barry."

"What's that supposed to mean, Alex?" Kara asked.

"Oh nothing."

"Alex!"

"Fine! Fine! It's just really nice seeing you so happy. Barry's a good guy."

"Yeah he is. But don't worry, Alex! I already promised you sister nights will still continue boyfriend or no boyfriend."

"Thank you. I'm going to hold you to that, alright? But we've talked enough, and I know you're anxious to go see said boyfriend. Go ahead," Alex said, ushering her out of the Kryptonite room.

"Thanks, Alex. Love you, bye!" she called after her as she blurred out of the room and to her apartment.

Changing quickly and pressing her glasses up her nose, she slowly opened the door and gasped in surprise. The room was dimly lit, the apartment transformed into a private dining area with rose petals littered across the floor. Her table was set with a crisp, white tablecloth draped over and fine china on top. Barry appeared out of seemingly nowhere, taking her hand in his.

Kara's heart quickened as her eyes glanced over his pressed tux and the single rose in his hand, offered out to her. Her fingers brushed against his as she took the rose from his outstretched hand.

"Barry, I-I don't even know what to say."

He smiled at her, the familiar mischievous glean in his eye connecting with the soft blue of her own.

"Well, our relationship never really came from orthodox means, and I think we deserve at least this kind of normalcy, right?"

Kara grinned at him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "I still can't believe this. It's amazing, Barry."

He gently pulled her into the room, shutting the door behind them and ushering her to a seat.

"Kara, I know that we've gone through so much in such a short amount of time and being…well, superheroes doesn't exactly give us the luxuries of a normal couple, but I want this. I don't want to go back to my earth. I talked to J'onn today and told him I didn't want to work at the DEO and I got a job at NCPD. I bought my own apartment, Winn set me up with every legal document I'm going to need, and I have everything I could ever want right here."

"Barry," she exclaimed through a small smile, "I-I-I'm…I'm, well, so…happy. About everything. The job, the apartment, just everything."

"Me too." Barry grinned. "But I think we pretty much exhausted Winn with all the documents he had to make. The poor guy was practically a shell of himself when I left the DEO."

She laughed, picturing her friend passed out on top of the consoles. "Winn's awesome. Cisco's bunking with him?"

"Yeah. They've already bonded over pretty much everything. Anyone else would swear they were doppelgangers," he jokes, grabbing her hand almost absentmindedly.

Her heart flutters with the contact, feeling suddenly like a high school girl on her first date. The romantic but relaxed ambience of the whole night filling her from her core with a happiness she hadn't felt since Mon-El.

"I'm not surprised. What about Cait? Has she found someplace to live?"

"I think she's looking at a place right now. Either way, everyone's settling in," he assures her, immediately knowing what she really asking. He shifts in his seat, and she catches the momentary discomfort before he covers it up with a quick grin.

"What's wrong?"

He shakes his head, his other hand moving to his neck in a gesture she clearly interprets as an uneasiness. His eyes shift downwards before meeting hers, his eyebrows narrowed in shy guilt.

"Kara…I-what happened to Mon-El?" he asks carefully, his eyes searching hers for any ignited anger at the innocent question.

She winces, knowing the question was bound to be asked. Her throat tightens, her mind flashing back to that day, and the deep pain she hadn't felt before. She can still picture her thumb pressing down on the button that saved the world but condemned her boyfriend, the first person she truly loved, to the darkness of space. The emptiness and never-ending dim glow of stars as the pod zoomed past the blackness. She knew what it felt like to be trapped, scared, and unsure of what would happen—if she would die or live, and yet she pressed the button.

Taking a deep breath and looking up, meeting Barry's concerned eyes with hers—filled with guilt, shame, and pain.

"I-I had to-to send him to space. I-I killed him." The words felt like concrete, heavy and weighted. They burn as they leave her mouth and strangely she feels empty, almost numb from the proclamation.

Barry immediately squeezes her hand, leaning forward to try and look into her eyes. Her cheeks flush, and she slowly turns her face towards his, fearing the inevitable horror that must have been painting every crease and indention etched on his face. She knows with fierce certainty that he must be disappointed because of the intense failure she feels each time she even thinks of the roguishly handsome Daxamite who had slowly but surely changed into an amazing man.

The deep blue of her irises connect with his, and she's taken aback by the sincere sympathy in his eyes. The love swirling in with a deep understanding and for a second she forgets the pain and disappointment, focusing solely on the man in front of her.

His hand reaches out, cupping her cheek, and the trance is broken, leaving her with the broken emotions and feelings she had so suddenly vanquished.

"Kara," he says softly, brushing a slow falling tear from her cheek. "You gave him a chance at living. You made sure he didn't die, and wherever he is, he's alive because of you, and he's a better person too."

"Barry," she whispers, trying desperately to believe his words. To retain comfort in the simple declarations he was saying, knowing full and well that she did save him but unable to separate it from the deeply rooted frustration at not knowing where and how he was.

Staring into his eyes, she knew that she loved Barry. She had loved him ever since he had rushed through the portal and whisked her from the air, depositing them both in the barren outskirts of the city. She knew this, but she was also acutely aware that Mon-El's banishment from Earth was something she had to come to terms with if she ever wanted to move forward with Barry. She owed it to herself and to him, but the pain had invaded every aspect of her mind and moving on felt like an injustice to the love she had for Mon-El. Her heart was constricted, suffocating her and preventing her from fully devoting herself to the present instead of lagging one foot behind in the past.

But looking at the man in front of her, seeing the love and concern that was so earnest, she understood that she wanted to move on, to move past pushing Mon-El into the pod and build something with Barry.

"I'm scared," she admitted, the confession tearing her apart with a childlike vulnerability she had never expected to feel again. "Mon-El, he was, I…I'm afraid that each time I get close to having everything, the universe just proves to me that I wasn't sent here to be…human. To have a boyfriend, a job, a best friend even. What if I'm just meant to have…this?" she asks, her hand moving to gesture in between the both of them.

Barry's eyes crinkle, his eyebrows narrowing. "Kara, of course you are!" he asserts, his voice shaking with a ferocity she's not sure she's ever heard from him. "Kara, you deserve everything the world has to offer you. You mother would have wanted that, Mon-El would have wanted that."

Kara smiles with each word. She's felt the pain of Mon-El's absence every time she's looked at the bed in her apartment or the room where they trained and forced herself to abstain from anyone, accepting that she wasn't meant to be human, that she was fully Kryptonian. Leaning forward and pressing her lips against his, she believes him.

Maybe she could have everything.

Lex Luthor was happy. He was ecstatic. Everything was going according to plan, and he couldn't hope for a better partner. His mother had been afraid of him, fearing he had gone mentally insane. He wasn't oblivious to the haunted look she had stared at him with. He was very cognizant of what everyone said behind his back, he just didn't care.

He was going to get everything he wanted, everything he deserved. His plan's only flaw was the necessity of working with incompetent people. He needed their gifts, but he was unable to make them do exactly as he wished. The plan was risked by people who were unable to see the bigger picture.

The stupid psychic was getting dangerously close to trying to think for himself, the blasted fool. He couldn't just follow directions, and they were unable to find anyone else capable of even remotely countering J'onn J'onzz's telepathic abilities. The idiot physicist Simon Jones was starting to become a problem and a loose end. However, they couldn't get rid of him yet. He still had use. He had managed to trick the heroes that they had a breacher. They never suspected a telepath strong enough to control one of their own.

But the plan was solid. Developed to perfection by…him. No one else had seen him except Lex and his mother, but for some reason the two had developed a mutual respect circling around common goals. Lex himself had only seen it two times, on his way to make it a third.

The door in front of him, scanned his body, the red light moving quickly before making a dinging sound and allowing him to enter. The room was dark, almost no light allowed inside. Lex had to move slowly, fearing falling. He used his hands, feeling the sides of the wall until he was sure he was in front of him.

"Our plan is moving as planned," he informed him.

He heard a deep sigh and rustle in front, followed by the raspy voice.

"Good. Subjects are unaware?"

"Of course. They have no idea we are monitoring them."

"Well done." He paused. "Proceed. Ask."

Lex swallowed, used to the being able to recall what he wanted. "What exactly is your plan?"

"Information. The foundation for any worthwhile civilization. As one of earth's most intelligent minds, I expected you to understand. These so called heroes parade around without any inclination towards power. A noble cause yet primitive and short sighted. You are unsure of why I have commanded you to do as you have done."

"I am," Lex admitted.

The man tilted his head staring down at him. The plan was simple to him. He understood everything before it happened, working it out in his mind with such detail that it was foolproof. However, when fools like Lex Luthor couldn't grasp the nature of his actions, often playing along until they no longer saw the bigger picture. Then doubt would spread, feeding into their twisted, deep paranoia. He had done much research on humans, and their relentless hubris that often led to their downfall. Their myopic attitudes had destroyed what could have been grand empires. People like Lex Luthor needed information to lead them to make choices they felt would further their own goals. He would throw a bone, and like a dog Lex would grab hold of his plan with both hands, ignorant and stupid.

"It seems as though the superheroes have…won. They managed to save Supergirl, unite themselves, destroy the barriers, kill Lillian, and incarcerate some of our assets."

"One cannot win a war without the knowledge of those they hope to beat. Knowledge, Mr. Luthor, is what win wars. Your generals of earth implement spies in place to gather intel on their enemy. They sacrifice a pawn to win the game. Supergirl served her purpose, as did the others. Due to Mr. Lord's mind control we know about Caitlin Snow and her unusual power set. I have seen the altered timeline that Barry Allen has created, and I know his limitations. I understand the extent of J'onn J'onzz powers as well as Cisco Ramon. These heroes can unite under one mantle but it is of no consequence. Project Superboy was merely a test for our applied science division and their capabilities. His unfortunate awakening will bear no effect on our plans. Our research gathered by the hand off of Kryptonite allows us to make an infinite supply and Superboy has allowed us to replicate a Kryptonian's unique powers. The facility that barred the teams from crossing dimensions was a distraction as I gathered more knowledge. Barry Allen's speed is now replicable, and phase two can begin. The explosion of both research facilities created the quarantined zone I required for the next phase of planning. The radiation is too toxic for any human. Supergirl is damaged, her confidence shattered. Her weaknesses have been brought to light as well as the weaknesses of others."

"And what of the others in our alliance?"

"Dr. Jones is still important to the plan. We will need his abilities. The others will be left alone. They will provide ample distraction for the next course of action."

"What about Lord? He was taken by the DEO."

"Leave him. He knows nothing to implicate us."

"Project N.O.W.H.E.R.E will be underway as soon as possible. Superboy was a success, and the team is confident they have enough information to continue without Lena or Lillian."

"Knowledge, Mr. Luthor. Knowledge is what will allow us to win."

Lex squirmed under the gaze of the alien in front of him. The pulsing nothingness in his pupils was…unearthly. It was indescribable the way he projected a certainty, a confidence in his plan. The intricate planning and unwavering certitude always left him in a constant state perturbation. He couldn't escape it.

"Why…why are you here?"

"Colu, Krypton, and now Earth. They will be my legacy and evidence of the power of knowledge. Goodbye, Mr. Luthor. Make sure you can finish what you have claimed you are able to accomplish."

He could sense the end of the conversation. He didn't have nearly enough of the answers he wished he had, and his desire to know more was hardly satisfied. It was grating not to be in charge, to be the one calling the shots. His ego was burning, but he was merely waiting for the best time to usurp this foreign bastard.

"Who are you?"

The creature stood, the air seeming to chill with each breath he took. He could feel the trembling as its feet pounded against the ground. Lex had never caught a clear glimpse of the extraterrestrial being, except for his condemned gaze, but to see all of him now was unsettling to say the least. He was well over six feet, metal surrounding the entire exterior of his body. He saw purple seeping through his metallic veins and smooth, thin bars that extended from metal plates on his head, connecting in a purple circle.

Lex didn't even see him move before his was unsettlingly close to him, his eyes level with the demon's. Or whatever this…thing was.

"I have been called many things throughout the universe, each one only an attempt to label a being they cannot comprehend. Some that are unpronounceable for a human."

Lex bristled at the insinuation. "I'm a smart man. Try me."

"Mr. Luthor, your insistence at such petty exhibitions of power are unnecessary. I have accumulated many names throughout my reign, but I have grown quite fond of a particular one."

Lex shivered, feeling a chill sweep through the air.

"I am Brainiac."