11
The Kent farm
Back at the Kent Farm, Martha waved as she watched Green Lantern and Flash teleport back to the Watchtower. As the last embers of them vanished, she heard her son's supersonic boom overhead. Instinctively, she turned her head up to the sky. Above her she saw her son floating with Wonder Woman. The old woman couldn't help but smile as she watched her son kiss Wonder Woman. Took him five years to get up the courage to ask her out. Martha knew the moment he brought her to Smallville that she was the one for him. He was more confident and sure of himself around her. They brought out the best in each other. For a moment she found herself thinking about her husband, Jonathan. Clark reminded her so much of him. She leaned against the old post beside her as she said a little prayer.
Martha had never been a deeply religious woman, but seeing her son made her believe in a higher power. Who but God could bring her son back to the dead? Lowering her gaze she began to rub her arms as the warmth of the sun fell behind a cloud.
"... Ma!"
Superman's call caused Martha to open her eyes. She looked up as her son and Wonder Woman descended from the sky. Slowly she walked down the old white steps of her home. As she reached the bottom of the steps, their feet touched the ground. Tears welled up in her eyes as her son walked into her arms. He wrapped his powerful arms around her, giving her a massive hug. As Clark's arms surround her, she felt her son's body grow ridged. There was a blank stare on his face as if he wasn't there. A fact Wonder Woman noticed too. His gaze was fixated on something inside the house, yet wasn't at the same time. Martha felt her son spilling away from her, she pressed her face into his chest.
"... Clark," she said as her tears started to flow.
As his mother wept, Wonder Woman pressed her hand against his back. Wonder Woman felt his muscles start to relax. Slowly he began to hug his mother back.
"I'm ok," he said, his voice shaking. "I'm absorbing the moment."
Martha and Wonder Woman knew he was lying, but neither of them pressed him on the matter. Both of them knew it had been a stressful day and he probably hadn't even processed what had happened. They let him linger in silence.
. "You know you're going to have to clean up that mess that thing made out in the field," Martha said, breaking the silence. "A thing that looked a lot like you…"
Superman let out a half-hearted laugh.
"Don't worry about that guy," Superman replied as he broke his hug with his mother. "I don't think he'll be back here anytime soon."
As their embrace ended he looked down at his mother. Her eyes probed his. She could sniff out a lie, a mile away. The image of the man in white flashed before his eyes.
"If anyone asks, you weren't here…"
Something about that man felt familiar. It was the same feeling he got in his gut when that thing that looked like him appeared.
"...Superboy-Prime is going to be a handful."
'Superboy…' The name rolled around in his head for a moment. Whoever he was, he had a deep-seated hatred of Wonder Woman. Suddenly it clicked.
"He couldn't be…" Superman muttered to himself.
"Kal…"
Wonder Woman suddenly stood in front of Superman. There was a concerned look in her eyes.
"Is everything alright?" she added.
"Yes," Superman lied, as he smiled in Wonder Woman's face. "Just trying to figure out how I'm going to clean up that mess out back."
As he spoke Superman's eyes found his mother standing beside Wonder Woman. He could tell his answer didn't sit well with her, but again she held her tongue.
"A task better suited for inside the house," Martha replied. "These old bones don't much care for the cold."
Martha turned towards the house and entered. Wonder Woman followed behind her but stopped when she realized Superman wasn't behind her.
"Are you coming?" she asked as she looked over her shoulder.
Superman smiled, "Just enjoying the view…"
A faint laugh left her lips.
"Dirty mind as allows, I see,"
As he laughed, Superman walked up the steps toward Wonder Woman.
"You know it," he winked.
Turning to enter the house, his smile faded. He hated lying to Wonder Woman but it was safer for her to be kept in the dark until he knew what was going on. The man who sent him back for a reason. Whatever it was, he didn't want Wonder Woman to be in danger.
Once inside Superman found his mother had a plate of blueberry cobbler on the kitchen table.
"I know you've got to be hungry," his mother said with a smile.
…
The next morning
Superman woke up to the sound of an alert from J'onzz.
"J'onzz…" Superman groggily said as he rolled out of bed.
"Good Morning Kal-El," J'onzz said in a cheerful voice.
Taking a moment to yawn, Superman looked over to a peacefully sleeping Wonder Woman. Naked as the day she was born, Wonder Woman laid beside him wrapped in the comforter up to her neck.
"What's up…" Superman said as he turned to the rising sun.
"I thought you might want to come to the Halls of Justice for a…"
J'onzz took in a deep breath and paused.
"...psychological evaluation," Superman replied, finishing J'onzz's sentence.
"Yes, old friend," J'onzz said after a few moments of silence between them. "I would do it on the Watchtower, but I've got a few things suddenly came up in Washington..."
Something in Superman's gut didn't feel right as J'onzz spoke. Rolling out of bed he woke Wonder Woman up from her sleep.
"Kal…" she said sleepily.
Superman leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
"It's just J'onzz," he replied as he left his bedroom.
"Is something wrong?"
Superman shook his head, "He's just checking in, you can go back to sleep…"
Wonder Woman looked over at the clock. 5 am.
"Everything is fine Diana," Superman said as he turned to clock away from Wonder Woman's face. "I promise."
"J'onzz…." Wonder Woman called out.
"Everything is fine, Diana," J'onzz replied over his comlink. "I just was checking in on Kal."
Wonder Woman scrunched up her face.
"Don't you trust us?" Superman said as he stood in the doorway.
Wonder Woman pulled the covers over her head and grunted, "No."
"I'll be back in a flash," Superman replied.
Meanwhile on the Watchtower
"Bruce you wanted to see me…"
J'onzz said as he appeared in front of the main conference room on the Watchtower in his human form. He pressed on comlink, but no one answered.
"Bruce…" he called out once more.
When he heard no reply, J'onzz reluctantly entered the room. Shifting into his true form he found the conference room empty. Once he stepped into the room it filled with purple smoke. J'onzz clutched his throat as he began to gasp for air. Through the mist, he saw a glimpse of a woman. He reached out for her but she vanished. Suddenly from behind a purple blast knocked J'onzz to the floor.
"Fool," a bodiless voice cackled.
The purple mist swirled together to form the shape of a woman. Circe breathed in the last remnants of her mist and walked over to J'onzz. She leaned down beside him and touched the side of his head.
"Come now Martian, I know that was uncalled for but you were foolish," Circe laughed. "Your powers are nothing compared to mine… Now rise!"
J'onzz stood to his feet, his eye filled with a purple glow.
"What would you have me do?" J'onzz asked in a monotone voice.
"Call Superman down to that Halls of Justice," she ordered. "Makes sure he comes alone."
J'onzz nodded, "Yes mistress…"
Before J'onzz could finish his sentence Circe had vanished from the Watchtower. J'onzz shook his head as his body made its way to the teleporter room. As he walked he shut down various teleporter points on the Watchtower. Stepping onto the teleporter pad J'onzz set the coordinates for the Halls of Justice. Once they were in, J'onzz blasted the teleporter panel.
Remateralizing down on Earth he stood in front of the Halls of Justice. There were media vans parked out front. J'onzz looked over and saw one front and center, The Daily Planet.
