Lois ran into the Isis Foundation lobby and called excited, "Chloe, I have to talk to you!" She stopped when she found it empty. She looked confused at a small paper which read. To book a session, contact Chloe Sullivan at 555-3208. She pulled out her cell and anxiously dialed the number. She commented impatiently, "Come on, Chlo. Pick up."

She heard the phone pick up and Chloe's strained voice quickly said, "I apologize for this, but I'm currently extremely occupied with a client. If you'll call at a later time…"

She cut her off, "Chloe, its Lois! I understand you're busy but I need to talk to you about the Blur!"

Chloe sounded pained as she snapped, "Look, Lois, I know you think you had a deep connection with the guy, but he's not who think he is! Now I hate to hang up but I'm kinda dealing with a crisis here."

She seemed annoyed by the tone as she blurted, "I think Clark Kent is the Blur!"

They were a pause on the other line and Lois wondered if Chloe had hung up before she had said it. She started to ask a question when Chloe's voice answered with a tone of guarded interest, "Why would you think that?"

She replied, "Well, he hasn't actually given any evidence personally, but some imposter named Zod tried to con me…"

Lois stopped with confusion at Chloe's panicked tone interrupted, "Zod talked to you? When? Are you alight?"

Lois narrowed her eyes, "Chloe, do you know Zod?"

She changed the subject, "Lois, why do you think Clark's the Blur?"

She answered, "Well, he had a book in his loft with an alien language in it and a drawing of the Book of Rao, but it wasn't until the Blur rescued me from Zod and kissed me did I realize it was Clark."

Chloe sounded somewhat nervous, "Lois, you should just listen to him and take Perry's job offer. Clark wouldn't want to stand in your way."

Lois looked intrigued, "Okay, that's interesting. I never told you about Perry's offer."

Chloe sounded cornered and Lois could almost see her cousins wide eyed expression, "Yes you did."

Lois grits her teeth, "Cousin, I want you to tell me where you are. I'm going to talk to you personally."

She waits and Chloe gives a resigned sigh as she said, "Come to the tallest building in Metropolis. You won't have any problem finding it. It's the one with the clock."

Lois heard the line disconnect and she looked puzzled. She walked outside and glanced around, "The tallest building with the clock on it?" She turned around looked stunned as she immediately saw it. She guessed it was only a couple blocks away so she started over.

Lois entered the buildings lobby and looked around for Chloe, "Cuz? You in here?"

She glared as she figured Chloe had tried to throw her off before the speakers came to life with Chloe's voice, "Lois, take Elevator 2. I'll bring you up."

Lois glanced over startled as the mentioned elevator opened. She slowly walked in and waited as it began its ascent. She gasped in surprise as a blue light filled the elevator and a beam slowly scanned her body. A computerized voice announced, "Lois Joanne Lane. Identity confirmed."

She felt a wave of dizziness as the doors opened and she walked out into what looked like the setup of the Pentagon. She looked around the room with disbelief, not believing Chloe would be wrapped up in something like this. Her denial was pushed aside as Chloe's voice called out, "I'm on the mezzanine, Lois."

She looked over a staircase and hurried up. She saw Chloe working feverishly at a blueprint of Queen Industries. She glanced over briefly at Lois and gave a quick nod in greeting, "Welcome to Watchtower." She suggested firmly, "Don't touch anything."

She hurried down the staircase again and stood in front of several monitors and spoke urgently, "JLA. Roll call."

Lois looked astonished as the screens suddenly lit up with about a dozen faces, some of who Lois remembered.

"Hawkman online."

"Cyborg online."

"Canary online."

Stargirl online."

"Impulse online."

"Aquaman online."

"John Jones online."

"Speedy online."

"Watchtower online." Lois noticed Chloe's apprehension at the last call-in, "Speedy, how did you get a JLA receiver?"

She looked somewhat nervous, "I followed Oliver a couple nights ago and picked one out of the supply closet. I know what you guys have started is the big leagues, but I owe Oliver my life. I'm not going to sit in the dugout while he risks his life."

She nods accepting her view, "okay." She asked urgently, "As you realized earlier, we were cut off. The Kandorians destroyed the satellites we had been using. But Green Arrow went to Queen Industries to activate a private satellite he had set up. Set up was successful, but he signal was compromised."

The whole team looked unsettled by her report and Hawkman sighed, "The Kandorians have him?"

She shook her head, "No. In his transmission, he reported that the Kandorians were not his attackers."

Stargirl looked worried, "Do you think Checkmate got to him?"

Chloe looked distraught, "That is the most logical guess. Green Arrow is most likely dead by now." She pauses briefly before turning to Hawkman and asking, "You're now in command of the JLA."

He looks reluctant but nods, "I'm sorry for your loss, Watchtower."

Lois looks outraged and storms up to Chloe, "Chloe, he's Oliver! You really think some group that uses chess lingo could take out the Green Arrow?"

Chloe's jaw clenches and she turns to Lois and says in a low voice, "Now is not the time to do this with me, Lois! I have an operation to run and Carter is now the best man to lead them! So just let it go!"

Lois looks somewhat hurt by Chloe's outburst and she steps back quietly. Chloe turns back to Hawkman and asks, "Has anyone received a message from Boy Scout?"

John answers, "Kal-El had contacted twenty minutes ago informing me he had retrieved the Book of Rao."

Impulse spoke up, "I did a run through of Metropolis and a freak rain storm popped near the remains of the Solar Tower."

Chloe walked over to a computer and pulled some images. She watched the building from the satellite view and counted as several flashes of orange went across the image. She looked disturbed as she came up with a final count. She turned to the JLA, "John, how many Kandorians did you account for?"

He answered, "Not including Kal-El, there were 13."

She informed, "There were 13 energy spikes matching that of the Fortress."

Hawkman sounds hopeful, "Then it is possible Kal-El found a way to remain behind."

She tilted her head skeptically, "Then why hasn't he called in?"

John Jones looked distracted and Chloe asked, "What's wrong, John?"

He answered after a few seconds, "I have a few contacts on the Checkmate angle. There has been no activity from them with regards to the Green Arrow."

Lois asked, "What does that mean?"

Chloe sighed at her interruption and answered, "That someone has Oliver. And I don't know who else would know about this situation."

Canary told her, "Cyborg and I are closest to the Watchtower. We can head over and help look for Boy Scout."

Chloe indicated, "Canary and Cyborg report back. Impulse, if you're not too busy, could you drop by and retrieve the Book of Rao? Its purpose might be done, but I don't want Checkmate or anyone else getting their hands on it."

Cyborg nodded, "We're on the way, Watchtower. Cyborg signing off."

The others signed off, leaving Chloe and Lois standing alone. Lois glanced quietly at her cousin for a moment. She felt her heart going out to her when the blonde suddenly let out a pained sob. She came up and asked softly, "Chloe, what's wrong?"

She scoffed through freely falling tears, "Everything! Oliver is MIA trying to save the world, Clark is most likely no longer on the planet and I am stuck here in this room finally seeing that everyone I get close to will eventually leave or disappear!"

Lois looked at her with puzzlement, "Chlo, I'm still here. Doesn't that mean something?"

Chloe cries out in despair, "And how long before I shut you completely?" She gestures to the room and all the equipment, "How long will it be before this consumes my life enough that I finally turn my back on my own family?"

Lois looks at her firmly, "Chloe, you know you couldn't ever shut me out completely, I'm too pushy to let you." She felt some relief when her cousin chuckled through her tears, "And I have to tell you, I am somewhat awed by this whole thing. You're supervising a group of superheroes! Chloe, I don't think I could be prouder of you!"

Chloe sniffed and wiped her eyes, "It's not that big a deal."

She stared incredulously at her, "Not a big deal?" She tired to get her thoughts together, "Chloe, I saw the recording of Oliver trying to kill himself. I clearly don't know the details; I'm guessing that you snapped him out of that little funk."

She chuckled tightly, "Yeah and you got caught in the middle."

Lois looked curious but shook her head, "You can explain that later." She asked, "Chloe, is Clark the Blur?"

She nodded, "Yeah. And before you go all gaga, you should know that the Book of Rao probably sent him to another planet."

Lois looked panicked, "What? Is that why he suggested I take Perry's job offer?"

"Yes. He's taken a small remnant of his people to a planet where they can rebuild their civilization."

Lois looked saddened but proud, "He would do that wouldn't he?" She glanced up thoughtfully, "I wonder if he can see Earth from where he is."

Chloe shrugged, "I don't honestly know. Even if he can't, you can be sure that he is looking up in the sky knowing that you are safe."

The two women looked over as the elevator opened and a rushing sound was heard and Impulse stopped in front of Chloe. He got to the point as he told her, "We may have a problem." He held up a knife with a blue blade streaked in blood.

Chloe looked horrified, "Tell me that's not I think it is."

Bart looked troubled, "I checked the location John gave me. I found the crystal altar but the Book of Rao was gone. I checked around the building and found this on the ground." He looked at Lois briefly and asked, "Isn't that Kal's main squeeze?"

Lois gave him a mild glare, "Nice to meet you too."

Chloe stopped them, "Cut it out, both of you." Chloe hastily took it from him and took it to a medical counter. She quickly took a swab of the blood and stuck in a medical device. She input some commands and waited impatiently.

Lois asked curiously, "What does that little machine do anyhow?"

Chloe replied, "It analyzes DNA markers. We have complete medical workups on everyone on the JLA." The machine beeped that it was finished and the trio looked over to a screen where a results display popped up. Chloe moved it to one side and typed in a second command. She pushed one final button and after a few seconds, the screen beeped affirmative and Chloe gasped in relief, "It's his. It's Clark's blood!"

Lois seemed troubled, "but that means he's hurt!"

Chloe shook her head hopefully, "No, Bart says the Book of Rao is gone." She showed the knife and explained, "The blue mineral acts emit's a neutralizing radiation that renders Clark human. If he removed the Book of Rao from the power crystals, he could take the knife out and be back to normal."

She looked hopeful as she understood, "So he could just be a little delayed."

Bart says reluctantly, "This is the guy who survived the collapse of an ice castle in the North Pole and hiked though a blizzard with farmer's overalls and survived for three months a Russian labor camp. Don't you think he'd be back by now?"

Chloe sighed, "He's right. If Clark was alive, he'd have come back by now. That leaves that question, is he dead, or did he get captured by someone?" The group exchanged nervous glances as they couldn't give an answer.