New Gods of Olympus

Chapter 9

(Central City)

Wally looked around as things began to go south quick. So far Hephaestus had helped him by telling him the weaknesses of the massive weapons Darkseid's forces were bringing into his city, but even with the help of the blacksmith god he was finding it harder and harder to keep up. He felt fortunate that Kid Flash — Bart — was there to help him, but even with the other speedster he was finding it almost impossible to stop the rampage the flooding the streets. Of course, he did have two gods who were battling beside him. He looked over at Hephaestus and watched as his massive hammer swung down onto a Parademon, killing it and then slamming backward into another, caving its chest in.

The sound of a helicopter above him caught his attention and he looked in time to see someone reporting on what was going on. He knew that it was Linda, his Linda, in the up there, but he prayed that he was wrong. Please let her not be out here in this mess.

(Above Central City – News Channel 25 Helicopter)

"This is the scene of a massive inter-dimensional invasion that is happening not only here, but apparently around the world. Channel 25 News has received word from our Metropolis affiliate station, Channel 13 News, that the invasion is in fact being caused by the tyrant Darkseid. Many of you may remember that Darkseid captured and brainwashed Superman almost ten years ago. That action has labelled the tyrant one of the most — if not the most — dangerous being alive," Linda Park–West said as she watched the battle below her.

Be careful, Wally... Don't make me think that I've lost you again, Linda thought as she looked at the battle happening below.

She looked up in time to see eight parademons grabbing a hold of the helicopter. They pulled and began to rip the flying vehicle apart. She heard the groan of the steel as it tore and gave way. Suddenly Dave, her pilot, was torn out of the helicopter and sent flying down to what would certainly be his death. Instead of freaking out, Linda grabbed the controls and tried to right the now damaged and failing helicopter. She heard the sound of something breaking and saw the tail of the helicopter go flying off in the distance. She felt the machine fight her as it began to spin. There was no place for her to land, and for a moment... She almost felt peaceful.

What did that thing off of Farscape say? Oh yeah, "Fear comes with the uncertainty of death, peace comes with the realization of its certainty", she thought as the ground began to come up fast toward her.

Moments later she felt the helicopter lower softly to the ground and looked out to see Wally. He had created a pocket of air to lower her safely to the ground, but as she looked at him she could see the terrible shape he was in. His handsome face had been lacerated, parts of his 'costume' had been torn, almost looking like it had been blasted away. She traced a long 'cut' that looked more like a tear down his left abb. Not caring if anyone saw she kissed him deeply and held on to him for a moment.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but, Wally- What about you? I've... I've never seen you this beaten up before," she said as she looked at him.

"You know me, I'm fine. I'm just rolling with the punches," he joked weakly before his face became uncharacteristically serious, "Linda... You need to get out of here, and stay out. I don't care if it means your job. You mean too much to me for something to happen to you," he said softly.

She nodded and stepped back. Almost as fast as he'd gotten there, he scooped her up into his arms and she felt the wind racing past her. It was just like Wally to do this. To get her out of danger, to protect her, to be arrogant enough to believe that he was the only one who could protect her. She watched him as he left and she sat down. The National Guard Armoury he'd brought her to was far enough away from the battle that she most likely wouldn't be hurt. She felt her face scrunch up as worry entered her mind.

"Please God... Please... I haven't even got to tell him yet. He doesn't know that I'm pregnant. Don't make our babies grow up with a father," she prayed softly.

(Gotham City – On top of Saint Michael's)

Bruce growled as he saw Galatea. The memories of what she had done while under CADMUS's control was still fresh. While he had not been there to witness any of it first-hand, he knew the reports, the video, and the injuries that Steel and Atom had suffered — and all of it had been at the hands of Galatea.

"What is she doing here?" he barked.

"She's standing right here, and I'm not leaving. I'm going to help with this, old man, because for one D- Nightwing saved my life, and secondly you're going to need my help," she said smugly.

"Fine. Mr Miracle, stick with her. The vision that Apollo showed us is too important to ignore. She'll need help. Nightwing, take the left side of the Narrows, Batgirl, Galatea, stay close to Dick and listen to him. He's in command except when there is a direct order from me. Hera, Donna, Diana, and myself will take the right side and the Burrows," Bruce said.

"What about the financial district? I agree that it's going to hit the Narrows, hell it always does, but the banks and everything else will be open targets for any crook that is looking around," Dick said.

"Selina… I know that you're there," Bruce said.

"Awwwww… You remembered little old me," she said as she stepped out from the shadows.

"Stick to the rooftops, make sure that anyone who attempts to get the jump on us from there doesn't get that chance. As for the financial district, it will have to be fine on its own."

With that, the group separated.

(Gotham City – Narrows)

It was almost funny to Dick. Everything that happened in Gotham usually happened around or in the Narrows. The Joker had killed or at least appeared to have killed Jason Todd here, Galatea had been captured and forced to fight in a 'meta brawl' here, and then the fury, who fought against his mentor, was now fighting with them, had tried to kill them all here as well. Dick jumped as a blast from a charged plasma weapon hit the side of an older apartment building and destroyed the brick and mortar. He jumped and sailed over the Parademon almost as if he was once again in the circus and easily landed behind it, throwing three explosive wings. The batarang-like weapons lodged into the back of it and exploded, causing it to slam forward into the apartment it just fired on.

"So... This your idea of a date?" Galatea asked as she threw a parademon into another one and watched the two lower New Gods as they collapsed.

"No, this is the workout before the date," he said with a smirk.

"Okay, quit the banter and stay on target," Barbara said as she jumped out of the way of Mad Harriet.

The Fury almost sliced Barbara opened before a strong hand grabbed her wrist and she whirled around to see a dark headed beauty wearing what almost looked like a bathing suit standing there.

"A little under-dressed aren't we?" she asked before she jumped forward and then was laid out.

"No training indeed... Phillipus was more of a challenge," Donna grumbled as she turned toward the sound of pounding footsteps.

(Half a block down)

Hera watched Bruce as he fought beside Diana. The first-born princess seemed almost natural in this state. She matched the blows and the strikes coming from the fury. Finally the raven-headed fury screamed in anger and lashed out with a long metal cord. It wrapped around Diana's arm and the fury smirked in almost a feral way as electrical current raced through the metal cord and into Diana. Instead of falling, Diana pulled the cord and the fury toward her. She slammed her fist into the fury's face and sent her sailing back into a building.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... You always played so rough with the others didn't you, my little Diana?" Granny Goodness said as she neared the Amazon.

"You! You killed my mother!" Diana seethed as she circled the older god.

"Ahhh... So your memory has surfaced. Well, I can fix that. I can fix it so that you will want to serve Darkseid again. After all you where his most loyal pawn. Do you remember the way you use to dote on him? I believe that somewhere deep inside you actually believed that you had the makings of a queen," Granny Goodness said before a thunderous slap knocked the New God away from Diana.

Hera stood before Granny Goodness, holding a massive sword. The Goddess no longer wore her chiton instead she wore full battle armour. Her eyes narrowed at the older-looking god.

"You will not touch her again. Your tricks and torture have failed you, frail one, and I will not allow a second chance to come about," Hera said with anger evident in her voice.

"Who said anything about allowing? You can't stop me, no more than you could stop Lord Darkseid from taking your home from you," Granny Goodness said with a smirk.

Hera growled in anger and began to charge before she realized that she was doing exactly what Granny Goodness wanted. She stopped, but it wouldn't have been in time if not for a grapple shooting out and wrapping around her waist. She felt herself being pulled back and in that moment she realized that Batman had saved her. In Granny Goodness' hands was a sword, but it wasn't any sword. It was the same sword that Zeus had used to kill several titans, it was the same that he planned on using against Darkseid, and unlike other swords it could and would kill a god or goddess.

(Metropolis – Near the Daily Planet)

Conner Kent looked, hoping to see Clark somewhere, anywhere, but he was gone — along with the goddess who had accompanied him. Conner instead stepped back and looked at Steel. The two of them nodded and began fighting against the new gods. They heard something and looked to see a being moving so fast that even to Conner it appeared as if the being was nothing more than a blur. It stopped and smirked.

"So, since the two of you know this city better than I... Where shall we start?" Hermes asked.

"Let's start with your name," Steel said.

"The name is Hermes, Messenger of the gods," Hermes stated before he moved quickly again and disabled a few Parademons.

"We can't let him have all of the fun," Conner said as he smirked and began to jump into the fight as well.

(Gotham)

Diana didn't wait for Hera to be attacked. This creature, whatever she was, had murdered her mother in cold blood. Lady Hera was now the closest thing to a parent she had. She would not allow her to be slaughtered like Hippolyta. Without waiting for Hera to be attacked, Diana swung into action. With a roar of anger, she lost all sense of perspective – or indeed sense. There didn't exist anything outside of herself and Granny Goodness. She put everything she had into every single blow. She kicked, punched, slashed with her blade, headbutted – anything she could. Such was the ferocity of her attack that it took Granny more than a little time to regain her ground. She had trained Diana in combat – but she had trained the Fury. Facing the Amazon was unexpected. If it were not for the knowledge that Ares was long destroyed utterly, Granny would have thought the god of war now lived in Diana.

The princess remained completely unaware of the many parademons and other Furies closing in around her. Fortunately, Donna, Hera, Batman and the other heroes had her back. They weren't having an easy time of it though. Mad Harriet, in particular, seemed almost desperate to get to Diana and rip her spine out through her mouth. It was taking both Donna and Bruce to stop her doing just that. But the Furies, no matter how well they had been trained, were few, and the Justice League were many. They were beaten back eventually, forced into a corner. Diana still had not noticed. And she was in danger, her sister saw, of utterly exhausting herself. Berserk could easily give way to enervation, and then even fits after that. Granny was also nearly dead. She was no longer fighting back, and there was barely an inch of her which could be seen without some kind of laceration or bleed.

"Diana, enough!" Donna cried.

Diana, busy stamping a hole through several of Granny's ribs, did not look up.

"Diana, we have to go and help the others!"

Donna got closer, then grabbed her sister by the arms. She kept kicking. Seeing her still unheeding, eyes still wild with incomprehensible rage, Batman threw a paralysing batarang at Diana. It took only a few seconds before taking effect, during which the princess had not the slightest change of expression before she collapsed into Donna's arms.

Hera tightened her grip on her sword, stalking toward the battered Furies. "I will not beat you to death," she said, "but I will bring it to you nonetheless."

Too late – Mad Harriet produced a mother box from nowhere and activated it. There was a burst of light, and the survivors of Darkseid's forces were gone.

Batman spoke first. Looking down at the unconscious form of Diana, he had only one word. "Sloppy."

(Central City)

Hephaestus smirked as the machines he had designed lay in ruin. Already a full third of the ground troops Darkseid had sent had fallen in battle and the feeling of retribution flooded through him. Each time he struck one of the lower gods, one of the parademons, as he had once heard Desaad call them, he felt an immense amount of pleasure rip through him. He turned to see his love holding a sword and looking like poetry in motion herself. Although she wasn't known for it Aphrodite was actually quite skilled in combat. It wasn't something that any other god including Ares had taught her, but instead it was something that he had shown her.

"They're withdrawing!" Barda shouted as she laughed.

Just as the new god declared the remaining Parademons, and higher gods drew back into the boom tubes that brought them there.

"I wonder if this is happening everywhere..." Wally said as he sat down on a curb.

(Apokolips – Dungeons.)

The Mother-Box that Clark had used seemed to be focused in on the lower part of the dark palace. He looked around and realized that he had been here before. This was the place where Darkseid had begun to strip him of all he was and rebuild him into a pawn. He almost growled at the offensive memory when Artemis held her hand out and stopped him. She looked deeper into the dungeons and motioned for him to follow. She walked quickly not losing stride and stopped in front of a cell. She slammed her fist into it causing a dent, but not doing much else. Clark stepped up and unleashed his heat vision on the door, causing it to turn a bright cherry red, and then to become white hot. The door melted and Clark stepped through it to see a woman propped up against the wall. Beside her was a tall blond headed man. His ocean blue eyes looked troubled, uncertain, but it was the child in the woman's lap who captured Clark's attention. He had dark hair, blue eyes…and looked remarkably like his father at that age.

"Persephone! What are you doing here?" Artemis asked as she looked at the goddess propped against the wall.

"They wished to keep Hades' allegiance. I've been subject to their hospitality for some time now," the Queen of the Underworld said in low whisper.

"Come, we shall take you out and away from here," Artemis said as she helped the goddess to her feet.

Deciding that they needed to return to Earth, Clark opened another boomtube and they stepped into it as Kalibrak and his invading forces were retreating. Clark called for a teleportation for Artemis, Posiden, and Persephone. The moment they left he moved toward Jonah, crouching down in front of the little boy. He looked more than a little intimidated. "Jonah? Do you know who I am?"

"You- You're my father, aren't you? Kal-El."

"That's right. Now, I don't want to hurt you, and I won't make you do anything you don't want to — but me and my wife have been talking about you a lot at home. And she wants you to come live with us. She wants you to be part of our family, and I want that too. Do you think you want that as well?"

Hesitantly, slowly, the little boy nodded. Clark smiled and held out his hand to his son, who took it with a smile. They headed toward the apartment Clark and Lois shared in Metropolis, and when they got there, Lois was waiting. Clark didn't need to know her as well as he did to see the sadness which filled her. Guilt twisted his inside once more — he knew how much Jonah looked like him. But then guilt and love mingled as his love didn't let a single ounce of that sadness show on her beautiful face. She just stretched out both her hands. Jonah went to her without any prompting.

"Are you gonna be my new mommy?"

"If you want me to be."

"I think so," the little boy nodded.

Lois beamed, and enfolded their son into her arms, hugging him tightly. And while Clark wanted nothing more than to join them, he couldn't. This war wasn't over yet, and Metropolis — along with every other city in the world — was not yet safe. "I have to go. They still need me out there."

Lois, used to it, only nodded, but Jonah bit his lip, obviously worried. Clark motioned him closer. "Jonah, I'll be back as soon as I can, but for now, you'll be safe with Lois, okay?"

"Okay. Be careful — Daddy."

(Watch Tower – Council Room – Several hours later.)

The news from all around the globe was coming in. The death toll was in the tens of thousands; homes, schools, businesses, and other forms of property lay in ruin, but even with it all this bad, it was still better than what Apollo had seen. Each hero and the gods with them had made a point to help the survivors. While it was a victory, and for the moment Darkseid was defeated, they knew it wasn't the last they had heard of the tyrant. The meeting disbanded and the heroes and gods began to move throughout the Watchtower together.

(Watchtower – cafeteria the following day)

Donna looked at the beverage in her hand. She was unsure of what to make of it, but Wally and Shayera had both told her that it was good. She took her first sip and her eyes lit up as she realized that this had to be nectar of the gods. She decided that iced mocha was something that she was going to drink regularly from now on. A tap on her shoulder got her attention and she turned to see Wally holding a mini television and on the screen a male reporter, who had been reporting on the battle between the new gods and the Batclan, was showing her as she fought in her red, blue and gold armour.

"Along with members of the Justice League this woman… A Wonder Woman if you will, appeared and helped push back the invasion…." he said as he continued to report the news.

"Wondy, looks like you have a new name," Wally said as he smiled and then zipped off.

"Wonder Woman? Really?" Donna asked in disbelief.

She heard Hephaestus laughing and turned to see him telling what had happened in Central City. Hephaestus let out a roar of laughter as he told how Darkseid's troops had pulled back and left shortly after their weapons had been destroyed. He looked to see his wife engaged in conversation with Athena, Barda, and Scott Free.

"It was exhilarating, sister! There are few times that I felt so alive, except for when I fully gave myself to Hephaestus, but battling those lesser gods, turning them away from that city, and then watching them return to their world with their tails between their legs it was almost better than sex. Almost," Aphrodite added with a smile.

(Watchtower – Halls)

Bruce could see that something was bothering Diana. She seemed focused, but at the same time she almost seemed lost unto herself. He followed her as she entered into the training room and followed the instructions that J'onn had told her about sitting up the simulations. Getting it going she began to battle the bots designed to look like the furies.

(Watchtower – Training Room)

The fresh memory of what happened was still burned into Diana's mind. She had almost avenged her mother. The 'creature' that had turned her world upside down, that had taken her mother's life, and that had caused her to lose so much of her own life had almost paid for her actions with her life. She hadn't been awake to see, but Donna had informed her that the furies escaped along with Granny Goodness. Still enraged she slammed her fist into another training bot which was set to look like 'Granny'. Her fist rammed through it as she tore out the spine of the bot. She didn't hear the door open, nor did she see or pay attention to the visitor until he spoke.

"You need to calm down."

Diana looked over, annoyed, to the figure approaching her. "If you don't you're going to put the entire team in danger."

"As long as I get to rip Granny's head off, I don't care what I do," she growled.

"Then you're off the mission," Batman said immediately.

"How dare you-"

"Easily," he answered. "If you can't control your anger then you're as much of a problem as Darkseid. It makes you sloppy, and it makes you the weakest link in the chain. We are only as strong as our weakest link."

"So what do you suggest?" she snarled. "That I simply turn off my anger?"

"Until this is over, yes."

She balled her fists. "You have no right to tell me how to feel. You have no idea what it's like to-"

"My parents were murdered in front of me when I was eight years old."

Temporarily silenced, Diana soon recovered herself. There had been a blanket lack of emotion in his tone, but it had been a brutal sentence. She looked at him; all she saw was her own face reflected in white lenses. "Is that true?"

He studied her for a moment, then removed the cowl which covered his face. Diana was confronted by a pair of blue eyes set in handsome face – blue eyes which were shadowed with grief and long-buried pain. Just as she had seen the truth in Donna's eyes, it was there in this man's. He wasn't lying. When he spoke again, his tone was softer even if his words weren't.

"I know exactly what you're feeling. I also know that if you go to Apokolips, it's because you want justice for the wrongs to your people. Not revenge for your mother, or anyone else. Understand?"

She nodded. She stepped out of the training room and began to walk toward the quarters that had been given to her. As she walked the thoughts of what had happened in the battle, and what happened in the training room filled her mind. Batman had suffered loss similar to her own. Yet somehow he was able to reign in his emotions. The way he seemed to do this almost seemed as if he was blessed by Athena herself. She looked up and realized that she had been standing outside of her quarters for about ten minutes already.

She removed the black and gray training suit she had been given and walked into the shower. The feeling of the warm water cascading down her back began to relax her. She stopped moving when she heard the door to her quarters open. She waited for a moment for some kind of noise.

"Di, you busy?" her sister's voice asked through the closed bathroom door.

"I'm bathing, well… showering. I'll be out in a moment." She said as she finished and then grabbed a large fluffy white towel and wrapped around herself and then wrapped another similar towel around her hair.

Diana stepped out of the shower and looked at her sister who was dressed in a chiton. Diana smiled as she neared Diana realizing how much seeing her sister dressed like this brought back memories of Themyscira, their mother, and life before Darkseid invaded. She sat on the bed and watched as Donna offered her an apple.

"Thank you," Diana said as she took the large red apple and bit into it.

"Was there something else you needed besides offering me a piece of fruit?" Diana asked after she swallowed her first bite.

"I wanted to know if you were alright, Diana. I was worried that you might be letting your quest for vengeance get to you... To be honest when I saw you fight that 'god' earlier I have never seen such anger. I would have believed that Menhit had filled you with her holy if not that I knew that she and the other gods and goddess remained behind in Bana-Mighdall," Donna said as she looked at Diana.

"Actually I was still lost in my desire to separate Granny Goodness' head from her shoulders, but…Batman talked to me. I realized that I am not alone," she said as she saw the confusion on her sister's face.

"Allow me to explain. Not alone not only in family, but also in those who have witnessed the pain and loss that we've witnessed. He shared the pain he witnessed, but it does not control him — rather he uses it to maintain focus. I want vengeance, but before that I want justice. I want the wrongs done to our people righted," Diana said as she looked at Donna.

Batman did that? How… how could a man understand the kind of loss we've suffered — that Diana has suffered? Perhaps the way Phillipus and Antiope think of men is not correct. Or at least not completely correct, Donna thought The sound of her sister talking caught Donna's attention and she turned to Diana only to realize that her sister was looking at her in the same manner Phillipus did when she wasn't paying attention to her swordplay. She smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head.

"I'm sorry, Diana, I was lost in thought. Though, if you want to get dressed I would like to introduce you to a new drink I found out about. Believe me it is perhaps the best thing that I have ever tasted." Donna said.

Within minutes Diana was dressed in a chiton and followed her sister to the cafeteria. Following Donna's example she ordered an iced mocha and the two of them sat down together. Diana made a little pleased moan as she took her first sip and then began to drink the drink with more gusto. She stopped after a moment and looked at Donna.

"Sister… I have a question. That…false god spoke to me in a familiar way. I would shrug it off believeing that she was merely attempting to fool me, but I feel as if there are things that I can't remember. Things that perhaps I don't want to remember." Diana said.

Donna looked at her and knew that she couldn't lie to Diana. Not only would her sister know if she was lying, but her sister decided to know the truth, so she gave her the truth from her own perspective.

"Diana… I don't know what happened to you on Apokolips, but I promise you that it will not happen again, whatever it was," Donna said.

The sisters finished their drinks and Diana rose from her spot. She smiled softly to Donna and began to walk down the hall. She saw Superman and stopped to talk to him for a moment. In that moment she can sense a hidden resentment he has for her. A deep-seated hate that he forces down, and at the same time there is an uncanny amount of sympathy. They speak for a few minutes, but it is obvious that he wants to leave. She helps end the conversation and wonders why it is that he despises her and pities her.

(Watchtower – Atrium – Three hours later)

The gods and goddess all seemed to made their way back to what was their unofficial meeting place. Hera looked at those around her and decided to bring up what she had been thinking about already.

"With Darkseid defeated perhaps it is time to reclaim Olympus," Hera states.

That in itself has the attention of the other gods, but it Athena who speaks first.

"My Queen, we would all like to return to Olympus, but we must not be too hasty. The fact remains that Darkseid may have left traps, and who knows what else there. Before we move in we need to search it, discover what has been tainted, left as a traps, and the like until we are certain that it holds no threat to us. Besides that the council needs to be rebuilt. We've lost so many of our numbers already. Phobos, Zeus, Ares, and Demeter are dead. I myself cannot return to being the goddess of wisdom. Where there was once cold logic, there is heated anger, where there was once virtue, there is a knowledge of physical pleasure and the desire for more of it. I cannot reclaim my place, but I shall take my brother's. I will become the goddess of war," Athena declared.

As they spoke, Artemis stewed over what had happened. She had saved Posiden and Persephone, but it had cost her the vengeance she craved. She didn't notice Persephone as the goddess talked to her, but she felt the hand upon her shoulder and turned toward Persephone. The heated stewing anger already risen inside of her found itself focused on the wife of Hades.

"This is your husband's fault! He was not content with his place and look at what has happened! Athena's virtue was traded so that she could one day see us free, I was tortured by an insane 'god' by the creatures I am supposed to control! My brother was left at the tender mercies of the Titans, Aphrodite suffered the torture of Prometheus, and Hephaestus was led to believe that Aphrodite was whoring herself to stop the torture each day. Whatever Darkseid did to you is nothing, nothing compared to what Hades deserves, and since he is not here… I will take my vengeance out on you!" Artemis said as she slapped Persephone hard knocking the goddess to the ground.

"GET UP!" Artemis shouted.

Tears welled in Persephone's eyes as she looked at the goddess of the hunt. A thundering voice stopped Artemis. She looked to see Hera standing there with her eyes narrowed. "Leave her alone. The sins of her husband are not hers," Hera said. "I will have my vengeance, my Queen, if not on her then on her husband," Artemis said as she backed down.

Persephone turns to look at Hera and hugs herself to keep from crying. She knew why Hades had done what he had done, and she knew why he didn't raise up to save them either. That was the original plan. He would free the titans and use their strengths to push the new god and his forces back. But Darkseid had captured her and used Hades' love for her against him. As she looked into Hera's eyes she began to weep. The Queen of the gods asked her what was wrong and she told her everything that happened and was meant to happen.

Hades… It was a foolish move, my brother. A foolish move that still demands punishment, but I understand now. I understand the reason for not coming to our aid. Persephone would have been killed and her essence would be lost to even you, Hera thought as she looked at the younger goddess.

"Child, I understand the reasoning, but I will not forestall his punishment. Know however that your words have weakened my anger and hate toward him," she said as she kissed Persephone's forehead.

(Metropolis – Lois and Clark's Apartment - Bathroom)

Jonah stepped out from the shower and found some clothes laid out for him. He pulled them on and walked out of the bathroom to see Lois looking at a picture of his father as a child. He walked toward her and could see the sadness in her eyes, but the sadness was overshadowed by the tenderness she displayed toward him. Such kindness startled him, but it was a welcomed startle. He turned when he heard the voice of his father and he sees him dressed in a pair of blue jeans with a black tee shirt.

"Jonah, I want to speak to you," Clark says.

Happy to listen to his father Jonah nears him and sits as his father begins to speak.

"When you were on Apokolips Persephone took all of your torture and kept you hidden. She hid you from Darkseid himself and that is a feat that few have ever done. I don't know how to thank her for it, but I think that the best way to start is for you to have a loving family," Clark says.

Moving toward him Jonah hugs Clark tightly and then backs up slightly.

He turns toward Lois and surprises her with a hug of her own.

"You'll be my mother now right?" he asked.

She could tell the fear in his voice as he asked. The uncertainty he feels of not being sure if he belonged yet. "Yes, of course, sweetheart. I'll be your mother from now on," she whispered as she kissed the top of his head.