Chapter 1-Dramatic Realizations Part 1
Wonder Woman watched beyond the glass, as the Man of Steel known as Superman lied on his back, his body covered in cuts, slashes, and other wounds while being healed by the sunlight generator hanging above his muscled form. The Amazon Princess looked at the man that saved her life (the Gods only how many times) during the various battles they had been in over the years together. It was so difficult to hold back the tears that wanted to escape her right now at what he did for her yet again, as she would have been dead had it not been for his interference in what happened, and nearly dying for the Amazon made of clay.
Originally, it had been a battle with some simple terrorists that had gotten a hold of a nuclear bomb from the black market like all terrorists do, and intend to do something involving holding hostages for ransom with the amount being ten times the amount they spent for it. The terrorists in question had taken a tour group hostage in Paris that was supposed to see France's Museum of Art and were holding them for the ransom of 500 million dollars.
However, what the Justice League didn't know when they interfered with the terrorists plot was that they had somehow gotten a hold of 20 pounds worth of kryptonite placed into the nuclear bomb. During the battle, the terrorist leader had activated the countdown sequence on the warhead that was 30 seconds, and tried to shoot Wonder Woman with her back turned fending of other terrorists. Superman came in at the last moment to grab the bullet inches from her back along the spinal area and Diana was shocked that she had not been able to turn around to block the projectile.
Superman himself looked very angry with the masked terrorist leader, who fired another set of rounds, and they bounced off of the Man of Steel like they did so many others. Even when he moved with incredible speed, Superman's eyes were that of iron, and did not waver when he threw the foolish man into a nearby wall before the terrorist fell to the ground unconscious.
The Man of Steel had known what was contained in the warhead, as he had seen the lead that surrounded the section of the bomb that was now with 10 seconds left counting down to the number 0. He even said so when Batman examined it before telling them there was not enough time to stop the bomb given the time on the timer and the area much less the city was not evacuated to the point of civilians being safe. The power of the nuke much less the radiation that would soon make the place uninhabitable and with only something drastic with mere seconds they had left could save everyone now.
It was then that Superman looked at Diana and the instant she locked eyes with him she knew what he was going to do that would possibly kill him. Diana could still remember her eyes widening and trying to tell him to stop when he was already gone with the nuke in his hands with Batman calling him "a damn fool" while looking up at the hole the Man of Steel made.
Diana tried to pursue, but it was hopeless, as Superman could out fly her as easily as the Flash could outrun a cheetah, and it was in that moment that the Amazon Princess felt something pulsing within her own heart. A feeling that made her call out to Superman using his Kryptonian name in a desperate hope that he would stop to hear her with his hearing and turn back from doing what could cost him his life.
She barely heard Batman activate his ear piece and telling the Watchtower to lock on to Superman's in an attempt to teleport him into the station before the nuke exploded.
In the end however, it was all for not, as the nuke exploded 1 second after Superman got into outer space, and threw it deep into the vast void. The explosion tore into the Man of Steel that covered his body in green radiation with the blast forcing Superman to fall back into the atmosphere and crash into Earth near the English Channel creating a crater that shook the ground throughout Europe itself.
Diana had flown there as fast as the winds could carry her while pray to the Gods that Superman was still alive and could still be saved from death. When she reached the spot Green Arrow had told her Superman had crashed into, the Amazon Princess gasped at the sight of him in the center of the crater he had created, and flew down to his now horribly greenish bloodily battered body. His breathing was shallow, his eyes closed, and his pulse was getting weaker by the second that the man lay in her arms with her doing nothing.
Diana had practically yelled for someone to have them transported to the Watchtower so she could get the Man of Steel treated for his condition knowing that if left untreated for too long, it would be the death of him. No sooner had she yelled out the command did it happen and Diana personally to the medical area of the satellite for treatment.
Now here Diana was, looking on seeing the one man in this world that she could trust to watch her back, and depend on when things get too deep even for her. Kal was her shield, as Diana was his sword, and together they completed each other in a symbiotic cycle that could not be broken so easily.
'At least his body doesn't look so green anymore, but his wounds are still severe from all the kryptonite, and the fall back to Earth didn't help either. Dr. Light said it was even a miracle that Kal had been able to survive either one, as a weaker person wouldn't have, and that had we waited exactly 1 minute later we would have been preparing a funeral for him rather then the solar generator the heal his damaged body,' thought Diana, as she saw Superman's form breathing slowly at an almost deathly pace, and she wished she could go in there to comfort him, but the room he was in was for medical personnel only until his condition was more stabilized, and relocated to a room that people could come visit him in.
"How is he doing?" said Shayera, as she walked up to Diana, and saw the worried look the Amazon Princess had reflecting in the window.
"Better, but it's still slow, and the solar generators are helping too. I've never seen him in such a state as this," said Diana, as she saw his muscled chest rise, and then fall to signify that he was still breathing.
"I know, but he knew there was no other way, and if he hadn't I don't think we would be having this conversation," said Shayera, as she knew that if the nuclear bomb had gone off as intended, countless people would have died, and the world would have lost all of its founding members.
"He shouldn't have to suffer like this," said Diana, as she had seen the monitors reacting to his pain when he was hooked up to it, and saw how they showed that his body was in pure agony.
"He will pull through Diana. He's taken on people like Darkseid, Lex Luthor, and other villains that have popped up over the years. Have faith in him like he would you," said Shayera before patting her friend on the shoulder and left to get some training in for the day.
"May Zeus protect you Kal," said Diana, as she headed to the teleportation unit to head to her Embassy after becoming too emotionally drained to stay on the Watchtower, and tired from all that had happened to her friend she cared about more then anyone else outside of her own family.
(Amazon Embassy-2 Days and 5 Hours Later)
Diana had fallen asleep in her bed tossing and turning with the nightmares that plagued her mind with her visiting Superman's grave after being killed during his recovery from the incident with the terrorists. In each nightmare that hit her, Diana felt this feeling of regret for something she couldn't understand like she wanted to tell him something, but didn't know what it was, and it bothered the Amazon Princess even further.
When she woke up with a start, Diana found she was breathing heavily, and looked at the time seeing it was late in the morning. She let out a sigh, as she turned on the TV to see the news report of what happened to Superman, and how there were rumors of him being dead with no comment from any of the members of the Justice League. After turning the TV off, Diana went to take a shower, then got dressed in her usual Wonder Woman attire before she contacted Mr. Terrific to beam her up to the Watchtower, and let her pay a visit to Kal once more.
When she arrived on the station, Diana felt nervous in seeing the Man of Steel again, as if the nightmares she had were in fact real, or that they were premonitions of what was to happen later on. When she went to Superman's assigned room, Diana let out a gasp of surprise when she saw it was empty, and it looked like he had never been in there at all.
'Where was Superman? Where was his body? Did he die? Why wasn't I told he had been moved from here?' thought Diana, as her mind raced with several different possibilities now running through her head, and it was making her heart race with her breathing had increased greatly.
"Hey Diana! How ar-HEY!" said Flash, as Diana grabbed him, and slammed him into the wall looking at him with cold eyes that made the fastest man alive feel very slow at the moment.
"Where is Kal?!" said Diana, as she was in no mood for his innuendos, his wise cracking, and if he even did either she swore by Hera that she would make sure that he would never be able to run as fast as before.
"Supes? He left to head home to rest in that Fortress of Solitude of his in order to make a full recovery. Went their yesterday when he was given approval from the doctors to leave for a few days time off. It's overdue if you ask me. I heard from Bats that his other life he lives has been very scarce as of late," said Flash, as he had been seeing more of the Man of Steel, then that of the Clark Kent, and it was quite a surprise to those that knew of his other life.
Not wasting further time dealing with Flash, Diana teleported down to Earth, and flew to the North Pole to visit Kal at his home. There were 3 different entrances that the Man of Steel possessed with one being the main door with his symbol on it, the deep underwater entrance that could kill any normal person within seconds, and the third was the secret entrance that was disguised using Kryptonian holographic technology that projected the appearance that there was a wall of ice that blended perfectly around the Fortress while hiding the secret door behind it. Of course, to ensure security with the last entrance, only someone among the Original Seven could access it with their own access code.
Something that Diana was grateful for in this case since she was the only one besides Shayera, Batman, and Green Lantern of the Original Seven who could make it here without freezing to death shortly after arriving. Not only that, but she was the only one that ever visited him here, and found herself becoming more impressed with the Fortress every time she visited.
Diana remembered how she told her Mother of the Fortress of Solitude that Kal had made to hold the various technological treasures, the near extinct animals from various planets, and many other wonders to be kept safe from Man's World grasp until they were ready for it. The Queen of the Amazons was a little suspicious of her daughter with how she spoke of the Man of Steel and even more when she learned she was the only one to visit him the most there. Diana of course caught onto her Mother's suspicions and assured her Mother that nothing had happened when she visited Kal on several separate occasions.
Looking back on it, Diana could almost life right about now, and she was sure Kal would too if she explained it to him. However, that could wait until after she saw Superman, and made sure he was doing all right while resting at his home in the Arctic.
When she entered the Fortress, she found Kal's loyal canine companion Krypto happy to see her having sensed her presence before she even landed on the ice, and was happy to see the Amazon Princess. Diana herself was pleased to see the white dog was happy in meeting her, as it signified that Kal was okay since Krypto was very protective of his Master, and only those worthy to share his affection with the Man of Steel were welcome in his home.
Strangely enough, only Diana was deemed worthy among all of Kal's friends, and even family members of being worthy of entering the Fortress of Solitude in Krypto's eyes. It was as if the dog had declared Diana his second Master among Superman's inner circle of people close to him.
"Hi Krypto! How's Kal? Has he been resting?" said Diana, as she ran her hands through the dogs white fur making the dog easily submit to her touches, which was probably one of the reasons why the dog loved her so much, and trusted her without question when she visited the Man of Steel.
"Arf! Bark!" said Krypto, which to Diana meant "yes he is", and the whimper the dog gave afterwards told the Amazon Princess the dog was concerned for his Master.
"Don't worry Krypto. Kal is a strong person, but just to be sure, I'm going to go check on him, and see if he needs help in recovering," said Diana, who got another set of barks from Krypto, and the dog licking her face to show he appreciated it.
Smiling down at the dog, Diana petted Krypto a few more time before heading towards Kal's room, and opened it slightly to look in the room to see the Man of Steel sleeping shirtless with an exhausted look on his face. He looked to be in pain despite his lack of greenish skin and the various wounds that once covered his upper torso being nearly gone with only a few marks left on his well muscled body.
Closing the door fully, Diana decided that she should come back another time to visit Kal when he was awake, and ask him how he was doing. When she turned around, Diana saw Krypto look at her with a pleading look, and he even whimpered too like he didn't want her to leave his Master in his current condition.
"Greetings Wonder Woman," said Kal-Ex, as the robot appeared before Diana, as he was expecting to see her when her earpiece gave off the signal of her arrival, and decided to greet her.
"Hello Kal-Ex. How is Kal doing? He looks a bit better, but I see he's still in pain," said Diana, as she knew that Kal-Ex would know, and would trust her with the information.
"Yes. The kryptonite that hit Kal-El was quite a lot to do this much damage to him much less his body and it will take quite a bit of time for him to recover," said Kal-Ex, as he lead her to one of labs that handled Kryptonian physiology, and showed her Superman's condition when he first arrived.
"How much longer before Kal is back to normal?" said Diana, as she looked at all the different data on the screen in front of her, and her heart ached at seeing just how badly he was weakened because of this.
"It is hard to say. Even with the data collected by Kal-El himself, I have found that his physiology is most unique to that of others, and since he is the only Kryptonian left in the known Universe makes things a bit...difficult," said Kal-Ex, as Superman's body, and the genetics of Kal-El were unique to most races that still remembered Krytponians years past.
"Isn't there anyway to speed up the recovery process?" said Diana, as she looked at the robotic creation that was basically the butler of the Fortress.
"No. Kal-El's physiology allows him to absorb solar energy, which give him the ability to heal faster when exposed to it when injured, but even he can absorb only so much of it before he has to stop, and simply rely on resting in order to let the energy he absorbs to do the rest," said Kal-Ex, as the robot escorted her back to the main room, and Krypto was there to greet them while being affectionate to Diana.
"Kal's not in any serious danger, right?" said Diana, as she didn't want any unforeseen complications from springing up, and causing him problems.
"Not at the moment, but then again Kal-El has never been hit with this much kryptonite before, and will need to be put under close observation," said Kal-Ex, as the robot was also unsure of Superman's condition, and would need to keep the Man of Steel under close observation.
"If it's all right with you if I come back a little later to check up on him Kal-Ex?" said Diana, as she knew that when Kal wasn't around, and/or weakened while in the Fortress it was up to Kal-Ex to make decisions.
"Of course. I happen to know that Kal-El enjoys your company and misses you long after you leave," said Kal-Ex though he didn't know he wasn't supposed to say the last part.
"Really? I know I was good company, but I didn't know he missed my company when I left," said Diana, as she felt heat rise to her face, and wondered why she felt it in the first place?
"Yes, he once told me how special you were to him because you are possibly the only one he can truly relate to, and understand him sometimes better then he does himself," said Kal-Ex, as he had been told this many times by the Man of Steel, but under the pretense that it was never to be told to Diana, and that it be one of his more private moments.
'He said that?' thought Diana, as her blush increased further, and she looked over at the room where the Man of Steel was sleeping.
"I shall await your arrival the next time you return to the Fortress," said Kal-Ex, as he had other duties to attend to, and went to do them while Diana was left in her own train of thoughts concerning what Kal-Ex told her.
(Themyscira-3 Days Later)
"Are you certain of this Diana?" said Hippolyta, as she walked with her daughter along the beach finding the walks with her daughter to be most pleasant, and felt they were long overdue.
"Yes. I want to take some herbs that we have and use them to help Superman recover from his current condition. I know he's been seeing if certain plant life could be helpful against such a condition he is in now and I know that I could possibly help him recover faster with my help," said Diana, as she had told her Mother what happened with Kal, and him nearly dying to save them all.
"Very well. Go to the Healing Isle to get what you need from Epione to help with healing Superman of his ailment. While I do not approve of you being out in Man's World while surrounded by their evil, I feel that we owe Superman a great deal of for protecting you, and the world itself from being ruined by the evil men around you create," said Hippolyta looking at her daughter and seeing her smiling with a light in her eyes the Queen had not seen in a long time.
"Thank you Mother! I know you distrust men after what happened during your time, but not all men are evil, and if there is one man you can trust it is Kal," said Diana, as she knew that ever since she left for Man's World, her Mother had been very concerned, and even more so when the Queen saw some the battles through the magic pool.
The evils of the world.
The evils of men.
And the fight against those that were good.
'After what I've seen and what you've told me my daughter I'm beginning to suspect that there is much more to this relationship with Superman then you say,' thought Hippolyta, as she hugged her daughter before Diana flew off, and headed to the Healing Isle.
All the Queen could do was wait to see what happened next.
(Fortress of Solitude-4 Hours Later)
Diana flew in the same entrance as before into the home of Superman and saw Kal-Ex was again there to greet her along with an excited Krypto at seeing the Amazon Princess. After greeting the two while being told that the Man of Steel was asleep by Kal-Ex, who was given the herbs to mix into a drink to help with Kal's condition, Diana flew over to Superman's bedroom, and entered quietly to see him looking slightly better.
'Poor Kal. Everyone sees him as this seemingly invincible person, but what they don't see is a man, who can only take so much, and then fall from what he does best. Even with the Justice League, Kal tries to protect the planet the most, and he puts the whole weight of the world on his shoulders,' thought Diana, as she sat on the edge of the bed, and put her hand on his chin that now sported quite the bit of black hair on it to form a beard.
Oh how she loved the beard he came back with after what happened with his return from supposed death after everyone thought Toyman had kill him. She wouldn't deny the fact that she had desired to run her hands through the fur on his face and wonder if it had the same smooth feel of his hair. While the main on his face wasn't as long as the one he had before, it still felt nice to touch, and compared to his hair it had the same quality feel to it.
"Mistress Diana, I have the drink you wished for me to prepare," said Kal-Ex coming into the room and saw Diana remove her hand from his face while a blush adorned hers.
"Please Kal-Ex, address me as Princess Diana, and even then I wish for you to just call me Diana," said Diana, as she had been over this several times with the robot, and still the machine's A.I. couldn't understand what she wanted to that degree.
"So you have told me before, but Kal-El sees you as a second owner of his home, and has stated as such in his final wishes when he passed on," said Kal-Ex, as he had been there recording the Man of Steel's last wishes some time ago after what happened on several near death situations, and the last Kryptonian wanted to leave something for the people in his life.
"What did you say?" said Diana, as she wasn't sure she heard the robot right, and needed to hear him tell her again.
"After so many near death situations, Kal-El has decided to leave something for all those close to him, and left you his home away from home since he feels you are the only one worthy to have his possessions that others would abuse should they have them. He knows you will not abuse the vast wealth of knowledge that has been brought here and with your immunity to the cold makes things even better too," said Kal-Ex, as few could come to the arctic, and fewer could even tolerate the cold.
In that moment, Diana was left completely speechless, as she knew many individuals in this world along with others would kill to have even a sample if just barely a fraction of the technology stored here, and the exotic animals that lived here with the Man of Steel. Looking back at the sleeping man that had secretly declared her the owner of his home upon his death, Diana was stunned at what Kal had done, and nearly got lost in thought to the point that she nearly lost the drink Kal-Ex handed to her.
"Diana?" said Kal, as he opened his eyes after his mind registered that someone was in his room, and by the sound of it...was female?
"Kal! Sorry for waking you. I originally came to check up on you at the Watchtower, but Flash said you went home, and I wanted to see if I could help with your recovery," said Diana, as she put the cup to his lips, and he drank it down slowly finding it had a unique taste to it.
"Thanks Diana," said Superman softly, as he still felt pain, but the liquid he drank had a numbing affect, and was slowly taking it away.
"No problem Kal. Just rest like you have been doing. The drink I gave you is made from the herbs from Themyscira and will further help in healing you," said Diana before she did something neither of the two were expecting her to do.
She kissed him affectionately on the forehead.
'Did she just do that?' thought Superman, as he had the decency to blush, but held his tongue, and saw her doing the same on both counts.
'Did I just do that?' thought Diana, as she felt her blush on her face, and wondered what God or Goddess possessed her to do that.
Before anyone could say anything else, Krypto came into the room, and leaped onto the bed licking both their face while barking happily at the two. Kal groaned at his dog's immense affection while Diana was stunned by it and after shooing the dog away did the two superheroes start laughing at the situation with both of them with dog slobber on their faces.
"Well, hopefully Krypto's saliva has properties to help me healer faster too," said Kal making the two of them laugh further at the poor joke, but still it was enough to make them laugh, and the mood did seem right for it before the laughter died down with both of them being silent.
"Kal, I've been thinking over the past couple days about us, and I wanted to know what you think of me? On a personal level," said Diana seeing Kal look at her with a blush on his face and looking a bit sheepish since he was basically helpless against her depending on what he said to her.
God only knew what Diana's Mother would do to him if he said the wrong thing.
"Personally? Personally, I think you're the most perfect woman that ever lived. Not to sound offensive to your Gods or anything Diana, but if you were an actual Goddess I would worship you, and protect you with every fiber of my being," said Superman, who like Diana had not come to realized the side effects of the drink she gave him, and was speaking to her without knowing it.
The drink's side effect was telling the truth.
'Did he just say that?' thought Diana, as the blush on her face from his words made her feel like she was be gently touched by the sun itself, and it was stirring something more inside of her.
'Did I just say that? Is it because of the drink she gave me? No, it couldn't be since I have been feeling better ever since I drank it, and Diana would never intentionally give me any form of truth serum since she knows I'm truthful with her,' thought Kal, as he still cannot believe he just said all that to Diana's face, and was hoping it didn't ruin their friendship.
Standing up from the bed, Diana looked away from Kal, and looked into the mirror on the room wall seeing her face now had a very impressive shade of red on it. She felt her heart was now beating much faster and her pulse quickening like some love sick school girl. At least that was how some of the other women of the Justice League described it back when they asked each other about their first crushes or dates.
"Would you like some privacy?" said Kal-Ex, as he was watching the exchange, and had noticed that there was something going on between the two of them.
"YES!" said both Kal and Diana though the latter of the two speaking louder though they were sure Kal-Ex heard both of them speak.
"As you wish. Come Krypto, the Masters wish to be left alone," said Kal-Ex knowing that while the dog had no love for him, he would obey the robot knowing that if their Masters wished them to leave the dog would obey.
The dog whined at leaving the two people it recognized as its Masters, but obeyed the robot nonetheless, and followed it out of the room.
"So...," said Diana, as she turned to face Superman, who was slowly sitting up from his bed, and looked at her.
"How long have I kept this inside?" said Kal, as he asked Diana's question for her, and she nodded after he spoke.
'That would be a good start,' thought Diana, as she did want to know, and only Kal had the answers to it.
"Ever since I was sent into the future after what Toyman did, and Savage went into detail about how he killed you all. When he got to killing you, something inside of me had just snapped, and I...I wanted to kill him so badly. After that, I suspected my heart was trying to tell me something important, and so when I came back I let things play out in my life to see if it would tell me anything," said Kal, as he sat back against the pillows of his bed, and looked at Diana's now glowing form.
"But what about Lois? I know you too are together and I don't want to come between the two of you," said Diana, as she knew that the two were in a relationship, and while she was flattered that Kal thought of her in such a way Lois came first.
"Haven't you or any of the others been wondering why I have been more Superman and being Clark Kent less," said Kal, as he saw her eyes widen, and the realization struck like one of Zeus's lightning bolts.
"You and Lois ended the relationship?" said Diana, as she was surprised since she always thought that the two had some chemistry together even if it was bit strange in her eyes, and there were times Amazon Princess questioned the trust Lois had for the Man of Steel.
"Yeah. I told her about my secret identity, but had J'onn was in the distance to watch her reaction, and to tell me what she was thinking. She didn't take it very well in the fact that the very person she was secretly dating was also her partner at the Daily Planet, and that I kept it from her all this time. I asked her what she would have done if I had told her not long after we met and she said she would have been more understanding. J'onn said that was a lie and she would have used it in her story while taking all the credit in getting to know the real identity of the Man of Steel. Not only that, but Lois would have wanted me to be 'more human', and respond more to being called Clark rather then Kal. It was like she could only deal with half of what I was, but not the other half, and Lois felt I had some kind of obligation to make it up to her in some way. I told her, I can't change in the way she wants because the world needed me the way I am, and she said I was being too noble. I think she was getting tired of me being just a 'Boy Scout' and be more selfish with what I wanted for all the times I've saved countless worlds," said Kal, as he let out a sigh, and remembered how Lois was trying to pressure him into changing into the way she wanted him to.
"I always thought it gave you a sense of character and leadership," said Diana, as she had seen the good in Lois, but it was shrouded by her usual straight to the point commanding attitude she got from her Army General of a Father.
"Lois thought it made me too soft. She never said it, but J'onn told me those were her thoughts, and it made me regret telling Lois since she just couldn't handle the news," said Kal, as he looked remotely guilty, and it was then Diana understood what he had J'onn do next.
"You had him enter Lois's mind and remove the moment where you told her about your secret identity," said Diana, as she was surprised that Kal did it, and saw the guilt worsen on his face.
"Yeah. Trust me when I say I hesitated more then once in giving that order to J'onn and he'll tell you it was quite a bit. Even Lois wondered why I had a distracted look on my face and thought there was a crime happening somewhere in Metropolis. When J'onn finished, I told Lois that it was over between us, and that I was sorry for ending it the way I did. Since then I haven't been Clark for so long and just enough so I won't get fired by taking long distance stories overseas that will make sure Perry think twice before ending my career," said Kal, as he sighed once again, and looked away from Diana's shocked face.
"There is nothing wrong with what you did Kal. Lois is-well can be a strong women, but in some cases she is too strong in certain areas, and drives people away from her that won't see things like she does," said Diana, as she knew that Lois was very headstrong, and felt that she should grab the bull by the horns while trying to show everyone that her way of doing things was right.
"I agree. Lois is a good person, but her stubbornness was always a problem, and I had hoped as our relationship progressed she would stop being so stubborn in that way. What about you? What you and Bruce?" said Kal, as he saw Diana now look away in thought, and knew that while it wasn't any of his business he felt he had to know about them.
"Bruce is too dark. At first, I was attracted to both of you for your unique qualities, and when I learned about Lois I focused on Bruce more. Bruce had his warrior spirit in him to do what no one else could do with or without powers, but the man would shut everyone off when it came to his personal life, and would only hurt anyone he was romantically attached to. I care about Bruce and I always will, but not in a way that could be on such a deep level," said Diana, as she looked at Kal, who nodded his head in understanding, and she wondered if this was what he realized with Lois.
"It's amazing how things turn out as they do. I once thought I would be with Lois until she died of old age, but after what happened with us before, I don't see it happening, and since then I've been coping with it ever since. To let my bleeding heart heal," said Kal, as he looked at Diana, who nodded in understanding since she thought once the same way about Bruce, and how she would be with him until he too died of old age.
"Now I think I know why Gods do not fall in love with mortals. When they do, they feel pain, and pain is not something a God wants to feel," said Diana, as she had heard the tales of Gods bedding mortals, but never being with one romantically to the point where it ended happily, and the relationship ended correctly.
"Because if they feel pain, then they may hate their immortality, and may try to destroy themselves in the process," said Kal, as he understood the concept like Diana did, and she nodded again in agreement with him.
"Do you want to be in a relationship with me? Despite the fact that even you one day may die from old age," said Diana, as she knew that eventually Kal would age, and one day would die like any mortal despite the powers of the sun keeping him remarkably young.
"I would be lying if I said I haven't thought about it. What about you? Has the thought of being in a relationship with me ever occurred in your mind even after you knew about Lois?" said Kal, as he did want to know if she had feelings for him despite Lois, and after she learned of the relationship being over.
"Well...I must admit in the beginning I was tempted to explore the natures of courting with you since you are not like other men that would use me just for my body like so many did with my Sisters years ago. Though my Mother would not approve me being with a man whether it was you or Bruce since she has been very distrustful of men since Hercules betrayed her. Still, I know you are not an evil man, and do not play with other people's hearts like others would so I think Mother would make an exception in your case," said Diana, as she felt her heart beating faster, and while she was excited to be in a relationship with Kal...the Man of Steel still had to get the strict Queen of the Amazon's approval.
'Getting Queen Hippolyta's approval to date Diana. I almost wish I could face Doomsday again. Almost,' thought Kal, as he knew that the Queen of the Amazons was not going to simply say "yes you may date my daughter", and would more then likely behead him if she had the chance.
How was he going to get out of this?
(Themyscira-3 Days Later)
"Courting? You? With a male? Whom?" said Hippolyta, as she looked at her daughter now staring back at her in her quarters looking over petitions, and various papers that told what was needed to keep the island the way it was now.
"Kal-El or as you may know him as Superman," said Diana, as she saw her Mother tense at that, and both knew why.
It was because Superman looked very similar to Hercules with only some of the various powers being similar, but the differences were not what bothered the Queen, and her daughter knew that.
"I feared this day would come while you spent your days in Man's World. It was bad enough that you felt something in the beginning for that man with the symbol of the bat on his chest, but now someone with powers that are similar, and could rival that of a God is something else altogether. You know what happened with Hercules and how he used his powers against your Sisters to force us further into submission after we were drugged. I do not want a repeat of history with what happened to us to happen to you at the hands of this man," said Hippolyta, as her face was hard as steel, and her eyes showed how she did not approve of such a courting.
"Mother please! Give Kal a chance. If it wasn't for him, I would not be here right now, and neither would a city's worth of people," said Diana, as she had already explained the nature of Kal's injuries to her Mother, and how he saved her during the battle from being injured.
"Perhaps, but I will wish to speak to him myself to gauge him for myself, and whether or not he is indeed worthy of courting you," said Hippolyta, as she wanted to meet the man that her daughter speaks so fondly of, and wishes to court.
"Thank you Mother! I just need a few more days until Kal is ready to travel here," said Diana, as she had seen that while Kal was getting better, he still needed constant bed rest, and couldn't get out of bed unless absolutely necessary.
(2 Days Later)
The Invisible Jet landed on Themyscira gently like a feather on the island before the ramp descended to let Wonder Woman and Superman walk down the ramp. On this occasion, Diana wore a Greek dress she had from the Embassy, and Kal was wearing the traditional Kryptonian clothes he had acquired during his time being imprisoned by the intergalactic collector.
"Queen Hippolyta, it's an honor to meet you," said Kal, as he was helped down the ramp, and held closely by Diana since his body was still recovering though the body wasn't as in pain like it was before.
"Hello Superman. My daughter has told me a lot about you and how you helped save her recently from certain doom that resulted in your near death as well," said Hippolyta, as she didn't like the way the two were so close, but from what Diana told her, the Man of Steel was still in pain after the drink she made wore off, and the Queen of the Amazons trusted her daughter in keeping the closeness only as a means to help the Kryptonian.
Nothing more.
"Taking a nuclear bomb filled with kryptonite is not something I want to do any time soon, but if it helps save Diana, I would do it all again without hesitation, and give my life if I have to," said Kal, as he meant every word of it, and hoped Hippolyta believed that he would do it again to save Diana.
Her face was unreadable.
"Many have said such things Superman, but I find that many have yet to uphold their public vow, and while you may have protected my daughter not that long ago...I wonder how long you are able to keep it?" said Hippolyta, as she saw her daughter scowl at her, and Superman's eyes seem hurt filled.
"Mother! Stop trying to insult and belittle Kal. Can't you see it took him a quite the effort to even make the trip here considering his condition? It took a great deal of time and medical means to have him recover up to this point. He almost died," said Diana, as she had tried to convince her Mother that Kal deserved some if not all her respect, and at least smile at them.
"I'm sure. Though with you nursing him back to health, I have no doubt that he was less in pain, and more in pleasure," said Hippolyta making the two blushing and Diana was now wishing her Mother didn't know anything.
"Of all the horrible things to say to us, you would accuse Kal of faking, and assume we were having sexual relations. To think, I told Kal how honorable you would be in telling you of our desire to court, and you would be civil. If this is how you are going to treat us, then we might as well leave, and be in a loving relationship without your permission," said a now furious Diana, who turned to leave with Kal, but found Kal wasn't moving, and was still staring at a shock Hippolyta.
"Before we go I want to say something to you Queen Hippolyta and I hope you when I've finished that you realize just how much I love your daughter," said Kal, as he gave Diana's hand a firm squeeze, and still kept his eyes on the still shocked Hippolyta.
"Kal?" said Diana, as she wondered what he was saying, and seeing the sweat falling down his forehead.
He was really pushing himself more then either of them thought.
"I love your daughter Queen Hippolyta and I don't care who disapproves of it. You, your Sisters, and even the Gods themselves you follow for guidance will not stop me ever as long as I draw breath in loving Diana. And there is not a single being in this world, in any Galaxy, and the Universe itself that is going to stand in my way of making Diana happy," said Kal, as he was breathing heavily now, and nearly collapsed if it weren't for Diana holding onto him before she helped him walk towards to the Invisible Jet.
"I'm sorry Kal. We weren't ready to come here. We need to get you home for more rest," said Diana, as she thought about how she had worried about his condition on the way over, and suspected that the damage done to him was worse then she thought it originally was.
"It's all right Diana. Just being able to express myself like that and show how much I care about you was well worth it. Besides, I like your bedside manner, and your Mother's own accusations don't sound so bad actually," said Kal making Diana blush and she had to resist the urge to punch him because of his condition.
"If you were healthier I would hurt you," said Diana, as she saw him chuckle again, and then wince in pain from the aching areas of his body.
"You can save that for later, but for now let's head back to the Fortress, and get me under some solar lights," said Kal tiredly, as he gave her a kiss on the lips, and not really caring that Hippolyta saw it along with some of the other Amazons on the island.
"You'll get yourself beheaded before we leave," said Diana, as she had every right to blush at the moment, and increased their walking speed a little.
"Diana wait!" said Hippolyta, as she ran towards them, but the two were already more then halfway up the ramp, and only Diana looked back to stare at her Mother with a serious look on her face.
"No Mother, I won't wait. You had your chance to be civil with Kal, but instead you were insulting, and made false accusations without even getting to know the man that I care about. Maybe one day we will come back to Themyscira and see if you understand just how much I love Kal. Until then, I have no intention of coming back unless I have to, and hope that the Gods that blessed me will respect my decision to follow my heart into doing what I feel is right," said Diana, as she got both herself, and Kal onto the ship before closing the ramp with the Invisible Jet taking off moments later leaving a stunned Hippolyta along with her Sisters behind.
"I'm sorry Diana," said Kal, as he sat in his chair, and looked at her with sad eyes since he had basically ripped Diana away from her own Mother.
"No! You have nothing to apologize for Kal. My Mother can be stubborn sometimes, as she feels that men are nothing, but horrible creatures that destroy all they touch, and can't possibly have any goodness in them when the one I love is the exception to all she taught me years ago. She cannot even trust the judgment of her own daughter in following one's heart and feels she needs to criticize you, even when she knows from what I tell her that you are a good person Kal. I love my Mother, but if she cannot see what it is I see in you, then I can't be on that island right now, and only after things have calmed down will we return to see if my Mother understands what it is I have done. No, what we have done," said Diana, as she did look serious for a moment, but calmed down, and looked at Kal with loving eyes.
"You're Mother will come around Diana. She loves you with all her heart, as any Mother would their daughter, and I know Hippolyta will admit she was wrong in what she did," said Kal, as he put a hand on her shoulder, and looked at her with warm caring eyes.
Diana smiled back before giving him a kiss on the lips, as they headed to the Fortress of Solitude, and spend some special quality time together.
(Fortress of Solitude-3 Hours Later)
"How are you feeling Kal?" said Diana, as she saw him in his underwear hovering in a circular glass bubble while being bombarded by intense artificial sunlight that would further restore him back to his physical peak.
"Better. Though I am feeling a little exposed with you staring at me," said Kal smirking, as he saw Diana blush, and she turned her head when she realized she was staring at all of Kal with even his boxers doing little to hide a certain part of his body.
Man of Steel indeed.
"Honestly Kal, what would your poor Mother say if you talked like that around her?" said Diana, as she tried to focus on the man's readings in front of her on the screen, and not the nearly naked physic that had been in her line of sight mere seconds ago.
"First, my Mother wouldn't find out because you wouldn't tell her since were both adults talking like adults should when alone with each other. Second, Ma would most likely just want to know when she can expect Grandkids. Third, I can tell by your blush, and your rapidly beating heart that you enjoy it," said Kal making Diana's blush increase several fold, and she turned to him with a surprise since she forgot his hearing was still pretty good right now.
"Kal!" said Diana, as she had to fight the urge to get him out of that glass chamber, and give him a punch right in the ribs where he was still injured.
Of course, such a thing was certainly not the nature of a woman, and not the way of an Amazon blessed by Athena herself.
"Sorry! Sorry! I just thought a good bit of humor would lighten the mood with everything and you can't deny it didn't work," said Kal, who saw her grin at him, and shake her head before looking back at the screen wondering how the Man of Steel could speak in such a manner, and know just how to push her buttons...in a good way.
'True, but I'm not going to admit it, and I'm not going to make it show so long as I can help it,' thought Diana, as she saw his condition was improving nicely, and few more hours he would nearly be back to normal.
'I can't believe I'm talking like this to Diana, but it seems so right when I talk to her, and I always had to be careful with Lois because she was always so...verbally sensitive. With Diana, I feel more relaxed, and I can be more expressive with her without having her try to scold me like she was my keeper,' thought Kal, as he looked at her through the glass, and wondered what it would be like to finally settle down with a woman he could truly love without the fear of destroying her with his strength.
That was always the case with Lois.
There had been a few occasions when he and Lois had been intimate, only for him to hold back so much of his strength, and having to rest when Lois couldn't take anymore when he could still...well keep going to put it bluntly. He wasn't a needy man and never would be, but Kal was a man that needed a woman of his caliber to match him in terms of speed, strength, and endurance during such an intimate relations.
Only Diana had those qualities and those weren't the things that attracted him to her.
(2 Hours Later)
Kal was now sitting under the covers of his bed feeling better from the sun light he was hit with held Diana, who was also under the covers wearing a nightgown, and resting her head on his chest while holding onto him like there was no tomorrow. Ever since she had seen Kal nearly nude while being hit with solar energy, Diana had been fighting her more womanly urges to become intimate with the Man of Steel, and had to hold herself off from doing taking him in his bed. She wasn't the only one either, as Kal had more then once been eyeing her figure, and Diana knew that he wanted to wait a little longer until his body was back to 100 percent since that would make the moment all the more special for her.
"Diana," said Kal, as he turned his head to face her, and she looked up slightly at him.
"Yes Kal," said Diana in a dazed like state, as she was loving how his muscles felt under her fingers, and would occasionally squeeze him to feel them.
"Out of curiosity, is it possible for you to have kids?" said Kal, as he saw Diana's focus come back to him, and his stated question.
"Kids? I don't know. To be honest, I never thought about it since I was made from clay, and do not have the usual cycles that normal women do. On the other hand, one of the Gods that blessed me was Aphrodite the Goddess of Fertility, and she could have given me the means to have children. Why? What if I couldn't? Would you still wish to be with me?" said Diana, as she knew that he was the last Kryptonian of his kind, and keeping a race alive required both compatible genders to work for it.
Though Diana would never consider it work and she knew Kal wouldn't either.
"Of course I would. Even if I die without a means to carry on the Kryptonian name, I can still leave behind some form of a legacy, and know that I entrusted it to the only woman that would cherish it as if it was an actual child," said Kal pulling Diana closer and kissed her forehead.
Diana's heart was ready to burst then and there with joy at Kal's admission that whether or not they could have children together he would be with her to the end of his days. She moved her head higher and kissed him right on the lips while moving on top of him with her hands now on his shoulders.
'To hell with waiting!' thought Diana, as she thought of the dream back in the Embassy of her standing over his grave, the memory of her Mother scolding them under the false pretense of them having sexual relations while kissing him aggressively to ensure herself that this was not a dream, and the fact that Kal was underneath her being kissed like he had never been kissed before also was the final straw that broke the camels back in terms of restraint.
Meanwhile Kal himself was slightly stunned by this, but went along with it since this was Diana's choice, and hand his hands on her thighs.
"Diana, are you sure you want to-UMPH!" said Kal, as he had cut off the kiss to ask his question, and was soon silenced by Diana putting her lips on his with her tongue down his throat.
"I can't wait any longer Kal. Every second I feel without feeling your skin next to mine is worse then being in the deep pit of Tartarus with Hades. I love you Kal, you love me, we have known each other for years now, and I can tell that both of us need this right now," said Diana, as she began to grind against him, and found she was more then accurate about him needing this while his hands on her thighs went a bit south to cup her rear.
"You've read my mind. Are you sure that's not an ability you were blessed with?" said Kal, as he continued kissing her, and was matching her aggressiveness with his own.
To hell with waiting for 100 percent, he could call this as a physical therapy sessions, and Diana was the beautiful physical therapist that could make a paraplegic in a wheelchair rise to greet her.
"I don't know. Let's...test it and find out," said Diana, as her hands left his shoulders, and moved down his abs to feel his muscles that came to him naturally that had strengthened from years of heroism.
"Yes. Lets," said Kal, as he moved quickly while being on top, and moved to show he wasn't submissive in this causing Diana to let out a squeal of delight that made the last Kryptonian long after her more.
It would be a very long test before they stopped.
(A/N: First, I want to say that I hope this was to everyone's liking, and that it was good because I really take pride in my work. Second, I know many of you think what out noble boy scout that is the Man of Steel did concerning Lois was partially cruel, but let's face it, Lois is overbearing on all fronts, and I while that may not be the case for some of you it is for me. Sorry if the way I wrote Lois is off to some of you or that you dislike how she was portrayed in her relationship with Superman. It's just how I see her most of the time. Until next time...PEACE!!!)