Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or any of the characters associated with DC Comics.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana reported to the A.R.G.U.S facility on the day of her trip to the Arctic because Amanda Waller had requested to speak with her before she left. She put her eye to the retinal scanner and the gigantic titanium door opened, metal crying out against metal.

She stepped through and made her way to the director's office. After several minutes of wandering the hallways, Diana turned to the left and spoke clearly, "This is Wonder Woman,"

The secret wall moved with a screech and she entered the impressive hangar. Military planes and weapons were amassed all through the room. Diana calmly strode past the workers and ignored the lustful stares that they sent her. She wished for nothing more than to punch them through the wall, but after the first time she had done such a thing, she had almost killed the man, breaking several of his vertebrae and fracturing his neck. She had to restrain herself so an incident like that did not happen again because she was so much stronger than everyone else.

"Wonder Woman," Amanda Waller greeted when Diana entered her office.

"Director," She nodded her head.

"Please, take a seat." Waller gestured. "Would you like a drink?" The Director motioned to the alcoholic beverages that decorated the table near the wall, "I'm sure that you would find one most delectable."

"No, thank you, director. Maybe next time, though." Diana smiled politely and sat down in the offered chair.

The director began, "As you know, Wonder Woman, you have been summoned to the Arctic and your flight will leave later today." Diana nodded cordially even though that she was still upset that she couldn't just fly to the Arctic on her own. It would be so much faster and efficient! "Several years ago, some of our research scientists were studying the effects of global warming. They were almost finished with their findings, beginning to pack their equipment, when they had stumbled upon a… foreign object encased in the ice."

Diana leaned forward, "Foreign object?" She questioned.

Waller stared at her, "Yes. At first, my researchers had thought that it was a Soviet submarine forgotten during the Cold War. I had agreed after reading the reports, but here was only one thing that had disproved that theory: the ice surrounding the object was ancient, over 20,000 years old."

Diana's eyes widened. She wasn't even sure the Olympians were that old, "Then what is the object? Perhaps, a… Wooly Mammoth?"

Waller frowned, "We believe that it is of alien origin. We also believe that is why the alien, Mongul came to our planet. He was searching for the object that's encased in the ice. Luckily, the Justice League was able to prevent him from doing so." Her eyes narrowed and Diana knew that the director of A.R.G.U.S was still miffed that no response had been given as to how Mongul had been captured.

Diana shook her head and patted her lasso, "No, that brute was under the influence of my lasso and spoke nothing of what you are alluding to."

Waller snorted in disdain, "None of us truly believe in your lasso's ability, Wonder Woman." The director sneered the last part.

Diana clenched her jaw, "Fine, why do you need me at the Arctic?" She growled.

Waller smirked at Diana's reaction, "You are easily the most powerful member of the Justice League. We have no idea what this alien object is. If something goes wrong, then you will be able to destroy the object." The director said confidently, sipping a glass of scotch.

Diana nodded, "I understand, director."

"Good. President Luthor has ordered that this operation be kept quiet. Do not tell anyone what you encounter at the Arctic unless given my direct permission."

Diana would love to see the arrogant Lex Luthor and Amanda Waller try to stop her from speaking of the events, but she complied with Waller's directions. "I can understand the President's concerns and I will make sure to follow your instructions."

"Get out of here, Wonder Woman. I have much more important people to speak with." She waved her hand dismissively.

Diana resisted the urge to reach out and crush that hand, "Understood." She stood up and exited the office.

Once she was out of the facility, Diana took to the skies. She really loathed that woman. The nerve!

There was one point in Waller's favor though; she was not as bad as Lex Luthor. Whenever she had, unfortunately, met with the man, he always stared at her with cold, flashing eyes. Diana always felt like he was contemplating ways to experiment on her, probably trying to determine how her abilities work. Based on the rumors that she had heard, the President probably was thinking of dissecting Diana.

She did not need thoughts of those two people in her mind, so she cleared her mind.

Diana had about an hour until her flight would take off, so she flew to the base.

She truly hoped this foreign object was nothing more than a frozen Woolly Mammoth but had a sinking feeling that it was far more than that.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal looked at the substance on his plate that the military called 'food'. He could see the germs, dirt, and all of the harmful pathogens contaminated inside the meal, poisoning a human's intestines. If he ate it, nothing would happen, but the thought of actually eating the food was foul enough for Kal to give it to his brother.

Apparently, J'onn loved the meal and ate his with utter enthusiasm, slurping the pale noodles between his teeth. Kal shook his head in amusement and observed the room. There was only 176 workers total for the uncovering of this object.

The first thing Kal had done when he and J'onn had arrived was use his x-ray vision to see the object in the ice.

It was an alien ship with symbols that were similar to the ship that had brought them to Earth.

When Kal had tried to look inside the ship, he realized that his vision couldn't penetrate through the alien metal. All they did know was that the ship was huge, and related to them. Both brothers were anxious to go inside the ship and it was all they could both think about.

Finally knowing the truth.

Who were they? Where do they come from? Why is there no one else like them?

It was invigorating. The thought of finally having their answers after so long of seeking them.

J'onn tapped on his mind and Kal let his brother in, "We have a problem." J'onn's voice was grave and Kal looked at him in confusion when Colonel Hardy entered the room.

Everything became silent for everyone except Kal. He could hear everyone's heartbeat and the blood rushing through their veins.

"Wonder Woman is tasked to arrive within the hour." The colonel was the epitome of calm but his heart was racing.

Kal groaned inwardly and opened his mind, "Was this the problem that you meant?"

"Yes. Wonder Woman is here to make sure that nothing goes wrong." J'onn informed him solemnly.

Kal grit his teeth, "Our job just became difficult."

"Indeed." J'onn slipped out of his mind and Kal stared at the wall. To everyone else in the room, it seemed that he was paying close attention to what the Colonel had to say, but he wasn't.

Instead, he was staring at the ship inside the 20,000-year-old-ice. He did not want Wonder Woman to become a distraction. A.R.G.U.S was a nosy organization and the fact that Wonder Woman worked for them did not bode well for he and J'onn's situation. He had a feeling that everything was about to change.

Kal closed his eyes and he focused on his hearing, his eyes quickly snapping open when he heard it.

Her heartbeat was approaching. He had heard the steady thrum of her heart enough to know that she was close to the base, only several miles away.

He had memorized every heartbeat that he'd ever heard and none of them sounded like Wonder Woman's. Her heart was soothing while other's were erratic, and steady when other's were subdued.

"We will need to handle this with care." Kal thought.

"What do you suggest?" J'onn's voice was patient.

Kal looked at his brother, "Instead of tomorrow, we will execute our plan tonight."

J'onn nodded his head, "That would be quite risky." He pointed out, eyes serious.

"What other choice do we have? If Wonder Woman does interfere… then I will knock her unconscious and you will wipe her mind." Kal said determinedly.

J'onn took several seconds to respond, "Alright."

"Joe and Barry Greenhorn!" Colonel Hardy's voice echoed throughout the room.

"Yes, Colonel?"

"You two will be showing Wonder Woman to her room and around the base." The Colonel ordered sternly.

Everybody in the room froze and Kal looked to his brother who held a hand to his temples. "Should I change his mind?" He asked aloud.

Kal shook his head, "No, I think that it would beneficial to observe Wonder Woman up close."

J'onn nodded, "Good idea, but please tell me that the only reason you wish for this course of action is because of her potential ability to thwart our agenda, and not because you find her strikingly beautiful, wanting to be close to her."

"Shut up," Kal hissed our, teeth clenched in irritation, "She's a problem that could be catastrophic for us! We need her close to monitor her actions, deeming if she isn't an obstacle that must be dealt with."

"Just as long as your feelings aren't speaking for you, brother." J'onn looked at him pointedly and suddenly, everyone in the room unfroze and Colonel Hardy was gazing expectantly at them, "Understood, Colonel." His brother said calmly.

"Then, what exactly are you two dumbasses waiting for? Go outside and prepare for her arrival." Hardy pointed to the door.

The two brothers stepped out into the white snow and Kal listened to Wonder Woman's heartbeat. He focused his vision to watch her in the incoming helicopter.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stared out of the window. The Arctic was easily one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. The white snow sparkled under the sun's rays and Diana almost wanted to stay there forever.

"Ma'am, we will land in 60 seconds." The pilot informed her.

Diana nodded and continued to stare out at the beautiful scenery. All too soon, they landed, and she was forced to exit the helicopter.

Four men were waiting for her. One was clearly a scientist and another, a military man, the poised, subtle arrogant stance was quite obvious. The last two gave her cause to pause though.

Both were easily taller than her, and the blue-eyed man was by almost half a foot! It was rare for Diana to stumble upon humans who were taller than her six foot two height. Both men's eyes seemed ancient almost, knowledge hidden in the depths of their intriguing orbs. The two were wearing identical snow gear, and stared at her intently, eyes assessing her in a way that was reminiscent of Mongul.

"Wonder Woman, it is a pleasure to have you join us. I am Colonel Hardy and this is Dr. Emil Hamilton." The Colonel stepped forward and shook her hand. "Those two over there are Joe and Barry Greenhorn - they will be giving you a tour of the base, and then show you to your quarters."

Diana smiled, "Thank you, Colonel."

Hardy nodded and swiftly turned around. His stance was calm, but Diana could see the small shivers that were beginning to rack his frame via the frigid chill of the Arctic.

"Hello, Wonder Woman, I am Joe Greenhorn." One of the brothers stepped forward and smiled, "Do you need us to take your bag?"

Diana laughed, "No, thank you, Joe. I've got it." She looked to the other brother who was still staring at her, "And you are Barry, correct?"

"Yes." Barry said and then he smiled at her, almost making her gasp. Instead, her eyes widened. His smile was infinitely more beautiful than the scenery of the Arctic could ever be.

"We will show you to your quarters, Wonder Woman." Joe said and looked amusedly towards his brother.

"Please call me Diana." She said politely.

"Diana, please follow us." Barry gestured with arm and she followed the two brothers.

Joe and Barry were silent and sometimes they looked at each other so intently, Diana almost thought they were speaking telepathically.

She could have even sworn that Joe's eyes were glowing but she dismissed the thought because of the utter ridiculousness of the notion.

"So, do either of you have any idea what's inside the ice?" She asked curiously, wanting to diffuse through the somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Barry glanced at her, "No clue. I'm assuming that that's why you're here."

"No. I'm here in case something goes wrong." She corrected, amused at the thought that she knew what was inside the ancient ice that might be older than the Olympians!

"Well, that makes sense. Ahh. Here we are." Barry and Joe had led her to a small hut and looked at her expectantly.

Diana smiled, "Thank you." She walked up the steps and looked down to the two brothers, "Let me unpack, and in a minute, you can show me around the base." She suggested.

"Sounds good, Diana." Joe said calmly.

Diana opened the door and then shut it. The room was tiny. She quickly unpacked her bag and looked at the bed.

There was no way that she would be able to sleep in that thing.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana was right. The bed was terrible, and even though she didn't need sleep for weeks at a time, it would have been nice to be able to relax. Afire several hours of staring up at the plain, steely ceiling, she decided to go outside and see if the scenery was still as beautiful as it had been during the day.

She stepped outside and inhaled the crisp air, letting it settle in her lungs, peace bearing down on her heart. She happened to glance up at the ice, where the alien object was encased, and saw two people walking on the cliffs of the giant iceberg! Her eyes widened in shock and then she squinted, desperately trying to decipher whom would be crazy enough to be outside when it was -81.2 *F! Quickly, her vision enhanced and she saw one of the figures was floating in the air and the other would simply put his hands on the ice, and push. The ice would shatter into sparkling powder and the man walked easily over the hazardous terrain while the other floated.

She focused her vision even further on the two figures and her eyes widened in absolute disbelief when she recognized them!

It was the Greenhorn brothers.

Before she could call out to them, they vanished from her sight and Diana quickly glanced around to see if anyone else was outside to see the sight.

No one was there.

Diana narrowed her eyes and flew upward, to the spot where she had last seen the brothers. There was no sign of either of them, and she closed her eyes, focusing her ears, listening for any sound except the howling wind.

She suddenly heard a strange humming sound and her eyes snapped open. She saw a soft red glow coming from hundreds of feet below and Diana immediately flew towards the ground. She saw a small crater and figured that one of the brothers dropped down from the ledge and landed there without injury.

They were strong.

Diana wished that she had her shield and sword, but all the weapons and equipment that she had with her was her bracers and her abilities. She saw a melted hole a few feet to the right, and she jumped down the hole. She fell about 50 feet and then the tunnel was ascending upward, like a staircase.

Diana ran her hand along the ice and her hand came back sopping wet. She stared as far as she could see and realized that it was only 100 meters. Suddenly, a red glow appeared, casting the icy tunnel in a dim, incandescent glow. She followed the glow, intent on questioning the Greenhorn brothers.

After several seconds of flying, the tunnel just stopped, the red glow vanishing.

Diana frowned and opened her palm, focusing greatly on her power. She was Zeus' daughter, and as a result, lightning was supposed to be a part of her, but the only time that she could ever remember having used her lightning was following the Amazon's slaughter.

She could feel the power, remember where it was, but the power that she could grasp was only a memory. Angered, Diana opened her eyes and scratched her bracers together, creating sparks of light. She turned from side to side to see if the tunnel turned to either side, but there was no new passage.

She growled and glanced upward. There! It looked like someone jumped all the way through the ice. Diana's eyes widened as she realized how strong the Greenhorn brothers were. She wasn't sure that she herself could perform a feat like that.

To jump through ice, that was over 20,000 years old, so easily was incredible. Diana flared the sparks from her bracers and flew up the hole. She reached the top of the hole within seconds and she froze at the sight before her in disbelieving awe.

It was a ship.

Magnificent in size, and ancient in its bearing, the ship was unlike anything she had ever seen. She saw a path melted through the ice and flew towards it.

The ship's tomb was vast and Diana knew that this ship was of alien origin. Waller do been correct, the insufferable woman.

Eventually, she stumbled upon an entrance. There was a hole above her, leading into the ship and she knew that the Greenhorn brothers must have punched their way through the alien material. She was wary of a potential fight between she and them; these small feats were eye-opening, feats that Diana was unsure if she herself could accomplish.

Diana floated through the hole and gazed upon the interior. She felt like an intruder in a sacred place that only few would ever be gifted to see. She almost turned back, but knew she had to get to the bottom of this. Waller's orders were echoing in her mind and she knew that, unfortunately, this situation fell under the 'if anything goes wrong' category. Diana heard a buzzing sound behind her and the hair on the back of her neck stood erect, warning her, foreboding roaring in ears. Suddenly, she was no longer a blind painter. The power within her was there! All of it was revealed, shivering to be held and used, to revel in its brilliance! Diana whirled around, palms alight with her lightning.

It was an Android infinitely more advanced than the pitiful creations that A.R.G.U.S had barely managed to scrape together. She tilted her head. It looked almost like an upside-down guitar.

The machine came closer and Diana's lightning sizzled in warning, flaring in response to the perceived threat.

The Android attacked.

It moved almost as fast Wally and the tentacle that flew out of the robot slashed her arm, making her cry out in pain and surprise. Diana looked down, and to her disbelief, a small stream of bright, red blood was running down on her arm from where she had been sliced.

Diana stared at the blood streaming out of her arm in awe. The only thing known to break through her skin was her own sword. Bullets bruised her skin and hurt like Hades, but nothing else had ever been able to draw blood. She narrowly avoided the second attack and without thought, she shot sizzling torrents of lightning at the Android.

That was a mistake.

The robot seemed to absorb the blast, lightning vanishing inside the grayish matter. Suddenly, a blue light erupted out of the Android and it scanned her. 'Celestial blood detected. Termination required.'

The robot began to glow red and Diana's eyes widened. She quickly brought her bracers up to block the incoming blow and was wholly unprepared for the scorching strike against her back.

The Android had teleported.

Her jacket was completely burned off and the skin on her back was charred, blackened by the pure heat. It was the most physical pain that she had ever felt in her life.

The Android floated towards her and Diana felt scared for only the third time in her life. The red glow appeared again and Diana frantically thought of a way that she could evade the attack. She couldn't move and blood was seeping through her injury. Her only chance of escape was to fly and just as she tried to lift her body off the ground, a tentacle wrapped around her legs with bruising force, slamming her down into the floor. A Cry of pain escaped her lips and she stared at the menacing robot, beginning to accept that her time on this world was finished.

She didn't have to imagine for long.

Barry Greenhorn suddenly appeared, and grabbed the Android with his hands, and began to squeeze. Metal being crushed was heard and in a last attempt to defend itself, the robot ejected powerful streams of what Diana recognized as her lightning into Barry.

He roared and with a final squeeze, the robot was destroyed. Barry swiftly kneeled next to her, looking completely unfazed. "I'm sorry about that."

Diana felt her back beginning to slowly heal and she attempted to sit up, "It was… strange." She admitted, staring at him. Who was he? Was he a child of one of the Olympians like she was? She winced as she adjusted her position and he gripped her arm, surprising her at the strength in his hand. She stared into his deep, cerulean, blue eyes and swallowed, lips dry for some reason. She finally got a good look at him, now she was feeling embarrassed. It was the first time that she had actually seen him without all the winter gear.

He was impossibly handsome, looking like an Olympian descended from Mount Olympus itself to save her from enter from entering Hades' realm.

He seemed to be looking through her and brought his gaze to hers, "I know that your back is healing, but will you be alright? I can cauterize the wound for you, if you would like, Diana." He looked expectantly at her.

Diana narrowed her eyes. How did he know that she was healing? How could he cauterize her bleeding back? Unless, he could control fire. That would explain how he was able to melt through the ancient ice. She was about to ask, but she saw Joe appear next to his brother.

"She will be fine, brother. She's just shocked that the robot was so strong and able to pierce her skin." Joe smiled gently at her.

"You're aliens." She breathed.

"Yes." Barry stared at his brother.

Joe sighed and raised his hands to her temples and his eyes began to glow. Diana tried to fight back but she felt arms wrap around her body and realized that must be Barry. He was as strong as her!

The last thing she remembered was Joe's voice in her head, "I'm sorry, but you will remember none of the events from the past hour. Farewell, Diana of Themyscira."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal felt Diana relax and knew J'onn had finished. He looked to his brother, "I'll return her to her room." He stood up and carried Diana in his arms.

"I'm surprised that you didn't hear her earlier." J'onn frowned, "A second later, and she would have been dead."

Kal had been surprised too. Only her scream of pain had alerted him to her presence, "The ship is messing with my senses. When I inserted the key into that slot, I couldn't see through any of the walls and my hearing was erratic. The technology in this place is simply incredible."

J'onn smiled, "That it is. We will finally be able to have our answers."

Kal smiled and looked down at the woman in his arms. She was so beautiful, breathtaking. He glanced at his brother and ran.

Within a second, he was in Diana's room and he gently placed her on the bed. He stared at her for several seconds before rushing back to find out who he was.

He would finally have his answers!

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana suddenly awoke to the feel of the ground shaking and the sound of a deafening roar of power. She bolted outside and stared in shock at the foreign object, which turned out to be an alien ship, that had broken out of its tomb. The ship floated in midair for several seconds before rocketing off, disappearing from sight.

Diana knew she had no chance of catching the vessel. She looked around at all the awestruck gazes adorning the faces of all who saw this phenomenon. Fear began to settle into their expressions and Diana sighed.

This was going to be almost impossible to explain to Waller.

XxXxXxXxXxX

The ship landed in the coldest part of the Arctic and both brothers were anxious.

Recursive diagnostics complete. All systems are fully operational.

Kal looked over to his brother. He looked as awed as Kal himself felt. The command seat suddenly rose of its own accord and the man who they had seen earlier appeared. It was one of the two faces Kal remembered from his birth.

He stared at them, "To see you both standing there having grown into adults… If only Lara could have witnessed this moment."

"Who are you?" J'onn stepped forward,

"J'onn. It relieves me so, to see you are doing well and have thrived with your abilities. To answer your question… I am your adopted father, J'onn. Or, at least a shadow of him, his consciousness. My name was Jor-El, son of Seyg-El and father to Kal-El and J'onn."

Kal closed his eyes. His real name was Kal-El. He felt elation at finally knowing his true name. He opened his eyes to stare at Jor-El intently. He recognized parts of himself in the man's features and knew that his father spoke the truth. "We have so many questions… Who are we? Where do we come from?"

"You, my son come from Krypton, a world with a much harsher environment than Earth's and J'onn, you are kin to the Manhunters of the icy planet, Ma'aleca'andra." Jor-El waved his hand and liquid geo constructs encompassed the entire room. "Kryptonians were an ancient race, feared by all throughout the universe for our power, technology, and intellect. But there were some races that sought to challenge us. Whenever such a time came, these races were eradicated and their technology was integrated into our culture."

J'onn and Kal observed the geo constructs that were weaving a story of a race so powerful, that they were hailed as gods by almost all.

"The Manhunters of Ma'aleca'andra were the last race to be eradicated almost 28 years ago. To my utter shame, I was instrumental in their slaughter, and for that, J'onn, I am so sorry. Kryptonians were raised on the glories of Eradication as the highest honor one can ever achieve in one's lifetime, which for us was about a millennia if living on Krypton. When I was beamed down to Ma'aleca'andra, I was horrified and in disbelief over the evil that my kin were inflicting." Even though the being before them had, by his own admissions, been dead for decades, the regret in his voice was real, "I had a job to do though, and when I finished my part of the Eradication, your mother made contact with me and I followed her telepathic signal out of curiosity. When I finally found her, she was mortally wounded. She told me to look after you, J'onn, and I promised her that I would. You were only a babe, the last of your kind. I had managed to smuggle you onto Krypton and Lara fell in love with you as I did. You might not be of our blood, but you are most assuredly our son… just as much as Kal is."

J'onn had shifted into his natural form while Jor-El shared the knowledge of Krypton, "So, I am the last of my kind?" his voice was a whisper.

"Yes. You both are."

"What?" Kal's jaw was slightly ajar.

Jor-El gazed at them solemnly, "Krypton was a planet located 27.1 trillion light years from Earth. Our core became unstable and your mother and I foresaw the coming calamity and took the necessary steps to ensure the survival of you both."

Kal and J'onn looked at each other. Both were the last of their kind. There would never be another like them in the universe. "If Krypton was so powerful, how could something like that happen?" Kal whispered.

"We exhausted our natural resources which, inevitably, created the unstable core. Long ago… in an era of expansion, our race had spread out among the stars seeking new worlds to settle upon." Jor-El gestured to the ship, "This scout ship was one of the many thousands launched into the void. We built outposts on other planets, and created gigantic machines to reshape the environments to our needs. For eons, our race flourished… accomplishing wonders never before seen." Jor-El was staring fondly at the constructs.

Kal stared at them too. He could see why his race was so feared. Worlds were settled upon, and races slaughtered like animals only for being comparable to Kryptonians. It was almost unthinkable, but Kal could see how arrogance had seeped its way into the hearts of his people.

"What happened?" J'onn pointed around, "If Krypton was so mighty, how could they become extinct? What happened?"

"Artificial population was established and the outposts on space exploration were abandoned after monstrosities were born." Jor-El teleported to the hallway, "Come."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"This is a Genesis Chamber… All Kryptonians were conceived in chambers such as this."

Kal and J'onn stared at the chamber. They could see the tiny embryos inside and Kal gazed upon the tiny beings in awe. These babies were like him. He looked at his brother and saw that J'onn's eyes were glowing. He was trying to enter the minds of the embryos.

"I cannot enter their minds." J'onn said bewildered, fingers reaching towards the embryos in awe.

"The Chamber is designed so no telepathic presence can interfere with the process." Jor-El turned to look at them, "The artificial population control was created after mutated, Kryptonian deformities were born. They were a more evolved, savage Kryptonian and only knew hate and destruction. This was a result of our race crossbreeding with other races, and even having a Kryptonian child naturally - like you were Kal. The random mixing of genes created an unstoppable monster. The High Council decreed that none would ever again give life to a deformity so hateful to sight and memory - the desecration without name." The geo constructs appeared and showed the image of a thirty foot monster with bony protrusions and soulless eyes.

Jor-El turned back to the Genesis Chamber, "Once the chambers were implemented, every child was designed to a predetermined role in our society… as a Warrior, Thinker like myself and Lara, Laborer, Artisan, and Mediator… Your mother and I believed that Krypton had lost something precious. The element of choice, of chance. What if a child dreamed of becoming something other than what society had intended for him or her?"

Kal felt like his father was speaking directly to him. He was right when Jor-El turned and stared straight into his eyes. Eyes that Kal noticed weren't like his. He must have inherited his eyes from his mother.

"What if a child aspired to be something greater? You were the embodiment of that belief, Kal. Krypton's first natural birth in thousands of years."

"So will I become a monstrosity?" Kal asked, thinking on the mutated Kryptonians their father detailed earlier. His father's words echoed in his ears, '…and even having a Kryptonian child naturally - like you were Kal.'

"No, you will not." Jor-El smiled, "I made sure of it."

"So, we're alone." J'onn concluded.

"No. You have each other. You both understand the pain of loneliness and the feelings of inadequacy because of your power. You two have lived among humans for years. You understand them, which is crucial. The people of Earth are similar to us, but with you there to guide them, they will not make the same mistakes Krypton did. They will stumble, they will fall, but in time… you will help them accomplish wonders"

Both brothers looked to each other, "The world hates and fears aliens."

"Just as they should, but that doesn't mean that you're their enemy. You can show them the way. After all, the Justice League could use your help, my sons." Jor-El closed his eyes, "Who was the female that the Service Android attacked? She seemed to be a Celestial hybrid of some sort based on the Android's readings."

Kal raised a brow, "That was Wonder Woman. When I used my x-ray vision to check her DNA, there were strands that were almost as complex as my own. She is very powerful."

Jor-El nodded, a gleam in his eyes that seemed to portray that their father knew something that they didn't , "She would be a suitable match for you, Kal. It seems her DNA is actually compatible with a Kryptonian's, which is incredibly rare throughout the universe." He stressed.

J'onn laughed, "I believe our father is correct, brother. Wouldn't you agree?" He questioned innocently.

Kal avoided answering, "So, what do we do about the embryos?" He pointed to the Genesis Chamber.

"That decision is yours to make, my son. You alone are the heir to our race, just as J'onn is with the Manhunters. Because you are a Free Birth, you are not tied down genetically to certain obligations."

Kal stared at the innocent embryos, "So, they can stay like that and be healthy? No complications or anything? It's okay if I keep them in the Genesis Chamber?" He saw J'onn nod in agreement with his question.

"These embryos have been in the Genesis Chamber for over 20,000 years, my son. They will be fine. You can come to a decision on this matter at another time."

Kal nodded. It made sense. If they had been in the chamber for thousands of years, then what were a few more years?

"Why are we so different from them?" J'onn abruptly asked. Kal snapped his gaze to their father. He wanted to know that as well.

"You, J'onn are a Manhunter. You have complete control of your physiology and have mental abilities. Your race was hailed by the High Council as monster of ice. You also have a perilous weakness to heat and you thrive in cold weather."

Both brothers nodded. Kal remembered the way J'onn screamed in pain the first time that Kal had showed his brother his heat vision.

"You come from a planet that was made of ice and your kind evolved to survive. You were borne of ice, J'onn. Ma'aleca'andra's gravity was stronger than Earth's and that is why you are about 50x stronger than the peak human." Jor-El turned to Kal, "You, Kal come from a planet with gravity that was over a 1,000x stronger than Earth's. Your muscles are genetically strong enough to be weighted down by Krypton's gravity. Kryptonians absorb solar energy. We needed no substance to fuel our bodies as we thrived off the energy of Rao, our super-giant red sun. We lived for many centuries and had flawless health thanks to our healing factors. Here, Earth's sun is younger and brighter than Krypton's. Your cells have drunken its radiation… strengthening your muscles, your skin, and your senses."

Kal nodded. He had always felt a kinship with the sun. When he was younger, and helping his dad do farm work, he would often close his eyes and soak in the sunlight. He would stay in that position for hours.

"How do I show them the way? They will be terrified of me, of us." Kal gestured to himself and J'onn.

Jor-El looked at the wall beside him and a section of the wall opened, revealing an ancient looking garment, "Hope. That's what this symbol means."

Kal looked at the 'S' symbol on the suit.

"The symbol of the House of El means hope. Embodied within that hope is the fundamental belief, the potential of every person to be a force for good. That is what both of you can bring them."

Kal stared at the symbol, transfixed, eyes picking apart any discrepancies in his father's words, but there were none.

Hope.

That is what he could be. Both of them could be. Kal looked to his brother, "I like the sound of that."

J'onn was staring at the hope symbol but didn't share Kal's enjoyment. "That will be perfect for you, brother but what about me? What can you tell me about the Manhunters?" J'onn directed his question to Jor-El.

Jor-El raised his head slightly, "The Manhunters were a peaceful race who hated fighting and strove to always end any conflicts without violence or harm."

Kal almost laughed. That did sound like J'onn. His brother was quite the mediator and usually used his telepathy to soothe the minds of aggressors.

J'onn smiled, "I can do that." he said confidently.

"I have no doubt that you will." Jor-El turned to Kal, "You've grown stronger here than I ever could have imagined. The only way to know how strong… is to keep testing your limits. In theory, your potential is immeasurable."

Kal looked slyly to his brother, "Will I ever be able to fly?"

"In theory, yes. In our expansion era, there were legends of Kryptonians that could create their own gravity field, distorting and siphoning physical force, which they would use to move through air and space in any direction and at incredibly great speeds." Jor-El waved his hand and geo constructs showed an image of a Kryptonian in flight.

"Great." J'onn muttered, "That was the one power I had that you were jealous of."

Kal laughed. He couldn't wait to start flying.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana stared Waller calmly. She had just recited her time in the Arctic dutifully and was waiting for Waller's response.

The Director of A.R.G.U.S held a cool exterior but Diana could see, in the woman's eyes, that she was livid, and very close to exploding. The eyes were the windows to someone's true feelings and Diana had had a great deal of practice in deciphering the eyes.

"So, all you remember is waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of this alien ship breaking through the thousand-year-old ice shelves and seemingly vanishing into thin air." Waller growled out.

Diana nodded. She didn't mention the feelings of loss in her memory. She felt like a small piece of her mind was gone and she desperately wanted it back.

"This event is being covered up by President Luthor's orders and you will not disclose any information about what transpired in the Arctic, including your teammates. You're dismissed Wonder Woman." Waller sneered and waved her hand dismissively.

Diana gracefully walked out of the office and immediately exited the building. She really loathed Amanda Waller. Arrogance seeped out of that woman's mouth on a daily basis and Diana would like nothing more than to permanently break her jaw.

She flew to the warehouse where the League stayed and was met with the sight of Wally playing a video game.

"Hey, Wonder Babe! Where, and how, ya been?" Wally turned around and zipped over to her.

"Hi, Wally. I was on a trip." She smiled weakly, "I'm going to bed, okay?"

"Alright, g'night or afternoon or whatever." Wally turned around and zipped back to the couch to continue his game.

Diana entered her quarters and gratefully fell onto the soft bed. She was exhausted. Her back had taken almost a full day to heal and she didn't want to think about how bad her back was at the beginning.

How had her back been wounded in the first place?

She felt the weight of her burden fall upon her shoulders like Atlas' punishment itself. How was she supposed to keep this a secret? How was she going to deal with this memory loss? She knew that something was missing. Like a puzzle piece that was missing from the grand picture.

She sat up and stared at the Lasso laying on her hip.

Truth.

She had never tried to use her Lasso for repressed memories, but it was probably the best solution to her problem. She gripped the Lasso and it glowed yellow in response. Diana closed her eyes and focused. Truth. Arctic… Truth. Arctic.. Show me the truth.

Images flashed in her mind at dizzying speeds and Diana felt the missing pieces in her memory fall into place.

She knew exactly what had happened.

The Greenhorn brothers were aliens that had awakened the mighty ship from its ancient tomb. They possessed abilities similar to her own and were very intelligent. …They had also saved her life. She owed Barry Greenhorn a debt. Amazon's always repaid their debts, and she was going to find the Greenhorn's to personally thank Barry and his brother.

She suspected that Barry and Joe Greenhorn were not their real names, so Diana would have to start from scratch. Whether Barry liked it or not, she needed to thank him and she would find him.

How do you find someone who has probably spent their whole life covering their tracks? Diana looked at the computer and realized the best bet is to search for urban legends of the impossible.

She was easily able to read through over a thousand articles in an hour and just as she was about to call it hopeless, she found an article detailing the collapse of an oil rig.

An oil rig off the west coast of North America caught on fire, and was set to explode. Many workers were trapped inside, and the Coast Guard had believed them to be 'unsalvageable'. The Coast Guard helicopter pilot had decided to circle the oil rig one last time, and that's when a group of 7 individuals was found waiting on the emergency platform. One man was clearly in charge, and was motioning everyone to safety. According to witnesses, this same man stayed behind on the platform when he noticed that the oil rig was beginning to collapse, and he held up the entire thing while it crumpled, giving the Coast Guard enough time to evacuate. The mystery man perished. Now, was this an act of God or a hallucination by oxygen-deprived workers? This is what one of the trapped workers had to say.

"We were all trapped and on our last tank of oxygen. We all thought we were gonna die. It was hopeless and just as a few of us were pondering suicide, we all heard metal being crushed and turned to see the steel door ripped off like paper and a man appeared. He was on fire… and the man said, 'follow me.' We all followed, and he saved our lives at the cost of his own.…He was an angel. Because of him, all of us got to return home to our families and live."

Diana leaned back in her chair. She recalled hearing something about an oil rig collapse when she had first came to man's world. She had not thought much of it but she had felt sad because she hadn't been able to prevent it. Now, she realized that 'Barry' had to have been this mysterious angel. The abilities match. The oil rig was owned by a company called Bright Arctic based in the Pacific Ocean.

Thanks to A.R.G.U.S' resources, the League was able to have the best technology the world had to offer. After witnessing the alien ship, Earth's technology was more than primitive, to say the least.

She pulled up employment records of the Bright Arctic company and searched through hundreds of faces. None of them were either 'Barry' or 'Joe'. She then tried the Coast Guard and came back with nothing.

Diana arched her head back and then forward. She turned and looked at herself in the mirror hanging off the wall. If she was hiding, what would she do? Where would she go?

Themyscira.

Someplace familiar then. For this 'Barry', that would be close to Metropolis. She was certain that the 'mystery' man who kidnapped Mongul, and returned him later was 'Barry'.

She pulled up a map and saw that Metropolis was quite close to Kansas. She then searched for urban legends or mysterious happenings in Kansas.

School bus' tire explodes and drives off bridge into a river. That headline caught Diana's eye and she clicked on the article.

In Smallville, Kansas, a school bus full of children drove off the bridge and into a river. Miraculously, everyone was okay and based off witnesses' reports from atop the bridge, the bus seemed to be 'pushed' out of the river by an unidentifiable boy. Pete Ross, a well-known child in the town, was thrown out of the bus and was apparently drowning. Witnesses' say that the same unidentifiable boy rescued him from an inevitable death.

Diana looked at the date and felt triumph when the article was published almost 14 years ago. That had to be one of the Greenhorn brothers! She shut down the computer and smiled almost giddily.

She had never been to Kansas before, but there was a first time for everything. Tomorrow, she was headed to Smallville, Kansas.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana landed in an alley with no cameras near a gas station. She didn't really think this through. The only lead she had had was a 'Pete Ross'. She had no idea if he even lived in this town anymore. She looked down and made sure her disguise was in place. She was wearing glasses and a bulky jacket to cover her voluptuous body.

Perfect.

She saw a man pull into the station and begin the process of pumping gasoline. Diana found the idea of gas fascinating but knew that she couldn't focus on that. If Smallville was anything like Themyscira, then everyone knew each other. She calmly strode over to the man, "Hello, I was looking for a Pete Ross. Do you know where I can find him?"

The man startled, turned around and gazed at her wide-eyed. Diana was nonplussed. She had grown used to the looks she receives from men and sometimes women.

"Yes… I know Pete." He stammered and then pointed down the road, "He's the manager of IHOP." He stood taller and stared at her, analyzing her. "And… who might you be? Pete's not in any trouble, is he?" He looked concerned.

Diana was prepared. She had worked on a cover story last night while lying in bed, meditating. "My name is Diana… I'm trying to reconnect with a man I met in Metropolis a while back, and he mentioned a friend named Pete Ross from a Smallville, Kansas."

The man nodded, "That makes sense." He scratched his head. "Well… it was nice meeting you, Diana. I'm Whitney."

Diana smiled cordially, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Whitney. Thank you for your help." She turned around and walked down the street.

People were close-knit here. It made her yearn for Themyscira. The two places were so similar. Diana liked it here. She felt a sense of belonging that she hadn't truly felt in years. People looked at her curiously and waved to her and she waved back.

It was nice.

She opened the door to the IHOP and was immediately assaulted with the smell of pancakes. A bulky man with red hair was at the front desk and greeted her. His name tag read Pete Ross, Manager.

Diana smiled brilliantly and Pete looked taken aback, "May I help you, ma'am?" He said in bemusement.

"Yes… I was wanting to ask you about an accident that happened when you were younger. A school bus that went into the river." She walked closer as she spoke.

Pete's face registered shock and then became a saddened resignation, "Let's have a seat." He gestured for her to follow him and they picked a corner booth that was isolated from all other customers. "What do you want to know?" He seemed weary, his shoulders were slumped and he acted like he was heading to his execution.

Diana frowned, "Just what happened. Specifically, the 'unidentifiable' boy who allegedly pushed the bus out of the river and then saved your life."

Pete closed his eyes and then opened them again slowly, "I was 13, we all were." He whispered. His eyes were glazed and Diana knew he was reliving the memories of that day, "I was a selfish brat at that age. I picked on J'onn and Clark Kent frequently." He said ashamed, "The day seemed so normal. I would have never imagined what would happen. On that day, the bus drove off the bridge and I was thrown out of the bus somehow… I was drowning and the river's current seemed insurmountable… The next thing I know, Clark, allegedly, picks me up and hauls me to the riverside next to the school bus. From what everyone said, Clark, apparently, allegedly, pushed the bus out of the river. After that day, I strove to be better." Pete stared at her, "I have never forgotten the act of grace that fell upon all of us that day…" he trailed off.

Diana processed the information she just heard. Clark. J'onn. Kent.

She finally had real names.

"So, J'onn and Clark were brothers?" She asked just to be certain.

Pete nodded, "They're twins actually. Fraternal. They look nothing alike."

"Do they still live in Smallville?"

Pete shrugged, "Since their parents died, they've always been on the move. They'll stay here for a week or two, and then be gone for months at a time. Last time I saw them was about…" He paused and pinched his eyebrows together, "five or six weeks ago." He concluded.

"Where do they stay when they're in town?"

"Where else?" Pete snorted, "Their farm, of course. They've always been loners but whenever they do come into town, everyone loves them." Pete smiled, eyes flashing with memories and then he quickly sobered, "What do you plan to do with this alleged information?" He scrutinized her.

Diana decided to repay honesty with honesty. She glanced around, and when satisfied that there was no one watching, she pulled up her coat sleeve to reveal her Bracelets of Submission.

Pete's jaw dropped but he recovered quite remarkably, "Wonder Woman." He breathed out.

Diana nodded, "Please, call me Diana. I have an unpaid debt to one of the Kent brothers. He saved my life." She revealed.

"Clark."

"You believe it was Clark? Why not J'onn?"

Pete sighed, "After Clark saved all of us from the bus, I began to pay more attention to both of them. Strange things were always happening around them. One time, in 2nd grade, Clark ran out of the classroom screaming and was covering his ears. J'onn immediately bolted after him and from my vantage, I could have sworn he was floating. They were always quiet. Smart, too. I'd say that they might be the smartest people I've ever met if it wasn't for someone else." A sad emotion crossed Pete's face and Diana was tempted to ask about the other person, but she decided against it. "Clark always helped people… no matter who they were or what the problem was, he solved it. He was a natural hero and leader when he actually spoke. Then… things changed." He quieted.

"What happened?"

"They're parents died…" He whispered. "It was the worst tornado I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few, Diana. Mr. and Mrs. Kent somehow were still on the highway trying to save their dog, I think, and I looked at Clark and J'onn. Clark had handed a little girl to J'onn and looked like he was literally going to jump and somehow save them, but Mr. Kent raised his hand and shook his head. The last sight I saw was them smiling at their son's lovingly and pridefully. Then, they were swept away by the tornado…" Pete shuddered, "I will never forget what happened afterward."

Diana leaned forward. She was almost afraid to ask, but knew that she had to, "What happened?"

Pete wiped his misty eyes, "Clark screamed. The road cracked and everything glass within a 500 meters radius shattered. It was like nature itself was responding to his grief… everyone felt a searing pain in their head and when I looked at the Kent brothers… J'onn seemed to be green. His entire body was green and his eyes were orange. It was only for a split second, but it was enough. No one else, to my knowledge, saw it." Pete shook his head, "Clark's eyes were glowing demonically red. Areas around his eyes were black, like the nerves around his eyes were dying… Eventually, after several excruciating moments, the pain in everyone's head stopped. J'onn had placed a hand on Clark's shoulder and whispered something. Clark suddenly disappeared. Vanished. It was like he had teleported. Nobody saw him until the funeral a week later." Peter cleared his throat.

Diana raised a hand to her cheeks and felt tears sliding down her smooth skin. She now knew that 'Joe' is J'onn and 'Barry' is Clark. The story Pete just recalled was so similar to the Amazon's slaughter by Ares. Even the reactions were the same. Both she and Clark had caused incredible damage to the environment with their powers and then had disappeared. She gently placed her hand over Pete's, "Thank you for sharing. I know that was hard." She hated talking about her own past. None of the League nor A.R.G.U.S knew about her origins and the story of why she journeyed to man's world. They think that she was a meta-human like Wally.

"Your welcome, Wonder Woman. It actually felt nice to speak with someone about it. You might want to consider doing the same yourself. Speak about what is haunting you." He stood up and held out his hand. Diana gripped it and they shook. They had come to a mutual understanding.

The Kent brothers were not normal, but they were never going to tell a soul.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana followed the directions Pete had given her and eventually landed near a completely secluded farm. With her enhanced vision she was able to see other farms in the distance and knew if she was a human, she wouldn't be able to see them. It was a beautiful farm and was obviously kept in great condition. She ran her hands over her coat. She was feeling nervous for some reason. She walked by an old barn and ascended the small steps to knock on the door, "Hello?" She called out. A dog rushed to the front door and barked at her.

Diana lowered herself so she was eye-to-eye with the animal, "Hi, there. I'm not going to hurt you." She soothed, "I'm looking for some friends of mine. Their names are Clark and J'onn."

The dog quieted and Diana smiled, "Do you know them? Are they your owners? I'm just going to wait here until they get back, okay?" She turned around and sat on the steps.

The dog settled next to her and Diana assumed there was a door for the dog. She rubbed the animal's fur. The dog was clearly in the twilight of its life and she was pleased to see that he looked healthy. She scratched the dog's ears and stared at the fields surrounding her.

It was beautiful, peaceful, so much like Themyscira.

After 30 minutes, Diana stood up and the dog followed her. The day would soon turn into night and she wondered if the Kent brothers would even show up. She could stay in Smallville for several days, but the League and A.R.G.U.S would become suspicious if she were gone for too long. She walked towards the barn, curious, and ran her hand along the old wood.

"May we help you?"

Diana froze briefly and her eyes widened. People did not sneak up on her, not since she was a young girl.

She whirled around, swords in hand. She was met with the sight of J'onn and Clark Kent. Their faces registered no surprise and Diana wondered briefly if they didn't recognize her.

No. They knew who she was.

"May we help you?" J'onn intoned dryly.

Diana was at a loss for words. She was caught off-guard. Every practice speech that she had memorized beforehand dissipated into smoke.

Clark narrowed his eyes, "Look, lady, you're trespassing on private property. So, we're going to have to ask you to leave." The dog had run to his side.

Anger flared in her throat. So, that was their play: ignorance, "Let's cut the Minotaur dung." She exclaimed, shocked at her outburst, but she was not regretful.

Clark laughed and J'onn chuckled.

That gave her confidence, "I wanted to thank you for saving my life in the Arctic. You can pretend not to know me, but I will never forget the grace you bestowed upon me… You could have let the Android kill me and no suspicion would have fallen upon you, but you didn't." She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling vulnerable, "Thank you." She stared into brilliant blue eyes.

Clark tilted his head to the side as if listening for something. He looked at the arms that wrapped around her midsection and he nodded his head, "You're welcome, Diana."

Diana smiled. It didn't matter that A.R.G.U.S would do anything to have the two brothers under their dirty heels. She would be content to let Clark and J'onn live their lives the way they wanted. They were good people and shouldn't be poisoned by A.R.G.U.S.

"Do you want to come inside?" J'onn gestured to the house.

Diana nodded, "Yes, that would be wonderful."

She followed the two brothers up the steps and into the house. She was surprised at how clean the house was. From what little she's seen of her teammates' rooms, boys did not have the spirit for cleaning. J'onn walked to a cupboard and pulled out a tray of Oreos. She almost laughed, Wally would do the exact same thing.

Clark settled on the couch and Diana took the chair adjacent to her savior. J'onn plopped down next to his brother. "How did you find us?"

Diana laughed awkwardly, "I used my Lasso to uncover the memories that you repressed." She was still a little miffed about that, "Then, I read through thousands of articles about urban legends. I found one about an oil rig collapse."

Clark closed his eyes, "I knew that we should've erased the workers' and Coast Guard's minds."

Diana continued, "I realized that if I was trying to hide from the world, I would go someplace familiar. I assumed that you were the one to kidnap Mongul and looked for areas around Metropolis. I noticed Kansas was pretty close, then searched for stories of the impossible and found the story of how you saved all your classmates from drowning."

Clark didn't seem too surprised about the last part, but J'onn looked at her curiously, "How did you find where we live?"

"Pete Ross. We chatted for a while at IHOP. He's a nice man." Diana recalled the memory of Pete's story.

Clark nodded, "He is a good man. A lot different from when we were kids." He looked at his brother.

J'onn finished chewing his Oreo, "Are you going to report us to the League or A.R.G.U.S?"

Diana's eyes widened. She had no idea how they knew about A.R.G.U.S, but answered honestly, "No. I'm sure you already know that the League is a special unit of A.R.G.U.S since you know about A.R.G.U.S itself?" When both Kent brothers nodded, Diana continued, "I hate it. Amanda Waller would be the most arrogant person I've ever met, if I hadn't had the displeasure of meeting Lex Luthor." She frowned when she saw both brothers glance at each other in alarm, but dismissed her concern. "The only reason I haven't quit is that I enjoy working with my teammates and helping people."

Clark smiled, "Then encourage the League to become its own organization. So, then it will not be affiliated with any government."

J'onn piped in, "You wouldn't be limited in who you could help. A.R.G.U.S only sends the League to places in the U.S. If you broke away from A.R.G.U.S' hold, you could save people from all over the world. Be a separate entity with your own rules."

"We would need funding though, and a base of operations." Diana frowned.

Clark laughed, "I'm sure that Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen would easily be able to provide funds."

Diana's jaw dropped slightly, "You know our secret identities?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes. It wasn't at all difficult to figure it out." J'onn was shaking his Oreo tray to hopefully find more of his delectable treat.

Diana didn't really want to think about how much they knew, so she redirected the conversation, "What did you do with the ship?"

"We hid it, so that no human will ever find it."

Diana nodded, "Did you find what you were looking for?" She asked curiously. After sorting through the events in the Arctic and her conversation with Pete, it was easy to see that the Kent brothers were searching for something.

"Yes, we did." Clark smiled brilliantly and J'onn nodded in agreement.

"I'm happy that you did." Diana said genuinely. She wished she could have the same. Answers about the Olympians and Ares' slaughter of her people.

"You will find what you're looking for, Diana. One day, you will have your answers." J'onn stared at her seriously, eyes holding compassion.

"Thank you, J'onn." She murmured. She looked at the pictures on the mantle below the television. She could easily identify Clark and J'onn even though they looked only 5 years old. An older man and woman stood behind them, hands on their shoulders, beaming with pride. "I'm sorry about your parents." She whispered, "They seemed like good people from what Pete told me."

"They were the best." Clark stared at the photo she was looking at.

"Are you going to reveal yourself to the world?" Diana asked abruptly. She didn't want to journey into a discussion about dead parents. Her own grief was still too fresh.

Clark looked to J'onn, "When we're needed. We'll continue, I think, to save people from the shadows. I know that I'm not ready yet to face the world's hatred and scorn."

"I am of the same mindset." J'onn intoned.

Diana nodded. That's what she suspected, "I should probably get going." She stood up and looked out the window to see night has fallen.

Both brothers stood up and walked her out the door.

She turned around, "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to look for me. I'm sure that you know where to find me."

Clark smiled, "Thank you, Diana."

Diana smiled back and levitated several feet off the ground, "Farewell, Clark, and J'onn."

"Kal." Clark said suddenly, cutting through the air like a bullet.

"What?"

"Call me Kal. That is my real name."

Diana smiled again, "Okay, Kal. Farewell to you both."

"Farewell, Diana." J'onn nodded his head at her.

Flying away from the Kent brothers felt wrong, but Diana knew that she needed to leave. A.R.G.U.S was probably tearing through its resources trying to locate her.

She looked back one last time at the brothers. She felt understood by them. She felt more of a connection with them than her own teammates. She had no idea why, but she was willing to see where destiny would lead them.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal watched Diana until she arrived in Metropolis. He turned to see his brother looking at him curiously.

"Kal?" He had raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"It felt right at the time. I feel more like myself when I'm Kal-El. Clark Kent was a facade to make me seem 'normal.'" Kal walked up the steps.

He heard J'onn nod, "I know. It just surprised me that you told Diana your real name."

"Me too. It was an impulse that came out before I could stop it." Kal admitted.

J'onn laughed, "I think someone has a crush."

Kal glared even though it was the truth, "I do not. Read my mind if you don't believe me." He baited.

J'onn shook his head, "I know you're already lying without needing to look into your head." He fell onto the couch and turned on the television.

Kal sat in the seat that Diana had occupied. He couldn't convince his brother that he wasn't attracted to Diana so he decided to stop trying, "Do you think she'll convince the League to separate from A.R.G.U.S?"

J'onn glanced in his direction, "I think she will. If she cannot, then I believe she will leave the League and do what she did in the beginning: saving people on her own."

That made sense. He hoped she would get away from A.R.G.U.S' influence. Maybe if she convinced her teammates to step away from the government, Kal and J'onn would join their team. He didn't feel near as lonely with her around and he was pretty sure J'onn felt the same.

After all, they were the last of their kind. No one else in the universe was like them.

XxXxXxXxXxX

A man gazed out at the myriad star systems before him. For almost three decades, he had searched for the Codex, the key to rebuilding Krypton. His friend had truly been a Thinker above all others. Kal-El was a ghost story that his loyalists have been forever chasing without finding.

Jor-El was right.

Krypton's High Council was a disgrace. They had become arrogant and ignored his friend's warnings. Because of them, their race was almost extinct. Being sent to the Phantom Zone was a blessing in disguise because it had ultimately saved him and his crew. They weren't on Krypton when the planet's core completely collapsed. Jor-El's son was the key to finding the Codex.

He had traveled through many galaxies aching to hear rumors of a god-like being. Krypton had the strongest gravity of any planet in the universe. With Krypton gone, Kal-El would be one of the strongest beings on any other planet.

He heard none.

The only good thing that he had discovered was the existence of the last 2 Cznarians, a mated pair. He rectified the mistake of his forebearers and slaughtered the two survivors of Krypton's last eradication before Ma'aleca'andra. He was surprised at how difficult it was to actually kill them. Apparently, they had a healing factor that surpassed that of a Kryptonian's, which he thought to be impossible. He had to finally use the matter incinerator to kill them. He could begrudgingly see how his forebearers weren't able to eradicate them all.

There were rumors floating around about Krypton though. The most popular and what many races thought was the most believable was that the Kryptonians had ascended to become one with the Source because of their power. They became his personal army of warriors to dictate his will upon the universe.

He allowed the rumor to circulate until every race believed it to be the truth. Then, when he finally found Kal-El and the Codex, he would be able to create the legend that the Source was fearful of their power and attempted to make them extinct, but hadn't succeeded. Nobody would ever dare challenge him and he would be able to spread the Glory of Krypton across the cosmos.

He truly wished that Jor-El hadn't walked the path he did. He can still see the life leaving his friend's eyes. He murdered his best friend and would always feel guilty, but not regret. In many ways, he was glad that Jor-El succeeded. If he had stopped his friend, the Codex would have been destroyed and Krypton could never have had the chance to be rebuilt. Once his Sword of Rao loyalists was captured, they all would have been sent to the Phantom Zone and the High Council would have returned the Codex to the Kandor Genesis Chamber.

Because of Jor-El, Krypton had the chance to be reborn.

Every surviving member of their race owes their hope to Jor-El and he will never allow his friend's name to be uttered in anything less than respect.

"General Zod." Jax-Ur's annoying voice grated in his ears.

Zod turned around to gaze at the man. Compared to his friend, Jax-Ur was a disgrace. Jor-El was the smartest being he had ever encountered and for Jax-Ur to even consider himself a Thinker was a disgrace to his friend.

He had his uses though, "What?" He snapped. Just looking at his face made him angry.

"We have picked up a signal. A Kryptonian signal originating from a planet called Earth. We believe Kal-El is the one to have activated the signal. He has found one of the ancient Scout Ships that were launched into the void many millennia ago."

Zod smiled. Finally. Krypton would be reborn and Kal-El would hopefully join them. Even though the boy's existence was heresy, he would allow him to live to honor his best friend. If the boy had unfortunately become attached to the earthlings, then he would die. He turned around and looked at the countless stars once again, "Activate the Phantom Drive." He ordered, "Set our course for this planet, Earth."

He heard all his loyalists begin preparation and Zod felt elation for the first time since the eradication of Ma'aleca'andra.

They had finally found Kal-El.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Well, that's all for this chapter, folks! I truly hoped that you all enjoyed it and please, remember to leave a review. I would really appreciate your thoughts thus far.

**Wonder Woman, in the comics, has always been really tall, and all is a Kryptonian. I think that he would be tall as well.

**Here's an interesting that I think is fascinating: "The reason that the Kryptonians were obsessed with the Growth Codex was that of Doomsday. In Batman v Superman, when Lex attempts to create a mutated Kryptonian, the A.I. warns 'Action forbidden - it has been decreed by the council of Krypton that none will ever again give life to a deformity so hateful to sight and memory - the desecration without name.' This basically alludes to how "the desecration without name" is a mutation of Kryptonians that has deviated away too much from the core species itself. While this deviation makes the new species stronger, it also makes it savage. This is why natural Kryptonian conception is proclaimed as a heresy, as the random mixing of genes could potentially create an unstoppable monster. Thus, the Codex was established to limit any unwanted mutation, i.e. maintaining the benign gene pool. It's understandable to assume that Kryptonians with their scientific advancement had mastered interstellar travel and even colonized other planets. Many of these planets could be in systems centered around yellow stars like Earth's. If we assume that the Kryptonian Codex restricted them from exploring other planets, there's really no rational explanation for it. Their military was more than capable of expanding their territory. Therefore, the Codex came in later. At one point in the distant past, the Kryptonians had an interstellar empire, expanding and colonizing yellow-sun worlds with access to their full Kryptonian capabilities, and reproducing naturally, until eventually, one or more Doomsday mutants started to be born. It's not just a matter of natural conception, traveling to different planets would possibly present a different environment for Kryptonians, thus leading to unpredictable evolutions. There could also be cross-breeding, which led to mutations. And these evolutions could result in Doomsday like creatures being born. I believe that is why in Man of Steel, when Zod and company are searching through the colonies, they come across nothing but death, and the expressions of the dead's faces were terrified. This was because a Doomsday mutant had been born and started killing them all. The Kryptonians then retreated to the only place the monsters couldn't go: Krypton. The red sun would drain the Doomsday's powers the moment they entered the star system, and the poisonous atmosphere would render them weak to their weaponry. Thus, the Kryptonians had imprisoned themselves within their own planet to defeat Doomsday. They abandoned the space exploration and retreated to their home world. Since those events, the Codex was established to avoid any such events and the Kryptonians began to avoid travel beyond their own planet out of fear of evolution itself." Most of this explanation came from Vedant Das Swain on Quora. I really like this theory because it explains a lot and it actually makes sense.

Tell me what you think by leaving a review! I would really appreciate any comment that you guys have, whether it be positive or negative.

Stay Safe
ButtonPusher