Thanks for all the reviews! I love hearing all of the feedback from you guys! It makes my day every time I see a new review!

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

XxXxXxXxXxX

The gates of Olympus were grand, shining in the brilliance of its inhabitants. For too long, they had hidden like cowards while the cosmos believed them to be extinct. The Celestials were one of the ancient races and Ares was going to make certain that the universe hailed them as such when he returned them to the top of the food chain.

For centuries, he had watched enraged as his father was content to hide like a coward, never seeking to change their predicament. Ares knew the only one who would be able to slay his father was himself, but he didn't have the power! He needed a warrior! He coveted Olympus! He coveted the throne of his father! He coveted power!

Zeus was the only obstacle in his path.

For decades, Ares had sought a warrior, one of unparalleled might, who would aid him in his conquest of destroying Zeus. He had searched but found none until Lex Luthor had stumbled upon secrets that could become the downfall of the Celestials.

He had appeared before the human, aching to kill him but to his shock, felt an aura that marked him as a Celestial. Ares narrowed his eyes as he recognized Athena's features in the boy - that bitch! Just to spite her, he was going to kill the ignorant human but he quickly saw an opportunity as he realized that Lex Luthor was the first of Athena's experiments to survive; she was investigating how different a Celestial half-blood was from a full-blooded Celestial, and most of her experiments had always died young. Apparently, if what Ares had heard was correct, his sister's experiments were why Zeus had had the confidence to beget Diana.

Athena had always prided herself above everyone save their father. Her intellect was hailed as the greatest in creation by Zeus. Ares, when he was younger, had always sought to solve problems with his fists but he saw an opportunity with his sister's bastard.

Lex Luthor would be a deterrent that Athena could not outsmart. The scales were evened and Ares knew that Luthor would be the warrior who he had sought for so long; he had just always thought that it would be a warrior of strength. Because of Luthor, Ares would be able to destroy his father's lifeforce.

His nephew loathed the Kryptonian - the only being save Zeus who Ares feared - more than anything because of a petty childhood disagreement and Ares knew that it would be easy to manipulate the boy. Just as he had foreseen, Luthor agreed instantly once Ares revealed the truth; he had even gifted the boy with the knowledge about his abilities. Because he was Athena's brat, Luthor was able to access her essence's light and truly use his mind to its full potential.

The Celestials were brain-like entities that had the ability to gather their essence into a single body, an Avatar that contained all their power. Upon finding refuge on Earth, each of the elder Celestials had merged their essence with elements and energies of the planet. Ares had quickly submerged his essence within war once he was born as his father ordered. Zeus had done the same with the sky when he had journeyed to Earth and the others had all chosen their domains just as swiftly.

The essence for each Celestial was somewhere on Olympus, hidden away from prying eyes. Only Ares knew where his own essence lay and only Zeus knew where his own essence was.

Thanks to his brother, Hephaestus and Lex Luthor, Ares had a way to evade that obstacle in his path to absolute power. All of his siblings and cousins would join him save Athena - the bitch! - in the dethroning of Zeus and the elder Celestials; Hercules, Apollo, Artemis, Eris, Aphrodite, Hebe, Hephaestus, Persephone, Hermes, Ersa, Enyo, Eileithyia, and Dionysus were easy to persuade to join his conquest and Ares knew that not even Zeus could stop what was coming.

At first, he had been concerned that Diana and her Kryptonian lover might ally themselves with Zeus but upon witnessing the conversation between father and daughter on the day of the Kryptonian Invasion, all of Ares' concerns dissipated like a summer's snow.

Diana hated their father and refused to trust him.

Ares also knew she hated him far more than anybody in the universe; she would love to kill him if given the chance. Ares knew that his decision to slaughter the Amazons had been reckless, to say the least, but he had been so enraged when he had learned the truth about Diana's birth. Nevertheless, she would have no idea that Ares would soon rule the Celestials and he would try to persuade her to join him. If not, he would kill her and with the combined might of his siblings and cousins, slay the Kryptonian, the heir to the Eradicators.

"Are you ready?" Apollo appeared beside him and Ares looked at his brother in contempt.

"Of course! I've waited for this moment for centuries." He gripped his brother's shoulder tightly, "Make certain that you don't lose your nerve," he hissed, glaring into the golden eyes of Apollo.

Apollo gripped his shoulder and wrenched Ares' hand off with a grunt of effort, "Don't worry, brother. Zeus will fall and the new reign of the Celestials will rise from his mistakes."

Ares smiled maliciously, "Good. Make sure the others are ready." He dismissed and turned back to contemplating the object adorning the wall of his palace.

It was the weapon that would end the reign of Zeus: the Blade of Olympus.

An enormous broadsword that, between the combined contributions of Hephaestus and Lex Luthor, could sense and locate the auras of every Celestials' brain. It was his nephew's greatest contribution to Ares' crusade and the only reason why he was even able to challenge Zeus. Luthor had been instrumental in his resurgence, also being the deterrent who was as smart as Athena herself and could determine what paths she would follow and which she wouldn't.

He heard his siblings appear behind him and Ares turned towards them with a savage grin. "My fellow Celestials," he began. "My brothers and sisters and cousins. We have all watched as Zeus and the others have been content to collect dust and let the universe forget us. Because of the Eradicators, our glorious race has been in hiding for far too long!" He spat, staring into the eyes of all his kin, "Today, with the help of everyone in this room, we will rectify the mistakes of Zeus, of our parents. Today, we will alert the universe of our return!" He finished, raising his fist in the air.

Hercules raised his fist and the rest followed, eyes looking at Ares in reverence. He was their new leader, their new King; he was the one who everyone would follow, who would obey him without question.

Ares smiled and lowered his fist, "Now, we all know the plan, correct?" His eyes burned with power, "We all know what's at stake."

"Yes, brother." Aphrodite smiled, perfect teeth sparkling, "Slay the Avatars of each and then slay the 'brains' while they are healing from the backlash of their Avatars being destroyed."

He frowned, "You all know your task? Your main enemy?"

Enyo, the daughter of Demeter and Hades, rolled her eyes, "Eileithyia and I are tasked with killing Athena's Avatar." Ares nodded in approval, eyes darting towards Eileithyia, the daughter of Poseidon and Hera. Even though he really wanted to kill that bitch, he would leave her to his cousin and half-sister.

"Me and Ersa are going to murder my mother." Eris, the daughter of Hades and Hestia, said dryly, eyes gleaming with strife. Ersa, the daughter of Poseidon and Demeter, grinned and threw her arm around her partner in the killing of Hestia.

Dionysus, the son of Zeus and Demeter, sipped from a chalice, "Persephone and I are slaying mother." He said almost lazily while Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, nodded in excitement, anxious to finally be rid of her mother.

Aphrodite, the daughter of Zeus and Hera, sauntered over and Ares stared at her luscious curves. She draped an arm across his chest, "Hebe and I are going to kill our mother." Ares almost drooled at the thought of Hera slain at his feet. He hated his mother as much as the bitch. It was ironic, really; Hera loathed Athena, yet the two were so similar in their arrogance. "Once everything has been accomplished, we can celebrate," Aphrodite whispered in his ear and Ares grinned with a mixture of bloodlust and lechery.

"Festus and I are going to confront... Hades." Hermes, the son of Zeus and Hestia, muttered and Ares almost felt sorry for his two brothers. Hephaestus, the son of Zeus and Hera, was a large Celestial and could hold his own for a short time against their uncle in raw strength but Hades was unsettling on good days. Hermes would be forced to match the unrelenting force of Hades' molecular manipulation.

Artemis, the daughter of Zeus and Hestia, looked at her twin, "Apollo and I will face Poseidon." Ares stared into the golden eyes of Apollo and was not surprised to see the shine of fear in their depths. After all, Poseidon was only surpassed in eminence by their father and easily one of the most powerful of their race, second only to Zeus himself in sheer power.

"Brother, you and I will clash against father." Hercules, the son of Zeus and Hera, nodded at him, muscled arms stretching across his broad chest.

Ares closed his eyes briefly; it would take everything to dethrone Zeus. There was a reason why Zeus was the King of the Celestials; despite having grand molecular manipulation talents, his father was an excellent fighter, one that Ares was fearful to face by his lonesome. He was thankful his siblings save the bitch and cousins had chosen to stand by his side.

Ares plucked the Blade of Olympus off its perch and smirked at all those who were gathered around him, "Let's get started."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Ares almost sauntered up to the steps towards the throne room, siblings and cousins following behind him eagerly. This was the day that he had dreamed about for centuries. This was the day when he would dethrone Zeus and rule the Celestials.

He paused, staring at the intricate symbols carved into the grand, golden doors. Tales of the Celestials were told in Ancient Greek throughout the beautiful scripture. He glanced at his entourage and when they all nodded, eyes gleaming in anticipation, Ares pushed the heavy doors open.

All eyes darted to the group and Ares proudly stalked to the middle of the throne room, smirking at the bitch, his father, his mother, and his aunts and uncles.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zeus hissed, lightning sparkling through his eyes. He sat on the magnificent golden throne that Ares had always coveted.

Ares bowed mockingly, "This is the end of your reign, father." His siblings and cousins nodded in agreement, "Sadly, none of you will be able to see my rule."

"So be it," Hades sneered and chains with scythes with a purple glow surrounding the deadly blades wrapped around his large arms. Poseidon followed and a mighty trident formed in his hand. Hestia looked at the group sadly and created a fiery staff. Demeter looked at her daughter in shock and unconsciously summoned a small ax. Hera glared at Ares in disgust and a white spear appeared in her clenched fists.

Athena raised an eyebrow at the group and two large daggers materialized in her hands. "What is that weapon, Ares?" She demanded, eyes wary. "Who forged it? Hephaestus?"

Ares grinned ferociously, "Festus designed it, but the true contributor was your son, dearest sister. Your experiment has become mine."

"Then Luthor will regret it," she hissed out, looking furious.

"He was eager to help me; he will be the main reason why I destroy you all. The blade will find all of your brains."

He noticed the fearful glances exchanged between everyone else but Zeus simply stared at him and his loyalists in contempt. "My brothers, we were forged in victory as we escaped the Eradicators. It was a victory that brought forth the reign of Olympus. Born from the depths of the remnants of Supmylo, rooted in the blood of our slain kin, our city emerged out of the chaos." Ares rolled his eyes as he realized what his father was doing; a grand and majestic speech that would inspire the elder Celestials and Athena to achieve victory. The benefit was double-sided because the speech would inspire Ares and his loyalists as well. Ares didn't interrupt his father as he continued, "As it grew, so too did the prosperity of Olympus. We created a safe world, a world of peace. A world that thrives off the safety of my throne, a throne that has come to be the absolute measure of strength and power. Now, on this day, that power is to be tested! Our petulant children, specifically Ares, seeks to destroy all that we have wrought! Brothers, we must unite and stand together! We will triumph over these fools, and I will wipe out the plague that my bloodline has wrought! Olympus will prevail!"

All was silent for several seconds and then, everyone attacked.

Ares and Hercules leaped towards the mighty throne of Zeus, weapons ready to spill the blood of their father. Zeus rushed forward and batted Hercules fist aside and swung his leg into Ares' exposed arm. The Blade of Olympus fell out of his grip and Zeus glanced at it but lost interest when Hercules punched him in the ribs.

Zeus snarled and lightning blasted into Hercules, smashing him into an enormous pillar. Ares jumped at Zeus but his father leaned away and kicked his exposed stomach.

"You were always such a disappointment, son." His father sneered and slammed his fist into Ares' jaw.

Hercules suddenly jumped at Zeus and caught him by surprise, slamming several fists into the King of the Celestials' face.

Ares risked a glance towards his siblings and was relieved to see that Hestia and Demeter's Avatars were already dead. Dionysus, Persephone, Eris, and Ersa were now aiding in the battles against Hades and Poseidon.

Hercules suddenly slammed into the ground next to him, wounds littering his body, "Brother, this is becoming most strenuous." He grunted and abruptly screamed as lightning swarmed his body.

Ares hopped to his feet and blasted his father with a ball of energy but it was batted aside effortlessly. "You say that I was a disappointment when it was you who failed, father!" Ares roared, charging forward in absolute hatred.

Zeus' eyes grew alight with lightning and Ares narrowly avoided the massive bolt of lightning. He snarled and summoned his own lightning, but it was noticeably weak compared to his father's. Zeus caught the tendrils of lightning and hurled it back at him, increased tenfold. Ares' eyes widened and he could do nothing as the lightning slammed him into the golden throne.

He blearily opened his eyes, holding his chest in pain and blinked several times as he stared at the battles. The bitch's Avatar was dead and so was his mother's. All that remained were the Big Three - Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. There was a reason why they were feared by all; the three sons of Sunorc and the saviors of the Celestial race. The three worked together seamlessly, batting aside attacks and lashing out with power. Hades's claws twirled through the air in a protective shield against Artemis and Apollo's arrows while he shot out tendrils of dark energy against Hermes, shadows wrapping around the feet of the quick-footed Celestial. Hephaestus leaped forward with a large hammer but was swatted aside by a large bolt of energy from Poseidon's trident. The twins attempted to catch Poseidon off guard but a massive wave slammed into their forms, tossing them into the downed Hephaestus. Poseidon twirled around, raising his trident to block Aphrodite's knife that was headed for a killing blow. He wrenched his trident to the side and swung it around his head, smashing it into Aphrodite's face as she screamed in pain, slamming into Eris' advancing form. Hades suddenly leaped forward and caught an arrow inches away from Poseidon's face. Ares watched as his uncle's eyes widened and a massive explosion shook the throne room.

Ares grunted and stood up gingerly. He froze as the smoke from Apollo's arrow cleared and both his uncles stood in the center of the throne room unharmed. The dark aura that surrounded them in a shield quickly dispersed and Hades leaned against his brother, eyes blinking rapidly in weariness.

A massive clash of thunder appeared next to them and Zeus held two swords made of pure lightning, eyes alight with rage.

Ares felt all his siblings and cousins weakly align themselves by his side. All eyes portrayed hate and there was only one way for this to end.

Death.

The elders faced the younger generation as they sought to take the crown.

Poseidon spat a large glob of water at their feet, "You are all pathetic! It's too late for you to stop what you've done. Because of this, you will die." He suddenly leaped forward and before anyone could react, impaled Eris in the throat with his trident and tore her head off in a showcase of absolute brutality.

Ares blinked as his sister's Avatar fell to the ground and her essence faded, returning to her 'brain'. He roared and charged forward, punching Poseidon in the face and stumbled back when the butt of the trident smashed into his stomach.

He screamed as a sword of lightning impaled his leg and his father's voice hissed into his ear, "You petulant child! I will tolerate your insolence no more!"

Zeus kicked aside Eileithyia and sliced her Avatar's head off with his other sword. Ares swiftly elbowed his father in the face and yanked the sword out of his leg. With a grunt of effort, Ares was able to focus his essence and heal the wound. He looked around and his eyes widened in anger and fear as he watched Hebe, Ersa, and Enyo's Avatars slain by both his uncles within seconds. He charged but was intercepted by one of Hades' claws as it brutally snared his shoulder.

His uncles' black eyes glared at him. "I never liked you... I will enjoy killing you." He yanked his arm forward and Ares yelled out as he was wrenched forward toward Hades' outstretched fist.

Upon impact, Ares was smashed into a pillar and in a daze, looked up as Persephone was executed by her their uncle. Dionysus was held by the throat as Poseidon stabbed him repeatedly in the chest. Soon, his Avatar dispersed.

All that remained were himself, Hercules, the twins, Festus, Hermes, and Aphrodite.

Ares saw the Blade of Olympus discarded in the rubble near him. He reached out and grasped the hilt, eyes glowing in rage. With a roar of hatred, he yanked it towards him and spun towards his uncles, releasing the moving blade towards Hades. Ares watched as the blade suddenly embedded itself through Hades' head.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, ceasing their battles and watched as Hades' Avatar dispersed with an animalistic, hysterical scream of defiance towards the heavens.

He had managed to murder Hades!

The sound of his uncle's glowing, purple claws clanging against the throne room floor brought Ares out of his euphoric triumph.

"Ares!" Poseidon screamed and Ares narrowly avoided the trident that suddenly flew towards him at in a blur. Poseidon punched him in the face and kicked him in the chest.

Ares landed roughly into Aphrodite, who was desperately trying to heal the three massive gashes that marred her otherwise perfect features. He glanced towards Zeus and Poseidon, standing up as the twins were shot full of lightning, hurtling towards Hermes who couldn't avoid Apollo and Artemis' approaching forms as his legs had been frozen over with a wave of water by Poseidon.

Hephaestus and Hercules nervously glanced at each other and Ares quickly scooped up the Blade of Olympus, joining his siblings against Zeus and Poseidon.

Zeus narrowed his eyes and dashed forward, lightning swords clashing against the Blade of Olympus as Ares strained against the strength of his father. He dimly noticed Festus and Hercules battle Poseidon.

"I will have much work to do after I kill you." Zeus hissed, eyes glaring in contempt. "I should have never allowed your existence!"

Ares growled, "No! Your time is finished, old man! It's time for a leaner generation!" He swiftly smashed his head into his father's and both stumbled back in pain.

An agonized scream had Ares' attention dart towards his brothers. Poseidon had impaled Festus clean through and smashed Hercules into one of the thrones. Before Ares' could react, Poseidon spun around, hands leaving the trident, and smashed his foot into Hephaestus' face who flew into the wounded crowd of siblings. Poseidon swiftly grabbed the trident from midair and swung it around, blocking Hercules' incoming strike.

Ares jumped back as lightning slashed his arm. Zeus leaped forward, swinging his other sword towards Ares' exposed side. Lightning seared his Avatar's flesh and Ares growled, responding with a kick to Zeus' overextended leg, driving his father to kneel. Ares smashed his fist into his father's face and slashed the Blade of Olympus into his father's chest.

Zeus screamed, stumbling back and Ares's eyes widened as a wide grin spread across his face. He had finally triumphed over his father! After several seconds of waiting for Zeus' Avatar to disperse, Ares swallowed as he watched his father's Avatar heal. Ares risked a glance towards his brother and saw Poseidon stab Hercules in the leg, bringing the muscular man to his knees.

Ares knew that he could not fight both his uncle and father simultaneously. He still had several seconds until Zeus fully healed. He rushed Poseidon and swung his sword in a diagonal arc, aiming to sever his uncle's head from his shoulders.

Poseidon tipped his trident back and Ares' eyes widened when the blade was stopped, trapped in the prongs.

"Foolish boy," his uncle grinned lavishly and wrenched the trident forward. The Blade of Olympus snapped out of Ares' grasp and he was left defenseless. Quickly, he focused his power and a large, double-headed ax with fiery cracks running through the metal appeared in Ares' hands. He swiftly blocked Poseidon's jab and retaliated with a kick to his uncle's knee.

Poseidon stumbled and Ares felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The sound of sizzling lightning echoed in his ears and Ares knew his father was about to kill him.

"No!" Hercules roared from the ground and rushed forward.

Ares watched in disbelief as his brother jumped in front of the dual, lightning swords that were meant for him. Hercules fell to the ground with a grunt, swords embedded in his stomach.

He instinctively ducked and watched Poseidon's trident swipe over his head. Ares saw his opening and with all his strength, roared in hatred as his ax swung upward, slicing through Poseidon's exposed chest and head.

His uncle stared at him with wide, impressed eyes, body flickering in imminent mortality. "I always knew that you would attempt to seize your father's throne. Zeus should have kept you where you belong." Water-like eyes shut and Poseidon's Avatar dispersed, his trident resounding off of the marble floor for several seconds. Then, nothing.

Silence.

Ares turned around slowly, warily like a beaten child as he stared at his father. His hands gripped his ax as he prepared for the final confrontation that would decide who would rule over the Celestials.

Zeus was enraged and lightning sizzled throughout his body in a showcase of power, "It did not have to be this way, Ares. This path is of your choosing. Know this: I created you, my son, and I will be your end!" He blurred forward and Ares felt two swords of lightning sizzle through the air.

He jumped back and swung his ax but Zeus slashed the handle, easily cutting through the metal. Ares dropped the other half and rolled to the side, towards the direction where Poseidon had wrenched the Blade of Olympus. He began crawling towards the gleaming metal.

"Even now, as you are about to die, defenseless against my power, you still defy me?" His father growled, sounding like erupting thunder, "Everything that you have ever known, Ares, will suffer because of your disdain for those greater than you. You will never rule Olympus! You will never be hailed as the King of the Celestials!" Ares had continued his path towards the blade while Zeus deprecated him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermes and the twins rise to battle against their father.

His father snarled and ravaged their bodies with lightning. They fell to the ground, twitching as lightning spasmed through their forms. "I will deal with your insolence later." Zeus sneered.

Ares' fingers grasped the handle of the blade and he yanked it forward into his outstretched palm.

"No!" His father had noticed the weapon but it was too late.

Ares jumped to his feet and swung the Blade of Olympus towards his father.

Zeus caught the blade in his hands and Ares' eyes widened but swiftly pushed the blade towards his father.

It was a battle of strength; father versus son.

Zeus' fingers curled across the blade, sparks of lightning blooming across the shining metal and Ares smiled in victory. With all his strength, he roared and shoved the sword forward. With a satisfying scream of pain from his father, the blade sliced through Zeus' hands uncontested.

Ares loomed over his father's beaten form. All that remained of Zeus' hands were the thumbs and the lower parts of the palm. He noticed with delighted fascination the dismembered hands and fingers lying on the gleaming throne room floor like discarded animal parts flung there by a careless butcher.

Zeus glared up at him with hate-filled eyes. "This isn't over; she will avenge the ones you unjustly slaughtered."

Ares narrowed his eyes at his father's words, "Diana?" He laughed loudly in disbelief; he couldn't believe Zeus had the gall to call upon his half-sister in his last moments, "No, she won't, father. She hates you, hates us, the Celestials."

"You will lose," his father spat.

Ares felt a smile split his face. "No, you have lost, father," he felt his siblings crowd around him and Ares felt delicious chills flood his body as his dreams had finally become a reality. The Children of Zeus loomed over their father and Ares smiled in conquest, staring into the agonized eyes of his former King, his father, "The Era of Zeus is over!" He announced darkly.

He pointed the Blade of Olympus at his father and drove the weapon into Zeus' chest with a satisfying squelch.

Zeus screamed and Ares' eyes widened and he noticed his siblings step back as lightning ravaged through Zeus' body. The Blade of Olympus began to vibrate from the tendrils of lightning and Ares pulled it out, dropping it as his hands became numb.

His eyes locked on his father's and a massive bolt of lightning seemingly exploded out of Zeus. A shockwave of power blew Ares and his siblings back like tumbleweeds and when they stood to their feet, Zeus was gone.

Ares blinked and stared at the lightning-scorched position where his father had been. Had Zeus somehow escaped? Was his father dead?

"What just happened?" Hercules grunted, standing next to him, wounds healed. "Did he disappear?"

No.

Ares smiled evilly at his brother, "His Avatar was destroyed. We triumphed. We secured victory as we had sought to."

"We won," Apollo breathed as he gazed at where their father had been.

Aphrodite sauntered over and lasciviously threw herself into Ares' arms, "Once we find and destroy all their 'brains', we will celebrate." She whispered hotly.

Ares knew that Apollo was definitely correct; he had won.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Kal landed in front of the Capitol Building slowly, gazing upon the architecture of the structure that housed the United States' Congress. He could hear all the chants of people behind the gates and felt sad. There was much more chaos, now, especially because of Lex's interview; the divisions were greater than before. But even then, he knew that if he did something wrong, those who still defended him could just as easily turn on him - just as all of the others did after Lex's interview. The only people who truly accepted him were Diana, who was an alien herself and Wally somewhat. The speedster was a good kid and Kal was happy to be included in Wally's 'Favorite People' list.

He sighed and slowly walked up the marble steps, focusing his movements so they would be viewed as calm and soft. Entering through the large, heavily decorated doors, Kal felt his mind slow down. This was where, when he would prove his innocence and that he was more than willing to compromise with the humans, with the government. He wasn't an overbearing parent as Lex had declared; he was a helper who wanted to do the right thing.

Walking through the halls of Congress, he was struck by how much history flowed in the very walls of the building. He knew that he would probably never be permitted into the Capitol Building again, so he soaked in as much as he could. People stared at him in thinly-veiled fear and new knowledge bestowed by Lex from the interview and Kal ignored them, keeping his eyes focused on the walls and the history.

Several heavily-armed policemen greeted him, "This way, Superman." They gazed at him warily but their tone was nothing short of civil. Kal nodded his head and they guided him through the building. He could hear their heartbeats thrum rapidly, adrenaline coursing through their blood as they were prepared for him to lose his mind as Zod had.

After this meeting, that was going to change; no one would fear him. He would prove that he was trustworthy and not responsible for the African village slaughter. He would prove all of the things that Lex said about him false, too.

They paused at dual, massive doors and both took a position by the frame. In synchronized movements, they pulled the large doors open with a loud groan and Kal's eyes scanned all the inhabitants - hundreds of powerful men and women who all stared back at him, fear and hate shining in their dark eyes. They were the elitists who hated him, always had, and their hate had only grown since his emergence; Lex's interview only coaxed their hateful flames to burn brighter.

Kal slowly walked forward and every side conversation ceased; all was silent for every person save for him. He could hear everything in the building and the throbbing heartbeats; he could hear the entire country, and if he stretched, he could hear everything on the planet. The massive doors slammed shut and several senators flinched. Kal kept his eyes forward and stepped towards the large podium obviously meant for him. A small wooden gate separated the crowd from the podium and Kal gently, humanly opened the gate. His footsteps echoed through the hall as he righted himself before the podium, hands clasped non-threateningly in front of his groin.

He was surprised that Lex wasn't in attendance to testify and scorn his name again but he was immensely relieved by his old friend's absence; he gazed almost sadly at the spokeswoman, a woman who had publicly condemned Kal for the past several months: June Finch.

Finch leaned forward and spoke into the microphone, "Let me say at the outset that I am grateful to our witnesses, Wallace Keefe and Kahina Ziri, for coming before us today." She gestured towards her left and Kal tilted his head to the right, staring at the man in a wheelchair. He was struck by the boiling anger and disgust that stared back at him. It reminded him slightly of Zod although no human could ever hope to obtain such... wickedness that had plagued Zod those final moments. "This is how democracy works." Finch continued, "We talk to each other. We act by the consent of the governed, sir. Before the Kryptonian Invasion that you led here, sir, the Justice League was a government-sanctioned taskforce under A.R.G.U.S.' command. After the destruction of Metropolis," her eyes darkened, "the Justice League has become a non-affiliated organization for any nation on this Earth. Technically, they are not even recognized by the United Nations; it is unacceptable. Because of your actions, sir, our esteemed President Luthor has been unable to pass the many legislations that he had promised when he was inaugurated. You have blatantly, continuously intervened in government-level operations such as the brilliant test that our President had constructed several weeks ago in Metropolis."

Kal heard a ticking sound and became alarmed; he glanced at the man in the wheelchair, from where the sound originated. After a moment, he glimpsed the man's intricate watch and felt relief that the sound was the watch instead of a bomb set to detonate. He focused his sole attention back on June Finch.

"I have sat here before, just as many others, to say these shadow interventions will not be tolerated by this country, by our government, and neither will lies. President Luthor will appear before this committee to testify because today is a day for truth. Because only by speaking…" Finch's eyes darted toward the side and Kal knew his old friend was about to reveal himself. Several seconds passed and no one shuffled out of the entryway; no President Luthor. Finch continued hesitantly, "Only by working together, can we create a free and just- " she abruptly paused and her features grew pinched, pale in fear. Her eyes darted to the left and Kal narrowed his eyes, hearing her heartbeat galloping like a horse.

He heard the ticking sound grow louder and Kal glanced to his right, alarmed. The man in the wheelchair grinned in malevolence, eyes gleaming with the intent of retribution. A flash of intense light and deafening roars erupted and Kal winced in pain, bolts of searing agony scorched through his mind, blinding him. Then he blinked and saw the fire swarming him in the death-filled room. His eyes widened.

A bomb.

The man in the wheelchair had been a suicide bomber, and... it was too late.

Kal stood frozen, watching in shock as fire and death stared back at him. His face contorted into anguish, knowing that most people in the Capitol Building had perished in a fiery death.

The fire devoured through the building and every inhabitant except one.

Superman.

Kal turned his head away from the sight and instinctively knew that he was going to be blamed for this horror. The crowd outside had already turned on him; he could hear the horrified screams and whispers of those in the crowd outside.

"He killed them all with his laser eyes!"

"She was right! He is a vengeful god!"

"He must be angry at President Luthor's interview!"

"President Luthor was in there!"

"NO! He isn't an overbearing parent; he's a furious, abusive parent!"

"Death to Superman!"

"Death to the alien!"

"Death to the false god!"

He clenched his fists and blurred through the desecrated building, desperately seeking the ones who had somehow survived the explosion.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana knew that after today, things were going to change. Whether good or bad, that depended on Congress' mood. She turned on the TV, seeing the news of Kal arriving at the Capitol Building. She smiled encouragingly at the screen, "It's going to go well, Kal," she whispered. "I know you're nervous but things will be worked out. The truth will be revealed. All will be fine, my love."

A mug of coffee was held in her hands; despite not being affected by the beverage, she had found that she liked the taste. Her robe was wrapped around her body and she sat on the couch, glancing at the phone as it rang.

She raised a brow and reached over, plucking it off the table, "Hello?" She answered, sighing as she realized that she hadn't checked the caller ID.

"Wonder Babe!" Wally yelled into the phone, "Supes is on TV!"

Diana rolled her eyes, "Yes, I'm aware, Wally. I'm watching the broadcast right now. I don't know why you are so excited. Kal is always on TV."

"Yeah, but in all those other times he wasn't going to be changing the political structure of our entire society!" He sounded disappointed that she didn't understand his jubilation. "Everything is going to change because of this; it's the first step to getting the League recognized by the U.N. and become a sovereign power."

Despite herself, she felt a small smile twitch on her lips. "You're right, Wally. I should know better. My mind has been preoccupied."

"With Luthor's interview?"

She sighed, "Yes. That man has always unnerved me but now, he infuriates me. I know that he's out to get Kal, regardless if I have proof or not."

"The interview was explosive, that's for certain. Those I've talked to all say that their minds are wavering on the brink, now; they either choose for or against Supes. They said that the outcome at today's meeting at Congress will be the deciding factor."

"It's unbelievable! How little faith they have!" Diana was unable to keep her voice from rising as her anger sizzled in her chest. "Kal is none of those things. Luthor is provoking certain latent philosophies to undermine the loyalty towards Kal!"

"I agree with you," her friend sounded sad. "I don't know what the President has out for Supes, but he's playing dirty, that's for certain."

Diana swallowed, "They were friends once; they went to school together and even lived together at the Kent Farm."

"WHAT?" Wally screeched, "You mean... Clark, J'onn, and Luthor were...?"

"They had a falling out," she whispered. "They were all children and you know how foolish children are. Luthor has taken a mistake and logical reaction out of context; he is insane."

"I can't even wrap my mind around that right now, Diana. Let's just focus on the meeting at Congress. At least I will be able to understand that."

"You're right, of course. As you said earlier, this will change- " she cut herself off as she gasped, standing to her feet as she watched a massive explosion decimate the Capitol Building. She dimly felt the mug of coffee slip out of her grasp and shatter against the floor. She stared, wide-eyed at the screen, scarcely breathing as horror consumed her. "Mother of Sunorc!" She exclaimed, needing to release the tension that abruptly bore down on her soul like the sky itself, "Wally!"

"I saw it," he sounded as shocked and broken as Diana felt. "I'm seeing it but I can't… Nobody will support Clark, now..."

"I know," she whispered. "Wally, I'll call you later, okay?" She hung up as she saw Kal tending to the wounded in front of the large crowd that had gathered for the meeting.

He looked like a broken toy soldier. Sorrow wafted off his form and he stared up, seemingly directly into the camera itself. Anguish was painted on his features. Kal shuddered and then bolted into the sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

She placed a hand over her mouth and felt tears well in her eyes; Kal was going to be blamed. Somebody - more than likely Lex Luthor - was sabotaging her Kal, painting him as a menace to the planet. She swallowed and sat on the couch, mind racing as she thought of where Kal could be.

He could be anywhere in the universe; he was fast enough to be on Mars by now and he could have used his belt's Phantom Drive to leave the galaxy.

She considered calling Wally again when she saw a flash of red out of the corner of her eye. She whirled to the left and felt utter relief consume her as the sight of Kal floating outside in the yard met her eyes. Diana blurred forward, yanking the door open and jumping towards Kal. With a small quake, she landed next to him, a breeze gently swirling through her robe.

"Kal?" She questioned gently, softly as she touched his shoulder.

"I didn't see it, Diana," he said tonelessly; it scared her, "He was right there and... I didn't see it. I failed, and all of those people died because of my incompetence."

Diana shook her head, "Kal, there must be somebody behind-"

"I'm afraid that I didn't see it because I wasn't... looking for it." He interrupted, turning to look at her and the absolute anguish and pain in his eyes broke her heart, "I heard the 'ticking' sound but ignored it, carelessly thinking it was the man's damn watch. I should have scanned the building, should have scanned everyone, but I dropped my guard and it literally blew up in my face. I trusted that... that no one would attempt something and that they would trust me to tell the truth, but... I was wrong, and I wasn't able to stop it. Congress and this country's leading political figures are dead because of me."

"Kal! No!" Her eyes widened, "That is not your fault! It must be Luthor's! Don't take the blame, Kal; it's not yours!"

"It is, Diana," he said solemnly, "All of this time," his eyes became blank and it terrified her. "I've been living my life the way that my father saw it, but now I realize that... that I've only been righting wrongs for a ghost. Jor-El placed... he placed too much trust in humanity - just as I have done. Dad was right... about everything."

Diana swallowed, "Kal," she whispered. "Please, just come insi- "

"I continuously, carelessly deluded myself into thinking that I was here to do good." His eyes locked on her own and she couldn't look away, "'Superman' was never real - he just a dream by a farmer from Kansas." He turned away and his absolute, broken certainty in that statement ignited her soul.

"That farmer's dream is all that some people have, Kal," she said passionately, knowing he was listening closely. "It's all that gives them hope." Kal turned his head towards her and she stepped closer, hand rubbing the 'S' symbol gently, "This symbol means something; it's important."

"It did on my world," he murmured brokenly and his eyes seemed ancient, sorrowful. "But my world doesn't exist anymore; it's gone."

Diana gripped his hand anxiously, keeping him from flying off when he began to levitate. "It means something to me!" She exclaimed, "Krypton might be gone and I can't even fathom how that feels, but I am here. I love you! Together, we can accomplish anything. We can and we will get through this. Whoever is sabotaging - if it's Luthor - will face justice for his crimes. It will all be revealed and the world will know that he was smearing your name!" Kal turned his head away and Diana almost growled, "You changed my world!" She cried out, "You have given me hope! After Ares' slaughter of my sisters, I was broken and jaded, closed off to the world around me even though I had seemed absolutely fine." She squeezed his hand and lowered her voice, "It wasn't until when I met you that I began to heal and have... hope again. I know that there are others - many others - who feel the same way! You've changed the world, Kal. You've made them hopeful again." She swallowed and desperately hoped she had gotten through to him, broken through the misery that clouded his soul, his judgment.

After several seconds, Kal's fists clenched. "I don't know what to do," he whispered, turning towards her. "Everything that I do is not enough. No matter what I do, people hate me; they scorn my very existence. Everything is so much worse, now. Lex's interview fanned the flames and... and Congress added oil to the fire. I wish that all of the answers were so simple."

Diana surged forward and hugged him tightly. "I know," she consoled gently, "and I'm here for you, always." His arms wrapped around her and Diana sighed in relief.

She had broken through the noxious cloud of misery.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Arms wrapped around Diana, Kal closed his eyes and let the memories flow. The sound of all hearts dying, every scream that was uttered. He squeezed Diana tightly and was so thankful that he could touch her without breaking her.

Eyes still closed, Kal searched through his memories, trying to find a solution to his misery.

"It's something, isn't it?" Kal's eyes snapped open and he saw his parents, the Kents, standing several feet away, looking at him with understanding. He stared in disbelief at the sight, quickly realizing it was a vision or a memory; they had no heartbeat and he couldn't hear their breathing. His father smiled at him, hands placed lightly on his hips. "I remember one season, the water came bad; I couldn't have been older than 12-years-old. Dad had out the shovels and we went at it all night." His father chuckled, "We worked 'till I think I fainted, but we managed to stop the water." A slight pause and a sad smile graced his dad's features, "We saved the farm and then celebrated. Your grandma baked me a cake and said that I was a hero." He inhaled slowly, "Later that day, we found out that we had blocked the water all right. We had sent it upstream and as a result, the whole Lang farm had been washed away." His father spoke softly, "While I ate my hero cake, their horses were drowning… I used to hear them wailing in my sleep, haunting my dreams."

Kal swallowed, "Did the nightmares ever stop?" He asked, knowing that to Diana, he sounded insane.

His father smiled gently, "Yeah, when I met your mother; she gave me faith that there is good in this world… She was my world." His father's eyes grew dark, sad. "I miss you, son," he breathed out.

"I miss you too, dad," Kal whispered, "What do I do?"

"People fear what they don't understand and sooner or later, different scares people. Many times, it's not a matter if they like you or dislike you; they fear you." His father smiled sadly, "It's part of human nature, son; it will always exist and no matter what you do, people will still feel that way. Nobody is perfect and humans are flawed, we all are; it isn't a puzzle that you can solve, no matter how intelligent and strong you are. Your burden is incomprehensible, but you have the strength to bear it and stand proud in front of the human race."

Kal watched his father fade away sorrowfully and only his mother remained; she smiled at him lovingly.

"My baby boy," her eyes brightened. "Nothing in this world has ever been simple. You're not a killer or a threat; they don't understand." She shook her head slowly, "I never wanted this world to have you or your brother. I never wanted that darkness to poison your innocence." She smiled sadly, "You've done so much and I am so proud of you, Clark. Be their hero, my son. Be their monument, be their angel, be anything that they want you to be… or be none of it." Kal's eyes widened and he stared at his mother in shock. "My precious son, you don't owe this world a thing." She tilted her head to the side, eyes shining with love, "You never did," she smiled at him gently. "It's your choice, not theirs. You get to decide, Clark, and only you know what's best for you."

Watching his mother fade away, Kal blinked and composed himself; he looked down at Diana, who was staring at him with love, too. "Thank you," he breathed and kissed her. "You're my world," he whispered against her lips.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diana smiled and pressed her lips to his urgently, "I love you." She pulled him into the house and sat on the couch, "We need to decipher who is trying to sabotage you."

"It's Lex," Kal said simply, wearily. He stared at her with sad eyes, "He was supposed to appear at the meeting and he never did. Then, the… the bomb exploded."

Diana nodded, not feeling surprised; her suspicions had been correct. She gripped his hand, "Luthor's reckoning will come and so will those who are allied with him."

Kal stared at her, "I just wish it… wasn't the road he had chosen." He said sadly.

Just as she was about to speak, he interrupted her by ducking down and slanting his lips over her own. His hands slowly moved up her back, over her neck and into her silky hair. He moved her head to the side. She understood and opened her lips, letting him in. A deep groan rumbled in his chest, she could feel it pleasantly vibrate against her breasts. His tongue was wet on hers, gliding in her mouth. It was desperate, trying to erase the horrors of the day. Diana moaned as she tasted him, his scent invaded her mouth, completing her. Heat pooled in her stomach, collecting into arousal; it made her feel weak.

He suddenly pulled back and stood up, warily looking behind her. Diana frowned and followed his gaze.

Zeus.

Her eyes widened, "What are you doing here?" She growled, wishing she had her armor.

"I hope that I wasn't interrupting anything, daughter." Her father said dryly, not sounding at all apologetic and that's when she noticed his physical state.

His hands were dismembered and his features were drawn with weariness, eyes showcasing his age. Zeus was leaning against the wall in apparent pain and despite herself, Diana became concerned.

"What happened to you?" She asked incredulously.

Zeus stumbled towards them and Diana found herself helping him to the couch, hating the fact that she felt sympathy for him.

"Ares led a revolt with the aid of all your siblings and cousins save Athena." He rasped out, staring at her with tired eyes, "As a result, they were able to slaughter all of the elder Celestials save myself; I barely managed to escape."

Diana's jaw dropped, "What?" She whispered, images flooding her mind of the Amazon's slaughter by Ares' hands.

"How could this have happened?" Kal demanded, sitting next to Diana. "How could you and your siblings be overthrown?"

"I have sired many children and so have Poseidon and Hades; they are large in number and strength. They had grown tiresome of my rule." Her father looked at his chopped up hands.

Diana frowned, "Why aren't you healing?"

"For me to explain, you must know the truth." Zeus stared at her almost desperately.

"What truth?" She growled, "What else have you been keeping from me, from us?"

"Diana, let him speak. I suspect... that he is close to death." Kal said gently, eyes compelling her to listen to Zeus.

"You're immortal! How could you be dying?" She asked her father incredulously.

"Let me explain." Zeus said quietly, "Once I tell you the truth, all will make sense."

Her fists clenched, but she nodded in response, allowing her father to speak.

"The Celestials were an ancient race and respected throughout the universe. My father, Sunorc desired more. We had all heard the stories of the Kryptonians, the Eradicators." Her father's eyes darted towards Kal, "We were jealous of your people, Kal-El. My father wanted to usurp your kin. For years he had concocted strategies but none proved effective. He eventually realized that he would need to go to war with Krypton. Upon his declaration to the universe that Krypton was weak and the Celestials were stronger, my father was confident that our people would triumph over the Eradicators."

"But he was wrong," Diana said softly.

Zeus nodded, "He was, and our race paid the price for his arrogance." He sighed, "You see, our race were brain-entities."

Kal leaned forward while Diana frowned, "Brain-entities?" She repeated.

"Yes. That was the advantage that my father believed would ultimately triumph over Krypton. Each member of our race's 'brains' was hidden and they would subsequently create an Avatar that held all of their powers and characteristics. These Avatars were immortal and very powerful. In essence, our 'brains' were our true bodies."

"How did Krypton destroy you, then?" Kal asked, "If you could never die, how did your race become nearly extinct?"

Zeus chuckled, "Our Avatars could be destroyed with the right amount of power, which your people had in abundance, or weaponry, which your people also had much of. What I meant was that they were ageless. Once our Avatar is destroyed, a severe backlash floods our 'brains' and practically paralyzes us for months." He stared at Diana, "Through means unknown, the Eradicators began finding and slaying all the 'brains' and our race was utterly powerless to stop the inevitable. Once my brothers and I realized that Krypton was going to eradicate us, we hatched a plan to save ourselves. Our Avatars secured our 'brains' and we swiftly escaped our doomed world with three females of our race."

"So, Krypton destroyed Supmylo and you journeyed to Earth?" Diana guessed, becoming engrossed in her father's tale, her lineage.

"We knew that if Krypton somehow received word that a Celestial yet lived, they would inevitably find us and destroy us. Hades recommended that we journey to a back-water solar system, hiding among its inhabitants. He reasoned that nobody would surmise that the Celestials were hiding amongst the weak."

"It makes sense." Kal nodded, "Upon your Eradication, Earth was primitive. As such, you were hailed as deities."

"Yes, and I saw an opportunity. Hades, Poseidon, and I each mated many a time with Hera, Demeter, and Hestia, siring offspring that would continue our race. I sanctioned the humans to fabricate a mythology revolving around us, creating stories that would mask Krypton from deciphering our whereabouts if they somehow discovered our existence. I allowed the familial relations myth with my kin develop because nobody would suspect that six godly 'siblings' were the last heirs to the once mighty Celestials." Diana nodded in understanding, beginning to grasp her father's past. "Eventually, after several centuries, I discovered Ares' treacherous ambitions along with those of all my other children and the children of Hades and Poseidon. The younger generation wanted the crown. I could have alerted my kin but I kept it a secret. I knew I had to handle the situation very carefully; our race could become truly extinct if I deluded myself. The Amazons worshipped us as their gods and I took full advantage of their beliefs, believing them to be the army I needed to oppose the younger generation." His eyes locked onto Diana's, "Your mother was my granddaughter, the child of Aphrodite. She already had my blood; she was strong and beautiful. I seduced her and conceived you as my secret weapon, the one who would oppose Ares and the younger generation."

Diana bolted to her feet, glaring down at her father's broken form, "What? Why?"

"Our union bore you, Diana." He said, eyes serious yet filled with pain, "My blood combined with your mother's - who already contained my blood - to create you, the god-killer. You are powerful and thus, capable of avenging me."

Kal gripped her hand and gently pulled her back down to the couch, "It's okay." He soothed.

Zeus sighed, "Against all odds, for I had been most rigorous in your concealment, Ares found out. Then, he slaughtered the Amazons as retribution for the 'insult' to his name."

"They're all dead because of me." She whispered, the words her mother uttered before she died finally making sense, 'Ares… did this… retribution… crime, birth.'

"Unfortunately, Diana, that is correct," Zeus spoke quietly, warily as he gazed at her.

Diana felt fierce hatred ignite her soul, "I'll kill him!" She stood up and a thought occurred to her, "Why didn't he kill me? On that day, I was alone, trying to sneak into the Sanctum. Why didn't he…"

"I suspect that Ares sought to turn you to join his faction. He sought to have the 'god-killer' join him in his crusade against me and the elder Celestials." Zeus sighed, "Plus, he knew that if he killed you, I would have a viable reason to kill him and the traitors."

"The other Celestials - the younger generation - helped slaughter the Amazons?" Kal leaned forward.

Zeus nodded, "Yes, I believe so. There was never any evidence to suggest that Ares acted alone in his actions. Despite our races' might, the Amazons were a strong race. It was interesting because they were much more evolved than humans. When we had arrived on Earth, they were already thriving and after several decades, we managed to convince them that we were the reason for their existence."

"That's interesting," Kal glanced at her, eyes telling her not to speak about Kara Zor-El or the true origins of her people, the Amazons.

"So, I was nothing more than a weapon to you." Diana spat out, glaring at Zeus, hating the fact that she felt hurt. "That is the sole reason why you are here, now; you need mine and Kal's help to avenge you."

"That was the initial purpose, yes," her father admitted slowly, "but when I watched your childhood, I fell in love with you. You were so innocent." He sounded awed, "It was incredible, I had never seen such innocence in one of my blood. I observed your life and watched you grow into the beautiful woman who stands before me in disgust." Zeus sighed, "I know that I have failed you, Diana. I know that I was not a good father to you and stood idly by while your Amazon family was slaughtered by your brother, my son."

Diana blinked and felt tears well in her eyes. "Thank you," She said softly. She didn't forgive him but she felt her disdain for her father lessen some.

"How are you sure that Ares and the others have overthrown you?" Kal questioned abruptly.

"Our 'brains' were always kept in a location where no one but ourselves knew their whereabouts. Ares has stumbled upon a weapon that can sense the 'brains' and decipher our 'brains' vicinities. Once he and the others destroy our 'brains', we will cease to exist."

"How come I don't have a 'brain'?" Diana asked suddenly, "Wait, do I have one? Have you hidden it?"

Zeus chuckled weakly, "No. Only full Celestials have 'brains'. When I sired you, that was my intention; you wouldn't be hindered by that weakness."

"What happens when you die?" Diana asked softly, "What happens when your 'brain' is destroyed?"

"That was one of the many reasons I came to see you." Her father said, eyes suddenly serious, "Upon my demise, my essence's light will be extinguished. What that means is, you will no longer be able to draw upon my power. You will effectively become like your Amazon sisters; much weaker than you are now, but still a lot stronger than humans."

Diana shook her head urgently, "No! While that is everything I wished for many years ago in my childhood, I don't want that now! I've finally found someone who is my equal!" Her eyes darted towards her lover, "I don't want to be 'normal' anymore. Is there any way I can change that?" She asked desperately to her father.

Zeus smiled, "I'm relieved to hear that, daughter." He breathed deeply, "There is so much that I need to teach you about the light. They are part of you, Diana. You've drawn upon it before; whenever you have used my lightning, you are tapping into my essence's light."

"I can rarely ever use my lightning." Diana protested, "Only when I've ever truly been angry, like when I was fighting Faora, or grief-stricken when I showed Kal Themyscira. When in a death situation, instinct takes over like during the Android on the Scout Ship. Other than that, it's always been like a small flame that I can't ever ignite into a raging inferno."

"I can teach you, Diana." Zeus nodded encouragingly, "Focus on my essence, feel it within you. Touch the light and embrace it."

Diana's eyes closed and she searched for that small flame. There! She hovered around it, listening to her father's words. She touched it and felt the lightning. The sky. She hesitated as she felt the light begin to fade away.

"Embrace it, Diana. Accept it," Zeus' voice echoed in her mind and Diana was strengthened by his resolve in her abilities. She grasped the flame and pulled it towards her, embracing the light.

Her eyes snapped open and she felt her power grow. The tiny flame had blossomed into a refined inferno.

Zeus smiled, "Well done, Diana."

"What happens when you die?" Kal asked, "Will Diana be able to draw upon your essence's light?"

"It will become her essence. By embracing the light, Diana has unlocked her full capabilities. When I pass, you will feel the light within you cry out." Her father's eyes locked onto her own, "If you wish to be this way instead of a normal Amazon, then you must hold onto the light."

"Why?"

"It will struggle, fight. It will try to disappear, daughter." Zeus leaned forward, "You must keep the light from escaping. Once I die, the light will yearn to search for my 'brain'. You must keep it from doing so. You must keep ahold of the light! Eventually, it will fully bond with you, creating your own essence. Then, you will discover that you have molecular manipulation abilities; you will be able to create powerful weapons out of nothing."

Diana blinked, processing what Zeus just revealed, "Will I have a 'brain' as you do?"

Her father shook his head, "No, only a full Celestial possesses a 'brain'. You are three-quarters of Celestial blood." He sounded relieved.

"Thank you," She said softly, gazing at her father in a new light; while he had made countless mistakes, he was ultimately, at heart, a good person.

"Kal-El," Zeus stared at her lover intently, "I need you to keep her safe. My time is almost over, but my legacy won't just be that of a father who had failed his children; it will be history. Diana has accepted her inheritance and she will be a guiding light for this world and any other that she journeys to." Her father sighed, "I have reluctantly accepted your union with my daughter, Kal-El." Zeus and Kal stared at each other, understanding passing between them, "Your people slaughtered my own, leaving all that remains of my civilization upon the one you claim as your mate, my daughter. You will be the same; she will be the Last Celestial and you, the Last Kryptonian. She will need your help dealing with her siblings and cousins for they will come for her. She needs the heir to the mighty Eradicators. You must protect her and keep her safe, Kal-El."

Kal stood up and stepped closer to her father, kneeling down beside his weary form. He placed a hand on Zeus' wounded shoulder, "I promise,"

Zeus' form slumped, "I can sense that Ares is close to my 'brain', Diana. So he will not become suspicious, you must kill my Avatar."

Diana's eyes widened, "No!" She stood up, glaring down at her father, "I am not going to kill you!"

"You must! It is the only way!" Zeus roared, "Ares will know that I somehow survived his siege if my Avatar is not killed when he finds my 'brain', Diana!"

Diana shook her head, "I'm not going to kill you! You're the only family I have left whether I like it or not!" She screamed.

Zeus' eyes softened, "Oh Diana," He breathed, "I have wronged you terribly. You will always have a family with him." He gestured to Kal, "Once Ares and the traitors have been dealt with, the legacy of our civilization lives on in you, Diana."

Several tears spilled on her cheeks and Diana hastily wiped them away. "I still can't kill you," she said softly.

Silence.

"I'll do it," Kal looked at her, "It's okay, I'll do it." Diana's eyes widened at Kal's declaration.

"No, Kal!"

Kal squeezed her hands, "It's okay, Diana. Trust me," he said gently and Diana found herself nodding.

"Thank you, Kal-El." Zeus nodded tiredly, creating a sword out of seemingly nothing and tried to hand it to Kal, "This will kill me."

Kal slipped out of her hands and stepped towards her father. "I'm sorry," he whispered and he plucked the intricate, powerful weapon out of Zeus' dismembered hands.

"Keep your promise, Kal-El." Her father murmured just before Kal blurred forward and tore Zeus' Avatar apart with the sword.

Her father dispersed in a shower of blue sparks.

Before she understood what was happening, Diana wept as she knew any chance of ever bonding with her father was stolen from her by Ares - just like her mother and sisters! Kal dropped the sword, pulling her into his arms and she gratefully leaned against him, mourning the father that she had only ever understood for several minutes.

Time lost all meaning as Diana was held in Kal's arms. "Thank you," she whispered against his neck.

"I didn't want you to have to kill your own father, to have that guilt poison your heart, regardless of your relationship with him." Kal kissed her forehead gently, "I didn't want you to be like me after Zod."

"What are we going to do?" She wondered, "Ares and the others are powerful, and they will come for me."

Kal sighed, "I believe that we will need Wally's help. Bruce couldn't do anything and would utterly refuse even if we asked, Hal is off-world, and Arthur would be unwilling to aid us; he is still bitter about the World Engine."

Diana swallowed, "We need more." She looked up at him urgently, "Visit J'onn and see if he would be willing to aid us."

"All right," Kal's eyes brightened with the prospect of seeing his brother again, "I'll teleport to his ship's location when you're feeling better."

"I feel fine." Diana protested, "You should go; I can be alone."

Kal gently shook his head, "You shouldn't be alone at a time like this. I wanted to be alone after Zod, but you remained by my side and helped me heal from that horror."

Diana smiled tiredly, "What would I do without you? You're my world."

"You're my world as well, Diana, always." Kal kissed her tenderly and Diana reciprocated, grateful for her lover, her best friend, and her world.

Her eyes snapped open and she pulled back with an audible gasp, "It's happening!"

"Zeus' 'brain' was destroyed." Kal concluded, "Remember what your father said! 'Keep ahold of the light!'"

Diana's lips parted and her eyes shut as she journeyed to the light. It fought her strenuously and she desperately grasped the flame, squeezing with all her strength so that it would stay.

When she was a child, deep down, she had always known that she was different from her Amazon sisters. As a result, she wanted to be like them. She didn't want whatever it was that made her so different from her family. She wished, day and night, that she would be 'normal' like her sisters and mother.

As she grew, so too did her desire to be 'normal'. So too did her resentment for the differences that she had that separated her from others. Eventually, she learned why she was different.

She was Zeus' daughter.

Diana had overheard a conversation her mother had with her aunt, Antiope. She had grown numb as her worst fears became a reality. She was different and there was true evidence to prove it.

Now grasping onto the flame, her inheritance, Diana realized that she was happy she was different. Because of her special abilities, her heritage, she met Kal and fell in love with him.

She desired to accept her full power, accept who she truly was.

"I am Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus, and the mate to Kal-El, the Last Son of Krypton!" She shouted and pulled the light closer, letting it envelop her.

Diana opened her eyes to find Kal looking at her careful, eyes scanning her body for any discrepancies.

She smiled, "I'm fine, Kal. In fact, I feel better," She closed her eyes and sought out the light; it was shining in absolute radiance and she felt lightning crawl through her body. She remembered her father's words, 'Then, you will discover that you have molecular manipulation abilities; you will be able to create powerful weapons out of nothing.'

She pictured a beautiful, engraved sword and she felt the molecules in the air follow her command, building the weapon out of nothing, just like Zeus had said.

Diana felt a weight in her hands and smiled as she gazed upon the sword; it was just as she had imagined it. She glanced at her father's sword discarded on the coffee table. Apparently, the weapons wouldn't vanish when their creators met their demise.

"That's incredible," Kal breathed, staring at her in awe, "Are you stronger? Did the acceptance only unlock your molecular manipulation ability?"

"I feel the same in terms of strength." Diana admitted, twirling the extravagant sword in her hands, "I think it only unlocked the molecular manipulation."

Kal blurred forward and Diana felt his laps fasten to hers. "What was that for?" She whispered against his mouth, suddenly feeling his erection pressing into her stomach.

"You look more beautiful than ever before; I couldn't help myself," Kal growled, eyes flickering between blood red and cerulean blue.

Diana closed her hands, testing to see if she could force the weapon to disappear and was slightly surprised when the sword followed her command, vanishing from sight. "Well, I think you better worship your goddess." She teased and yelped when Kal scooped her into his arms and in the blink of an eye, was looming over her on their bed.

"That's a great idea." He smiled and kissed her, tongue wrapping around her own, massaging it.

Diana moaned and reluctantly pulled back, "What about J'onn? Shouldn't you visit him?"

"Tomorrow, I'll teleport to my brother," Kal whispered and hotly kissed her neck, traveling up to her jaw.

Diana became lost in the feel of her lover, her world as he ignited her body in ways that only he could.

XxXxXxXxXxX

J'onn stared at the architecture of the Almerac palace. Brilliant pillars surrounded him and tiny windows with moving figures, like watching a first-person viewpoint movie, were in the middle of the columns.

"I can see that you are fascinated with our technology, J'onn." Maxima's voice drifted into his ears and he smiled, turning to face the Queen of Almerac.

She was wearing a tight, form-fitting, blue and green dress that expressed her sensuality. Her red hair freely cascaded down her back and J'onn found himself wishing to twirl it through his fingers; in his eyes, she was an Avatar of absolute perfection, beauty. She stood before him, gazing up at him in amusement and J'onn realized that he was utterly enthralled with Maxima. Since he had arrived on Almerac over 2 months ago, J'onn found himself falling in love with the Queen. He had learned much about her during their walks through the garden. She was the only heir to her father and was considered a disappointment to everyone for her sex. Since her father's death, the Court had been pressuring her to marry to further Almerac's power.

In her father's eyes, the only potential she ever had was to bear strong children, furthering the bloodline. Procreation was emphasized in the Royal Family of Almerac. Every King would acquire a worthy female with strong genes to produce powerful progeny. For countless generations, the Kings of Almerac had sired stronger sons, increasing the power of their bloodline, until Maxima's father. He had begotten a daughter who, while was powerful for the blood in her veins, was a female and thus, a disgrace as a ruler.

J'onn didn't understand. Maxima was the Queen and, from what he had gathered, a kind and benevolent ruler. Although she did have moments of haughtiness that J'onn found as endearing as he did annoying, she was a great Queen and Almerac was lucky.

The Court still wanted her to marry.

She had told him that only someone more powerful than herself would ever be considered worthy of her hand. J'onn had been confused and asked her what she meant by 'more powerful.' To his shock, Maxima had then revealed that she possessed psychokinesis and telepathy. She then waved her hand and J'onn felt a force press against his body; it was strong. While he could have pretty easily fought it off because he grew up with a full-blooded Kryptonian, he allowed her to fling his body against the wall.

Then she had stepped closer and helped him up - he had been able to feel that her body's strength was on par with his own - staring into his eyes. He felt a presence try to enter his mind and while he knew that he could easily fend Maxima off, he allowed her entry, warding off things that he did not want her to see; she only saw what he wanted her to see. When she saw that he was from Earth, she pulled back in what looked like disgust if he wasn't mistaken.

He was certain that he wasn't.

"Yes, it is more advanced than Earth's." J'onn smiled down at Maxima, "It is impressive."

Maxima hummed, standing next to him. "Of course. There is nothing on Earth that could ever compare to Almerac; you hail from a very weak race. You're like ants compared to me."

J'onn minutely shook his head, wondering what she would do if he were to reveal his true identity, his heritage.

"The Rtylyzip, the windows that you see, are a creation of my father's advisor. Quite magnificent, to say the least, because they hold memories of all the former rulers of my people, my ancestors. What you see in the Rtylyzip are the memories from when they were crowned as King; they were taken after the ceremony and uploaded for the nobility to see."

J'onn frowned, eyes scanning the various Rtylyzip. "Where is yours? I don't see it."

"I don't have one." Maxima said quietly, "While I am Queen, the Court has the ability to match me in power in terms of governing. I have not... officially been crowned yet."

"What?" J'onn asked incredulously, turning to the object of his affections, "Why does the Court have that much power?"

"Because I am unmarried." Maxima sighed and her eyes grew dark, "Until I attain a worthy, powerful husband, who the people will accept as their 'rightful' King, I am limited in my power. Until marriage, I will not be officially crowned."

J'onn swallowed, trying to sound poised as he gave words to the question that had haunted his mind for the past weeks. "Who would someone worthy be? I know that you said someone more powerful than you, but are their examples of any races in the cosmos that would meet that criteria?"

Maxima laughed; it was a beautiful sound that J'onn wished he would hear more of. "Most definitely, J'onn, but sadly, the race that my father desired are no more." She turned to him and he found himself lost in her shining green eyes, "Have you ever heard of... the Kryptonians?" She asked, green eyes glowing with something.

He felt the sky fall drop on his shoulders upon her words. "No," he said numbly, staring into Maxima's eyes.

"Really?" She gasped, apparently delighted, "It's so rare to meet someone who remains ignorant of the Eradicators." Maxima smiled and her eyes became hazy, "The Kryptonians were the most powerful race in the universe, feared by all; in fact, my people worshipped them as gods. My father sought to arrange a union between Almerac and Krypton when he realized that I was to be female, a disgrace. A union between our two planets would be most delightful for my people. To have the blood of a Kryptonian in our bloodline - sensational! We would be hailed on par with Krypton, the Eradicators. Sadly, before I left my mother's womb, Krypton was gone, swallowed by the Source for he himself feared the Eradicators." Maxima slumped her shoulders, "I was regaled with the tales of Krypton, of its magnificence and I realized way back that the only man worthy of my hand, specifically who the Court and I would accept, was a Kryptonian."

"I see," J'onn whispered, shock dissipating into a rage; his fists clenched and it took all his willpower to refrain from lashing out with his telekinesis, destroying the hall.

His resentment for his brother had steadily grown the past weeks, culminating in the pique that flooded his mind. Now, that resentment had grown into full-on fury and hostility for his brother. First, Kal had found his mate, Diana and was planning to propose to her soon. Next, Kal had discovered the Genesis Chamber with countless Kryptonian embryos in the Scout Ship. Then, J'onn was scorned by the people of Earth because of Zod's actions, a Kryptonian who his brother was kin to. After that, J'onn had to flee Earth and he eventually found himself on the planet of his birth, Ma'aleca'andra. He had witnessed, through his own eyes, the horrors that the Kryptonians, the Eradicators had wrought on J'onn's race. His father, Jor-El - who was not his real father and saved him only out of pity - had been instrumental in the Manhunter's Eradication. A man who shared the same blood as Kal was responsible for J'onn being alone in the universe. Now, he learned that Maxima, who he was almost certain he was in love with, only viewed a Kryptonian as a worthy mate; no other race could ever compare to the mighty Eradicators.

"Are you all right, J'onn?" Maxima touched his arm and he nodded, finding that his anger cooled, simmering beneath a lid of willpower. "You're quiet."

"I was just thinking of how powerful... Krypton must be," he murmured, trying desperately to keep his words level and calm. "It seems more like a legend than fact," he knew better than anyone that that was a lie.

"It's not, but oh, dear, I am late for a meeting with the Court." Maxima removed her soft, calming hand from his arm and J'onn ached for it to return, "I will meet with you later, J'onn. Okay? I do so cherish our conversations." Before he could respond, she swiftly sauntered out of the hall.

He stared with unseeing eyes at the Rtylyzip, thinking of Maxima's revelation. He wondered if he was to reveal the truth if she would find him worthy. Would a Manhunter be worthy of the Queen of Almerac? Compared to his brother, the Kryptonian, would J'onn ever be... memorable?

His fists clenched and he dimly noticed cracks appear in the floor, spider webbing through the pristine marble, foreshadowing something.

"J'onn!" His head snapped to the right and he realized that the shout was in his mind. "J'onn!" His eyes widened in shock and rage.

Kal.

Suddenly, a blur appeared out of nothing and J'onn felt arms grip him. He blinked and saw vibrant colors blur past him. Suddenly, it stopped and he stumbled into the cockpit of his ship. After recovering his balance, he whirled around.

His brother looked the same as always, looked like the godlike being everyone believed him to be despite wearing a plain plaid shirt and jeans. "What do you want?" His poise had evaporated and his own anger was there; he frowned at his brother harshly.

Kal blinked, bafflement spreading across his features. "What?" He asked in bemusement, "I teleported to your ship's location and Kelor notified me that you hadn't returned to the ship for over two, almost three months!"

"Why did you take me away?" J'onn snapped, turning away. "I have better things to do than speak with you."

"What? I thought that you had been captured! If I hadn't heard your two heartbeats, I would have been in a fierce panic!" Kal threw his hands up, "What happened? What's wrong? Why are you acting so... strange?"

A bitter laugh escaped his lips and he turned back around, staring at his perfect brother. "What's wrong, you ask?"

"Yes! What happened?"

"Nothing except several revelations," he stepped closer, looking up into Kal's brilliant, star-like eyes. "Everything is wrong because of you and yet you expect a warm welcome?"

"I'm your brother..." Kal's face contorted into concern. "Did somebody hurt you? Why are you acting so... cold? I don't understand."

"I know the truth," he said brusquely. "You took everything from me."

Kal's lips parted and he looked incredulous. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the truth!" J'onn's voice finally rose and he refused to look away from his brother's astonished features. "You have taken everything from me! Because of you, my people are gone; you eradicated Ma'aleca'andra! I had to leave Earth because of you! I'm alone!"

His brother's eyes darkened slightly. "I don't know what caused this, but I can help you. Just talk to me!"

"I am but you are refusing to listen! You did all of it! You are an Eradicator!"

"No, that was Zod and- "

"Our father?" He laughed without mirth, feeling his bitterness conform into fierce hostility. "The other Eradicators? Those excuses aren't going to fly any longer!"

Kal leaned back and he shook his head, shaking off J'onn's anger. "The sins of the father don't fall to the son. I don't understand, J'onn."

"That's no surprise, is it? You never understand! You stole my woman! My mate! I love her but you took her from me!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kal exclaimed with a frown. "You... you're not making any sense. What woman? You fell in love with someone?"

"Yes, but you stole her from me!"

"What woman?"

"The one who you stole from me!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, J'onn! What has happened? Why are you acting crazy?"

"No, I'm not crazy. I have found clarity," he dimly realized that they had never argued like this before; this was different, more vicious and potent. "You are why I had to leave Earth!"

Kal's eyes narrowed and J'onn felt triumph spread; there it was. He wanted his brother angry! "That was both of us who were responsible for the Scout Ship sending the beacon. Don't blame that on me!"

"But you are why I had to leave! You are why I'm alone, now!"

"Don't you dare turn this on me!" The veins around his brother's eyes blackened; his eyes took on a red tint. "You are the one who left! You left me when I needed you most!"

"You slaughtered my people!"

"That wasn't me! That was- "

"You stole Maxima!"

Kal's fists clenched, "You're being completely unreasonable; your emotions have clouded your judgment! I didn't steal Maxima. I don't know who the hell that is!"

J'onn growled lowly and punched his fists forward, lashing out at his brother with a telekinetic blast. "Shut up! Leave me alone!"

Kal's eyes widened, too surprised to react as he was slammed into the side of the hull of the ship. "What are you doing, J'onn?" He was unfazed by the attack, unharmed, staring at him warily, angrily. "I need your help! It's why I came! Diana and I need your help! Lex has done things and humanity has…" his brother shook his head. "I need your help, J'onn, please. There's a threat against Diana."

"So Lex has finally snapped?" J'onn's lips pinched. "I knew that eventually, he would; there were always signs. He was too smart!"

"Will you help us, please? Diana's family will come for her and we need your help!"

"No," he turned away, anger brimming in his mind. "You have always needed my help, but no more. I'm done!

"Done?" Kal demanded lowly, "What do you mean done?"

"I don't want to be in contact with you. We're through; we were never brothers." J'onn felt victorious when shock and pain flashed in Kal's eyes; his brother would know how it felt! "I don't know why we pretended for so long."

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Kal's jaw dropped, "We... we can't just be through! We're brother, no matter our different blood!"

"You're not my brother," he hissed. "I would loathe sharing blood with you, an Eradicator!"

Star-like eyes glowed red and it was like staring into the heart of two red suns. "No! You don't get to choose that!" His brother floated towards him and J'onn was suddenly reminded how incredibly weak he was in comparison to his divine-like brother; it only increased his fury. "You are who left! You've been gone for over two years, now!" Kal's face twisted angrily, contorting into a mask of raw pain and fury; it was exactly how J'onn himself felt. "If anyone should be... should be wanting to stop being brothers, it's me! I am who had to be without you, my own brother because you were too much of a coward to confront the problems!"

J'onn's own eyes blazed to life and he tried to attack his brother's mind but like always, it was impenetrable. "Fuck you!" He snapped and he suddenly realized that he had shifted into his natural form, green flesh proudly displayed. "There is no one in the universe like me because of you!"

They were inches apart and J'onn stared into his brother's blood-colored eyes as Kal growled; it was like their arguments from childhood and adolescence except so much more intense and overwhelming. "I am not to blame for the Manhunters' Eradication! If anyone is to blame, it's your people! They did something to get on the High Council of Krypton's radar!"

"Your people are monsters!"

Kal's eyes glowed brighter and the ominous sound of his fists clenching echoed. "At least that I naturally look human!"

Silence.

J'onn stepped back and the wounds of his childhood, of always needing to shape-shift to look like everyone else erupted in his mind. "You..."

The red glow slowly vanished from his brother's eyes, replaced by dawning awareness. "J'onn, I'm sorry. I- I didn't mean that. I would never- "

"You did mean it," he whispered hollowly. "When in anger, people are the most honest."

Kal swallowed, "I think that... that we should... cool off. Our tempers... battled fiercely. You should- you should go, J'onn."

"I should go?" The rage was suddenly back and this time, it was even worse. "Okay, okay, I'll... I'll just go. But first, I'm going to ask you a question and you're going to answer it." J'onn abruptly dashed forward and slammed into his brother; he shoved him into the wall, but of course, he knew that Kal didn't even feel it and that he had allowed J'onn to do it! "Why would you act like such a jackass to Dad that day of the tornado? He did everything for us! Do you not remember that? DO YOU NOT REMEMBER THAT?" He punched his brother's face and screamed in pain when his hand broke, but he kept punching, shape-shifting his body to force his cellular structure to adapt, forcing him to heal rapidly.

"Stop it, J'onn!"

"No! It's your fault! Everything's your fault! It's your fault that Mom and Dad are dead! Do you hear me?" J'onn lashed out with the biggest telekinetic blast that he had ever produced; it would have decimated the skyscrapers in Metropolis but it only stunned Kal for a moment and the ship wasn't even damaged. "IT'S YOUR FAULT!"

"I'm sorry, J'onn," his brother stared at him with wounded eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry?" He demanded harshly. "Sorry isn't good enough, you foolish bastard!" J'onn continued throwing punches and lashing out with all of his mental powers but Kal just stood there, allowing it all to happen. "Aren't you going to fight?"

"You're my brother."

J'onn screamed and his poisonous emotions brimmed over, erupting through his mind. "You're not my brother! You murdered our parents! FIGHT ME!"

He reared back and threw another punch that would have easily broken through titanium but Kal effortlessly caught it; he then tried to heave another punch with his other fist but his brother threw him back and J'onn smashed into the console next to Kelor, who had remained quiet and inconspicuous throughout the entire ordeal. He coughed and held his chest in pain and when he looked up, Kal loomed over him.

"I'm sorry, J'onn," his brother's face was blank, but he glimpsed the anguish peaking through. "I..." he felt remorse begin to overpower all of the rage and hurt at Kal's expression; he felt the dawning horror sweep through him, too. "I'll go..."

"Kal..." he whispered, leaning against the console in shock, holding his chest. "I... I..."

Kal slumped back, eyes pain-filled. J'onn wanted to die; he wanted Kal to hurt him - he deserved it! He felt frozen as he watched his brother robotically press the button on his belt. Kal vanished in a shower of blue sparks and J'onn collapsed to his knees.

What had he done? How could he do that to his brother, the only person who had always been there for him?

Tears began to well in his eyes and they spilled down his green cheeks; he was the true monster.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bruce Wayne stared at his computer angrily, watching the simulation that he had created based on the data from the attack of Metropolis and from what he had gathered in his damned nightmare; it constantly haunted and motivated him so much more.

He observed the simulated Superman destroying the world; it wasn't too surprising. Within eight minutes of his attack, the loss of life was in the seven figures. Skyscrapers full of people, the White House, kingdoms, and castles were brought down in less time than it would take to say aloud. His fists clenched as the military's - from all across the globe - response was as swift as it was useless. Everything they threw at Superman was futile; nothing worked and it was terrifying. As a last-ditch effort, hydrogen warheads were detonated at Superman's location.

The simulation paused and Bruce's eyes widened and he leaned forward as it seemed that Superman was finally destroyed. Then the smoke cleared.

Superman was on his knees, fists gripping his flesh with such force that Bruce thought that he would watch the alien tear his legs apart. After several seconds, Superman looked up and Bruce felt dread curdle in his stomach. Golden lines of pure energy were shooting through Superman's body like veins themselves; the attack had made him so much stronger. Remembering his revelation about Superman's powers during the Kryptonian Invasion, he realized in horror that the gamma radiation from the hydrogen warheads had caused Superman's body to create that much more energy.

"Again, Master Wayne?" Alfred intoned dryly and Bruce spun around in his chair, trying to ignore the simulation. "I distinctly remember Ms. Kyle ordering you to 'stop watching that damned simulation,' I believe her words were, sir."

"That I did, Alfred." Selina sauntered into the cave and smiled down at him. "Bruce, why do you fight my advice, darling? You know that I'm always right."

His lips twitched and he played along. "You are always right, Selina."

Selina's face grew serious, "Then why do you keep disobeying my orders, Bruce?" She gestured towards the computer, "This is not healthy! Recently, this has become... fanatical, full of zealotry. I don't know what happened to cause this swift and worrying change, but you need to stop." She shook her head, distress carved into her beautiful features. "I know that you don't expect this from me, but you must stop. I have stood by your side since you rescued me from Waller and supported you as best as I can, but... I can't support this, darling."

"What?" Bruce demanded, jumping to his feet. "Why?"

"At first, I had shared your fears of Superman, but your fears have recently turned into a maniacal obsession. Don't you see that, darling? I don't believe that Superman is our enemy; it's someone else."

His lips parted at her words and he wondered if Superman's brother, J'onn had returned to Earth to turn Selina against him. "You don't understand! I saw it, the future; it was a desolate wasteland because of Superman!"

Selina exchanged a worried glance with Alfred. "Bruce, you need to rest; you're delusional, darling."

"No, I'm not!" Bruce gathered all of the notes that he had produced since that damned nightmare; he had everything written out. "Wally showed me the future and he warned me; he said that I need to fear and stop Superman. He said that I was always right about him! I was there... and I... he was there, too."

"Who?" Selina stopped looking at his notes and handed them to Alfred, who looked very concerned; she did, too. "I don't understand, Bruce."

"Of course, you don't! You weren't there! Well, the future you was and she was pregnant with our... our son." Bruce swallowed and felt the horror of that experience to fill him; it strengthened him to do what was necessary. "Superman was there and he murdered you and our unborn son right in front of me; he is the monster and he must be destroyed before any of that future comes to pass."

"This is interesting," Alfred murmured, staring at his notes. "You say that Master West traveled back in time by means unknown- "

"And then Superman punched his fist through Wally's heart during his message," he finished darkly, watching as Selina brought her hand to her open lips. "I watched it happen."

"- and that you saw this... future because your mind was synced with your future self's."

"The memories of both timelines collided together," he pointed at the notes. "It's all there. What I saw wasn't just a dream; it was a prophecy. It was the actual future!"

"And how do you plan to stop that?" Selina demanded, "Maybe that's all true, what you saw, and maybe it's not. Darling, I can't imagine the horror that you experienced by... watching me... and... our son die, but you don't know if it's true."

"It is," he protested vehemently, beginning to become angry. "You didn't experience it, but I did. Trust me!"

"She's right, sir." Bruce turned to Alfred in disbelief, feeling betrayed. "All of the notes and equations on these papers will never confirm what you saw to be real."

"Fine, then look at the world, now!" He snapped, "Count the dead. While he has saved many, there are still thousands and thousands of people who have died because of him. Look at Congress! From everything that I've seen, Superman stood there while our nation's leading political figures and countless innocents were burned to ash!"

"They say that was Wallace Keefe, darling," Selina said gently, leaning forward to touch his arm. "Superman had nothing- "

"He could have stopped it!" When he saw that his words registered, he continued. "What's next? Millions? Billions? Our entire race? I saw the interview with Luthor, too, and my goodness, I may loathe that man, but that doesn't change the fact that he was correct. Superman is a threat to all of humanity; he's a death knell! What if the overprotective parent turns abusive? Superman has the power to wipe out the entire human race, including all of the Metahumans, and if we believe that there's even a one percent chance that he is our enemy, we must take it as an absolute certainty; we must destroy him."

Alfred placed the notes back on the table, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Any attempt to fight Superman would be complete and utter suicide. You could never win, but... you know this already. You've thought this through; you've been meticulous."

"He's been obsessed," Selina cut in with concern. "Even you must admit that, Alfred."

"Quite correct, Ms. Kyle, but... he is driven as much as he has been to find the Joker; it's important."

"Thank you," he muttered turning around. "Yes, I know that it's suicide to fight Superman, but I have acquired a xenomineral that I believe is capable of weakening Kryptonian cells. When I combine that with the Kryptonian, Zod's armor, I will be able to fight Superman on even ground. I will destroy that son of a bitch."

"And Diana? Wonder Woman?" Selina questioned, eyebrows raised, "What about her? From what you've told me, she's in love with Superman; they're lovers."

Bruce steeled his expression, "She was an excellent teammate and I trusted no one more in the League to watch my back; she's a good person, I've seen it. She is blinded by her love for Superman; she doesn't realize the monster that he will become."

"And this future that you keep referencing, how does Superman become this monster, darling?"

Forced to shuffle through the future Bruce's memories that he still possessed, he was bombarded with images. "Darkseid, a malevolent alien deity who was obsessed with Superman, killed the pregnant Diana. Superman... he snapped and went mad; he tore into Darkseid and became The Desecration Without Name."

Alfred pinched his nose, "And what is that, sir?"

"From what my future self knew, The Desecration Without Name was an ancient Kryptonian deformity with unfathomable levels of power capable of apocalyptic levels of destruction and death. I don't know how Superman... transformed into that monster but because of Diana's death, he does become the monster, the abusive parent. He killed all of us, all of the League and brought humanity to near-extinction. That future must be changed and the only way to definitively do that is to destroy him."

"And you're set on walking this path, sir?" Alfred didn't look as composed as he usually did. "You don't know if the xenomineral will weaken him; it could still be suicide."

"I can't watch you die, darling." Selina murmured, "Think carefully about this, please."

"I'm older now than my father ever was," he said softly, remembering his father's eyes glazing over on that damned night, how life fled the dark depths. He could still recall the sudden change, practically imperceptible, between life and death; it was a change and look that he had personally become more than accustomed with as he undertook his servitude to Amanda Waller because of that fucking button. "This may be the only thing that I ever do that truly matters."

Selina inhaled sharply and she stared at him; her lovely eyes pierced his own. "Raising Jason was nothing? Saving lives is nothing? Over a decade of fighting Gotham's scum has amounted to nothing? Stopping criminals is nothing?"

"Jason was our son and I failed him," he swallowed and the memories of the fucking clown raping his son flashed in his mind. "He was never nothing; he was everything. Criminals, though, are nothing; it has taken me a long time to see it, but they are."

Alfred raised a brow, "And is that why the Bat has begun killing criminals since the Kryptonian Invasion without Waller's button controlling him? The Daily Planet's, Clark Kent has been quite vocal about it."

"Yes," he met his stare unflinchingly. "Criminals are like weeds. When you pull one up, another will grow right where the old one was. Moreover, they're like the fucking Hydra from myth; you cut off one head, two more will rise and take its place. Unless you burn them, razing them as they should be. I have realized how weak I am in the presence of people like Diana and the League, in the presence of... Superman. My methods might have changed but my crusade has remained the same; it's about the future of the world, of humanity and its ability to survive. That's my legacy."

"Changed?" Alfred echoed, turning away. "Some changes, I fear, are not always wise."

"You don't agree with me?" He demanded, ignoring the hurt that he felt. "Why?"

"Superman is not our enemy," their eyes connected and a shared lifetime's worth of memories flashed between them. "I am unconvinced of this future that you claim to have seen. I am certain that Congress wasn't his fault; he's been nothing but good to humanity."

"Maybe now and today, but not in the future; it's already begun with Congress. We've seen what promises are worth, Alfred. How many good guys stay good?" Bruce breathed deeply to keep the images from that desolate future, the sight of Selina's head with a fist-sized hole in it, from overwhelming him. "Did you know that every painting in the history of man depicts demons and monsters as creatures that rise from hell beneath us?"

"Yes," Selina narrowed her eyes. "I stole many of them. What does that have to do with Superman?"

"The paintings were wrong. Devils and monsters come from the sky."

"No, sir," Alfred shook his head, looking disappointed. "You are placing your own delusions upon Superman. You're using your own rage and pain against him, placing your own beliefs onto him without knowing who he is. Nothing has changed."

Bruce frowned, "Everything's changed, Alfred. Men fall from the sky, the gods hurl thunderbolts, and innocents die."

"And believe me, sir, that's how it starts. I was where you are right now once. I know it well: the fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness that turns a good man cruel."

"Yes, but it turns a false god - Superman - into a monster, a nightmare. He is an alien who can effortlessly burn everything that humanity has ever built down to ashes - just as those in the Capitol Building were turned to ash - and there would be nothing that we could do to stop him. I saw it in the future; he wins and it's an apocalyptic wasteland." Bruce saw that Selina was close to agreeing with him, so he continued. "Do either of you know the oldest lie in the world? It's that power can be innocent. If you give a man absolute power, he turns absolutely cruel. Look at human history; no one stays good in this world."

"And you, sir?" Alfred challenged, "Does that apply to you? What about those who do stay good?"

"There are none," Bruce clenched his jaw. "I have no power except for my own intelligence and wealth."

"Your mind has been set?" Selina asked rhetorically, "You're going to use that armor that you stole from the Kryptonian, Zod and wield the xenomineral to weaken Superman?"

"He's had enough chances and I saw the future; neither of you will change my mind."

"I no longer know if I want to," she murmured, looking unsure. "I need to think."

"And you, Alfred?" Bruce demanded, "What will you do?"

"Pray, sir, that you awaken from this enraged man before me."

He felt his composure crack and he snarled, whirling around; he pulled his cowl over his face and stalked towards the Batmobile. The rage was boiling, howling in his blood and it needed to be released, especially as the traumatic memories bombarded him.

Bruce would pay a visit to the Slums; he would gain his therapy, his reprieve.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Sitting in the Oval Office, Lex Luthor sipped his fine wine and allowed it to slide pleasantly down his throat. He reclined back in the magnificent chair that had belonged to all of his predecessors, the Presidents of the United States, and smiled devilishly. Soon, humanity would be saved because of him, because of his ability to do what others wouldn't. The world had slowly begun to realize how dangerous Superman's very presence was to humanity and it was all because of Lex's actions.

Ares had messaged him, revealing that his mutiny against Zeus had been an overwhelming success and the gifts that Lex had received from Athena's light would try to disappear soon; he would have to hold onto the light inside of him to keep them and have them become his own.

Lex's mother, Athena, who he had never met, had sided with the former King of the Celestials and honestly, the President of the United States couldn't care less.

Athena had never shown any regard for him and the only explanation that he had ever received from his father when he was younger was that she was some expensive prostitute who had always admired his father's intellect. Apparently, she had shown up one day with a baby infant who, after undergoing DNA testing, was determined to be the son of Lionel Luthor; Athena had wanted nothing to do with the child and after consideration, Lex's father had seen an opportunity for an heir. Lionel had never seen Athena again, but he had often said that Athena was the best fuck he ever had.

Shaking that image out of his mind, Lex poured himself another glass; it was most delicious. He had learned that he was just an experiment in his mother's eyes from Ares and while it was insulting, he understood the curiosity that must have plagued Athena for so long. He wasn't one to contemplate things that he couldn't change and so honestly, he couldn't really care that he was a designed experiment that Ares plucked from his mother's grasp.

None of that mattered when soon, his former best friend, Clark Kent, Superman was going to die and Lex would finally have his retribution on the lying bastard.

When he was younger, Lex had begun feeling crazy; his mind had constantly been on fire. He couldn't turn off his mind and he had resorted to knocking himself unconscious just to sleep peacefully. His father hadn't known what to do and became enraged when Lex himself started getting into a lot of trouble; it had been impossible for him to live normally. His very neurons were firing so fast that his mind constantly raced with thoughts and ideas; he had been an absolute mess.

So right before the seventh grade, his father had wanted nothing to do with him; he had been sent to live with his hillbilly second aunt in Smallville, Kansas. Lex had been furious and expected the 'trip' to only last about a month before his father wanted him back, but Lionel never wanted him back - at least not for many years. After swallowing that realization, after he had hit his lowest point with his racing mind, he had actually found himself enjoying the run-down, familial town. His aunt had forced him to interact, uncaring about his plight with his on-fire brain, by enrolling him in the middle school even though Lex had already possessed his first Doctorate degree and was working on his second Master's degree.

Lex had then encountered Clark and J'onn Kent, the fraternal twins who didn't look alike but also acted so similar sometimes.

It was then when he had realized that he wasn't the weirdest person alive. Lex had found them to be utterly abnormal, even more than he himself was; it was... a relief. Clark and J'onn never spoke to each other but they somehow seemed to communicate - and now, he knew that it was telepathy from J'onn - and only spoke when the teacher called on them; they had always known the answers to every question, something that had excited Lex. They had slowly adjusted each others' presences and became best friends, the Three Wierd Musketeers - as the other kids all called them; they were the only people with whom Lex had felt a true connection in his life. It was the first time when he never became bored with someone - even with his father - for they could converse with him easily. Lex hadn't needed to 'lessen' his word usage and knowledge to a child-like level; he had liked them against all of the odds, and they had reciprocated.

Clark and J'onn had understood him; they were frighteningly intelligent, too. Honestly, they had been wasted at that school and should have already possessed a Doctorate and Master's degrees like Lex himself, but their parents, the Kents refused, saying that social skills were more important. They had roped him into that philosophy and Lex had been at the Kent Farm almost every day; his social skills had finally flourished because of the Kents and he had learned skills to 'turn off' his mind from Martha Kent and J'onn. He had been normal with the Kents, probably the most normal out of himself, Clark, and J'onn.

Looking back now, he realized what had happened, how he had become so normal. It was a typical hierarchy of nature; he had instinctively competed for dominance against Clark and J'onn and lost. J'onn had then naturally lost to his brother and then Clark became the alpha while J'onn and Lex were the underlings. Lex hadn't stood a chance against Clark, against either of them, really; his old friend had been an invasive species - and J'onn, too - who transmuted the natural order, thus subjugating Lex. They had the potential to be eldritch abominations who would deem the foreign environment of Earth as malevolent and lash out, trying to change it to what their species needed to survive.

It was what the Kryptonian, Zod had tried to do before Clark had stopped it. But in spite of that, nothing changed. Lex had always known, deep down, that something was different, that the Kent brothers were... abnormal - even more than Lex himself.

It was the rumors that he had first about in Smallville. The one that Lex distinctly remembered hearing constantly from the other kids was how Clark dashed out of the classroom in grade school screaming so loud that about half of the winds shattered. Then J'onn had run after his brother and many of the kids who were there in that class that day swore on their grandparents' graves that J'onn had turned pure green for a moment - green flesh like all of the alien films that they had seen. Everyone, including the teacher, had followed J'onn out of the classroom because Clark had locked himself in the janitor's closet and refused to open it; the most whispered fact about that 'event' was that the teacher had desperately tried to open the door, shaking the doorknob but as a result, her hand was severely burned and required skin grafts. In the confusion, J'onn had disappeared and when Martha Kent had arrived at the school, J'onn was revealed to somehow have entered the janitor's closet, too.

Lex had always found the stories amusing and waved them off as basic adolescent rumors, but he had wondered inwardly when he had questioned Clark and J'onn about it once; their anxiety was apparent and looking back, he was amazed at how utterly ignorant he had been at that age - he wouldn't have accepted it if it weren't for those damned invasive species of the natural order!

Then when he had caught the flu and was stuck at his second aunt's house, the school bus had blown a tire and drove off of the bridge that led into town. Lex had been astonished and fearful when he heard the news and relieved that everyone survived; no adults talked about the infamous incident but the kids did. When Lex came back to school with Clark and J'onn, he had heard the other story how Clark had managed to escape before the bus completely sank and single-handedly pushed the school bus, a machine that weighed almost 20,000 pounds with passengers - out of the river. Then there was the fact that the kids said that when J'onn was under the water, he hadn't panicked at all; he seemed completely relaxed. The water around him had even turned to ice and Whitney swore that he saw J'onn walk out of the ice when the bus was back on land like he was a ghost, incapable of being touched.

Again, he had laughed at the stories but inwardly, once again, he had wondered. There were a lot of changes after that; the bullying mostly stopped for the Kent brothers and Pete Ross, the most notorious bully to Clark and J'onn, had acted a lot different, turning one-hundred-eighty degrees in the opposite direction. After the infamous incident, Pete Ross treated Clark and J'onn with absolute kindness and gazed at Clark in awe.

When high school began, it was Clark with whom Lex felt a true bond. J'onn was always so quiet and hardly ever spoke unless Clark had encouraged him. And for those years had been... happy; his father hadn't been pressing down on him with his fists and abominations for demands to slow his mind down. He had liked Smallville, especially when he had been able to calm his raging mind; there was something simple, yet so profound about the town that Lex had been fascinated with it during those years.

He had had friends and discovered what it truly meant to feel loved by parents in the Kents; they had... cared for him. After the initial distrust, Jonathan and Martha Kent had warmed up to him, treating him like he was their own son. In fact, it was the only time when he had felt a father's pride; it was when Jonathan placed a proud hand on his shoulder. Through their guidance, Lex had accepted that his father was a jackass who had never cared for him - and never would unless it benefited Lionel somehow. He had considered the Kents his true parents; he had thought himself their adopted son - he later learned that both Clark and J'onn were adopted and not even human but invasive creatures from different species - and had even called them 'Mom' and 'Dad' during those years. Then when his aunt had died, he had moved in with the Kents; they had all been... a family.

In that final year when he had attended Smallville, that was when everything began to... change, to... splinter.

Lex had begun to notice things that he had never actually thought about before. Strange things always happened around the Kent brothers and the two held their secrets tighter to their chests than even Lex himself; the lies began to pile up and Lex had ceased to accept them as he had for so long and resolved to discern the truth. An ugly confrontation had reared its head when J'onn had somehow discovered Lex's secretive investigating - which he now knew was from the telepathy - and the fracture began. Clark had desperately tried to keep the seams from unraveling but destiny had already spoken; it was just that none of them knew it at that point.

He had continued his investigations but eventually, he had foreseen the inevitable; he didn't want it to happen, not at all. Lex had valued his friendship with Clark and J'onn above all else, his familial-like bond with Jonathan and Martha. So to distract himself from investigating further, to save their friendship, Lex had dated Lana Land during that last year when he was in Smallville; he had even lost his virginity to her and she to him.

But eventually, all good things come to an end, and they did.

Right before spring break that year, Lex had decided to skip until the fourth hour - after all, he hadn't needed the education; already knew it all. When he had arrived at the school, he snuck through the building and heard voices from around the corner. He recognized them and he poked his head past the wall to see what Clark and J'onn were arguing about; their arguments, specifically during high school, had always been legendary.

It was after several moments of watching them furiously whispering to each other when he felt the shock; it had always been impossible to sneak up on Clark and J'onn ever since he had met them. They had been eerie in their ability to know who was around them at all times; he had tried previously many times to catch them off-guard but had never succeeded.

It was the first time when he had ever been successful because the two brothers, his two friends were unaware of his presence; they were distracted - by who or what, Lex still didn't know.

Lex had watched silently, gleefully as Clark and J'onn were uninhibited in their movements; they were always wound tight like a coiled spring about to snap, only relaxing slightly in the presence of Lex or the Kents. He had observed Clark's hand wrap around a brass door handle and squeeze in response to something that J'onn had whispered - a reaction of anger, Lex later realized. He had blinked as he watched the brass crumble like paper and heard the sound of crushed metal.

At first, he hadn't believed it; he had assumed he was in a dream.

But then his jaw had dropped as Clark cursed and his eyes glowed red - a demonic red color. Then beams of heat - he had been able to feel the overwhelming heat from where he had been standing and Lex could still dimly remember J'onn flinching back, green flesh appearing all over him just as the stories had said - had surged out of Clark's eyes against the mangled door handle; his hands had molded the scalding hot brass into a perfect door handle within seconds, blurring before Lex's eyes with precision he had never imagined.

Suddenly Clark had frozen and he had appeared right in front of Lex in a blink of an eye like a teleporter, eyes terrified. "You saw..."

Lex had tried to think of something to say as he leaned against the lockers in shock. "What...?"

Clark's petrified gaze had turned back towards his brother and Lex had watched in disbelief as J'onn floated forward; he had been too shocked to do anything as they seemed to speak to each other without words - telepathy again, he later realized. J'onn had sighed heavily and turned to him with mournful eyes and Lex had been too slow to keep J'onn's sudden green hands from pressing to his temples.

Everything became black and when he had awoken, he had had no memory of the event; there was only darkness when he tried to think about that hour of his life.

His mind fought against it though, raging and racing; he had known that something had happened and that somehow, his best friends had been responsible for why he no longer held memory for an hour of his conscious life. So for the rest of that year, fury and distrust had risen in his gut; he had stopped talking with the Kents and Clark and J'onn, and moved out, instead staying at the Lang's house on the couch. His investigations returned with a vengeance and they were at the forefront of his mind; he had stopped going to school and focused solely on Clark and J'onn with obsessive intent.

He hadn't been able to find anything; he had many theories but no evidence. Knowing that he would go insane if he stayed in Smallville, Lex had left without a goodbye to anyone and returned to his bastard of a father; he had been forced to prove his competence and then Lionel had used him for business transactions, telling Lex to make it happen.

Less than a year later, Lex had heard from Pete Ross that the Kents, Jonathan and Martha, were killed in a tornado and that J'onn and Clark were all alone.

Lex could still remember the tears spilling down his cheeks as the news that the two people who were far more of parents to him than his own were had died. For hours, he had been in shock, mind drowned by the happy memories of simpler times when he was younger; before sophomore year of high school, everything had been perfect.

He had wanted that again, he had yearned for it with the lust of a horny teenage virgin.

After several weeks of gathering his nerve and composure, Lex had journeyed back to Smallville to reconcile with his friends. He had been fully committed to burying the hatchet and the resentment that he felt, ready to simply be there for Clark and J'onn. He wanted that familial bond back more than anything. When he had arrived at the Kent Farm, it was abandoned. Hank had met him in the yard and Lex had numbly entered the house, calling out for Clark and J'onn. He had waited for an entire week at the house for Clark and J'onn to return, but they never did.

Every morning when he had woken up, Hank had already been fed and given water. Lex had mistakenly thought the animal had killed a rat and drank from the river, but later when he realized who and what Clark was after recovering his memories, he knew that Clark - the invasive species, the alien, the Superman - had been at the house while Lex had waited for him. Clark could have easily spoken to Lex at the farm but never did; they could have grieved together but Lex was forced to do it by his lonesome.

Lex smirked darkly as he downed the rest of the wine; Clark and J'onn - but more specifically Clark because their bond had been stronger - would regret shunning him.

Glancing down at the speech that he had written and already memorized in the wake of the Congress bombing that he had discharged through Lane - who had contained people, such as Wallace Keefe who was so easy to manipulate, who would oppose his vision - Lex stood up and motioned for his advisor to gather the reporters.

Soon, the world will know the truth, the fraud that Clark - Superman - was. The days of him being hailed as a deity were over; his interview had begun it all, but now, this would be the final nail in the coffin.

"You flew too close to the sun, Clark," he whispered. "Now look at what that has wrought for you. They will see you, with their eyes and souls, for the faux hero and invasive species you are; they will see the blood dripping from your hands."

Lex Luthor was going to save the world! Soon, all of his goals would be realized and the keys to immortality would be his!

XxXxXxXxXxX

In a flash of blue sparks, Kal appeared in the living room, mind flooded with the terrors and evil in the Phantom Zone and even more specifically, J'onn's words.

"You're not my brother!" Orange eyes had stared at him furiously, green fists shaking in the effort to heal and attack again. "You murdered our parents!" A snarl had formed on his brother's lips and his green flesh seemed to almost glow. "Fuck you! I would loathe sharing blood with you, an Eradicator!" It was said with such finality, such absolute clarity that Kal knew it was the truth.

He felt broken, shattered, the foundations of his identity turning to liquid. How does one live with the truth that their brother, the one person who had always been there since he had been born hated you and wished to no longer be brothers? Kal couldn't ignore or forget the declarations and truths, the way how J'onn had furiously attacked him; he doubted that he would ever feel whole again.

Kryptonians, as a species, had no heart but Kal felt like something in his body had been brutally ripped out and trampled by bloodthirsty Rondors. Was it his soul? All living creatures had souls, right?

It didn't matter. J'onn had disowned him and Kal hadn't been able to think straight since.

Diana blurred into the living room in her nightgown. "What happened?" She demanded, staring at him in utter concern, "I cannot recall you ever looking so…" she placed a hand on his arm. "What is it? What's wrong? Did something…" she trailed off, full lips parted in dismay. "Is J'onn all right?"

Kal blinked and he swallowed. "He's... he's fine…" he said dazedly, mind reeling as his hearing began to intensify, to overwhelm him.

"Then what's wrong, Kal?" Diana said gently, soft hands keeping him grounded to her, his world. "I cannot help you if-"

The dam burst, "He hates me!" He felt the familiar power of his heat vision activate; his veins around his eyes were black, but it swiftly faded to be replaced by sorrow. "I tried to talk to him - he would have none of it! He said…" Diana's soothing, loving touch kept him from doing something that he would regret in sudden anger - destroying his childhood home as the memories flowed through his mind. "He- he hates me, Diana and I... I don't know why besides his outrageous claims that I- that I stole his woman. He said that because of me, he's alone in the universe!" He quieted, "He said that we aren't brothers; he called me 'Eradicator' and... and cursed me."

Silence except for the roaring heartbeat that thrashed in his ears as Diana's eyes narrowed into furious slits. "Kal," his eyes connected with blazing ones. "You must ignore your fool of a brother. He doesn't deserve you," she pulled back and a beautiful, deadly-looking sword materialized in her hands. "Give me your Phantom Drive device," she held out her other hand, eyes intently serious. "I need to visit J'onn and... teach him a lesson; he will regret what he said, believe me." Kal felt absolute love spread through his body and blurred forward, catching Diana off-guard. He dropped her on the bed and loomed over her, desperately seeking approval. "Kal!" Diana exclaimed, "What are you…" her eyes connected with his own and whatever she saw in their depths softened her features. "Oh, Kal," she breathed and the sword vanished; she maneuvered her hands down, proceeding to unbutton her gown from the top, the swelling of her ample breasts provocative, inviting.

Eyes glowed fiery red in arousal and Kal's hands urgently slipped the gown off Diana. Their eyes connected and she reached up, curling her fingers around the back of his neck, drawing his lips to hers. They kissed, Diana's lips parting, the soft, swollen flesh and moisture of her mouth igniting his arousal. Diana arched forward, pressing her body against his, pulling his hands to her full breasts. Kal groaned and pulled back, tearing out of his garbs, uncaring that they fell to the ground in tattered patches. Staring down at his lover, the way how she sensually presented herself to him, Kal felt a beast roar in his soul. After the utter horror that had happened in the past days, he wanted, needed the release of his sorrow and deep-seated rage.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Staring down at her, Kal realized that he would be nothing without her; she was his world. She laid on his chest, asleep, puffs of air tickling against his pectorals. He kissed her head gently and eased out of her grip. He pulled on a pair of black shorts and floated into the living room. He grabbed a beer from the ancient refrigerator and wished he could be affected by the alcohol. While Diana had alleviated the pain, Kal still felt broken by J'onn's words.

At the thought of his brother, Kal's eyes glowed red in sorrowful anger and he downed the entire bottle. He swiftly plucked another from the rack and lowered his tightly coiled form onto the couch.

He needed to get his mind off of his brother.

Kal picked up the remote from the coffee table and turned the television on. After several minutes, the program was interrupted with a 'breaking news' headline.

Lex appeared on the screen and dread bubbled in his gut, foreboding hissing in his ears; he watched with a broken soul as his old friend briefed the world in light of the disaster at Congress.

"My fellow Americans," Lex stared directly into the camera, "We have all seen our world change greatly in the past years, and it is past time that we, as a country, changed with it. For the past two years, an alien - an invasive species who disrupts the natural order - has walked amongst our civilization. He has interfered in domestic and international affairs. He has disobeyed and ignored the treaties with other nations." Lex's eyes shined with determination and sorrow, understanding. "He has murdered innocents."

"Please," Kal whispered, staring at his old friend. "Don't do what I think you're doing."

"Yesterday, a hearing was held in Congress to determine the truth about Superman's dealings with foreign nations. As many of you know, an African village was slaughtered by Superman in response to an unidentifiable dispute." Lex seemed to stare directly into Kal's pain-filled eyes; he saw nothing of his old friend, only the man he has become. "I was set to appear before Congress but evidence concerning the investigation into Superman had been brought to my attention by numerous intelligent reports. As a result, I was unable to appear at the Capitol Building."

Kal clenched his fists, shaking his head. "You're lying. You smooth-talker; your tongue is smoother than silk now, isn't it, Lex?"

"Congress was destroyed in an explosion that killed hundreds of innocent Americans, among them many of my fellow politicians and leading figures of our country, but Superman was unharmed. The loss of life in this attack was devastating. Superman had the power to stop this cowardly attack but he chose not to because he sought to kill me; the investigation has been concluded and we have reached a decision."

"No," Kal stood up, whispering uselessly. "Lex, please don't do this!"

"Superman is a traitor to this country, to humanity itself; he has warped our existence with his presence and that must be rectified." Lex declared, voice conveying absolute honesty and truth. "This invasive species has preached peace yet he has been a monster amongst us this entire time, lying to us. I hold myself personally responsible for this attack. If I had followed my intuition, Superman would have been captured by the government long ago. I ignored my feelings and as a result, the most precious gift of all has been snuffed out in far too many: life. I'm sorry, my fellow Americans and leaders. I failed you and I understand your sorrow and anger." Lex's eyes shined with false tears, "As of this moment, Superman is the foremost enemy of our world. The United States has allied with all countries on Earth, including Russia, North Korea, China, Iran, and Syria, to end this threat to humanity. Superman was never a god, just an invasive species who has threatened humanity's existence, our entire hierarchy. If anyone knows of Superman's location, I implore you to report it immediately. Superman will face justice. I promise." Lex's lips twitched slightly and then the screen turned black, signaling the end of his speech.

Kal dimly noticed that he had crushed the remote and beer bottle as he fell to his knees in agony; his life had been systematically destroyed in the past seventy-two hours.

'Superman' was now public enemy number one and Kal could hear the cries of rage across the nation, demanding his capture; he had no idea what to do.

XxXxXxXxXxX

That's all for this chapter, folks! I hope you all enjoyed it and I would really love it if you guys left a review, tell me what you think!

So, shall we discuss the action in this chapter? Too late, here it is:

**Ares finally succeeded in his conquest of the throne of Olympus, killing the elder Celestials and Athena with the aid of his siblings and cousins. I did use some dialogue from god of war 3 in the seizing of the throne. I know that many of the gods and goddesses who I used have different origins, different parents, but I had to change some of the origins for some of them; they were all the children of Zeus in Greek mythology but I changed their parentage because there are no Titans or other goddesses save for Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. Basically, all of the children who Zeus fathered in mythology from many, various women, gods, and Titans are all birthed by either Hestia, Demeter, and Hera because of this. Some of the minor ones might have Poseidon or Hades as the father instead of Zeus but other than that, nothing is changed. I didn't want hybrids of a Human and Celestial to live on Olympus with Zeus and company. I only wanted full-blood Celestials to live on Olympus and Diana be the only living hybrid - except, of course, for Lex Luthor. Remember, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia were the only ones who survived the Eradication of Supmylo; there are no other males or females with whom they could procreate. I didn't want Zeus to have all of the children because Poseidon and Hades would attempt to procreate, as well, and would more than likely be successful.

I am using the Marvel Cinematic Universe's explanation for the Celestials because I enjoyed that; it was actually interesting. The Celestials' real bodies are their brains and they are hidden, protected from others trying to find them and kill them. Based on this, they can create Avatars that hold their power and personality that are directly linked to their 'brain'. Basically, if you destroy the 'brain', you destroy the Celestial. If you only kill the Avatar, the Celestial will reform after some time and be unharmed.

Okay, Aphrodite in this story is the daughter of Zeus and Hera. I know that in the myths, she is hailed as the daughter of Ouranos, growing from his testicles falling in the sea after the Titan, Cronus cut them off, or the daughter of Zeus and a Titaness named Dione, but I couldn't do that for obvious reasons - because Dione doesn't exist and neither does Ouranos. Aphrodite then, sometime in the past, slept with a man and Hippolyta was the result of that union. As a result, Hippolyta was half-Celestial and contained the blood of Zeus already in her DNA because Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus in this story. When Zeus fathered Diana through Hippolyta as his weapon, his blood combined with the blood, that was already his, in Hippolyta to create Diana - a powerful Celestial hybrid who contains small traces of Kryptonian blood as well from the Amazons tracing back to Kara Zor-El.

If you are interested in the genealogy of Diana, think of it this way. There is a genetic term called 'hybrid breakdown.' I'm going to keep it simple in my explanation: let's say that Aphrodite has two pure strains of red, whereas the father of Hippolyta - an un-named, male Amazon, so this was also before there were only females - has two pure strains of green. (They would have a lot more but remember, we are keeping it simple.) When the two reproduced, Hippolyta was the result and she had one strain of red and one strain of green - a hybrid. Problems begin to arise when the hybrid - Hippolyta - reproduces; the red and green strains line up to crossover and the resulting single strand that goes into the child and its genes become a mixture of red and green. Diana, theoretically, could literally have a gene from Hippolyta's parents - I.e. Aphrodite and thus Zeus - and one from the male, an Amazon who was a descendant of Krypton through Kara Zor-El. As a result, it is possible that the resulting gene does not work. If Hippolyta - the Celestial hybrid - bred back into a single, pure Amazon bloodline, everything would correct itself. Instead, she reproduced with Zeus - a pure Celestial bloodline - and as a result, it corrected itself, as well. (By the way, this process is called 'introgression' - really fascinating stuff.) As a result, Diana possesses far more traits of being a Celestial than being an Amazon. This is why it was so apparent in her childhood to her Amazon sisters that she was different. Remember, Hippolyta and Lex Luthor are plain, regular hybrids who seem mostly normal to everyone else of their race, whereas Diana is not. She is literally more Celestial than Amazon; she is basically another Zeus in terms of genetics and actually more powerful in my opinion because she is not hindered by the 'brain' as her father was.

**Kal visits Congress and the bombing scene happens just as it did in Batman v Superman. I did add the 'ticking' sound because I honestly didn't like how Kal didn't have an inkling that something could happen in the movie. Because he thinks the best of people before the worst, Kal doesn't even consider the notion that Wallace Keefe is sitting on top of a massive bomb that was capable of destroying the Capitol Building. He wasn't able to save many people because his hearing was overloaded from the explosion that happened right next to him. When humans hear a gunshot next to their ear, they most likely become deaf or extremely limited in their auditory functions on that one side. Now, here is an alien that can hear everything and the sound of the bomb exploding near him utterly destroyed his hearing - that was the pain that exploded in his mind. After several seconds, Kal's ears were completely healed but by then it was too late; the Capitol Building was destroyed.

**After the bombing, Kal visits Diana and feels utter guilt and basically, wants to die. In Batman v Superman, Lois was unable to break through to him but Diana can keep Kal from flying off to sulk. He breaks down and sees his parents, the Kents. A lot of people, with whom I have spoken, hated the scene on top of the mountain that saw Kal speaking with Jonathan Kent. I absolutely loved the scene. Kal has no one to turn to except Diana and she is as inexperienced as he is. Neither of them have parents - unless you count Zeus, who is a very poor example of a parent - who can teach them the skills necessary to combat the overwhelming guilt and horror. Jor-El is gone and so are the Kents and J'onn. Kal was able to have a moment with Jonathan Kent, whether it was a memory or some kind of vision, it doesn't matter. Kal was going through a very hard time at that moment and Diana was barely able to keep him together. Seeing his father and hearing his words, Kal's hope was restored - in the world and in himself. Jonathan basically told Kal that even if you do a good thing, bad things still happen. That's life. It happens.

A lot of people didn't like the Kents in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman but I thoroughly disagree with that opinion. When Jonathan Kent, in Man of Steel, tells Clark that MAYBE he should have let the kids on the bus die, it's because he doesn't know. Jonathan Kent didn't know the answer to Clark's question. He was a father who could not comfort and advise his child. Jonathan's actions show that he was doing his best to prepare Kal for the harsh reality of the world; humanity can suck sometimes and Jonathan knew that. The public would fear and attack Kal if his existence was revealed and Jonathan was trying to prepare Kal for that. His quotes in BvS show that he was teaching Kal that everything he does, no matter if he has good intentions, will have unforeseen consequences because Kal, in spite of common belief, is not a god. In my opinion, THAT is true parenting.

In BvS, Martha Kent tells Kal that he doesn't need to save the world or be 'Superman'. He can choose to be a normal guy and live his life however he desires to. "You don't owe this world a thing… You never did." That is absolutely beautiful. Kal doesn't owe the people of Earth anything. He doesn't have to be their knight in shining armor or 'Superman'. He chooses to be that hero and he could just as easily choose not to. The people of Earth feel entitled to the idea of 'Superman' and that he must be what they make him when, really, it's the opposite.

**Zeus appears before Kal and Diana! He reveals the history of the Celestials and how they traveled to Earth, how the Greek myths were born. He revealed his plan to conceive Diana as his weapon against the younger generation and the reason why Ares slaughtered the Amazons. The only reason why Ares didn't murder Diana like the other Amazons was that he desired her power for himself. He wanted the power that Zeus conceived to be rid of Ares and the others to join him and destroy Zeus. Also, Ares was not stupid. He knew that if he killed Diana, Zeus' daughter, he would face the wrath of his father and would most likely be killed.

**J'onn is still on Almerac and is infatuated with the Queen, Maxima. (I know that some of you do not like that decision and I struggled with that conclusion but ultimately, I decided to stick with it.) On Almerac, the Royal Family is a patriarchal bloodline. Only males were seen fit to rule and females like Maxima were seen as a disgrace. Maxima is very powerful and J'onn is as well even though he hasn't ever really been pushed to his limits. (Lifting entire skyscrapers with his mind during Zod's attack was the closest that he had ever been.) In my mind, they are equal in power. They are both psionics and both strong though not as strong as Diana and Kal. Maxima does hold the arrogance that she holds in the comics. When reading J'onn's mind, she saw that he was from Earth. Her reaction was one of disgust because an earthling was weak and unworthy. (J'onn only showed her what he wanted her to see. He is powerful; he has played mind games with Kal, a Kryptonian that has incredible telepathic defenses and fine-tuned his craft until he has advanced to a mastery of telepathy that has never been witnessed before. Maxima, while a strong telepath, has nowhere near that amount of control over her abilities.) She is infatuated with the Kryptonians because she was regaled with the stories of their power while she was growing up.

J'onn, understandably, is upset because of that revelation and Kal arrives at the worst possible moment. I am certain that some of you thought that both brother's reactions during their quarrel were extremely out of character, but I disagree. Both of them were raw. Their emotions had gone haywire and they could not think logically. Their vision of reality, specifically J'onn's, had become skewed enough for him to attack Kal in absolute, poisonous rage. He has always been weaker than Kal. He cannot hold a candle to Kal in terms of sheer, raw physical power. He was scorned on Earth because of his appearance while his brother wasn't derided as much because he looked human. For two years, he wandered the universe until he eventually stumbled upon Ma'aleca'andra and saw, through his own eyes, the remnants of his civilization; the Eradication of the Manhunters from Ma'aleca'andra. The Kryptonians wiped out J'onn's home… his people. Kal is all that remains of the Kryptonians and J'onn's anger shifted towards his brother. He brings up their parents, the Kents because that is something that J'onn has always felt anger over. The last time they were all together before the tornado, Kal was acting like a complete asshole. The last memory J'onn has of the four of them together was tainted because of Kal. He has never told Kal that and has ignored the problem which makes it that much worse. Stuffing your feelings never works and eventually, something will happen that bursts the dam that holds all those negative emotions. Needless to say, J'onn unloaded a lot onto his brother at the worst possible moment.

Kal had been hurting ever since J'onn left Earth and as a result, became somewhat resentful over his brother's decision. Both brothers' ugly sides rose up and made their presence known potently. Things were said and J'onn pretty much disowned his brother multiple times, declaring that they weren't brothers, immediately regretting his harsh words to him but it was too late. Kal teleported away while J'onn was left to stew in self-loathing.

**Bruce Wayne was finally confronted by Selina and Alfred - double team! - about his crusade against Kal. They desperately attempted to break through his psychotic viewpoint but it was ineffective. I used some of the dialogue from Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman for Bruce. Personally, I liked and also disliked BvS' Lex Luthor and I thought that some of those lines fit in perfectly with this Bruce Wayne. Bruce is constantly haunted by the Knightmare in which he observed the future that Earth was headed towards. In that future, Kal was a monster; he had no anchor to Earth since Diana died and J'onn hadn't returned. Bruce is obsessed with killing Kal because he saw Kal murder Selina and his unborn son right in front of Bruce just like his parents and Jason were murdered right in front of him. That triggers flashbacks and those feelings will return, except this time, they are increased tenfold. It honestly really makes sense for a man as mentally disturbed as Bruce Wayne.

Honestly, in my opinion, Bruce Wayne/Batman is as insane as the Joker - at least, he's pretty close. Think about it: the Joker dresses up like a clown and runs around shooting/stabbing people in order to prove that the world has no rules. Batman dresses up like a bat and runs around at night beating/maiming people in a never-ending, self-restoring war on crime. The Joker took a lovestruck girl under his wing and had her dress up like a harlequin to help him in his crime. Batman took multiple lost boys - and a couple of girls, too - under his wing and had them dress up as brightly-colored birds in order to aid his war on crime. The Joker feels an obsessive compulsion to kill as a result of trauma. Batman feels an obsessive compulsion to save lives as a result of trauma. After all, what kind of sane guy dresses up like a bat and jumps off of rooftops?

Nobody, at least to my knowledge, has really acknowledged that everyone in the Batman universe is insane. Untreated, indulged, and perverted mental illness is the central thread in the entire Batman universe and its pantheon of villains. The Joker? A complete, certifiable lunatic. The Riddler? A delusional narcissist with a god complex. The Penguin? A psychotic schizophrenic with a Napoleon complex. Poison Ivy? A delusional psychopath with genocidal ambitions. Gotham itself is a playground for the insane and seems designed to amplify mental illness. It's a fatalistic version of Manhattan - filthier and darker. But quite possibly the biggest lunatic of them all is actually Batman himself, a man who never got over seeing his parents gunned down before his eyes as a kid. He is now a man who then copes by dressing up in a ridiculous suit, standing on top of buildings and overlooking the city at night, and then beating up thugs, rapists, killers, and supervillains as part of some sort of self-medicated therapy.

In this story, Bruce Wayne has been broken by Amanda Waller and everything that he has experienced - such as the Joker raping and then killing his son, Jason Todd. He has broken and has thus killed, which I think is so much more realistic than his outrageous 'code,' but that's beside the point. Bruce has been flattened out; he has no humanity nor faith in the good remaining. He is lost and the only thing that makes sense at this moment is that Superman will bring an apocalyptic future; his future son and wife/lover will be murdered by the alien - just as Jason was by the Joker. He is a lunatic who is also extremely high-functioning, so I wanted that to be apparent because that is a realistic depiction of Batman, in my opinion, and it was shown in Batman v Superman, although not to the degree that I'm doing it, or what I will do.

I thought that BvS was so excellent for Batman and it actually made me like Batman again, mostly. In the movie, he follows a philosophy; he constantly talks about trying to define his own meaning in his life in an irrational world, presenting the world around him as meaningless and one in which he defines his own meaning. Throughout BvS, he emphasizes his futile actions and his existentialist views: "This may be the only thing I do that matters", "Criminals are like weeds, Alfred. Pull one up another grows in its place", "I bet your parents taught you that you mean something, that you're here for a reason. My parents taught me a different lesson, dying in the gutter for no reason at all." And due to everything that happened - Robin's death, Wayne employees' deaths, parents' deaths - he sees his actions and the world around him as pointless and irrational. With the arrival of Superman, Bruce sees not only another meaningless tragedy in the Battle of Metropolis but also sees what he thinks is a threat to his existence and existentialist view. His view is also reflected in where he loses his prior moral rules and starts to kill and brand criminals. He has fallen and is no longer holding himself to an objective moral standard as he had before. The film shows Batman's hypocrisy as he criticizes Superman for some of the very things that he does, showing that any of Batman's attempts at moral judgments conflict against his existentialist view, as existentialism assumes that there are no objective moral values and that people create their own meaning. In fact, Batman's views through most of the film are criticized by characters around him and by the film itself.

Then, by the end of the film, his journey is wrapped up beautifully; he changes to a view of moral realism. After seeing and being on the battlefield fighting with a messenger of objective good in Superman against a messenger of objective evil in Doomsday, Batman comes into the light both symbolically and literally. In the last scene with Lex in prison, Batman refuses to kill or brand Lex when Lex definitely deserved it. He gives a speech to Wonder Woman where he affirms objective moral duties. He says: "I've failed him in life. I won't fail him in death." By saying that, he recognizes that what he has done through most of the film was wrong and that he is trying to move forward and do better. He says that as a statement, inferring what he did in the past was morally wrong and a failure to the morally good Superman. Then Batman says some really good lines: "Men are still good. We fight, we kill, and we betray one another. But we can rebuild, we can do better. We will. We have to." Bruce states here that rebuilding and doing better is morally superior to killing, fighting, and betrayal. He also says 'We have to' meaning that he thinks that people have a moral duty to fulfill objective moral values and duties, clearly illustrating his new view of moral realism. This is a clear contrast to earlier in the film when he didn't think that he had thus duty, showing that he has completed his arc.

Now, there is no way that I can write such a compelling arc like that because I will be changing quite a few things in this story because things and backgrounds are different and because I'm nowhere near as good a writer as Terrio and Goyer and Snyder are. Also, those realizations came from a lot of watching and reading what others have, too, realized. Above, it is an amalgamation of all of that, taken from various sources.

In the simulation that Bruce created, which is based on the Batman v Superman prequel comics, Hydrogen warheads are detonated on Superman. Just as he thinks Supes is dead, Bruce watches as Superman becomes stronger. The reason why the Hydrogen bombs made him stronger was that of the amount of radiation - which is the same as how nuclear fusion powers the sun except even stronger because it is gamma radiation - that close caused his body to create more energy until he was brimming with absolute power.

**Lex Luthor is back and we learn of his reasons for hating Kal. A grudge that left its mark on the President because teenagers are so stupid sometimes, Lex included. In my mind, Athena is curious about humans with a brilliant mind and Lionel Luthor was definitely one of these individuals, so she would be willing for him to be part of her experiment. Eventually, Lex was born after Athena masqueraded as a prostitute to get close to the illustrious billionaire, Lionel Luthor. I know that Athena was one of the virgin goddesses in mythology, but I've changed a few things up. She, by no means, is a whore or sleeps around with anyone with legs; she simply wanted to speak with Lionel Luthor. That was the only way to truly attract his attention because he was of the elite. A regular woman wouldn't grab his attention, but a prostitute who he ordered would.

Lex stays in Smallville for four years before shit hits the fan. He truly cared for the Kents and Kal and J'onn. They became the family that he had never known he yearned for. Eventually, he became suspicious of Kal and J'onn because of their blatant lies and after a while, witnessed Kal destroy a door handle and repair it using his heat vision. J'onn then erased the memory from Lex's mind but when Ares revealed himself, Lex learned how to draw on Athena's light and as a result, the erased memory resurfaced and he knew the truth. In case you were wondering, all of Athena's previous experiments died young because of their racing mind and they probably killed themselves. Lex was getting that way and was sent away by Lionel Luthor who didn't want to deal with his 'crazy' son. Lex was able to cope and find skills necessary to deal with it thanks to J'onn and Martha Kent - and maybe J'onn used his telepathy to soothe. Who knows?

**Kal arrives back to Earth just in time to watch Luthor's speech about his capture and execution. Superman has just become public enemy number one. Boy, Kal has had the worst day imaginable. Thankfully, Diana, who is understandably upset, is there to ease his sorrow, his burden. The action intensified and Kal and Diana are going to have their hands full!

Well, that's everything; I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you think about it! I would really appreciate it!

Stay Safe
ButtonPusher