14: A Blast from the Future
Clark, Gotham
Closing the phone, I breathed heavily as I turned to look at Lois.
"Was that… me?" she dared to ask.
There wasn't any point in keeping the secret now, thanks to the Time Trapper. "Yes," I reluctantly sighed.
"Let me guess… that was me from the future?"
Before I could gather enough air to respond, the door slammed open and seven people rushed into the room.
"Clark!"
"Bruce?" I muttered weakly, unable to move, squinting disbelievingly at the Dark Knight in the dim light.
"What's happened to him?" Wonder Woman demanded, yanking the bars of my cell apart as if they were putty.
Batman gently moved me so I was flat on my back. The rest of the League gasped as I blurrily opened my eyes again. "Hey guys," I muttered, half delirious.
"Wow, Clark…you're like, twenty," Flash muttered.
"We can worry about age later," Batman growled. "What happened, Clark?"
"He was shot with a Kryptonite bullet in the back," Lois said from behind. "Please, help him!"
They turned to look at her.
"Lois? What are you doing here? I thought he said we were just going to find Clark," said Green Arrow.
"Clark?" Lois questioned.
"That's my other name, sweetheart," I said through gritted teeth. I felt so bad. There were so many things I'd kept from her…so many secrets. Why was it that every time I met Lois, no matter what the scenario, I could never explain everything to her? Part of me was glad this was all coming to light but I'd rather the situation be a happier one – where I wouldn't by lying dying on the floor.
"Oliver, you and Wally focus on freeing Lois. J'onn, Diana, I'm going to need your help. Aquaman, Lantern, keep watch," Batman ordered.
Everyone set to work doing as asked. J'onn and Diana crouched down next to Bruce who stood over me looking grim. I grimaced as he pulled a small piece of kryptonite from his utility belt. "It has to be done," he muttered.
I swallowed. "I know. Just do it."
Batman nodded. "Diana, keep Clark down. J'onn, after I cut his skin, you're going to have to dig around until you find the bullet. Clark, where did you get shot?"
"Right shoulder blade," I panted.
Batman turned me onto my back as gently as he could but I still cried out in pain. Wonder Woman apologized as she pinned my arms to the ground. Batman wasted no time in ripping the material away and cutting deeply into my skin with the kryptonite. I screamed and thrashed as the combination of new kryptonite enflamed the area most infected with kryptonite poisoning. Wonder Woman forced me down. My screams intensified as J'onn's fingers wiggled their way into the tissues of my skin that had been cut apart, searching for the kryptonite bullet.
A sudden stab of excruciating pain jarred my body all the way down to my bones. The last thing I remembered before passing out were my tortured screams echoing off the dark prison walls and Lois screaming my name.
Lois, Smallville
The suit was rather different. He didn't have a cape, for one. He was dressed very similar to Clark's new suit except there were two thin yellow stripes hovering over a pair of red boots and gloves that covered his hands and feet. The famous S symbol was displayed across his broad chest, standing out brilliantly even in the dim lighting of the room. Looking at him further allowed me to realize this man was not my husband. His eyes were the same vibrant blue but his hair was dark brown instead of black.
I watched as he quickly surveyed the situation. Without a hint of weakness he rushed over to Clark, carefully removed the kryptonite IV, flung the green liquid across the room, grabbed Clark, and disappeared.
"Hey!" I shouted, rising to my feet.
Krypto appeared in the doorway, limping. I rushed to his side.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
Krypto whined weakly. Before I could even suggest going after the guy who took Clark, he returned.
"I moved him to a location where he will get plenty of sun for the next few hours," he confirmed after my questioning glance. "Would you mind coming with me?"
"Only if we're going to where Clark is," I said, feeling it was more important to get to him than to find out who this guy really was for the time being.
"We are," he calmly replied.
"Take Krypto first," I ordered. "He needs sunlight just as much as Clark right now. I doubt he can even fly."
Krypto tried to prove me wrong but the poor dog just ended up tumbling in the dirt. He looked rather peeved considering he'd just wounded his pride.
"Oh, get over yourself and let him help you," I snapped.
Krypto snorted but remained silent, giving his consent to be carried off to where the sun still shone. The hero picked him up, nodded to me, and skyrocketed into the air. I dared to peek over my shoulder to where the Time Trapper had been shoved into the wall but to my alarm and dismay, he was gone! I twisted around like a mad woman, looking every which way but I didn't even see the hint of a cloak. Where could he have gone? I didn't see him leave. The panic building inside me halted as the hero returned, dropping from the sky like a silent ninja in the night.
"What the heck took you so long?" I nearly shouted. "The Time Trapper disappeared!"
The hero didn't seem surprised as he scowled. "He's always been the type to slither off when nobody's looking. I'm surprised he didn't try anything. Perhaps he didn't anticipate his plans being foiled."
"How can you be so calm about all of this?" I demanded. "The guy nearly killed Clark! And who are you, anyway? Why are you wearing the Superman S?"
The hero smiled – and I have to admit it was a rather charming one too! "I promise I'll explain everything but right now we need to leave this place. Please, come with me."
I rolled my eyes. "For a hero, you're pretty cryptic and vague, you know that?" I muttered as I stepped onto his toes.
"Are you comfortable?" he asked, slipping his arms around me; he very consciously kept his hands away from any inappropriate places.
"Yes," I assured.
"I'll try not to go too fast," he muttered before taking off.
It was obvious right away that he hadn't had a lot of practice flying with someone else; his grip kept slipping. Not to mention he was going the pace of a snail.
"Um, not to make you think I'm a thrill seeker or anything," I said, "but you can up your speed a little if you want to."
He looked down at me sheepishly. "I apologize," he muttered. "I'm fairly new at this kind of thing."
Really? I couldn't tell. "That's okay," I decided to say.
He did manage to go a little faster. At least we were beating the birds now. Sighing, I waited another ten minutes before letting him know that he could go at least seventy miles an hour. The moment the words left my mouth, he took off, the wind rushing in my ears. I immediately felt comfortable. This was the speed Clark usually took when he wanted to travel with me for long distances. I didn't think it appropriate to make introductions just yet so I consented myself to the entertainment of watching the land below turn to sea.
After we had been over the ocean for a solid twenty minutes, the hero paused. "This looks like a good place," he muttered.
Before I could inquire as to what he was talking about, he reached around me, pulled something from the side of his red belt, and threw it ahead of us. A sharp ripping noise filled my ears, like fabric being forced apart. Next thing I knew, there was an opening in the night sky where daylight shone through.
"What the –?"
The hero didn't wait for me to finish my sentence, instead barreling thorough the makeshift doorway in the sky. My eyes stung as we instantly revolved from night to day. Blinking furiously, I cursed and rubbed my eyes to stop the tears from falling.
"Geez, next time give a little warning!" I snapped, rubbing my eyes over my long sleeved sweater.
"Sorry," he muttered.
"What is that thing anyway?"
"A travel divider," he answered, holding up a small round ball with a yellow button in the middle. "It opens a gateway to whatever destination you set it to."
I blinked. Never before had I heard of technology like that. Deciding to run with it, I looked around. "Where are we?"
Ignoring the question, the hero set me down on the grass under a tree where Clark and Krypto both lay getting some much needed sunshine. Even now Clark's skin had more color and the once pained expressions both he and Krypto displayed were laden with absolute bliss. Seeing that they were on their way to a speedy recovery, I turned my attention to the young man standing before me who now, in proper lighting, looked no older than fifteen. I raised an eyebrow. To my surprise, he shuffled his feet.
"Um, I guess you're going to want some answers, huh?" he muttered insecurely.
What happened to the tough confident hero who rushed in to save the day? I suddenly felt like I was talking to Clark from the office. I couldn't help but smirk. "Answers would be nice, hero."
The boy rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, sighed, and then came to a decision. Squaring his shoulders, his confidence returned and he declared, "My name is Key-El. I'm from the twenty eighth century."
I probably should have been surprised but the more I stared at him in silence, the more it made sense. He wasn't as tall as Clark but easily he was six feet. His hair was lighter – like mine. His mannerisms were similar to Clark.
"Are you...one of our descendants?" I asked, pointing to Clark before pointing to myself.
Key-El lightly blushed – a very Clark-like thing to do. "Yes."
As I processed this information, the strangest feeling bubbled inside me. It was similar to the love I felt towards Jason but different too. One thing was for sure I found myself cherishing this boy just as much as Jason. I could even see a little bit of Jason in him. Smiling widely, and surprising him, I enveloped him in a hug. He returned the embrace rather warmly.
"It's good to finally meet you, Grandma," he muttered as we pulled away.
"Wow, now that's weird to hear," I muttered. He grimaced but I waved my arms, "Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm okay with it! It's just weird."
"Really? You don't mind?" he asked timidly.
I snorted. "Yep, you're definitely related to Clark; terrified that if you say one wrong thing it will ruin a relationship with me forever."
Key-El blushed as red as a tomato. "Well, Dad said you were a firecracker and that people needed to watch what they said around you."
"Wait…your father knew me?" I asked, wide eyed.
Key-El nodded. "He speaks highly of you and Grandpa Clark all the time. I wish…" his eyebrows drew together.
"What?" I prompted.
Key-El sighed. "It's stupid really. I don't think I should be telling you any of this since it's the future. I don't want it to change."
I frowned. I was really intrigued now. How could his dad know me? I should have been dead and gone for years in their time! "Well, you've already spilled the beans, per say, so a few more revelations wouldn't hurt," I said, hoping he'd tell me more.
Key-El bit his lip. "I don't know," he muttered.
I raised an eyebrow, fighting disappointment. For a superhero he wasn't very sure of himself. A sudden possibility occurred to me. Unable to handle the silence, I blurted out, "Is this the first time you've dawned the supersuit?"
Key-El's mouth opened and closed like a fish.
"I'll take that as a yes," I muttered.
Again, the young hero blushed crimson. It was kind of cute seeing him so vulnerable. "Um, yeah, it's my first public debut," he admitted, embarrassed. "Am I that obvious?"
I snorted. "Kid, I've been around heroes for a long time and I'm currently working on training the Man of Steel himself. I know a greenie when I see one."
Key-El ran a hand through his brown hair. "Man, and I was trying so hard to pull off the professional look."
I laughed. "Don't get me wrong, it's there; I've seen it. It just gets buried when you become embarrassed or unsure of yourself. Tell me, how long have you been thinking of going into the hero business?"
Key-El sat down on the grass and invited me to join him. "It's a long story," he muttered. "And since we have some time to kill before Grandpa and Krypto are able to be moved, well, I figured now is a good time to catch you up on a few things."
I nodded. "That sounds like a plan."
Key-El sighed, leaning back and looking up at the sky. "I guess it's safe to tell you that the hero business has stayed in the family – after a couple generations the doctors figured out that the Kryptonian gene is always dominant so all of your posterity is doomed to inherit super powers."
"Wait, scientists? But that would have to mean they figured out the secret!" I cried, terrified.
Key-El nodded. "Everyone sort of figured it out when you didn't age."
"Excuse me?"
Key-El bit his lip. "Let me start from the beginning so you understand."
"Okay… you said our posterity inherits super powers?"
He nodded.
I tried not to seem a little sad by that. "So… nobody is like me then," I whispered quietly.
Key-El heard me anyway. "From what Dad said, that used to upset you a lot but eventually you grew to accept it."
"Really?" I asked, surprised.
He nodded. "Yeah… um, so, the powers don't develop until around the age of five and everyone is different when it comes to how soon they get the abilities. My Dad inherited all of his powers when he was seventeen. His x ray vision was the last thing to develop."
"What about you?" I asked, intrigued.
"I'm a special case," he muttered, embarrassed. "I'm the first grandson in four hundred years to have all my abilities fully developed by the age of ten. Grandpa Jason -your son- was the first, Uncle Kevin was the second, Grandma Chloe was the third, and I'm the fourth. It's a high honor and a lot of people expect great things from me."
He didn't seem too happy about that. All of this foreign information should have sent my head into a serious spin cycle but for some reason I was taking everything in stride. Maybe it was because I'd learned to expect the unexpected when it came to Kryptonian things. It was a little disheartening that nobody would end up like me but to know that Clark and I would eventually create a legacy together filled me with surprising pride and joy.
"I take it that you're unsure if you can fill the family's expectations?"
Key-El looked dejected. "How did you know?"
"Well, for someone who is basically a Superman protégé, you don't seem too thrilled by the news," I said matter-of-factly. "You know what, Key-El? I think you shouldn't bother with trying to please everyone in the family. They're all going to have their own opinion of how to be in the family business and you can't change the fact that every single one of them is going to try to convince you that their way of doing things is right."
"They already do that!" he complained, dropping some of his guard and letting me see the bothered teenager he really was behind the suit. "All of my brothers and my sister are older than me – I'm the youngest – and all of them feel the need to coach me. But I just want to figure out what works for me."
"Then do that!" I encouraged. "Listen to their advice, sure, but do what you think and feel is best. Clark's parents taught him good morals and he just implemented that into the hero he later became. He chose his own course. You do the same."
Key-El smiled after a moment. "You sound like my mom."
"She must be a very smart woman," I complimented.
Key-El nodded. "She's great. She's always pushing me to do the right thing, just like Dad. I have really good parents."
I smiled. "I can tell. You're a good kid."
He smiled. "Thanks…Grandma."
I laughed. "You're welcome. Now, it sounded like your dad knew me and Clark?"
Key-El swallowed, his smile disappearing. Apparently he had been hoping that I wouldn't bring it up again. Too bad kid; I was a reporter. Seeing the determination in my eyes, he caved instantly.
"You and Grandpa Clark end up living for a long time," he sighed. "They say it's because of Grandpa Clark's aura. Studies have shown that the yellow sun gives Kryptonians the aura to thrive and live for centuries. You're the exception to that rule because you were exposed to it for so long that it sustained you as well as Grandpa. So when he died, you died with him. There's speculation that Grandpa would have lived twice as long if he hadn't shared his aura with you but nobody is upset about that possibility. We all know that Grandpa wouldn't have been himself if he hadn't had you by his side every step of his life."
I sat there, stunned. Clark and I had died together. What a huge relief it was to know that! I had been terrified that Clark would have to live his life alone. I personally considered it a miracle that I'd lived as long as him. Science may try to explain it was Clark's aura but I felt that there was a higher power at work in keeping me alive. Call me crazy but I almost felt as if the reason I ended up living as long as Clark was a personal blessing for his many sacrifices in trying to keep the world safe. Whatever the reason, I was thankful from the bottom of my heart. Neither of us had to die alone.
"Both of you died a year before I was born," Key-El continued, taking me away from my thoughts. "I'm the first grandchild who never met either of you. Everyone else has stories to share at family reunions. Even random people in the city and around the world have stories! But me? I have nothing…" – disheartened, he looked down at his hands – "When they gave me permission to come back to this time, I was beyond thrilled. It's my first mission in the Legion. I really hope I don't screw it up. It's actually kind of my fault that you and Grandpa Clark are in this mess in the first place."
I scrunched my eyebrows together. "What do you mean?"
Key-El sighed, pressing his palms against his forehead. "I was so stupid. I should have known it was Red Kryptonite."
"Red Kryptonite? Um, elaborate please?" I prompted.
Key-El glanced at me. "Oh, sorry, I guess you haven't heard of it yet... It's a really rare form of Kryptonite that basically takes away all morals from Kryptonians, making us reckless, unpredictable, and dangerous."
My eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding."
"I wish I were. Unfortunately, it can be quite dangerous which is why the Legion keeps it locked up in a secure vault at all times."
"I'm guessing the Legion is like the future Justice League?"
"Yes. It's branched out to be a huge organization. There's even a school for heroes in training. I go there and so does Kennedy – the Dr. Fate who sent you back here. This whole mess starts with her. You see, Kennedy's had a crush on me since grade school but I've never seen her as anything more than a friend. This year was the first I've ever…" – he paused, blushing.
"What?" I prompted.
Key-El cleared his throat. "It's the first year I've ever had a girlfriend."
"Oh really?" I grinned.
"Yeah," he mumbled. "Um, her name is Dawn Star. She's from Starhaven, a planet colonized by Native Americans that were abducted by an unknown alien race in the thirteenth century. The aliens experimented on her people and activated their metagenes so Starhavenites have pairs of large white-feathered wings that grow out of their upper backs. Dawn Star was offered a spot at the Academy and met me soon after. We've been dating for a few months. Kennedy got jealous; I think she'd been hoping that since she was chosen as the next Dr. Fate I would notice her. But when it was obvious that Dawn Star and I were in a serious relationship, she broke into the vault where the Legion keeps the Red K and slipped a ring of the stuff onto my finger… we found a bedroom and we…"
He looked away utterly ashamed. I took a guess as to what happened. "Let me guess, the Red K took away your morals and you guys ended up making out."
Key-El's face was so red you could fry an egg on it. "Yes," he muttered. "And the worst part was that Dawn Star walked in on us at the worst part!"
I bit my lip. "Yikes. If you don't mind me asking… you two didn't, um, go all the way, did you?"
If I thought Key-El was red before, it was nothing compared to the deep cherry hue he was now. "W-What?! N-No! Of course not!"
"Alright, alright, I was just checking."
He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "We almost did," he admitted in a whisper. "But Kennedy removed the ring right after Dawn Star left the room, stopping me from doing something I'd regret for the rest of my life. As soon as I turned back to normal, I left Kennedy and went after Dawn Star, trying to explain to her what happened, but she wouldn't listen to me! For a week she wouldn't even look at me. It was terrible. Out of guilt Kennedy ended up confessing what she'd done. She returned the ring to the Legion, apologized to me and Dawn Star, and then she met the Time Trapper. He claimed that he wanted to help her by getting rid of the Red Kryptonite for good. He convinced her to let him borrow her Legion ring which would send him into the past where he could gather up all the kryptonite and destroy it. We didn't discover his actual plot to come back in time and kill both you and Grandpa Clark until he'd already disappeared.
"Kennedy was mortified. The Legion said that they were going to handle it but she used a very dangerous spell to travel back in time to where you and Grandpa first met; it could have killed her. You see, she's only been the new Dr. Fate for less than a month, so she still doesn't really know how to control her magic. It was a miracle she even made it to the past! The spell didn't send her far enough back so she got hold of the Dr. Fate from your time period and then combined her remaining power with his to send you and Grandpa back here."
"But why did she send us?" I wondered. "Why not continue to travel back in time again herself?"
Key-El answered, "She was too weak to make another time leap. She knew the dire circumstances of the situation and figured you and Grandpa were the best options in ensuring the future stays the way it is now. With the help of your Dr. Fate, they were able to combine their magic to send you two back and keep the way open for when you return."
"Oh. Well, how did you get here?"
He held up his hand where a gold ring rested on his right middle finger. It looked like a class ring. A golden L with a bright yellow four pointed star stood out against a dark blue backdrop. "The Legion ring allows me to travel back and forth through time and space. I begged the Legion to let me have the assignment of setting things straight," he muttered. "I feel it's ultimately my fault Kennedy did what she did."
"Yep, you're Clark's descendant alright," I muttered. "The guilt tripping is something I hoped I could squash out of the family."
"But it really is my fault!" he protested.
I punched him in the arm. "No it's not. You can't control how you feel about someone, Key-El. If you don't like a girl, you can't fault yourself for that! That's just stupid. If anyone is to blame, it's Kennedy. She's acted pretty rashly and honestly it's to be expected from a teenager – no offense. But now she's trying to make things right."
Key-El sighed. "Yeah, I guess."
"So you traveled back here to stop the Time Trapper from killing your ancestors, return us to our proper time period, and take Kennedy back to the future where you belong," I surmised in a nutshell.
"That's the plan. When I first got to your time period, I couldn't stop myself from looking in on you. I think Grandpa saw me but I flew away before I was caught."
"You were the one at the window!" I cried, remembering Clark's strange reaction right before we took Jason to Kansas.
Key-El nodded sheepishly. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I just really wanted to see the two of you before I went searching for Kennedy. Unfortunately I didn't find her until after you and Grandpa had been thrust into the past."
"Wait," I interrupted, "you said you found Kennedy after she and Dr. Fate sent us here."
"That's right," he said, confused.
"But, Kennedy and Dr. Fate stopped time for us. If time was standing still there, how were you able to move around?"
"I'm not from that time period so I don't belong there," he said as if that explained everything.
"Okay… I'm just going to pretend I understand all the rules behind that."
"I couldn't elaborate on it to tell you the truth," he admitted. "All I know is I was able to travel to Watchtower, find Kennedy, and talk with her; since she's not from that time, she was free from the spell too. We resolved that I would continue to go back in time to help you two out. I also ended up taking the original members of the Justice League with me. They were pretty confused when they got here since the time- freeze spell was lifted the second they left their own time."
"Wait, the League is here? Where are they?"
"They went to rescue Grandpa Clark in Gotham while I came to rescue you."
"Oh my gosh! Clark!" How could I forget about my husband when the last time we'd spoken he'd been shot with a Kryptonite bullet?! What kind of wife was I?! "Is he okay?!"
"He's going to be fine," Key-El assured, resting his hands on my shoulders.
"Are you sure about that?" I demanded.
"Yes."
I stared at him for a long time, his eyes being the only thing keeping me grounded. They were filled with such certainty. Sighing, I allowed my tense shoulders to relax a little. "Okay, I trust you. But the second we hear from the others, we're going to them!"
"You got it," he promised.
I nodded. Clark was in good hands. I was terrified not knowing how he really was but the League was there; they'd do everything they could to help him. I just needed to trust in that. I couldn't do much else anyway. Besides, Clark had asked me to watch over his younger self and he was currently lying in the sun unconscious. It tore me apart from the inside but I recognized that right now I was needed here. Besides, my younger self was with Clark. She would take care of him.
This was the weirdest silent comfort I'd given myself in my entire life. Sighing, I leaned back and decided to distract myself by asking my grandson more questions, forcing my anxieties away. "Hey, about saving me earlier… I meant to ask you, if you've inherited all of Clark's abilities and the Kryptonian gene, wouldn't you be affected by kryptonite? It was all over in that room."
Key-El smiled. "You're right." He then pulled off one of his gloves and turned it inside out.
"Is that lead?" I asked, curiously running my finger along the smoothed surface.
"My whole suit is lined with it," he explained. "The suit I usually wear is just like this one but it isn't lead lined. My mom wouldn't let me come back unless I wore this one. Kryptonite isn't littered all over the place in the future like it is here in the past. She didn't want me getting hurt."
I smiled, fully understanding. "I would have done the same thing," I admitted. "If I was sending Jason back to a time where the one thing that could kill him was everywhere I'd demand he wore lead too. So the suit protected you from the radiation."
"I was still affected by it since my head isn't covered but I wasn't exposed to it long enough to have it knock me out of commission." He paused, looking at Clark. "Grandpa and Krypto seem to be looking better now."
I turned to stare at them. Key-El was right. They both had returned to their normal coloring. "I'm glad you came when you did. If you hadn't…"
Key-El nodded in understanding. "Me too. It's kind of cool; when I get home I get to tell everyone that I saved the two of you from dying! My siblings are going to be so jealous!"
I laughed a little while looking around. "So… I don't know if you told me already but, where exactly are we?"
"A remote location in China," Key-El answered as we stared at the mountains in the distance. "I figured we'd go somewhere the sun would be shining for a while."
"Good call."
Key-El let out a sigh before standing up. "We'd better get back to Smallville before he wakes up. I don't want to have to explain to him that we're from the future."
I hastily stood up as well. "I think that's a good idea. Are you going to stick around after we get back?"
"I was actually hoping that you'd come with me to check up on Grandpa."
I was all for that one! I started to panic again. "How could I be so stupid… just sitting here and conversing when he's hurt! What kind of wife am I?"
Key-El looked alarmed as I berated myself aloud. He didn't really know what to say to comfort me – a grandchild usually didn't comfort a grandparent even if that grandparent looked to be only a couple of years older than them. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled the device he'd used to transport us here from his pocket and threw it into the open air. A rip in the atmosphere displayed the Kent farmhouse. Two police cars were stationed outside and there was a flurry of activity going on inside.
"We should go," he suggested.
"You're right," I agreed. "It's pointless to sit here and ridicule my mistakes when Clark needs me. But, before we go into all of that mess, what's the story we're going to feed them?" I asked, pointing at the Kent Farm.
"Why do we need to give them an explanation?" Key-El asked. "We're not going to stick around. We're going to drop Grandpa Clark on the doorstep, knock on the door, and then run away."
I raised an eyebrow. "So it's like we're playing a game of ding-dong-ditch?"
"Yeah, something like that."
I shrugged. "Fine but I'm going to have to phone Martha and tell her that I went out into the woods to find Clark but couldn't find him so she won't worry about me."
Key-El nodded. "Do it after we ding-dong-ditch though, okay?"
"Alright. Let's get this over with."
Clark, Somewhere near Metropolis
Bu-bump.
Bu-bump.
I'd finally returned to consciousness. I was always amazed that after being exposed to kryptonite for an extended period of time, all my abilities disappeared except hearing. I was left to listen to the things going on around me without being able to so much as lift a finger. When I was in the hospital a little over a year ago, it had been absolute torture to hear cries for help and yet be unable to do anything. But, unlike then, the only thing I could hear now was a heartbeat.
"Clark?"
I knew that voice… Lois. I couldn't open my eyes – I was still too weak – but knowing she was there was enough to make me want to wake up. Now the question was, was it my wife or my future wife? If only I could get my body to do what I wanted it to do! Then I would know! I felt Lois's warm hands wrap around one of my own, squeezing my fingers gently.
"I know you can hear me," she whispered. "Gosh, this is just like before… except we're not in a hospital… please wake up, Clark."
So it was my wife.
I want to wake up, sweetheart! You have no idea how much I want to!
I felt her hands slip out of mine and fear gripped me at the thought of her leaving me like she had the last time. To my surprise, the bed dipped and I felt Lois cuddle up beside me, her head resting on my arm, her arm wrapping loosely around my torso. Something wet tickled my fingers and it took me a moment to realize the thing touching me was Krypto's nose.
"He's going to be fine, Krypto," Lois assured in my ear.
The dog snorted.
"If you want to, I suppose," Lois responded tiredly.
The bed we were resting on creaked back and forth as Krypto leapt upon it to take his place at our feet, curling up so that his body rested over my toes. If I could smile, I would have. Lois's breathing turned from quick and shallow to slow and deep, signifying that she'd fallen asleep beside me. Krypto remained awake though he didn't move.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally managed to open my eyes.
The first thing I registered was the sunlamps resting on either side of the bed I was on. Then I noticed that while she was curled up beside me, Lois was under a blanket. I was puzzled by that; wouldn't she be sweltering from the combination of the sunlamps and my body heat? I gently fingered the blanket but then realized that it wasn't ablaze. Incredibly, the fabric was the same temperature as Lois's body heat. Unable to comprehend how that was even possible, I scratched my head and stretched a bit.
Krypto immediately bolted upright, his large brown eyes eagerly assessing me. I could tell he wanted nothing more than to leap onto my chest and lick every inch of my face but he didn't want to disturb Lois.
"Hey, boy," I muttered. "Thanks for taking care of Lois for me. Do you know how we ended up here?"
Krypto shrugged – a pretty incredible feat for a dog.
"So you woke up here too," I muttered, looking around.
The room was simple in color and rather bare since the only things it possessed were the sunlamps, a couch, and the bed in which Lois and I were laying. There was a single door with a silver handle, the wood made of fine oak. The walls were a soft crème color, devoid of any patterns or baseboards. The worst part was that there wasn't a window. I hated places that didn't have windows. I felt confined in this room. More than anything I wanted to leave but the sunlamps felt so good. They were better than any sunlamps I'd ever lay under. It was almost as if they were channeling actual sunlight. Sighing, I tried my x ray vision but it hadn't returned. I tried freezing the bedpost with super breath but nothing happened. Hmmm. I tried strength next by taking the knob of the bed post. It easily splintered, sending chips of wood everywhere. My invulnerability had also returned since none of the splinters cut into my hand.
The noise from the wood cracking startled Lois awake. "Clark!" she cried, sitting up.
I smiled. "Sorry, sweetheart, I didn't want to wake you."
Before I could say anymore, she launched herself over the top of me, kissing me furiously on the mouth. My eyebrows rose in temporary surprise but then I naturally shifted in returning the kiss, my arms wrapping around her to hold her securely against my body.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again," she muttered, resting her forehead against my shoulder.
I played with her hair absentmindedly. "I'm sorry," I mumbled again.
"Geez, Smallville," she sighed, laughing tiredly. "When you told me you'd been shot with a kryptonite bullet I almost had a heart attack."
"Lois, where are we?" I asked. "And how did you and Krypto get here? Who's with me in Smallville? And who's with the younger you? The last time I saw her, we were in some kind of containment cell in Gotham!"
"Clark, relax, everyone's fine," Lois assured me, forcing me to lie back down before I made the attempt to leap to my feet. "I promise to explain everything if you promise to stay in this bed."
I frowned. "Lois…"
"Clark, promise me."
The steely look in her eye defeated any motivation I had for trying to defy her. "Fine, I promise," I sighed, settling back into my pillow.
"Good," she muttered. Maneuvering around on the bed, she came to rest in a sitting position where she was able to cradle my hand in her lap. Playing with my fingers, she began, "We're at Dr. Fate's house. Well, more like his lair. I'm not entirely sure what you'd call it. It's like this big fortress tower-thing located in the middle of some forest. The place is a labyrinth and if you don't have him or his wife, Inza, to guide you around you can get totally lost. Inza is the one who led me to where you and Krypto were."
"I've met Inza a few times," I admitted. "She's nice."
"You've met her?"
"Yeah. I've been here before, well, not this exact room, but I've been in Dr. Fate's home before. I've needed his help several times in the past."
"Oh. I didn't know that. I mean, I knew that you'd met him a few times but I didn't know you'd come to his house."
"Yeah but it's just as much a labyrinth to me as it is to you," I said. "The place is heavily built with magic and we both know that's a weakness of mine."
She nodded. "It's a good thing Dr. Fate is a friend. He cast a spell on these sunlamps so they're actual rays from the sun."
"So that's why they're different," I muttered. Lois gave me a questioning glance. "I can tell when sunlight is artificial or not," I explained. "My cells drink in the sun's radiation so if I'm under artificial sunlight, my cells don't get the full energy they need."
"I guess that makes sense," Lois muttered. "Oh, in case you were wondering, this blanket I've got on was enchanted to keep me at a temperature comfortable for me so that I can be in here with you. I know you can't tell but it's like an oven in this room."
I reached up and cradled her face in my hand. "I'll be sure to thank Dr. Fate. I'm glad you're with me, Lois."
She smiled, taking my hand and kissing it tenderly. "Me too," she sighed. "I'm just glad you're alright. If Dr. Fate hadn't led the League to where you were you would have died."
"The League! How did they get here?" I asked, suddenly remembering how they rescued me.
Lois smiled. "That's a long story but I'll give you the Reader's Digest version. One of our descendants from the future came to the past to right the wrong Kennedy had done. He brought the League back to this time to help him stop the Time Trapper and help us. His name is Key-El. He really wants to meet you but he understands that you need to rest."
"Our… descendant?"
Lois smiled. "According to Key-El, we have quite a legacy."
Though I didn't dare believe it, my heart couldn't help but swell with joy. I hadn't even dared to dream of having posterity. I was still getting used to the idea that Jason was my son – even though it had been a year since I'd learned the truth. My father had drilled it into my head so many times that I was the last, that none would come after, and that the legacy of Krypton would die with me. But then Jason had been born. Then we found Kara in the Phantom Zone and met Conner after we got back to Earth. I thought my happiness and good fortune was complete but now Lois was telling me that we had a legacy! A legacy! My father, Jor-El, wouldn't have even dreamed that such a thing could even be possible! It was more than I could comprehend. Gratitude welled within me and it took everything I had not to shed a few thankful tears.
Lois wrapped her arms around me in a warm embrace. "Do you feel up to having Key-El visit you?"
I looked at her excitedly. "Would that be okay?"
Lois laughed. "Of course its okay, Clark! You don't have to ask my permission to meet your grandson."
"Grandson," I muttered, filling with incomprehensible joy. "Maybe I should suffer from kryptonite poisoning more often. Every time I wake up you reveal that I have another relative."
Lois rolled her eyes, smacking my arm playfully. "I hope that I never have to sit here watching you suffer from kryptonite poisoning again! Do you know how many years the stress strips from my life?"
I laughed.
Standing up, she squeezed my hand. "I'll be right back. Krypto, make sure he doesn't leave that bed while I'm gone."
The dog whined.
A few minutes passed before Lois returned, a young man following behind her. He was over six feet tall, his dark brown hair slicked back, his unearthly blue eyes – my eyes – looking directly at me. They were filled with anticipation, excitement, and nervousness but his lips were pulled back in a delighted grin. His suit was similar to mine in color but he'd added red gloves and yellow bands over the gloves and boots. There also was a large red triangle that covered his shoulders, the point stopping under the famous S shield. He'd ditched the cape though. His heart was beating wildly in his chest as he approached the bed.
I smiled at him warmly. "Lois told me you're one of our descendants."
He nodded sheepishly. "My name's Key-El," he said, the words tumbling out of his mouth. "I've always wanted to meet you! I've heard so much!"
"Really? I'd love to hear all about it."
Lois came over and pecked me on the forehead. "I'll be right over here," she pointed to the couch in the corner. "I'm going to rest while you two catch up."
I smiled. "Sounds good. Love you, honey."
"Love you too, Clark," she replied before kissing me on the lips this time.
After seeing that she was settled on the couch under the protective blanket, I turned my eyes back to Key-El. "So, why don't you start at the very beginning, hmmm?"
Key-El's eyes lit up. "It's quite the tale…"
By the time Key-El had finished telling me all that he had told Lois, I felt like the luckiest man in the world. So many fears slipped away from Key-El's revelation concerning my family and the future. Lois and I were going to die together. I wouldn't have to live without her and she wouldn't have to live without me. I thanked all my lucky stars for the aura of invulnerability that I possessed. It was going to keep Lois alive. She was going to become the oldest living human in ages! My heart was near to bursting with the thought of having her by my side, seeing all of our posterity grow and take up the Superman mantle. It was interesting how the role was passed down from one to another when age began taking its toll. Key-El refused to tell me if Jason was still alive in the future. It gave me pause, wondering if Lois and I were actually going to outlive him and possibly others belonging to our posterity. One thing was for sure, we were going to outlive all of our friends. A sudden sadness stole some of my joy when I thought of life without Perry, without Jimmy, my mother, Chloe, Richard, Pete, Lana, the League, Inspector Henderson, Maggie, and so many others. One day they were going to be a memory.
How would we be able to hide the secret if Lois and I were going to live so long? I desperately wanted to ask Key-El how that was going to work but something caused me to hold my tongue. It wasn't good knowing so much of one's fate – Dr. Fate had told me that many times in the past. Sighing, I sat back and decided that it was out of my control and jurisdiction to worry about at the moment.
Key-El leaned forward. "Are you alright Grandpa Clark?"
I smiled. "You know, it's really weird how natural that sounds."
Key-El smiled. "Yeah… I guess it is… I mean, you look like you're as old as I am."
I smirked. "I'm sure it's strange seeing you grandfather your same age, huh? Even though it's just a spell."
Key-El nodded though he continued to look concerned.
"I'm alright," I assured. "Just tired. Kryptonite poisoning is no fun."
Key-El grimaced. "I've never experienced it myself though I've heard a lot about it. Unfortunately you experienced it more than any of us put together."
"Oh, that's nice to know," I mused. "I guess Lois is just going to have to get used to me going through this several more times, huh?"
Key-El looked sad. "Listen, Grandpa, I'm really sorry about Kennedy."
"Key-El, it wasn't your fault. It's not like you wanted to experience red kryptonite."
He sighed. "I just hate that it takes away all inhibitions! It causes us to act so rashly, like unsophisticated Casanovas."
It was my turn to sigh. "I know. It's like a drug. It makes you feel good when you're under its influence but take it away and you remember everything you've done. The guilt that follows is the worst."
"I'm the first one in three hundred years to be exposed to it," he muttered, ashamed. "The family was mortified. Only Great Grandma Ella knew what to do."
"Great Grandma Ella?"
"Oh, she's, um, your daughter…one of them anyway," Key-El clarified.
"Oh." I had a daughter. Actually, I had more than one! I really needed Key-El to stop revealing so much about the future; I was terrified that learning about it would be taboo. "Hey, Key-El? Why don't we keep the knowledge of personal family on the down low, shall we?"
"That would probably be a good idea," he agreed. "I'm sorry."
I smiled kindly. "I'm not mad. I just don't want something to happen that alters the future that you enjoy. It isn't good for someone to know a lot about their future."
Key-El nodded. "You're right, Grandpa."
"So, now that we've been brought up to speed on things, what's the plan?" I asked, sitting up.
Key-El's eyes grew wide. "Grandpa, are you well enough to get out of bed?"
I eyed the sunlamps, stretched, and evaluated my abilities silently. Strength – I bent the metal bed frame and then righted it again – check. Invulnerability – I grabbed the sunlamp; it wasn't hot – check. X-ray vision was restored – I checked by seeing through the wall. Super breath and heat vision were back since I was able to freeze the bedpost and melt the ice away. Hearing had never left. Last but not least was flight which I tested by actually floating out of the bed. Key-El stared in silent wonder as I tested all my powers.
"Good as new," I stated, standing straight.
"Oh, thank goodness," Lois cried, getting up from the couch. She rushed over to me and hugged me tightly. "That's got to be the fastest recovery you've had so far."
"I should have guessed that you wouldn't fall asleep," I muttered, kissing the top of her hair.
"I said I was going to rest not fall asleep," Lois retorted with a smirk.
I merely chuckled. Krypto barked around my knees. I bent down and rubbed his head. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's all better. How are you holding up, boy?"
Krypto barked again before floating off the floor to lick my face. As I tried to remove the slobber, I saw Key-El eyeing Krypto with the same kind of excitement he'd shown me when he first walked into the room. I raised an eyebrow.
"I've never met Krypto either," Key-El confessed, catching my stare. "He passed away a couple of years before you did. He left posterity but none of them have the same level of powers he did. I guess dog genes work a bit different from human ones."
Krypto let out a healthy bark.
Lois smirked. "Great, now he's going to be on the lookout for a wife. Now listen here, you! You can't get married for at least a year! Date around, see a few girls, and absolutely NO MATING until after you find the right one to settle down with! I already have three children to deal with and two of them are teenagers! You've got to give me at least a year to get used to you, got it?"
Krypto whined.
"I don't think he feels that's fair, Lois," I muttered. Determined hazel eyes caught my stare. I swallowed nervously from the fire burning in them. "Um, I mean, Krypto? You're going to have to do what she says."
The dog looked mutinous.
"Hey, Lois is the one who makes the rules when it comes to kids," I consoled. Krypto let out a snort. My mouth dropped open in shock. "Oh, come on! What do you mean, man up?! Have you any idea how ferocious Lois can be? No offense dear," I added hastily.
Lois let out a cheerful laugh. "Face it, dog, if you don't want me for an enemy you've got to do what I say. Clark learned that a long time ago." She said, sliding a finger down the side of my face.
I flushed and tried not to notice the embarrassed look on Key-El's face; poor guy probably didn't figure on seeing his great, great -too many greats to count- grandparents flirting. "Lois," I muttered, exasperated, "the only reason I do whatever you say is because I'm hopelessly in love with you."
Lois pecked me on the cheek before looking down at Krypto. "You don't have any more allies to side with you, Krypto. Accept my terms or go live in Smallville with Martha on the farm for the rest of your life."
Krypto let out a growl that slowly turned into a whine. Bowing his head, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Lois got down on one knee and rubbed Krypto's head. "And because you're okay with my terms, I'll help you find a great wife, okay?"
Krypto grudgingly licked her hand once but continued to lick around her arm as she scratched him under his chin.
Key-El muttered under his breath, "Now I see what everyone is talking about. Grandma Lois' reputation proceeds her. I thought people were joking when they said she could order you around."
I smirked and muttered quietly back, "It's not an exaggeration. Well, there are a few things that I won't let her get away with but for the most part Lois is a free spirit. That's one of the things I love about her."
"What are you two whispering about?" Lois asked, twisting around to stare accusingly.
I took the hand Krypto hadn't slobbered all over and kissed it. "Just how your reputation is an unforgiving task master, sweetheart."
Lois rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Smallville," she muttered with a smile. She sighed and then said seriously, "I'm really glad you're okay." She pulled down my shirt, exposing the flesh that had been torn by the kryptonite bullet. "Another scar," she whispered, rubbing her fingers over the slightly lighter area.
My skin tingled from her touch but I kept my composure in front of our grandson. "Pretty soon I'll be able to compete with Batman."
"Don't even joke about that," Lois muttered, chuckling softly. "Diana's told me horror stories. Did you know that Bruce once had his back broken by Bane?"
I nodded. "He told me."
Lois shuddered. "I'm glad you're invulnerable, Clark. I don't think I'd let you do hero work if you weren't."
"Now you know how I feel when you run off and get yourself in danger."
She lightly slapped my arm. "There's a difference between hero work and going after a story," she defended.
I snorted. "Of course there is."
Lois rolled her eyes. "Come on; if you're feeling better we should meet up with the others."
I followed her out the door with Key-El and Krypto at our heels. "Where is everyone?" I asked.
"The League split into two groups to watch over your younger selves while you and Krypto were recovering," Key-El answered.
"Though the younger you was exposed to Kryptonite you should be all better now," Lois said. "Key-El made sure you got plenty of sun."
"Thank you," I said to Key-El.
He lightly blushed. "It was nothing."
Lois, Dr. Fate's tower
It was a miracle that Clark was even on his feet right now. Dr. Fate's natural sunlamps had worked wonders! My fingers instinctively sought his, clasping his hand tightly as we left the room. Inza, Dr. Fate's wife, was just outside the door. Her thick red hair cascaded just past her shoulders and her sky blue eyes spoke of wisdom beyond the understanding of one who looked as young as she. Inza smiled gently. "I see you are awake, Clark Kent."
Clark smiled. "I know this might be the first time you've met me but it's good to see you, Inza."
She nodded. "I understand you are from the future like Lois. I assume we have already met there. My husband is desirous to speak with you. Follow me, please."
The four of us followed Inza down a passage that opened up to a room that reminded me of a scene in that movie, Labyrinth. Stairs were going every which way, some up, some down, some to the side, others to the middle of the room leading nowhere at all. Though I knew we were in good company, I couldn't help but find the whole atmosphere of this place eerie.
"It is designed to trap those who are fool enough to enter without consent," Inza explained, sensing our unease. "This is why it is imperative to have either myself or Dr. Fate guide you if you wish to travel around our home."
"I wonder if Kennedy lives in a place like this now," Key-El mused as he stuck close to both me and Clark. Krypto made sure to stay on Clark's other side.
Inza led us down a set of stairs that started out straight but then spiraled to the right, looping around and blocking out the stair room all together. The tight hallway we were now descending was similar to a castle's: small, damp, and cold. After spiraling for several feet, the staircase twisted around and began spiraling in the opposite direction. If Inza wasn't guiding our steps, I would have pulled my hair out with worry of going in circles. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reached leveled ground. The staircase opened to a large wooden door and when I say large I mean it was large enough for a giant to fit through! This thing was huge! I felt like an ant. And then, to my shock, Inza stepped forward and the door shrunk down to the standard size of the average human.
"Am I the only one who is sincerely weirded out right now?" I muttered.
Clark squeezed my hand and I glanced at him to see him discreetly nod. Like me, he wasn't all too fond of magic. It was fun to be entertained by performances but it was a whole different story when we became personally involved in it. Key-El and Krypto seemed to share our unease, huddling a little closer to us than normal.
Inza turned around. "Do not be afraid, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Key-El, and Krypto. You are in safe hands here." And with that she turned on her heel and disappeared on the other side of the door.
Key-El blinked. "Are we supposed to follow her? I can't even see where she went!"
Clark took a deep breath. "I've known Dr. Fate and Inza a long time. They're trustworthy. Come on."
He took a step forward and I followed, holding my breath the whole way. The room we found ourselves in was the last I expected. It was a generic, comfortable living room, complete with cozy furniture and a fireplace. Soft lamps glowed in the corners of the room, bathing the crème colored walls in a slightly golden hue. The dark brown furniture situated around an oak coffee table was occupied by none other than Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, and Aquaman.
Green Arrow was the first to notice us. "Geez," he exclaimed before standing up, "I still can't believe how young you two look. How do you feel, Clark?"
Clark smiled. "Much better after being underneath the sunlamps."
"I am glad to hear that, Superman," came the deep tenor tone of Dr. Fate from another doorway I hadn't noticed before.
"Thank you very much, Dr. Fate," Clark said, walking forward to shake his hand.
Dr. Fate returned it. "I trust you are back to full strength? Your wife and your descendant informed me that direct sunlight was the balm required to heal you."
Clark nodded. "It was a bad case of kryptonite poisoning but I don't feel anything anymore. How long was I recovering?"
"Three days," Wonder Woman informed him.
Clark's eyes widened. "Three days?! But… what about Lois? I mean, the other Lois?" he said from my quizzical gaze.
"She and the younger you are being guarded by J'onn and Batman," Green Lantern answered.
Clark blinked. "Who's guarding who?"
I laughed. "Relax, Clark, your younger self doesn't have to worry about a giant bat in the barn rafters. J'onn's looking after you – he's staying invisible so you won't know he's there. And my younger self apparently knows you're from the future so Bruce is having the time of his life being interviewed by me."
Clark ran a hand through his hair, unknowingly loosening the famous Superman spit curl over his forehead. "Part of me is almost glad our younger selves forget all of this happened. Dr. Fate, please make sure that happens. I don't think any amount of therapy would be able help us get over this."
Dr. Fate chuckled. "It was my intention from the beginning to erase your memories, Superman. Well, my future self's intentions anyway. I merely read the instructions on the scroll."
"What scroll?" I said, looking from Clark to Dr. Fate.
"Before I came back to this time, Dr. Fate gave me a scroll that he said needed to be given to his younger self," Clark explained.
"What did it say?"
"It gave me instructions I needed to complete in order to help you defeat the Time Trapper," Dr. Fate answered.
"You mean to tell me that Dr. Fate knew all along how to beat this guy?" I muttered. "Why in the world did we have to come back here then?! Do any of you know what kind of torture I've been through?! Living high school once was bad enough!"
Green Arrow busted up laughing. "You had to go back to school, Lois?" he roared through his tears.
I scowled. "Laugh it up, Arrow! For your information, in this time period Clark's still in school! I had to enroll so I could keep an eye on him… all the good that did… he ended up getting kidnapped with a kryptonite IV stuck in his arm. If Key-El hadn't shown up…"
I felt like a completely useless failure. Green Arrow sobered up from the pointed look Clark sent his was while putting his arm around me. "Sweetheart, it wasn't your fault. You can't keep your eye on me twenty four seven. That would be like me hovering over your every move."
"But I should have been there, Clark! The whole point of coming back to this time was to keep each other safe."
Clark looked me seriously in the eye and shook his head. "I think there was a lot more to us coming back than that, Lois."
"Grandpa's right, Grandma," Key-El said, speaking up for the first time since coming into the living room setting. Everyone turned their gaze on him. Key-El flushed slightly from being put on the spot. "Um, you kind of helped each other become who the other needed to become… I really hope I'm not blowing the future apart by telling you that."
Clark smiled. "Don't worry, Key-El, I had a pretty deep suspicion that was the case."
"Huh? You did?" I asked in surprise.
Clark nodded. "Lois, before all of this chaos happened, you told me that you helped get me into the sky. I always thought I'd just got up one day and took off but it makes so much more sense needing someone to coach me on how to fly. You were my coach."
"And Grandpa helped you nail your first big break," Key-El added.
"He what?" I cried, rounding on my grandson.
Key-El slapped his hand over his mouth. "Oops…"
I wasn't at all thrilled by that news. I'd always been a stubborn prideful fool when it came to my work as a reporter and I'd always thought I'd made it to the top from my own hard work. Now Key-El was telling me my first big break – the break that gave me the assurance that I was the best investigative reporter my age – hadn't been rightly earned under my own power? The blow was heavy, that's for sure. My pride was sincerely wounded.
"What do you mean Clark helped me nail my first big story?" I demanded. "As I recall, I got that on my own!"
Key-El swallowed painfully, unsure if he should say more, but the look on my face caused the words to tumble out of his mouth unbidden. "That's what you thought before you came back to your own time after traveling back into the past. You always thought that solving the Warehouse Serial Killer was your big break but it was actually" – he gasped, cutting himself off.
"Yes?" I prompted.
But Key-El shook his head. "Nope sorry, I'm not saying another word!"
I glared in frustration. "Oh, come on."
He shook his head emphatically. "No. I've already said too much."
Clark put a hand on my shoulder. "Lois, relax."
"How can I relax?" I snapped, twisting around to face him.
He saw the hurt in my eyes. Sighing, he pulled me close and kissed my forehead. "You're the best investigative reporter in the world, Lois."
"But I didn't get there on my own," I whispered so quietly that only he, Key-El, and Krypto heard.
"I'm sorry," Key-El muttered. "I shouldn't have said anything."
Clark continued to hold me close as he shook his head in Key-El's direction. "It's okay. I'm sure when all of this is over Lois will have a better understanding as to what you meant by that revelation. She just needs to be patient."
He looked at me pointedly and I felt myself hating the fact he was right. It wasn't rational to lash out at Key-El when I didn't fully understand now what eventually was going to be understood. Sighing, I nodded. "I'll try," I muttered grudgingly, "but I'm not making any promises."
Clark grinned and kissed my head. "That's my girl."
"I still can't believe this is your descendant," Flash muttered, changing the subject. "Not gonna lie, this is the weirdest adventure we've ever been on and I thought Darkseid was bad."
"And I can't believe you guys are really here," Clark returned. "If you hadn't shown up, Lois and I would have died; both sides of us."
"Key-El brought us up to speed while you were recovering, Clark," said Wonder Woman. "It is a clever plan, someone deciding to come back in time where there wouldn't be other heroes to stop them from killing you."
"You'd think that there'd be other people who would try to do that! That's actually a smart idea!" Green Lantern put in.
Key-El coughed a little. I narrowed my eyes. "Don't tell me someone already tried to do this?"
"Well," he muttered nervously, "let's just say Time Trapper was inspired by someone else's attempt…"
"You've got to be kidding," Clark muttered. "Who was it? Do we know him?"
Key-El shuffled his feet. "You would… if you could remember."
Spitting venom, I snapped, "You have got to be kidding me! Another time our memories have been tampered with?! Do we get these back or do we have to live the rest of our lives wondering what exactly happened?!"
Key-El shied away from my wrath, waving his arms. "Don't take your anger out on me, Grandma Lois! I've only heard the story! It's actually one of my favorites," he added sheepishly.
"Well? Who was it?" I breathed, baring my fangs.
Again compelled to reply, Key-El explained, "His name was Tempus. He showed up in the past with H.G. Wells because he didn't like the way things were in the future."
"Wait, as in H.G. Wells the writer?" Green Arrow interrupted.
Key-El nodded. "What people don't know is that he's a time traveler too. He's a pretty cool guy, actually."
"You've met him?" Clark asked.
"Yeah, he showed up at the tenth anniversary of your passing but that's another story," he muttered, catching my eye.
I nodded. "One story at a time."
"Okay," Key-El muttered. "Well, anyway, Tempus felt that you and Superman were the reason things were the way they were so he used H.G. Wells' time machine to travel back in time to kill Superman as a baby. But to try to stop Tempus, H.G. Wells set the time machine coordinates to the time when you and Grandpa Clark were working at the Daily Planet together before you knew he was Superman. Of course, you two didn't believe H.G. Wells until he told Grandpa Clark that he knew his secret and showed you the time machine and its blue prints. Unfortunately, something came up and Grandpa Clark had to run off, leaving you with H.G. Wells. Then Tempus showed up and they left to travel back to the right time period when Grandpa Clark landed on Earth but H.G. Wells made sure to leave the blue prints behind so Superman could build another time machine and follow them into the past to stop them.
"H.G. Wells' time machine runs on gold so after building the machine, Superman ran off to get some and then Grandpa Clark came back with the bag saying Superman dropped it off." – I glanced at Clark who blushed from the dual persona lie – "Then you two traveled back in time, got separated for a bit, Tempus revealed to you that Grandpa Clark and Superman were the same person, you two had a fight but made up, stopped Tempus, and saved baby Grandpa Clark from dying from kryptonite exposure. Grandpa Clark made sure his baby self was then found by the Kents. Then H.G. Wells took Tempus to a secure location and took both of you back to the time just before he showed up so you'd forget the whole thing happened."
I blinked several times, opening and closing my mouth. "So…you're telling me… that I knew Clark was Superman shortly after he started working for the Planet and then I forgot?! How many times am I going to have to figure out who you are?" I snapped, rounding on my husband.
Clark threw up his hands in defense. "Lois, we're married now! I'm not going to keep the secret anymore! I have no reason to!"
My nostrils flared. "And you had reason to before?!"
"Wrong words, Clark," Green Arrow muttered.
Clark rubbed a hand over his face. "Lois, I'm sorry. You know now. Isn't that enough?"
I breathed heavily, trying to calm down. Closing my eyes and counting to ten, I finally calmed myself enough to say, "As long as I don't hear another memory wipe story, I'm good." I glared at Key-El.
He shook his head vigorously. "Those are the only ones! Promise!"
"I wonder when we'll actually get to remember that adventure," I muttered bitterly.
Aquaman shook his head. "Even for merpeople, this is the strangest tale I've ever heard. I never thought time travel was manipulated so much."
"I never knew how many times my memories were manipulated!" I snapped.
Clark also felt violated but he didn't have room to talk; he'd been an instigator of memory loss in my case. "Lois, sweetheart, calm down. We can worry about other forgotten memories later. What we need to focus on now is the Time Trapper and how to defeat him."
"Superman is right," said Dr. Fate. "We have much to discuss."
"Alright then," I said, walking over and sitting down on an empty loveseat, "let's talk."
Clark joined me while Krypto curled up at our feet. Key-El humored us by sitting cross legged in the air since all the spots to sit were taken. Dr. Fate stepped over by the mantle and began, "As you know, while Superman was recovering, your friends, Batman and Martian Manhunter, were tasked to watch the younger versions of yourselves. So far, the Time Trapper has not made another attempt at your lives but we must still be wary. He did not anticipate Key-El's arrival nor the Justice League."
"Excuse me, Dr. Fate," I said, raising a hand.
"Yes?" he paused politely.
"I don't mean to sound rude but where were you when all of that mess was going on?"
If I could see through that helmet I was willing to bet he was smiling because his tone was humorous as he replied, "Ever the observant journalist, aren't you? I would have come to help but I was in Africa at the time of the attack."
"What were you doing there?" Wonder Woman questioned.
"I was seeking help of my own." Dr. Fate looked passed us as a pair of heavy footfalls were heard walking down the hall to the living room.
A young man and woman came into our view and the first thing I noticed were the large white wings coming from their backs. They wore similar clothes, wearing red boots, green pants, red briefs, and yellow metal belts. The man had an X-crossed yellow harness over his bare chest while the woman wore a sleeveless yellow shirt. Both carried maces in their hands, the menacing weapons glaring in the dim lights of the living room. From their body language I could tell right away that they were a couple and like Inza, their eyes spoke of wisdom beyond their appearance.
"No way!" Key-El cried, excited. "Hawkman and Hawkgirl!"
"You know us?" Hawkman asked, his dark eyes narrowing.
Key-El nodded but then paused. "Well, I know the future you. Where I'm from, you two just came back."
Hawkgirl raised one of her bright orange eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, this one is the one from the far future," Hawkman said, looking at Dr. Fate who nodded. "So then you know our history," he muttered, looking at Key-El.
"Yeah," he said delicately.
"Um, I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" Green Lantern asked.
"Allow me to introduce my friends," Dr. Fate said. "As Key-El has said, this is Hawkman and Hawkgirl or Carter and Shiera Hall. Would you both like to give a history of yourselves?"
Shiera scowled. "You can do it, Carter. I'm going to get something to eat."
Carter smiled slightly as he watched her leave for the kitchen before turning back to us. "I'll keep it brief since I know we're apparently on a tight schedule. In the times of ancient Egypt, I was known as Prince Khufu and Shiera was my consort, Chay-Ara. My enemy, Hath-Set, killed both of us with a cursed blade made from Nth metal. The curse causes us to be reincarnated throughout every century, find each other, and then die only to repeat the cycle."
"You're kidding!" Green Lantern cried, breaking our stunned silence.
Carter shrugged. "That's our fate."
"What's Nth metal?" Clark inquired.
"It is a substance native to another planet," Shiera answered, coming back from the kitchen with a sandwich in hand. "The metal is psycho-reactive, responding to the bearer's thoughts. In its base form, it has a number of electromagnetic and gravitational properties."
"But how do those things cause a curse?" Aquaman questioned.
"The knife which murdered Chay-Ara had an unusual effect upon our souls because of the curse from Hath-Set," Carter explained.
"We are bound in an endless cycle of death and rebirth throughout the centuries," Shiera reiterated matter-of-factly as if it wasn't a significant anomaly to have to go through such an experience.
"Is there Nth metal anywhere else on Earth?" Green Arrow asked apprehensively. Apparently he was thinking the same thing I was; neither of us wanted such a fate to happen again to anyone else.
"We have some," Carter admitted.
"Why on earth would you have something that caused both of you such an unfortunate fate?" Clark said, trying to treat the subject with delicacy even if the two condemned seemed resigned to their terrible destiny.
"It grants the power of flight, super strength, enhanced vision, and increased healing ability," Shiera revealed, tapping her metal belt a couple times. "We use it to help others and ourselves."
"Though we may seem indifferent, we would prefer to have this curse lifted," Carter muttered, his dark eyes betraying for the first time the tragedy he'd had to live for centuries.
Shiera sat down next to Carter and kissed his cheek, her own emotions getting the better of her. "We would not wish this endless cycle on anyone. The heart can only be broken so many times."
I stared at the couple across from us with enormous pity. I couldn't imagine finding Clark, loving him, watching him die, and having to repeat the whole thing over again. How… how heart wrenching!
To lighten the mood, Carter joked, "Well, we definitely win when it comes to how many different ways you can meet your soul mate."
The comment only brought weak smiles. Key-El took a step closer to Carter and Shiera. "Hawkman, Hawkgirl, I know that your situation isn't one anyone should admire but I have to tell you that everyone in my day respects and honors you two in the highest regard."
"You're from what century?" Shiera asked.
"The twenty eighth."
"And we're still around," Carter sighed, trying to keep the bitterness from his tone.
"For about two months now," Key-El said delicately.
Feeling that the Halls had spent enough time explaining who they were and their situation, Dr. Fate stepped forward. "I called upon Carter and Shiera to help us because both of them are archeologists."
Wonder Woman's brow furrowed. "How will looking for artifacts help defeat the Time Trapper?"
Dr. Fate had that glint in his eye, like he was being humored. Kindly, he replied, "Not artifacts, Wonder Woman, but an artifact; one that I have been unable to find but is imperative in order to stop the Time Trapper."
"What is it?" I asked.
"The Eternity Glass," Carter answered, pulling a wrinkled old piece of material out of his pocket. Smoothing it onto the coffee table for all to see, we leaned forward. The material had been stained by some kind of ink displaying a sinister hour glass. The sides were made of bone, the glass held in place at the top by a skull and the bottom by bony fingers of a skeleton. "It's an ancient artifact that is rumored to trap within it a wandering bodiless soul."
"You mean the Time Trapper is like a wraith?" Green Lantern wondered.
"Actually, he's from the same race as the Guardians of Oa," Clark revealed. "He told me while I was in that cell."
Green Lantern's brow furrowed. "I've never heard of him. The Guardians have never mentioned him."
"I don't think they keep him in their sights too much," Key-El put in. "He usually stays under the radar. But he is a wandering bodiless soul – that much I do know. He doesn't belong to this universe for one and he lost his physical form eons ago after embracing dark matter."
"Oh," Green Lantern muttered before everyone slipped into silent musings.
"Let me get this straight," I said, breaking the silence, "You want us to go on some exhibition to find some mysterious magical hourglass that will supposedly trap the Time Trapper?"
"That is correct, Lois Lane," Dr. Fate nodded.
"Do you have any idea where it might be located?" Clark asked, observing the picture with deep scrutiny.
"We thought it might be in Egypt but after scourging the area, we came up dry," Carter said.
Clark nodded, and sat back, thoughtful.
"Clark?" I prompted. "You've got that face."
His eyebrow rose. "What face?"
I smirked. "The face you always get when you've got a vital clue in a story we're trying to crack."
It was his turn to smile. "Well, it's more of a hunch than anything else, sweetheart."
"What is?"
He pointed at the material. "That material isn't from Ancient Egypt."
"How do you know?" Shiera demanded.
"Heightened senses," Clark replied with a shrug. "If I'm right, that material was made in Persia. It carries a certain smell unique to that land's museums. I visited a lot of Persian museums after I graduated high school."
"Persian… of course!" Carter muttered.
"Hold on a minute! You're not seriously suggesting we trod off to Persia in search of this hourglass thing, right?" I protested. "The Time Trapper is still here and both us and our younger selves nearly died! We can't leave them unsupervised."
"Indeed we cannot, Lois Lane," Dr. Fate agreed. "Which is why you and Superman will return to your current positions and the Justice League will keep an eye on you from the shadows."
"But what about the Eternity Glass?" Aquaman interjected.
"Let us handle that one," Carter said, taking the material and folding it up. "Shiera and I are archeologists after all. We'll look in every Zurvan shrine we can find."
"That's a good place to start," Dr. Fate said, nodding.
"Zurvan?" I questioned with a raised brow.
"He's the Persian god of time," Clark explained.
"Oh."
"I will accompany Hawkman and Hawkgirl on their journey," Dr. Fate announced. "We will remain in contact through J'onn J'onzz."
"We can't guarantee that we will find anything in Persia but if Clark says the material comes from there then at least we have a lead. We'll keep in touch," Shiera promised.
"Then it's decided," Clark said, standing up. "We should get back to Metropolis and Smallville, Lois."
"Yeah," I muttered. "Listen, Clark? Be careful!"
Clark cupped my face and graced my lips gently with his. "I will be," he promised. "And Lois? Don't go looking for trouble. Please."
I smirked. "Why, Clark, I'm surprised. By now you should know that trouble finds me not the other way around."
Clark rolled his eyes while the others chuckled.