Chapter 48

"The League's not what it used to be, and it needs manpower."

Claire, along with Megan, Kara, and Harry arrived outside of the Kent Farm House in Smallville. They stopped outside of the end of the driveway to talk about the situation regarding the League and all of the issues. Several members adopting more independent work.

"I know you need manpower, but I have concerns," Harry said.

"I understand, and we want your help to work them out," Claire said. "The remaining members are going to have a vote this weekend to allow the senior team into the League."

Three years ago, the vote might not have happened the way it did. Three years ago, the League had not been in such a desperate situation and spread a bit thin. Especially given the fact six key members still did not know what happened one night over three years ago.

Although Claire was feeling something unsettling, almost a clue of what was going on.

"I'll give it some consideration," Harry said. "But, I'm not making any promises."

'All I want you to do is think about it," Claire said.

"You okay?" Kara asked suddenly. "You look really tired."

"I've...well I've not been sleeping well," Claire said. "Busy with the League, and other things."

Kara's "BS" detector went off something fierce. She folded her arms and looked her cousin dead on in the eye. Claire finally stepped back and both Harry and Megan could see the situation.

"Dreams...well more like nightmares."

"About what?" Harry asked.

"About...blue aliens," Claire said. "I think they might be repressed memories from the sixteen hours. They come in fragments, and I can't make sense of a lot of it, except for one thing. Stabbing a blue alien in the chest."

None of them knew what to say about that. It appeared this had been the first time Claire told anyone about the nightmares. Harry pulled his mother close to her.

"I know you want to know, but don't force the memories," Harry said.

"Right, right," Claire said.

"Does anyone else know about this?" Kara asked.

"No ....I haven't told anyone...not even Lois about them," Claire said. "I don't wake up screaming, thankfully, just in a cold sweat, but it's enough to chill my bones."

Kara pressed her lips together with a disapproving frown. Claire might have been having these nightmares for months. Despite the age difference due to the time she spent in stasis, Clara was still her baby cousin.

"Don't tell Ma, please," Claire said. "I don't want to her to fret over me."

"Alright, but you know Martha will pick up on the back that something's wrong eventually," Kara said. "You should know that better than I do."

Claire swallowed a little bit and nodded. She knew, but wanted to keep this under wraps. The thought she had been an murder, unwillingly chilled the Woman of Steel to her bones.

Harry led the way, with Marie inside to meet both of them, Along with Lana, Martha, and also Chloe, who had been looking in far better spirits these days.

"Marie, glad to see that you made it out here," Harry said.

"Yeah, the Farm's a bit of a break, from all of the meetings I've been through," Marie said. "I really can't believe they are making Hello Megan into a broadway play...of all of the things. I mean, I guess it has a far more dedicated fan following than I thought, but you would think that it would not be as big."

"Be proud that you've inspired someone to do great things," Harry said. "Besides, all of the proceeds are going to wildlife preservation."

Marie nodded, true. They had hinted there would be big things for the future of the Hello Megan Franchise, if the play had gone off correctly. Including a full fledged revival spinoff. Pretty insane given how Hello Megan was a one-season wonder with a very shaky timeslot which got moved around six times during the season. She would never consider it to be a franchise, but there you go.

"Yeah, but...you really did out there well too Harry," Megan said. "So, what's the deal between you and Scarlett anyway? Did she call you back after that night?"

"Wait, the two of you...of course you did," Marie said with a smile.

"She does look a lot like Natasha, you know, only with blonde hair," Megan said with a smile. "Unless, Natasha's moonlighting as a famous Hollywood actress, and you're not telling us something."

Harry said nothing. He turned to Lana and Chloe.

"So, how are things with you two?" Harry asked.

"Good, very good," Lana said. "Jan and I were putting together a new line for the European market, and also a few new toys, you might want to take a look at it."

Harry would have to keep that one in mind.

"So, Chloe?" Claire asked.

"You look like an unmade bed," Chloe said. "Lois been riding you hard?"

'Always,' Claire said. "Seriously, how are you?"

"Well, it's been a long time, but I'm getting better," Chloe said. "I mean it, I've been talking to Dinah about three times a week, about...what happened. And also about my anger issues regarding Lex and how I want to stab him right in his bald head."

Harry blinked at how casually Chloe mentioned her desire to murder Lex Luthor.

"And I'm far from her only patient these days," Chloe said with a soft sigh. "But, doing good. I thought that I was out of the game, but I'm making a comeback and….I really want to shut down what Lex is doing."

"Chloe, don't...don't do this out of petty revenge," Claire said.

"My revenge is far from petty, Clara," Chloe said. "It's not just me. It's you….it's Thea...it's everyone that Lex's games have fucked with over the years. Shame, we thought he would never become his father, and I guess we were right….something on a grander scale than Lionel could ever imagine."

"Sorry, I'm all out of eggs...haven't been out to the barn…."

"I'll get them," Harry said.

"I'll come along," Kara said.

"And….I'll help," Chloe said. "As long as there's no creepy dolls out there in the barn."

"Don't worry, if there is, I'll take care of them," Harry said.

"My hero," Chloe swooned, hanging off of Harry with a wide grin on her face.

The trio made the trip outside of the barn. A simple enough job, only for Harry to stop short and looked around. Someone's foot crackled underneath something. Kara and Harry stood up.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"There's someone here," Harry said.

Chloe turned to the shadows and saw a glimpse of someone on the barn. Harry saw her too and it was a very familiar face, although one they had not seen in over three years.

'Megan, get out here! You're not going to believe this!'

Megan rushed out to the barn. She almost tripped over a rake in her haste. Face to face, she came to the same girl who over three years ago, stabbed Marie on New Years eve. About as terrified as a cornered rabbit, almost as if she saw something.

"I can't read her mind," Megan said. "I mean, I can't understand her mind. She's not thinking in any language, it's almost like she's never been taught to speak any language."

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked.

For a second, the girl stared at Chloe, almost as if she did not process Chloe's words. Yet, she picked up on both the tone of the voice and Chloe's body language, before shaking her leg. The girl, no more than fourteen years of age, by the looks of her, rose up to her feet.

"It's you, you stabbed her," Megan said.

The girl's eyes widened and she nodded in Megan's direction. Swallowing the lump in her throat, the girl had no statement.

"Yes, that's her."

Marie stepped into the barn behind them and looked at the girl. She remembered everything. The girl might be a few years older, but it was the same one. The last thing Marie saw before she blacked out from the stab wounds was the look of terror in those eyes.

Almost as if she did not understand what she did, until the stabbing concluded. The girl's deep, raspy breaths came out and she pointed forward, towards the opening.

Despite the girl's inability to speak any kind of spoken language, or think it even, Harry picked up plenty from her body language. And she had come to his farm, not because of any person in particular, but because it was a convenient place to get out of the way.

"We're not alone," Harry said.

Something flickered in the shadows, something far less benign then this speechless young woman. Out of the corner of Harry's eye, he saw something flying at him. He picked up Marie and Chloe and jumped them behind Jonathan Kent's old rusted tractor.

Two ninja stars bounced harmlessly off of the tractor. They pinged and left a small dent in the tractor.

The first of the shadow mercenaries almost took Megan's head off. She shifted at the last minute. The mercenary pulled back and released a flashback explosion from a dropped ball. Megan staggered back a couple of inches and broke out into a very intense coughing fit.

Kara dodged a glowing dagger which almost sliced against her cheek from the impact. These enhanced weapons would even break the Kryptonian skin. She dodged the attack and swept the man's leg from underneath him. The man duplicated into three and surrounded Kara.

The Girl of Steel activated her X-Ray vision and came to the conclusion one of them was thicker than the other. Therefore, she punched the thicker of the men in the chest.

The girl, with Chloe and Marie now, peered up.

"Why are these people after you?" Marie asked.

The girl pointed to Marie and then to her, and then made the throat slitting motion against her neck. One of the mercenaries almost dove over the tractor to stab at the girl, until Harry grabbed him around the waist and slammed the man down against the wall.

Three chains came out from three different mercenaries, or rather the same one split in half. Kara broke free one more time and bounced to them. The mercenary kept splitting in half with each punch from Kara.

She stopped and the mercenary charged Kara.

Harry came back down and disrupted their particles with a movement with his hand. The mercenary snapped back into one just in time for Harry to bind down to the ground.

One of them sliced through the tractor, with a sword. The girl rolled out of the way and a toolbox went flying.

Marie's eyes widened as the mercenary lunged at her for an attempting stabbing. Only to find out the sword went completely through her when she went intangible.

Numb shock it both Marie and the mercenary at the same time. Neither knew precisely what to do at this point in time.

Chloe picked a crowbar from the toolbox and smashed it over the back of the head of the surprised mercenary. A flash of glowing energy came out of Chloe's eye when she swung the crowbar and smashed it over the back of the head of the goon.

Repeatedly, Chloe smashed the mercenary over and over in the head with a crowbar. Breathing heavily, Chloe felt a surprisingly strong hand grab her. The bloodlust flowing through Chloe, the anger at these mercenaries attacking her home, made Chloe seethe with rage.

The young girl held Chloe back, calming her down. The mercenary was out of it, nearly beaten by death by Chloe. And the other two had been taken down.

Megan locked onto the mind of the mercenary who struggled. Pushing a little bit harder, Megan forced her way into the man's mind.

"They were sent here by the League of Shadows to tie up a loose end," Megan said. "And this...she's the loose end."

The girl nodded confirming what they already knew. Chloe, Marie, and the girl rose up to their feet, with Harry making sure the assassins were put to sleep.

"I….I went intangible," Marie murmured.

"My blood," Megan muttered underneath her breath. "It changed you."

Marie's hand shifted from white to green. Yes, it did change her, but exactly how, she did not know.

Few things these days would shock Harry. One of them happened to be the world famous Lady Shiva, sitting at the Kent Dinner table, casually drinking a cup of coffee, alongside Martha, Lana, and Claire.

The girl's eyes widened with fear and she took a half of a step behind Harry. Harry stood up.

"Well, Lady Shiva," Harry said. "You don't normally come by without a reason...and without a knife intended for a prospective victim."

"Yes, but this is not a normal situation," Lady Shiva said. "I've been traveling the world, searching for David Cain. My once lover. One night of passion, lead to almost fifteen years worth of regrets. Being unable to rescue my daughter from being fine-tuned into a weapon. A weapon which Cain used to try and increase his standing within the Light, while also discrediting Queen Bee. With his rogue splinter group of assassins, and also his support of the Quarac government, although not this much these days."

"We know this," Megan said.

"So, Cain sent your daughter after me, to stab me, just because of some political game," Marie said.

"Unfortunately, although you were an enticing target given your very public defiance of Queen Bee," Shiva said. "For, if Hadrian did not have her wrapped around his finger...and other body parts, she might have done something to you alone. But, it made people think she had something to do, and if I know Marina, she has a sufficient amount of pride not to defend herself."

Marie could not hardly say anything. She could also see this girl, barely able to face Lady Shiva.

"Cain, won't be a problem once I catch up to him and with the mercenaries you have subdued, I have enough evidence where he's heading," Shiva said. "Although, you may wish to keep your bloodlust in check in the future, because that could cause a problem."

Chloe wondered how Shiva could have known. Then again, this was Lady Shiva.

"The woman who raised Superwoman is a good enough guardian for my daughter," Shiva said. "If you would….because she needs a more stable home environment."

"I would be honored," Martha said. "But, she's….is she in any danger any more?"

"No, because I will make it known that anyone who comes after her will experience my full displeasure and the Daughters of the Demon will back me on this point," Shiva said.

"Does she have a name?" Harry asked.

Here, Shiva pondered very quietly and thoughtfully.

"I never had a chance to even name my child before she had been swiped from me in my drugged state," Shiva said. "However, I always liked the name, Cassandra."

"Would Cassandra be fine?" Harry asked her.

The newly dubbed Cassandra nodded in response.

"I could not be a mother to her, until Cain is brought down for what he did," Lady Shiva said. "And he will be brought down."

Lady Shiva finished her coffee and slipped off as suddenly as she arrived.

"You have no idea how freaky it was to see her just at the door like that," Lana said. "But, she just wanted to talk."

Harry nodded, he supposed it would be unsettling to think about. He watched Shiva leave, and noticed she had slipped a note onto the table with his name on it. Harry picked it up and pocketed it to look at it later.

"Chloe, there's blood all over you," Claire said.

"It's fine, it's not mine," Chloe said.

This did not ease Claire's burdens. Nor did the casual way Chloe respond to her statement.

"Shiva mentioned bloodlust, are you...feeling alright?" Claire asked.

"Fine, Clara, just fine," Chloe said. "I'll be good after some dinner...and then a nap I believe."

It appeared Claire was not the only one who was not being honest about how she was really doing after a terrible ordeal.

Marie sat, legs crossed with her body shifting back and forth between a Green Martian form and then to her human form. She could not turn into anything else, at least not yet.

"Well, it's really hard to explain, because to us Martians, shape-shifting comes as naturally as breathing," Megan said. "It's just something we do and I guess it's harder when we're tired. Or if we lose concentration...but I'm sure that if we head to Starrwave, we can figure this out."

"I can't hold it for more than a few seconds," Marie said.

"Just relax and breathe," Megan said. "Don't force it. Just let it come naturally."

Marie rose to her feet and shifted and this time, she kept Megan's green Martian form. She looked pretty stunning all things considered, looking like Megan's older sister.

"I'm sticking around here for another week, I need a break," Marie said. "How about you?"

"Spring break, remember," Megan said. "So, yeah, I'll be game to help you, although I'm curious why these are manifesting all these years later. Have you ever had any hint that my blood was affecting you in anyway?"

"No, not particularly," Marie said. "Still, we can practice over the next week, and maybe have a chat with Karen or Caitlin or Lena...although none of them picked up on anything."

The only thing Megan could think of was Marie may have gotten exposed to some Meteor Rock particles while in Smallville which unlocked her latent powers. But, this was a shot in the dark.