Only You

by Arcadia81

The world suffers a devastating loss. Fate puts Diana on a path to finding herself - and possibly love - again.

10. Chapter 10

AN: So sorry for the long delay. It's been a rough few weeks. From dealing with a really bad cold, to writer's block, getting it back and losing most of my writing and starting over, it's been a long journey and so I combined two chapters into one. Hope you like it.

Only You

Part Ten

"It's safe to say Diana isn't here." Donna made the comment as she and J'onn stood in front of a portrait of Kal-El and Diana with twin eight year old boys and twin girl toddlers, "At least not the Diana we know."

Having been on this Earth for only a day, they knew this Earth was very different from their world. For a world that was only ten years older than theirs, it was very advance. There were land cars and hover cars that weren't powered by gasoline, clean oceans, lands, streets and parks. No wars were happening anywhere on the planet and there wasn't a report of any crimes in the short time they've been on this Earth. There was a subtle feeling of peace in the world.

Passing through Metropolis, J'onn and Donna came across a building named Museum of Krypton. They knew they had to check it out.

Before blending in with the public, Donna concealed her lasso and J'onn disguised himself as a white male with sandy brown hair and brown eyes dressed in a dark suit and trench coat. As they made their way into the museum, a few heads turned their way, particularly on Donna.

On the first level were 3-D models of popular landmarks of Kryptonopolis, birthplace of Kal-El. A hologram of a man in Kryptonian robes stood in the center of the room telling the history of the city. While the hologram's information was important, the portrait of Kal-El, Diana and their children got their attention.

"It seems the Diana in this world is married to a Kal-El very different from the man we knew."

"You can say that again," Donna read the biography of Kal-El on a touchscreen under the portrait. "This Kal-El was born on Krypton but he came to Earth as an adult." Donna tapped a video icon on the touchscreen and a 3-D video of Kal-El landing a plane in Metropolis Park played before them. "This is his first appearance."

J'onn continued reading Kal-El's biography. "Kal-El had to prove himself to world he was a good alien. A year before Earth was invaded with White Martians who were living on Earth in secret for years. The invasion, which killed thousands of people, caused the people of Earth to distrust aliens." J'onn read on, "General Sam Lane wanted to kill Kal-El in fear he was like the White Martians. He partnered up with Lex Luthor and the Injustice League to create an evil clone. The clone killed several members of the Justice League but Kal-El with the aide of Diana and, er, me sent the clone into the Phantom Zone."

"General Lane." Donna shook her head. "Seems he hasn't changed."

"He was killed in jail," J'onn read. "Lex Luthor is imprisoned and the Injustice League was disbanded mainly by Kal-El with the help of the Justice League. They are all imprisoned or dead."

Donna tapped the screen. A window of information opened up. "Diana was the leader of the Justice League when Kal-El arrived but she has passed the duties onto you. Uh, J'onn of this world."

J'onn suddenly became rigid. Someone was coming. "We need to go. Now."

"Why?" J'onn's sudden edginess made Donna nervous

"I sense the familiar presence of Kal-El and… myself."

"We need to leave." Donna hoped to avoid this. She and J'onn were so careful on the previous Earths they were on. "We can't risk being caught."

"Too late."

J'onn and Donna turned to see Kal-El and J'onn standing in the doorway. The J'onn of this world looked like J'onn but Kal-El was different. He didn't wear a cape, a skin tight blue suit with red underwear and red boots. The red and blue colors were there but his clothes were more of an alien military design than the traditional uniform heroes wore.

"The curator's right, J'onn," Kal-El said. "He looks human but the bio scan said it was you. His heart beats like yours, too."

"Bio scan?" Donna questioned. "We didn't pass a bio scan."

Kal-El smirked. That's what she thinks. "The doors you pass through when you came in? Kryptonian designed by myself. Not only does it detect for any weapons, it also does a bio scan to make sure you are who you say you are and checks for any criminal backgrounds you may have. Not just anyone can enter my Kryptonian museum."

J'onn added, "And since I have walked among humans in my natural form for years, security naturally thought it was odd I would appear in the Museum of Krypton in disguise."

"That and J'onn was in Australia when he was contacted by security."

J'onn and Donna knew they could fight them and make an escape but it would get ugly and the look in Kal-El's eyes told Donna he wasn't one to play games or take things easy on anyone.

"Who are you?" Kal-El demanded of Donna. "My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world. She doesn't have a twin but you bear a striking resemblance to her and that's impossible considering her origins."

"We are not your enemy," Donna said. "If you give us a chance, we will explain everything."

"All right," Kal-El gave in. "We'll hear your story, but take out that lasso you've got hidden on you." To J'onn he said, "I see you have a weapon on you as well." Kal-El held his hand out. "We'll hold on to it while you tell us your story."

---

"Superman, I wasn't expecting to see you today."

Clark saw Lex reading from a large stack of papers on his desk. From the looks of it, it appeared to be over a thousand pages. "They told me you weren't too busy."

"It's a bill the Senate and House want to pass. I like to know what I am signing. It also gives me a chance to take out whatever they are trying to sneak pass me. So much is hidden in a thousand pages. " Lex put the papers he held in his hand down. "But I can take a break. What's on your mind?"

"Your team has finished the security around my home, Mr. President. I came to thank you personally for sending them and as I've told you before, you can call me Clark."

"Then I insist you call me Lex and you're welcome. You should have privacy and some added security for your farm now. I'm glad you stopped by," Lex rose from his desk. He came around it to face Clark. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

There was something odd in Lex's tone. It didn't sound as if Lex wanted to discuss Justice League business. "What is it?"

"Wonder Woman came by the other day. I know everything. I know about Lex killing Superman in her world."

Whatever Clark was expecting to say, it wasn't that. What's Diana's angle? Why did she tell him? "I see."

A slight smile curved the right corner of Lex's mouth. "I wasn't expecting such a curt reaction. I told Diana I am not that person and she is working on not harboring such feelings for me."

"That's good," Clark kept his voice neutral. "Diana needs to see everyone is not the same from the people in her world."

"At least in that respect. It's not my business but I have to ask." Lex knew he had to choose his words carefully. He didn't want to offend his new friend. "I know you and Diana are a couple. How do you feel knowing the last man she was with looks like you?"

"You mean to say, 'Is Diana with me because I look like her dead husband?'" Clark retorted bluntly. "Yes. I found out and we have ended our relationship. We are waiting for the right time to say it to everyone."

"I…" Lex briefly was at a loss for words. "She told you that?"

"Yes." In the worst possible way. "She tried apologizing but the damage was done."

Lex stepped back, edging closer to his desk. Clark was getting angry. Lex didn't think Clark would accidentally hit him but why risk it? "Maybe it was a mistake?"

"A mistake? It wasn't a mistake. The truth was finally revealed."

Clark's voice was rising. Lex took a strategic step back to sit on the edge of his desk. "As perfect as women tend to be, they do make mistakes. You should give her another chance."

"Why?" Clark didn't understand. "Why would you want me to do that?"

"Because she deserves it and you owe it to her."

"I…." Lex was being too kind. He wouldn't be saying that if he knew everything Clark reasoned. "You don't understand the situation, Lex."

"I believe I understand it just fine. While I don't have the strength and abilities that you do, I have a very keen mind. You have been on this world since a baby and now as a twenty-seven-year-old man you've decided to make your presence known to the world. Usually a man tries to make his mark before if he has the means and you have the means. I can only guess your Earth parents' death held you back. Why else would a man of your abilities be on a farm for so long?" There was something in Clark's eyes. Surprise? Sadness? Guilt? Whatever it was, Lex knew he was right. "I don't know the how or why but Wonder Woman is the key to you coming out to the world as Superman. I am very grateful for that."

How did he read him so easily? Clark thought he was better at hiding his feelings. "Why would you say Diana is the key to me being Superman?"

"The odd disturbances; places of your battles and sonic booms that occurred not too long after Diana arrived. When you met her, I assume you talked about your worlds and learning about the Superman that lived in her world inspired you to be Superman here."

Very close to the mark but Clark denied it. "It didn't happen that way."

"Maybe but Diana is the key to you coming out to the world." No matter how Clark tried to deny it, Lex knew that was the truth. "Like the other Superman, you fell for her and who wouldn't? Her feelings for you were quite natural. You look like her dead love. I don't know how long you and Diana have been a couple but she hasn't been on this Earth long enough to have gotten over her dead husband and completely fall for you in such a short amount of time. Either you are a complete and arrogant idiot to believe that or you are suffering a serious case of denial."

Stunned, Clark didn't move. Lex was certainly a brave man to speak so bluntly to him. That and Lex was a true friend. How else could one describe Lex bravely telling off the strongest man in the world without fear of getting his body broken in half? Clark sat on the desk next to Lex. "Either suggestion doesn't make me look good."

"Sometimes the truth isn't always good." Lex experienced that several times in his life. On some level, he understood what Clark was going through. He also knew Clark needed an honest, true friend right now and Lex was doing his best to be that for Clark. "Whatever happened, Diana is very sorry. I think she is sorry for a lot of things and is trying to amend them. She apologized to me. Even Dinah has commented how softer Diana has become. You accepted Diana with her baggage. You can't end it with her because of what you feared all along might be true."

"Might?" There was no might. It was true.

"Might," Lex said it again. "Everyone has baggage. I have it. Dinah has it. Diana has it and so do you. You can't pick and choose what you want and don't want in a relationship. It doesn't work that way."

"I don't think that way but what Diana did is unforgivable. You don't understand, Lex."

Lex knew enough. "A man's second head always clouds his judgment."

Clark snapped his head at Lex. He peered at Lex wondering just how much he knew. Surely, Diana didn't tell Lex that.

Chief of Staff Gushen entered the room. "Mr. President?"

Lex nodded his head at his Chief of Staff. "You took the chance to be with Diana. You can't run when it gets too tough or you can't be Superman."

Lex left the room with his Chief of Staff and Clark was left with his own thoughts.

---

Lila didn't expect to see Diana at her doorstep again. After their last encounter, she thought Diana would stay away. In Lila's mind, Diana didn't have a chance with Clark now. He was hers now.

"Looking for Clark again?"

"I know he's not here. I came to talk to you."

There was something different about Diana. She wasn't as weak or vulnerable when they last saw each other. Lila knew Diana and Clark hadn't gotten back together. When Clark was over for lunch yesterday, he was adamant he and Diana were over but was waiting for the right time to announce it.

Lila stepped out of her home and closed the door. "We'll talk outside." Lila walked Diana behind her home. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"I would like you to give up pursuing Clark."

Lila narrowed her eyes at Diana. The arrogance of this woman! "And why would I do that? Clark is a free man. A man free from your evil spell."

Diana maintained her cool. This will be the first of many venom Lila was sure to spew at her. "I don't want you getting your hopes up with Clark, Lila. I made a mistake with Clark but I won't give him up. I want him."

"You should give up. You had your chance."

"We're women. We shouldn't fight over a man. We should be friends." Diana knew that would not happen with her and Lila but she wanted to be civil with the woman.

Lila scoffed. "Oh, come off it! You don't want to be friends with me anymore than I want to be friends with you. You think you can ensnare Clark in your web again? Forget it. You can't! He's mine and if I were physically able, I would beat that in you!"

"Lila, what is it that you have to offer Clark?" It was a simple question. "You've known Clark for years and yet you couldn't break through his walls. You couldn't get close to him to know his deepest secrets. You couldn't help him where I could. You are only a temporary escape like a drug, alcohol or a one night stand."

One night stand. It angered Lila even more she never had that with Clark and it was because of Diana.

"Bitch!" Lila slapped Diana. The action was foolish for Lila grabbed her stinging hand. Diana stepped to Lila and she moved back. "Get away from me!"

"Lila," Diana said gently. "I only want to save you from disappointment. If Clark doesn't forgive me and turn to you, your relationship won't last long."

"Disappointment? Ha! You're trying to get in my head. It won't work! Leave my home and never come here again! I won't give up Clark!"

There was no way to reason with Lila. Diana accepted she couldn't change her mind. I tried. Diana flew away, her destination uncertain. She didn't want it to be this way but she knew Lila was heading for heartbreak. Diana knew she faced that as well if she couldn't get Clark to forgive her.

---

Clark was consumed with his thoughts throughout the Justice League meeting. Lex words of wisdom weighed heavily on his mind. Did Diana deserve another chance? He wasn't an arrogant idiot he knew that but perhaps he was in denial and a fool in love. Diana had the floor but he wasn't listening. Looking at her, he could only think of their night together and hear her say that name.

Kal.

That's all he could hear.

Kal.

Clark closed his eyes and could still hear Diana say that name.

Kal.

He couldn't forgive her for what she did. He just couldn't.

Sitting in the meeting with Clark were Bruce, Selina, Helena, Zatanna, Hal, Wally and Diana. Selina took note of Clark. His eyes were on Diana but he looked angry. Clark and Diana were a private couple but when it came to sharing their lives individually, Clark was, at most times, an open book and Diana was very reserved but lately, it was the other way around.

I wonder what changed. It'll be fun to find out.

Once the meeting ended, Hal and Wally were the first to leave the room. Hal was returning to Earth to meet with John Stewart to interrogate Kalibak while Wally was scheduled to stay at the Watchtower until his shift ended.

Helena jumped out her seat. "Gotta go relieve Hawkgirl from Monitor Duty." To Bruce, she said. "I'll see you at home."

"Right." Bruce didn't give the goodbye much thought. He said to Selina, "Let's go."

"No, you go ahead with Zatanna to meet with Commissioner Gordon and Detective Grayson. I'll stay here."

Bruce frowned at her. It was not often they were separated. "Why?"

Selina looked over at Clark and Diana leaving. They were holding hands and talking quietly together. "Curiosity."

Bruce followed Selina's eyes to the super couple. He noticed something odd with them, too, but it wasn't his business. He didn't care about the affair of others as long as it didn't bother him. "You know what that did to the cat."

Selina grinned. "It got her man." She kissed him. "I'll come home with Helena."

Bruce nodded and left the room with Zatanna.

Clark and Diana walked down a corridor together, holding hands and talking. If anyone noticed closely, they would see Diana had a firm grip on Clark's hand. They would also notice Clark gave one word answers to Diana's questions and his tone was always curt. Now out of the eyes of their allies, Clark pulled his hand away from Diana's and continued ahead without her.

"It's time to tell the others we've broken up."

"No."

The defiance in Diana's voice was strong. He turned to her. "What do you mean no? You knew this was happening."

The defiance was very strong on her face as well. "It's what I said. I made a mistake, Clark, but you won't forgive me. You won't give me a chance to explain."

"There's nothing to explain."

"There is plenty but you don't want me to." Diana approached him. "Why? Are you afraid you would understand? Perhaps forgive me?" Diana touched his arm. "You deny it but you still want me as much as I want you."

Clark flinched from Diana's touch. Her eyes were vulnerable and inviting; her voice tempting. He couldn't let her get to him. Anger flooded through him. Yes. Anger. He needed that to deal with Diana. "I don't want you. I don't even like you. I'm not even attracted to you anymore. I feel nothing for you! We are telling everyone we are over and there's nothing you can say to change my mind!"

Shock crossed Diana's face. Clark wondered if his face mirrored the same shock when she called out Kal's name. It will serve her right. Clark turned to storm off again.

"Clark."

Clark stopped again. This was getting annoying. "What?"

Clark felt Diana take hold of his hand. She pulled him to her with such swift force he couldn't stop what was happening.

His lips landed on hers.

The kiss was raw and hungry of need and lust. Clark's response was immediate. His hand encircled Diana's throat and lifted her chin higher for a hungrier kiss. Her mouth opened under his voracious assault. A pleasured sigh escape as she accepted his invading tongue. Diana drew him closer; threading her fingers in his rich, sable hair. For long sweet moments, Clark tasted the sweetness Diana offered and she welcomed the primal need of his kiss.

Several minutes passed before Diana ended the kiss but Clark wasn't ready to let go. He moved from Diana's lips to her throat. "You really believe what you say." Her breathing was coming in heavy rasps. "That you feel nothing for me?"

The jarring question brought Clark back to reality. His hands gripped Diana's arms and he pushed her away. He didn't say anything as he stormed off from Diana and wiped his lips. Dammit.

---

Devil's Island was always a penal colony. Before being used to hold metahumans, the place held politicians who opposed Napoleon Bonaparte when he staged his coup to become Emperor of France, to hardened criminals of murderers and thieves. In modern times, it became a place to hold metahumans. When metahumans were captured, no city wanted to hold them in fear of what a breakout would do to the civilians so Devil's Island became their new home.

Kalibak was the latest import. A metahuman as strong as he has never been on Devil's Island. Despite his many attempts to break out of his cell, he couldn't. The air doctored his strength, making him no stronger than an Apokoliptan child. The metahuman designed manacles at his ankles and wrists limited his movement and the electric charged field combined with his limited strength kept him captive. He was the only being on the floor. The other metahumans were on the floor above or below him.

The only people he saw were soldiers who operated Devil's Island. In case of a breakout, only well trained soldiers who had the skills and weapons knowledge to deal with the metahumans occupied the island. Sometimes Justice League members would be on the island for a shift. Today, it was Green Lantern John Stewart who volunteered his services. Hal Jordan alerted him from the Watchtower that he will stop by after the Justice League meeting.

Kalibak sneered at the Lantern as he walked down the corridor to him. "Come for another interrogation, Lantern?" Kalibak mocked. "You would've been better off locking me in Oa's cell. I'm nothing but a waste of space here. I won't tell you anything."

"That's because you don't know anything," John taunted. "You're just a follower. The only ones with a plan are Darksied and his favorite son, Orion."

Kalibak grinned, flashing his dirty teeth at him. "Is that supposed to do something to me? Make me turn? Darkseid doesn't tolerate failure. I know I'm as good as dead if I show my face on Apokolips. I won't tell you anything except prepare for your

death. The longer Darkseid is quiet, the bigger his attack."

"We defeated Darkseid's forces once. We will do it again."

"You got lucky once. You won't get lucky again."

A faint vibration passed through, shaking the floor above and beneath John. Even Kalibak's prison shook. John was on full alert. The walls around this prison were thick enough to not move under the power of a 10.0 earthquake and a category five hurricane.

Kalibak smiled. He knew what was going on.

Alarms blared around them. This was quickly followed by the sounds of weapons firing and dying screams of men.

John tapped his ear piece. "This is Stewart. What's going on?"

"Under attack!" A solider yelled over the sound of explosive gunfire. "In…." the voice died and the only sounds John could hear were more screams and explosions.

Kalibak smirked. "Feel the true wrath of Darkseid."

John ignored him. He flew towards the entrance. Just as he reached the door, it exploded. John used the power of his ring to shield himself from the blast as the force of it blew him back several feet.

Dark smoke filled the area and John used his ring to create a fan to blow it away. When the smoke dissipated, he found himself facing off with Orion.

"Orion."

Surprised but pleased, Kalibak could only say. "Brother."

Orion stood before Green Lantern. An average height male of muscle and power that rivaled what John saw of Superman so far. Orion had sick, pleasured smile on his twisted his face. Blood of his victims splattered Orion's body and a large cannon gun hung over his right shoulder. "Tuh. I thought you were Jordan. I always wanted to kill him. Guess you will do."

Orion fired his weapon. A round distorted ball of energy expel from the gun, creating a shockwave. John formed a shield to protect himself but the weapon did what it needed to do.

The shockwave weakened the structure of the room. The ceiling above them caved, the floor beneath them buckled, the force of the shockwave dismantled the field holding Kalibak, and while John's shield saved his life he didn't escape injury. The potent energy from Orion's gun hit John's shield. One force of power pressed against the other with Orion being the victor. The blast from Orion's gun hit John like a moving train.

John soared through the air with only the thick iron wall to stop his flight. John slumped against the wall. His body was slightly charred and uniform torn from the blast of Orion's gun.

John saw Orion rushing him. He used his ring to create a giant fist to punch Orion. Orion fell back but he quickly got back up.

"I don't have time for a lengthy battle," Orion said. "So, I'll kill you quickly."

"Don't bet on it." John had to play this carefully. Physically, Orion was stronger than him and he just took a hit from Orion's gun that took a lot out of his body. His reflexes weren't as sharp. Still, he had his ring. It will do. John saw Orion prepping his gun again. John shot power from his ring to form two large green fists. One dismantled the gun and the other belt Orion's stomach.

Orion was dazed but focused enough to block the next hit. He moved fast, dodging a blast of the green rays from John's ring one moment and punching the next one, destroying the shapes he would form, getting closer and closer to John with a sadistic smile on his face.

Seeing Orion was getting closer, John leapt into the air to fly over Orion while firing his green rays on him. Orion, anticipating this move, timed his jump perfectly. He latched a hand around John's neck. John was dead before he and Orion hit the ground.

"That's the problem with these so called heroes. They don't try to take out their opponent quickly not that he had a chance to take me out." Orion noticed the ring on John's finger slipping off to fly back to Oa. Orion grabbed it before the ring could leave the room. He crushed it to pieces with his hand. He raised his foot and slammed his boot on John's chest coating his boot with blood and organs.

Orion turned away to Kalibak. "Let's go." Orion noticed Kalibak stumbling out of his cell and still in his manacles. Orion frowned. He thought Kalibak was freeing himself while he fought John. "What's the matter with you? You can't break those chains?"

"The Earthlings." Kalibak inhaled the fresh air. "They drugged the air in my cell. It lowered my strength. It's gonna take a few minutes before I'm at full strength again."

Orion kicked Kalibak, aggravated. This was supposed to be a quick operation and Kalibak was slowing him. "That's more than enough reason for you to move your ass. I have other places to be."

Nervous of impending death, Kalibak asked him, "We're going home?"

"No." He tapped two buttons on his wristband. "I just signaled Lashina. In less than five minutes, parademons and Furies will invade Earth and the Justice League's Watchtower."

"Take me to Wonder Woman!" Kalibak demanded. "I want revenge against her!"

"You're weaker than a demon dog. Wonder Woman took you out at your full strength. What makes you think you can defeat her now?"

"I underestimated her. I underestimated this planet. I won't again."

Orion blew him off. "Lashina will take care of Wonder Woman."

"Then it will be two against one!" Kalibak wasn't going to let his opportunity of revenge get away.

"Lashina doesn't need your help."

"Let her defeat Wonder Woman and I'll finish her off," Kalibak offered. "What's more humiliating in defeat than me conquering her body?"

Kalibak started to make sense. Wonder Woman was a beautiful woman. Orion wouldn't mind having a turn with her. "Instead of killing her, perhaps you and Lashina can deliver the same treatment we deliver all women on Apokolips. Then Lashina and I can play with Wonder Woman together before we kill her."

"Not after I have my way first!" This was why he didn't like Orion. He always took what he wanted. Ever since he arrived on Apokolips, he's taken first in everything. First, he overwhelmed Kalibak in strength and skill, allowing Darkseid to favor Orion over him, he caused the slaves of Apokolips to fear him more Kalibak and he had first choice in women. Kalibak got second choice or what was left of the women after Orion was done with them. The women were repulse by Kalibak's presence. Initially, it didn't bother him. Kalibak knew he was ugly but it bothered him the women didn't resist being with Orion as they him. He wasn't going to allow Orion to have Wonder Woman. "Besides, you got Lashina. After you got with her, you haven't bothered with another woman. I want Wonder Woman!"

After Kalibak had a woman, Orion didn't want to touch her. "It doesn't mean Lashina and I don't like to have fun on occasion." Lashina and he would have to get to Wonder Woman first. Or Orion could just kill him. Kalibak did fail and was imprisoned on Earth. He needed to be rescued. Darkseid won't tolerate that from Kalibak.

Orion suggested, "We'll conquer Earth, kill Superman, and then celebrate our conquest."

"Agreed, but we can have some help. There are beings here we can use here to exact our revenge."

Orion punched Kalibak, knocking him flat on his back. He was already regretting rescuing him. "We don't need Earth villains to do an Apokoliptan's job. If you think that, you are not a true Apokoliptan and you can return to that cell of yours."

Kalibak rubbed his sore jaw as he got back to his feet. "It was only a suggestion."

---

Dick Grayson waited on the rooftop of the Gotham Police department for his wife Zatanna, Batman and Catwoman. Since he wasn't a Justice League member, Dick wasn't allowed in the meetings but he often wondered what it was like. While some cops had a problem with the work Batman, Catwoman and Batwoman did, Dick admired them.

They were brave, daring, adventurous in spirit and noble in heart. Dick recalled the few times he saw Batman leaping off rooftops, soaring through the sky with his grappling hook. It took Dick back to his acrobatic days as a child. Though adopted by Commissioner Gordon, Dick still continued his high flying acrobatic stunts by jumping off the roof of Gordon's home to the gymnastic classes he was enrolled in because of it. His skills even got him an Olympic medal. After he ended his Olympic career, he followed into his adoptive father's footsteps into being a detective, using his sharp mind and acrobatic skills to capture criminals.

I wonder… could I have been a crime fighter like them? Probably not.

A bright light temporarily lit the rooftop, announcing Zatanna and Batman's arrival.

Dick welcomed Zatanna with a kiss. He acknowledged Batman with a slight nod. "Where is Catwoman? I thought she was coming."

Batman answered, "She decided to stay on the Watchtower."

"Oh." Dick pressed on with his information. "We did another run through of an invasion with the new weapons from LexCorp. Gotham is as ready as she'll ever be against Darkseid. Any news about him released in the meeting?"

Zatanna shook her head. "Nothing that you don't already know."

"The not knowing, the waiting has a lot of cops on edge," Dick said. "We saw footage of what was done in D.C. I just hope the cops don't bail or get too trigger happy."

"What about you?" Zatanna asked her husband.

Dick looped an arm around Zatanna. "This will sound strange but I'm a little excited."

Zatanna chuckled while Bruce frowned at Dick. "You think an invasion by Darkseid is exciting?"

"No, but to be in the battle, see what I can do and how I stand up to an alien is kind of cool."

"Kind of cool?" Bruce rolled his eyes. "You don't get it and you don't have what it takes to stand up to someone like Darkseid or his Furies and parademons."

"Don't be like that. Dick isn't an ordinary detective, Batman," Zatanna defended her husband. "He's as acrobatic, agile, skilled in the martial arts and has a mind as keen as yours. He's even helped me a few times."

A loud boom in the air stilled the conversation. Bruce, Zatanna and Dick eyes turn up to the sky as the roar became louder.

"This isn't good." Dick put his cell phone to his ear. "Jim? You're seeing it, too? Looks like the real thing."

It was a bright, clear day in Gotham but sparks of lightning formed in the sky followed by a thunderous roar. The blue skies faded to black as dark pockets of energy filled the Gotham sky.

The thunderous roar that can be heard even in the sewers of Gotham faded as loud, animalistic screeches filled the sky as an army of parademons flew out of the dark pockets.

"I know it's the real thing!" Dick yelled into the phone.

"Damn," Bruce growled. He was trying to reach the Watchtower from his earpiece. "Catwoman was cut off. She and Batwoman are stuck on the Watchtower with parademons. It's a simultaneous strike."

"Looks like it's the two of us," Zatanna said. "I'll teleport us to the cave."

"Three!" Dick stepped up. "Jim can handle the task force without me. There's more than enough trained Gotham P.D. to fight the parademons while I help you."

Bruce scowled at the detective. "Just because you are married to a Justice League member, it doesn't make you one."

"There's no time to argue." Zatanna saw the parademons swarming towards them. "EVACTAB OT SU TROPSNART!"

Dick wanted to pinch himself. He was standing in the middle of the infamous batcave. Rumors of what lied inside have been talked about since Batman's first appearance in the 1940s. Zatanna never told him what lied inside but his mind flooded at the possibilities. He marveled at the large computer shooting a live feed of the parademons in Gotham, wall of costumes of Batmen of the past; the souvenirs the previous and current Batman kept of their battles; the wall off gadgets; the—

"Holy Cow! It's the Batmobile!"

"What the hell were you thinking bring him here?" Bruce yelled at Zatanna.

"We need all the help we can get!" Zatanna fired back. "Our plan of attack had Catwoman and Batwoman here. They're on the Watchtower. We need an extra person. Dick can drive-"

"No one's touching my batmobile!" Bruce put that thought out of Zatanna's mind.

"Fine." Bruce didn't like anyone driving his car. Not even Selina. "Dick can fly one of the jets. He's flown with Hal so you know he's good, and as I've said before, we're wasting time. We're being invaded!" And before he can say it, Zatanna beat him to it. "And if you're worried about identities….." Zatanna looked at Dick who was touching the batmobile, "Dick, Bruce Wayne is Batman."

"What the…?" Bruce sputtered. "Zatanna! You told my identity!"

Dick turned away from the batmobile to scrutinize Bruce, unfazed by the news. "Bruce Wayne? Hmm. Makes sense. Don't worry. I can keep a secret." He turned his attention back to the batmobile. "Say, how fast does this go?"

"Take your hands off my batmobile," Bruce snarled at Dick.

Dick stepped away from the batmobile and approached the two, keeping himself close to Zatanna. "So, are we gonna argue or are we gonna fight the invasion?"

It wasn't as if Bruce had a lot of choice in the matter. They could use an extra hand and if Dick was as good as Zatanna said he was…

Bruce tapped a button on belt. "Step back," he warned Dick.

The floor beneath Dick started to rotate. He jumped onto a still surface and watched as the ground opened up and two bat jets rose from the ground.

"Let's go." Batman jumped in his jet. Dick and Zatanna jumped in the other and followed after Bruce.

---

"So, what was that about?"

Diana and Selina were entering a training room to spar. Selina's idea. There was a mischievous glint in Selina's eyes when she asked for the spar and now with that question. Diana knew this Selina wasn't too different from the one she knew. She was fishing for something.

"What's what, Selina?" Diana played coy.

"You and Clark. During the meeting, he looked peeved at you, but it looks like you two made up."

Diana frowned at her. "What do you mean by that? Were you spying on us?"

Diana was on the offensive. Selina wondered why. "Look, I get you and Clark are a private couple but if you want to continue to be private, then don't make out in the hallway."

"You saw us kissing?" Oh, no. Did she see us arguing? Did she hear Clark? "What else did you see? Tell me!"

"Was there something more I should've seen?" It was painfully obvious Diana wasn't in the mood for games so Selina told the truth. "I'm curious about you and Clark. Though you two make a hot couple, you two are weird. When we first met you and Clark, he was open and you were closed off. Now you two are switching places. I followed you after the meeting and spotted you making out in the hallway like horny teens so I left you alone."

"Oh." Diana was relieved Selina didn't see the argument, didn't hear what Clark said.

Selina reached out to Diana. "We're women. We share stuff. You don't have any female friends here. I want to be one for you. I know you and Clark were arguing about something. Maybe I can help."

Diana reached for a sword on the wall. It wasn't Hephaestus sword but it would do. "Couples have tiffs but we made up. Being a married woman, you would know that."

Selina picked up an extending baton. "True, but there's no harm in women talking about it."

Diana's ear piece vibrated. Helena sounded in a panic. "Diana, we need you in the control room. There are strange tremors happening all over the planet. Something's going on."

"I know what that is. Sound out the alarms. Put the Watchtower on full alert!"

Alarms blared over the Watchtower as Diana and Selina raced to the control room. When they entered, Helena, Vixen and Flash were staring at the screens.

"Is it boom tubes?" Diana asked.

Helena appeared amazed Diana knew that. "Yes. The visuals are coming in. Parademons are appearing in cities all over Earth."

"D.C., New York, Metropolis, Gotham, Beijing, London," Flash list off cities.

"It's the invasion Hal predicted," Vixen said.

"Bruce is on Earth." Worried, Selina tapped her earpiece, contacting Bruce. This wasn't the plan. Selina thought she and Helena would be on Earth when the invasion happened. "Batman?"

"Yeah," came Bruce's gruff voice. "I'm here with Detective Grayson and Zatanna. Parademons are everywhere."

"Batwoman and I will teleport down to help."

Tremors passed through the Watchtower. Helena and Vixen stumbled to the floor.

The hair on the back of Selina's face. "On second thought…"

A bright light flashed in the room. Lashina and Speed Queen stepped off with parademons, too many to count. Selina lost count at fifty.

"Everyone else is yours," Lashina decreed. "Wonder Woman is mine."

Speed Queen cackled as she ran from side of the room to the other on her jet powered roller blades. "Flash is mine."

"Looks like the parademons are ours," Selina said to Helena and Vixen.

"Split up," Diana ordered. "Defeat them and get to Earth. We can't have all the fighting here."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Flash, Vixen Helena and Selina ran out of the room and split in three different directions. Speed Queen and Parademons followed hot on their tail.

Alone, Diana and Lashina faced off. Lashina uncoiled her steel whip. It crackled with dark electric energy. "I've seen video of you in battle. There's a dark side to you. You would make an excellent fury." She circled Diana, admiring her beauty, her athletic body. "A strong body. A pretty face. It will be a pleasure to break to break you and bring out your dark side."

Lashina slapped her whip at Diana. Diana ducked and pulled a leg sweep to trip Lashina. Lashina flipped on one hand before getting kicked in her stomach by Diana. She stumbled against a wall.

Diana grabbed Lashina's wrist that held the whip. She squeezed her wrist forcing Lashina to drop the whip. "I have faced my dark side and I've overcame it. There's nothing you can do to return me to that."

"A challenge," Lashina purred. "I like that." She twisted a leg around Diana and head butt her hard. Both women stumbled to the floor, rolling around on the floor to get control.

Lashina landed on top. She straddled Diana and locked a hand around her throat, squeezing Diana's neck with all her strength. "There isn't a woman I haven't broke!"

Diana couldn't breathe. Lashina had an iron clad hold on her throat. Mustering her strength, Diana formed a fist with her right hand and punched Lashina. Lashina fell back but to her relief, she fell next to her whip.

As Diana rubbed her throat, she knew she couldn't rest for long. Lashina was readying to pounce. Just as Diana turned to face Lashina again, her whip latched around Diana's neck. Volts of electricity charged through Diana's. The only thing louder than Diana's screams was Lashina's laughter.

---

Hal touched down on Devil's Island on edge. He only left the Watchtower twenty minutes ago, taking his time as he flew to Devil's Island to interrogate Kalibak but once he arrived over the island, Hal knew a battle had taken place. Bodies of bloodied soldiers laid on the ground dead and gutted. It was even worse when he got inside. The blood of the men painted the walls. Limbs were missing. Whoever did this was cold, brutal and enjoyed his kill.

"Orion."

"Superman." Hal linked with Superman. Wherever he was, Hal hoped he was nearby.

Superman's voice came over his ear. "I'm here."

"It's Hal. I'm on Devil's Island." Hal cautiously made his way through the facility. "There's been an attack. It was Orion."

"Are you sure?"

Hal looked down at a gutted soldier. His intestines were ripped out. "I know his mark."

"Is John there?"

"His body may be here but that's it." Hal went up another level. He heard Superman say something. "I know it's being grim but if John was alive, he would've contacted me. I don't think he got the chance. Yeah. I'm going to Kalibak's floor now." Hal paused as he saw the scatter remains of the blasted door. Carefully, he peered inside. "I'm on Kalibak's floor. It's a disaster. Looks like the work of Orion's cannon gun at play here. Damn." John's massacred body laid on the floor. Fury laced through the level headed Lantern. He couldn't hide it as he reported to Clark. "John is dead and Kalibak is gone."

"Green Lantern!"

Hal turned to see an injured soldier coming to him. "Looks like there are survivors, Superman." To the soldier, he said, "Is anyone else alive?"

"Not many. Just twenty. Most of us were knocked out through the initial attack. This alien came out of the sky and began attacking us. He shot something of his gun. It created a weird shockwave. I hit the wall and blacked out. When I came to, everyone but a few men of us were dead." He sighed. "We're the lucky ones."

"What about the other metahumans?"

"They are still locked up. Some of their fields have been damaged but not enough for them to break out." The soldier noticed Kalibak's broken cell. "Looks like he only came for him."

"You get all that?" Hal said to Superman. "No, I think I can handle this. I…." He paused again. Was that thunder he just heard through Clark's link? Hearing it again, Hal asked, "What was that? A storm?"

"Not a storm," Clark's voice came through loud and clear. "Parademons."

Hal flew out the building. The sky was clear except for a few clouds and birds. "There're not here. Where are you?"

"Smallville. It's being invaded by parademons."

"You can't stay there."

"What?"

"Listen, if a town as small as Smallville is being invaded then you know the bigger cities like New York, Metropolis and D.C. are. They are gonna need you." He heard Clark start to argue. "Listen, I'll send Kyle to help out in Smallville while you go to the bigger cities. Keep your line open for further communication."

---

Clark ate lunch with Lila at his home. Clark didn't know about Diana meeting with Lila and Lila wasn't going to tell him. Lila instead, gushed about Clark's adventures as Superman and talked about herself and her son. She enjoyed these daily lunches with Clark. What bothered Lila about this arrangement was Clark having lunch with her while her son was at school. He never accepted an invite from her to have dinner with her and her son.

After lunch, Lila brought out her famous apple pie in hopes that will work on Clark. She sliced a huge piece for him. "Clark, there's something I'd like you to do."

"What is it?"

Lila placed the steaming piece of dessert on his plate. "The next evening you are off have dinner with my son and me. Michael will enjoy it very much."

"He might ask questions. He might expect Wonder Woman to come with me."

She dropped a heaping spoonful of whipped cream on his pie. "Tell him you two broke up. Enough time has passed. Haven't you told Diana it's time to go public with the breakup?"

He did and Clark knew how that ended. The memory was very fresh on his mind. He remembered how Diana felt Diana against him, the taste of her sweet mouth. How she still makes him feel.

"Clark?" Lila stared at him. "What's wrong?"

Clark shook the memory away and forced a smiled. "Nothing."

But Lila didn't believe that. Something was bothering him and Lila knew Diana had something to do with it.

"Clark, the quicker you go public with the breakup, the better off you will be. She's nothing but a vampire. She'll suck the life out of you."

"Hold on. I'm getting a call from Green Lantern." He touched his right ear. "I'm here." Hal told him of Orion's attack and Kalibak's escape. "Are you sure?" Clark got up from the table. "Is John there?" Clark noticed Lila watching him. He couldn't have this conversation with her listening. He left the kitchen. "Don't talk like that Hal. John could still be alive." Clark hoped John was still alive but with the way Hal was talking…. His heart sank as Hal confirmed John was dead. He heard a wounded soldier relaying to Hal what happened on Devil's Island.

Clark looked back at the kitchen where Lila waited. "Do you need any help?" Hal told him no but Clark knew he would have to leave anyway. Kalibak breaking out of Devil's Island with Orion was a serious situation. He would have to go back to the Watchtower. He was going to tell Hal that when he heard a thunderous sound.

That baffled Clark. It was a sunny day in Smallville. There wasn't any talk of rain. Clark stepped outside his home as thunder roared again. Hal asked if a storm was coming.

"Not a storm," Clark stared at the pockets of sky opening and what was coming out of it. "Parademons." After relaying to Hal where he was, Clark couldn't believe Hal was telling him he had to leave Smallville. "I have to defend my home." However, what Hal said made sense. He couldn't stay in Smallville. Superman was needed elsewhere. "You're right. I will contact the league and head for D.C."

"Clark!"

Clark turned to see a panic Lila rushing out of the house. She pointed to the skies. "What is that?"

"Go back in the house and stay in the basement. You'll be safe. This is the most fortified home in Smallville."

"My son!" Lila cried. "Michael's at school. You have to bring him here."

"I can't. My fight is in D.C. Michael will be safe at the school. A Green Lantern is on his way. He will fight the parademons here. There's also the army. They have weapons that should deal with parademons."

"No!" she grabbed his arm. "You can't leave me without bringing me my son."

Clark took his hand off Lila. "I'm sorry, Lila but I must go. Please do as I say. Go inside."

Reluctantly, Lila did as Clark asked. She went inside only to turn back to see Clark fly away. For the first time, she was disappointed in him. He wasn't staying in Smallville. How could he not defend his home? How could he not bring her back her son so they will be safe together?

"How could he?"

---

Parademons were everywhere in Gotham. Most of the people ran inside buildings and homes for safety. Others that weren't so smart were fresh meat to the parademons. Gotham Police and the National Guard were on land and in the air fighting parademons. They were both equipped with weapons provided by the army and LexCorp. They used everything in their arsenal: bullets, missiles, lasers, canonized guns and bombs.

Parademons were blown from the sky, had wings, heads and limbs lopped off. On land, some soldiers and policemen took to fighting the parademons with their muscles and using their guns as a weapon. Some sacrificed themselves by being a human bomb to kill any parademons in their vicinity.

The parademons weren't pushovers. They fought back hard. Some surrounded Gotham Police helicopters forcing them to crash. They overpowered men, mauling them like a pack of wolves to fresh meat.

A bat jet zoomed across the sky. Nets fell from the jet consuming parademons in groups of four. Ensnared in the net, the parademons struggled to break it but cleverly activated the electric charged in each net, rendering them unconscious and causing them to plummet from the sky.

"Whoo! This baby is fast!" Dick cheered as he soared through the sky. Pressing another button, a beam hit a parademon attacking a helicopter. Ice encased the parademon. A policeman pushed the parademon onto a rooftop where it shattered to pieces.

"Did you see what I did?" Dick whooped again. "This baby is beautiful! I am awesome!"

"If there is one scratch on my jet, you are paying for it," Bruce threatened over the radio.

"Lighten up, Bruce," Dick teased him. "You're a billionaire. You can afford it." Dick saw a swarm of twenty parademons flying towards him.

Zatanna saw Dick wasn't changing course. "Dick, what are you doing? Get out of the way. Dive or pull up!"

"What's he doing?" Bruce asked.

"Remember the trick we did in Hal's jet for a battle scenario?"

"What trick?" Bruce demanded.

"Yeah," Zatanna nodded. She loosened the safety belts in her seat. "I hope this works."

"Wait!" Bruce yelled over the radio. "Don't try anything crazy in my jet!"

"Too late!" At the last second, he pulled up. Parademons followed him. Dick looped the jet in a perfect circle and zoomed passed them.

Dick opened the glass over Zatanna. As they sped pass each parademon, Zatanna had her hands out, reaching for the wristband on a parademon. After near misses and a few close calls, Zatanna managed to snatch one off. "I got one! Go around again!"

"Go around again?" Bruce screamed over the radio. "What the hell is going on?"

But no one answered him as Dick zoomed by the parademons again. Zatanna called out, "ERIF FO ELCRIC!"

A circle of fire surrounded the parademons inflaming them. Zatanna recalled Diana telling her about parademons having a boom tube signature on their wristband. She only hoped she was pressing the right button.

She did. The portal opened behind the parademons. They suck them all inside, taking the parademons back to Apokolips .

"Whoo!" Dick cheered at the closing of the portal. "That was awesome, honey!"

Zatanna settled back in her seat laughing. "I wasn't sure if it would work!" She smoothed her hair once Dick put the top back on. "That was better that the test maneuver Hal did!"

Dick was going to answer when he became aware of a stream of curses coming over the radio from Bruce. He feigned fear. "Ooh, Bruce sounds mad."

"You're damn right I'm mad!" Bruce screamed over the radio. "What were you doing? What's going on with my jet?"

"Saving Gotham," Dick laughed. "What have you been doing?"

Zatanna joined in on the fun. "It's so nice to see you care about us more than your jet, Bruce."

"If you're done laughing at my expense, you'll meet me at Gotham Park. We got a problem and I'm tangling with parademons to take care of it."

In the jet, Dick reached Gotham Park in less than five minutes. Dick spotted Bruce fighting parademons from his jet while Zatanna looked down searching for the problem. "Dick, look to your right."

Zatanna and Dick saw a grotesque Fury with a receding hairline running down the green attacking policemen and civilians with her fahren-knife. They convulsed and fell wherever she struck them. So far, twenty men, women and children lied dead on the grass with many running from the ugly Fury.

"It's Bernadeth!"

"Bernadeth? Is that the one with the knife that burned people from the inside?" Dick asked.

"Yes."

"Okay. If I fire from here, I risk hitting the people below. I will have to get closer."

"Let me out," Zatanna told him. "I can use my magic on her."

"I don't want you tangling with that beast by alone. She may move too fast for you to speak an incantation."

"Lower the jet and open the top so I can take her knife away."

"You got it." Dick turned the jet, circling the area, getting lower.

Bernadeth stop chasing the people she was hunting when she spotted the bat jet circling her. "Heh. Heh. Fresh meat." Bernadeth twisted the knife in her hand and waited for the jet to circle her again.

She saw the top open and a woman stick her head out. Bernadeth jumped. She gripped her fahren-knife ready to slice the woman's head off.

"Oh, crap!" Dick had to make a split second decision. If he did, Bernadeth would cut Zatanna with that knife. He turned the jet. Bernadeth didn't strike Zatanna but she was able to slice the jet at its belly.

Fire spread through the jet, melting the jet from its belly and spreading. Red lights flashed in the cockpit. "We're losing power. The knife is burning the jet from inside out."

"Including my seat." Zatanna unbuckled her seat belt as it was burning through the jet. At the last second before the seat fell from the jet, Zatanna reached forward and clung to Dick's seat as her legs freely dangled in the sky.

"Hang on!" Dick hit the eject button. The top of the jet opened, Dick and Zatanna were pushed out of Dick's seat. Dick held onto Zatanna as the bottom of the seat fell away and the back opened up as a parachute.

What was left of the batjet crashed and burned in a lush green area of the park. Bernadeth laughed and danced manically around the remains of the jet.

Dick winced. "Bruce isn't really gonna make me pay for that, right?"

"I hope not. With your cop salary, you will never be able to pay him back."

As they floated closer to the ground, Bernadeth stood under them waiting and licking her lips eagerly. "Bernadeth is waiting for us." Dick raised his shirt, showing Zatanna he was wearing a utility belt.

Zatanna gasped. "You stole Bruce's belt?"

"Not stole. Borrowed," he corrected his wife. "And I took it while Bruce was yelling at you for bringing me to the batcave. I thought I might need it." He opened a compartment, taking out a handful of silver balls. "I hope this works."

Dick dropped the balls over Bernadeth. Gas expel from them blinding the Fury and saving Dick and Zatanna from facing her when they landed. On the ground, Dick took off the parachute.

Zatanna watched Bernadeth cough and gagged as she stumbled out of the gas. She hoped it would knock her out but Apokoliptan bodies were strong. Bernadeth saw Zatanna. Cackling madly, she charged to her.

"ECI FO KCOLB!"

Ice froze Bernadeth from her feet, rising up her legs and body until it consumed her.

Zatanna's victory didn't last long. The fahren-knife burned through the ice. "She's gonna free herself in a minute."

"We still have a boom tube. Perhaps we can send her back."

"We have to defeat her first."

Dick looked around for a weapon. The gadgets in the utility belt weren't going to stop her. He saw a dead policeman twenty feet away. "He should have a weapon. I hate to leave you…"

"I know," Zatanna understood. "Go. Go!"

Dick ran down the grassy field and Zatanna turned in Bernadeth's direction as the last of her ice shell melted away.

The first person Bernadeth saw when freed was Zatanna. "Die in the name of Darkseid!"

"SNIAHC!"

Following Zatanna's command, metal chains grew from the ground to wrap her ankles and chest. To Zatanna's shock, Bernadeth's knife burned through the chains. She kept coming to Zatanna.

"DLEIF ECROF!" A blue ball of light surrounded Zatanna.

Bernadeth touched the field, screeching in pain when the field's discharge shocked her. She looked at her knife and then at Zatanna. She trusted her knife to do what her hand couldn't. Bernadeth sliced through the field. Her sharp blade pierced Zatanna's left arm.

Dick reached the cop when he heard Zatanna's scream. He picked up his twenty pound gun and ran to aide his wife.

Collapsing to her knees, Zatanna's field dissipated. She covered her wounded arm with her right hand. Hot searing pain burned her arm as if it was dipped in lava. She quickly spoke an incantation to stop the burning.

Bernadeth swung her knife to strike Zatanna down but the blow never happened. The fahren-knife fell to the ground and Bernadeth gripped her burning hand. Something hit her.

She turned to see Dick holding a smoking Lex Corp projectile gun at her. It had enough power to blow up a truck in one shot. Dick fired again, hitting Bernadeth's chest three times. The second hit penetrated Bernadeth's tough skin. The Fury clutched her burning, bleeding chest. She staggered to Dick, reaching for his gun.

Dick responded by shooting her again in her chest. Bernadeth was getting weaker but she wasn't going to stop. Dick kept firing until he ran out of ammo. When he was out, he used his gun as a weapon and smacked Bernadeth across her face with all his strength. Bernadeth fell to the ground lying very still.

Dick went to Zatanna's side. "Are you all right?"

Zatanna nodded. "Yeah. I'm healing." Dick embraced her and kissed her temple. "You were worried?"

Dick held Zatanna tighter. "You know it."

Engines screeched above them. Dick looked up to see Batman landing his batjet. "But not as worried as I am now."

Zatanna saw Bruce landing.

"You sure he's not gonna make me pay for that jet?"

---

"Run all you want! I will catch you!" Speed Queen taunted Flash as she chased him down a corridor.

She was fast, faster than Flash expected. She moved at a pace that rivaled his on her roller blades. If she wasn't a Fury, ugly and had a thirst to kill him, he would consider asking her out. Hell, even if it was just the first and third, he still would consider asking her out.

Flash lured Speed Queen into a training room. Getting in the room five seconds ahead of her, it was more than enough time for Flash to prepare for her. The door shut behind Speed Queen when she entered. Whirling around, she noticed she was in a silver cylinder styled room. She couldn't tell where the door was. Not only that, but the room was suddenly getting hot. As a Fury, Speed Queen could handle all types of heat. It was part of the torture treatment she received from Granny Goodness but this….

Sweat bead across her face, her clothes were getting too hot to wear and the air too thick to breathe. Speed Queen flung off her jacket. "You think this will stop me? I know this is an illusion. Apokolips know all about psychological tricks. You don't graduate Granny's School of Hard Knocks without it."

"It's no illusion!" Flash comfortably sat in an adjacent room watching Speed Queen. His feet were propped on a desk next to the million dollar console that controlled the room. "Like me. Everything is real." Flash turned a knob on the console, turning the heat up. "The room can go up to 10,000 degrees."

10,000 degrees? Speed Queen wasn't sure she couldn't handle heat that high. She scanned the silver walls of the room, looking for a weak point. Looking up, she saw an opening on the ceiling. She couldn't jump that high but with the unique shape of the room she could run up the walls.

Idea formed, she moved. Flash watched her speed up the walls like a skater on a ramp, climbing higher and higher. He turned the knob another notch.

Unaware of the trap she was falling in, Speed Queen noticed it was getting hotter and difficult to breathe. Sweat poured down her body. Her clothes were becoming a second skin. She couldn't go back down otherwise she would be trapped. If she could overcome the heat to reach the ceiling, she would be free.

She gritted her teeth trying to endure. Her blades, the power behind her speed, were melting. With her blades gone, only her shoes protected her from direct contact of the wall. Even so, it felt like her feet were dipped into lava. Despite that, Speed Queen kept going so she wouldn't get stuck on the wall like a trapped fly. She had to keep moving. It was so hot now that if she stayed in the same spot for more than a minute, her shoes would mold to the walls like her melting blades did. To her relief, she was near the opening on the ceiling. It was also in that same breathe, she realized it was an illusion.

"No! No!" Speed Queen beat against the ceiling never minding the incinerating heat coursing through the wall was passing though her gloved hands. Too busy trying to break the ceiling through, she realized too late her feet were stuck and she hung fifty feet above the floor.

"You cheater!" She screamed. "Fight me like a man instead of hiding!"

But Flash didn't hear her. He was gone, receiving a call from Selina that she needed help.

---

Selina and Helena worked as a team fighting off three parademons. It wasn't easy as Selina and Helena were human. They didn't have the strength to kill a parademon but they had enough fighting prowess and mental skills to subdue them.

Helena threw smoke balls on the floor to blind them and give her and Selina an advantage. Selina wrapped her whip around one parademons neck and jumped on its back. It tried to shake off Selina who rode it like a cowboy on a wild bull. The room was wide enough for the parademon to fly and bounce itself against walls in an attempt to shake Selina off.

Like Bruce and Helena, Selina had a gadget of supplies on her belt. She pulled out a handful of tranquilizer darts with one hand, pulled the caps off with her teeth and jammed the needle ends in the parademons back.

Each tranquilizer had enough strength to take out an elephant. Selina hoped it would be enough for one parademon. Just as the last dart drained itself, the parademon swoon like a stumbling drunk and spiraled to the floor.

"Whoa!" Selina cried out at the sudden drop. With the way the parademon recklessly flew, there was no way to tell how he was going to land. She uncoiled her whip around the parademons neck with plans to safely jump off the parademon to reach the floor safely. However, freeing the whip from the parademon, Selina was prematurely tossed off.

Selina hit the wall then the floor, not landing at all as smooth as she hoped to. She came down on her foot awkwardly, twisting it. The parademon hit the floor hard and unconscious.

Facing off with two parademons ready to advance on her, Helena pulled two pellets from her belt. She threw one at each parademon. One pellet broke on impact like an egg against the rim of a bowl. Brown liquid slid down its chest. The parademon only laughed as it advance on Helena, only to stop midway when he saw the brown liquid spreading across its body in a form of clay. The more the parademon struggled, the quicker it spread over its body until he was consume in a thick mold of clay.

The second parademon was hit with a fire pellet. Hitting his chest, the fire spread over its body incinerating it. Helena swiftly avoided the parademon's grasp as it tried to burn Helena with him. Missing Helena, the parademon kept moving about the room trying to put the fire out.

Helena reached Selina moments after she feel. She was grasping her ankle in pain.

Helena pulled Selina to her feet and put an around her shoulder to balance her. "Come on. We need to get out of here."

Selina looked back to see the clay molded parademon and the flailing in flames parademon. "What was that you threw on them?"

"Clay and fire pellets," Helena answered.

"Bruce didn't mention making pellets like that."

"He didn't. Hal gave them to me. He got it from one of his alien friends."

"Hal again." Despite her pain, Selina joked, "Just how good a friend is he to you?"

"Just a friend." Helena sighed. "Why is it so hard for a guy and girl to be just friends?"

"It's not hard but when it's Hal Jordan, it's impossible."

Helena changed the subject. "That was some amazing riding you did with the parademon. Have you ever been on ranch?"

Selina smirked. "I got a lot of experience in riding. Your brother… "

"Oh! Ew, no!" Helena groaned. "You're my sister-in-law and a dear friend but I don't want to hear that about my brother!"

A light hearted laughed between sister-in-laws was cut short when Helena, thanks to her skills as an escape artist and training for her heroic life, sense an approaching presence. She turned her head to see the flaming parademon making one dying, last ditch effort to attack them. Making a split second decision, Helena pushed Selina out of the way and was swallowed by the parademon, consuming in flames like him.

"NO!" Selina screamed. She had to move fast. She cracked her whip and locked it around the parademon's neck. Using all her strength, she pulled the parademon off Helena. The parademon lifelessly fell to the floor.

Selina limped to Helena. Her blood curdling screams as fire pierced her flesh shook Selina. "Helena!"

Helena was in too much pain to speak coherently. Selina tapped her ear piece. "Flash, Diana, anyone please respond! I need help! I'm on level two!"

Frantically, Selina looked around for something to cover Helena with but to no avail. She didn't see anything that would help. Helena's belt was burnt off. Her black tights clung to her legs like second skin. From her waist to her face, pieces of her uniform were burnt off revealing blistered and charred flesh on her stomach, breasts, arms and face as were chunks of her hair.

Flash blurred into the room, stopping immediately when he saw Selina on the floor with Helena. "Oh, god."

Selina had her fingers on Helena's wrist. Her screams died down to soft whimpers. "If we don't get her to a doctor soon…."

"I know. Hold on." Flash blurred out of the room. He returned with a white sterile sheet. He covered Helena from head to toe with it. "This will keep her sterile until we can transport her to Earth. We also have to make sure she doesn't go into shock on the way."

"If that Fury is still in the Control Room with Diana, how can we get to the teleport?"

"We can't. We'll have to take an escape pod. This level is clear so it won't be hard getting Helena on one and once we put the cloaking device on, the parademons on Earth won't spot us."

Carefully, Wally and Selina picked up Helena. They quickly rushed out of the room to the nearest pod.

Once safely inside, Wally activated the pod while Selina elevated Helena's feet to prevent shock and worked on covering her fingers with sterile. All the while, Selina wondered how she would break the news to Bruce of his sister's injuries.

---

Superman flew to Washington, D.C. knowing that is where he would have to stand. Seeing how his first battle took place here and this was the city besides Smallville he was most connected with, he knew whoever wanted to face him would be there.

As he flew to D.C., Clark communicated with Justice League members on Earth through his comlink, coordinating battles on Earth since no one could be reached on the Watchtower. "Plastic Man, you're closest. Green Arrow needs some backup in Keystone City."

"Green Arrow?" Plastic Man whined. "He's almost as stiff as Batman and won't want my help."

"He will this time. Just go! Steel, Fire and Ice are on their way to aid you. Hawkman, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle are ten minutes away."

"Why are you sending them to me?" Hawkman argued.

"You're not in any position to oppose the help," Clark spoke calmly but was annoyed of the complaints of his teammates. "Take it."

With everyone was paired up, Clark tried again to contact anyone on the Watchtower. "This is Superman. Anyone in the Watchtower, please respond." This was his fifth time contacting the Watchtower and no one was responding. Not even Diana. He thought she would contact him even if they were strained.

A feminine voice spoke in Clark's ear but it wasn't Diana. "Superman. It's Hawkgirl. I'm in the Watchtower."

"What's going on up there?"

"Furies and Parademons have invaded the Watchtower," Shayera explained. "We're trying to get rid of them and get to Earth. How is it down there?"

"We're covered but we can use some extra help. Where's Diana?"

"Last I heard from Vixen, she's facing off with Lashina."

Lashina. Diana told him about her. Diana was very capable and faced Furies in her world. Diana can take care of herself. "Have you gotten rid of any parademons?"

"Most of them. I was able to get a boom tube off one and send them back to Apokolips. What's left of them are on Levels four and five. I'm going up to help out."

"Be safe."

Washington, D.C. was under siege. Parademons swarmed the city. It was just as it was months ago during the first invasion only more parademons swarmed the sky. Parademons were over the Pentagon but the army was keeping them at bay. Superman saw them at Capitol Hill, over the National Mall, Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. His sharp eyes spotted them at the White House where he knew Dinah and Lex were.

Five parademons circled and attacked Clark. While he battled them, he contacted Dinah at the White House. "Dinah," he called through his comlink. "I'm on my way. Give me an update."

"The army is fighting parademons whirling around the White House. Lex and I are on the South Lawn." Clark heard a rumble in the background. "Someone else is coming through a boom tube. It's… oh no."

"What?"

Dinah whispered. "Orion."

And her link went dead.

Clark didn't waste any time. He quickly dealt with the parademons either with a punch, heat vision slicing off limbs or freezing them then broke speed barriers to the White House.

Half an hour earlier at the White House, Lex and Dinah were under a tree in the South Lawn of the White House having a picnic. Finding private time for the President and First Lady wasn't easy. Eyes were always on them. Right now, it was the Secret Servicemen. Not that they didn't minded the protection but there were times when a husband and wife want to be alone.

"I think you should've gone to the meeting."

"And I think I should spend time with my husband." Dinah pulled the skin off her fried chicken. "It wasn't a mandatory meeting."

Dinah toss the skin to their dog, Otis. The Doberman laid at Lex and Dinah's feet waiting for scraps to be tossed his way. "You know that's the good part," Lex told her.

"Then you eat it. I like meat." To make her point, she took a big bite into her chicken.

"Mmm," Lex purred as he nibbled Dinah's neck. "yes you do."

Dinah squirmed and giggled as her husband nip her neck. She lost quick interest in her chicken and dropped it on the grass where Otis quickly attacked it. Dinah felt Lex's hand move up her legs and dip in her skirt as it stroke her inner thigh as it moved to its objective. As much she desired her husband's touch, she knew there was a time and place for it and this wasn't it. "No, Lex." She pushed his hand down. "Too many eyes are watching us."

Lex pulled his hand back but not his lips. "What eyes?"

Dinah looked around. She didn't see any secret servicemen but she knew they were watching them. "Agents. The gardener. What if a reporter catches us?"

Dinah wasn't into it and that killed the mood for Lex. He kissed her left temple and pulled back. "So the world will know we are an affectionate couple and if a reporter did get onto the South Lawn with anyone seeing him, everyone on staff would be fired."

"You're right." Dinah leaned on him. "I don't want to think about reporters, Justice League or your work as President. I want to have one hour alone with my husband."

Lex put his arm around Dinah and drew her closer. "Forget one hour. How about one afternoon?"

A smile tugged her lips. "What do you have in mind?"

Lex started to answer when a loud rumble passed through the skies. Since it was unusually to hear such loud thunder on a clear day, Lex and Dinah came out from under the tree. When the sky opened up, they knew what was going on.

Lex and Dinah started running to the White House. "Otis, let's go!" Lex shouted at his dog. The loyal Doberman sprinted after his masters.

By the time they reached the White House, parademons were near the White House. Reaching a wall of the White House, Lex pressed against it. It opened and Lex pulled out LexCorp Hammer Launcher. Having seen the movie Men in Black, Lex was inspired by the scene where Agent Kay and Jay shot down a spaceship to create a gun like that.

Dinah saw Agents Hackman and Beatty coming out with their oversized guns. "I'll change and meet you out here." She kissed him. "Be careful."

It didn't take long for Dinah to change into Black Canary. Soon she was on the frontlines with Lex, several Secret Servicemen, and Army soldiers firing on the parademons.

Lex was an expert with his weapons. One shot from his Hammer Launcher fired five grenade like objects that exploded on contact with the parademons. Dinah was by Lex's side using her sonic cry to distract the parademons. As dangerous as it was having Lex fighting parademons, she knew Lex wouldn't leave. So, she stayed by his side.

It was in the middle of the battle, she got in contact with Superman. As she learned he was on his way, a portal opened on the South Lawn. To her shock, Orion stepped out.

He had a large gun over his shoulder and he was covered in blood. Whose blood she wondered. Otis, the Doberman, growled and ran to attack Orion. Orion acknowledge the dog by kicking him. Otis was flung to a tree. The dog bounced off the tree and fell to the ground. Orion addressed the rest of his audience by aiming his gun and firing it.

"Get back, Mr. President!" Secret Agents Hackman and Beatty push Lex behind them.

Dinah jumped in front of everyone and released her sonic scream to divert the blast. No one was killed but several people including Dinah were knocked off her feet just by the shockwaves.

"Dinah!" Like everyone else, Lex was knocked off his feet but he wasn't close enough to grab Dinah as she soared over him. He tried to reach her but his agents pushed Lex down on the grass and threw their bodies over him as a protective shield. Lex opened his eyes after the shockwaves subsided. Agents Hackman and Beatty laid unconscious as did the remaining agents and soldiers.

Lex got up and pushed his agents off him. His focus was on his wife. He last saw her soaring to the White House. All the windows were blown due to the shockwave of Orion's gun. He couldn't see where Dinah landed in the White House but whatever it was, it wasn't an easy landing for Dinah.

Angry, Lex picked up his gun and fired on Orion. He hit him directly on his chest. To Lex's shock, the grenades exploded but had no effect on Orion.

He laughed, "Is that the best you Earthlings can do? A pity my brother and the warrior Steppenwolf lost to you."

"Is that why you are here?" Lex asked. "To avenge them?"

"I am here to restore the name of Darkseid. One way I can do that is by killing you."

"Get in line." Lex cocked his gun. "Do you know how many people want me dead?"

Orion laid his gun on the ground. "Judging by your size, I don't need my weapon to take care of you."

"How about me?"

Orion turned to see Superman standing over him. His arms were crossed over his chest in a pose that cause his opponents to run. Orion wasn't intimidated. He watched Superman descend to the ground. His eyes raked over Superman's cartoonish clothes. A cape? Underwear on the outside? He saw visuals of him on Earth but to see Superman's uniform in person was downright hilarious.

"Superman. I finally meet Earth's newest hero."

"Leave this planet!" Clark threatened.

Superman stood a few feet from him. Orion blinked and Superman stood in the same spot but was holding his cannon gun. Orion looked down, stunned his gun was gone. Orion couldn't believe his fast eyes didn't catch that. Spiking his anger even more, Superman tore the gun in half and crushed the broken pieces with his hands.

"I'll leave…." Orion boiled. "…with your head in my hands!"

Orion made the first move. He threw a fist at Clark. Clark took the punch, testing

Orion's strength and deciding how much of his own strength he would have to use on Orion.

When he sparred with Diana, she pushed him far beyond what he thought were his limits. He knew how powerful he was and he couldn't unleash that strength here. Too many people would get in the way.

When Orion's fist collided with his face, Clark's fear became a reality. He would have to go that far. Clark slid across the South Lawn. The power of Orion's fist was felt over his entire body.

Clark sat up and rubbed his jaw. "That wasn't smart."

"Get up, Kryptonian! That wasn't half my strength."

Clark stood. "I'll fight you but not here. Let's go somewhere else where we can really go out."

Orion saw through that trick. "You want to move to a remote area so no one gets hurt." Orion saw a weakness in Superman. Like all so called heroes, they cared about the safety of others. What pleasure it will be to kill in front of Superman. A man. A woman. Or perhaps a baby. "I strive on hurting people!"

Orion first victim. The President of the United States. He started running to Lex. Clark advanced on him just as Orion knew he would. He threw a fist a Clark. Clark grabbed it and twisted his arm behind Orion. Orion turned quickly and thrust his back elbow in Clark's face.

The blow was so hard, Clark was forced to release him. As he did, he noticed drops of blood falling from his nose.

Orion moved fast, using Clark's momentarily distraction to lock an arm around his neck. Orion squeezed hard in an attempt to either break Clark's neck or cut off his oxygen. "Your desire to protect humans have left you vulnerable and weak and easy to attack."

He punched Clark's back with all his might. No bones were broken as of yet but Clark did cough up blood. "Kryptonians are no match for Apokoliptan blood. I can't believe Steppenwolf and Kalibak lost to the likes of you and you pathetic Earthlings."

"Like you, they underestimate us!" Clark grabbed Orion's arm around his throat. It was a vice grip. As Clark pulled, Orion fought hard to hold his grip but he was losing against the might of Superman.

One good punch deserved another. Clark broke Orion's grip around his neck and delivered an earth shattering punch to Orion. He wasn't near Clark and Orion but the force of the punch knocked Lex on his back and blew out the remaining windows of the White House. Shielding himself from falling glass, Lex watched, stunned at how far Orion was going in the air. Superman followed after him, as he wasn't done with Orion just yet.

The power of flight. It was the one ability he didn't have but so desired to have. It left him vulnerable for an attack. It left him unable to catch him. Instead he would fall to the ground on his own accord.

Or not.

Superman was coming to him. Instead of a punch to his face, Superman balled his fist and slammed his back. Orion descended from the sky fast. He was sent upwards again when Superman kicked his chest.

"Oof!" A man of steel kick cracked a rib. Superman threw another punch but Orion grabbed his hand. He caught the other one, too when Superman threw that. "Fighting me in the air instead of the ground." He pulled Superman to him to smash his forehead against Superman's. The blow hurt Orion but he was certain it hurt Superman, too. He tried to it again but Superman blocked it by kicking Orion's breadbasket.

Orion coughed up his own blood. Some of it even splattered on Superman's uniform.

"I know your games." He punched Orion once. "I was told how evil you monsters from Apokolips are. You can't be taken lightly." He punched him again. "I won't let the people of Earth be caught in our crossfire!" Another punch sent Orion further into the sky.

On Apokolips, Darkseid viewed several battles on Earth. Though he said nothing as he viewed the screens, his blood boiled at the embarrassing display his great warriors were showing. It was odd. If Darkseid didn't know better, he would say the Justice League were prepared for an attack by him and knew just how to take out their opponents. The Justice League were making quick work of his parademons. That didn't surprise Darkseid too much. Brute force they were, the parademons were also dimwitted. They can easily be replaced. Bernadeth and Speed Queen's defeat were pathetic. They lost to a human, a magician and a low rate metahuman. If they came back to Apokolips, Darkseid would have them skinned alive and fed them to his demon dogs.

Lashina put up a decent fight against Wonder Woman but still lost. It was even more embarrassing that even with the arrival of Kalibak, Wonder Woman was still winning. How was that possible? And how did Kalibak escape?

"Foolish Orion must've aided him. Kalibak doesn't have the mental capacity to escape on his own."

Viewing the battles with Darkseid was Granny Goodness. She wasn't at all pleased of her Furies performance either. "How pathetic. When they get back, I will make them pay for embarrassing Granny Goodness."

Darkseid activated a boom tube. It was time for him to step in.

Will he ever reached the ground again? Orion wondered. Orion wasn't aware of how long he was in the air. Seconds passed like minutes. Minutes passed like hours. Whenever he came close enough to the earth to touch it, Superman pulled him back to the skies. Superman used all his strengths on him. His left eye was wedge shut by Superman's heat vision. His right was closed shut due to the black eye. Six of his ribs were crushed on the arm and foot power of the Man of Steel. His left arm was broken in response to a cheap shot he gave to Superman. With the pounding he took from Superman, Orion feared he could kill him. Him? The son of Darkseid, a God himself who bestowed upon him great strength, speed and healing capabilities. Orion could've believed his fate. He killed High Father. He killed opponents on Apokolips and other worlds who challenged his strength. How could he lose in battle to a Kryptonian raised on Earth? A mere farmer? What angered Orion even more was Superman wasn't out to kill him? Only to beat him senseless.

Superman had him by the cuff of his uniform. They floated in the air under Superman's power. He had him in his grasp to finish him off. "Why taunt me?" Orion asked him. "Kill me and get it over with. I know you want to."

"I won't kill you." But the red glow of Superman's eyes led Orion to believe he would. "I'll let you return to Apokolips with the reminder of what our confrontation did to you. So, whenever you think of returning to Earth, you will remember our battle and what awaits you should you foolishly try to return for a rematch."

The familiar sound of the boom tube opened behind Clark. He turned to see Darkseid float out. Like Orion, he couldn't fly but his hover disc kept him in the air.

Orion couldn't see but he knew his father's presence. "Father," Orion croaked.

Clark looked from Orion to the tall, ominous figure before him. He showed no fear as he knowledge the Lord of Apokolips. "Darkseid."

Darkseid smiled in acknowledgement. His eyes burned with joy. "I should thank you, Superman. I was actually concerned Orion could overthrow me. As strong as he is, he will never reach my status." He fired his Omega beams on Orion. "You didn't heed my warning. Now you shall pay for your recklessness!"

Superman released Orion, watching Darkseid punish Orion with his deadly beams. Orion screamed in unrelenting pain. Blood poured from his ear, nose and mouth. Even wounds that were closing under his battle with Superman was opening again.

"That's enough!" Superman shouted. "He's already in enough pain!"

Darkseid ignored Superman's plea and increased his power. Having seen enough, Superman punched Darkseid. Darkseid stumbled. He caught himself from falling off his disc. Superman caught the falling Orion who was stunned at what Superman just did. Superman saved him? He struck his father. No one struck Darkseid and lived.

Darkseid was livid! This Kryptonian dare hit him? He wanted to fire Omega beams at full power on him. He wanted to rip him apart. He wanted to punch a hole in his chest and pull the Kryptonian's heart out.

But Darkseid didn't retaliate. It would be foolish to give into his anger. He didn't want a quick death. That would be too easy for Superman. No, he wanted him to suffer; wanted him in pain, wanted to see him plead for mercy.

"Rounds one and two goes to you, Kryptonian. Enjoy your victory. Round three will belong to me. I won't rush into it as Steppenwolf did. I won't be clouded by my anger as Orion. It could be six months from now or six years. Time is nothing to me. I am immortal. When I strike, you will know it."

The boom tube portal opened and Darkseid stepped inside. Superman considered throwing Orion in the portal after Darkseid but decided against it. He wasn't sure why but he didn't want to see Orion suffer anymore. He would be kept on Earth and imprisoned on Devil's Island with the other metahumans.

As Superman descended from the sky, he saw parademons return to Apokolips in their boom tubes. The battle was over. Earth won once again.

Superman returned to the South Lawn where Lex was being treated for minor cuts from the White House doctor. Military officials patrolled the grounds. When they saw Superman, they aimed their guns at Orion.

Clark dropped Orion on the ground. "Bind him in the strongest material you can find." Two soldiers ran off to do follow Superman's command while six others had their guns trained on Orion.

"It's over?" Lex as Clark approached him.

Seeing the parademons retreating, Clark agreed. "It's over. How's Dinah?"

Lex was grim. "She's in surgery. She cut her throat on a window when she was hurled into the White House. The blood was gushing out when they got to her. She'll make it," he spoke bravely. "She has to."

"She will," Clark vowed.

"Superman! Superman!" his ear piece buzzed. It was Shayera. She sounded frantic. "Hawkgirl. What's going on?"

"I thought she was leaving with us." She rambled. She didn't sound like the calm and cool woman he knew. "We were the last to leave the Watchtower before it fell from the atmosphere. Diana ordered us off the Watchtower. It couldn't maintain flight."

"Whoa. Wait." Clark's stomach twisted in knots. "Slow down. What happened, Hawkgirl? Where's Diana?"

"The Watchtower was too damaged to maintain orbit. Diana was supposed to steer it to the ocean. She said she was leaving with us!" Shayera cried. "She stayed on board. She…." Shayera broke off crying. "I'm sorry. I thought she was with us. There's smoke and fire and…."

Lex saw the color drain from Clark's face. He touched his shoulder. "Clark, what's wrong. What happened to Diana?"

Clark didn't answer. "Where are you?"

"Central Park."

Lex was knocked off his feet by the force of Clark shooting off in the sky like a rocket. What he could make out of Clark was a red streak tearing through the sky like a speeding bullet.

"I hope you make it in time, my friend."

---

Volts of electricity coarse through Diana. Diana gritted her teeth as she fought through the painful bolts of electricity tearing through her body. If she didn't do anything, she knew she would black out, and if she blacked out, she would be at the mercy of Lashina. Diana knew what Furies did to their captives. She would not be their next sport. With one hand pulling at the whip around her neck, the other shakily reached for her lasso. Two could play this game. She had the eyes of Athena. She was the best marksmen even under tremendous pressure. She could do this. She tossed her lasso, hoping it strike its mark. It did.

Her lasso wrapped around Lashina's neck.

Diana pulled hard.

Lashina gagged and dropped her whip. The electric cords fell from Diana's neck. Diana touched her neck, wincing at the welts but relieved she could breathe on her own accord. She struggled to pull herself up as Lashina was already approaching her ready to deliver cheap shots until Diana got her strength back.

Diana pulled her chest off the floor only to have her face hit the floor again when Lashina kicked it. Lashina raised her foot ready to slam it down on Diana again when Diana caught it and twisted it hard, breaking Lashina's ankle.

It was a quick and clean snap of the bones. Lashina howled. She tried to pull away but Diana wouldn't let go. Diana sat up and swung her Lashina over her head by her broken ankle like as if Lashina's body was a lasso. She released Lashina, tossing her into a wall. The collision caused the Watchtower to wobble. Lashina didn't have a moment to recover when she felt Diana grabbed her by the back of her uniform and threw her to the floor. Diana pounced. She put a knee to Lashina's back and an arm locked around her neck.

Lashina wrestled with Diana like wild animal afraid fighting being tied down. She broke through the hold Diana had around her neck only to be punched. This Wonder Woman was stronger than Lashina imagine and she wasn't leaving an opening. She cursed herself for taunting Wonder Woman and not killing her when she had the chance.

Despite being outmaneuvered, Lashina smiled, hoping to get into Diana's head. "Oh, you have such a dark side. You good guys never fight this rough. It feels good to be conquered. Are you as turned on as I am?"

Diana didn't listen, well aware of the mind trick Lashina was trying to play. Diana grabbed Lashina's whip and tied Lashina hands and legs with it.

"Is that turning you on, too?" Diana asked as Lashina screamed under the electric cords of her own whip. Lashina screamed and laughed at the same time, baffling Diana.

Another boom tube was opened in the room. Who else was coming now? Diana found out when she saw Kalibak step out. Diana didn't move quick enough to prepare herself from Kalibak's fist which sent her across the room, impacting the wall. The Watchtower wobbled and Diana was momentarily dazed.

Lashina laughed through her pain. "So, Orion got you out."

Kalibak spotted Lashina on the floor, trapped in her own weapon. "So, she got you, too. You're not as powerful as you boast." Kalibak grabbed Lashina by the cords of her whip and slammed her against the console. The electric cords of Lashina's whip overcharged the console, shutting out the power in the Watchtower and shocking Lashina even more. Lights flickered on and off, red warning lights flashed on the console before the backup generators came online.

Kalibak tossed Lashina's unconscious body on the floor. "Thank you. I'll be sure to repay you after I repay Wonder Woman."

Diana rammed Kalibak from his side. She didn't want to use such force but this was Kalibak she was dealing with. His body crashed through the steel wall of the Watchtower. The satellite lurch as it made an unexpected turn. Diana got her balance back quicker than Kalibak's. In her ear piece, Diana heard Shayera asking her what was going on, but Diana ignored her. All her concentration was on Kalibak.

Kalibak would be wild and ruthless, not caring they could knock the Watchtower out of orbit if they engaged in a lengthy battle. It was why she took out Lashina so quickly.

"I don't have time for this so let's end this."

"You won't win so easily this time!" Kalibak promised. He charged. Each heavy footstep from Kalibak's hulking body shook the Watchtower. He threw a punch. Diana ducked and kneed his stomach. He stumbled but Kalibak grabbed Diana and threw her back in the control room.

Not fully recovered from her shock treatment, Kalibak took advantage of Diana's slow movements and pounced on her. His heavy, slimy, reeking body nearly swallowed her. Diana bucked against him to throw him off.

"That's right, Amazon," Kalibak leaned close so his foul breath fanned her face. "Get use to riding me."

Feeling Kalibak's hand on her and inhaling the dung stench of his breath, cause Diana to summon strength deep within her. With a fierce Amazon cry, Diana pushed Kalibak off her back.

Diana jumped to her feet and kicked his throat. When she attempted another kick, Kalibak grabbed her, raised her off the floor and threw her body on the console. He grabbed her head and slammed it into the console, breaking dials and dismantling controls that were used to operate the Watchtower.

Alarms sounded again. The lights flickered out again. When the lights returned, the room was bathed in red. This wasn't good. Diana broke Kalibak's grip on her head. She grabbed his arm, twirled and twisted. Kalibak grunted. Diana quickly followed up with a kick to the back of both his knees. An elbow to his back, knocked him on his stomach. Diana scissored her legs around Kalibak's neck and squeezed. Kalibak flopped and struggled but Diana maintain her hold on him. A battle would take too long. She could only hope the power in her legs were strong enough to cut off his oxygen.

The Watchtower made another unexpected turn. Kalibak's lower body moved but his upper body didn't as it stuck in Diana's grip. Diana wasn't sure how long she held Kalibak between her legs but he did give up the fight. His arms dropped Kalibak kept fighting but his arms stopped wailing, his body stopped moving and his breathing slowed. Diana suspected it was a trick but after another ten minutes, she loosened her hold. Kalibak didn't move.

Diana breathed a sigh of relief. Lashina and Kalibak were unconscious but the price of it was costly. Reaching the console, she realized the Watchtower had no power as the backup generators failed during her battle with Kalibak or something else Diana wasn't sure but she could bet the parademons had some involvement with it. The Watchtower was no longer orbiting the Earth but instead was drifting towards it. The only way to pilot the satellite was doing it manually otherwise it would fall towards the Earth and burn in the atmosphere.

Still, Diana couldn't take that chance in hoping the Watchtower would burn up in the atmosphere. There were too many people on Earth. If it crashed in a populated city, the damage could be cataclysmic. Sliding in a pilot seat, Diana took control of the ship.

"This is Diana. If there is anyone on the Watchtower, please respond!"

"Diana, it's Shayera! What's going on! The whole Watchtower is shaking! We got fires breaking out and parademons to tangle with. Were we knocked out of orbit?"

Diana didn't answer her question. "Is anyone else on board the Watchtower?"

"Just seven of us. We're dealing with the last of the parademons. Some got in the engine room and did some damage. Whe—"

Diana didn't let her finish. "Leave the parademons and get off the Watchtower now! It's unsafe!"

"Unsafe? How badly damaged is the Watchtower?"

"The Watchtower has been knocked out of orbit. All power is gone. The teleporters are damaged. The backup generators have burned out. It's going to crash on the Earth! Evacuate the Watchtower! Get in the escape pods and pilot yourself back to Earth!"

"Okay. You're coming right?"

"Yes. I'm setting the Watchtower on a collision course to the Atlantic Ocean. It's the safest place I can find for it to land." She lied as she manually steered the satellite. With the speed it was falling, she couldn't turn the satellite towards the ocean without it imploding in flames and taking any Justice League heroes in their escape pods with it. "Just go! If you don't leave now, it'll be too late for you to leave safely and your pods will burn up in the atmosphere!"

"Right!"

Diana struggled to keep the Watchtower under control. She maintained flight of the huge satellite, not letting the Watchtower descend to Earth before everyone got away. From the window, she could see escape pods leaving the Watchtower. One by one she counted them until all until at last she was alone.

When enough time passed, Diana eased the Watchtower gently towards Earth. Her thoughts were on Clark as she made this fateful journey. How was he in battle? Was he hurt? Was he helping others?

As she entered Earth's atmosphere, the Watchtower began burning up on the outside and inside. Diana wiped her sweaty forehead as the intense heat even affected her. Fire broke out around her. A piece of the inflamed ceiling fell on the floor. Fire broke out on parts of the console. Smoke almost blinded her. Diana coughed and waved the smoke away from her face as she kept steering the Watchtower.

This was a suicide mission and Diana accepted her fate and her missed opportunity for which she could only blame herself. "I'm sorry, Clark. I'm so sorry for everything. In time, I hope you can forgive me." She wondered even if she lived would she have gotten that chance? She didn't think so. Clark held too much hate. She accepted that, too. For the first time in a long time, her mind was clear. "I know my duty. As Princess of Themyscira. As an Amazon. This isn't my world but this is my fate on this journey."

Through the window, she saw a city coming into view. New York City. She steered the satellite to Central Park. It was reckless but also the safest place she could think of to crash the satellite. She prayed the people below would move in time for she couldn't stop the satellite's course any further.

Before impact, Diana closed her eyes and whispered, "I am at peace."

The Watchtower crashed in the center of Central Park. The impact created a small quake and uprooted half a mile of dirt. The sound of the impact shattered windows of cars, homes and businesses several miles away. Nearby streets buckled and flames consumed the Watchtower and everything in a mile radius.

"Diana!" Clark could see the horrific dark plume of smoke a mile from the Central Park. He could hear the screams and cry for help from civilians. He spotted Hawkgirl, Vixen and many others offering their assistance with the fire and getting people to safety. Clark's only object was getting to Diana.

She couldn't be dead he told himself. She just couldn't be. Diana was stronger than this. Crashing the Watchtower from space wouldn't kill her. She wasn't on board, he told himself. Diana probably ejected at the last minute. That's what Clark kept telling himself.

That was until he arrived at the site. The ground was charged, pieces of the Watchtower scattered over the lush park. Clark flew into the open flames, tearing a hole in the burning Watchtower. He was met with smoke and flames. He easily pushed through it. His only thoughts were on Diana.

It took less than a second for Clark to reach the control room where he heard two faint heartbeats. He tore off the doors. The entire room was consumed in flames. He used his freeze breath to put out the fire. He saw Lashina and Kalibak on the ground covered in fallen debris from the Watchtower. One was dead. The other was barely alive. He didn't care about them. Only Diana.

He found her slumped over her charred chair. Most of her uniform was burnt off. Her body was marred with bruises, opened wounds and burned marks. Her heartbeat was faint. "Diana," he gently touched her face. "No," he choked a sob. "You can't die."

He removed his cape and wrapped Diana's body it. With Diana safely tuck in his arms, he flew her from the wreckage, hoping he wasn't too late.

---

J'onn and Donna sat in an interrogation room with J'onn and Kal-El on the Justice League's land base, Hall of Justice, as known as Watchtower II. Holding their weapons, J'onn and Kal-El listened as Donna and J'onn tell them of their Earth, their Diana, the fate of their Kal-El and the search for their Diana.

Kal-El was the first to speak once Donna finished telling her story. "It's an interesting tale. I'm inclined to not believe you but I think you are telling truth."

"It is the truth." Donna knew Kal-El was scanning her with his eyes, studying her heartbeats for any irregularity, any sign she was lying. "Why would we make up a story like that?"

"It's true they have no motive." J'onn looked down at a thin electronic pad in his hands. He read the report of the sensors that scanned Donna and his double as they told their story. "And our sensors say they are telling the truth."

"Good, but I want to be absolutely certain." Kal-El left the room.

On the other side of the interrogation room was his wife, Diana. She was called the moment Donna and J'onn were brought to Watchtower II. Diana stayed on the other side watching the interrogation, shocked at what she was hearing. There were so many questions Diana wanted to ask but knew she couldn't. It wasn't pertinent to the investigation.

Kal-El came out of the room. Diana tried to mask her distress over the situation but Kal-El saw through her. "What do you think?"

"She's telling the truth." Diana stared at Donna who wasn't aware of Diana on the other side. "I don't need to use my lasso on her or that J'onn."

"Don't need to or is it you don't want to confront her?"

Diana turned her head away from him. "You think you know me."

Kal-El touched Diana's chin, turning her back to him. "I do as you know me." He dropped a light kiss on her lips. "Do you want to talk to her?"

"It wouldn't be wise to do so. She will only see her sister. Not me. We wouldn't have anything to talk about except her sister and how she lost herself when she lost her husband."

Kal-El studied Diana. "That story really shook you, didn't it?"

"I feel sorry for that Diana. She lost her Kal." Diana hugged herself. "It got me thinking of what would happen if I lost you."

The answer was very easy for Kal-El. "Life will continue on for you. You have our children. You can't give up on them. You also have your people."

"I know but would I be dead inside like Donna's sister?" Diana wondered.

"No," Kal-El answered logically. "You know you wouldn't so why even ask that? You're much too strong to become so emotional. From what I gather, the other Diana was young and inexperienced in a lot of things. You may share the same name, body and abilities, but you are not her."

The pessimism on Diana's face melted away to a warm, happy smile. She embraced Kal-El. She loved this man so much. She was so happy to have him in her life. "You make me realize things about myself I didn't know."

Kal-El kissed the top of Diana's head. "I can say the same for you."

Diana laid her head against her husband's chest. "I do wonder though. Where is that Diana?"

"The real question to wonder is what Donna will do when she meets her sister again?"

Diana pulled back to view her husband. "Why do you say that?"

"Donna has been searching for Diana for months. I don't know what her sister has been doing but I do know that if she's not in danger or trapped as Donna seems to think she is, it won't be pretty when they reunite."