Author's Note:

The following story is based on the DC Comics Elseworlds series of the same name by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. It is not a direct adaptation, but rather an inspired tale that also satisfies the circumstances of the animated universe. Additionally, the story takes place following the episode "Starcrossed" and must, unfortunately, ignore all episodes that follow. Though don't be surprised if references are made. As usual, the characters and stories are the sole property of DC Comics and AOL Time Warner. They are not in any way used for profit, but rather for the sake of fun and personal pleasure. So please don't sue.

Enjoy.

Fifty days after the return of Superman...

She watched him with a mixture of confusion and concern. She did not know how to properly react to this kind of behavior. All it took was one step and he was no longer a prisoner of the Gulag. But Magog did not see it that way. He looked at Tokyo Rose, his face painted with haunted sorrow. She was still confused, trying to get him to hurry so that they too would join in the battle to defeat those who had imprisoned them. Quite suddenly, realization overcame her.

If Magog took another step forward, he was not stepping out into freedom. He was entering the realm in which he himself was responsible for. The very ground with which this prison was built upon was all that remained of Kansas. Where millions died because of his ruthless and aggressive methods as a would-be hero. Tokyo Rose looked closely at the ground she stood on and felt guilty. Quite gently, Magog lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.

"Look around you," he said. "Look at all that surrounds us and tell me what you see."

She nodded and turned her head to look at the action behind her. "I see..." she began with the best knowledge she had in speaking English. "I see... fighting, Magog-san. I see... I see..." Another sense of realization overcame her. Slowly, she turned her head to face him with understanding. "I don't see fighting, Magog-san..."

"That's right," he nodded. "What you see is not fighting. Not conflict. Not war. Not even chaos. What you see is suffering. The elders suffering for the time they had lost. The youngsters suffering for the lack of freedom they felt. And they are battling upon the grounds that has suffered.

"I was a fool to believe that what I was doing would end the suffering upon the world. And I was a greater fool to believe that we who were stronger and more powerful than the common man could shape the world into peace. My foolishness has caused nothing more than even greater suffering. I ousted Superman so that I could be the greatest champion of Earth. And it will be my selfishness that will doom this world."

Magog sighed as he found himself a place to sit, regardless of whether or not it was upon the Kansas grounds. Tokyo Rose looked upon him and then out at the waging battle of super beings. Slowly she turned back to him and slowly walked over. She sat herself next to him and they gave one another a light smile. They sighed once more before looking upon the madness before them. The suffering that was being unleashed.

There were voices... and thunderings, and lightnings... and an earthquake. This was a nightmare... no more.

Superman came too late. War had begun. For the first time, he felt terror beyond imagination. His face was a mask of confusion. He could not comprehend how things came to this. "Dammit, Marvel!" he cried as they wrestled for strength. "Snap OUT of it! You can't DO this! Too much is happening too fast! We have to work togeth..." The punch launched him yards away. The impact of the fist connecting against his face was beyond recognition. A pain unlike any other.

Once upon a time, Captain Marvel was looked upon to become one of his mightiest allies. Now, whatever wisdom he once possessed had been dulled by Luthor's brainwashing, making the Captain a soldier of chaos... the one warrior who could counter Superman's every move... and prevent him from containing the battle.

Superman believed himself to be the only force on Earth powerful enough to end the superhuman war.

He was wrong...

Justice League

Kingdom Come

By Lord Akiyama

Based upon the story by Mark Waid and Alex Ross

Chapter Eight: The Asphodel Fields

"... multi-megaton nuclear explosives held in reserve for just this moment," Secretary-General Wyrmwood announced before the endless number of world leaders that had gathered before him. The giant-screen monitors flashed the images of the schematics that supported his claim. "Take a good look at mankind's last hope.

"Capable of vaporizing a country. Sheathed in a force field unbreachable by all catalogued metahuman powers. Deployment system... virtually undetectable. All our projections estimate that one will do the job. As Secretary-General of this new United Nations... I am empowered to sanction the use of three." The American delegates gasped in sheer horror and began to scream their pleas.

"Three? Unacceptable!"

"... surely kill civilians, too..."

"... risk of inflaming..."

"... insist on some other way of..."

"Listen to me and understand!" Wyrmwood decreed, bringing the American delegates to silence. "There is nothing rational about dispatching tactical nukes into the heart of my own country... but these are not rational times! We are at the flashpoint of existence! My God... you can hear the battle even here! At any moment, it threatens to spread forth and engulf the world! What then? WHAT THEN?"

Silence overcame the room. They found reason and understanding in his words. And they believed every single one of them. Wyrmwood sighed heavily as a pained look masked his face. "The only way to ensure that future generations remember this as humanity's final option... is to ensure that there will be future generations after today," he added. He looked upon the face of a polite and they traded salutes. "Let us strike while we still can. Godspeed."

There were no applauds, there were no cheers. There wasn't even a single sound escaping their bodies as everyone watched the pilot turn and walk off to carry destiny on a pair of wings. If there was anything else said before the delegates, it was all a blur as Wyrmwood quietly entered his office and left the door open. He slowly walked over to the window and peered through the blinds to watch three jetfighters take to the skies.

He stepped back and glanced over at a framed picture of him and his family. They were smiling beneath the shining sunlight. He sighed as he fell into his chair. He removed his glasses, slightly bent his head down and pinched the part of skin between both eyelids. My God have mercy on his soul for what he was about to commit.

J'onn watched in his invisible state and sighed. There wasn't a thing even he could do as he watched the sorrow of a human being unfold before his eyes. And for the first time, he understood the human emotion at its simplest form. He shook his head as he phased through the wall, leaving Wyrmwood to his suffering. He was about to hover further about when something quite suddenly stood in his path. And he looked upon with shock and disbelief at the last face he ever expected to see.

"I need you to tell me all that you know, J'onn."

Even in the brightest day, the dust of battled eclipsed the sun itself. The prisoners released by Marvel's thunderbolts struck out blindly. Wonder Woman's troops returned force in kind. Both sides fought with abandon. Whatever heroic mores of combat might once had ruled them became nostalgic memories.

This wasn't a fight that would eventually die down. This was a forest fire that had just begun. A war that may well end the world. Any instant now, there would be fatalities... and no way to turn back. With Superman deadlocked, their only prayer of deliverance rested... with a force from on high.

Those who were willing to look saw a bright light appear in the sky. The figure of Dr. Fate hovered above them as he began to chant mystic words. Moments later, his cape flew open and a bright light blinded those below. Emerging from the light, like angels descending from Heaven, an army charged at full speed. Faces younger than the legal drinking age, yet as determined and as vigilant as the eldest soul. All led by a grinning Dark Knight.

Batman's legion soared in like a silent cavalry. Man or machine, each agent knew his mission. Stem the loss of life. Prevent the riot while there was still time to exert control. The sheer force of Batman's presence kindled a desperate ember of hope...

... too late.

Von Bach cried for blood as he raised a disabled machine above his head. He looked down and struck fear upon the soul cowering before him. He raised it high as his screams of mayhem almost began to echo through out the land. And in an instant, it came to an end. A look of surprise came over him as he saw blade sticking out of his chest.

The killing blow was silent, but all knew what had happened. Batman turned and saw in disbelief as Wonder Woman, a founding member of the Justice League, an icon of peace and order, remove the blade from Von Bach's sinking body. Whatever innocence she had about her was gone. Buried by the determination of a warrior who had killed.

"Diana...?" he whispered, still unable to believe what had just happened.

"He left me no choice," she spoke, obviously unaffected by what she had just done. "They began this. I will finish this."

"Did you see that?" they heard a cry. Batman looked up to see the metahumans staring in unconditional anger. The speaker he recognized from his files as 666. "She killed him! She killed Von Bach! GET HER!" Instinctively, Batman placed him squarely behind Diana and began to fight off the advancing mob.

"And we will finish it without you, Bruce!" she added as she resumed battle. "Your people are out of their league!"

"Why?" he asked with determination and a bit of frustration. "Because we're here to save lives rather than take them?"

"We're here to force peace!" she cried. "We're left with no choice! If you stand in the way... I will remove you!" It had been twenty years since they last felt any inkling of romantic care for one another. When their relationship crashed and burnt to ashes, she felt nothing for costumed avenger.

"'Force peace,'" he repeated with disgust. "The Amazon tenet. 'Spread love and understanding... but don't be afraid to bloody your knuckles doing it.' Don't tell me you still subscribe to that paradox." He didn't even need to see the face of the incoming metahuman before he slammed his fist against it.

"I warned Clark to tread carefully or he would end up like the Justice Lords," he continued. "Perhaps I was speaking to the wrong person. You fully believe that the Amazons cast you out of Paradise for not being strident enough? Face the truth, Diana... you won't win back your royal station by overcompensating."

Rage unlike any she had ever felt overcame her as she slowly turned from the metahuman that bleed before her to the masked man she was once in love with. "You aristocratic bastard," she seethed through her teeth. "How dare you condemn ME?" Batman barely moved when the blade of her sword sliced off the elongated arm shield he held.

He quickly grabbed hold of the hands that were forcing the blade toward his neck. The two struggled with all their might, forcing them to ascend above the chaos using both her ability to fly and the jet pack installed in his suit. Their deadlock capturing their focus and attention as parents and children began to fight desperately side by side.

John felt the impact of the energy projectile despite generating his shield in time. He slid upon the ground, shaking his head to look up just as more and more metahumans charged toward him. He knew he could not fight them off all by himself. And the others were preoccupied with other metahuman forces. He took a deep breath. This could very well be his final stand, but he was more determined than ever to live. He got to his feet and regenerated his emerald blade once more. He screamed his battle cry as he was about to be hit dead on.

The near face was smashed by a blur of metal, blood spewing out of the metahuman's mouth before crashing to the ground. A green energy blast sent several more flying many yards away. John flinched for only a second before looking up to see two faces he did not want to see in this battle. And yet, he was thankful that they had come.

His children landed beside him as they began to fight off any incoming foes. His son wielding a custom battle-axe that doubled as a boomerang device, returning to him after flinging it upon the deserving enemy. His daughter discharging energy blasts from the palms of her hands, rapidly firing upon those that dared to come within inches of them.

"You came," he whispered to them.

"It was our decision, father," his son spoke, swiping at the engaging metahumans. "We could've sat back and live to see another day without ever having to soil our hands with the chaos that burnt..."

"Or we could've joined you," his daughter finished. "Potentially losing our lives, but to save the lives of the deserving and undeserving. Just like our parents."

John couldn't help but form a small smile upon his lips. They truly were his children. They truly were their mother's children. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you, Jade. Thank you, War Hawk." The children gave a moment to glance at their father calling them by their code names. They smiled back before turning to the battle at hand.

Supergirl fought with desperation, but her inexperience was working against her as the metahumans began to knock her around. She may be the daughter of Superman, but she was far from being as invulnerable. Another landed punch sent her slamming into the walls of the Gulag as she cried in pain. She breathed heavily as she looked up at her attacker. She repainted her face with determination as she charged forward. Only to have her throat gripped by the laughing attacker.

"So you're the daughter of Superman," the attacker laughed. Right away she could tell that evil intentions flooded his mind. "Don't worry, my dear. We'll take extra care in seeing that you're spared. You have no idea how many of us spent nights dreaming about claiming you." She swung with all her might, but she was not landing a single punch. Yet determination was still upon her face as she kept swinging. And then, he released her.

She dropped to her knees and looked up to see the attacker clutching his neck, trying to breathe for air. Something was choking him. She examined and noticed the textures of a whip around the attacker's neck. Seconds later, the metahuman was lifted into the air and tossed many yards away. She kept her eyes on the whip and soon found the hand that wielded it. He had ripped off his mask and was instead sporting a red eye mask similar to that of Red Arrow, but she knew the insignia upon his chest. Awe overcame her as her savior, Red Robin, dropped to his knees before her and placed his hands upon her shoulder. And he was quite handsome, too.

"You alright?" he asked her. She nodded her head, still in awe at his presence. "Are you sure?" She nodded again. Without warning, Robin cracked his whip against a metahuman charging at them. He turned back to face Supergirl still in awe of him. He chuckled a little. "I think we better get moving, or else we're easy pickings." She nodded.

"I will not be judged by YOU!" Diana cried as they ascended farther and father into the sky. "Do you hear me? Do you understand me? To think, I actually had feelings for you, Bruce Wayne. I was stupid enough to think I was in love with you, Bruce Wayne. But I was blinded by the disguise you wore. And now I see the true Bruce Wayne! After all these years, you have the nerve to swagger out of your cave and expect everyone to bow before your precious wisdom! Well, it's too late for that, Bruce!"

They paid no attention as their ascent brought them beyond the dark clouds that formed over Kansas. Soon, they were above the clouds. Their figures shined underneath the warm sunlight. But they paid no attention. "We tried to hold order..." she continued. "But it's too far gone! Our only option now is WAR! Our only answer is..."

Batman was the first to sense it. It wasn't until the sound of its approach became apparent before she turned to see what he saw. Three jet fighters were charging toward them at their top speed. With horror stricken upon their faces, Bruce and Diana realized that all three planes carried weapons of mass destruction. Destruction of a global scale.

"Marvel!" Superman cried as the heat vision shot out of his eyes. Marvel covered up, protecting himself from the beam causing him pain at every passing second. Regardless, the smile was still upon his lips. "In the name of Heaven... wipe that empty smile off your face! I hoped you and I could've been friends once! But how can you do this? HOW? Look at the horror you've let loose!" Marvel staggered a couple steps back before standing in place. "Dammit... say something for yourself!" He would then wished he never said that.

"SHAZAM!" Marvel cried. In an instant, lightning crashed upon Superman. The pain was insufferable. He nearly screamed as he fell to his knees. He breathed heavily as he tried to regain his senses. Through the smoke that was coming off of his, he looked up to see that damn smile. "Shazam." Another lightning crashed upon him.

"DADDY!" Nightstar cried as she spotted her father's body. Nightwing was lying and the ground and it appeared he wasn't moving. A full speed, she flew down and dropped to her knees, crying her eyes out as she lifted his upper body. "Daddy, please! You can't die! You can't die like mommy! Please, no daddy, DON'T DIE!"

She heard a cough and felt his body move. She looked down as her father slowly opened one eye just barely. There was too much damage for him to open the other. "Mar'i...?" he managed to whisper through the pain, blood slowly running from his lips. "... Is that you sweetie...?"

"Daddy!" she quietly whimpered, tears falling from her eyes. "I don't care how badly you punish me... but I'm taking you out of here. I won't lose you, daddy! I won't!" She picked up her badly wounded father and shot herself off the ground. She didn't bother to turn as she flew at full speed, taking her father away from chaos that was about."

"NOOOOOO!" Black Canary recognized that scream as she looked down to see her father, Oliver Queen, rush to her mother, Dinah Lance. Dinah had dropped to her knees... and a pool of blood was beginning to form. In that instant, she watched in horror as an explosion sent her father flying. He landed within inches of her mother... missing both legs.

"MOM! DAD!" she cried, tossing the metahuman she had in her grip before flying down to aid her parents. Another explosion was blasted as the teen went tumbling onto the floor. Very slowly, she regained her senses and began to crawl toward her parents. She looked up as her father held her mother tight, crying tears of endless sorrow. As she got close enough to touch them, their eyes turned to her.

"Go, my darling," Oliver begged in a quiet whimper. "Get out of here. Leave. You are all that matters to us now, and there's no sense dying to save those who are already dead."

"But daddy..." she whispered, tears running down her cheek. "... I can't..." Her parents then realized that another pool of blood began to form. Oliver reluctantly looked to see a shard of metal sticking into her daughter. Even if she wanted to leave, she would not live to see tomorrow.

"Oh my daughter..." Dinah was barely able to say as she slowly brought a shaking hand up to her daughter's tear-covered cheek. "... You are just as stubborn... s-stubborn as your father..." The Queen family came together and cried openly. In a matter of moments, their legacy would come to an end.

John screamed as an incoming projectile smashed into his shoulder. He quickly dropped to his knees in pain. His children tried not to panic as they increased their desperate efforts to protect their father. Explosions began to sound as Jade and War Hawk continued to fight the ever-increasing metahumans charging after them. John was barely to look away from the pain to see an incoming motion that would strike down his son. He knew that neither he nor his children would be fast enough to react. Until the creature was struck down with a mighty punch.

John looked up in sudden surprise to see a familiar figure towering over him and his children. Jade and War Hawk stood ready to attack, yet John held up his free hand to stop them. They watched as Magog did nothing more than glare at those that surrounded them, causing the metahumans to back off in terror.

"I couldn't help but overhear something about saving lives regardless of whether or not they deserved it," he said. John and his children just stared at him, not sure what to expect. Magog took a deep breath and stood up straight. "What can we do to help?" From behind him, Tokyo Rose stepped forward and clasped her hands together for a quick bow.

He never imagined himself forming an alliance with Magog, but then these past several weeks were just full of surprises for John Stewart. He nodded as he looked up at his children, giving them assurance that they can trust these two. He turned back to Magog and Tokyo Rose. "Help War Hawk cover me and Jade," he said.

"You got it," Magog grinned. He and Rose looked at one another, nodded, and stood by Lantern and his children. The two former prisoners of the Gulag engaged in battle against their fellow metahuman inmates.

"Open your eyes, Diana," Batman said as they watched the jet fighters approach. "Your answer flies on metal wings. Those are nuclear carriers... the ultimate warbringers. Our war is not one act of violence... at the cost of some lives. Our war ends in extinction. If you're that devoted to the Amazon honor... if your soul genuinely longs for atonement on Amazonian terms... then let's keep fighting... and let the planes do the work."

Realization and understanding befell Wonder Woman. She finally began to see everything that Bruce was talking about. Even the very words that Clark had said. She had changed. She wasn't the same Wonder Woman. She was not the Wonder Woman who stood side by side with those two men along with others to protect those who could not defend for themselves. She was the Justice Lord Wonder Woman. One who enforced order, regardless of the consequences.

She turned to look quickly in the eyes of Batman. They nodded and charged after the approaching jets. With the laser guns attached to his suit, Batman came up to one of the planes and made sure the bomb was welded tight. Wonder Woman sliced off the wing of a second jet, causing it to lose control and force an abortion.

But the third jet...

... successfully released the bomb.

"No...!" Diana whispered in horror.

By listening carefully, one could hear the whisper of a pilot begging forgiveness... over the sound of distant thunder.

The crashes continued and continued as Superman was loosing the strength to keep him from falling to the ground. He breathed heavily as blood began to run from his mouth. From his ears. From his nose. He coughed and wheezed as he tried to spit out his voice. "Enough...!" he managed to quietly utter.

Marvel widened his smile as he looked down upon the once great champion of this planet. He almost appeared to laugh as he saw Superman looking up, blood replacing tears as they escaped his bloodshot eyes. It was time to bring this battle of the titans to an end. And it was going to take one word. "Shazam!"

With all his speed and all his strength, Superman raised his hand forward and covered Marvel's mouth just as the lightning bolt crashed upon them with Earth shattering force. When the smoke cleared, Superman stood with his hand covering the mouth of not Captain Marvel, but of Billy Batson.

"ENOUGH!" Superman cried.

For one frozen instant, the storm cleared. Fingers that could fuse coal into diamond crawled across human bone. Billy squirmed in terror as he tried unsuccessfully to remove the hand covering his mouth. Sweat running rapidly down his face as his eyes widened with fear. Superman's breathing began to slow as the battle had come to an end. Despite the chaos that surrounded them, all was silent.

And in the hush, ears that could hear a cell divide... picked out with chilling ease the scream of human rage. A wave of x-rays confirmed the bomb's potency. A telescopic glance calculated the seconds before impact. He must act... now. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew that it was time. Judgment had come. The hour tolled. The bomb would determine the fate of the world.

A pair of beams shot out of Superman's eyes in the hopes of destroying it before it destroyed them. The beams reflected off a force field that appeared on impact and disappeared just as quickly. If it dropped, the superhumans would surely die... but humanity would be spared their violence. If not, they would live on... to fight a battle that would, in time, swallow the Earth. In either case, they faced the evil of genocide and those responsible must be punished.

But who should be held accountable? Whose sin was this? The humans'... or the superhumans'? It was time to judge. Judge carefully.

"I..." Superman began to say, looking with Billy at the bomb above. The sounds of violence all around them began to disappear. And only his voice could be heard. "... I don't know what to do!" Superman turned to Billy, who in return turned to him. "You can see that, can't you? Every choice I've made so far has brought us here... has been wrong!"

Superman's palm spasmed around Batson's jaw... and Batson whimpered. The clock was racing. Only moments remained before the blast... "... So listen to me, Billy," Superman continued. "Listen harder than you ever have before. Look around us." He turned his head to look upon the superhuman chaos that surrounded them. Billy reluctantly looked as well. "Look what we've come to.

There's a bomb falling. Either it kills us... or we run rampant across the globe. I can stop the bomb, Billy. That much I'm sure of. What I don't know is whether I should be allowed to." Quite suddenly, Billy turned to look at Superman as something beyond amazement happened. It was as though as Superman was not the only voice speaking the words he heard. He swore he could also hear the voice of the wizard who bestowed the gifts upon him. As if he could hear Shazam talking to him...

"Superhumans or mankind... one will pay the ultimate price. And that decision... is not for me to make. I'm not a god... I'm not a man. But you, Billy... you're both."

For only a quick second, a look of surprised painted Billy's face. And then, taking in every word that had been spoken... he lowered his eyes and began to see understanding. The wizard's voice disappeared, but Superman continued to speak.

"More than anyone who ever existed, you know what it's like to live in both worlds. Only you can weight their worth equally. Fight the brainwashing, Billy. You can let me go... or with a word... you can stop me. Do you understand the choice that can be made by you alone?"

His tears answered for him.

"Then decide," Superman said as he removed his hand from Billy's mouth. "Decide the world." Not waiting for Billy to make his answer, Superman pushed off after the bomb. Billy's eyes followed the other upward.

Silence overcame him.

"... Shazam..."

When he cried... seven thunders utter their voices.

Superman looked over his shoulder to see Captain Marvel fly at full speed after him. Milliseconds later, Marvel grabbed his leg and flung him down to the ground. Superman grabbed Marvel's cape, which loosed and fell to Earth with him. He barely recovered as he watched Marvel charge at the bomb with all his might. Marvel screamed as he tore his arms through the force field that protected the bomb.

And then... silence...

Middle-aged heroes who began their careers as Teen Titans watched in knowing horror...

The daughter of speed raced with all her might, carrying her barely conscious father in her arms...

Father, mother and daughter, all from another world, made their escape in the nick of time...

Father mother and daughter, tears shedding, awaited the doom of their legacy...

Metahumans, who gave little regard for life, begged for forgiveness...

Heroes of old said good-bye to those that would never hear them...

A living battery of energy trembled to complete a protective bubble...

All eyes turned to the skies...

And a creature, both mortal and immortal, sealed the fate of the world with one word...

"Shazam. Shazam! SHAZAM!"

And when he cried... seven thunders utter their voices...

Batman and Wonder Woman watched as flash emanated from below and an explosion overcome their senses...

White covered the land...

Endless white...

An alien disguised as a human fell against the wall as tears ran down his face. The other, having seen the visions J'onn saw in real-time as well, remained standing.

Smoke began to slowly part...

On his knees, Superman released a cry...

But the sound was not human. Nor was it a beast. Or any form of scream that was organic or mechanic. It was a cry that could not be described.

The clouds parted some more, as Superman's cry continued to sound. He was surrounded by the skeletons of the dead. Dozens upon dozens, their lives were no more.

The cry faded.

Superman slowly rose to his feet.

He opened his eyes... and revealed nothing by red.

Seconds later, he pushed off at full speed.

He took to the skies. Almost certainly to confront his human attackers. He felt completely alone.

He didn't know how wrong he was.

Clouds parted.

John coughed as he looked up to see his daughter tremble violently, trying to keep the protective bubble active in fear of radiation still about. Ignoring the pain that stung him, he placed his hands upon her shoulders. "I've got you," he whispered, injecting more power into her. Her trembling slowed. "I've got you."

Coughing was heard. He looked to see Magog appear, helping to keep Jade steady. The two men locks eyes for a moment, nodding at one another. Retaining his steady hold on John's daughter, Magog turned to see John's son coughing as he examined the injured Tokyo Rose. The younger man looked up to give former prisoner a nod.

More coughing was heard. John looked to see an old friend moan. Wally looked up wondering where he was. He turned upon hearing another cough. He looked in shock at the smiling face of his daughter. Moments later, he smiled with relief. She saved his life. He would never forget that.

The coughs continued to be heard. Kara-El, cousin of Superman, looked upon the others as she kept a hand pressured upon her wounded arm. Prisoners of the Gulag, two females and three males, unable to comprehend what had happened. Dr. Fate, moaning as he shook his head and tried to regain his strength.

There were two more bodies and nothing more. A young man, clothed in black and red. He bore the insignia of a robin upon his chest. He gently lifted up the other body. Cir-El, daughter of Superman. She breathed heavily as she tried her best to regain her senses.

This was all that survived through Jade's powers. He felt his daughter tremble again as he and Magog return their attention to her, keeping her steady. "She's never tried anything like this before," he said to Magog. "She never even fought before. I dunno how much longer this thing will hold."

"We wait for Fate to heal," Kara said as she moved slowly toward John and his children. "He can teleport us outta here and then she can rest." John and Magog nodded in agreement. They turned to Dr. Fate.

"It will take a moment or two," he replied to their silent question. "I exerted a lot in the battle."

"Is this it?" Wally asked desperately. "Is this all who survived?"

"... others... alive..." Many looked about to hear where the voice was coming from. John lifted the communications device, desperately trying to regain reception. "... Diana... with me..."

"Batman?" Wally said, sighing in a bit of relief. "Oh thank God. And Wonder Woman! You guys are alive!"

"... barely..." they managed to hear. "... others... boom tube..." John, Wally and Kara nodded, deducing that Scott, Barda and Avia escaped back to their home world. "... Nightstar... Dick... headed... mansion..."

"Nightstar was with me," Iris told her father and the others. "She's the daughter of Nightwing and Starfire." Her words help create sense to how they escaped.

"... Superman..." Batman began to say. Very quickly, he was cut off.

"Daddy?" Supergirl cried with excitement. "Daddy! He made it! Where is he?"

"... headed... UN..."

The excitement suddenly disappeared. John, Wally and Kara looked at one another with the knowing look of terror. Superman was headed for the UN building. And after what had just happened... he was not going there to talk.

"God in Heaven... RUN! He's gone berserk!"

"LOOK OUT!"

"Courez! Courez pour vos vies!"

"Nandiyan na ang siva ulo! Papatay in niya ulo!"

"The doors! He's welded the doors!"

The humans hopelessly ran with a fear they never experienced in their lives. The horror that was upon them was a sight they never wanted to even imagine happen. But now it was. He was in a state of rage. A state of anger. And it was a state that was never unleashed before.

Superman was going to bring the roof down upon them. He was going to kill them all. After twenty years, he had finally let free a wrath that would cower Satan himself. How could any many possibly calm the fury he felt toward his persecutors? It was a question J'onn asked himself, sorrow overcoming his invisible face. He sighed and closed his eyes. The end had indeed arrived.

Until...

"CLARK!"

Almost quite suddenly, the echoes of that word was the only sound that could be heard. The humans froze in place, looking about to find who and where the speaker was. J'onn shot his eyes wide open upon hearing the voice. Superman had stopped dead in his tracks, shocked upon hearing the voice.

All eyes came upon a light that emanated before Superman. Soon, the flight began to slowly fade. Even with his eyes covered with red anger, he was surprised to see, of all people, her. The mortals looked up and began to swore in quiet voices that what they were seeing was an angel.

Long red hair that flowed.

Green dress that flowed.

The light disappearing into the head of the mace in her hand.

And the wings that gently and slowly flapped to keep her hovering at his level.

Superman was surprised to see Shayera Hol before him. She looked as though she hadn't aged a day.

"Clark, don't!" she spoke in a clam tone. All was quiet once more as she continued. "You blame yourself, Clark. You blame yourself for Captain Marvel... for Magog and Kansas... for twenty years that ended today. Yes, you're angry. But in that anger, you're forgetting once more what humans feel." Superman blinked before he slowly looked down upon the mortals below. "What they fear."

He looked upon as many individual faces as he could. They were frightened. They were scared. They were afraid.

"They won't forgive you for this, Clark," Shayera said. She watched as he slowly closed his eyes. "Forgive yourself." She watched as a clear teardrop gently ran out of his closed eyelids and down his cheek.

He removed his hands from the roof. It would hold. No one inside this building was going to do.

"Shayera...?" he said, looking up at the Thanagarian before him. "Is that...? How did...? Where have...?" So many questions to ask her. But there was only one that stood out. "... Why are you here?" A pained look came upon his face. A look suggestion that he was lost.

"To bear witness," she replied to his last question. "Listen to me, Clark. Of all the things you can do... all your powers... the greatest has always been your instinctive knowledge... of right... and wrong." She watched as Clark immediately closed his eyes, turning his head to one side with knowing pain.

"It was a gift of your own humanity," she continued. "You never had to question your choices. In any situation... any crisis... you knew what to do. But the minute you made the Super more important than the Man... the day you decided to turn your back on mankind... that completely cost you your instinct. That took your judgment away." She paused as she slowly hovered closer to him. He watched as she placed a gentle, caring hand upon his shoulder before looking up to face her. "Take it back."

She formed a gentle smile upon her face. Moments later, he formed one in return. They slowly and gently descended from the roof and placed their feet upon the floor near the podium. She sighed as she removed her hand from his shoulder and took a step back.

"IF you want redemption, Clark... it lies in the very next decision you make," she said. It was then that sounds began to be heard approaching the hole in the wall Clark made. "Make it as a man... and make it right."

They watched as Wonder Woman flow through at top speed and landed near them. She looked upon Clark for a quick second before sudden shock came over her upon laying eyes on Shayera. She was still in her shocked state when Batman flow through. He, too, began to express a look of surprise despite the mask covering having his face.

Shayera looked upon the big three that gathered before her. Clark was still taking in the words she had spoken while Diana and Bruce were completely dumbfounded at her sudden appearance. Moments later, another body appeared. J'onn became visible again, much to Bruce's further surprise. Seconds later, he transformed from his human disguise as John Jones to his proud Martian form. Diana and Clark were taken aback once more.

A flash of light appeared. They looked over and saw Dr. Fate opening up a portal. John was the first to exit and stopped completely as he saw his beloved right before him. Shayera formed a gentle smile and he followed shortly, walking very quickly toward her. He had pulled her into an embrace when their children appeared. Overcome with joy, they rushed toward them and formed a greater family hug.

Wally was the next to appear. He wasn't as taken aback as the others were of seeing Shayera, but he was surprised nonetheless. He walked up next to J'onn as they watched John, Shayera and their children release their embrace. The children noticed the looks their parents were making toward the other heroes and graciously stepped back.

One by one, others began to appear from the portal Dr. Fate opened. And they too watched as seven people looked upon another. Something they hadn't done in twenty-three years. Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. Martian Manhunter. The Flash. Green Lantern. Hawkgirl. The founding members of the Justice League. Reunited.

Their gaze upon one another was broken the second Cir-El rushed in and embraced her father with all her heart. Kara walked out with a gentle smile on her face to see her cousin and niece alive. Iris walked over to wrap her arms gently around one of her father's. No one had spoken as this took place. So Clark decided to speak.

"Survivors...?" he asked toward Diana. "How...?"

"With his dying breath, Captain Marvel managed to detonate the bomb high above ground zero," she replied. "Thanks to that... and to the combined powers of..." Diana paused and looked over as John and, in particular, his daughter. "... of the Green Lanterns... and others... there were survivors."

Superman nodded and turned to Batman. "How many...?" he asked.

"Enough to leave us with the same problem as before," The Dark Knight replied. "The same impasse. The same dangers." He nodded his over as Dr. Fate closed his portal link and those that stood were those imprisoned in the Gulag. "The same distrust. The same everything."

Clark locked his eyes particularly upon that of Magog, holding the unconscious body of Tokyo Rose in his arms. Clark took note of Magog's expression. It wasn't filled with hate or anger toward him. But then, it wasn't filled with sorrow or sadness. It was a look of respect. Something he wasn't expecting one bit.

"What now?" Diana asked. It was definitely a tough question. Clark looked about the bodies that surrounded him. His daughter. His cousin. Diana. Bruce. Magog. Mortals. Children. He stopped when his gaze came upon Shayera. Her words still fresh in his mind and heart. She gave him a nod. And he nodded in return before turning. He took a deep breath and slowly began to approach Secretary-General Wyrmwood.

"Now we put things right," Superman said. "Years ago, I let those I swore to protect drive me away. We all did. And that was the day all of this began."

Wyrmwood took a deep breath and glance over at his fellow delegates before turn back to the superhuman before him. "We..." he began. "... We saw you as Gods..."

"As we saw ourselves," Superman said, stopping his approach when he was within inches away from the mortal. "And we were both wrong." Wyrmwood thought about those words and nodded in agreement. "But I no longer care about the mistakes of yesterday. I care about coping with tomorrow... together."

Mortals watched as the heroes began to remove their masks and their helmets. Then, one by one, they began to stand proudly behind Superman. "The problems we face still exist," Superman continued, now speaking to every mortal in the meeting hall. "We're not going to solve them for you... we're going to solve them with you... not by ruling above you... but by living among you. We will no longer impose our power on humanity. We will earn your trust..."

Clark felt a tap on his shoulders as he paused in mid sentence. He turned to see the young man who went by the name of Red Robin stand behind him. The young man held something in his hand and lifted it for Superman to take. Clark looked down and gently smiled. In Red Robin's hands was a silver cape with gold lacing. Clark slowly grasped the cape and held it in his hands.

All watched as Superman hovered in the sky. He tired the silver cape that waved in the wind to an empty pole. He hovered back a few inches and watched with everyone else as the spirit of Captain Marvel lived on. Mortals looked in awe at the tribute they were witnessing before them. Heroes began to shed tears for their fallen comrade. Even the metahumans sighed with respect. Every single body watching could hear the echoes of Superman's words from moments before whisper in their ears.

"We will earn your trust... using the wisdom one man left as his legacy. I asked him to choose between humans and superhumans. But he alone knew that was a false division... and made the only choice that ever truly matters.

"He chose life... in the hope that your world and our world could be one world once again..."

to be concluded...