A/N - Okay, I'm very well aware that it's been nearly a year and a half... okay, more than that. But still! I finally gained at least SOME sort of motivation to continue with this story. Don't worry, I hope the story will be finished by the start of summer. Anyway, I'm really sorry about not updating this story for nearly two years.

Though to be fair, this story is nearly 4 years old! Or, well, at least three and a half. It's crazy. I was 15 when I started it. I'm 19 now. Jesus. Time sure does fly by!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. There's a bit of a time skip to make up for my.. not.. writing. It's a little short, but.. yeah, it's short. But at least it's something, ay?

Thank you for reading, be sure to leave a review!:)

Chapter 44 - It's Coming

Senior year came and went, and along with it. Martha had cried during Sarah's valedictorian speech, and to be honest, even Clark had felt burning at the back of his eyes. Whether it was his emotionally fueled heat vision or tears would forever remain unknown.

And so, it was summer, and Clark would be off to college in a matter of weeks. Having decided to try for the famed Metropolis University, he dreamed of being an investigative reporter, something he already had some experience with, both in the Torch and the one and only Daily Planet, where he had many good friends. He, of course, had been accepted with flying colors, along with having earned a full-ride scholarship, courtesy of Wayne Enterprises. When he had found out, he gave Bruce a look. Bruce just shrugged.

Sarah, on the other hand, had decided to try for Stanford, dreaming of becoming a bio-engineer with a minor in Chemistry. It hadn't been a surprise to learn that she had also been given a full-ride scholarship, along with passing the entrance exams with flying colors.

It was the middle of August, now, and Clark was enjoying a hot cup of Tibetan tea. When his mother asked him whether he was crazy for drinking hot tea in this weather, Clark, are you crazy, Clark simply smiled. He had lots of things to think about – for one, the matter of Superman. Of course, Superman was as accepted and popular as ever. However, he still wasn't sure how he would be able to juggle college, a part-time job – which he'd, hopefully, be able to get in Metropolis soon – and the cape.

While it was true that the Justice League had expanded since he was seventeen, the now-eighteen-year-old superhero was still needed all over the globe for disasters and catastrophes the League couldn't contain on its own, whether it was stopping earthquakes and tsunamis or helping Batman investigate the weird, alien computers dubbed as the Mother Boxes that had appeared all over the globe a few months ago. He was yet to go to the Fortress to do some research. Soon.

"You're gonna burn the wall if you keep staring at it like this," a teasing voice said. "Literally."

Clark smiled gently and turned around, looking at the weathered, yet beautiful face of his mother. "Come on, Ma, that happened once!"

Martha gave a startled laugh. "One time too many." Clark shrugged, not embarrassed in the least. Then his comm beeped. Martha looked at him, nodded, and quietly left the room.

"Go for Superman," said Clark, the sentence still sounding a little weird to him.

"Batcave. 5 minutes. It's urgent," answered the voice of Batman.

"Gotcha, be there soon." What was so important that Bruce had to talk to him both privately and urgently? Well, he would find out soon enough. Unbuttoning his shirt, Clark gently touched the insignia on his chest, letting the Kryptonian nano-tech of his suit envelop him, along with the magnificent, deep red cape. The transformation from Clark to Superman was complete. Gently lifting himself from the ground, Clark then shot up into the sky, aiming for Gotham. Three sonic booms could be heard over the town of Smallville.

"What is it, Bruce?" Bruce could actually hear a tint of worry in the young superhero's voice. He wanted to assure him that there was nothing to worry about, having become closer to Clark in the past year, seeing him as a sort of a younger brother. He sighed and turned his chair around, locking his eyes with the unnatural blue eyes of the Kryptonian.

"The Mother Boxes are not just computers. They also send signals back to wherever they were sent from," he answered. He watched the wheels turn in his friend's brain, and the flicker of recognition once he figured it out.

"They're planning an invasion," he said, his voice definitive, his neutral expression not masking his worry in the least. Bruce only nodded. "We need to call in an emergency session with the League. We need to get everyone on this. Bruce, if this is as urgent as I think it is, we have no time to spar—why are you looking at me like this?"

"You'll make a good leader someday."

"Bruce, while I greatly appreciate the sentiment, and I love you for it," he saw Bruce wince a little and he couldn't help the grim satisfaction, "we still need to alert the rest of the League. We don't know how big of a threat this is, but just based on the power of those devices, the civilization seems to be incredibly advanced. Maybe even as advanced as the Kryptonians once were."

Bruce nodded. "Agreed. I thought you ought to know first," because you're the only extraterrestrial League member went unsaid. Clark nodded, satisfied, and commed the rest of the League.

"All available members, please report to the Watchtower for an emergency session at 6 PM. It is of urgent matter."

To say that the rest of the League was shocked would be an understatement. Obviously, the League, along with the rest of the world, knew of the existence of aliens. One such alien was a member of the team itself. However, to be facing a full-on invasion? They did not expect that.

"Get over the shock, people! We are the first and the last line of defense. Should we fall, the Earth shall fall, too. Now, Batman, Superman, what do we know of the extraterrestrials?" Wonder Woman asked, her voice commanding. Superman's lips tugged up a little.

"Well, we know tha-" suddenly, the Watchtower's alarms started to blast. Superman clutched his ears for a second in momentary shock from the loud sound. Once he regained his composure, he yelled, "What's happening?!"

"This!" yelled Aquaman as he pointed at the window, through which Superman saw a fiery ball coming straight at them. Zooming in, he saw that the meteor-like ball of fire was not a meteor, but, in fact, a being. "OPEN THE HATCH! NOW!"

There was no time. "Brace yourselves!" Superman's muscles tensed. There was a loud crash as the being hit the Watchtower, breaking the window. Superman reacted immediately, flying over and catching the being, its hot fire not penetrating Superman's invulnerable skin.

Vaguely registering the sound of the Watchtower's emergency lockdown protocols, Superman looked at the creature as he put it down. It was definitely alien, like something out of a movie. Its green skin and half-open deep-red eyes spoke volumes on how much this being was not of Earth. The being seemed barely aware of what was happening, yet it was definitely conscious.

It? Him? Her? Xir? They? Superman questioned in his mind, his advanced brain processing the implications of this.

"Superman, take them to the infirmary!" said Batman. Superman only nodded, gently picking the green alien up, trying to be as careful as possible.

"Are you okay? Who are you? What are you? Why are you here?" he asked quietly. The alien being seemed to have regained some sort of coherence, as it looked into Superman's eyes.

"K-Kal," they whispered, the voice masculine. Superman was shocked. The alien slowly, painstakingly lifted their arm and touched his face. The arm fell. "It's.. coming."

Gently shaking himself out of his thoughts, Superman asked. "What's coming?"

"T-the apocalypse."