Harper Vaden glared at the alien across from her. She mentally thanked Emil Hamilton for persuading General Swanwick to allow her a complaint meeting with the alien at his branch. Her life was beginning to finally flourish once more when she put her sweat and blood into building her own science lab for the Marine Biologists of Metropolis, only to have it ripped away by the indestructible foreigner. However, she couldn't entirely place the blame on him. She wouldn't have even had to start her own laboratory had it not been for the now drying effects of her criminal father's mark upon Gotham and Metropolis's most wanted man list.

      Gordon Vaden was his name. A highly intelligent Marine Biologist who grew up in the little town of Cedar Key, Florida, and had a prosperous life ahead including a beautiful darker skinned wife and an adorable, mischievous caramel skinned daughter. Who would of ever known an African American man with a genius intellect unmatched by anyone in the states would be considered as a most trusted and respected official in Metropolis by the growing and wealthiest company on earth? Yet….that is what led to Gordon's downfall and painted him as a highly dangerous man.

      The paranoia  did not start until Harper was sixteen. She noticed her father spending more time in S.T.A.R labs and in the basement of his own home. Every time the phone would ring, her father would tell her to hide. It wasn't until she received the letter that Gordon was then permanently blocked from entering S.T.A.R labs from the companies CEO that it got worse. Her mother was beginning to succumb to a level 3 heart disease with the events going on. Harper's father would then start to murmur and talk to himself about how to save her, and that 'they' were trying to kill him.

  When she turned nineteen, Harper watched as  her mother lost the battle to her disease. As if  that was not traumatic enough, in a matter of seconds Gordon's insanity increased by his outbursts at the doctor's failure and wanting  them to call the police, the doctors tried to sedate him, but instead Gordon pulled out a flask from his pocket, through it on the floor as the powdered substance spread and quickly pulled out a small remote. Once that button was pressed, the four doctors dissolved instantly, and a receptionist was injured. Her father ran from the hospital, yet Harper's exposure to the substance left her with a mild, yet extreme case of asthma.

  As if being black wasn't enough, during her college years, she was ostracized from her classmates, her applications for entering S.T.A.R Laboratory programs were ignored, and the government held her under a radar for any repeats of her father's ongoing crime of dissolving innocent people. The technology he used was expanding and yet even though it was her father's doing, the people still blamed her, except for Emil Hamilton. It was Emil himself who hid her father, due to their great respect for each other, whilst Gordon lied dying with a gunshot wound to his chest that was supposedly done by a Gotham goon. Both scientists knew that he would die, and to Harper he could not die quick enough. Emil left them alone to say their last goodbyes. From her father's pockets, he pulled out a small enclosed flask that was made into a necklace. Inside it held a blue powder. Harper refused to take it at first, but his words is what made her listen.

"K-keep, this hidden. D-don't let LexCorp take it" He said tearfully. "I-I'm sorry for everything." Harper took the flask necklace from his hand, and watched her father die. She was angry at him. She did not understand why he never told anyone he was in trouble. She wanted to ask Emil, but right there and then she understood she could trust no one with this secret. She kept it from Emil and anyone who even had ties to LexCorp.

Even when questioned by Lex Luthor one year later, she only denied any harrowing effects or words her father might have had. Yet, anyone who had ever worked under Lex Luthor knew he was no fool, nor was Harper. After leaving his office, it was apparent that he would be watching her.  She distracted herself by creating her own lab and form of employment in the west side of Metropolis close to the lake border and for two years she succeeded, with employing  two of the brightest minds close to hers including all of them having something in common, making them misfits. John Decker was a gay man and Kelly Chien was an Asian stripper, which was heavily looked down upon by her colleagues, but both intellectuals had a high IQ that would make any scientist from S.T.A.R Labs envious. Their lab was their safe haven. That is until the aliens invaded, and the caped crusader destroyed their small sections of the building.

     With their lab gone and forced to continue their works on an old parked Fishing Tawler, Harper was ready to leave Metropolis and anything that even smelled of Gotham for good, but not before she gave the blue eyed man a piece of her disdain. She pushed up her glasses, and organized the papers in front of her. She rolled up her cotton dark blue sleeves and pushed her curls to the side of her left shoulder. The alien, to her surprise, showed no emotion of annoyance. In fact he waited patiently for her to continue their short meeting. He was huge, and his red cape hang to the floor. He watched her fix herself nervously. Although, she was awaiting and preparing for this day she felt like a school girl getting looked at by some jock.  In the back of her mind she scolded herself for behaving this way.

"Do you have a name?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Can you tell me the name?"

"I cannot."

Harper clenched her teeth. "Then how am I supposed to address you? The big muscle guy with tights?"

A light rapid tap hit the one-way mirror behind her. She rolled her eyes and knew it was Emil. She could not believe a gifted man as Emil was a close associate to this inhuman.

However, the alien chuckled in amusement as both sides of his eyes creased with laughter. She frowned, trying not to make herself interested.

"Where did the term Superman come from? Because other than the obvious, you aren't exactly what I'd call a hero."

His small smiled disappeared and he became more serious.

"I understand why you may think this way. Emil has told me what has happened to your lab. I apologize for any damages."

Harper scoffed. "Apologize? You apologize? That lab was the only hope I had left in this condemnatory freak show of a place and all you give me is an apology? What about the countless lives that are lost, or the other dreams you and your counterparts crushed? Do you have an apology for them, or are you so powerful that the rules do not apply to you?" Harper rested herself after the statement. She was showing much anger than she had intended.

She sighed….what she was doing was a huge waste of time. She should've just got her things and walked off. She tried to hold the tears from streaming down her cheeks like an idiot.

"Ms. Vaden?"

She cleared her throat quickly and looked up at him, as if she were in control.

"You were the daughter of the late scientist Gordon Vaden, yes?"

"Yes."

"He was a smart man. I would see him all the time on the news, and read about him on the Daily Planet. He has accomplished a lot for our ocean currents and water changes, and I'm sure he would be proud that his daughter is following in his footsteps."

"Oh yes…The Daily Planet. They couldn't wait to bash my father's name and me along with him. Such a credible source to read from Superman, even without the obvious blatant exploitation of my mother's death."

He looked at her, and in his eyes she could almost see a hint of empathy, as if it were his fault in some way. "You're right. The Daily Planet is not a true source, in fact its flaws over weigh the positivity at times." He paused and leaned forward an inch and allowed his blue eyes to look deep into her brown ones. "I am sorry for your loss, and I am sorry that Metropolis painted you as criminal. It must've been very difficult to start life over again, and with that you have my full condolence. I am willing to replace the damage done to your lab, as is Emil. You and your team are indeed one of the greatest minds here, and are well needed, whether they are willing to admit it or not."

Harper just stared in disbelief. This man….this alien made her feel some type of crouched emotion swelling inside of her. She licked her dried lips and ignored his eyes following her tongue and stood.

"There is no need. There are people here who need that privilege, but as for me I will no longer be a civilian of Metropolis."  With that, Harper exited the room not before passing the nosey Military men on her way out. Emil came out from the cluster.

"Harper! Wait, Harper, just hear me out." He yelled.

Harper reluctantly faced her preceptor and father's good friend.

"You can't leave here. S.T.A.R may not have the gull to say it, but I will fight for you and your team to stay. We need minds like yours on this field. Without Gordon or you we are now totally blind in the marine programming system."

"Emil, I thank you, I really do, but I will not allow my team to be put through S.T.A.R or LexCorp's bullshit." She hissed.

"LexCorp is no longer associated with S.T.A.R."

"Says who? Lex Luthor? Come on Emil, you graduated from one of the top schools in America don't be so moronic."

"All I am saying is that you owe me something. I got you your meeting  with Superman, I took care of the housekeeper for you, and I have been keeping you updated with our sources from the Navy. Surely you can-"

"Wait." Harper said. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Housekeeper?"

Emil looked confused. "Yes, I got a call from your concierge asking for permission to do your daily cleaning."

"I live in a studio apartment, we don't have the luxury of housekeep-ing…" She trailed off. Her eyes widened and her breath was now caught in her chest. She quickly pulled out her inhaler.

"I have to go." She said making a quick puff.

"H-Harper are you alright? What's going on?"

Harper walked quickly to the elevator and pushed down. "I'm fine, thanks again!"

"What? Harper-" His voice was shut off as the elevator closed its doors. She tried to calm herself and inhaled from the nozzle of her inhaler once more. She quickly dialed the keypad on her phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey John?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Um where are you?"

"At the boat dock with Kelly. Everything alright?"

"Yeah everything is fine, listen remember those freshwater samples we took from the cod fish scales?"

"Yeah sure."

"Where'd you put its kit?"

"Oh, uh it's on the second floor storage site by the dried kelp cell… why?"

"And the third key?" She continued, ignoring his question.

"With Mr.Kinland." He said slowly. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, fine, I'll see you two tomorrow." Harper quickly hung up the phone, as she made it to her car only to pause in horror. If there was one thing her father taught her during his paranoid state was to always look for any flashing under the car. From where she stood, she saw a red flash. She backed up slowly.

 It wasn't until the flash turned solid green, that made her heart sank. She was about to die.

"Harper!"

As if in slow motion, she saw the car strike fire, yet in a blink of an eye she was being shielded. A hard chest covered her, as the loud heated explosion made its way through the garage.

********

Harper sat on the emergency bed stunned as the onboard investigators looked closely for any damage made to her body.

"I told you I was fine." She said still staring out into space.

"She's right." Said a female paramedic. "Not one scratch."

The male paramedic smiled. "You don't know how lucky you are ma'am. Being saved by Superman  is a dime a dozen. Not too many people are fortunate."

Indeed he was right. Harper watched the caped alien converse with Emil. In mid conversation he stopped to look at her.

Emil turned his head. "Harper, thank god you're okay."

"I-I'm fine Emil." She said quickly.

"Had it not been for-"

"Yeah, I know Emil, had it not been for Superman I would be dead. Thank you for reminding me of that." she said abruptly,  hopping off the emergency bed.

     She walked towards her purse and inhaled into her inhaler. She didn't understand why she was being so cross to him. He really did save her life, but what made her even more shaken up was the fact that someone planted the bomb in hopes of getting rid of her. Smart attitude aside, Harper knew she had to make it to the storage site and quick, before something else would occur.

"Harper, you have got to tell me what's going on."

"I don’t know Emil. I don't know what the hell is going on. One minute I'm walking to my car and the next minute I'm almost goop." Harper tried her best not to sound panicky. As if her heartbeats were rapid just by  explaining herself, it started to beat nervously as a deep voice intervened.

"From the looks of it, the bomb was planted five minutes before she walked out of the building."

"Does Swanwick have any camera footage of who may have came to this area?" Emil asked.

"One of Swanwick's men said that the camera was moved slightly left at the time of the planting." The alien replied glancing at Harper.

Harper looked down.

"Well that's great."  Harper rolled her eyes.

"What a load of cr-"

"Emil!" Called out General Swanwick. "You have a phone call from S.T.A.R." The stoic general who seemed like he's never smiled in his life glanced over at Harper. From what she could recall, Swanwick wasn't exactly her father's biggest fan….then again neither was anyone including her.

"Harper don't move I will be right back." He said before leaving the  two behind. Harper couldn't just stand there for hours. She had to go and quickly. She picked up her purse and allowed her heels to clack behind her.

"Ms. Vaden." she heard behind her.

"What?" She asked.

"You can't leave. You haven't been properly looked at."

"Why should I? I'm sure from your super sonic hearing that you heard I was okay by the paramedics."

He sighed and squinted his eyes at her stubborn attitude.

"Dr. Hamilton cares for you. You were one of his best students. I'm sure it killed him when S.T.A.R banned you."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "How do you know all this? Did Emil tell you?"

"Yes."

"You have no right to poke your nose in my business."

"I do when a good friend of mine most talented prodigy is almost killed."

"Trust me, I'm sure more people would love to see a serial killers daughter be removed."

Suddenly the huge man took a step closer to her petite 5'7 frame. " I wouldn't."

They stared at each other for a moment. In that moment she wanted to tell him everything. His eyes had the look of truth and honor, something that she lacked to be taught of. "You have…no idea-"

"Then tell me. I can help you Harper."

She bit her lip and shook her head. "I can't." she cleared her throat. "Tell Emil I took the bus home." With that she walked quickly outside of the garage and checked her watch. It was past noon, and it was getting dark. If she was going to do this, she had to seize the opportunity immediately, before another attack was made.

******

"So…she's still alive?"

Silence.

"Well  of course she is…I mean after all she is the daughter of a genius."

Silence.

"Once a genius always a genius. Too bad Gordon had to die for it…I really favored Gordon."

Silence.

"The caped crusader strikes again…how refreshing."

"Mr. Luthor…what would you have us do?"

"She's alive isn't she?"

"Yes sir."

Lex turns to face his goon. He smiled. "Then let's try to make her unalive shall we…only this time try to put some real heart into it, and find that dead man's last ingredient. We can't fully succeed without it."

     With that the goon walked out of his office. Already to plan B, Lex Luthor was beginning to become desperate. It had been two years since Gordon's death and yet he still had not been able to find the missing substance that would enhance his missile. However, while it was still out there he wanted it, and he would go through anything and anyone to have it.