Females Bonded to Harry Potter-
Chloe Sullivan is played by Allison Mack
Lana Lang is played by Kristen Kreuk
Rachel Harden (Doctor) is played by Rekha Sharma
Desiree Atkins is played by Krista Allen (by the way, this actress is a soft core porn star from the movie series Emmanuelle in Space)
Martha Kent is played by Annette O'Toole
Kyla Willowbrook is played by Tamara Feldman
Helen Bryce (Doctor) is played by Emmanuelle Vaugier
Alicia Baker is played by Sarah Carter
Lois Lane is played by Erica Durance
Kara Zor El is played by Laura Vandervoort
Raya Cor Hal is played by Pascale Hutton
Patricia Swann is played by Gina Holden
Simone is played by Nichole Hiltz
Author's Note 1:
Here is a little summary of the Smallville episode the events of this chapter cover- Season 6 Episode 3 – Wither – October 12th 2006
Season 6 Episode 4 – Arrow – October 19th 2006
Chapter 14
When Harry's mind came into awareness it was different than the times previously where he had traveled between realities. This time he hadn't simply copied his consciousness and essence and sent them on. This time the Asuran had created a whole new kind of technology which gave him the abilities a computer AI such as Alice had to split her focus and control multiple other forms. So as he stood there in what he realized was the Kent barn Harry was also living another life back with Chloe and all of his mates which he had been living the past five years. Harry was aware of both universes but had no trouble focusing on the events in both. This was an experiment for Harry. He wanted to see if he could take the form of someone that wasn't his counterpart and he also wanted to see what life would have been like for the Kent family (Clark in particular) if Harry had never shown up in Smallville. That was why Harry's new form was none other than that of Clark Kent.
Even as Harry went through the task of upgrading his form to Asuran and donning Alice's watch in an orbiting jumper he began assimilating the memories of this Clark's life. One thing he noted
was that he had moved forward over a year into the future relative to when he had left. It was October 5th 2006. So much was different in Clark's life. There was a lot more sadness that Harry had helped the Kryptonian avoid. Additionally it looked like there was a lot more heartache generated by Lex Luthor being alive in this universe. As Harry appeared back in the barn he had an interesting reaction. He sneezed. His sneeze blew the barn door apart and sent it flying. Harry was so surprised by the event that he didn't immediately chase after the door and by the time he did pay attention to it the door had landed.
"You appear to be sick with an alien influenza," Alice informed her boss. "It was contracted into the Kryptonian form prior to your merger. The influenza is resistant to my nanites. It might take me a short time to remedy the problem."
"Do your best," Harry encouraged his companion as he headed towards the house that seemed so strangely devoid of life.
In the other Kent home there were a large number of beings constantly coming and going and living on the property. In this universe it was just Clark and his mother who often spent time in Washington. Martha had taken Jonathan's senate seat after Jonathan's death due to heart problems.
"What was that?" Martha asked as she met her son on the porch.
"I sneezed and apparently I have super lung capacity. The barn door came apart. That's the first time I have ever sneezed," Harry said.
"Come in and sit down. I told you that you have been pushing yourself too hard," Martha said.
Martha put a thermometer in her son's mouth. She had never had reason to take his temperature before because he had never gotten sick in his life. So she had no reason to know a Kryptonian's base temperature which actually ran hotter than a human's. Clark had been pushing himself hard to clean up the mess caused by what the humans of this world were calling Dark Thursday. Zod had escaped from the Phantom Zone and had possessed the body of Lex Luthor. Zod had run rampage around the world before Clark had managed to stop him.
"I think it has most likely been contracted from my time in the zone when my powers were gone. It is probably alien in origin. You should keep your distance for now," Harry warned.
Just then there was a knock at the door and then a sweaty Lois came inside dressed in her jogging outfit consisting of a small tank top restraining her impressive bosom and a pair of tight blue shorts that showed off her scrumptious ass.
"You guys are not going to believe what I just experienced. I was out there jogging along and then a barn door comes falling from the clear blue sky," Lois announced while grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. "How does that happen?"
"This is Smallville, Lois. Weird does not begin to define this place," Harry pointed out.
"Good point." Lois noticed that Clark was looking under the weather at that moment and said, "Does Clarkie have the sniffles?"
"Don't call me Clarkie," Harry stated while giving Lois a particular look and letting his veela allure out a bit to distract her from her rant.
"What...do I have something on my face?" Lois asked, quite distracted with thoughts of Clark being more scrumptious than usual.
"No," Harry assured. "I find it interesting that you are so observant of my health state yet you didn't notice on the way in that it was our barn door that landed near you while jogging."
"It was," Lois asked flustered while looking out the window at the barn. "How did that happen?"
"I was experimenting with an unstable compound for one of my classes at school when it decided to lose stability on me and blew the barn door off," Harry said.
"Bullshit," Lois said. "I know explosives and there was no charring on that door."
"The compound I was working with only affects air molecules. So the explosion was of rapid velocity air molecules," Harry explained.
"Uh huh...that sounds like a line of crap," Lois said skeptically.
Martha rolled her eyes and left the room to go do some other things. The sexual tension between those two was thick and she didn't need to stick around for their flirting.
The Daily Planet...
It was weird for Harry to be in the building he owned in another reality without owning it this time. Harry thought he would buy the paper again but keep his ownership a secret. Alice was already setting up his financials in this universe.
Harry entered the bullpen and found Chloe reading a newspaper. The blonde looked just as scrumptious as Lois in her business attire.
"Hello Chloe," Harry greeted.
"How is this for a mega dose of guilt money," Chloe said while handing the paper with a headline about Lex donating millions to help rebuild the city after Black Thursday.
"Honestly...this is one situation where Lex really isn't to blame. And I can't believe I actually said that," Harry admitted as Chloe's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
Then she noticed his appearance and said, "Are you alright? You don't look right."
Chloe lead her best friend into a storage room and closed the door so they could have some privacy.
"It's nothing. I just contracted an alien version of the flu when I was in the zone," Harry admitted.
"That doesn't sound like nothing," Chloe pointed out. "Is it contagious?"
"No. I got it locked down and it will be disappearing within the day," Harry assured. "How could you know that?" Chloe probed.
"I visited the fortress and got it back up and running. Jor El and I have a new understanding with each other. I have restricted his AI matrix to a limited level. I've spent the last several hours studying up on Kryptonian science and with the methods of teaching available at the fortress that is a lot of time," Harry explained. "By the way...this morning I sneezed and blew the barn door halfway across the county. Lois was there when it landed and now she is highly suspicious determined to find out what happened. I tried to give her a story about experimenting with an unstable compound that only affects air molecules but she didn't believe me. I can always demonstrate that compound for her if it becomes necessary."
"Wow...that is a lot of information at once," Chloe admitted. "I will try to distract Lois if I can." Chloe caught her best friend staring at her in a way she had never found him staring at her before. "What?"
Harry knew exactly how good Chloe looked without her clothes. In fact he was naked with her in his other reality at that very moment. He found it difficult to not desire both Chloes.
"Are you alright with living with Lois in that tiny apartment?" Harry asked his friend.
"It isn't much different than living in a dorm. And I don't have much choice now that the university is temporarily shut down because of Black Thursday," Chloe pointed out.
"You can always stay at the farm. We have plenty of room," Harry offered.
"I'll keep that in mind in case Lois drives me too crazy. I appreciate the offer," Chloe replied.
"You're my best friend Chloe. I don't tell you it enough but I really appreciate your friendship," Harry said.
"You've never told me it," Chloe admitted, somewhat stunned.
"Well that is going to change," Harry assured. "How about I buy you lunch?"
"Sure," Chloe agreed.
"I'll be back here at lunch time then," Harry agreed before saying goodbye to Chloe and leaving.
"How are you feeling now, Clark?" Martha asked as she came back into the house carrying groceries.
"I'm feeling much better," Harry assured.
Alice had finally gotten the nanites adapted to take care of the alien influenza.
"You look much better," Martha said with surprise.
"I guess my super healing just needed a little while to kick in," Harry suggested. "Lionel is about to knock on the door."
Martha opened the door before Lionel could even knock. "What can we do for you Lionel?" Martha asked.
"I believe Lex has been abducted. He came to confront me about having him followed but it wasn't me. Initially I thought it was the government considering what he stole from the Pentagon while possessed by Zod. My contacts in the government tell me it wasn't them," Lionel explained.
"That just means it isn't somebody they know about in the government assuming they are telling the truth," Harry pointed out.
"The U.S. Government isn't exactly a small organization," Martha added.
"I know you and my son don't exactly see eye to eye anymore Clark but Lex might remember more than he is admitting about his time serving as host to Zod. If whoever took him puts enough pressure on Lex I am afraid what he might reveal about you," Lionel pointed out.
"I'll look into it," Harry said.
After Lionel left Harry had no intention of rescuing Lex. Alice tracked Lex down to a certain warehouse within a matter of minutes. Remote stealth probes were dispatched and Harry reviewed the situation. Lex had been kidnapped by two mercenaries hired by Oliver Queen. Queen had ordered no violence to be used but one of the mercs had disobeyed that order and intended to sell the secret of Lex's superpowers shown on Black Thursday on the open market. The merc loyal to Queen was threatened to shut him up. Harry was undecided about the
situation. He had made the mistake in his other reality by showing too many of his powers too soon. This made things too easy for him. There were challenges and life was never boring but Harry wanted to go slower in this universe. Lex Luthor obviously made things more interesting in a universe.
Harry decided to take the wait and see approach. Alice would warn her creator about an imminent threat to Lex's life in enough time for the Asuran to make a decision. Harry decided to catch Chloe up on some of what was going on over lunch.
"I also stopped by Lex's mansion and took a quick look around. Lana was there trying to call a guy named Robert Pontias," Harry informed Chloe.
"He's the highest paid private investigator in Metropolis," Chloe replied.
"Lex must have given Lana the contact info for Pontias in case anything ever happened to Lex," Harry suggested. "Lex knew someone was following him. Maybe Pontias has been tracking Lex's followers. Let's find his address," Harry said as he produced a small cube from his pocket and set it on the table between himself and Chloe.
A hologram suddenly appeared above the cube showing a web page.
"Clark," Chloe hissed as she realized the cube was Kryptonian tech and her friend was using it in broad daylight.
"Relax Chloe. Only you and I can see it. I had to give you a bit of an eyesight enhancement but it was a simple modification," Harry explained.
"When did you have time to do that? I didn't notice you doing it," Chloe replied.
"While you were working this morning," Harry answered. "I can move at super-speed if you'll recall. I can control this computer with input from my thoughts and it works all over the world with internet access. I have one for you too."
As he talked Harry handed Chloe her own cube colored pink. The computer had already tracked down the address for Pontias as the friends talked.
"Next time ask," Chloe instructed. "And thank you. I assume you'll show me how to use it later?"
"Of course," Harry agreed. "But it's pretty intuitive."
"Well we are done here. Let's head over to Pontias' office," Chloe suggested.
"Alright but I have another treat for you I want you to put on first. Let's step into this alley," Harry suggested after leaving cash for the food and a nice tip. He pulled out what looked like a
necklace with a brilliant sparkly crystal in the shape of the Kryptonian crest for the House of El and placed it around Chloe's neck. "Think the word protection."
Chloe did so and was shocked as the crystal began to pour out a writhing blue liquid which quickly expanded to cover her body. The crystal solidified into armor and Chloe examined her limbs through the one-way transparent visor.
"What is this?" Chloe asked with her voice coming out distorted.
"That is body armor. It's powered so you will experience a bit of an increase in strength but nothing like what I can do naturally. I'll show you its other features later but I wanted you to be safe before you come on this mission with me," Harry told his friend.
"Thank you," Chloe said as she hugged her friend profusely.
"No problem. Just realize if I had been human and you had hugged me I would be dead right now. You don't yet realize the intensity of the strength augmentation the armor gives you," Harry cautioned.
"Right, noted," Chloe agreed.
"Hold on tight," Harry instructed as he wrapped an arm around Chloe's waist and then picked her up by an arm under her legs.
The pair was gone in a blur of super-speed.
The pair entered the office of the PI without any trouble. Chloe went over to the laptop on the desk while Harry scanned the room.
"It looks like the encryption on this computer will require hours of work," Chloe commented.
"That might not be necessary. There is a room behind that wall," Harry announced while pointing at one wall.
Harry ran over to the wall and peeled back the hidden door. There were pictures and documents all over the inside of the hidden room that were of the location where Lex was taken.
"I think we have a pretty good idea of where to go," Chloe suggested. "Yep. Hold on again," Harry instructed as he scooped Chloe up.
Harry swept his gaze over every location he and Chloe had touched and used a low intensity dose of his heat vision to scrub their fingerprints. Then the pair was gone again in a blur of super-speed. They hadn't even been present for ten minutes.
Harry stopped running just short of entering the building. He scanned the building mostly for Chloe's benefit because Alice was using her sensors to tell him what was inside.
"Shit...Lana has been taken too. Stay behind me. Your armor is stealthy and will allow you to blend in with your background," Harry explained as he grabbed Chloe's wrist and tapped out a sequence on the control console located there.
Chloe was indistinguishable from the background.
"This armor is so sweet! Thank you so much for it, Clark," Chloe said. "So what is the plan?" "We rescue Lana. Lex can fend for himself. Follow my lead," Harry instructed.
The two crept into the warehouse and arrived in the room to see one of the mercenaries about to inject Lex with a syringe. Lex head butted the merc and that allowed Lana to kick out at him. She grabbed the gun off the floor and pointed it at the two mercs while pulling the pin securing one of Lex's manacles.
"Get back or I'll blow your head off," Lana warned.
She made the mistake of turning her head to further free Lex and the merc she had kicked attacked her and threw her up against the fence. As the merc prepared to shoot Lana, Harry picked up a pebble and threw it at the merc with deadly speed and accuracy. The merc cried out and started firing his gun at random while falling away from Lana. He hit several beakers of chemicals which caused a fire. One of the bullets hit Lex in the back and Lex went down.
"Lex," Lana screamed as she ran to his side.
A steel girder fell in front of the escape route.
"Lana, you have to get out," Lex cried through his pain. "I can't feel my legs. I'm done for."
"I can't get through the fence," Lana replied.
There was a sound from behind Lana and she turned to see a massive section of the fence melted away by what she wasn't sure. She hadn't been looking to observe Harry's heat vision in action.
"Go," Lex instructed.
"Not without you," Lana argued and began to drag Lex out of the warehouse.
Harry and Chloe stayed at the site only long enough to make sure Lana got out safely. Harry also observed that the second mercenary, the one still loyal to Oliver Queen, made it out. Lex would be paralyzed.
"I'm having trouble believing that you just let Lex get injured like that," Chloe admitted as she and her best friend sat in the loft of his barn.
"Do you disagree with what I did?" Harry asked. "Or rather what I didn't do."
"No. Not at all," Chloe assured. "I just didn't think you were capable of standing by and letting someone get hurt like that."
"Lex is no longer human after everything he has done. I won't shed a tear. I didn't go there to save Lex. I went to save Lana," Harry assured. "Lois is coming."
Lois came into the barn at that moment and came up the stairs.
"Miracles are possible," Lois declared. "Man walked on the moon, call waiting was created, and Lois Lane got her first byline on the front page of the Inquisitor."
Chloe and Harry read the front page which read Global Warming or Alien Invasion? "Congrats Lo," Chloe said.
"Good job, Lois," Harry added.
"I will admit I didn't care for the ET spin but the editor gets what he wants and he wants to sell papers," Lois explained. "Writing that article felt right. I think I might have finally found my calling."
"You'll make a good reporter. It does run in the family after all," Harry said while glancing at Chloe.
"Thanks. Well I'm going to get going before it starts raining," Lois declared.
After Lois left Chloe said, "I wish you could do something about the weather. I don't feel like experiencing a rain storm right now."
"Maybe I can," Harry suggested with a grin as he approached the barn window and drew in a breath.
Harry expelled that breath with super speed and force and watched in satisfaction as the rain clouds were dispersed in some spots and pushed away in others.
Chloe stared in shock for several moments and then said, "Damn you're handy to have around." "I know," Harry assured with a grin.
October 12th 2006...
"I still can't believe he isn't cancelling this ball given his recent crippling," Martha said as she examined the invitations to Lex Luthor's Dark Thursday benefit ball.
"Well I guess Lex won't let any weakness show to the outside world," Harry suggested.
"I responded for two," Martha said suggestively.
"If you need a date you could take Jor El," Harry suggested.
Harry had informed Martha that he had gotten the fortress back up and running and was experimenting with Kryptonian science.
Martha appeared astonished at this response and managed to ask after a few moments of silence, "Jor El is a computer program."
"He's a bit more than that," Harry assured. "He and I have been working to fabricate him a body he can move around in. You can't tell him apart from a normal human. Kryptonian technology is pretty awesome."
"Is he...is he behaved?" Martha asked. "I know you two have had some serious disagreements in the past."
"Oh yes. We've come to an understanding and moved past that. It makes it pretty easy to win arguments now that I know how to shut him down," Harry suggested with a grin.
Martha shared a small smile with her son and suggested, "Why don't you bring him by sometime soon and we can talk. I want to meet him before I agree to take him to the ball as my date."
"Alright," Harry agreed.
Lois' Apartment Above the Talon a short while later...
"Hey," Chloe greeted as she answered the door of the apartment.
"Hello Chloe," Harry greeted. "Is Lois cramping your style too much living here with her?"
Chloe had been staying with Lois since Metropolis University had been temporarily shut down due to Dark Thursday.
"I'm closer to coffee which is good but I feel further away from sanity," Chloe said as she bent over and picked up her pillows and blankets from the couch to move out of the way.
Harry managed to look away before he was caught admiring his best friend's fine rump.
"You are more than welcome to stay at the farm if you get tired of sleeping on Lois' couch," Harry assured. "Now why did you call me here?"
"I was in the woods up at Long Pine last night. A girl was impaled up in a tree too high for her to be easily hoisted up there. This screams wall of weird," Chloe explained. "The guy she was with is still missing."
"So meteor mutant or something else freaky," Harry summarized. "Right," Chloe agreed.
Harry didn't verbalize the question of what Chloe was doing up at a spot the locals called Make Out Point. He really didn't want to know the answer. Just then Jimmy Olson walked into the apartment.
"What's up CK," Jimmy greeted with a friendly grin.
"Hey there Jimmy," Harry replied. "How's it going today other than dealing with dead chicks in trees?"
"Other than that, I'm pretty good," Jimmy said.
"Welcome to Smallville. This is pretty normal around here," Harry assured. "Lovely," Jimmy said sarcastically.
Chloe made her excuses and went with Clark up to make out point to look at the crime scene. The pair bypassed the search party looking for the missing male that had been with the victim before her death. Harry set Chloe down and they looked around. After only moments of looking Harry detected a visitor.
"You're not supposed to be here," A female that was somewhat attractive said.
The female was wearing a park ranger's outfit but Harry could immediately tell she was no ranger.
"She is an escaped Phantom Zone prisoner. Her name is Glorificael. She was the result of a Kryptonian experiment with artificial plant life forms before the recall of all outpost personnel to Krypton. She slaughtered the inhabitants of an outpost for what she said were crimes against the plants she cared for," Alice informed her creator while feeding him the pertinent historical files.
Alice had a copy of the Fortress database.
"We're volunteers with the search party," Harry lied as he noticed the Zoner's interested gaze upon him. "I'm Clark Kent and this is Chloe Henley."
Chloe didn't flinch but knew immediately that not all was as it appeared. That Clark used his real name but not her real name made her think something was wrong here but not immediately dangerous. Still, she was prepared to summon her crystal armor with but a thought.
"I am Gloria. I'm with park services," Gloria replied. "Did the rest of the search party find anything yet?"
"No clues yet but we won't give up," Harry assured.
"Well it's a big forest. You have a lot of ground to cover," Gloria suggested. She was just about to suggest the pair move on but then decided to ask something, "Have we met before? I feel like I know you."
"I'm pretty sure I'd remember if we did," Harry assured.
Harry signaled Chloe to search in a particular spot as he talked to Gloria. He had spotted the missing male with his matter penetrating vision.
"I found him," Chloe called at that moment.
Harry rushed over and around behind the clump of trees. He noticed as he did that Gloria slipped away.
"Don't touch the vines. They're alien to this planet," Harry warned. Harry lashed out with his heat vision and burned away the vines. "Armor up. I'm going to run you back to your place first before I take this guy. This environment isn't safe and I don't want any chance of contamination."
Chloe nodded and let her friend take her. Harry could have taken out the Zoner right then but he was taking things slower. As long as Gloria didn't kill anyone else he was prepared to make her an offer. Using temporal recovery Gloria's first victim was now back among the living. The young woman's family had been spelled to secrecy. She wouldn't be able to return to her old life but at least she and her family would be alright.
When Harry returned for the young man Gloria had taken Alice informed him, "The victim has been impregnated with the seed of Glorificael. Without treatment he will die when Glorificael's offspring is born."
"Treatment options," Harry prompted.
"A complex radiation burst that is not harmful to human tissue but will require me to build a special emitter array," Alice informed her creator.
"Get started on it," Harry instructed as he picked up the victim and super-sped out of the area.
Harry took the victim to the Fortress and kept the human sedated. Harry didn't want to risk the seed of Glorificael spreading. While Harry had no need to set up a large corporation like he did in his last reality he still wanted to dabble in business.
Gloria represented an opportunity. He terraformed several moons in the solar system while he waited for Alice to finish the complex radiation generator. The radiation generator required several structures comprised of an exotic matter that didn't react well with temporal manipulation fields. So time travel and time dilation couldn't be used in the construction process. But that didn't apply to the terraforming of the moons. Harry set up a food production business on Earth while also setting up a basic agricultural infrastructure on one of the moons he terraformed.
When Jimmy Olsen went traipsing through the woods and ran afoul of Gloria, Harry decided he should probably intervene.
"Gloria, you need to stop impregnating people," Harry said as he appeared behind the plant humanoid.
"Who are you?" Gloria demanded as she spun and faced the male she had met earlier and who had managed to sneak up on her without her having sensed him.
In the woods Gloria had never been startled by someone. She had always been able to sense any being approaching through the plants.
"I am Kal El of Krypton," Harry stated.
"I thought I had ran across you before I came to this planet," Gloria said. "You're the Kryptonian that opened the gateway and freed me. I was there and watched as the savages attacked a girl. When you touched the gateway everything went white. I really must thank you. I will spare you and won't impregnate you."
"Thanks for that," Harry said sarcastically.
"I sense a party nearby full of eligible suitors to bear my children," Gloria mused.
"Gloria, get that out of your mind. If you harm another human I will be forced to destroy you. I have undone your mistakes thus far. I have brought back those you killed," Harry stated.
Gloria spun and stared at Harry in surprise.
"Even the Kryptonians couldn't bring someone back after what I did to them," Gloria said.
"I am more powerful than my forebears," Harry assured. "I have an offer to make you. I will give you an untouched moon that is fertile for you to live on. In exchange you will grow a large number of fruit bearing crops. You will harvest a portion of those crops and give me the fruits."
"You intend to feed the people of this world," Gloria mused. She appeared thoughtful. "How do I know you aren't just lying and don't have the power to stop me. Harry pointed his right hand at one tree and gazed at another tree. A powerful beam of heat vision disintegrated the tree Harry looked at while a bolt of lightning shot forth from his hand and struck the other tree blowing it to kindling. "I believe you," Gloria said uneasily. "And I accept your offer."
"You leave now. We can discuss logistics later," Harry said.
Without further preamble Gloria was transported away via the orbital transporter satellite network Alice had set up. Jimmy was also transported to the Fortress. Harry stepped through a wormhole to the Fortress powered by his own Asuran abilities.
"So how exactly does this work?" Chloe asked curiously as she peered at the robotic constructor which had several glowing parts that seemed to cause light to bend around them.
In reality it was space that was bending. Chloe was up in the Fortress with her best friend. While he sat using his hands to manipulate floating holographic interfaces Chloe had been going through a Kryptonian tutorial which taught her about the new computer she had been given. What Chloe didn't know was that the tutorial and the computer itself were more Asuran than Kryptonian. But that was semantics. Alien was alien to the blonde reporter at this point in her education. She needed a break from her tutorial. She could only have information downloaded directly into her brain for so long in one sitting before she got a headache.
"The constructor is drawing matter exotic to this universe from another universe where that matter is pretty common," Harry explained.
"So you're actually pulling matter from other universes with this device?" Chloe asked in amazement.
"Yes," Harry confirmed. "It's actually easier than trying to track the exotic matter in our universe. The reason it takes so long is because that exotic matter's string vibrational frequencies need to be synchronized with the matter in our universe but it needs to be done delicately or the matter could destabilize. The best case scenario of a destabilization is the matter would dissipate by becoming out of phase with our universe or would just become unusable for our purposes."
"And the worst case scenario?" Chloe prompted.
"A very large region of our universe will explode," Harry answered. "Ok...let's be very careful then," Chloe suggested.
"You can relax. There are a lot of safeties built into that machine. One safety is that if the stabilization process goes out of tolerance too much the machine sends the contents from our universe," Harry explained.
"That's good to know," Chloe mused.
Chloe spent a few more minutes questioning her friend about Kryptonian technology before she returned to her studies. Her studies helped keep her mind off of the worry she had for Jimmy. It would only be another few hours and the seeds could be rendered inert safely.
"I had a nice time tonight Jor El, surprisingly," Martha told her companion as they pulled up outside her house.
"I did as well, Martha Kent. I learned a lot about human mating customs. Your internet provided a vast array of customs that were sometimes quite contradictory," Jor El replied.
Martha had a small smile on her lips as she said, "I imagine it would. Let me ask you something Jor El...Are you capable of experiencing emotion?"
"I can simulate displaying emotion so that no human can tell the difference and Kryptonian scientists were very close to actually allowing me to experience emotion near the end of Krypton," Jor El said without answering the question but letting Martha think he had.
In truth like most things Harry built Jor El's body was a large dose of Asuran technology. In his current body Jor El was capable of experiencing emotion. He just wasn't fully sure of that fact yet.
"Interesting," Martha mused. She appeared thoughtful and then asked, "If I propositioned you to come into my bed for a night of pleasure would you be able to experience sexual pleasure and keep it from Clark?"
"Yes," Jor El confirmed.
"Let's go inside then," Martha suggested.
Jor El nodded and followed Martha from the vehicle. As far as Martha was concerned she was essentially using a really advanced and interactive dildo if Jor El couldn't feel emotions. It had been too long.
October 19th 2006...
Harry entered Oliver Queen's apartment behind the security guard and the guard announced his arrival with an audible, "Mr. Queen."
"Sorry to bother you so late but I wanted to talk to you Lois," Harry explained.
"Smallville, what did you want to talk about so close to midnight?" Lois asked.
"Smallville...you must be Clark Kent," Oliver said in surprise.
"Yes, and you are Oliver Queen," Harry greeted as he shook Oliver's hand.
"It's funny...the way Lois talked about you I thought you were going to be a little more," Oliver began only to be interrupted by Lois.
"I could use a glass of water," Lois spoke up.
"You thought I was going to be a bit more of a geek," Harry surmised.
"You aren't exactly a night club hopper, Smallville," Lois pointed out.
"It's alright Lois. I don't mind being called a geek. Geek is the new sexy," Harry replied. "Anyway the reason I'm here is to talk to you about the necklace that was stolen."
"Why that particular necklace? Why not the other dozen fabulously expensive items that have been stolen recently by the same person," Oliver suggested. "You might find it surprising that all the victims were just as uncooperative as Lionel Luthor. None of them called the police."
"Then it was a black market necklace," Harry concluded.
"You're quick," Oliver said without any sarcasm in his voice.
"I had to confirm my suspicion that the necklace was previously stolen property. If anything he can't say shit to my mother about the necklace she borrowed from him because if he does I'll go to the police. Although I still might track down this thief just to see what makes him tick. I find him interesting," Harry mused aloud.
Oliver's eyebrows rose in surprise at this declaration from the farm boy.
"Well it's late and I have a story to write. You can read about it like all the rest in the paper, Smallville," Lois said as she picked up her shawl and started to leave. "Good night boys."
"It was nice meeting you Oliver," Harry told the blonde billionaire.
"Likewise, Clark," Oliver said as he followed Clark to the exit to his apartment.
The two men parted ways. Harry already knew there was more to Oliver than met the eye because of Oliver's kidnapping of Lex that had led to Lex's crippling. Harry would find out what there was to Oliver without sensor scans or telepathy. He wanted to solve the mystery the old fashioned way. Harry had used those techniques so often it was hard to resist but somehow the mystery was more enjoyable to solve the non-magical and low tech way. Harry might use a few of his other abilities but not the ones that would immediately give him an answer. It was a self-imposed restriction but one which would keep him from suffering boredom.
Harry super sped into the bullpen in the basement of the Daily Planet to find three beings present. The vigilante known as Arrow was present and the only one conscious standing over Lois and Chloe. Chloe was in her armor which was quickly reviving her. Harry processed the situation quickly.
"Alice, have Chloe's armor let her wake up on her own and retract," Harry ordered. "As you wish," Alice replied.
The Arrow was none other than Oliver Queen and he was staring at Chloe in amazement. Harry hit Oliver with an obliviate erasing the memory of Chloe armoring up. By then Chloe's armor had retracted. The knockout gas Oliver had used was non-harmful. Though the bumps the two women got from falling down from a standing position wouldn't feel too good. Chloe's armor had already regenerated her to normal health and Harry floated over to Lois invisibly and healed Miss Lane even as Oliver left the building with the ring he had been after.
"I'm curious...why did you not reveal yourself?" Alice asked her creator.
Alice of course could find the answer for herself given how closely linked she was to her creator's mind but she found that talking with him made him feel better. Alice was more than just Harry's creation...she was also his friend. It was better for him to have someone he could share all of his plans and thoughts with than just a loyal servant. She still served him loyally but she liked to engage him in the communion two separating beings could enjoy through spoken discourse (even if the speaking was telepathic instead of verbal).
"Now that I know who this Arrow is and that he doesn't appear to mean to harm people I would like to get to know him better. I feel we could be friends. This isn't the setting I want to meet him in. I don't want him knowing about Chloe's protections yet," Harry explained.
"That seems wise," Alice mused.
Harry had not used telepathy on Oliver but had only peered through the Arrow's disguise to ascertain the Arrow's identity.
"Have you tracked down anything digitally about that necklace?" Harry queried.
"As you suspected it is a stolen artifact used to embezzle dirty money," Alice replied while projecting the pertinent information regarding the necklace's origin, history, and rightful owner into her friend's mind.
"Hmm...I see. I don't like the idea of handing that necklace back to a museum that just dug it up from the tomb it was buried in. Maybe once it is recovered the necklace can be sold and the proceeds can be used to benefit a charity in the country the artifact was taken from. Something similar can be done with the other missing artifacts," Harry suggested.
"I can arrange it," Alice assured. "You're the best, Alice," Harry replied.
"You made me to be the best, Harry," Alice said with the equivalent of a smile tinting her thoughts.
Harry didn't have to wait long for a good opportunity to meet the Arrow.
The Arrow was performing another artifact liberation the very next night. Harry had set one of his probe's to watching Oliver Queen. Harry materialized outside the high rise apartment building where the wealthy but morally corrupt businessman, Richard Right, the Arrow was targeting lived in. Harry was invisible and floating in the air and observed Oliver use an arrow connected to a carbon-nanotube cable to gain access to the building. Oliver used another high tech arrow to defeat the laser security grid protecting an Egyptian pendant within the apartment. Apartment was a misnomer. Penthouse would have been a better description since Richard Right owned the top several floors of the building.
Harry waited until Oliver made good his escape from the heist before revealing himself. When Oliver had reached the alley which held his motorcycle several blocks away from Right's penthouse Harry became visible.
Oliver spun with an arrow ready to fire as a voice said, "That was quite an impressive heist Oliver. Can I call you Oliver? I have a feeling we could become good friends."
Oliver stared slack jawed as he beheld the guy his girlfriend Lois had introduced him to as Clark Kent floating in mid-air half a dozen feet off the ground.
"Something tells me you are more than a simple farm boy," Oliver said.
"Let's talk someplace not so out in the open. I'll meet you back at your place," Harry suggested and then he was gone.
Oliver blinked in surprise. Kent had just vanished. Oliver mounted his bike and took off towards his apartment. Oliver never knew it but Harry was flying casually behind him while invisible.
"I'll make this brief," Harry said as Oliver came in through a skylight entrance made specifically for the Arrow. "I was going to suggest you sell those artifacts and donate the money to a charity in the country of origin for the artifact but I see from the newspapers articles you collected that you've already done that."
Harry glanced towards a glass wall of the penthouse which when Oliver activated a secret switch would slide open to reveal the Arrow's weapons stash and other equipment. That was where the newspaper clippings were located.
"I was wondering if my security would keep you out, Clark," Oliver said as he removed his hood. "I see that it didn't. But how did you know what is behind that wall?"
"I know a lot of things. In time when I come to trust you more fully I might even tell you how I do some of the things I do. You will find you are unable to talk about my secrets with anybody but me," Harry explained, having just spelled Oliver to secrecy. "I will keep your secret provided you don't go around murdering innocent people."
"How can you stop me from talking about something with someone else?" Oliver wanted to know.
"Consider it a technology beyond your current capability to understand," Harry suggested.
"You're alien then," Oliver probed having suspected that was one possibility given the powers Clark had displayed already. "Advance technology seems like something aliens would have in order to get to Earth."
"You could call me that," Harry agreed. "Don't worry. Earth isn't going to be invaded, at least not by my species."
"Well that is good to know I guess. Though naturally I have trouble not worrying about that now," Oliver muttered.
"Maybe this will help," Harry suggested as he tossed Oliver a flash drive. "On that drive is information about the many alien species in this galaxy. Of course there could be extra-galactic threats too but Earth is a pretty small backwater planet at the moment. If they come they will likely be coming for me and I'm a pretty tough son of a bitch."
"Funny...Lois never gave me that impression," Oliver said.
"Lois doesn't know. Eventually I'm sure she'll find out but so far I've enjoyed watching her run around trying to figure things out," Harry explained.
"Her cousin Chloe knows though," Oliver surmised. "You've been best friends with Chloe for years. Lois has mentioned how close of friends you are. Lois showed me a picture of Chloe. Why aren't you two together?"
"Because I've been a damn fool," Harry admitted, not wanting to get into any aspects of his reality traveling nature in order to lay the blame where it correctly belongs at Clark's feet. "I'm giving her space to see how her relationship will work out with Jimmy Olsen. I know you two just started dating but do you have any plans on revealing your alternate identity to Lois?"
"I honestly haven't thought that far ahead, Clark," Oliver answered. "I need to know her a lot better first."
"Understandable," Harry mused. "Well we'll be seeing more of each other later. If you need to contact me the best way is to say aloud 'Kal El I need to speak with you.' Kal El is my birth name. I can hear around the world if I focus."
Oliver's eyebrows rose at that statement.
"Good to know," Oliver replied. "I might never have an intimate conversation aloud again."
"Don't worry. I'll only listen for that phrase," Harry assured. "Although I have had my eye on you for some time concerning that whole incident with Lex."
"Were you involved with Lex having super powers?" Oliver asked.
"It's a long story. A criminal who murdered billions of my people escaped from an extra- dimensional prison and possessed Lex. Zod's body was destroyed when he was imprisoned. That circumstance won't happen again. Zod is truly dead now," Harry assured.
"I see," Oliver replied. "Life is never going to be boring again."
"No it won't," Harry agreed. "Catch you later Oliver."
"Later Clark," Oliver replied and watched as this time Clark vanished in a blur of color.
The next night...
"Harry, Chloe's armor just went active," Alice informed her friend. "She is using the flight
mode to move at great speeds towards Smallville." "Patch me into her com system," Harry directed.
"Go ahead," Alice prompted moments later. "Chloe," Harry said. "What is going on?"
"Clark, thank god! I think Lois was just kidnapped. She was talking to me and then there was screaming and struggling," Chloe explained.
Seconds later Chloe found herself standing in the apartment she was sharing with Lois. Harry had picked her up and flew her there faster.
"I have a lock on Lois' life sign and she is alright. She has currently not reached the destination the criminals who grabbed her are intent upon taking her to," Alice informed her friend.
"Monitor her condition and intervene only upon imminent threat to her life," Harry directed. "Understood," Alice replied.
Harry's technology and powers made things very easy for him but using it all the time could make life very boring. Lois wasn't in danger or Alice would intervene. Remote cloaked probes were currently tracking every action of Lois' captors. If her life became threatened Alice would use a localized time dilation field generated by one of the probes to freeze the scene until Harry could arrive.
"Calm down Chloe," Harry urged as Chloe retracted her helmet. "Take a deep breath."
There was a knock at the door at that moment. Harry peered through the door and strode over before opening it. Oliver came in carrying a bag.
"Where's Lois? And woah," Oliver said as he spotted Chloe in her armor.
"Chloe, meet Oliver Queen. Oliver, meet Chloe Sullivan. Lois was just kidnapped. The kidnappers must have drugged or gagged her because I can't hear her shouting," Harry explained.
"I may have given Lois a watch the other day which had a tracking device in it," Oliver admitted as he drew out his phone and activated the tracking feature.
"I approve," Harry said with a grin.
"Lois certainly wouldn't. But given the circumstances I won't be telling her," Chloe admitted. "I've got a location. She's on the move," Oliver said.
"Go. Chloe and I will be following you. Chloe, activate your stealth suite," Harry instructed.
Chloe nodded and disappeared. Clark did the same.
"Come on...that is so not fair," Oliver grumbled as he raced outside and into his car.
Oliver took a few moments to change into his Arrow costume but was then heading towards Lois' location.
The trio arrived and snuck into the abandoned building where Lois was being held against her will. They arrived to see Lois on her knees in front of a tub of water she had obviously just been dunked in. Two goons were holding Lois down while a man in a suit stood in front of her talking.
"You splashed my humiliation across the front page of your paper," Ted Proner, the owner of SafeTEX Securities said. SafeTEX Securities was the company which protected the artifacts the Arrow had stolen. "Now you are going to help me rectify my humiliation by telling me who the Arrow is."
"Do you honestly believe that if I knew who the Arrow was I wouldn't have put it across the front page of the paper already?" Lois demanded.
"You have to have a suspicion, one that you couldn't back up enough to print," Proner suggested. "Dunk her again boys."
As Lois' head got dunked again the trio of observers acted. Oliver nailed Proner with an arrow through the shoulder while Harry invisibly knocked the two goons unconscious before tying all three up with super-speed. Chloe pulled Lois out of the water while still invisible. Lois spluttered and rubbed the water out of her eyes before her gaze fell upon the Arrow.
"You," Lois said.
"Are you alright Miss Lane?" Oliver asked, his voice distorted because of the voice changer he used.
"No thanks to you," Lois rebutted.
"On the contrary Miss Lane," Oliver replied. "Without the intervention of myself and my friends you would be dead."
"Friends?" Lois said in confusion.
"Chloe, drop your cloak," Harry sent into Chloe's helmet com.
Chloe materialized in her armor. At the same time Harry materialized wearing a uniform with the symbol of the House of El emblazoned on his chest. The uniform was the classic costume worn by Superman. He was in his Harry Potter form. His empathy picked up on the shock emanating from both Oliver and Chloe but they did a good job of masking their surprise.
"I suggest you show a little more gratitude Miss Lane or next time we might let you get killed. It was your own fault that you publicly picked a fight with Proner," Harry said, his voice coming out as Harry Potter's tone instead of Clark Kent's tone. "The police will be here shortly. This will tell them everything they need to know."
Harry blurred with super-speed. Suddenly Proner and his two goons were tied up. A small cube projected a hologram several feet above the ground where it rested which replayed in a loop the scene where Proner admitted to his motive for kidnapping Lois. That combined with the list of crimes linked to the illegal guns the two thugs were sporting would see Proner going away for a long time. Then Harry, Oliver, and Chloe were gone. Harry had picked up the other two and super-sped out.
"How did you manage to take on that appearance?" Oliver asked.
"Alien tech," Harry answered as his form blurred back to that of Clark Kent.
"That save was pretty stylish. And you're rocking the costume, Clark," Chloe complimented.
"Thanks," Harry said. "I don't think Lois is your biggest fan."
"She'll come around if you de-mask in front of her," Chloe suggested.
"You think so?" Oliver asked.
"If you do it soon enough," Chloe replied. "If you wait too long she'll be really pissed at you."
"I guess I have some thinking to do then," Oliver said.
"We'll leave you to it then. Night Oliver," Harry said.
"Goodnight," Oliver replied as Chloe waved goodbye before she and Harry were gone in a blur of super-speed.
On his way home that night Harry stopped by a certain top secret Luthor Corp lab site where Lex had scientists experimenting on a piece of Kryptonian tech recovered from Zod's visit to Earth. The tech was part of a fractured Kryptonian power source used for the AI known as Brainiac. Even fractured the power source was still plenty dangerous. Only recently had the scientist leading the project figured out how to make the power source react enough to give off a visible reading Harry's Asuran satellite network could pick up. Harry took it up to the Fortress and stored it securely there with a little bit of Asuran security measures thrown in. Lex was going to throw a fit when he discovered the power source was missing. Harry would have to keep a probe aimed at the Luthor mansion to record that reaction.