Where do we go from here?
(In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Act, making a 2 million-acre expanse teeming with geysers, canyons and herds of bison the first national park in the world. The law would protect a swath of land from Wyoming to parts of Montana and Idaho preserving the territory's natural wonders for the benefit of future generations. The idea caught on quickly. Australia, Canada and New Zealand quickly followed suit, creating their own national parks—by definition places of great natural beauty, not altered by man, open to the public and protected by governmental authorities.)
In a world of blacktop and concrete, strip malls and telephone poles, it's easy to forget just how beautiful this world is. It's not exclusive to any one country or confined by arbitrary borders on a map. Natural wonders surround us in all their breathtaking beauty.
Clark slowly descended into Yosemite. It was after midnight and the full moon bathed the landscape in a pale, calm light. The park had closed hours ago so he was alone. As much as he loved the pace and excitement of the city, every once and awhile he needed to get away. Like most of us, sometimes he just needed to get away from the noise of everyday life to think.
Karen.
She'd been gone a little over two weeks. Their 'relationship' if that's what you call it had been the most confusing of Clark's life. The last week and a half before she left hadn't cleared anything up really. It did do one thing he hadn't expected, it made him feel normal. All Clark's life he'd looked like everyone else, talked like everyone else, acted like everyone else, but he never felt like everyone else.
Now he felt like he understood what everyone had been talking about. In a strange way being with her, another alien had brought him closer to humanity. He was just another guy trying to figure out the woman in his life. Like most guys he still wasn't sure he had. Part of Clark secretly suspected he never would figure women out, but that again put him in the same boat as the majority of guys. Even Batman hadn't solved that mystery.
Clark smiled as he realized that was part of the magic of it. The charm was that even for someone with all his gifts he was in the same boat as everyone else. There would always be things to baffle, confuse and frustrate him about the opposite sex. Being able to see someone's brain didn't help you figure out what they were thinking. Women would always be something of a mystery, but a tantalizing one. Like any great mystery, it was the little discoveries along the way that made it all worthwhile.
Many had wondered if his amazing abilities would eventually distance him from humanity, perhaps even Clark had wondered about this from time to time. The idea of what tethered him to this world or humans seemed to be on many people's mind. It was why Diana's words that night on the monument hit so close to home. He was so different from everyone else. Would that divide only widen as time went on?
That was why the last few weeks with and without Karen had been so amazing. It showed him that maybe these concerns were misplaced. What tethered him wasn't someone else, but him, what he believed in and fought for. Being in love, caring for those around you, fighting for truth and justice for all weren't exclusive human values, any more than life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were the exclusive inalienable rights for just one country or people, but for everyone.
Clark didn't have it all worked out yet, but he felt like he was starting to. A confusing, tumultuous relationship with Karen had been the starting point. He missed her already. Even when she was at her most frustrating, he'd had trouble staying away. He understood her reasons for going back and admired her for them. That didn't mean he liked it, but if roles had been reversed he would have done the same thing. So where did that leave him now?
That was why he was out here. He wanted to clear his head and maybe finds some answers. He wasn't sure if he'd ever see Karen again. He wanted to and hoped one day she would return, but life didn't stop. He had other relationships he needed to address. Clark felt like he'd made the first steps with Kara. There would be more bumps in the road, but she was family. With family you have to forgive a lot.
There were also his teammates in the Justice League. They'd been his allies for five years yet he'd never made the effort to really get to know them. If anything unexpected came out of their trip to Apokolips it was how willing Victor had been to help. Clark realized it was out of friendship he'd gone. He needed to repay Victor's kindness by being the friend he needed. Perhaps he needed to start being more of a friend to all of them.
Then there was Diana.
They'd kissed. What it meant to her or to him or to them was another mystery. It hadn't been the reason he'd gone, but he couldn't deny it meant something. What exactly he wasn't sure. What he hoped was that she didn't think he was just hitting on her, taking advantage of a moment of vulnerability. He didn't know her that well and she didn't know him, so he could understand if that's what it appeared to be. As busy as his and her schedules were, he hadn't had a chance to speak with her alone yet. He wasn't sure what he would say, but he knew he needed to talk to her.
His league communicator went off.
"Yes?"
"Superman, can you come to the station, Wonder Woman's been attacked by Cheetah,' Victor said.
"On my way."
Earth 2 – New York City
It was all gone; the world they'd known was all gone. The war with Apokolips was over and surprisingly Earth had won, but at a terrible cost. Karen and Helena need only look out their hotel room window to see the massive statue to the fallen 'wonders' that had saved the world. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman had sacrificed everything and paid the ultimate price for Earth's victory. There would be no last minute, against all odds rescue. Karen and Helena were too late, five years too late.
It hit them both hard. While they always knew the chances of anyone surviving were next to zero, until they returned there was a glimmer of hope. Now that was gone. Helena's parents were dead, along with Karen's cousin. Looking out at the statue, no other words needed to be said.
The world had paid a terrible price in the war. Million upon millions were dead and whole sections of the planet had been devastated. In a desperate move to ensure mutual survival, the governments of the world had united under one common banner. Preparations continued should the scourge of Apokolips returned.
If anything the two smaller statues on either side of the center three just made things worse. They were of Karen and Helena, or more accurately Supergirl and Robin. The world believed they had made the same sacrifice as the others. They were proclaimed heroes just like the trinity. The guilt and remorse were overwhelming. They felt like frauds, being celebrated for things they didn't do and given credit for battles they didn't fight. The thought of putting on those old uniforms was over.
They watched TV and even as painful as it was to see them fall again, they didn't turn away. They listened as they were eulogized in death with heavy hearts, only to be shocked to see new 'wonders' emerge, inspired by the sacrifice the originals had made. The world had moved on without them. Those new heroes fought in Washington against something called the Grey that seemed to want to kill all life of Earth. The new heroes, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and the Flash triumphed and then disappeared, but Earth seemed to have new hope with their emergence. Karen slowly got up and turned off the television.
"It's a lie,' she said, gazing out at the statues. "We didn't do any of those things."
"Robin and Supergirl are dead, Karen,' Helena replied. "Maybe it's better this way."
"But it's a lie."
"Look at the world around us,' Helena explained. "People need something to believe in. They've been through a nightmare and they need heroes, even fallen heroes to inspire them to keep fighting."
"But we're not dead, Helena,' Karen replied. "All of that, all they were saying about us isn't true. We didn't sacrifice our lives like the others. We spent the last five years in another universe, safe from all of it."
"So what do we do?" Helena asked.
"I don't know,' Karen admitted. "I guess the old saying is true, you can't go home again."
"And yet here we are."
"We should tell them the truth, everyone the truth,' Karen stated. "We didn't do those things."
"No." Helena said with a shake of her head.
"What? Why? People deserve to know what really happened,' Karen replied.
"They already know the truth they want to know, Karen,' Helena calmly said. "They need us to be those heroes they thought we were. Telling people different will only anger them and ruin whatever good came of all this."
"How can you say that?"
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance."
"What?" Karen asked, caught off guard by Helena's response.
"There's a line at the end of the movie,' Helena explained. "When the myth becomes the legend, print the myth."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"People want to believe what they believe,' Helena replied. "They want to believe my dad was more than just a man. They want to believe your cousin and Wonder Woman were demi-gods or angels sent to help them in the worst of times. They want to believe Robin and Supergirl made the same noble sacrifice. They want it all to make sense, even if it doesn't. They want the myth that good always triumphs over evil. They want to believe in heroes. If we take that away from them, what do they have left?"
The Watchtower
Clark was on the station in a matter of moments. He could see the concern on both Victor and Barry's face as he entered the main room. His eyes immediately went to Diana. She had cuts and scrapes on her arms and face, but there was something else in her eyes.
"I'm fine,' she flatly stated, looking away from them.
"We know you're fine. We've just never seen you, uh, knocked down before,' Barry said.
"Wonder Woman was obviously holding back,' Clark offered.
"Why hold back?" Barry asked.
Clark didn't know the whole story, but he knew enough to know the Cheetah was a friend of Diana's before she was transformed. He also knew Diana blamed herself for what happened.
"Barbara Minerva is the Cheetah and the first friend I made,' Diana reluctantly said. "She worked with me when I first arrived and it was while doing that the Goddess of the Hunt, the Cheetah, possessed her. I'm responsible for what happened to her. I appreciate you looking out for me, but this isn't why the Justice League exists. This is my problem not yours."
Diana turned away from them and focused on the large computer screen. The three of them looked at each other, not sure what to do now. Clark floated next to them, but his eyes were on Diana. He needed to talk to her and now seemed like as good a time as any.
"Can you excuse us for a minute? Victor? Barry?" He asked.
They exchanged glances, unsure what this was all about, but then relented.
"Um, sure,' Barry replied. "We'll be outside, um, waiting, I guess."
As the doors closed behind them, Clark turned his attention to Diana.
"Let us help you find your friend."
"I don't get involved when Lex Luthor or Metallo is causing trouble, do I?" She replied, not looking at him.
"Not because you need it, Diana, but because we want to,' he offered. "I want to. If this is important to you, if it involves helping someone you care about, I want to help."
Diana glanced out of the corner of her eye at him. This was the first time she'd seen him since that night. She didn't want to talk about the kiss, not now. When it happened she had thought a lot about it and what it meant. She still wondered what he meant when he said it wasn't a mistake. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, life had a way of always needing your attention. Diana had been dealing with Hera, Zola and now Barbara, so the kiss wasn't something she wanted to talk about right now. She wasn't sure if she ever wanted to talk about it.
"What happened just happened, Superman,' Diana said. "I'm sure you've kissed lots of women."
Clark almost smirked at the idea.
"Surprisingly not that many,' he replied.
"Be that as it may, what happened just happened."
"I know. It was a kiss, not a commitment,' Clark quietly said. "But it was a nice, Diana."
She turned to face him.
"It was,' she admitted. "But you and I have other responsibilities we need to focus on."
"Like the Cheetah? We can help you find her, Diana."
She gave a shake of her head and looked down at the floor.
"It's not the Cheetah I need to find but the tribe connected with her. They know more about dagger that transformed Barbara into that monster."
"But you haven't found them?" He asked.
"Not yet."
"Then we can help with that,' Clark stated. He turned towards the doors. "Victor?"
The doors slid open and Victor and Barry immediately came in.
"I heard you, Superman,' Victor said. "I've already started mapping the areas we'll need to cover. I've narrowed it down based on the dagger's last known location."
Barry seemed to pick up the thread of the conversation and ran with it.
"We can boom down and I'll do some recon of the terrain,' Barry quickly added. "An hour or two is all it should take."
'You-You don't need to do that,' Diana replied, surprised by all of this.
"It's not problem,' Barry said.
"Happy to help,' Victor added.
For the first time all day, Diana smiled.
Africa
The sad truth was more and more it didn't seem to matter what country it was, the misery was all too familiar. Michael Holt slowly walked through what was left of the village. Death was everywhere. The combination of civil war, disease, famine and greed were like a new plague rolling across the continent. As always the most vulnerable suffered first and paid the highest price.
He was here looking for answers, but the questions had nothing to do with any current conflict. Since helping Karen and Helena get back home, something had been nagging at the back of his mind. The signature for the boom tube to their Earth had a hauntingly familiar feel to it. Playing a hunch, he'd been investigating any occurrences of that particular signature on this Earth. At first he found nothing, but once he fine-tuned his instruments the faint signals began to appear. They seemed to be spread out all over the globe. Every one he'd investigated so far usually ended up in a place like this. Weapons unlike anything created by any known country or company were always involved. Death seemed to radiate out from those signals. It was too evenly spread to be a coincidence and that's what worried him the most.
The frightening conclusion was someone from that other Earth, Earth 2 if you will, have found a way to transport those weapons here to Earth 1. What their ultimate goal for doing it was still unclear, but now Michael knew the answers weren't going to be found on this world. He needed to go back, back to Earth 2.
The Watchtower
The fight was over and the Cheetah was in custody. Clark watched as the revelations about who she really was sunk in with Diana. She masked it well, but she couldn't hide the despair the news brought her. When she silently turned and walked away from the others, he found himself following her. When they were alone, she finally spoke.
"My best friend was never my friend at all,' Diana softly said, the sadness plain in her voice. "Barbara was right. I was naïve. I still am. How could I put my trust in someone like her? How could I not see who she really was?"
"Because you were giving people the benefit of the doubt. You were looking for the good instead of the bad. That's something I admire about you, Diana. It's something I try to do myself."
She turned and faced him, almost searching his face for answers.
"If I can't trust my own instincts, I can't trust anyone."
He moved a little closer. This wasn't about the kiss anymore, but her needing a friend.
"You have an entire team of people you can trust,' he offered. "You can trust me, Diana."
"I don't know that much about you, Superman,' she whispered.
"Let's change that," he replied.
Earth 2 – New York City
Karen stood at the window just staring out at the monument. The grief was overwhelming. She was supposed to be their secret weapon and help turn the tide of the war, yet she'd failed them all. Before she'd been transported from this world her life seemed so full of promise, yet now five years later it seemed to be falling apart at every turn. All during her time on the other Earth she'd resisted making any connections, getting close to anyone, because her whole focus was on getting back here to help.
Now she was back and it was too late. She'd failed them. As if to make matters worst it seemed she'd thrown away whatever she might have had with Clark on that other Earth to come back. She'd ruined that too. She'd lost everything all over again. Every time she tried to do the right thing, it turned out wrong. She was lost.
The door to the room opened and Helena stepped inside. Karen turned and looked at her. Helena looked as if she was ready to explode, but she willed herself to remain calm.
"What? What is it, Helena?" Karen asked.
Helena slowly raised her hand. A piece of paper was crumbled up in her fist.
"He's alive."
"Who?"
"Steppenwolf."
The name sent a jolt of fury through Karen's system. Steppenwolf was the commander of Apokolips' invading army and the murderer of Helena's parents and her cousin.
"Where is he?" She asked between gritted teeth.
"Here on Earth,' Helena replied. "He has the last Amazon with him they're saying."
Karen's fists balled up with rage.
"If she gets between us and him, she'll be the last Amazon to die."
Earth 2 – New York City
Michael Holt stumbled out of his improvised boom tube into the heart of the city. It looked so much like his world, yet a second glance told him it wasn't. As he gained his balance, he could hear the people around him whispering about whether he was one of the new 'wonders' or from Apokolips. He wanted to reassure them he wasn't an enemy, but before he could speak a man stepped from the crowd.
"Welcome to our Earth, Mr. Terrific, or do you prefer Michael?"
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Michael asked.
"My name is Terry Sloan and I know all about you,' the man replied with a smile. "They say you're the 3rd smartest man in the world, quite impressive, but I'm afraid I can't allow you to interfere."
"That sounds like a threat,' Michael replied.
"It is."
The man took a step towards Michael and he tossed a few counter measures to stop him. The man smiled as he raised his hand. Suddenly Michael's devices changed and attacked him. An electrical change jolted through his system and he could do nothing to stop himself from crumbling to the pavement. Michael looked up at the man who was standing over him smiling.
"Like I said, you being the 3rd smartest man is impressive. Unfortunately for you, I'm the smartest man in the world. You lose."
