"Can I get you you coffee?"

"Please." Clark Kent watched Diana pour him a cup. Her apartment wasn't what he expected, to be honest he didn't know what to expect, Diana had insisted he return with her to Metropolis, and given the remarkable private exchange they had shared he had decided to trust her. Now she ushered him into her home he was struck by the bright colours – furnished by material draped decoratively from the walls and the furniture itself, contrasting with the minimalist modern white walls, the overall effect seemed other worldly.

Diana's startling blue eyes rested on him deliberately. "So whose idea was it - the lies?"

Clark took the fluted mug from her with a smile, the rich smell of fresh coffee had new depths given his heightened senses. Her accusation pricked his conscience and he answered defiantly. "When you grew up in Meteorite County, Kansas, when it comes to Meteor rock business, you learn to be economical with truth, that is if you cherish your freedom."

Diana sat across from him, she lent forward, placing her cup on the marble coffee table, pushing her rich dark locks back from her face she pleaded with him using her eyes. "Come on I've been honest with you – helped you."

"Yes you have, I don't quite understand why."

"You've demonstrated that you're a Metahuman." Diana said with an expressive shrug.

"And so have you." Clark countered.

She smiled. "Then we're in this together. - A problem shared is a problem halved."

"But we're not. You are DOMA, I'm just a guy from the boondocks, who woke up one day as a meteor freak, like I said in Kansas, in Smallville we know what the government does with Meteor Freaks. Or at least I thought I did."

Diana leant back and crossed her legs. "What do you mean?"

Clark felt she was offended by his hostility, so he told her what he thought. "To catch a thief, set a thief."

Diana nodded. "Touché, but you are here... I mean despite the hard time you're giving me, and after the FBI crashed your farm I don't blame you, but you are here – so you must at least have decided to trust me, on one level at least."

"I guess so, but truthfully I'm not sure why I am here." Clark acknowledged, he relaxed suddenly letting out an exasperated sigh. "I guess I don't have a choice, you worked out I was faking in the interview – and yet you didn't let your superiors know – why was that?"

Diana reached out to him, touching his hand. "Clark, it's not all bad. Not everybody at DOMA believes Metahumans are a threat."

"Clearly, otherwise we'd both be institutionalised, but on the other hand our government was knocking my door down just because DOMA suspected I was a Metahuman, and it's obvious that we're having this talk in private – I mean not in your office, this is under the radar isn't it?"

Diana sighed in agreement. "I'm not going to pretend we can operate in the open, yet, but Metahumans can make a difference – I am making a difference."

Clark looked into Diana's fervent eyes, and he found himself believing, at least in her – that she believed it, and meant it – of this much he was sure.

She fluttered her eyes as she turned away, self conscious perhaps about her own intensity, breaking the brief silence with a direct question to him. "How did you get home?"

"Honestly?"

"That would be a start."

Clark nodded. Internally he had already made his decision. "I don't know. I woke up at home, in my old room."

"You're kidding."

"No I'm not. I don't know how I got there."

"That is a little scary to be honest."

"You're telling me."

"What have you noticed – changes I mean?"

Clark held out his hands and shook his head. "So many to be honest I can hardly keep track of what I can do.

"I'm stronger, quicker, it's like..." He paused searching for an analogy. "Like something that has been out of focus for a long time is slowly becoming clear." He took off his glasses laughing. "I mean these are meaningless, for years I've been short sighted, now I can see clearly, more than clearly, it's a progressive thing."

Diana noticed Clark blush. He felt it happen, felt himself flush like some self conscious teenager, and he shifted his position, while she leant her head to one side slightly puzzled by his distracted reaction, but Clark didn't confess the reason, the full extent of his clarity of vision. He was sure she would be shocked if he did.

"It maybe you are still adjusting to the changes in your metabolism." She ventured eventually.

"Perhaps." He drained his coffee, the temperature was no longer a consideration he realised.

"So what now?" Diana asked.

Clark shrugged. "I haven't thought that far ahead, you rather err, upset any plans I had when you spoke to me and me only."

Diana shook her head. "No, I mean do you intend to stick to the lies? Are you going to pretend to be something you're not – to everybody, forever?"

Clark kicked back and sank into the couch. "I don't know – I honestly hadn't thought about it.

"Look Diana last thing I remember is you, then I wake up in my old bed, y'know I just found myself back in Smallville – with no recollection of how I got from Metropolis to there, all I know is I don't want to be sectioned. Since the Meteor shower hit the midwest I've seen too many people taken into care for their – and that of the community's safety."

"I appreciate that Clark." Diana replied. "But you have to realise that Metahumans aren't a product of that event, oh don't get me wrong – there is a link, but there has always been exceptional individuals – just right now there are more of them."

"And that's down to the Meteorites."

"Well yes."

"Why – how, can someone like you.."

Diana interrupted. "Like us."

"Okay – Like us. How can you work for Metahuman Affairs."

Diana uncrossed her legs. She looked at him. "Because someone has to be on the inside trying to make the world a better place."

"Why you?"
She laughed. "Would you believe because the gods of Olympus chose me for this?"

He chuckled, but stopped, the expression on her face made him. "You are serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"But Greek gods?"

"Mr Kent, the universe is not stranger than we imagine.."

"It is stranger than we can imagine." Clark finished her sentence. He let this explanation slide for now, there were more pressing concerns. "Okay so why would anyone on the side of the angels side with Metahuman affairs, they have to be the most illiberal division of Homeland Security?"

"I can't change the system by myself Clark. I have to work where I can, from the inside to get to people like you before they do."

"Who are they?"

"The real power behind the throne." Diana said. "Look Clark when I came to America from Themyscira I expected this country to be an evil empire run by men for men. What I discovered is that this is only half the truth, I met people – good people, people like you who were committed to truth and justice, I realised that America, the world as a whole was on a knife edge, that it could fall into the abyss – the very thing I feared, my people feared, what they sent me out into the world to stop, but equally this country could lead the world in a freer and fairer age."

"Okay let's say I buy into this saving the world agenda, just who are these good people?"

"I think you'll have to meet them."

-'*'-

Clark felt uncomfortable in the presence of the elite of Metropolis society. "Who is that?" He asked Diana. The pretty brunette hung on the arm of the Director of Metahuman Affairs, the angular featured Lex Luthor.

"Lois Lane." She told him. "She is a reporter for the Daily Planet."

The charity evening was a gala event the headlining acts were the indie rock band Black Canary, and the Magician Zatana. Clark had been stunned when Diana had told him this was going to be vehicle for his introduction to the 'good people' Diana worked with. To him it seemed the worst place in the world for a secret organisation to gather, in the full public glare of so many leading members of society and the chattering classes in one place.

For a boy from the farm he felt a little overawed, but he liked it, he knew the rented Tuxedo wasn't the best fitting suit, but he still felt a million dollars, even more so to have a woman as stunning as Diana on his arm, her dress was simple and conservative by the glittering standards of others, including the Lane woman, but she had the ineffable quality that meant like the late great Marilyn Monroe, Diana would have looked devastatingly sexy in a potato sack.

The Metropolis Theatre Imperial had seen many varied acts on its stage, tonight it rocked to the hard beat of the Black Canary, whose vocals vibrated the very foundations of the building, Clark's enhanced abilities meant he understood that something profound and superhuman was at work, but then again Dinah Lance was a high profile Meta' – something that had both enhanced and hurt her reputation in equal measure.

Later as the night drew to a close, and the great and the good made their way out of the theatre many to waiting limousines, but Diana led Clark from the mid ranking seats she had secured for them backstage. She told the minders in between that she had an appointment with the Magician Zatana, that and the fact she flashed her DOMA identification. As a federal agent Diana was waved through back stage with little fuss, Clark duly followed unchallenged.

Behind the gilded and ordered exterior people hustled around breaking down the props and support equipment for the acts, among the chaos bouquets of cut flowers lay strewn around. Clark stopped to smell the roses, he had been stunned by the incredible feats of magic the young woman Zatara had performed, and knowing something of the art, he was baffled, even with his enhanced senses, to understand how she had done the things he had seen. There was only conclusion he could reach as Sherlock Holmes had said, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Clark realised Zatana's tricks were impossible, she therefore must perform genuine magic cleverly disguised as illusion.

Meanwhile Diana pushed on deeper into the bowels of the theatre. No one challenged her confident approach, and she led Clark under the stage to sub basement. To his surprise in the half light a group of very recognisable people had assembled. It then struck him, the method in the madness, the reason Diana had insisted he accompany her to this event.

"I'd like you to meet them members of our Justice league, Dinah Lance I'm sure you'll know."

"Yes I saw you on stage, I liked your cover of Gold Dust Woman, although I'm more familiar with your dark hair." Clark pointed out her change of colour, from raven to gold.

"Stage performance demands a certain theatricality." She tossed her blonde locks back across her dark jacket, other than the startling change from Gothic black to Marilyn blonde, Dinah wore her stage costume, tight fitting black bodice and tights.

"You are a licensed Metahuman?" Clark asked coming directly to the point, the thing that troubled him the most.

"I've been vetted and tagged, if that's what you mean." Dinah's musical laughter was both beautiful and hollow at the same time.

With a hint of desperation the farmer from Kansas asked. "But they've let you live your life..."

"No Clark." She told him. "They couldn't lock me away – too damn high profile to be institutionalised, if half of what Diana tells me about you is true, you can forget going home to the farm, those days are done for you."

Clark folded his arms. He wasn't surprised by Dinah's hostility – it wasn't directed at him, but at those who saw people like her – like him as a threat.

"Dinah represents the Metahuman's." Diana told him.

"Because the rest of us have dropped off the face of the Earth." The Black Canary told him as Diana gestured across to another familiar face.

"Likewise, I'm sure you'll also know Miss Zatana Zatara."

Clark smiled and bowed low, with a flick of his wrist he presented her a flower. One he had pocketed earlier. Zatana laughed, tipping her top hat, she too was in costume, hers a mix of a man's formal wear with white vest and bow tie, matched to hot pants and fishnets. "I hadn't expected such accomplished prestidigitation."

Diana looked at Clark with equal surprise. Clearly neither had she.

"I practised magic as a boy."

A voice from the shadows. "Zatana is our representative from the Homo Magi. I gather from your slight of hand display you are not magical by nature?"

Clark scanned the shadows, the unlimited reach of his vision still surprised him, and he recognised the face of a solidly built dark haired man, who would have otherwise been nearly invisible in the dark, he used the shadows cleverly. The man managed to look casual in what was self evidently a very expensive tuxedo, but Clark recognised his face, and found images coming to his mind from his memory. This was the scion of the Wayne family, industrialists, philanthropists and in him, in Bruce Wayne the sole heir they had been rewarded with an outrageous playboy. Clark remembered his face from the gossip pages, rather than in the business section of internet new portals Clark browsed out of habit.

Bruce had also confirmed his earlier conclusion, Zatana Zatara used real magic.

Diana again introduced Gotham's infamous Playboy. "The Dark Knight represents humans here."

Clark allowed Bruce to continue to hide behind his nome de plume. Diana continued. "Along with the Green Arrow." Clark saw another man, this time his cocky self assured manner was more obvious, he did not try to hide his strong features outlined by a sharp blond beard. Again Clark's mind surprised him, neurons fired, freed of the perverse poison of Substance K and he recognised Oliver Queen, another billionaire, and environmental activist. Diana's league was short of neither notoriety nor money, it seemed a odd collection of the famous and influential, only Agent Prince seemed to genuinely hide in plain sight, the others had by accident or design found themselves in the public eye. Her continuing presence was a reassurance to him, it was strange to think of her as ordinary, no one as stunningly beautiful as Diana could be described as ordinary, but in the company of a Rock Star, a Magician who topped the billing in Vegas, and two of the top names from the Forbes 100 rich list Agent Prince was suddenly his touchstone to normality.

Clark saw that meeting at this Charity Gala was an obvious way for these important people to be in the same place at once, no one would question the coincidence, it was slight of hand, distract and obfuscate.

"I feel out of place." He said. "I'm just a boy from Kansas, I know cows and corn. I really don't know what I can do for you people."

"You are a cowboy certainly." The new speaker emerged from the shadows in a way Clark could not fathom, it seemed to him that she emerged from the wall itself from formlessness into form. She tapped her head as she stepped under the single bare and faint electric bulb.

"Joan Jones. Metropolis PD." She said. "But truthfully I am Jo J'onzz native of Mars, and your thoughts are clear and truthful. You are an honourable man Clark Kent."

"Mars?" Clark blustered. Not even challenging Joan on her claims of telepathy, coming from Meteorite County, Kansas meant his generation took such claims in their stride – the once remarkable had become everyday, acknowledged but unspoken. "Mars hasn't life? Maybe bacteria, but nothing,..." Clark paused uncertain, " ...nothing like you."

"Don't you believe in Aliens Mr Kent?"

"I don't disbelieve, that would be presumptive, I mean the universe is a very big place."

Joan smiled. "But a practical man requires evidence?" With these words the Police detective morphed and changed into something very alien, angular and impossible, then the pattern shifted into something more human, more recognisable, but still very green.

Instinctively Clark ordered what he had seen, time slowed for him as she changed, what was a moment to human perception was to his mind an opportunity to reflect and consider.

"Wait you aren't human, the first shape was you – and this form..."

"Is something I choose to use." Joan admitted. "I find a more human shape eases my relationship with humans without fully betraying my true nature."

"I understand." Clark replied. "People are not accepting. I guess you represent the alien's among us?" He asked.

"I do, and until today I was very much alone."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you don't remember, that much I can read from you, but Kal-El but you are as Alien as I."