Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hylas Trevor and John Kent were lazing on the couch. There wasn't a television in the room. Instead, they read.  

"One year already," said Hylas. "Who'd have thought the children of Superman and Wonder Woman would get together?"        

"Your brother and my sister have been together forever," John responded. 

"It's different with them. We're the ones that are like our parents. The raw power, the ones who look like their children."

"Mary's pretty tough. So was Lyta before she got swallowed up by the Red Skies. I'm pretty sure Ari could kick my butt."

"Arion would never do that to his best friend."

John grinned. "I know, but he could."

Hylas leaned over and kissed John. "Happy anniversary."

A loud shock woke John from his slumber.  Hylas was still asleep. It wasn't an actual sound and he almost thought it was a dream.  If Kent Nelson had taught him anything it was not to discount this sort of thing. If something had awakened him like this, then there was a good chance it was important. 

Getting out of bed, John quickly got dressed and flew out the window.  Up in the air, John focused his senses.  Once John found the general direction, he zoomed off in search of it.

It didn’t take long to find.  Whatever it was came from Metropolis.  That wasn’t his favorite place to go.  Too many painful reminders of what he’d lost.  Not that he could avoid the place with Mary living there.

As he drew closer, John could feel the malevolence emanating from the area.  The thing that had entered this dimension was a creature of pure evil.  It was also powerful - so powerful that John wondered why it hadn’t drawn Hylas, Ari, the Nelsons or any number of other mystic-oriented people.  Instead, it was just John and, as he now saw, Mary.

John flew over to his sister and floated next to her.

“You felt it, too,” he asked.

“Yes, but Ari didn’t.  I guess not Hylas, either.”

“Just us.”

John and Mary were twins.  Like their parents, they had black hair and blue eyes. There was strength, with the muscle more defined in John, but not as the result of any workout routine. It was natural for Kryptonians on Earth, even hybrids like themselves.

“I’ve never sensed anything so evil,” said Mary.  “Not even when Wotan summoned the Unholy.”

“Whatever brought us here isn't present,” John said.  “But it’s close. Did I ever mention I didn't want to be a superhero?"

Mary rolled her eyes. "Only a few thousand times."

"Is that all?"

"You can't keep blaming Dad that you weren't powerful before. Who knew that your solar absorption was blocked? Besides, you more than made up for that with your other talents."

John gave a quick smile. "When we figured out the truth about our powers."

Mary nodded in agreement.

It was then that a small rift opened above the city.  From out of it came four figures.  The malevolent being was right on the other side.  If it came through, who knew what damage it might do to Metropolis, or even the world?

Moving at hyperkinetic speed, John found himself next to the rift an instant later.  Grabbing hold of the ankh around his neck, John concentrated his will on shielding the rift.  There was no way he could stop something as powerful as what was on the other side.  He might be able to slow it down long enough for the rift to be closed.  If John were convinced of the divinity of God, he might think Satan was on the other side. A link like that was the only reason the ankh could work.

John sensed the source of the portal and looked at him. “Close…. the damn…. portal."

A man with scraggly red hair and a beard turned toward the rift.  With a moment’s concentration, the rift closed in on itself.  The entity was blocked, but some of its power got through.  Enough power to shatter John’s shield and send him careening through the air.

Mary shot off after him.  John had more weaknesses, largely because his invulnerability was different from her own. For the most part.

“What the hell was that thing, John?”

“My guess would be the Uncreator - if it exists. Or whatever it was that was destroying universes."

One of the four figures floated in the direction of John and Mary.  He held a woman in his arms.  He was filthy and had long scraggly hair and a flowing beard.  Whatever he was wearing was hidden.  Worse, the four of them reeked, as though it had been a long time since they'd last taken a bath.  To John and Mary’s hypersenses, it was nearly like a physical assault - much worse than anything in the city.

“That creature is called the Anti-Monitor," the man said.  "It attempted to destroy all of reality. We had to stop it from entering this world."

John and Mary looked at each other, their eyebrows rising, almost mirror-like.

::John,:: Mary sent telepathically.  ::I bet this is Dad.::

::Dad,:: John quizzed.  :: How is that possible? He’s dead!::

::Obviously not.::

Turning to look the man over, John said, “Clark Kent?”

It was difficult to see facial expressions on the man through the beard, but something happened.

“How could you know?”

“We’re your children,” Mary answered.

“My children?  John and Mary?”

“That’s us,” said John.

“John, you’re flying!”

John just shrugged his shoulders and remained quiet.  Now was not the time to discuss these things.

“I should have known!  You two look so much alike!  Lois, it’s our children!”

The woman made sounds like she was crying. Mary flew over and gently extracted her mother, giving her a hug. Lois Lane wasn't the only one who was crying. 

“Why don’t we go to my place,” offered Mary.  “We can get you settled in and cleaned up.”

"Who are they," John asked, indicating the other pair with them.

"Survivors," was all Superman said.

They convened at the townhouse Mary shared with Arion Trevor.  By this time, he had been awakened by the reverberation of the Anti-Monitor’s power and had noticed Mary was gone.  Arion stood half-dressed in his special white leathers.  Only his belt buckle was non-white, featuring the symbol of his power center in silver, four isosceles triangles bisecting with the longer sides converging outward.  Arion was the only existing practitioner of Atlantean magic.

“I can’t believe it,” Arion said.  “Superman is back.”

“Yeah, and he sure could use a shower,” John quipped.

Arion rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a di-- jerk.”

Superman frowned at his son’s comment.  Then he sighed and his face returned to normal.

“John,” began Superman.  “You and I should have a talk.  Maybe you can help me cut my hair and trim this beard.  Although it looks like you could use a haircut yourself.”

John rolled his eyes at that comment.  He had long ago foregone the idea of short hair.  It flowed down his back in waves, with feathers interlaced in a few small braids.

“No.  No haircut for me,” said John.  “This is ceremonial.  It’s part of my Lakota name.”

“Lakota name?  Are you Indian now?”

“I’m part of the tribe.  I helped them out with a problem.”

“Did they give you powers?  In those feathers, maybe?  I wouldn’t think the ankh came from the Lakota.”

John glanced down at the ankh.  “This is... I found it.  It has a specific purpose.  The source of my power is me because I’m a hybrid Kryptonian.

“Anyway, Mary has a special razor that can cut through your hair.  Scissors, too.”

“No, hon,” Mary interrupted.  “I left them at your place last time you gave me a haircut.”

John nodded.  “Right.”

“Why don’t you take Dad back to your apartment to get him cleaned up.  And maybe the other one who looks like he could be our long-lost brother?  I’ll take care of Mom and the redhead.”

“OK.  Follow me.”

The flight to John’s place was silent.  They soon arrived at a rather distinctive apartment building.  Much of its surface was covered with solar panels.  That stood out in New York City.

“We can fly in at super-speed,” said Superman.  “Just tell us which apartment is yours.”

“No need,” John replied.  “I’m not a super-hero.”

“Then how do you explain your powers to people?”

John was slightly amused.  In Superman’s entire career, the only people with superpowers were the costumed heroes and villains.  With a few rare exceptions, secret identities were always maintained.  Infinity, Inc. had blown that away when most of its members opted to go public with their true names. John and his allies took it a step further by dispensing with the costumes entirely.

“Let’s go inside.  I’ll explain.”

Once in the apartment, John told his story.  “After you all went off to the Crisis, we were pretty much on our own.  No adults left, or not anyone who we would have trusted to care for us.  Ari and Hylas always had Themyscira - I guess you’d remember it as Paradise Island - but the rest of us were on our own.  Mary and I were thirteen and had no one but each other.  It was about a year before Dick and Helena showed up.  They took us in and became Batman and the Huntress.  All Mary and I could think about was that being a super-hero robbed us of our parents.  Why would I ever want to do that?  I didn’t and I won’t.”

“You mentioned people know of your powers.  Was that wise?”

“Everyone I knew could take care of themselves so why should I care?  You were dead as far as I knew.  When Mary and I said we were the children of Superman people were less surprised that you’d have thought. Things fell into place.”

Superman frowned.  “They know who I am?”

“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t have any reason to think it would ever matter.”

“John, I--”

“What’s all this noise out here,” asked a naked Hylas as he entered from the bedroom.  “I didn’t know we were expecting guests.” Then he turned red.  “Be right back!”

When Hylas returned, John gave a nod.

“Look who’s back,” John said.

Walking over to John’s father, Hylas took a close look.  “This is Superman.  Who’s the other one?”

Superman smiled at the other.  “He’s Superboy from another universe, one that didn’t survive the Crisis.”

“Where’s your mother,” Hylas asked.

“With Mary.”

“You know me,” Superman asked.

“Sure.  Hylas Trevor. Diana’s youngest son. You used to bounce me on your knee.”

“Hylas?  You’re roommates?”

“No,” John answered.  “This is my place.  Hylas is just visiting.”

“There’s also another fellow with red hair who’s with Mom.  Take a wild guess who he is?”

“Red hair?  A Luthor?”

“Bingo!”

“That’s… wow.  You think he’s related to Alexis?”

“Probably not.  Another universe and all that.”

Superboy spoke up.  “Why does the Trevor name sound familiar to me?”

“His mom is Wonder Woman,” John answered.  “Well, at least she was until she became a goddess and Queen of the Amazons.”

“Diana is a goddess,” Superman asked in surprise.

“Yeah,” Hylas answered.  “After the Red Skies thing ended, Mom and Dad showed up as gods.  She said the Olympians gave them the gift of godhood to make up for their losses.  Then they spent some time trying to figure out how they still existed.  Since they didn’t have a new past in that reality, they guessed this universe must still exist.  They did some exploring and found their way back home.”

“Then none of the universes were destroyed? We know there were universes out there but never imagined this was one of them, not after we found out that some people from our world had history in that new universe. We weren't among them."

“According to mom, five survived.  They were used as a template for that new universe.  I don’t know what happened to the substance of those universes.  Physics is right about matter and energy not being able to be created or destroyed.  It’s eternal.  There’s got to be more worlds than just the six.”

“There are,” said Superboy.  “There’s a lot of emptiness but when Alex was up to it, we could move between them.  Otherwise, we’d never have survived.  No food, no yellow sun, and no air.  Alex can move between dimensions.  I guess mine and Alex’s universes didn’t make it, but I don’t know how we could still exist.”

Hylas shrugged.  “I don’t know.  You’re Kryptonian.  There’s no doubt about that, at least not based on what I sense.”

“The Anti-Monitor chased after us and we had to stop in a lot in different universes.  We couldn’t stay long because then the Anti-Monitor might try to destroy them.”

“Anyway,” said John.  “You guys are here to get cleaned up.  Why don’t we head into the bathroom and get rid of all that hair and then get you clean?”

Stroking his beard, Superman said, “I think I like this.”

“Maybe, but it’s disgustingly filthy.  You can always grow it back again.”

“No.  I think a trim for the beard and hair and then boiling water to completely disinfect it.”

“Well---”

John was cut off by the sound of someone buzzing to be let up.

“I’ll take care of them,” Hylas offered.  “You get the door.”

John nodded and went to the intercom.  “Yeah?”

“Let me up, man,” the voice answered.  “I need to talk.”

Sighing, John pressed a button that gave the other access to the elevator to his apartment.  A light-skinned teenage black boy soon appeared.

“What’s the problem, Tommy?”

The boy settled himself down on the couch.  “I told Dad I had a boyfriend.  He flipped out.  Then he blamed you.  Anyway, it was way too hostile in Gotham for me, so I figured I’d head over here.  Can I, um, stay tonight?”

John’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Tommy.  This conflict with his father was nothing new.  He knew Tommy had to be taking things out of context. Though Dick hadn’t been happy about John’s behavior prior to getting involved with Hylas, he didn’t hold that against him. There was more going on than Tommy was saying.

“You’re always welcome, Tommy.  Tonight, you’ll have to crash in my room. I have company.”

“Guests?  In the other bedroom and the couch?”

“I think so.”

Tommy shrugged. “Who is it?”

“My father.”

“You’ve never called anyone I know your father. I mean, except the one you lost.” Tommy looked guilty to have said those last words.

“Clark Kent.  Superman.”

That brought a shocked look across Tommy’s face.  To him, Superman was a mythical figure who had vanished to save the world a few years before his birth.  Imagining Superman actually back in the flesh was a lot to take in.

“Wow.  Where is he?”

“Bathroom.  He’s kind of a mess.  Lots of dirt and grime.”

“Is your Ma there, too?”

“She’s with Mary.”

“Maybe I should just go.”

John frowned at Tommy.  “Don’t be silly.  We'll make it work.”

“Yeah?  So you wouldn’t mind if he came to visit?  My boyfriend, I mean?”

“I guess.  Who is he?”

Tommy shifted a bit and looked down at his feet before quietly saying, “Thor.”

“Thor!  You mean the god Thor?  Holy shit, no wonder Dick was upset!”

“Man, I thought you’d be on my side!”

“I know I was with Arcadia when I was your age, but this is a little different. Thor, I don’t know about that guy. He’s a creep. Your dad fought him in World War II.”

“What’s going on,” Hylas asked as he exited the bathroom.

They explained the situation.

“Right. I had some flings with Amazons so I can relate.”

“Seriously? After what he tried to do with some of the Amazons?”

Switching to telepathic mode, Hylas said, ::Just let it go.  You and I both know Thor’s tastes for the young ones.  Tommy is mature enough that he’ll make Thor lose interest soon enough.  I’m sure he’ll find some tween girl next::

John gave Hylas a look like he was crazy. ::That guy is a pervert with no business being with a fourteen year old boy.::

“Hey,” shouted Tommy.  “No fair switching to telepathy to talk about me!”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea right now,” said John.

Tommy looked angry. “Then I’ll just go to Aunt Helena’s.”

“Sure. If you think she’ll be okay with Thor dropping by then go ahead.”

“That’s not fair! Why could you do it and not me?”

John sighed. “It worked out for me, but it wasn’t a good decision. Besides, Diana would have put any Amazon who hurt me in the ground. I know Thor. He’s a creep. He’ll hurt you because he won’t care. When he decides you’re annoying, which happens with every young person he ‘dates’, he’ll drop you without so much as a goodbye.”

Tommy started tearing up. “He wouldn’t do that. He loves me.”

“Oh, shit,” Hylas said. “I guess you were right, John. Why didn’t I know about this?”

“Ben and Jess were involved. You can guess they didn’t want anyone asking questions so I agreed to stay quiet. It’s almost lucky it was one of those telepaths. He was able to draw her out but then she saw what he was and, well, he was over her.”

Hylas turned to look at Tommy and pointed to the bedroom. “In there. No Thor, not tonight. We’ll discuss this more when Superman isn’t taking a shower in the next room.”

Tommy pouted and stomped off, slamming the door behind him. He knew better than to try to sneak away from the two of them.

John and Hylas settled down on the couch to wait for the two Kryptonians.  They suspected it might be a while because it was the first shower either man had in a while.  Maybe.  Superboy’s comments made that uncertain.

Laying back between Hylas’s legs and in his arms, John drifted off to sleep.  In a dream, he saw a woman with skin like alabaster, eyes of coal, and hair of obsidian black.  She was clad in black leather and wore an ankh around her neck. Suddenly he knew who she was, and he awoke with a start.

Towering above him was his father.  He was shirtless, his hair in a ponytail, and the beard neatly trimmed.  Ironically, the shaved and short-haired Superboy looked more like the father John remembered, though not so much that anyone would have confused the two.

“Dad.”

Superman smiled down at his son.

“Bad dream, son?”

“No, just odd.”

“Listen, John, whatever you are, I do love you.  I don’t ever want you to think otherwise.”

John smiled.  He hadn’t been at all sure how his father would react to a same-sex relationship.  They hadn’t been very close when John was younger, primarily because John had barely manifested even a hint of Kryptonian power.  Now he had power and his father had returned.  It was nice to hear Superman express his feelings to John.

“We should go back to Mary’s place and figure out what we’re doing tonight.”

“Shouldn’t you wake Hylas?”

“No.  Dick Grayson’s son is here.  Asleep in my bed, I think.  Hylas should stay here with him.”

A perplexed look crossed the face of the Man of Tomorrow.

“I wouldn’t have he’d have children this late in life.”

“Yeah, well, when he showed up here after you had all disappeared, he was much younger.  Kind of like you and Mom are right now, Dick doesn’t really look much older than me.  Maybe ten years or so.  His son Tommy is fourteen.  He sometimes comes to me when he has problems.”

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s, uh, dating an older man.  Dick doesn’t care for it.  Neither do I. We don’t have time to worry about it right now.”

“You don’t think fourteen is too young?”

“With someone his own age? No. But I know why he came to me.”

“Why is that?”

John carefully extricated himself from Hylas’s arms and got up off of the couch. “When I was fourteen, I had a fling with an Amazon.  We spent a summer together.  She had to go back to Themyscira when a new Wonder Woman was named.”

Superman looked confused. “With an Amazon? How did you even meet one?”

“Oh, um, when Diana and Steve showed up, they started letting Amazons out. I can tell you that Diana made sure nothing like that ever happened again. With the Amazons and me. A little bit of tougher love than I’d ever wanted.”

“Diana looked after you?”

John shrugged uncomfortably. “Let’s call it complicated and talk about it another time. We should probably head back to Mary’s place. I’m sure Mom will want you with her.”

 Clark nodded his assent.  They spoke with Superboy and then the three were out the window and on their way to Mary and Arion’s home.

Had John glanced down he would have seen the form of a strong, youthful woman wearing a new version of the Wonder Woman costume.  She was not the redhead he might have expected, nor even one of dark hair to signify Diana or Hippolyta.  She was an all-too familiar blonde who John knew intimately.  It would have to wait for another time to discover how Arcadia came to be the new Wonder Woman.

John lay on the beach in Virginia next to his best friend, Arion.  Both had always been orphans to the super-heroics of their parents, but this time it was literally true.  There had been a Crisis a year earlier from which the entire population of costumed heroes and villains disappeared.  To date, only two had returned, and no one knew if any others would make it home again.

Dick Grayson and Helena Wayne told a tale of five universes merging into a new one with a singular history.  In that new history, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Robin didn’t begin their super-heroic careers until the 1980’s.  This left the Golden Age versions of those heroes, as well as their progeny, in uncertain territory.  Dick and Helena didn’t exist or shouldn’t have.

None of this mattered when a wave of anti-matter came their way and put an end to their time in that world.  They were surprised to find that their ‘deaths’ had led them home, and in the prime of their lives.

The non-costumed children of the super-heroes were now all orphaned and in need of homes.  Among them were John and Mary Kent, Arion and Hylas Trevor, Jay and Annabelle Chambers, and Anubis Hall.  It was decided that Helena would take in the Trevors and Dick would care for the Kents.  Anubis simply disappeared one night, off to delve into the darker aspects of magic. Jay and Annabelle decided to strike out on their own, traveling the world.

It was a considerable change for these four from Virginia to take up residence in Gotham City.  John was angry and rebellious, which clashed with the structured lifestyle of Dick Grayson.  On top of that, Dick decided to adopt the identity of Batman, now more confident in his abilities and certain he could fill his mentor’s shoes.  He also met and fell in love with Jacinda Watters and married her within a year.  The presence of two teenagers in a house of newlyweds led to additional conflict.

During that time John discovered that he had inherited Kryptonian powers, at least in part.  Up until then he'd only had enhanced everything, but nothing exceptional.  Now he could fly, had super-strength, and could alter his density to become either intangible or diamond hard.  He and Mary also made new discoveries regarding the nature of Kryptonian physiology and powers.

Now that school was out, John and Arion took a trip down near Metropolis to visit the beach.  It was while there that a beautiful blonde woman dropped out of the sky wearing winged sandals.  Arion recognized her instantly.

“Arcadia?  How did you get here?”

The Amazon smiled warmly at Arion.

“Your mother and father have returned,” she said.  “They are allowing all Amazons a chance to see the world.  As the first to be given this opportunity, I was asked to bring the news to you and Hylas.  I have seen your brother already.”

Arion was stunned.

“M-my parents?  They’re back?”

“Yes, Arion.  Do you need transportation to Themyscira?”

“No…no, thank you.  I can get there on my own.”

This was all very curious to John.  He wondered if some of the other universes were still suffering from waves of anti-matter and had recently taken Diana and Steve Trevor.  Something about that didn’t sound quite right.  John could understand Wonder Woman being at the forefront of any battle, but why would a man in his late 60’s be doing so?

“John,” Arion said.  “I have to go.  I’m not sure if you can be there.”

“No prob,” John responded.  “Give them my regards.”

Arion nodded vaguely, as if only half aware of the response.  Then he pulled out a scroll from his backpack and recited it, which caused him to rise into the air.  It didn’t take long for him to zoom out of sight.

“I guess it’s just you and me,” John said to the Amazon.

Arcadia looked down at John and smiled.

“John is your name,” she asked.  “John Kent, Arion’s close friend?”

“That’s me.”

“I am Arcadia.  I have heard of your family, John Kent.”

John shrugged his shoulders. That Amazons knew about Superman was no surprise.

“Tell me, John Kent.  Do you know much of the world?”

“Some.  Why?”

“I am here to see the world.  Perhaps you could show some of it to me.”

This piqued John’s interests.  He was only supposed to be down in Virginia for two weeks.  When he didn’t return, Dick was sure to be very upset.  John found himself not caring.  This beautiful woman before him was far more interesting and the idea of leaving with her to explore some of the world intrigued him.

"I'd be happy to be your guide.”

“I do not simply want a guide,” Arcadia said.  “I also wish for a companion.”

That sounded like a great idea to John.  Arcadia was sure to be something different, being powerful and very likely to have never had sex with a man.  It seemed as though Arcadia wanted to change all that.

“All Right.  Let’s go.”

“What do you mean, John isn’t here,” Arcadia asked Hylas.

“He’s gone to Mary's place.  Important family business.  Why are you dressed like some new version of Wonder Woman?”

Arcadia’s stern face dropped into sadness.

“I am sorry to report that Sister Orana has perished.  Several hours ago, the evil under the island had a tremendous surge of power which allowed it to break free onto Themyscira.  Orana courageously gave her life to put the demons back under.  I was named Wonder Woman and sent here to inform you and Arion.”

The news stunned Hylas.  Orana had been Wonder Woman for almost fifteen years.  Hylas and Arion had a hand in choosing her before Diana returned.  Orana had been an exceptional Wonder Woman.

“Gods,” said Hylas.  “I never thought it would happen.  I think I know what gave Themyscira’s evil a boost.”

“Oh, really?”

Hylas explained the situation with the Anti-Monitor and the return of Superman.

“If evil has come this close it will seek other avenues of entrance.  We must be ready to face it.  It may be able to send forth minions to prepare the way.”

“Yeah.  Look, I should go to Themyscira, but there’s a slight problem.  Dick Grayson’s son is in the bedroom.  I know he’s meta, but I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone.”

“I have to find John.”

“Fine but take Tommy with you.”

Arcadia gave Hylas a strange look, but she wasn’t prepared to argue the point.  Hylas was the son of the queen, and his place was with his family.

Nodding her head, Arcadia walked into the bedroom.  Hylas was out the window and gone within moments.  He knew there would be much to prepare for Orana’s send-off.

“I don’t really know what to make of this place.  I saw the five universes merge into one.  I even understood, somehow, the technology the Monitor used to do it,” said Alex Luthor.  “How can Earth-2 be sitting here as though nothing more happened other than the loss of most of its superhumans?  What exactly did happen at the end of the Crisis and how can me and Superboy even exist if our own worlds were erased?”

“Some people who died during the Crisis showed up here,” said Mary. “Maybe the universe reorganized itself to find a place for you.”

“You think we're now from here,” Superboy asked.

“If we do belong here, will we lose our memories of our pasts? Will this new history have always included us, or will it just be that the memories of others are altered to make it seem like we belong?”

“Maybe a bit of both,” John answered. "You wouldn't exactly be the first but it's not quite the same situation. We'll introduce you to Grant Emerson and David Knight. They might be helpful."

“We’ll figure it out,” said Mary.  

         The redhead made her way across the room and through the doorway.  The next room was almost completely dark.  Only a computer monitor provided any light.  A lone figure sat before it, tapping away at a keyboard.  There was no outward sign that he had noticed her presence, but she knew he had.

Finally reaching him, she lay a hand on his shoulder.  He visibly flinched, but then calmed.  Human touch was usually unsettling to him, but she was an exception.

What seemed to be flames reached out from each of their heads.  They touched, merged, and extinguished.  It was only then that he turned to look at her.

{Jessica.  Something happened?}

Jessica nodded her head.

|Yes, Ben.  Superman has returned.|

{Something followed?  Orana?}

|Yes, I think there’s a connection.|

Ben turned back to the computer and used it to dial up a phone number.

“Hello,” came a voice from the other side.

Not used to physically speaking, Ben said nothing.

There was a pause at the other end.  Then, “Ben?”

“Mary.  The thing that came through.  Orana…. it’s somehow related.”

“What about Orana?”

Leaning toward the microphone, Jessica said, “There was a surge of evil on Themyscira when your father came through.  Orana is dead.”

“Jessica?  Jess, we thought something happened to you!”

“I can’t talk now, Mary.”

The connection was dropped.  The pertinent information had been passed on and Ben and Jessica had no further interest in conversation.

Ben McNider and Jessica Reyes were both products of Dr. Love’s Helix Project.  In Jessica’s case, being the granddaughter of Danette Reilly, the second Firebrand, practically guaranteed she would develop superpowers.  There was an adverse effect on her, turning her into one of the Helix-unique flaming telepaths.  Ben was also a flaming telepath, but he and all the others lacked the degree of control needed to maintain sanity.  All that anyone could deduce was that her natural affinity with fire somehow protected her.

Ben and most flaming telepaths weren’t so lucky.  It was maddening to be around people.  Thoughts were extremely intrusive.  Physical contact made it worse, and Ben sometimes felt he was losing himself in other people.  No one had known what had been done to him, not early on.  Ben spent most of his life believed to be severely autistic.  His affinity for computers made it seem like he was an idiot savant.  That wasn’t the case, and only after the JSA disappeared did the truth become apparent.

The children of missing heroes were frequently drawn to one another, almost as if to validate their existence.  When he met Sofia and Mateo Zuniga, the truth came out.  Their psychic abilities allowed them to see that Ben’s mind was in perfect working order.  It was only the effect that other minds had on him that made him seem mentally ill.  Managing to briefly suppress his powers, the twins enabled Ben to be released from the hospital and moved into his father’s home.  Despite all the help, it was Jessica who had the most profound effect on his life.

In the depths of space, a red sun spins, several planets orbiting it.  The inhabitants of one of its planets referred to its star as Rao, named after one of its deities.  It was well known that the inhabitants of that world had died over a century earlier, victims of an unstable core that blew the planet to pieces.  Its two survivors were sent hurtling through space toward Earth.  All that remained of the great Krypton was a ring of debris circling Rao like an asteroid belt.

It was strange for a small, one-person spacecraft to approach the ring.  Edging closer and closer, the craft finally vanished from sight.  Closer inspection showed that the ship had passed through an illusion and fell into the atmosphere of the very much intact Krypton.

The ship moved through a green barrier with ease, setting down in the Jewel Mountains.  From out of it came a dark-haired young man.  He had a grim look on his face.  This was exactly what he feared.  No one on Daxam had believed Lar when he told them he had caught a brief glimpse of an intact Krypton.  Resolving to prove he wasn’t deluded, Lar Gand traveled to the Rao System.

The Daxamites had breathed a huge sigh of relief when they thought Krypton had been destroyed.  Millennia ago, the Kryptonians had gone on a rampage.  Many planets had been laid waste, with entire races vanishing from the universe forever.  A group of rebels opposed them, teaming with several other races to put an end to the Kryptonian Reign of Terror.  Together, they developed a genetic plague that bound Kryptonians forever to Krypton.  Leaving the planet meant death.

Those Kryptonians who opposed the rampage found a new homeworld for themselves on the planet Daxam.  Knowing that the threat of their tremendous power was great in future generations, the Daxamites enlisted their allies to develop an even more extensive plague.  Out of this came an extreme allergy to lead.  The only cure for it was a substance native to Krypton - kryptonite.  That provided reasonable assurance that a cure for lead poisoning would never be found.

As Lar thought about these things, he was approached from above by a flying Kryptonian.  He wore a military uniform, very similar to those Lar had seen pictured in history files.  Lar was certain he recognized the man.

“General Zod,” Lar spoke.  His Kryptonese was of a very different dialect than that of present-day Krypton, but it was enough for the Kryptonian to understand.

A sneer crossed the general’s face, and his eyes began to glow bright red.

“I do not recognize you,” Zod boomed.  “I can only conclude that you descend from one of the traitors.  I can see that you are a slightly modified Kryptonian.”

“Lar Gand.”

Zod almost leapt upon Gand.  It was clear that he held a deep hatred of the Gand name.

“Pel Gand.  I knew that traitor.  He had served by my side until he turned into a simpering fool.”

The name was known to Lar.  It was his great-great grandfather.  Lar had met him once or twice but there was no real connection between them other than blood.  Familial bonds on Daxam rarely lasted beyond two generations, largely because of their long lifespans.

“I never knew him.  But why the deception?  You’re still all here, and no one was going to bother you.”

“Not all of us are here.”

“My scanners showed a biological percentage that’s consistent with population growth and perhaps a few deaths.”

A vicious grin crossed Zod’s face.

“There are two things your people didn’t know.  One, we were able to manufacture a floating city that was crafted out of the very stuff of Krypton.  Zor-L and his wife headed that colony.  Second, he and Jor-L genetically engineered their pre-borns to grant them immunity to the genetic plague.  It’s true that it resulted in a lethal allergy to kryptonite, but we sent them away.”

“Two Kryptonians are free in the universe?”

“Three, as well as four hybrid children.  Those children are immune to lead and kryptonite.  I do believe the hybridization process will make for a much stronger race of Kryptonians.”

“Where could they possibly breed with--Earth!  You sent them to Earth?”

“Of course.  We were already there, though they were long ago robbed of their rightful powers.  They had the technology to advance those subhumans in such a way that they could breed with us.  It is those hybrids who will see Kryptonians reborn at full strength.”

A thought had barely crossed Lar’s mind before Zod caught on to it.

“You won’t be leaving Krypton, boy.  Not alive, anyway.”

“You don’t want to do this,” Lar sputtered.  “They know I came here.  If something happens to me Daxam and the GLC will be on to you.  They might not stop with exile next time, especially if they think you can escape.”

“By the time they get here it will be too late.  We are more than ready to take on your people and the Green Lantern Corps.”

END

Chapter Text

Arcadia arrived at the home of Mary Kent and Arion Trevor, Wayne Grayson in hand.  She knew the homes of the children of her queen wherever that might be.  Without so much as a knock, Arcadia slid open the window of his apartment and flew inside.

Ari looked over and his brows raised.  He noted the costume and that she had brought Wayne with her.  "Orana is dead."

"How did you--"

"Why else would you be wearing a costume like that?  Unless you're going by Wonder Girl or something."

"No, it is true."

Arcadia related the story of Orana's death and what Hylas believed to be the cause.

"Then we're responsible," Alex Luthor said.

"Hylas does not believe that to be the case."

John and Mary were stunned.  She had been such a powerful presence in Krypton Korp. John often saw her as something of a mother figure.  Orana was a powerful warrior with a tender side where she treated the orphans as though her own.

Clark Kent stood up.  "If the Anti-Monitor has resurfaced then it's time for Superman to return."

"I would join you in this endeavor," Arcadia declared.

"Me, too," the younger Clark said.

"What about the rest of you," Superman asked.

There were a lot of shrugs around the room.  None of the rest had ever put on a costume to fight crime.

"I can't imagine doing that," Arion said.  "I'm down with fighting ancient evils and other world-threatening beings.  That's not new to Krypton Korp."

Mary sighed and looked at her boyfriend.  "Same.  Only the old guard did the costumed thing, including Orana."

"Maybe they could track down Starman," John said.  "He's weird but he's kind of, sort of Ted Knight's son.  From another universe.  Except he only kind of, sort of belongs here.  We had to figure out how he fit in but we know he came from the merged universe."

"If they could cross over..." Alex pondered the situation.  "Maybe there's a connection with me?"

Ari shrugged.  "Anything is possible. The thing is that they died in the other universe and were reborn here."

"There are some others," said John.  "Talk to Dick or Helena. I'm sure they'd love to get some help fighting Solomon Grundy or Ultraman or whoever."

"That is all well and good, John," said Arcadia. "I can find them myself, if need be, using the magic sphere. Let us now focus on Orana. We will be honoring her memory in two day's time at precisely ten AST."  That was Amazonian Standard Time, which had no relationship to Greenwich Mean Time.  No one traveled there who wasn't known to the Amazons so it didn't much matter.

"I'll be there. Maybe sooner. Haven't been to visit in a bit."

"Do you want me to come," Mary asked.

"Nah. Keep Mom and Dad company.  I'm sure Ari was planning to leave now anyway. Oh, and Wayne's all yours."

Arion cast a spell and a portal in the form of his power. Before entering, he gave Mary a kiss. "Love you. See you soon." Then the two men and Arcadia were gone.

"I don't understand why John had to leave," said Clark. "Was he especially close to Orana?"

"Yes, but that's not why he's going now," Mary responded. "He has a friend there who isn't well and he wants to see her." She hated the deception but she knew the subject was a touchy one for John.  He'd have to broach the situation on his own, when he was ready.

"Friend," Wayne questioned.  "Do you mean Kalinda?  I don't know that I'd--"

"There's nothing to explain, Wayne."

"Ooh-kaaay."

Clark could see that Mary was keeping a secret.  He wanted to bring it up but knew that a relationship had to be rebuilt before they would fully trust him with their emotional burdens, or even their lives in general.  He changed the subject.  "I see you've come along quite nicely with your powers.  It looks like it took John longer."

"If I remember, you couldn't fly when you first showed up as Superman.  How did they put it?  'Leaped tall buildings in a single bound.'"

"That's true.  I wasn't nearly as strong as I would become over time.  I suppose I was much like John had been when he was young.  I forgot that while I was focusing my attention on training you, since you were much more powerful."

"He's up to par now.  I promise.  He also has some other tricks.  I'm sure he'll tell you all about it." 

Mary wasn't going to open up about John.

"Forget the powers," said Lois.  "Tell me about your relationship with Diana's son."

"We've been together for a while," Mary responded.  "Several years."

"Why didn't you marry?"

"It wasn't necessary.  We have no intention of having children."

"Why not," Alex asked.  "I figured you'd want to continue the Kent line, especially with your parents having been gone."

Mary shook her head.

"I can tell you're keeping something from us," said Junior.  That's what they were calling Superboy to distinguish him from Superman. "If it's obvious to me it is to everyone else."

"There's a plot to revive Kryptonians on Earth.  It's something that's been going on for tens of thousands of years.  Kryptonians had actually been on Earth when the island of Atlantis was in its prime.  They were depowered but still had advanced technology allowing them to build genetic lines."

"How do you know this," Clark asked.

Mary looked ambivalent.  "I wish John was here with me but there's no point in beating around the bush.  Krypton still exists but they can't leave the planet.  It's a really long story and I don't want to get into it right now."

"Krypton exists.  I have a memory of it exploding as I was rocketed away."

"You couldn't have that memory.  If you were close enough to see it your rocket ship would have exploded.  You and Aunt Kara were sent here with at least some implanted memories.  I don't know the details about that.  It's just conjecture but it makes the most sense."

"Are you saying my whole life is a lie?"

"None of your life is a lie.  You came here, were taken in and raised by a family who loved you, became Superman, met Mom and had me and John.  That's not a lie.  Whatever plots the people of Krypton have for us doesn't change the life you've lived.  You were the first super-hero.  Everything grew from what you did.  You helped save the universe.  I bet no one on Krypton ever had that plan for you."

Clark sighed and looked at Junior.  Could he be part of this plot and fooling everyone?  Clark doubted it but then again no one knew how he fit into Earth-2 reality.  Anything was possible.

Once on Themyscira, John flew off, leaving Ari to talk with his mother. He landed and entered a building. Eudora, as always, was present.

"Hello, John," said the Amazon. "Have you come to see Kalinda or..."

"Both," John replied. "I'm sorry to hear about Orana. She'll be missed. She was the closest I ever had to a mother." John shook his head.

"I remember. You were so sad much of the time. When Orana took you under her wing you were able to flourish."

"Speaking of the orphan thing, something has come up." John related the story of the return of his parents and the surge of evil that had resulted.

"That explains things. I sensed a tear but didn't know it's origin."

"Is that an aspect of your healing power?"

"It seems to be the case. I have been aware each time someone crossed over to our universe but those were mere scratches. This was significant but I didn't understand it since we were dealing with the surge."

"The sense Mary and I got was that the thing was pure evil. Maybe evil with a capital E."

"The kind of evil that could never be contained by the realm of Hades. There has been an absence of the higher and lower beings."

"I'm gonna say they're back."

"Indeed."

"I'm going in now. I expect to stay here until the memorial is over."

Eudora nodded. "I will see that your rooms are prepared."

Stepping inside of the room, John paused to look at the woman on the bed. He smiled and took in her silver hair, recently brushed, and her slender figure. Even like this she looked healthy, but that was mostly because the Amazons took such great care of her.

Walking over to the bed, John knelt and kissed her forehead. "Hello, my love. A lot's happened since last week.  My parents came back. They were lost between universes along with a Superboy and Alex Luthor from places that don't exist anymore. The Anti-Monitor, the thing that had destroyed all but five universes, was on their tail. It woke me and Mary. Don't think I've ever felt something so evil.

"Whatever it was gave a boost to the evil under Themyscira. Demons began to pour out. A lot of Amazons lost their lives. Orana was one of them.  Arcadia is the new Wonder Woman."

After some further small talk, John looked to the nightstand. As always, the wedding rings were there. He picked them up, placing one on her finger and the other on his. Then he curled up next to her, wrapping an arm around her chest, and was soon asleep.

It wasn't difficult for Hylas to figure out where John had gone. Sure enough, he was asleep next to his wife. He walked into the room and placed a kiss on Kalinda's cheek. Then he ran his fingers through John's hair. John awoke and looked up. They smiled at one another.

"Hi," John said.

"Hi." Hylas leaned in to give his lover a kiss.

"How long was I out?"

"It's dark."

"Hours. Wow."

"I wanted to give you some time alone but my mother wants to discuss Orana's memorial. Since you're here she thought you should be in on the conversation."

Diana sat in the War Room with Ari, Steve, Arcadia, Hippolyta, Phillippus and some others. This looked less like preparation for a memorial and more like a war council. With that thought in mind it seemed wrong for Orana to be absent.

"This is for the memorial," John questioned.

"Have a seat, John," said Diana. Once he had done so she continued. "The evil under the island has subsided but remains stronger than in the past. If what my sons have told me is true, this will not change. I suspect it continues to look for a way to surge once more and it isn't unlikely that it could happen during the memorial."

"I thought of Kent and Inza," said Arion. "They'll be here anyway. We're in short supply of sorcerers who'd want to help us."

"There's Alex Luthor," John said. "He came here with Mom and Dad using an interdimensional portal. If he could evade the Anti-Monitor with that power then I don't see why he couldn't deal with this."

"Are you suggesting that this other Luthor could send them away," asked Phillippus. "That would solve all of our problems."

"We don't know the extent of his powers," said Hylas. "I don't know if he could send them away but maybe he could create a sort of dimensional perimeter around us. I doubt he could do it for any length of time but some of us may be able to temporarily bolster his powers. That could at least get us through the memorial."

"Let's test it," said Arcadia.  "Bring him here and set up the perimeter.  If it works, we do it for the ceremony."

"Do you think this is something I could really do," Alex asked.  "I've only made portals to move me and others from one dimension to another."

"It's the same principle," said Arion.  "The only difference is that the portal will encircle the entrance to Tartarus so that if they try to come in they end up in some other dimension."

"What about the Anti-Monitor? Couldn't it come through?"

"Yeah, we thought of that.  Set the other side to someplace far, far away.  You've said there's a multiverse out there but also that there was a massive void you traveled through.  Make the second portal go to that void.  If it followed you from the Dawn of Time on that new Earth to here, bypassing all of those other universes along the way, then it's after the four of you.  It should try to come back here and leave those other places alone."

"I've never made these long, circular portals and I always have to be on one end of it.  I doubt I could make a second portal to get me back to Earth."

"That's where the rest of us come in," Arion said.  "I'm a magician, Diana is a goddess, Hylas has divine power and Doctor Fate is a sorcerer.  John also has a touch of magic."

"Really?  Mary said something about him having some other tricks."

"Not important right now.  We can do this.  We can guide and enhance your power.  It only has to last long enough to get through the memorial."

"I suppose we could try."

"That's the spirit!"

Two days later, everything was set.  The portals were in place and Alex was able to safely return to Themyscira.  The memorial itself went on for hours.  Each Amazon had something to say about Orana, as did her friends.  The returned members of the Justice Society appeared, as well as Starman, Hourman and Damage, who had never previously lived on Earth-2.  But they knew her and wanted to say farewell.

When it was over, Alex was worn out and given the go-ahead to close the portals.  Nothing happened.  No additional surge from the demons and no attempt by the Anti-Monitor to come through.  All was calm, which in itself was strange.

Superman didn't have the time to meet his former comrades beforehand.  He was amazed to see how youthful they were, more so than when he'd last seen them.  He did what he'd never before done and hugged his one-time allies.

"I like the update," John Kent said to Superboy.  "You and Dad both got new versions.  Those shorts on the outside never made sense to me."

"They did to me," Junior responded.  "I feel kind of exposed."

John appraised his adopted brother.  "You've got nothing to be ashamed of.  It's just a modern look."

"I bet your dad would love to see you in a costume of your own."

"The t-shirts with the shield are enough for me.  It means hope.  Mary used to sometimes play dress-up, just for the fun of it, but don't expect her to go out and fight crime.  I think all the training she had with Dad when we were young made her think it was a good idea, at least for a while."

"You weren't powerful then," Junior asked.  "Now you're a match for your father."

John shrugged.  "Not sure I'd count on that with a guy who went toe-to-toe with the Anti-Monitor.  It's not about power anyway. I'm more interested in social change. I'd rather deal with the causes than the symptoms."

"Do you want to hug them into being good?"

John rolled his eyes. "Often too late for anything like that but there's always the up-and-coming generations. We've done some work on the problem but things fell apart. We lost someone important and I lost heart." John shook his head but didn't continue.

"Hey there," said a young man, popping his head into the room where Alex was resting. "How are you doing?"

Alex nodded. "I remember seeing you at the funeral. I don't remember your name. I'm sorry."

The other man grinned. "You just met like fifty people, mostly each for maybe a minute. I'd be surprised if your remembered more than a couple. I'm Hector Zuniga."

"I feel stupid asking the next question but who are you? Traveling with Superman and Lois I learned about a lot of heroes and their real names. I don't remember anyone named Zuniga."

"I can't imagine why it would have come up. Hawkman and Hawkgirl were my grandparents. They never came back from the Crisis so I'm assuming they're on that other Earth. My mom was their daughter. She's the oldest."

Alex shook his head. "I don't think I'll ever get all of this straight."

Hector moved fully into the room and took a chair next to the bed. "Who says anything has to be straight?"

Alex looked perplexed. "What does that mean?"

"You don't have to get offended."

"No," said Alex. "I don't understand. I was sent from world as a baby to live with this being called the Monitor. I know I didn't speak as a child but I also jumped years really fast. Then I was a teenager a couple of months later. I don't really know a lot about social stuff."

"Oh," Hector said. "Forget I said anything. Anyway, you don't have to remember everyone all at once. You might not even see a lot of them in the near future."

"What about you," Alex asked. "Will I see you in the near future?"

"Maybe, if you want. I live in New York and you're in Metropolis. I mean, I guess you're staying there, right?"

"That apartment the Kents live in is kind of small for me and Junior to stay but we don't have money to move out."

Hector rubbed his chin and stared off. Then an idea popped into his head and he snapped his fingers. "John has an extra bedroom. I'm sure he'd be okay with you staying."

Alex looked ambivalent. "I only really know Clark, Lois and Junior well. This whole reality is alien. Not sure I'm ready to leave them."

"Then maybe later. New York City and Metropolis aren't that far away but I can't teleport or fly."

"I can only move between dimensions."

"What about looping back? Portal to another dimension and then from there create a portal to New York."

"You think I could do that?"

"Sure, why not? I've known a lot of people with superpowers in my life. I'm used to weird stuff. Could be that Doctor Fate uses the same trick. Here's still here."

Alex smiled. "You're very friendly."

"I try. Anyway, the real reason I'm here is to see if you want to join the others for something to eat. It's a pretty big feast. Orana was," Hector tilted his head, searching for appropriate words. "The best of us. She practically mothered the orphans and taught all of us with powers how to defend ourselves. Even me and my sister since she thought we might end up being targets. She wasn't wrong. The Unholy." Hector visibly shivered but said nothing more.

"As bad as the Anti-Monitor," Alex asked.

"I got a migraine from the Incursion. I only got nauseous around the Unholy."

"Incursion?"

"That's what we've been calling it when you guys came through the portal. The presence of the Anti-Monitor through the portal was what caused the surge of demons here on Themyscira. We're pretty sure there was more and that maybe other things got through."

"I heard that. Makes me think we were responsible."

"Don't talk crazy like that. The Anti-Monitor tried to destroy all of existence everywhere. It's the only thing responsible for what happened."

"Are we going to eat?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure you're up for this," Clark asked.

Junior looked down at the costume he wore. It still felt strange to feel so exposed without the shorts but others assured him it was fine. It would be a clear deviation from Superman, but still show there was a connection.

"I'll be fine, Dad," Junior responded. That designation shouldn't so easily come from his lips except that he'd spent more time with him than his birth and adoptive parents. Superman had taught him to be both a man and a superhero by example. He and Alex were also loved like their own children.

"I know you're powerful," Clark said. "Probably as strong as me. It doesn't mean I won't worry."

Junior smiled. "It's not like you can't check up on me. I hope you don't but you can."

Clark pulled him into a hug. "It's a big world out there. Most villains seem based in the US but you never know. Eyes and ears everywhere."

"And keep in mind what I told you," John said. "Unless you're drastically different you have psychic senses. Learn to hone them so you'll be aware of what's going on around you."

"Okay," Junior said. "I'm off." Superboy was out the window and into the sky.

"Are you going to let him become Superman," John asked his father.

"Do you have any interest?"

"Nah. I could have done that at any time."

Clark nodded. "John, I have to ask you something."

"Sure."

"Have a seat," Clark said, indicating a chair. "Do you want something to drink?"

"I'm okay, thanks. What's up?"

Clark was silent for a few moments, deciding how to broach the subject. "Do you trust us? Your mother and I. Do you trust us?"

John shrugged. "Why wouldn't I? You're my parents."

"I've seen and heard some things. Mary has either been evasive or even left things out entirely. The two of you are keeping secrets. It's why I'm asking."

John's face fell. He wasn't ready but his parents were going to find out. "I'm married."

"To Hylas?"

"No." Pain flickered across John's face. "Her name is Kalinda. She was the love of my life. Is the love of my life."

"Then I don't understand. Why aren't you with her?"

"I spent some time with her for a few days before Orana's funeral."

"John. You're avoiding talking about it. Is she an Amazon? Do the three of you have something together?"

"God, no. Kalinda was...hurt...in battle. She's been in a coma for years. As it stands now we have no way to wake her up."

"What happened?"

"We were fighting. Krypton Korp was fighting against Wotan and Anubis. Anubis stole her soul, put it in some kind of magic sphere. We don't know where it is. Until we get it back she's not going to wake up."

"You said years?"

John nodded his head. Tears began to well up in his eyes. "I was lost for a while. I stopped caring about what KK was doing. I used a lot of people. A year ago, I started coming out of it. Hylas was there. We got close and then we were together. We fell in love."

Clark was starting to feel emotional himself, thinking his son had to go through all of this without his parents to comfort him. It was no wonder that he was distant when they first returned.

Clark stood up, walked over to John and pulled him out of his chair. He hugged him and didn't let go for a while.

"I'm sorry, John. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you while you were going through it. I love you and I want to be here for you now."

"I love you, too, Dad."

Pulling back, Clark looked at his son. "You want to know if I'm giving up being Superman? The answer is yes. We've lost a lot of time. Your mother and I want to be part of the lives of you and your sister. If you're with Hylas or someone else, you'll always be part of my life."

John nodded his head. "I wasn't sure. I know you accepted Hylas but I thought if you knew about Kalinda that you'd tell me how bad of a person I am."

Clark smiled. "You're not bad. It sounds like you spent a lot of time grieving and you survived it by finding love again. The fact that you visit your wife, spend days with her, tells me you haven't forgotten her."

"No, I'd never forget her. I'm hoping that someday we can get her soul back."

Clark was feeling on shaky ground when he asked the next question. "What will you do if she wakes up?"

"I think about it all the time," John answered. "I can't not be with her."

"And Hylas?"

John shook his head. "I can't think about it. He wants her back as much as I do but he's going to get hurt. We both will."

"Whatever happens, I'm here for you. If you want me to help you hunt down that sphere, I'll do it. If we have to go after Anubis Hall then we'll do that."

"Anubis is at Hall Manor. Something protects him. I don't know if the sphere is in there but we can't get in. Kent, Inza and Ari couldn't get through whatever barrier is protecting him. There's a lot of unused magic out there from when the gods and demons disappeared. I think he and Wotan must have gotten access to a lot of it."

"Are you okay with telling your mother about this? Or maybe give Mary the okay to tell her?"

"I'll tell Mary. I've been feeling emotional. Orana was as close to a mother I had once you and Mom were gone. She looked out for us. She trained us. We probably would have been dead a hundred times over without her being around as Wonder Woman. I miss her."

Clark again embraced John. So much made sense to him now. "I love you, John. I'm not going away again."

Hector and Alex strolled through the park. Hector introduced him to New York City hot dogs. He didn't love then himself but it was a cultural thing Hector thought Alex should know. There were lots of things Alex needed to know.

"How should I order it," Alex asked.

"The works," Hector said to the vendor.

The man piled on relish, sauerkraut, ketchup and mustard. Alex wasn't sure he could fit it in his mouth.

Hector ordered the same for himself and paid the vendor.

Alex stared at it. Then he took a bite. A strange look appeared on his face as he chewed. After swallowing, he said, "I like it. I've never had anything like it. Mother's milk, whatever the Monitor fed me and scraps we ate along the way to here didn't do much for my palette. That's the word, right?"

Hector smiled after swallowing a bite. "That's the word."

"I learned as fast as I grew but not things about culture. It was all science and the basics of living. I lived in a multiversal satellite with the Monitor and Lyla as my only companions."

"Now you've got me," Hector said with a smile.

"When we first met you said something about being straight. I think I have an idea of what that might mean but I'm not sure."

"Okay, it's like this. The Kents are a male/female couple. That's what people call straight. Then there's Hylas and John, two guys. They usually call that gay but those two like both men and women. That makes them bisexual."

"Which are you?"

"Gay. 100% gay. I only like other men."

"Do you like me?"

Hector grinned. "I think you're cute. I don't know you well but I'd like to."

"I don't know if I'm gay."

Hector shrugged. "If you are, maybe something will happen with us. If not, we've each got a new friend. Does that sound okay with you?"

Alex smiled. "Yes. I feel comfortable with that idea."

Superboy felt strange patrolling the city. There was some minor crime but he took care of it with ease. The justice system was interesting in that superheroes had a lot of latitude in their ability to stop crimes and detain criminals. Statements to the police were as valid as appearing in court. It was odd.

Then he turned his gaze elsewhere. There was a crime in progress. Unlike the others, Superboy could see a bank vault being torn off. He zipped over there in seconds and stood in the bank. Most people were cowering, at least until they saw the 'S' shield on his chest.

"Clear out, folks," Superboy said. "I've got this."

The other man watched with amusement at Superboy but made no effort to stop the people from leaving. He didn't care about them.

"You look a little young to be Superman," he said.

"I'm the new sheriff in town. Right now you can call me Superboy but expect that to change."

"Ultraman." The villain looked Superboy over. "You look familiar."

Superboy paused, taking a closer look. "I haven't been around until recently. We couldn't have met."

"Ah. Superman returned and you with him. I'm going to guess you're from another universe."

"Now I'm here."

"A duplicate, then." Ultraman stared further. "But I don't think so. I know you."

"Then you should know I'm going to kick your ass unless you leave."

Ultraman raised his hands. "All right. I believe what I've seen is worth more than the money in this bank."

"Good. Let's go. You've got a date with the police."

Ultraman laughed. "How do you expect them to hold me? I'm a half-blooded Kryptonian. I've got all the strengths of a Kryptonian but none of their weaknesses. Ever since I learned that Superman was back I've been prepared." Ultraman opened a pouch and from out of it he drew a green rock. It was kryptonite. He flung it at Superboy.

By reflex, probably because he'd had almost no encounters with it, Superboy caught the kryptonite instead of dodging it. He was surprised when nothing happened. Ultraman, in contrast, only smirked.

"I knew it. You're a hybrid, like me. I know just who you are." Ultraman was gone before the stunned Superboy could react.

Superboy walked outside. "It's safe now," he told those assembled. "He got away, but not with any money."

Junior looked defeated when he got home, ashamed that he had let Ultraman get away. Worse, he wasn't sure he could have stopped him had Ultraman not decided to leave on his own.

"What happened," Clark asked.

Junior went on to explain.

"He was throwing you off your game. He wanted to distract you."

"Maybe."

"Why do you say that?"

"We look similar. In a way that you and I don't. And one other thing."

Junior pulled out a pouch. He opened it and pulled out the kryptonite. There was an immediate reaction from Clark who retreated from the room.

"Junior, where did you get that?"

"He threw it at me." Junior put it back in the pouch. "He said he was prepared for you since he knew you were back. It doesn't affect me."

"That doesn't mean anything," said Clark. "You're not from this universe."

Junior shrugged.

"He could be an alternate version of you."

"He'd be an alternate version of you. Except he was born here."

Clark was silent for a few moments. "Whatever the case, we can't do anything about it right now."

Junior nodded but didn't look convinced. "I let him go. Whatever is true about a relationship between the two of us I still screwed up."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"No."

"Was anything stolen?"

"No."

"Was there any property damage? Other than what happened before you arrived?"

"No."

"Junior, you may not see it but this was a success. Ultraman escaped but he wasn't wrong to say the police couldn't contain him. That's assuming you were powerful enough to take him down."

"I guess."

"How about this? You, me, John and Mary can have some training sessions together. I didn't think to ask but I'm hoping the kids didn't sell the Kent Farm. That would be a great place for the four of us to really cut loose. If it's not available, there's always the moon."

That got a smile out of him. "Okay, Dad. But why do you think John and Mary need to be trained? Sounds like they were doing okay on their own."

"I've talked to the twins more than you have. They were never on their own. They worked with Krypton Korp and by all accounts they were led by Orana, the Amazon who served as Wonder Woman for the past fifteen years. They said they're not superheroes so training probably wasn't of much interest to them."

"If they're not superheroes does it really matter?"

Clark sighed, looking out the window. "Coming here opened a door. What happened on Paradise Island, with the demons, shows there's more going on. This universe had been sealed off from the multiverse. I suspect that's not the case anymore. We're going to need all hands on deck."

"Isn't this something we should talk to everyone about?"

"Yes, and soon. Diana, myself and some of the old guard have already talked about it. I was waiting to get the family together to discuss it. Diana will do the same with hers. We'll have to decide how to bring it up to the rest but it has to be soon. Superheroes or not, we all need to be ready for whatever might come our way."

Junior nodded. It was a lot to take on. His place in the world was already uncertain. Despite what Clark had said, he didn't doubt what Ultraman implied. It made the most sense given what he'd heard about some others who crossed over. A man whose universe technically never existed had to come from somewhere. He was going to find out how he fit in and help Alex to do the same.

END

Chapter Text

         The moon shone down on Gotham City.  This northern outpost of LexTech, formerly WayneTech, seemed to be the focus of the lunar light.  A lone figure stood atop the roof, though his dark clothes made him almost invisible.

          Bruce hooked a line onto the eave and let it drop down.  He eased himself downward until he reached a window.  Reaching into his pocket, Bruce extracted a small electronic device.  Attaching it to the window, the lights on it blinked red.  This went on for several moments until the device beeped and the light turned green.  Putting the device away Bruce proceeded to cut a hole in the window, granting him entrance.

          Once inside, Bruce made his way to a central office.  The door was locked but it was child’s play to pick.  Some part of Bruce knew that this sort of thing simply ran in his veins.  Another part tried hard to suppress the fact that he might not have real blood anymore.

          Setting all that aside, Bruce entered the office and sat down at the desk.  Turning the computer on, Bruce began typing.  It required a username and password, but Bruce had been cracking systems since he was ten.  This wouldn’t prove much of a challenge.

          After about ten minutes of work Bruce found his way in.  It took a little while to root around, but Bruce soon found what he wanted and copied it to a disk.  Then he inserted his own little piece of code so that Luthor would know he’d been there.  It wasn’t anything too harmful, but it would annoy Luthor.  He only ever gave out bonuses to his top employees.  Luthor would hate it when the entire company was given bonuses in their paychecks.

          Having gotten what he wanted, Bruce shut down the system and got out of the building.  Once outside, Bruce took off to deliver the information to Ben.  It would prove very useful against Luthor.

          The next morning, Bruce Sims showed up on the doorstep of John Kent’s apartment building.  A close look at the boy, for he was still a teenager, showed the jet-black hair and blue eyes that was a trademark of his mother’s family.  He also possessed the strong jawline and muscular physique of his maternal grandfather.  Some thought he bore an amazing resemblance to Bruce Wayne, but those people had no idea how different he truly was from his grandfather.

          Ascending the steps to the top floor, Bruce knocked lightly on the door.  When it opened, he stepped inside.

          “Where’s Tommy,” he asked without preamble.

          “Looks like you’ve been busy, cuz,” Tommy said from across the room.  “Or am I wrong about the raid on LexTech?”

          “Hey, John,” Bruce finally said to his host.

          A quick scan of the room pointed out a few people he didn’t know.  He’d seen enough pictures of the Justice Society to recognize Superman and Lois Lane, though considerably younger in appearance than he’d expected.

          “You never told mom your parents were back.”

          “Bruce, you’ve been missing for days,” said John. “You missed a lot.”

“Orana died,” Tommy said glumly.

          “Wait, what? When’s the funeral?”

          “Yesterday.”

          Bruce was taken aback. “Oh, God. I can’t believe it.”

          “Did you lose time again,” John queried. “We can’t keep ignoring that.”

          Bruce tried to ignore it anyway. “I found intel on a LexGen project from the 50’s. No definitive Helix link but it can’t be a coincidence.”

          “From the look of you,” Clark said, walking forward.  “You must be Helena’s son.  What do a few super-powered malcontents have to do with Luthor?  Or you, for that matter?”

          “The Helix Project has been around for a long time and it’s much bigger than we imagined. They did something to me in the womb.” Bruce looked at his hands. “This isn’t flesh, not really. It’s tiny little robots.”

          “That’s not true and you know it,” piped in Hylas. “Those nanites help to thicken your own flesh but they just replicate your own skin.”

          Bruce shrugged. “Whatever. Something is making me lose time. If the bots were being hacked, it could explain things.”

          “I’m going to call your mother,” John said, exiting the room.

          “Anyway, I found something more interesting.  It was schematics for a laser sword - like a lightsaber.”

          “You made a copy,” Tommy asked.

          ‘“No.  Stole it.  I have the only one.”

          “Stole it,” said Clark.  “I don’t think you should have done that.”

          “It’s what I do,” Bruce commented.  “Like my grandmother, I’m a thief.  It’s in my blood - or what passes for it.  Besides, I don’t want something like this in the hands of Alexis Luthor.  She could only do harm with it.  She’s even worse since her grandfather showed up.  Alexei may not have her tech talent, but he sure knows how to plan.  LexTech is much more vicious.”

          “It has to be the Power Stone,” Hylas said.  “She was never like this growing up.  She could never stand her grandfather or what he stood for.”

          “Do you think she’s possessed,” asked Clark. “The Ultra-Humanite and Alexei Luthor both used it in the past but they were already evil.”

          “No.  I just think she’s weak,” John responded as he entered the room.  “She allowed it to corrupt her.  To someone like that it’s easy to let the desire to want to help people turn into a feeling that you need to control them for their own protection.  Having the Power Stone just made it seem all the more possible.”

          Stepping forward for the first time, Junior asked, “Do you think that’s likely to be true, uh, Bruce?”

          “Seems like it,” Bruce answered.  “She did use the Power Stone to fight crime at one point.  That was before she did a hostile takeover of Luthor Industries and used it to take over WayneTech.  WayneTech became LexTech and LT’s where I found that lightsaber.  So, tell me if you think I should’ve left it.  Morality and laws aren’t always the same thing.”

          Before anyone could respond to that comment there was a screeching noise followed by a booming sound as something hit the ground.  Amazingly, Bruce was the first to the window despite the presence of four hyperkinetics in the room.  What he saw outside was an Amazon being slammed by a burst of green energy.

          Four blurs streaked out the window.  All of them met a similar fate as the Amazon.  As Bruce watched, a glowing green figure came into view.  Next to it was a green eye about the size of the woman’s chest.

          There wasn’t much Bruce could do.  He had no super-powers, aside from an immunity to telepathy.  Bruce doubted that would be useful against something that could take down Kryptonians and Amazons.  That left his mind, and Alexander Luthor, as the best solution.

          “Luthor,” Bruce said.  “Whoever this woman is, force isn’t going to be useful against her. What can you do?”

          “I create portals,” Alex responded. “But only to other dimensions.”

          “Sounds perfect.”

          Moving to the window, Luthor stretched out a hand and closed his eyes.  Concentrating, he began to tear a hole in reality.  Luthor was careful not to open the way toward where he had come from.  The portal swept upward to engulf them.  The woman disappeared entirely but the eye evaded the portal.  Disconnected from its host, it settled down on the ground.

          Jumping out the window, Bruce landed in a crouch.  One of the benefits of the nano-bots recreating his cells was that he never took any permanent damage.  This made Bruce able to jump out of third-floor windows without worry. Alex had to take the stairwell.

           Bruce crouched down next to the eye. When he reached out to touch it there was a reaction. It glowed green and that glow spread to Bruce. When Bruce stood up, the eye rose up and floated next to him.

           Alex had meanwhile checked on the others. They were all fine, just shaken.

           “Looks like you made a new friend,” said Hylas.

           “One powerful enough to take on the five of you,” Bruce responded. “I can’t say I’m fond of that thought. Where did it even come from?”

           “We know old things are likely returning,” said Clark. “Maybe this is one we’ve never encountered before.”

           “Or Something new,” John commented.

Hylas approached the eye and reached out his hand. It reacted, taking evasive action, but made no attempt to harm him. “Old, I’d say. Extraterrestrial, but I think from outer space rather than another dimension.” He turned to Alex and winked. “You’re in the clear, Alex.”

The Kent and Trevor families assembled on Themyscira, ostensibly to have dinner. Among them were the Trevors: Diana, Steve, Ari and Hylas. The Kents were more extended and included Clark, Lois, John, Mary, Junior and Alex Luthor.

“This is different,” Hylas said. “We never did anything like this before the Crisis. What’s special now?”

Clark cleared his throat. “We spent far too much time in the past not giving the attention our families deserved. That will not be the case going forward.”

“The location was for another reason,” Lois said, looking at her son. “Here we can have, in some ways, our entire family present.”

John blushed but didn’t respond. Hylas looked at John, then Lois, but remained silent. There was a flash of hurt on his face.

“We have our families here,” Clark said in his intent to avoid an uncomfortable silence. “This is us, here and now, but expect Dick, Helena, and even families of our old teammates to come together. We fought together for many years. We have to be more than just teammates. We have to be family.”

“It’s got to be more than that, Dad,” Mary said.

“It is,” Steve responded. “Much more. We have indications that other entities are appearing. Some things we’ve never seen.”

Ari looked at his father. “What are you seeing that I’m not picking up on?”

“I’m a goddess, Arion,” Diana reminded her son. “I’ve had little cause to highlight that aspect of myself until recently.”

“We suspect,” Clark began. “That they were things held back by other forces that are either not here now or hadn’t previously asserted themselves.”

“Like that eye thing Bruce has following him around,” John mused.

“That makes a lot of sense,” Hylas said. “I could tell that it was ancient. I don’t know if it’s something that returned to our universe from that other Earth or if it was hiding away somewhere.”

“It was powerful enough to take a lot of you down,” Alex commented.

“Which is disturbing,” Steve agreed. “Clark is one of the most powerful beings to walk this planet. Anything that could take him down is very dangerous. Which brings us to our next point. Diana?”

“Going forward, all of us here, and all of the younger generation, will be undergoing intensive training. We need to be prepared for whatever comes next. Orana knew how to connect to all of you with ease but I’m sorry to say we don’t have the luxury of doing what she did.” Her tone lightened. “She was the best of us. She will be missed.”

John gasped and shook briefly, then opened his mouth. “Something’s coming!”

There was a whoosh of air and before them all stood the forms of two people with white hair. The man, sporting a beard, was dressed as Doctor Fate. The other wore a costume that unmistakably marked her as Lyta Trevor.

The two looked around, at first uncertain of where they were. Then Lyta smiled and said, “We’re home.”

Diana was in their air, her arms wrapped around her long-lost daughter. The rest of the Trevors joined in.

Mary looked at her brother. “How did you know?”

John fiddled with the ankh. “We know this is connected to Death somehow. Maybe it brought them back to life and I could sense it?"

"Maybe."

"I feel like we’re intruding,” Junior said. “Maybe we should go.”

“Nonsense,” John responded. “I’ve known Lyta Trevor and Hector Hall my entire life.”

“Hector Hall,” Alex questioned.

“Yes, the one who is your boyfriend’s uncle.”

“He’s not—”

“Yes, he is,” Junior responded. “You spend all of your time with him. I bet you’ve even kissed.”

Alex blushed but didn’t deny it.

“You don’t think anyone around here cares,” said John.

“Yeah,” said Junior. “Except for that comment Mom made.”

John nodded. “I noticed.”

“So did I,” Ari said. Turning to John’s mother he said, “Lois, can we step out of the room for a moment?”

Lois looked slightly unnerved but followed Arion into the hallway.

          “What is it you need to say in private,” Lois asked.

          “You think none of us noticed your reference to Kalinda,” said Ari. “Yes, we all know she’s John’s wife and that she’s lying in a coma here on the islands. Do you need to shove that in everyone’s face? My brother has feelings, you know? He doesn’t deserve that.”

          “I said nothing of the sort that you’re implying.”

          “Bullshit. Just remember you’re not only disrespecting my brother but also your own son. John told me about his conversations with his father. Clark told John he’d love him no matter who he was with. I know as well as any of us that if and when Kalinda wakes up that the two of them are going to be hurt but that day hasn’t come yet. Right here, right now those two are together and they love each other.”

          Lois looked like she wanted to lash out. Instead, she took a deep breath and composed herself. “If she never awakens then that’s how it will be. Don’t think I don’t accept Hylas because I do. That doesn’t mean Kalinda isn’t part of this family. She still matters if she’s in a coma or not. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.”

          “No one is pretending. Do you realize that not only does John visit Kalinda, but that Hylas also does, both with and without John? You haven’t been here. You don’t know how much all of us love her. We all visit her. We have Amazons caring for her!”

          A hand landed on Ari’s shoulder. He turned to see Clark. The expression wasn’t so much stern as resigned.

          “You’ve said your piece, son,” said Clark. “Go spend time with your sister.”

          Arion nodded and walked away.

          “Do you know what he said to me, Clark,” asked Lois.

          “I heard. I think it’s time we were introduced to Kalinda. John is coming to do that right now.”

          “Does he know what happened?”

          “Arion is his best friend. Of course, he knew. Arion also knew that John, Hylas, Alex and Junior were all bothered. We’ll meet Kalinda in whatever way we can.”

          “I’m coming, too,” Mary said, walking up with John. “With everything that’s been going on I’ve let my visits slide.”

          Clark wrapped an arm around Mary’s shoulders and smiled. “This seems like the right way to do this.”

          When they entered the room, they saw a thin, young woman on a bed. She had white hair but was young. Her skin was pale but even the coma couldn’t hide her radiance.

          John walked over to Kalinda and gave her a kiss. Then he took their wedding rings, placing one on her finger and the other on his. “This is my wife, Kalinda. She’s a half-elf and friend of Arcadia. She’s lost, for now, but we’ll get her back one day.”

          Mary walked over and gave Kalinda a kiss on her forehead and a squeeze of her hand. “Meet the parents,” she said. “I’m sure John told you they came back. I hope you get to meet them.”

          “Can she hear you,” Lois asked.

          “We’re not sure. We don’t really know what it means to not have a soul. We only know that nothing has been able to bring her back, be it elven, Atlantean or Amazonian magic.”

          Lois turned to John. “I don’t want you to think that I don’t respect Hylas or your relationship with him.”

John looked briefly at his wife before turning back to his mother. “Yeah.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t care about this part of your life. She’s your wife. We’re your family. Hylas is someone you love. That makes all of us important, both Hylas and Kalinda.”

“Well said,” Clark offered. “Maybe it’s been too long, John, but do you remember all the time she spent with you when I was off training with Mary? Is there anything she said that would have let you know how she felt about you?”

John thought for a few moments before answering. “It was something like there being no circumstances in which she wouldn’t love me. No matter who I was or what I did.”

“I meant that, John. You’re a good man and I can’t tell you how guilty I’ve felt not having been there. Or all the years when I thought you were gone forever, that you didn’t even exist.”

“I never really thought about that,” Mary said.

“Why would you,” said Clark. “I imagine you’d also thought we were gone forever.”

“We did,” the twins said in unison.

“Diana said you’d gone to the Dawn of Time in the new universe,” John said. “It seemed like you’d died along with Superboy and the Anti-Monitor. We had no reason to think Mom was even around.”

“Alex saved us,” Lois responded. “Is it any wonder why we see him as our child no matter what his last name?”

“Okay, then. I think we’re all good.”

“Agreed,” Mary responded. “Let’s go welcome back our old babysitters.”

When they returned, Mary took Ari aside and explained the situation. He seemed satisfied.

Diana came over to John and gave him a squeeze on the shoulder. She’d watched him grow over the years and was sensitive to his moods as only a small handful were.

John looked up at her and gave a smile that said everything was okay. Diana nodded and stepped away.

The brief encounter didn’t escape Lois’s notice. She saw that the Amazon was protective of John. Lois once again cursed the Anti-Monitor from stealing from her some of the most significant moments in the lives of both of her children. She was glad she’d been able to be there for Junior and Alex, who were themselves orphans, but it wasn’t the same.

“Don’t worry, Lois,” Steve said to Lois in a reassuring manner. “Give it a little time. John and Mary both love you.”

“I know. I just wish I’d had more of a hand in raising them than you did.”

“Don’t think that’s over. They need you and Clark much more than you realize. Yes, me, Diana, Orana and a number of Amazons were there for them in their youth, but none of it replaced the absence of their parents. We’d always known that. You can’t tell, but there’s been a shift in them, a sense that things were turning out the way they needed to.

“It’s also important to remember that their lives would have been completely different had you been here. I don’t know if Mary and Ari would have grown so close, or if John would ever have met Kalinda. Even then the way they met was unlikely to have forged the bond they have.”

“How did they meet?”

Steve tensed up. “He hasn’t told you?”

“No.”

Steve looked over at John before turning back to her. “I don’t want to say it’s not my place; he wouldn’t complain about me telling you. I think it would be better to hear it from his mouth. The experience was, to put it lightly, unnerving. Just the fact that Diana couldn’t do anything for him made her very upset.”

The alarm on Lois’s face told Steve he should have kept his mouth shut. “It’s fine, Lois. John is perfectly safe. He had some difficulties but came out of them stronger and more confident than ever. And married to a wonderful woman.”

Junior observed the exchange and drifted toward Lois. His intent was to rescue Steve and to comfort his adoptive mother. “Hey, Mom. Did you know Hector and Lyta? I think I might have seen them during the Crisis but I’m not sure. There were a lot of super-heroes there. I know a lot of them were comic book characters in my universe, but I didn’t read them past the age of ten. I mean, if…”

Lois grasped Junior’s hand. “Nothing can take away your past. I’ve been an investigative reporter since 1937. I’ve given this some thought. They talked about David Knight, the son of our Starman, who was never born in this universe. From what was said, he has full memories of his own timeline, but reality has somehow shifted so that he also ‘belongs’ here with an awareness of a different history. Even if you fit in here, it might be that reality has simply found a place for you, but your past remains intact.”

“You think I might be an alternate version of Dad but also a hybrid Kryptonian from Earth-2?”

“I think that is the only explanation that fits with the evidence. I’m sure we’ll find Alex also has a place in this reality but his birth on Earth-3 and living aboard the Monitor’s satellite is still intact. I would say he is the brother of Alexis Luthor here on Earth-2.”

“We should probably stop calling our world anything like ‘Earth-2’. Wherever any of us came from this is still home. I don’t plan to leave this universe ever again.”

“Nor do I. Even those old JSA/JLA cross-universal meetups the heroes used to do regularly don’t need to happen. I imagine ‘Earth-1’ also exists but they can keep their universe for themselves.”

“The last several years were terrible,” Lyta was explaining to her family. “Morpheus seemed to know that I was the daughter of Wonder Woman, even if reality had made another World War II heroine my birth mother and then a third as my adoptive mother. Hector died but lived on in a dream world.”

“I was just a pawn,” Hector said. “We ended up being together again and having a son. Daniel.”

There was pain evident on their faces.

“Morpheus was the Lord of Dreams. When the Furies killed him, a new being had to take the role of the Dream Lord. Daniel was taken from us and made into Dream.”

“I ended up as Doctor Fate in a story I’d rather not get into right now. We joined the JSA. Then the Spectre lost its host, went crazy, decided magic was the source of the world’s problems. Then it…killed us.”

“It killed you,” Steve exclaimed. “Is that why you ended up here?”

“No,” Lyta responded. “We were going to be consigned to Hell, but Daniel offered us an alternative. He said we could live forever in the Dreaming. At least then me and Hector could be together, so we agreed. Just recently Daniel said a new path opened for us and he sent us here.”

“Daniel,” Diana commented. “Your son, who became this Dream Lord.”

“Dream and Death,” John said. “Bet there are others.”

“This is all very interesting and worth exploring further,” Clark said. “But this is not the time for it. It’s time for the Trevor Family to become reacquainted while the Kent Family goes home.”

The six Kents rejoined at the apartment of Clark and Lois. Though the overall  mood was positive there was still something in the air.

“What’s wrong, Mom,” Alex said. “I saw you were upset about something even before we left Themyscira. I didn’t want to say anything while we were there.”

Lois had an uncomfortable look on her face. She had questions but didn’t want to ask. Then she resigned herself. “John, how did you meet Kalinda?”

John now looked as uncomfortable as his mother. “I met her in her K’en Dira, which is the hidden city of her people.”

“I know there’s more. Steve hinted at something that was bad enough that it made Diana upset and I can see that Diana played an important role in your youth. Close enough that she was concerned about your uncomfortability after we went to meet Kalinda.”

“I got hurt and went there to recover.”

“John, just tell them,” said Mary. “No one was happy about what happened but we can’t hide from our past, not from Mom and Dad. Or our new brothers.”

John sighed. “Okay, but you’re not going to like it.”

John had been investigating corruption in Hong Kong. He hadn't uncovered much and it pissed him off. There was nothing he could do about it so he flew west toward the United States.

It was while passing the Philippines that he became aware of trouble. He saw a nuclear missile heading straight toward the island nation. With no other course of action to be taken, John erected a mystic shield around the island. It stretched his magic to its limits. Keeping the shield intact left himself vulnerable.

The missile hit him directly, but John was able to redirect the radiation out of the atmosphere before plummeting into the ocean.

John sank into the depths of the ocean. He would have died outright if not for his ankh. As the avatar of Death he could not truly die until a successor could be found to take his place. That was unlikely given his location.

When John awoke he didn't recognize his surroundings. He tried to get up but found himself too weak to move. His consciousness served as an alert for two beings who entered the room. John couldn't say if they were human but they were at least something close. Their skin was pale, pointed ears, hair pale blonde and the eyes green with sclera that was dark rather than white. John guessed they were elves, much like those Arcadia had told him about.

“Where am I,” John asked, though his voice was raspy and weak.

“Try not to speak, John Kent,” one of the elves said. “You have recovered from many of your wounds but you are still too weak from your injuries. Rather, we will place the crystal near your bedside in a place where you can easily reach. You may think into it and thoughts will be shared with others in the room. Do you understand?”

John nodded his head, but even that small movement caused him to wince.

“There will be pain for some time.”

John slightly moved his head toward the table next to his bed. It contained the crystal. One of the elves retrieved it and placed it in John's hand.

::Where am I,:: he projected.

“You are in the city of K'en Dira. Your body was retrieved by Atlanteans who took you to Themyscira. When they failed to heal your wounds, Sister Arcadia brought you here. We have cared for you ever since.”

::How long have I been here?::

“Since--”

“That's enough, Dranik,” said the voice of another, a woman who had just entered the room. She was breathtaking in appearance. Pale skin, like the others, but with white hair and silver-blue eyes. Unlike the others, her sclera were white.

“Princess Kalinda,” Dranik said. “I had not known you would be visiting.”

“It is quite alright. Mother has chosen me to care for him until he is recovered. I thank you for all of your hard work.”

The two elves bowed and departed.

::What aren't you telling me?::

She smiled warmly at John and came to his bedside. She sat in a chair next to him.

“My name is Kalinda. I will be caring for you, using my healing talents to aid in your recovery.”

John looked frustrated and flicked the crystal off the bed. That was his way of saying he had nothing more to say if she wasn't talking.

“John Kent, I understand your anger and your pain. Please don't think we're keeping secrets but what I have to tell you may come as a shock.” She got the crystal and put it beside him, within easy reach. “You have been in K'en Dira for six months, unconscious until now.”

John grasped the crystal, perhaps harder than he ought to have since it caused him pain.

::Six months? How is that possible?::

“When Arcadia delivered you to us, your skin had been burned beyond all recognition, your hair gone, your eyes seared. There was little anyone could do. That ankh around your neck was all that kept you alive and so we have let it remain when we might otherwise have removed it. It marks you as the avatar to Sehanine Moonbow. It would be unwise of us to take it without her consent unless passing it on to the next avatar. That person is likely not in this city and no spirits may pass on without the avatar.”

The avatar parts were known to John. He'd learned that when he'd first encountered the prior avatar more or less dead, with the spirits of the dead hovering nearby, unable to pass on.

::How did you save me? One of the others said even the Amazons couldn't heal me.::

“That is true. However, you must understand that the Amazons use science rather than magic. Queen Diana was unable to help, perhaps because her magic might be in conflict with Sehanine Moonbow. Hylas Trevor had the same difficulty. Trust me that many tried. Our elven magic was uniquely able to do what others could not, perhaps because we live in harmony with nature rather than subverting the natural order. This is why it has been taking so long to heal you.”

::Mary...she must be worried.::

“She has visited you many times, as have other of your friends. They have watched your progress.”

::Do they know I'm awake?::

“My mother has sent word to Arcadia and she will alert your friends.”

John seemed satisfied with all he had been told. It was nothing short of a miracle that he had skin and could see. He had believed his last act in saving the Philippines to be the final one.

“I promise that we will bring you to full strength, John. You must remain patient. Should you leave before you have fully recovered, we cannot guarantee you will be the man you once were.”

John nodded, but the effort of communicating and learning what had happened had exhausted him. He started to nod off.

“Sleep well, John. I will return later.”

When next John woke, it was dark. He couldn't tell if it was night or that whatever the elves used for light was turned off. In either case, he felt comfortable. The temperature in the room was just right. He needed no covering and he realized he was naked. He couldn't work up the effort to care.

John didn't know how long he'd been lying awake before the door opened. The lights came on, though not very bright so as not to hurt his eyes. In came friendly faces in the form of Mary, Ari and Hylas.

“John,” Mary exclaimed. “They told me you were awake and we got here as soon as we could!”

John smiled and gripped the crystal, which was still in reach of his hand.

::I just woke up, yesterday I think. Can't be sure since the last time I woke up six months had passed.::

“It's only been a day.”

Mary squeezed her brother's hand, taking special care not to hurt him. Kalinda had made sure they all knew that any touch would likely cause him pain but that he would certainly want that contact regardless.

John smiled at his sister and looked at his friends. No way Mary would come here without Ari, who was his best friend anyway, and Hylas would also want to see him.

::I'm still hurting a lot but the elves said I'd be in pain for a while.::

“Hey, buddy,” Ari said. “Glad to see you awake. Just want you to know we tracked down the bastard who was responsible for firing on the Philippines just to get at you. Officially, he's a rogue military general and his actions were unsanctioned. We haven't been able to find the original source but there's no doubt he was ordered to do it.”

::No surprise. I didn't have a spare thought at the time to consider it. I was too busy making sure the Philippines didn't end up a radioactive wasteland.::

“You were successful,” Hylas commented. “A statue was erected in your honor. Many leave flowers at the base of the statue out of gratitude for saving their lives and the lives of all of their loved ones.”

::A statue seems excessive.::

“That's what I said,” Mary responded. “They wouldn't hear of any objections and in the end it didn't matter what they did. It only furthered the cause of Krypton Korp.”

::How long can you stay? I'd like to hear about what's happened in my absence.::

“No more than an hour. Kalinda said you get exhausted easily and didn't want anything to slow down your recovery. She did say we could visit as often as we wanted. She even thought it would be good for your mental health.”

John let out a sigh. Even though, from his perspective, he'd only been away from them for a couple of days, he still wanted the comfort of their presence. It seemed too soon when they finally left.

It was a long journey for John. Kalinda came to see him at least once a day, sometimes to lay hands on him for healing and other times just to talk. He enjoyed those talks. She smiled a lot and laughed easily. Between her visits and those of his friends, John hardly had time to get lonely. He was also growing stronger with each passing day.

After about three months of Kalinda's healing therapy, John was able to stand up on his own with no aid. He could also feel his powers returning, at least to some degree.

“You are doing wonderful,” Kalinda said. “Your progress is incredible. Soon you will be fully recovered and able to return to your friends and family.”

John got quiet and looked directly at Kalinda.

“What is it, John?”

“I'm not sure I want to leave,” he responded.

“Why is that?”

John visibly gulped but steeled himself for what he had to say.

“Kalinda, I don't think I can leave you. I'm in love with you.”

Kalinda smiled and gave that silvery laugh that John so loved to hear. “Are you sure? Sometimes people develop feelings for the ones who care for them.”

“This is different. It's not about gratitude. Well, somewhat but mostly not. I love the sound of your voice, the way the strands of hair slide down the sides of your cheeks when you lean down, that laugh of yours that reminds me of wind chimes blowing in the breeze, those bright blue eyes that entrance me, the way your tender hands move across my body... there's so much more but I know I'm in love with you.”

Again, Kalinda gave John a smile and grasped his hand. “I know, John. I know your feelings. I wanted to make sure you knew.” She grew quiet, one of those rare, serious looks crossing her face. “I also love you, John. I want you to stay, but not at the cost of giving up your friends and family. We have time before either of us has to decide. For now, let us simply enjoy the company of one another.”

Kalinda leaned forward and kissed John. It was gentle at first but grew more deeply, more passionately. When they drew apart, John had a grin on his face, and both were breathless.

“That was more than I ever could have imagined,” John said.

“For me as well.”

Another three months later, John was at full strength.  He and Kalinda had decided to marry. Queen M'della and Silver Cloud presided over the wedding. Mary, Ari, Hylas, the Nelsons, the Graysons, Orana, Diana, Steve and the Sims were all in attendance.

“My God,” Clark exclaimed. “The United States government tried to murder you? Why?”

            “We investigated corruption,” Mary replied. “Corrupt people don’t like when that happens.”

            “No wonder Steve didn’t want to tell me,” cried Lois. “This is horrible, and I couldn’t even be there for you!”

            “Mom, it’s okay,” said John. “All that pain was worth everything to meet Kalinda.”

            “Even now having lost her,” Clark asked.

            “She’s the most incredible person I’ve ever met and even this heartache I have now was worth the time we’ve had together.”

            Clark clasped Lois’s hand. “That I can understand. We are going to find a way to get her soul back, even if we have to raze Hall Manor to do it. I’ve fought the Anti-Monitor and survived.”

            John nodded his head but otherwise made no comment.

            Junior and Alex went for a walk. As much as they were part of the Kent Family, there was still a lot of catching up to do with Lois, Clark, John, and Mary.

            “That’s some crazy stuff there,” Junior said. “Hard to believe how much corruption exists in governments.”

            “Maybe not that hard,” Alex responded. “Earth-3 was ruled by criminals. In that world, Luthor was a good man rather than the evil versions we’ve seen elsewhere.”

            “There was that one we saw in the tenth universe we stopped in. Out of what might be an infinite number of universes it can’t be that all the Luthors are bad guys. I bet there are a lot of good ones out there.”

            “I doubt your father is one of those,” Ultraman, the hybrid Kryptonian, said as he dropped from the sky before them. “Though I know little of your him, to raise someone like Alexis might point to him being not so nice.”

            “What’s that got to do with me,” Alex asked. “This isn’t my world.”

            “I suspect otherwise. This Superboy is not a native of any other universe.”

            “How would you know that,” Junior asked.

            “Because I’m from this universe and you are my brother.”

            Junior shook his head. “That trick with the kryptonite didn’t prove anything. Superman told me that kryptonite he encountered from other universes didn’t hurt him. It’s just you trying to mess with me. That won’t happen again.”

            Ultraman appraised Junior before reaching into a pouch inside of a hidden pocket in his costume. He pulled out a picture. It looked like a Polaroid. It showed a picture of a couple with two young children. It was startling to Junior because one of those children looked exactly like he did in old photos. Even more shocking was that the woman looked very much like Naomi Kent.

            “That—that’s impossible!”

            “Flip over the picture.”

            Junior did so and saw names. Drew, Hank, Mom, Dad.

            “That’s us,” said Ultraman. “You’re Drew and I’m Hank. McKenzie is the last name. Our father is Lor-Zod, a native of Krypton who was sent here alongside Kara Zor-L and Kal-L. The McKenzie family adopted him, and he became Jerome McKenzie.”

            “Jerome?” Jerome Kent was the name of the man he remembered as being his father.

            “He later met Naomi Ross, herself the daughter of an old villain who called himself Professor Radium. His powers killed his wife but not before she gave birth to our mother.”

            “Then you’re saying we grew up together, but I have no memory of you?”’

            A pained look crossed his face that looked genuine. “Naomi learned our father had plans to rebuild Krypton on Earth. She took you and ran.”

            “Why not you?”

            Ultraman shook his head. “I don’t know. Lor-Zod is a full-blooded Kryptonian. Maybe she couldn’t find a way to get both of us out. I know she loved me. I could sense it, even before my powers began to fully manifest.”

          “You’ve given me a lot to think about, but I still don’t trust you.” Junior paused. “If I have to waste time stopping you from committing crimes then that’ll never happen.”

          “Fair point.” Ultraman rose into the air. Before departing, he said, “Keep the photo. We’ll meet again.”

          Junior stared once more at the photo. “What do you think, Alex?”

          “About me or you? Or both of us?”

          Junior shrugged. “Mom thought I might ‘also’ be from here, sort of like how they said other people turned up who’d never lived here but still had a place in both realities. She also told me she thought you were probably the brother of Alexis Luthor.”

“I don’t think walking up to her and asking will get me the answers I want,” Alex said. “If she’s as messed up as the others are saying then it’d be hard to trust anything she says.”

“Maybe. You could probably ask Bruce Simms if he found anything in LT files.”

“If he were looking for that but we know he didn’t even know we existed at the time. I doubt it would be as easy as last time when it was unexpected.”

“He didn’t have that Eye thing last time. You never know what kind of edge that might give him.”

“Maybe I should ask him.” Alex paused. “Mateo is psychic. He might be able to help.”

Junior grinned. “I’ll bet he can.”

Alex blushed a deep red but made no attempt to deny what Junior was suggesting.

“Well now,” Dru-Zod said, staring across the stars to observe the activities on Earth. “The son of Jor-L has returned to this universe. That he brought with him my long-lost grandson is most curious.”

Training her own psychic senses outward, Ursa smiled. “Our blood is stronger there. It’s only a matter of time before we can use them to free us.”

“It is troubling that Lor’s wife discovered the truth and was able to flee with Drew. That he is being indoctrinated by the L’s is annoying but nothing that can’t be overcome once we arrive.”

Chapter Text

Earth-2 #4

            Alex gave Mateo one of those quirky smiles and he knew something was up. “Out with it,” said Mateo. “What are you after?”

Alex gave him a kiss.  “What makes you think I’m after anything other than a kiss?”

“I’m psychic. Out with it.”

            “I’m looking into the Luthors.”

            “About time. What do you want from me?”

            Alex looked down and shuffled his feet. “I’m going to see Alexis Luthor. I wanted you to come with me.”

            “Oh, really? Why would that be?”

“I talked to Bruce about seeing if we could figure out if I really belong in this universe.”

Alex knocked on the door of Wayne Manor. It was the home of Helena Sims, daughter of Batman and Catwoman. She and Dick Grayson had both inherited it, but Dick allowed Helena to buy him out when they both decided to start families.

A man Alex didn’t know answered the door. He had a vague recollection that Batman in comics had a butler named Alfred, but he didn’t think this person was that man. He was a Native American who stood over six feet tall and looked like he could take down anyone who threatened the family. He was not the typical picture of a butler.

“How may I help you,” said the man.

“I’m Alex Luthor, here to see Bruce,” Alex responded.

“Luthor.” The butler gave him a hard stare. Alex inferred the man didn’t like anyone associated with that surname.

“He’s expecting me.”

The butler shut the door, but Alex could hear him on some type of radio device calling Bruce. Based on what he’d begun to learn about himself, Alex was coming to believe that he could use his powers to teleport. It might mean a brief trip through the void between universes, but he could return to a point of his choice on Earth. Or so he theorized. Alex also discovered that not only was he smarter than he’d ever imagined but also that he had retained at least some knowledge of the Monitor’s multiversal technology.

After a short period, Bruce arrived at the door. “Hey, Alex. Sorry about James. He was around when LexTech took over WayneTech and is having a hard time accepting that a Luthor might not be evil. I told him you were from another universe where the bad people were good.”

“Right. About that. I’m wondering if maybe I am from here. I’d like to ask for your help in finding out.”

“He found out that there’s an Alexander Luthor who was married to someone named Lana Lang. They disappeared and Bruce thinks they might have had a son.”

“Wow,” Mateo said in amazement. “That’s some heavy stuff. He couldn’t tell if that was you?”

“No way to know for sure. Well, maybe there is a way.”

“You want me with you so I can use my psychic powers to find out if she knows anything and is willing to tell you.”

“Something like that.”

“I can’t read minds.”

“I know but you can sense emotions.”

Mateo shook his head. “You’re lucky I like you. A lot.”

Alex grinned.

Alex and Mateo arrived at LexTech. The building was impressive. Like most of Metropolis, it was styled in futuristic art deco. It was gorgeous but the issue was who ran the place.

The appointment was at 10:30 but Alexis made them wait. Based on what he’d heard about her, Alex thought this was likely intentional. It made him sad because he thought he might make a connection with her. Even Ultraman had been interested in talking to his brother and he openly committed crimes. Alexis, in contrast, was more interested in being a dictator so she could make things ‘better’ for everyone.

It was 11:15 before a call was made to her assistant to allow the men in to see her. Alexis sat in a comfy office chair, back to them, staring out the window. Alex was not sure she was someone he wanted to know but Alexis was his only real source of information.

“Alexander Luthor, Jr,” she said, swiveling the chair around to face them. “That is who you are, correct.” She wore a large purple stone around her neck which they assumed must be the Power Stone.

“That was my name on Earth-3,” Alex replied. “I’m looking for answers here. If I belong here or I’m just a refugee from another universe.”

“Were my brother alive he’d be no older than sixteen. He was born right as the Red Skies appeared. He, along with our parents, disappeared.”

Alex thought about what Junior had learned about himself. His parents on Earth-Prime had the same names as the ones he discovered he had in this universe. There couldn’t be two Lois Lanes in this universe and in none could he imagine her being unfaithful.

“I was born sixteen years ago on Earth-3,” Alex replied. “My parents sent me into another universe as mine was being destroyed.”

“Very Superman.”

“I was taken in by a being of immense power who was trying to stop the end of all existence. He artificially aged me.”

Alexis put her elbows on her desk and steepled her hands. She remained that way for a period of time that made Alex uncomfortable.

“I’ll leave since you don’t seem interested.”

“I’ll need a DNA sample. I can’t directly compare it with my parents but my own DNA and that of my grandfather should be sufficient. If you turn out to be a match we can go from there. For now, allied with the Superman Family and your involvement with this Hawk Child, I don’t trust you.”

Mateo rolled his eyes. “I am psychic, you know?”

“Yes. A psychic detective for the police.”

“I’m still psychic and I can still pick up on a hell of a lot of things in this room, including you. You don’t need a blood sample to tell you what you already know. As soon as Alex made the appointment, you investigated. Everything lines up perfectly and you know damn well he’s your brother.”

The Power Stone flared to life. It looked like she might use it.

“Calm down,” Alex said with an authoritative voice that sounded more confident than he felt. “You might start with control of yourself if you want to control others.”

Alexis was seething but the glow subsided. “Get out. You’ve chosen your side. We may share blood, but I will never acknowledge you as my brother.”

“Good. I’d hate for my knowledge of multiversal technology to get into your hands.”

Alex waved a hand and a tear appeared in the fabric of the universe. There were stars but also another portal that led to a more Earthlike place. He grabbed Mateo’s hand and stepped through the portal. They reappeared outside of the building of the penthouse belonging to the Kents.

“How the heck did you do that,” Mateo asked in wonder.

“I thought about what you said to me when we first met. Never tried before now but I decided it was a great time to make it happen.”

Mateo laughed. “I gotta tell you that the confidence you showed in Alexis’s office was a real turn-on. I’d love to see more of that.”

Alex pulled him close. “You will.” Then he kissed his boyfriend.

Tommy was very annoyed with his parents. They had grounded him. He knew that they hated that he was gay. Even blamed John for him choosing an older boyfriend. He was fourteen and had superpowers, probably because Helix had messed with his genes. He could take care of himself.

The sound of thunder in the sky made Tommy smile. He knew that had to be his boyfriend. Sure enough, Thor appeared at the window. He popped the latch with ease and let himself inside.

Tommy rushed over to Thor and hugged him. Tommy was only five feet eight inches while Thor was closer to six feet five inches. They looked more like father and son than boyfriends.

“They don’t want us together,” Tommy whined.

“They can’t stop us.”

Thor was surprised when the bedroom door opened, and Dick Grayson appeared. “The hell I can’t.”

“You’re but a mortal.”

Dick swung a bolo weapon outward, keeping hold of one end. The other latched onto Thor’s hammer, which was clipped to his belt. With a pull, he yanked the weapon away.

“No,” Thor yelled, shoving Tommy out of his way. “That’s mine! It is not meant for mortals to wield.”

“You’re insane, Fenton,” Dick shouted at him. “I remember when you were a lackey for the Ultra-Humanite during World War II. I thought Ultra took the hammer from you, but you must have tracked it down after he disappeared in the Crisis.”

“Fool! I was always a god. I only toyed with Ultra back then. I was in truth more interested in aiding Germany. Why would a Norse god not side with a nation that worshipped him?”

“You hear that, Tommy? Your boyfriend liked the Nazis.”

Wasting no further time, Dick threw a batarang at Thor, dazing him. Dick then punched him several times in the head before tying him up.

“He said he loved me,” Tommy said in a hushed voice.

“He’s got to be at least seventy years old. You’re fourteen.”

“But John—”

“John was sad and angry. It was an excuse, and one Diana made sure would never happen again.”

“You told me it was John’s fault that I’d gone after an older man.”

“Is that what you think,” Dick asked. “What I told you was that John made a mistake and I didn’t want you to make the same one. Did you know that years afterward John apologized to me for running off?”

“You didn’t even want to talk about me being gay.”

“Tommy, I don’t know why you believe I am anything other than on your side. Before Hylas and before Kalinda, John had had some other experiences with men. What I told you was that he might be better equipped to answer some of your questions. If I didn’t trust John then I’d never have suggested you go to him.”

“But…”

“Tommy, you’re my son. I love you. I’d do anything for you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Now come over here and give your old man a hug.”

Tommy was in his father’s arms and crying while Dick stroked his head. He hoped this would be the thing that would bring them closer. He thought about how he’d lost his own parents and never wanted his son out of his life.

Clark took a close look at Fenton. “He really believed he was the god of thunder?”

“So he says,” Dick replied. “I think he might be unhinged. I plan to have my wife arrest him but I don’t want the hammer in the hands of anyone who might potentially misuse it.”

“Diana might be able to store it safely. They have a unique blend of magic and technology that might be useful.”

“I considered it but then I thought about the demons that have been appearing on Themyscira. This is the sort of thing they might want access to.”

“What do you think I can do?”

“Hold on to it.” Dick handed the hammer to Clark. “I trust you and Lois. I also trust your judgment about Junior and Luthor.”

Clark appraised the weapon. “I can see what it’s made up of and the technology is beyond what was known at the time.”

“We don’t know where Per Degaton might have gone during his time travel. This hammer might not be from the 20th or 21st centuries. It could be from much further ahead.”

“Or much older,” Clark mused. “We’ve learned that Kryptonians first came to earth tens of thousands of years ago.”

Dick was caught off-guard. “How is that possible?”

“I don’t know but they didn’t have their powers at the time. It must have been later when they became powerful even under a red sun. Otherwise, they’d have been unstoppable. In any case, they used genetic engineering to breed with humanity. Their descendants somehow became part of the Helix Project, the very thing which changed Bruce Sims.”

“Tommy was also altered. So were Ben McNider and Jessica Reyes, the granddaughter of Firebrand. To think this was a plot by ancient Kryptonians is astounding.”

“Not just ancient Kryptonians but those still alive and trapped on Krypton. John and Mary seemed to have learned the truth several years ago.”

Dick nodded. “They made allusions to something about Krypton they didn’t care for, and investigations into Helix have been ongoing, but I didn’t realize there was a connection.”

“This is something we’re bringing up to all of the old guard, as well as the younger generations.  We’re going to train them to face whatever threats are coming and I expect that they might be significant.”

“There’s no avoiding this is there?”

“We’re looking at worldwide threats, perhaps even larger.”

Dick resigned himself to his part in all of this and nodded his head, knowing his own son was going to be drawn into it. Orana had insisted the young ones received some training, and she’d been proven right about the necessity. Now it looked like that training was going to become more intense.

Bruce walked into an apartment building in Crown Point. It ranked among the worst areas of Gotham City but that was where he needed to be.

Climbing the stairs to the fourth floor, Bruce headed for Apartment 4C. He ran his wrist over a hidden scanner and the door popped open.

The inside didn’t seem as though it belonged anywhere in the area. It was clean, the carpets and furniture were pristine, and all of the appliances were in perfect working order.

This building was not, as it would seem, filled with the downtrodden and destitute, or at least not entirely. It was owned by Krypton Korp and was a place where the needy could sleep safely at night. To those who wanted it, there were also educational resources made available to help them improve their situation.

Bruce wasn’t there for any of that. The warm brush of thoughts against his mind told him that his friends were there.

“Hi, Jess,” Bruce said.

A pretty redhead entered the room, walked up to him, and gave him a kiss.

“Took you long enough,” Jess replied. “Ben really missed you. The company of people who aren’t telepaths and don’t get their minds crushed is exceptionally low.”

“I know. I need to talk to the both of you before we head out.”

“Why, what’s going on?”

“You don’t know?”

{Thor} echoed in their minds.

“That’s right. He was after my cousin, but Uncle Dick stole his hammer and shut him down. For now. Still don’t know how he got ahold of that thing.”

{Something else is going on,} Ben projected to them. {He’s not working alone.}

“Ultraman has been around lately. He’s supposed to be Superboy’s long lost brother.”

“He is,” Jess responded. “We checked.”

“Alex is Alexis’s brother, so I guess that checks out. I wonder how much of that Crisis is what we thought.”

{The Uncreator is proof.}

“We do have something to talk to you about.”

Bruce looked wary. “What is it?”

{Time.}

“We tracked you. You disappeared. Vanished completely. Then you showed up again a couple of days later. Your mind wasn’t taken over or anything. You were gone.”

“Nanobots, lightsabers, and Emerald Eyes,” quipped Bruce. “Sure, why not throw time travel into the mix?”

{Didn’t say time travel. Said gone. Then came back.}

“Am I being abducted? Who could do that?”

“We could be facing new threats,” said Jess. “Everything is different now.”

“Not that. This was happening before the Kents came back.”

{We still had Alexis Luthor. And Thor.}

Jess shuddered. “Don’t remind me. I’m glad Dick got Tommy out of that mess.”

Bruce leaned forward, his forehead touching hers. “Me, too. I’d get rid of him for good if I could. Pretty sure Mom would swat my butt. Might be worth it.” Then he kissed her.

“For now, he’s out of the picture. If he comes back, we’ll deal with it. Maybe your magic eye can hurt him.”

“What makes you think he’d have any kind of powers?”

{A feeling. Premonition. He’ll be back. I think a team will fight him. Not sure.}

“A team I’m on?”

Ben shrugged his shoulders.

“I can’t even think of anyone who’d want to be on a new team. Superboy and Arcadia, I guess.”

Mary sat down with her parents. She knew how well things had turned out with John, but she was still anxious to tell her own story. That they looked at her with open and loving faces didn’t make a difference.

“You know we’ll love you no matter your past,” said Lois.

“Your mother speaks for the both of us,” Clark agreed. “We love you unconditionally.”

Mary nodded. “John has been free about his life. Maybe not always on his own terms, but never because he wanted to keep secrets. Some of them just hurt.”

“We know,” her mother said. “We still love everything about him.”

“More than before, if possible,” Clark said. “Knowing the difficulties he had, and seeing the man he is now, showed me the strength of his character. However, we’re not here to talk about John.”

“John wasn’t the only one who did some stupid things,” Mary blurted out. “During that year when we had no one, before Dick and Helena showed up, I did some things that I—I thought I had to do to survive.” She looked at her parents, expecting disappointment or disapproval. She saw only compassion.

Lois looked at her husband and then at her daughter. “Would you rather just talk to me about it?”

“God, yes, but I think it’s better if you both know.”

Mary dressed up in very revealing clothes. She was only thirteen but with the right makeup she thought she could pull off sixteen. The men certainly seemed to think so.

“This is crazy,” John said. “You’re my sister! You can’t do this!”

“I can do what I want.” She stared directly at her brother. “Remember, I’m more powerful than the three of you combined.”

John’s mouth gaped open. He couldn’t believe those words had come out of her mouth.

“I’m with John,” said Hylas. “This is crazy! You’re gonna let these creepy men touch you? I’d rather we steal like we’ve been doing.”

“Like we were doing until Jay and Annabelle took off.”

“Just go away,” said John. “Go fuck those creeps if you’re set on it.”

“John, I—”

“Leave it, Mary,” said Arion. “You’ve said enough.”

Ari pulled John into the next room. “She didn’t mean it. She’s not wrong, but she didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“She looked right at me!”

“I can hear you,” Mary spoke aloud.

John sighed and shook his head. Then he walked back to Mary and Hylas.

“We can do other things, we can—” John cried out from intense pain and fell over.

“John,” Mary exclaimed. She was able to grab him before he hit the ground, but it was still several seconds before he regained his focus.

“What happened,” Ari asked. “Was it some kind of attack?”

John shook his head. “I’m okay. It was like my head was on fire. Then it passed.”

Mary put John down on the couch. “I’m sorry, John. I’m sorry for what I said. But I have to do this. There’s no one to look out for us anymore and we need money.”

“No one should have to be on the streets of Gotham City.”

“Wayne Manor has been an okay place to stay,” Ari commented.

“Sure, but for how long,” Mary questioned. “The Red Skies went away but no one who disappeared came back. No one’s going to be paying the electric bill here and the food will run out. Maybe if we knew how to get into the Batcave we’d have better luck.”

“Even if we could,” Hylas began. “Then what? I bet Dick Grayson left all of his computers and stuff protected from anyone just getting into them. If we could, I bet we’d be able to get all of the money we need.”

Ari nodded. “Yeah. I wish we could get to Paradise Island. We’d have all the food we’d ever want.”

“If it’s even there.”

“I tried to find it,” said Mary. “I think it’s hidden if you don’t have magic. John wouldn’t be welcome there anyway.”

“Yeah, but we could bring him food.”

Mary shook her head. “All of these maybes don’t get food in our stomachs or a place to live when the electricity goes out. I know we’re heading into spring but it’s still cold.”

“Mary,” John pleaded. “Please don’t do this.”

Mary gave a sad smile. “I have to.” Then she was gone.

Mary wasn’t sure where she should go. Even places near Wayne Manor that had prostitution would be unlikely to pick up a young teenage girl. She’d have to go further.

She took to the sky and landed in a neighborhood known as the East End. At least in days past, it was known for crime and prostitution, among other things. She thought a young girl like herself would fetch a fair price.

It didn’t take long.

“Hey, sweet thing,” said a man approaching in a car. “Little girl like you shouldn’t be out on your own.”

Mary put on what she hoped was a sultry smile. “It is lonely here.”

“I can keep you company.”

He got out of the car and approached her. The man ran a hand along Mary’s shoulder, then grabbed her waist. She shivered for a moment before relaxing. He couldn’t hurt her, not physically.

“Come on into my car,” he said. “I’ve got a warm bed where you can sleep.”

“That sounds great.”

Mary got into the car. The man drove them to a seedy motel. Mary didn’t like the look of the place. She again set aside the uncomfortable feeling; she was invulnerable and anyone she knew of who could hurt her had disappeared along with the red skies.

The man led her upstairs. He already had a key. Mary couldn’t decide if he’d just rented the room earlier or if he maintained it on a regular basis.

“Why don’t you relax, pretty girl,” the man said. “Mel will take good care of you.”

Not waiting for a response, he tugged Mary’s shirt upward and over her head in one quick motion. Mary immediately covered her breasts with her arms.

“C’mon, girl, we know why you’re here. Show off those tittes.”

“I—I made a mistake,” Mary stammered. “I have to go.”

Mel reached into a bag and pulled out a golden armored glove. He put it on, and it began to glow.

Mary began to move toward the door when Mel grabbed her. She found she couldn’t escape his grip. Worse, she was weakening. Kryptonite had no impact on her so she had no idea what could have done this to her.

With his other hand, Mel began to fondle Mary. She screamed in terror.

Moments later, the door burst open. In came John and Arion. John took a swing at Mel, sending him flying across the room before he, too, fell victim to whatever had been weakening Mary.

Arion felt no negative consequences to being in the room. The opposite happened. He felt himself growing stronger, which allowed him to tap into magic he’d only just begun to explore while his parents were still around. He uttered words in an ancient language.

The spell caused the glow around the glove to subside. Mary was growing stronger, but John was the first up. He tore the glove off of Mel and began beating him with it. Mel was bloody and looking worse when Hylas grabbed his arm.

“Hylas,” John exclaimed. “What are you doing? How did you even get here? We left you at Wayne Manor.”

“I flew,” the youngest of the Trevors said.

“Flew?”

“Yep. New to me. Neither of our parents would love it if you actually beat this guy to death.”

“They’re dead. Who cares what they want?”

“John,” was all that Arion said. It was enough.

“Okay, fine.” John flung the glove at the wall. It stuck.

Mary approached her brother. “I’m sorry. I should have listened. This was a bad idea.”

“It really was,” said Ari. “If we hadn’t come who knows what would have happened.”

Hylas pulled the glove out of the wall. “Wish we knew what this thing was. Seems like it hurt Mary and John. We should toss it somewhere.”

“We should keep it,” Arion said. “We don’t want anyone getting their hands on something that can hurt them. I felt magic coming from it. Maybe I can figure out more or use it in ways that aren’t deadly to our friends.”

“Good idea,” Mary responded. “Me and John can be in another room while you do your tests or whatever.”

“You were going to prostitute yourself,” Lois exclaimed. “I can’t believe it!”

“Mom, we were thirteen,” Mary responded. “Hylas was eleven. We had no idea how we were even going to survive. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Please tell me you never tried that again,” said Clark.

“I didn’t. We begged people to give us odd jobs so we could buy food. Whatever we couldn’t buy we stole. I hated that we even did that, but we didn’t have any choice. It was still almost a year away from Dick and Helena showing up. I don’t know if we’d have even known they were back if we hadn’t been squatting at Wayne Manor at the time.”

Lois walked to Mary and hugged her. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.”

“It’s okay, Mom. A creature eating universes took you away. Who even knows if you’d have survived if Alex hadn’t grabbed you. Or if Dad would have had Junior not been there. None of this was under your control.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

“Nor I,” said Clark. “You mentioned the glove hurt you and John when it glowed. What became of it?”

“We originally left it with Helena, but we eventually did research when Aquaman showed up. It’s an ancient Atlantean weapon. Made of a substance called orichalcum. As near as we can tell it does weird things to descendants of the Atlanteans. It’s deadly to hybrids like me and John.”

“Where is it?”

“Buried under the barn on the Kent Farm. It’s still there.”

“I’d like to study it.”

Mary shrugged. “Sure. You know where to find it. Keep it away from me and John. Maybe Mom, too.”

Lois looked surprised. “Why me?”

“We think only humans descended from Atlanteans can mate with Kryptonians. I think Ari and I are safe in that respect.”

“That means Junior’s birth mother was also of Atlantean descent. It’s very suspicious to me that Kryptonians on Earth just happened to meet women of Atlantean descent.”

“Probably not that strange. Yeah, most of them ended up as water breathers, but not all of them. Over the course of 50,000 years, I can imagine there being plenty of people with that lineage. We’re pretty sure all of those altered by Helix were also descended from the Atlanteans. That means Tommy, Bruce, Mateo, Sofia, Ben McNider, Jessica Reyes, and a bunch of messed up telepaths who can’t interact with normal people without destroying their minds. That’s just here in the Bay Area. I guess it’s worth noting that Ricardo Zuniga grew up in Gotham City.”

Lois seemed to switch modes from mother to reporter. “You previously mentioned a plot to return Kryptonians using hybrids. I understand how that could empower those here but how would it help those on Krypton? Even if released they’d still be allergic to kryptonite. Your father has always maintained a collection for study. We could defend against them.”

“I’m not sure but Dru-Zod has never shown any concerns. Maybe they plan to harvest Atlantean DNA and use it to make themselves hybrids of a sort. That would leave them immune to kryptonite.”

“Not to orichalcum,” Clark interjected. “I’m going to study that power glove. If Aquaman had knowledge of the glove and orichalcum he may know if there are other weapons that use it. Mary, who else knows what orichalcum can do to you?”

“It was just the four of us. We’d decided it was information we didn’t want out there. Now it’s the six of us.”

“It will be seven once we tell Junior. Perhaps something to keep in reserve.” Clark paused, a look of concern on his face. “We need to tell the Amazons.”

“I don’t know,” said Mary. “We’ve kept this secret for so long to make sure no one used it against us.”

“If what you believe about the Kryptonians seeking to turn themselves into hybrids is true then we’ll need to make use of it. The Amazons would also make sure the three of you were far away when using it. I think I might ask Diana if they can forge weapons with both orichalcum and kryptonite.

“There’s also Ultraman to consider. I know Junior hopes to turn his brother, but I suspect that won’t ever happen.”

“You’re probably right,” Mary responded. “We’ve encountered him in the past, but he wasn’t a match for John and me together. He could barely hold his own against Orana. His showing up was probably intended to lure all of us out.”

“What better way to cause things to flare up.”

“You expect war is coming,” Lois asked.

“It sounds like it’s coming on more than one front. The supernatural evil that’s manifesting and a Kryptonian threat that’s been around for tens of thousands of years. We need to gather our forces. If evil is out there then so is good. We need to find it.”

END