[AN: This chapter we're back on Themyscira, where Lois ponders just what she's seen, naked Diana, Lois and Clark have a married quarrel (the dang in-laws again!), and we see a bit more of Hippolyta's (devious) plans set in motion.]

Chapter 14 – Exile

At the sound of a wholly unexpected male voice, Lois whirled around and was no less startled than the Amazons to see a burly bearded man bound into view at the edge of the practice ring, dressed in a Greek-style chiton which left most of his muscular chest bare. Now, that was certainly the last sight she expected here. Wasn't this place supposed to have no men at all? So who the hell was this guy? But there was something strangely familiar about the man's features, particularly his striking blue eyes...which were staring directly at her with clear shock and…recognition. Her mouth dropped open.

"Small-Smallville?" Lois managed to stutter, a second before Wonder Woman's fist whacked into her head.

Clark rushed into the ring, ignoring the startled looks of the Amazons. Diana was standing above Lois, who lay sprawled flat on her back on the sand, out cold. She was looking down at her, trembling slightly in vexation. Clark knelt down beside his ex-Daily Planet colleague in concern, as Diana tossed her wooden practice sword away.

"She is fine, I didn't hit her too hard."

There was no mistake – it was definitely Lois. He would recognize her attractive yet haughty face anywhere, even dressed as an Amazon warrior. There was a knot on the side of her head already rising, but he saw there wasn't any other injury. He stood up and stared at Diana, who was scowling fiercely but at whom or what he couldn't tell.

"Why did you hit her?" Clark finally managed to gasp. It was the first thing that managed to escape his mouth.

"What else could I do?" Diana cried in exasperation. "She would have recognized you!"

"She already did!" Clark threw up his hands "It's Lois! What the hell is she doing here, anyway?"

"Ask my mother!"

"Ask me what?"

Queen Hippolyta strode up casually to them, followed closely behind by General Philippus, her hand on the hilt of her sword. The Queen only looked amused as she glanced down at the unconscious reporter.

"I see you have vanquished your opponent, Diana. She put up quite a worthy fight, for a woman from Man's World."

"Hippolyta, what is Lois doing here?" Clark strove to keep his voice level but at this point it took some doing.

The Amazon general stiffened at Clark's question. "The Queen is to be addressed as your Majesty!"

Hippolyta raised a hand, signaling for her friend to desist. "You know her, Kal-el? She is our first 'journalist' visitor. She wants to write about our Amazon people, much like young Vanessa Kapatelis, but perhaps with more hyperbole. I understand she is rather famous in your world."

"Yes! Yes I do know her! We worked together, and she knows me as Clark Kent, not as Superman!" Clark saw Philippus motion to two of the Bodyguard. Dismayed, he saw them drag Lois away by her arms over the sand as if she were a fallen gladiator. "Where are they taking her?"

"She will be taken care of in our infirmary."

"You say you know her," Philippus remarked coldly. "I see your 'concern' for her well enough...it is the concern a man shows for his concubine."

Both Diana and Clark turned on the elder Amazon. "That's uncalled for," Clark protested. "She is just my friend!"

"With a habit of getting herself into difficult situations," Diana muttered under her breath.

Philippus was evidently unimpressed; Clark saw that her hostility towards him hadn't abated even after all this time, and what he'd done. She snorted derisively.

"A 'friend?' Hah! Do not think me so naïve, boy…"

Diana glared at the older woman. "Do not call him that!"

"Princess, will you not open your eyes? You are but one of this boy's many conquests…"

"I am telling you again…" Diana's voice lowered in warning.

"Stop this!" Clark snapped, then forced himself to speak to the point. "General Philippus, I am only going to say this once: Diana is my only woman. I've told you and Hippolyta this already. If you continue to suggest that I'm lying, I might start getting angry!"

Philippus' hand tightened on the hilt of her sword, but the Queen interrupted.

"I'm sure General Philippus meant no disrespect," Hippolyta said reassuringly, although it was obvious that she did. "Please forgive her. I understand you are rather…upset to see your friend here."

"Hippolyta, I want to know why you brought Lois here!"

"She wanted to come here. As I've told you, Kal-el, she qualified as part of an exchange program between Man's World and Themyscira. Did she not tell you of this? Hopefully we may present a positive image of ourselves, so that our ways may be known to the women of Man's World. Only a select few are chosen to come here, those who are able to endure our lifestyle, and Lois Lane has performed admirably so far. She has only been here a week."

Hippolyta seemed unconcerned about the whole matter. Clark couldn't believe she wouldn't have known this would cause problems for him and Diana.

Clark turned to look at his wife, who only stared furiously down at the ground, unable to look at Clark. "You knew about this?"

"Of course I know of the program! I helped start it. But I do not select who goes. I had no idea Lois applied. It never occurred to me that she would!"

"Well, she did and she's here now! What are we going to do?"

"Mother," Diana said in a low voice. "Lois can't be here in the capital at the same time as Clark. She will find out he and Superman are one and the same person."

"Yes, you keep your true identity secret, I understand. Well, I am sorry this is causing trouble for you. I shall...consider what to do about it," Hippolyta looked at her daughter. "Diana, attend in the palace once you are done here. We shall discuss the matter when you are refreshed." Before Clark could protest, she turned and left the arena, Philippus bowing respectfully to her as she left.

Suddenly Clark couldn't help but wonder if Hippolyta had planned this from the beginning: his journalist's instincts warned him that her attitude and excuse seemed too pat, but he wasn't in a position to question her further. Philippus still looked as if she would like nothing better than to have an excuse to run him through with her sword.

"I must go see Lois, try to convince her she did not see you," Diana muttered, seeing there was nothing else to be done here.

Clark stared at her in disbelief. "How on earth are you going to do that?"

"I'll talk to her."

"Diana, she saw me! It's a little late for that!"

"Unless you can think of something better, that is what I must do!" Diana retorted. Clark could tell she was rattled herself. "Go and finish my mother's building, I will talk to you later."

Diana walked away towards the infirmary building, leaving him alone with General Philippus.

"You may have fooled the young Princess, but you have not fooled me," Philippus said in a low voice after Diana was out of earshot. "And I swear, by Hecate, she will see through your deception, and then justice shall be delivered."

Clark looked at her and saw only cold hatred in the old Amazon's eyes; it was similar to the look he'd seen in the eyes of certain high-ranking military officers who'd once tried to have him arrested, only even more intense. He saw that she would clearly not listen to anything he said. He turned on his heel and walked away, before he ended up saying things that would only make the situation worse.

Philippus watched Diana disappear into the infirmary building across the yard, while Clark walked alone back to where the timbers were stacked. Neither of them paid any attention to the groups of Amazons huddled together, already whispering to each other, but Philippus noticed. She turned around and saw Illythia, standing nearby; she'd watched the entire scene. They exchanged a meaningful look. So far, things were going as planned.

After what seemed a long time floating in darkness, Lois felt herself jerked back into consciousness abruptly. Something very nasty and strong-smelling was just under her nose and she tried to get away from it. She realized she was lying on something hard and wooden, not sand, and then she remembered what happened. Her head throbbed. "Oohhhh…."

She opened her eyes slowly. She realized she was indoors, on top of a wooden table, and Wonder Woman herself was dabbing her forehead with a damp cloth which smelled strongly of the strange medicine, which made her recoil.

"Lie still!" Diana ordered. "This will help reduce the swelling."

Lois groaned. Her whole body was aching and sore. "What happened?"

"I hit you when we were sparring. I'm sorry…I got carried away by the moment," Diana explained apologetically.

What? She remembered something else...a man had distracted her! Lois tried to sit up, but Diana gently pushed her back down on the boards. "No, do not get up yet. Lie down. Let the medicine do its work."

"But…that man…" Lois gasped.

"What man?"

Lois stared at the Amazon, who looked blank. Was she serious? She was staring at her as if she had no idea what she was talking about.

"That man! At the edge of the arena! I saw him, he was…"

"Who?"

Diana was now looking at her with such clear puzzlement, than Lois faltered, confused. Had she really seen a man here?

"Well, I…thought I saw…it looked like Clark…"

"You thought you saw someone you know?" Diana turned to get some more cold compresses and laughed. "Hardly here!"

Lois's brows creased; this didn't sound right. "But…"

"You fought very well, Lois, but it was very hot and humid today, and I didn't mean to push as hard as I did. It must have made you dizzy," Princess Diana stood back and folded her arms, watching her.

"Well…maybe." Lois said guardedly. Her reporter's instinct told her that Diana was trying to warn her off the subject.

"You're doing very well in the program. Right now, though, you should get some rest. I'll give instructions that you will take the rest of the day off. No more training for today."

"No, I'm fine, really," Lois insisted, tried to get up. "I'd much rather talk…perhaps you and I could have a sit-down?"

An interview by Lois was the last thing Diana wanted to endure at the moment. Gently, but forcefully, she pushed her back down.

"Perhaps another time, Lois? Even Amazons know when to let themselves heal! You really must rest and I need to return to the Palace," Diana said as casually as she could manage. She gestured for an attendant to come in, one of Cyanna's healer assistants. "This is Eirene, she will take care of you and help you back to the barracks."

"But-"

"We'll talk again soon," Diana assured her, forcing herself to smile. "I know how much you want to get your story!" Just like that that, Wonder Woman took off.

Lois watched Diana depart, rather hurriedly she thought, in the direction of the Palace.

"That was a brave thing you did, agreeing to spar with the Princess," Eirene said admirably, tending to the rest of Lois' bruises and scratches. "Sometimes she forgets her own strength! More than a few times she's knocked out a sparring partner..."

"Is that right..."

Lois hardly heard what Eirene said after that. She didn't for a moment believe what Diana had said. All her journalist's instincts said otherwise, and besides, Ellen Lane hadn't raised any fools. She knew what she had seen, and it wasn't any hallucination. A man was here on Themyscira, and that man's name was Clark Kent!

She'd recognized him right away of course, in spite of the beard. She'd seen Clark with a beard once before, when he wrote an article about his two weeks undercover as one of Metropolis' homeless. Lois couldn't imagine how Smallville could have ended up here. Did he somehow get here by accident, like Captain Trevor had? Lois recalled Clark's email to her that he was going to spend some time overseas. Had he been pursuing some kind of story, his own lead on Themyscira? It galled Lois to think he might be working on his own story on the Amazons, independently of her own. Surely, she thought, he wouldn't do something as stupid as to try to sneak onto Paradise Island, but she knew Clark to do foolhardy stunts before, and survive somehow unscathed. She wouldn't put it past him to try it. But why, though - she knew he could certainly use the money, he didn't have a job anymore - but, why would the Amazons try to conceal it from her? That's certainly what Wonder Woman was trying to do. Perhaps they were afraid to let on how actually easy it was to reach Paradise Island. If Kent, of all people, could do it, then maybe others could too. Did they know he was a journalist? If so...their secrets was something they wouldn't want publicized, especially by a man. Was he a prisoner here, then? Lois guessed that was very likely, seeing how Clark looked rather rough and unkempt. A sudden alarming thought occurred to Lois – what were they going to do to him? Surely they wouldn't kill him? If he was in danger (and she thought he probably was), Lois knew that she had would have to try to rescue his ass, somehow. It wouldn't be the first time: he was always getting into trouble, and she had had to bail him out many times before! But another, more pressing thought was on her mind as well...

Damn it, when was she going to get that interview with the Queen now?

It was late afternoon by the time Clark completed the half-shell building for the arena. Since he had other things on his mind, he made several mistakes which he had had to go back and fix. It ended up taking twice as long to complete the work. He could hear the whisperings of the Amazons too, and that didn't help his mood, which was by now rather frazzled. He just wanted to get back to the Palace as soon as he could, there were things he and Diana had to discuss; Her Royal Majesty the Queen would just have to wait.

He jumped down from the roof of the building, resisting the urge to just fly in through the windows of the Palace. Instead he hurried to the Palace on foot, ignoring the Amazons, who were still watching him, either with suspicion or amusement.

A small smile touched Illythia's lips as she watched him leave. She strode up to Vanessa, who was inspecting the building.

"So...this 'Superman' knows this human woman? What is he to her, eh?"

Vanessa looked suspiciously at Illythia. Usually the haughty blonde Amazon rarely deigned to talk to her unless it was to make some snide comment.

"Lois Lane's a famous journalist. She interviewed Superman for the Daily Planet several times. That's all."

"Is she one of the women from his harem?"

Vanessa blushed. "No, of course not! He doesn't-"

"You say that with such confidence. You know this for a fact? He seemed quite upset when the Princess fought her. Perhaps he does not like to see his property damaged."

Vanessa stood up to Illythia indignantly. She had learned it was never a good idea to back down here. "You've got it all wrong! That's not how he thinks of her!"

"Oh, really?" Illythia said, raising her eyebrows. "How does he think of her? So you know his mind as well?"

Illythia's implication was clear. Vanessa scowled. "No, I don't know. But I know his mind is not so low as yours! Try to raise it a little, maybe you could wipe the cobwebs off your brain with a better elevation."

Vanessa stomped off, but Illythia only crossed her arms and smiled.

Over a month here had made Clark familiar with the Palace as his old farmhouse back in Smallville. He knew the ways to enter so that he could reach Diana's rooms discreetly. No one other than the Queen was supposed to enter the upper levels. However, today he ignored them and just walked straight up, ignoring the stares of the Amazons in the corridors on Palace business.

"Diana!"

Clark entered the rooms he shared with Diana, and stopped when he saw her lying flat on her stomach on a warmed marble slab, naked, the powerful muscles of her back and legs being massaged by her Amazon attendants. He knew this was typical pampering for Amazon royalty, but it still startled him to see Diana treated like...well, like royalty. Even after a month, the Amazons jumped in shock when they saw him come in unannounced, as if he were crashing a party. He stood there in the doorway, awkwardly, but he refused to leave until he could talk to Diana alone.

Diana sat up, slowly, one of the Amazons attentively wrapping a light linen sheet around her. She didn't look happy, and Clark wondered if she had spoken to her mother already. Damn!

"You may go," she murmured to her attendants. They left silently, not daring to look directly at Clark. When they were alone, he spoke.

"How was Lois?"

"She's fine. She thinks she saw Clark Kent. I told her she hallucinated the whole thing."

Clark shut his eyes. "Oh, Diana, she's not going to believe that..."

"It's the best I could do for now," Diana insisted. "She might believe it, if she doesn't see you again, and no one says otherwise..."

"How long is she going to be here? How is she not going to see me again?"

"The visitors only stay in the vicinity of the Capital. Themyscira is a big island..." Diana said slowly. "You do not have to be in the capital...all the time."

"What? What do you mean?"

Diana took a deep breath. "You've only seen a small part of Themyscira. You ought to see the rest of it, the plains, the northern side, there's so much more..."

"Diana! I didn't come here for the grand tour of Themyscira, I came here to be with you! I thought that was the whole point of my being here, so we would be together!"

"You are with me" Diana insisted, a note of desperation coming into her voice. "You'll still be on the island..."

Clark's eyes narrowed. "Just what did Hippolyta tell you?"

"She...my mother suggested that while our visitors are here...you should leave the capital and visit the other Amazon tribe in the north of the Island, the Getai...only for awhile, so that no one sees you," Diana added quickly, seeing the look on Clark's face. "You would be staying with..."

"And you told her no, absolutely not, this is totally unacceptable, right?"

Diana didn't answer. She bit her lip and looked down at the floor.

Clark took a deep breath, attempted to talk without shouting. "I don't believe I'm hearing this! Why couldn't you tell her that this idea is idiotic? But obviously she doesn't bother to get your opinion, ever!"

"Clark, you're not in Smallville, or Metropolis!" Diana said in exasperation. "This is Themyscira! We do things a certain way here! What my mother says is law among..."

"Your mother is a tyrant and a bully," Clark said bluntly. There, he'd said it. "Just like her old fart of a general! They go perfectly together! Does she ever listen to anyone else? She certainly never listens to you!"

"My mother has kept our people safe for three thousand years!" Diana jumped up, suddenly irate at her husband. Some part of her knew this was misplaced, but she couldn't help it. The frustration, and the illness she'd felt for days, came boiling out and unfortunately Clark was in front of her. "You don't know even a quarter of what she has had to do so that we may live in peace here! Don't you judge her!"

"Why are you making this about me now?" Clark retorted. "And why are you so defensive all of a sudden? You're angry with her yourself almost all the time!

Diana took a deep breath. "I am not angry…"

"Yes you are."

"If I am angry with anyone," Diana snapped. "Then it is with you!"

Clark stared at her. "What the hell are you talking about, Diana?"

"If it hadn't been for your submission to her she couldn't do this to us!"

"If I hadn't done that, we wouldn't even be having this conversation! She would have kicked us off the Island!"

"You could have done something else!"

"I did that," Clark now heard himself yelling. "Because you weren't doing squat! You let your mother walk all over you all the time, just like she's doing right now!"

"I do not! Don't you dare tell me...!"

The Amazon attendants huddled out of sight outside of Diana's chambers, shocked at what they were hearing, and yet unable to tear themselves away, lest they should miss a single word. That was how Selene found them.

"What is going on here?"

Penelope looked around, wide-eyed. "The Princess is having a fight with her man!"

"She is upset one of his women showed up among the visitors!" One of the other attendants added helpfully.

"Have you never heard couples quarreling before!" Selene barked. "Go and attend to your other duties! It is no concern of ours."

Reluctantly they departed, but they were right: Selene could hear the muffled shouting still going on. Selene made sure they were gone, before settling down at her attendant's station; she would attend to the Princess once she'd got done arguing with her man. She was used to hearing heated arguments; the Princess and her mother had always fought fiercely, with much shouting - both of them had very short tempers - but now the Princess was fighting with her husband for a change. Fights among Amazon couples were nothing unusual - in fact they were rather the norm. She and Berenike had fought fiercely plenty of times (the loom had had to be replaced at least three times, the door twice, and once the roof). But Selene wondered if Kal-el really knew how volatile Amazon women could be. She thought not.

"Fine!" Clark snatched up a blanket from their bed, the nicest one. "In order not to offend you further, your Highness, I will remove myself from your presence right now, then!" In the next second he was at the doorway.

"Clark, where do you think you're going?" Diana bellowed after him.

"Out!"

Clark stormed out of the room, just as a grecian vase shattered on the lintel near his head.

"Hah! You missed!" Clark shouted over his shoulder.

He headed down the marble stairways, ignoring the Themysciran imprecations Diana was still hurling after him. He headed for the stables, where he knew he could be alone, in peace. He didn't see any Amazons on his way there, which was just as well. He breathed a sigh of relief once he reached them; it was cool down in the stables, dark, and smelled like home to him, which was just what he needed, to cool down. Tossing down his blanket on a patch of clean hay, he plopped down after it, his arms folded across his broad chest. He realized he was acting childish, but what the hell, he didn't particularly care. Wasn't that in the Married Man's Handbook, that you were allowed to stomp out of the house once in awhile, when the old ball-and-chain became intolerable? Then he realized that probably everyone in the Palace had heard him and Diana arguing and that he'd given the Amazons fuel for even more scandalous gossip…well, let them gossip! He didn't care.

After a few minutes though, Clark's anger began to dissipate, and with that, remorse followed, even though he was still irritated. He realized, not with any particular relish, that he and Diana just had their first real, married fight (one which didn't involve Jimmy Olsen); it wasn't a particular milestone he was happy to achieve. He wasn't such an idealist to think that he and his wife wouldn't argue every once in awhile, but it still made him feel as if he'd failed, somehow. He never remembered his parents shouting at each other, although he knew they'd had their arguments too (not many), but they usually didn't do it around him, or throw things, for that matter. Either his dad would quietly go out to the barn or to the fields for a couple of hours, or his mom would go play bingo with her friends or chat them up over the phone. Of course, they always made up. Then again, Martha Kent wasn't an Amazon princess and Jonathan Kent wasn't an alien. He tried to think of how they would handle this, but his mind came up blank.

Sighing, he laid down on his back and stared up at the wooden roof. Diana was partly right - he had put himself in this situation by agreeing to Hippolyta's demands. So now if he refused her order, then no doubt she and the Council would take that as him breaking his word. He didn't want to do that, not after trying to earn their trust all these weeks...and maybe this was best, anyway, if Lois was here. He didn't want to think of what would happen if she caught sight of him again, or worse, bumped into him up close. Knowing her, she'd blow it up into the biggest headline she could manage. Still, the thought of being away from Diana while she was pregnant, the thought hurt him. Yet many husbands had to deal with that, especially people in the military, sailors, those on deployment, he was in their shoes, now.

Yet what bothered him most was that Diana had apparently agreed to her mother's decision without even discussing it with him. She wouldn't tolerate this for an instant if it had been Batman, or anyone else in the League making arbitrary decisions that affected them both, but with Hippolyta it was different, apparently. A chilling thought occurred to him - once the baby came, what would she decide about the baby? If it was a girl, what if Hippolyta insisted it remain on the Island? Would Diana just acquiesce? Or worse, tried to take the baby away from them? Clark didn't want to believe that would happen, but...and if it was a boy...then what would...

Clark noticed that someone had just entered the stables, and he knew it wasn't Diana. He sat up quickly, but it was only Vanessa Kapatelis, carrying some grooming brushes. She didn't see him at first, then she froze, startled.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to disturb you, Superman!"

"No, no...it's all right, and please just call me Kal."

"I just came in to take care of Grey Eyes," Vanessa nodded towards Diana's horse, in her stall contently munching its hay. Still, she didn't move.

"Go on ahead, I'm just...um, sitting here," Clark rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just having a time-out, sort of."

Vanessa nodded; she could guess why. She didn't know if she should tell him that the latest talk of the city was how Superman's "concubine" was among the women from Man's World. Of course she knew it was only Lois Lane (she'd read her Daily Planet articles, and also was a subscriber to the Daily World, her one guilty reading pleasure), but it had caused her to be bombarded with questions about their relationship, as if she was some kind of expert on the matter. It was difficult, to say the least, to explain that to the Amazons.

"Yeah, well...we all need that, don't we, once in awhile? Hey, why don't you help me with the grooming? It's very relaxing."

Clark got to his feet, nodded. Brooding all alone wasn't going to help him, and it was suddenly a relief to have a normal conversation. "Sure is."

Unfortunately Grey Eyes remembered Clark and snapped at him again, so he went to work grooming a mare in the adjacent stall, who was more receptive to his attentions.

"Vanessa," Clark asked. "How long do these visitors from Man's World stay on Themyscira?"

"I think only a month or so. I'm a bit of an exception, since I'm a visiting scholar. You're asking about...the recent ones?"

Clark nodded slowly. "I know Lois Lane is with them. I just don't want it to get out that...um, Superman was on Themyscira, or that I am in a relationship with Wonder Woman."

Vanessa nodded. "I understand. You should know, though, that what happened in the arena this morning, well, it's kind of the talk of the town, if you know what I mean."

Clark looked alarmed. "What are they saying?"

"Oh, just that one of your old flames turned up, and the Princess got super jealous, but I know that's not true! I've been trying to tell them that, but you know the Amazons by now, they think all men are dogs at heart!"

Clark shook his head in exasperation, but Vanessa added quickly, "But the Queen also announced that Ms. Lane and her group are not to be told that you're here. You're kind of a state secret now."

"You haven't seen her yourself, have you?"

"No, but I will soon. Their first week is like a boot camp-style initiation. This week is more of a tour and in-depth learning. I'll be giving them some lectures. Don't worry, I certainly won't talk about you and the Princess!"

"That's good...I guess."

Clark paused in his grooming. "Vanessa, have you ever been to the northern part of the island?"

"Yes, why?"

Clark hesitated, then said, "The Queen thinks it would be a good idea if I stayed there until Lois and her group leaves. That's why I asked. What are the Amazons like there?"

"Well..." Vanessa said slowly, surprised. "The Amazons, they're more Celtic ethnically than Greek, as some of them migrated here after Hippolyta and her original followers came (it's a long story, but I'll tell you if you want), but other than their dress, they all speak the same language, and their customs are similar. But they're not as, um, cosmopolitan as here. No big marble buildings like here. They keep to themselves, and have their own leaders, even though Hippolyta is the overall Queen. I saw them fight once, when some harpies attacked the group I was with. They're really frightening in battle!"

"Wonderful," Clark muttered.

"But if the Queen orders them to...to take you in, they'll obey her."

"Vanessa," Clark asked slowly. "You said you're studying Amazon culture...that means their families, right?"

Vanessa looked at him. "Yes?"

"They have children normally, right?"

Vanessa's expression seemed to change slightly, Clark noticed, not quite so blithe as earlier. "Yes, of course."

"Then how do they only give birth to girls? Or...do they?"

Vanessa looked at him for a long moment, before she replied.

Just outside the stables, Illythia waited. She had good hearing, had seen Vanessa walk into the stables, and heard her talking with Superman. Interesting, yes, very interesting indeed. General Philippus would want to know of this. Perhaps the Trembler might be of some use, after all.

AN: What does Vanessa Kapatelis know and what will she tell Clark? What is Illythia up to? (btw, I borrowed her character's name from the Spartacus cable tv series, she was a wonderfully bitchy character played by Viva Bianca, which is how I imagine her here too!) How long before Lois starts snooping around? What is Philippus up to? (nothing good)! And will Batman find what he is looking for and are his fears (for Clark, and only partly, Diana) justified?

I have a more of a Vanessa-centric episode next chapter, where we will learn more of the (secret) history of the Amazons, which is quite bloody. Plus Trevor will feature again soon. Please read and review!