Author's notes: Hello Readers! Sorry that this chapter took longer than expected. I have been really busy with other stuff. But I have a clearer schedule now, which means that chapters should be back to releasing sooner rather than later. Thank you for your patience.
Disclaimer: Based on characters and references created by the CW and DC Universe, which I do not own. Enjoy!
"Nearly there. Almost…"
As soon as William hears the click of the part being screwed in tightly, he quickly crawls out and gives Clark Kent a thumbs up.
"Good job Will," Clark says as he gently puts the car down. He takes out the car keys and heads to the driver's side. "Now, let's see how we did."
Clark opens the car door, inserts the key into the ignition, and starts up the engine. The first try is only whining start up noises but does not proceed any further than that. The second time, however, the engine finally gives a loud roar, followed by repeating, subtle sputters. The exhaust can be faintly seen from the tailpipe, disappearing and dissipating in the air.
Clark chuckles and pats William on the shoulder. "You see that? And it only took us about half an hour."
"It felt like an eternity after all the other chores I had to do," William admits.
"You'll get used to it."
"Well, well," Lois' voice echoes to their right. They turn and see her looking at the car with a smile. Next to her is Kara with a couple of beer bottles in her hands, looking at the car the same way.
Lois nods approvingly. "You boys have done a good job on this thing."
"Nothing a little elbow grease doesn't solve," Clark responds. He then takes his hand off William's shoulder and points to the toolbox. "Will, you can take these into the barn then you can take a break. You remember where they go?"
"Yeah," William says as he picks up the toolbox and walks through the large entrance into the barn.
As William makes his way to the ladder, Clark calls out, "Be careful when heading up! The ladder's pretty old!"
"Got it!" William says without turning back to face him.
Clark watches as William climbs up, in case the ladder somehow gives way. Luckily, William makes it, unharmed, and disappears from sight.
"The young guy is really starting to become a helping hand," Lois says as she walks next to Clark, taking his hand into hers.
Clark turns his head to her and nods. "He sure is. I'm glad Bruce sent him our way for the weekend."
Kara then comes slightly into view, holding up a beer bottle to Clark. "Here boss."
Clark smirks and takes the bottle. "Thanks."
The two of them and Lois take their seats in the back of the small, red truck. Kara, sitting across from them, takes a big sip of her beer, almost chugging it down. Clark guesses that she is trying to get her mind off of something and is afraid that he knows what it is.
Clark's attention then turns to Lois, who doesn't even have a bottle of water. "Do you need anything hon?" He asks her out of concern. "I can get you some water if—"
"No, no," Lois insists. "I had something a little while ago. Well, more than something."
Clark couldn't help but subtly smirk, knowing that Lois is talking about her habits ever since the news. The news they have been wanting to tell Kara. And it seems like now is a better time than any.
"So, guys," Kara starts, delaying the news. "I have been dying to ask: How was Argo?"
"Spectacular!" Lois answered joyously. "I got to see the CROWN JEWEL mountains and…ENDURE the ENDLESS deliberations of the High Council." Lois says this in an exhaustive tone while rolling her eyes. Kara can't help but snicker. But Lois continues with a wide grin, "But what I saw is worthy of a story. Something that can get me into the history books. Not to mention I am the first human in history to even see it."
"Then you'll be the most famous, fierce, and feared reporter of two planets," Clark jokes as he puts an arm around Lois. "But yeah. Seeing home again, even a fraction of it…it was the greatest thing I ever got to do." He then turns to Lois with a smile. "Even better that I saw it with you."
Clark plants a kiss on Lois' forehead, receiving a flattering smile from her in return. Kara takes another gulp from her beer, nearly finishing it off. Not even he drinks his beer that quickly, even if it doesn't have the same effect on him as on humans. Even though he wanted to tell Kara the news, he knew he had to ask.
"How about you Kara? I know you've been through a rough patch."
The smile Kara had after drinking fades, her eyes turning away from them for a moment. "I'm fine, it's just…" Kara takes a deep breath and places her bottle on the truck floor. "The only time I have ever been challenged like that was by Ms. Grant. And my friends knowing my identity is one thing, but telling the President of the United States, who would tell the entire world…" Kara slowly brings her eyes up to them at last. "Did I do the right thing by not revealing myself? I mean I lost my job at the DEO, the trust of the people—"
"Kara," Clark begins to assure her. "Of course, you did." He takes out his glasses from his pocket and shows them to Kara. "Our secret identities keep the ones we love safe. Nothing else is more important than that." Clark then places a hand on Kara's shoulder. "And there is still plenty you can do as Supergirl, even without the DEO. I promise you tha—"
Suddenly, a loud whooshing sound is heard. They turn around and see nothing except the inside of the barn, still filled with straws of hay and the ladder, still intact.
Was that William? Clark wonders.
"I know that sound," Kara says. "Can that be?" Without a word, Kara runs over to see what exactly is happening. Clark and Lois follow suit, hoping that it is not a sign of danger.
William places the toolbox on the table in the corner and sits down for a minute to catch his breath. He leans his head back against the wooden wall, closes his eyes, and sighs.
Why Bruce sent me here for a whole weekend, I'll never know. Did Connor have to go through this with the whole "you have to learn about working hard" excuse? Or did he make this up as an excuse to be alone with Talia? Not that it's a bad thing, since he's been more relaxed since she moved in and I've moved on from the fact that she helped kidnap my mom. But why can't I work hard at programming, martial arts, or the other stuff I should be doing instead of this? At the very least, I should be learning more about Catholicism.
William then reaches into his pocket and takes out his hozen, which never leaves his side. Well, that and the bible Bruce gave him, but it's too big to fit into his pocket. It's basically the only thing that is helping him persist through all of this. The knowledge that one day, he will become a superhero. He will be the one to save the day. He will be able to take care of himself and save everyone he cares about. To truly reconnect with them as Connor did.
I just hope that I'll still get to see Dad, Felicity, and Connor sometime so—
Suddenly, a familiar sound echoes all over the barn. A whooshing sound. He looks up, seeing one of those breach portals he has been through before a couple of times. He then begins to smile.
Is that?!
William, Barry, and Oliver run through the breach, running through a cosmic vortex that feels like it could stretch through infinity. Yet, somehow, they are out of Star Labs and in another area in seconds, the breach closing in the same amount of time.
As soon as they are through, Oliver and Barry look at their surroundings, which are vastly different from Star Labs. The floor and walls are made of wood, as are the floors above them. Below them are strands of hay covering soft, padded dirt.
"I don't recognize this place," Barry admits.
"I do," William says, looking unphased. "We're at the Kent farm."
Oliver looks at William with a raised eyebrow. "How do you know—"
"Dad! Connor!" A younger, yet familiar voice cries out. Oliver turns around and sees William, the Younger William, a face whose presence makes him smile, runs towards him.
"William!?"
Both of them hug, filling Oliver with a joy he hasn't felt in days. An empty hole he felt since Younger William left to be with whoever his guardian is.
"Oh, bud! It's so good to see you! How are y—" Oliver pulls away but keeps his hands on William's shoulders. He realizes that Younger William has hugged him and not Barry, making his smile even wider. "You recognize who I am!"
"Well, yeah," Younger William says in a slightly uncertain tone. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Well, we just confirmed your theory," Older William points out to Barry.
"Guys?!" Another familiar voice calls out. This time, a feminine one. Oliver, both Williams, and Barry look down and see their blonde haired, Kryptonian friend, Kara Danvers, sporting a red shirt and jacket, brown pants, and the fake glasses that usually hide her identity. Somehow.
"Kara!" Barry calls out in Glee. He jumps down from the first floor and hugs Kara. "It's so good to see you."
"You too," Kara responds affectionately. "I missed you guys."
Oliver and both Williams follow suit as Barry and Kara broke off the hug. Kara looked like she was going to say hi to Oliver, but her eyes lay on Older William. "And who is our new friend here?" She asks, a slow smile forming on her lips that makes Oliver slightly uncomfortable.
"Oh, he's me," Younger William quickly says.
"From the future," Older William finishes.
Her smile slowly fades into a wide-eyed stare. She looks back and forth from future William and Oliver, who is now a bit at ease, but maintains a glare.
"Oh," she says in an unnerving, almost apologetic tone.
"William?" Yet another voice calls out. However, Oliver, and probably Barry, who flinches a bit, do not recognize this one. They look to where it came from, seeing a man in his thirties with short black hair, wearing a blue jacket with a white fur collar, jeans, and glasses. Standing beside him is a woman about the same age as him with brown hair, a tan jacket similar to Oliver's, skinny jeans, and a red and white bandana around her neck. Both look at Older William with narrowed eyes.
Older William does not hesitate to walk to them. "Clark. Ms. Lane."
As Older William shakes hands with the man and probably explaining everything, Barry leans a bit closer towards Kara and asks, almost with glee, "Wait. That's your cousin Clark? Superman?!"
"You know it," Kara answers, smiling back as if forgetting what happened just a few seconds ago.
"Wait," Younger William interrupts. "Dad, why were you surprised that I recognized you?"
Oliver, realizing that he hasn't explained anything to him or Kara, says, "Oh! Right." He quickly raises his hand, which phases on command.
Kara and Younger William look at Oliver's new talent with slightly dropped jaws and wide-eyed stares.
"Okay," Kara says in an uncertain tone. "That is…new."
"And awesome!" Younger William exclaims with a wide grin.
"And why we came here," Older William, who turns away from Clark for a moment, explains. "We need your help."
"Ladies and gentlemen of the DEO," J'onn J'onzz begins in front of the large crowd of DEO employees, looking up at him like someone would look at a General prepping his army to go to battle. "I know that some of us are still shaken by events this past week. The abrupt leave of Supergirl has left a hole in many of us. I know that I miss her dearly."
He sees the looks on everyone's faces. Some of them maintain attention, others shift their eyes to the floor or bow their heads, breathing sighs of anguish. Alex, who is next to J'onn, clenches her fist behind her back and snarls subtly.
J'onn knows that "abrupt" is putting it lightly. President Baker demanded Supergirl's identity and fired her for defying that order. The real word he wanted to use was "unnecessary," or "foolish" on Baker's part. But J'onn and many others knew that Baker had his reasons. Besides, this meeting was to improve morale, not spread panic.
"But we must continue to fight on in her absence," J'onn continues. "We must protect the Earth from those who would threaten it. That is why for years, with the help of IVO Labs in Central City, we have created the ULTIMATE line of defense." J'onn steps aside and Alex goes over to the structure covered in a white sheet. "My friends, I give to you…Amazo!"
Alex pulls down the sheet, revealing the robot that is taller and bigger than any of them. They all marvel at the machine with its silver exoskeleton and protective white plates on the arms, shoulders, legs and chest. The face is like that of a man's, but the eyes and mouth are darkened, at least until it turns on.
"This robot is capable of copying the powers of any being, human or alien, and turning those powers against them," J'onn explains. "With this machine, we can combat ANY threat that comes our way. After some testing, of course. I, for one, am ECSTATIC to see it in action. And I hope many of you are as well."
He looks at the machine from his vantage point across from the DEO. What was to become an insignificant machine shall now become the catalyst of the Chosen's upcoming test.
He smirks and silently says, "That I am."
Author's Notes: Thank you for reading. I just wanted to give a bit of a disclaimer here. "Supergirl" is the one CW superhero show I do not really watch much of except for the crossover episodes. So, what I am writing here is based upon what I have seen in the crossover episodes and some research I have done to try and stay true to the characters and story arcs as possible, with some changes to fit my vision. If you have seen any inaccuracies to the characters in this chapter, that is why. But don't be afraid to point them out in reviews so I can take notes for future chapters. Again, thank you for reading and have a great day!
