On the 16th day of the hero's 16th year
For one single precious held most dear
By the shade of evil with time in his hands
Choices will be made to determine who stands
The hidden hero will be proclaimed
After a fall leaves him heavily maimed
The day's weather will be fought
By winter, summer, and storms a lot
The land of choice is the original spot
Where she died and now lives reborn
In the world of the original's form
The Road to Happiness, The Long One
A/N: Please review!
Characters: Cal (Your "average" mysterious male), Mason (Cal's best and most trustworthy buddy), Kara Danvers (Kara Zor-El, AKA Supergirl), Jason (Kara's Ex), Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Clark Kent (Superman), Lois Lane (Superman's wife), Batman, Bartholomew, Karen (Power-Girl) and more that aren't quite ready to be presented yet. (Lots of characters are Out of Character (OOC).)
Chapter 21: Day 8/16, Monday
Kara opened her eyes and blinked sleepily. She spent most of the night crying, but she had ended up falling asleep from exhaustion. She yawned and stretched, noticing the time, 11:00. She realized that she was late for school, and she started to panic, quickly throwing on clean clothes. She was about to go briefly fix her hair and make-up when she noticed a note from Clark slid under the door. 'Kara, I know you've had a rough couple of days and I realize you might want to take some school days off. Just relax and take some time off. Love, Clark,' the note read. Kara sighed in relief and flopped back onto her bed.
'At least I don't have to go to school for today,' Kara thought to herself. She rolled back into her blankets and snuggled in. Under her pillow, Kara felt a rectangular, paper-like object. She frowned, confused, and took it out from under her pillow. She choked back a sob in shock. A sticky note on the corner of the photo read: 'I found this after I went home last night. I'll find more for you, don't worry. ;) -Barbara.' Kara blinked rapidly to control her tears as she looked into the photo. Somehow, a picture of Cal smiling, gazing at Kara, existed, and she knew she would never be as happy with someone as she was with Cal. She gazed at his smile, the smile that, to her, was contagious and truly happy. She stared into his eyes, the hazel colored marvels that Kara felt herself being sucked into. She sighed contently and rolled over, hugging the photo close to her chest. 'I wish… I wish Cal would come back to me!' Kara wished into the universe. After waiting for a response for a bit, Kara sighed. 'I guess I would be stupid to think that would work…' Kara thought to herself. She then proceeded to hug her pillow and cry.
-Break-
Mason trudged through the school day, heavy and tired. Miss Charlemagne hadn't taken the news of Cal's death very well.
Flashback-
"Miss Charlemagne…" Mason called out. She appeared in the hallway.
"Yes Mason? What's the matter?" she asked, noticing his sad look.
"There's no easy way to put this… But Cal's dead…" Mason said. She gasped in shock and dropped the plate she was holding. She tried to form words, but no sounds came out. Mason tried to explain to her. "He was on his way home today, and he was hit by a car… He got to the hospital, and they did their best, but he didn't make it…" Miss Charlemagne choked back a sob and slumped to the floor. Mason ran over and helped her back up, but before he could, Miss Charlemagne's eyes glowed a light blue and she spoke, distraught.
"It wasn't his time to die… Not yet… His life was not yet complete…" she said in a raspy voice. With those words spoken, she passed out. When she awoke, she had no knowledge of what she said, let alone why she said it.
Mason sighed and went to his first class. 'Now I'm going to have to make friends or something…' he thought to himself. 'I never would have realized that without Cal I'd have to make friends…' He walked into class and sat down quickly and quietly. After a few moments of his own silence, he glanced around. Everyone else was in their groups. One girl noticed his glancing around and winked at him. Mason smiled back. She noticed his smiling back and blushed a little. Mason's smile slowly disappeared and he stared at the window. 'I'm so tired… How did Cal manage to stay up late, physically exhaust himself, and just get up the next day and be perfectly fine?' Mason thought. 'Damn, Cal was a machine!'
-Break-
2 beings cowered in the dark landscape, huddled together.
"WHY DID YOU 2 KILL CALLUM?!" the voice demanded. "EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!" One of the beings spoke up.
"Well, uh… Cal had come close to dying several times before and we thought he was cheating death! We thought we'd better make sure he wasn't cheating death by killing him!" one of the voices said. The voice's anger made the black landscape tremble.
"LIES! YOU BOTH KNEW THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH CALLUM SURVIVED! I HAVE A MIND TO DESTROY BOTH OF YOU!" the voice boomed. The beings shook in fear.
"We thought… we thought…" the other being said, mumbling.
"YOU THOUGHT WHAT?!" the voice yelled. Lightning flashed and thunder shook. One being yelped. "YOUR JEALOUSY IS PITIFUL! BE LUCKY I AM TOO BUSY FIXING YOUR MESS TO PUNISH YOU… AT LEAST FOR THE MOMENT!" With that, the voice's presence disappeared and the beings breathed sighs of relief.
"Well, Brother, that went well all things considered…" one of the beings said.
"I suppose, but it's not over yet… He'll come back eventually and punish us…" the other being said. The first being shook his head.
"Not if either Callum's forgiving nature persuades him or he's constantly busy…" he said. The second brother shook his head.
"The first one would require him to tell Callum everything, and he's never done that before and won't start now… As for the second… He will, eventually, realize what we are doing and our fates will end up worse than death…" the second brother reasoned. The first brother growled softly.
"Time, my brother, you think too much. You look at the entirety of a solution… Without you, I would have my ass handed to me on an Alshian platter…" the first brother said. Time, the second brother chuckled softly.
"Space, you think too little. We are very different, but we can agree on this: Callum deserved to die!" Time said. Space grinned and extended his hand.
"And if we can't kill Callum, we make his life a living hell!" Space said. Time grinned back and shook his brother's hand.
"And if life isn't worth living for him, he will take his own life!" Time said. Space beamed.
"Who gets to go first?" Space asked. Time shot him a look.
"First, we create a problem… THEN we take turns picking people in his life to hurt," Time said. Space nodded.
"Problem? It seems like you have something in mind…" Space said. Time smirked and nodded.
"I think riling up some past villains to make a small mess would be a good start…" Time said. Space chuckled.
-Break-
Mason sat quietly at lunch, slowly eating his fries and burger. He took a drink of water and continued eating in a numbed silence. Barbara came over and sat down next to him.
"You okay?" Barbara asked. "I mean… I heard what happed to Cal…" Mason nodded softly.
"He's gone… Son of a bitch's luck finally ran out…" Mason said. He took a bite of burger. Barbara nodded sadly.
"I didn't know Cal very well," Barbara lied. "But I can tell you that in the short time I knew him I'm really shaken up about it too…" Barbara patted Mason on the back. "I'm REALLY sorry…" Mason nodded.
"He was literally the best person and friend a person could ask for…" Mason said. Barbara nodded.
"I'm sure you've noticed Kara isn't here; she's not taking it well… Maybe you could call her, stop by, something to maybe ease her mind a bit…" Barbara suggested. Mason glanced at her and nodded.
"Sure, I could probably swing by and tell her some stories or something if that's what you had in mind," Mason said. Barbara nodded.
"That'd be perfect," Barbara said. "Anyway, I'll leave you to finish eating, and I just want you to know that you could always talk to me." Mason nodded and she left. Mason sighed and kept eating, noticing the odd stares towards him.
'News spreads fast around here… Not that I'm surprised…' Mason thought. He sighed again and suddenly the girl from his first class sat down in front of him.
"Hey there stranger," she said. "Mason right?" Mason nodded, eyebrows raised. "I'm Rachel. I heard what happened to Callum… I'm sorry…"
"I'm sure you are," Mason mumbled.
"Well, anyway…" she put her hand on Mason's lightly, "If you ever need anyone to talk to…" Mason nodded. She smiled. "I'll see you around…" She got up and walked away, leaving a small, folded piece of paper with her number next to Mason's hand. Mason chuckled to himself and took the piece of paper.
'I guess I still got it,' Mason thought to himself. He finished eating and threw his empty utensils away. His phone buzzed in his pocked. He quickly pulled it out and glanced at the alarming notification: 'Breaking News: Steppenwolf Returns, Justice League does their best, but to no avail… yet?' Mason sighed and ran to the bathroom. He got into the bathroom quickly teleported home, ready to put on the armor and jump into the battle, but his armor was gone. Mason gasped and collapsed to his knees. 'Who…? How…?' he thought.
-Meanwhile-
Steppenwolf stepped out of his portal, glancing around. The streets were full of cars and people, but after seeing the large, armored villain, they quickly evacuated the streets. Steppenwolf yelled out.
"Bring me The Protector!" Steppenwolf yelled. "Bring me The Protector and avoid your world's destruction!" After a few moments, Superman and Supergirl appeared. Steppenwolf noticed them and glared. "Give me The Protector and save your world some trouble!" Superman and Supergirl shook their heads.
"Even if we knew how to get to him, no one would just hand him over to you!" Superman said. Steppenwolf growled. He glanced at Supergirl.
"As I understand it, you lost a close friend recently… A boyfriend to be exact… If you would be so kind to at least tell me where The Protector is… I would be willing to pull some strings to bring him back to you…" Steppenwolf bargained. Supergirl opened her mouth to refuse, but no words came out. Instead, a choked sob escaped her mouth. Steppenwolf noticed her discomfort. "It may seem impossible, but I promise you, I will not go back on my word if you even give me the slightest information about the whereabouts of The Protector… I will use my personal favor to bring him back…" Supergirl's eyes began tearing up as she thought about Cal.
"You don't have the ability to bring him back!" Superman said. Steppenwolf shook his head.
"I personally? No, but I have a personal favor of… let's just say, a powerful being…" Steppenwolf said. Superman's eyes widened.
"Who?!" Superman demanded. Steppenwolf sighed.
"Tisk, tisk, tisk, no telling!" Steppenwolf said. "Bring me The Protector and you'll get your friend back…" By now, Batman and the other Justice League members had arrived. Supergirl was nearly in tears. "Bring me The Protector and I'll give you Callum Charles Orson back to you…"
"DON'T SAY HIS NAME! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO SAY HIS NAME!" Supergirl screamed. Steppenwolf raised an eyebrow. After a slightly uncomfortable silence, Batman spoke up.
"What reason could you possibly have to want The Protector to surrender to you?" Batman asked. Steppenwolf shook his head.
"That is a personal reason, don't worry about it. If he isn't who I think, he will be returned to you with a few minor scratches," Steppenwolf explained.
"And if he is who you think?" Batman asked. Steppenwolf laughed.
"You don't want to know," Steppenwolf said. Batman's eyes narrowed.
"Well, we're not going to give one life to save many… Not unless The Protector himself steps forward and surrenders…" Batman said. The other Leaguers nodded in partial agreement. Steppenwolf growled.
"I tried to let this happen the easy way, but I guess you heroes are too stubborn," Steppenwolf said. He unsheathed his electric axe from his back and awaited the heroes to strike first. Supergirl growled and flew forward first. She swung at him, but he side stepped and smacked her with the flat of his blade, sending her into a wall. Superman yelled and slammed into Steppenwolf. He grunted as Superman slammed into him, and he flew back. He slid to a stop, but Superman kept going. He threw a punch, but Steppenwolf blocked it and swung his axe into Superman's back. Superman yelled and fell to the side. Steppenwolf growled and kicked him away. He turned to face the rest of the Justice League. "Are you done? Just give me The Protector and I'll be out of your hair!" Batman growled. He motioned forward and the Leaguers rushed forward. Flash reached Steppenwolf first, but after a few quick punches, Steppenwolf managed to smack Flash away. Flash hit a car and rolled on the sidewalk, unconscious. Wonder Woman was next and with her sword, she slashed and stabbed at him. Steppenwolf was unexpecting Wonder Woman's speed and received a few slashes on his arms and legs. He accounted for her speed and agility and managed to block a would-be painful stab to his heart. He growled and swept her leg, and she fell to the ground, stunned. Steppenwolf raised his axe to finish her off, but Cyborg sent a quick volley of shots his way. He stumbled back and Wonder Woman got to her feet. She continued hacking and slashing at him with Batman throwing in the occasional distracting punch and Cyborg's volleys of well-aimed shots. J'onn tried to get Superman, Supergirl, and Flash to safety and get them back into the fight. After a long barrage of punches, slices, and shots, Steppenwolf got lucky. He punched Wonder Woman into Cyborg and turned to Batman. Batman managed to avoid Steppenwolf for a few minutes, but eventually, Steppenwolf nabbed Batman by the throat. "You won't win, give up yourselves and The Protector and I'll go…" Batman shook his head.
"Never," Batman said, spitting some blood into Steppenwolf's face. Steppenwolf grinned and raised his axe.
"Then I guess you're no use to me!" Steppenwolf said. He started to swing his axe, but J'onn threw his fist into his face. Steppenwolf grunted and stumbled back, dropping Batman. Batman gasped for air. J'onn continued his assault on Steppenwolf. He threw more punches, evading Steppenwolf's retaliations, and Steppenwolf stumbled to one knee. J'onn was behind Steppenwolf and didn't see the electric axe being swung at him till it was too late. Steppenwolf slammed J'onn into the sky, and he came crashing down, HARD. Steppenwolf got up, growling, and made his way to the wheezing Batman. Batman was hunched over, trying to catch his breathe. Steppenwolf smirked evilly and prepared to execute Batman medieval style. As he raised his axe, a figure flew forward and tackled Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf yelled in pain as he was slammed into a brick wall. The figure let go and stepped back. The Protector stood, gleaming in his shiny, white, black, and golden armor. Steppenwolf noticed him and beamed.
"So, I guess I managed to get your attention…" Steppenwolf said, getting to his feet. "I guess it really is you, from the legends…" The Protector cocked his head to the side. Steppenwolf walked around a bit, circling The Protector. "My people have a legend, a legend that has been around for centuries. They say they went to capture a planet, most likely Earth, but a human with shining armor and 2 swords stopped them… Stopped their entire army… by himself… Seems you lost the swords, but I guess it's true… You ARE immortal… You DID stop the entire army yourself… The stories say that you were pierced with our electric spears and you barely flinched at all, including while you removed them… It's been centuries, let's see how rusty you have gotten!" Steppenwolf charged forward, yelling and readying his axe. The Protector paused for a moment and rushed forward in response. Steppenwolf swung his axe, but The Protector fell to his knees and slid under the axe. He quickly stood up and turned around, just enough time to leap back and avoid another axe swing. Steppenwolf swung around fully and slammed the flat of his blade into The Protector, but The Protector had other ideas. The Protector grabbed the pole of the axe and flipped over the axe. Landing, The Protector kept his hold of the pole of the axe and swung his arms. Steppenwolf gasped and was wrenched around, losing his grip of the axe and flying into another wall, grunting. The Protector glanced back at the Justice League, who were recovering behind him. Steppenwolf stepped forward, grinning.
"I guess the legends live up to expectations…" Steppenwolf said, spitting blood from his mouth. "I heard that you made an unplanned appearance in the world news… After I saw the photo, I knew it was you… I suppose that if you wouldn't be stopped by an army, you won't be stopped by me…" He trudged forward and recovered his axe. "I'll be back… eventually…" With that, he opened a portal and limped through. The Protector turned around to check the Justice League. They were all laid out, alive, but injured. The Protector walked over, noticing a sense of both fear and respect coming from them. Superman's back was bloody with a deep looking gash. Supergirl's head was bandaged. Cyborg and Wonder Woman were fairly okay, taking care of the others. Batman was drinking water. J'onn was unconscious and laid next to Flash, who was struggling to sit up. Batman nodded to The Protector.
"Thanks for the help," Batman said, wheezing. The Protector nodded. "Did… Did you really stop some army centuries ago?"
"I… don't remember…" The Protector said, almost robotically. He waved goodbye and disappeared before anyone could ask anything else. Supergirl's eyelids fluttered open. She struggled to sit up and Wonder Woman helped her.
"Are you okay?" Wonder Woman asked. Supergirl nodded. She was paled and her eyes were tired. "What's wrong?" Supergirl shook her head, trying to wake up.
"I had this dream…" Supergirl said. "I saw Cal… He was in a classroom, laughing with some people…" Her eyes teared up. "He w-was happy… He was in a n-normal l-life…" She burst into tears and Wonder Woman hugged her. She sobbed into Wonder Woman's shoulder.
"I believe we have a problem…" Batman said. Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't the same Protector we've come across…" Wonder Woman frowned.
"How do you figure that?" Cyborg asked, confused.
"This Protector was… significantly more fluid…" Batman said. "He seemed a bit more comfortable and controlling than the last time we saw him… It makes sense that that would be a different person."
"Or he's been training a bit more…" Wonder Woman suggested. Batman shook his head.
"It's been a few days. People don't become that significantly better in a few days," Batman said. Cyborg sighed.
"So it's a different person… He just saved our lives!" Cyborg protested. "How is that going to make a difference?" Wonder Woman sighed.
"Because Batman still doesn't know anything about him and now there are 2 of them…" Wonder Woman explained. "With someone like him, or THEM, on our side, I don't see the problem though." She glanced at Batman.
"Because we don't actually know if they're on our side," Batman said slowly and quietly.
"Great Hera Batman!" Wonder Woman explained. "He saved your life!" Batman shook his head.
"We don't know that that wasn't a ploy designed to make us trust him…" Batman said. Wonder Woman scoffed.
"You're disgusting!" Wonder Woman said. Batman glared at her.
"I do what I have to and be as cautious as I need!" Batman yelled. Wonder Woman shook her head and guided Supergirl away. Batman sighed. He pressed a button on his belt and the entire team was teleported to the Watchtower. Wonder Woman took Supergirl home. Upon arriving, Diana left Kara in her room, where she fell on her bed, exhausted. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but her eyes open suddenly when she heard the almost non-existent footsteps behind her door. The door quietly swung open and Kara quickly sat up and faced them, ready to fight. Chronos snapped and Kara froze. Chronos sighed and Kara's eyes widened at the gun with a silencer in his hands.
"Oh this?" Chronos asked, raising the gun. "This won't hurt you, I swear, but I AM going to use it. A necessary evil I suppose…" He grabbed a chair from her desk and pulled it up in front of her. He sat down and continued speaking. "I'm not here to kill you, so you can just relax." He chuckled at his joke. "Well, anyway, I'll make this nice and brief. I made a promise to a dear friend of ours to keep you safe. A deathbed promise, if you will. Well, I suppose this isn't what he had in mind. Yada, yada, I promised to keep you safe, but I'm a busy guy. I have plans to make, worlds and dimensions to conquer. I have a full schedule and I don't really want to have to juggle your safety in the mix. So this little number," he motioned to the gun. "This little number is a special scientific magical blend. It'll keep you safe and that's the point. You won't remember this little conversation while it works, but, uh, this'll, long story short, keep you out of harm's way…" He stood up and raised the gun at Kara's head, her eyes wide in fear. "Sweet dreams!"
*ZIP*