DISCLAIMER: I do no own nor take the creative rights to the characters of Batman, Superman, or any of the DC Comic Universe characters, places, or events. I do however take a small amount of credit for a new take on a Superwoman character introduced into the movie-verse of Batman Begins.

BATMAN created by Bob Kane

SUPERMAN created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

BATMAN BEGINS story by David S. Goyer

BATMAN BEGINS screenplay by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer

- Chapter Two -

The Prelude To A Destiny

Martha Kent had flipped the tenth pancake to cook within the cast iron skillet upon the gas stove of the farmhouse kitchen for the second time when the minute hand on the clock ticked over, thus taking time forward from 7:29am to 7:30am. After the breakfast pastry landed back within the confines of the cast iron, Martha glanced over at the clock and then turned her head back over her shoulder to stare at the bottom of staircase leading up to the second floor behind her. "Linda Clark Kent, hurry up, your breakfast is ready!" She called out in a loud voice before turning her attention back to cooking the last of the pancakes for her family's morning meal.

Before the clock hand could tick over another minute, the sound of chair feet scuttling across the wooden floorboards of the kitchen reached Martha's ears. Turning her attention back over her other shoulder now to look over at the kitchen table, Martha grinned as she watched her now six-year-old daughter scramble up into the kitchen chair and then scoot herself forward to the table. Stacking the last few pancakes atop a white plate, Martha turned the stove top off and then brought the plate of pancakes over to the table and set them down at the center. Three places had already been previously set, along with the condiments used to sweeten the pancakes, and all Martha had to do now was serve out the designated number to each member of her family.

"How many do you want Linda?" Martha asked, already knowing her daughter was going to ask for at least three or four pancakes like she always did.

Since the day that Jonathan and Martha Kent found the dark haired little girl out in the middle of a field after the meteor shower that hit the country, they knew she was a very special child and that wasn't just dismissing the alien space craft they found after she found them. Through various loopholes and such, the Kents adopted the small girl they had come to name Linda (after an aunt of Jonathan's) Clark (Martha's maiden name, and to them it just seemed to fit) Kent. It was summarized, just by looking at her, that Linda had to be about three years old at least and so it was officially declared upon the certificate and adoption papers that Linda Clark Kent was three years old and that her birthday was now July 21, 1975 (the day the adoption process was completed, and the same year as the meteor shower). And so for the next three years following the adoption of Linda into the Kent family, Jonathan and Martha had never been happier to have a pair of tiny feet running about the farm. However, it wasn't long after they took Linda in as their own child, that some rather strange things were beginning to occur that didn't seem quiet normal. Whenever Linda threw a temper tantrum, a hole in the wall would appear after she threw a toy literally across the room from the other side. Then one day the real thing that made this little girl stand out in the "different complex" was when she crawled under the farm tractor that had been placed up on blocks that way Jonathan could some repairs to its underneath.

When Linda crawled under, Jonathan was terrified and almost dove under after her, but that action was halted as the tractor was suddenly lifted up off its front end completely. And there was little dark haired Linda holding up this heavy tractor weighing a ton more than she did. Her arms were stretched up over her head, hands pressed flat against the underbelly of the tractor, and she was giggling at the expression upon her daddy's face. Jonathan could only then stare in a dumbstruck state even long after Martha came outside to witness the strength of this little girl fallen from the stars. There were no more doubts, confusion, or mindless wonder as to whom or where Linda came from – she was an alien from another planet with incredible abilities that would set her apart from everyone else on the outset.

"I want three pancakes mommy." Linda stated with a huge grin on her face before reaching out her hand to grab the syrup pitcher set before her.

Martha smiled at her little daughter and set the three fluffy tan colored circular cakes down on her plate and then scooted the ceramic butter dish towards her afterwards. "Try not to play around too much with breakfast this morning sweetie." Martha stated while serving out the next few pancakes to Jonathan's plate and then went over to the kitchen door that stood open with screen keeping out the unwanted bugs, but allowing the warm breeze to blow in with the scent of the garden flowers carried upon its breath. Opening the screen door, Martha stepped halfway out and looked straight ahead to where the red barn stood a good yard from the farmhouse itself. "Jonathan! Breakfast is ready!" she called out. A somewhat muted reply was called back to her from the open barn, which was enough to satisfy Martha and have her return inside.

Tipping the pitcher forward, Linda poured out a steady stream of amber colored syrup over her pancakes slathered in creamy white butter, however, this didn't stop her from taking part of her attention away and to her mother. "Are we going somewhere today mommy?" she asked, satisfied with the fact that she had now drowned her breakfast in enough of the syrup and set the pitcher aside.

Walking over to the kitchen counter, Martha poured herself a cup of coffee that had been brewing in the pot since she arrived in the kitchen at an early hour. Glancing over at Linda, Martha smiled while also nodding her head before verbally responding to the question. "Yep. You and I are going into town today to run some errands." Martha stated while setting the coffee pot back on its hotplate and then came to sit at the table finally at the same time Jonathan was entering the kitchen from outside. Hearing the screen door open and close, as well as seeing the lit up expression on Linda's face, Martha looked back over her shoulder and beamed at her husband. "Morning sweetheart." She greeted.

Jonathan made a quick detour from his first path and went towards his family instead of the coffee pot. "Morning." He returned while coming to where Linda was seat off at an angle from her mother, and dipped down to give a few kisses on the cheek and a quick hug. Linda squealed a bit amidst her giggles and half eaten pancake stuffed within her mouth at the moment. Grinning at his daughter's response, Jonathan then went to his wife and leaned down to give her a kiss as well, although theirs of course was upon the lips and very much different from the affection the kisses given to Linda had.

"Daddy, I'm going into town with mommy today." Linda exclaimed excitedly to her father as he pulled back up from his wife and started over towards the coffee pot to grab him a cup.

Jonathan looked back over his shoulder at his daughter after retrieving a ceramic mug from the kitchen cupboard. "Really?" he asked while then turning his attention back to the mug and pot he held in hand and was now pouring from one into the other. Linda responded with a 'yes; before stuffing more pancake into her mouth and then took a gulp from her milk glass, and all before Jonathan turned about and came to sit down at the breakfast table. Looking over at Martha, his face holding the traces of a smile upon it, he set his coffee mug down.

"I have to run some errands in town, and I'll be taking Linda with me. Did you need anything while I'm there?" Martha asked while taking a sip from her own coffee cup as she awaited Jonathan's reply to this.

Jonathan shook his head. "Nope, I don't need to pick up the feed order until next week." He replied while taking up a fork and knife to start in on his own breakfast.

"Done!" Linda declared after swallowing down the last of her milk and setting the now empty glass upon the table, a small creamy mustache having been left behind in the process.

Martha grinned at her daughter, while inwardly she was shocked at how quickly Linda had eaten her breakfast this time. "Alright then, go on upstairs and get ready to go." She said, and as Linda was getting out of her chair and going to pick up her dishes, Martha stopped her. "That's okay sweetheart, I'll get them. Just make sure you brush your teeth and wash your face." She assured her. Nodding quickly at her mother, Linda took off towards the stairs and soon disappeared up to the second floor to follow her mother's instructions.

A half hour later, both mother and daughter were buckled inside the cab of the red Ford pickup truck and driving off down the long stretch of the crushed gravel driveway that connected to the street.

The vintage black Rolls-Royce had been parked in front of the small coffee café for now nearly twenty minutes while the occupants who were using its transportation service were inside enjoying the morning's freshly brewed coffee. While it was parked there, the driver sat within the front seat reading a copy of The Daily Planet and listening to a soft tune wafting from the radio. The driver was an aged man by the name of Alfred Pennyworth who was somewhere in his late forties maybe early fifties at the most, white haired, blue grey eyes, and wrinkles adorned his face in certain areas. As he sat there in the Rolls reading his paper, the people he was driving were seated inside the small coffee café, they were a small family made up of three members – a man, woman, and child.

Thomas Wayne, the man in the family of course, sat across from his wife at the small circular glass topped table towards near back of the café. The place wasn't big and it wasn't too small, it seemed to be just right if pardoned the pun with a cozy sort of feel that would be expected from a small town such this. Thomas Wayne and his family, his wife Martha Wayne and their six-year-old son Bruce Wayne, were passing through Kansas on a cross country family trip and stopped here in this town of Smallville for a while to take a break from the road. Rather than fly by private jet, as they could have, the Wayne family decided to have more of a road trip across country instead. They started out from their home just outside of Gotham City in New Jersey, and went towards the direction in which Maine sat, and then they made what could be considered a U-turn and headed out towards California and the west coast. For anyone else, this would have been a very expensive trip that would have taken a few years savings up to have been executed, but then again, the Wayne family wasn't just anyone else.

The Wayne family were very much rich and lived a very comfortable life in Gotham City, or jut outside of it, in the large estate that had been in the family for six generations and now. They were one of the wealthiest families in quite possibly the country or even the world, but that could be stretching it. However, with all their wealth and such, Thomas Wayne was a doctor who left the running of Wayne Enterprises to what he called – "much more interested men". And so, now, here they were, the small family of three traveling back around to their home on the end of their cross country trip and making a stop in Smallville, Kansas.

While Thomas sat across from his wife, he drinking black coffee and she drinking a freshly brewed blend of tea, their only son, Bruce, sat somewhat in between them drinking hot cocoa and paying no attention to the conversation his parents were having. In fact, he had busied himself with just staring out the window of the café and watching the occasional car pass by while at the same time wishing he could just go sit in the car with Alfred, that is, until some new faces walked into the café. There were only about seven people inside the place, not counting those working there who numbered in five, and so Bruce took notice right away of who had just walked in through the door as the small bell was jingled over the doorframe. Leaning back in his chair a bit to look passed the other patrons, his eyes became somewhat wide as he spotted the only other person his age now inside the café holding to the hand of who he had to guess as the mother. It didn't even matter to him that this new face was a girl; he was just concerned with that fact that there was another kid finally. But wait, what good was there in having someone your own age around when you didn't even know how long they were staying and let alone who they were?

Looking over at his parents, Bruce noticed that they were still immersed within their conversation about something or other that wasn't at all that interesting in his opinion. Seeing as how they weren't paying too much attention to him at the moment, Bruce shot another glance over at the girl and her mother who were still at the front counter. The mother was talking with the lady behind the counter, no doubt ordering something, and the girl seemed to have her own interest elsewhere – right on Bruce. The shock of having someone suddenly staring at him just as he was staring to stare as well caused Bruce to jerk back in his chair rather quickly and blink a few times. Before he knew it the girl was waving at him with a small smile that he couldn't help but return right back at her.

"Bruce, who are you waving to son?"

The sound of his father's voice snapped Bruce's attention from the girl rather quickly as he turned it to him. "The girl over at the counter." Bruce replied while then pointing her out at the same time.

Thomas followed his son's direction and spotted the dark haired girl still half staring over at them from her mother's side. Smiling a bit at this, Thomas looked to Bruce and grinned broadly. "Then why don't you go say 'hello' rather than just waving at her?" He suggested and then winked over at his wife who had also been wondering who Bruce had been waving to as well.

Bruce looked from his father to his mother and received the same go ahead, and with a quick glance over at the girl whose attention had been taken back to the counter and the lady behind it, Bruce quietly nodded in partial assurance to himself, and to his parents, and then got up from his seat at the table. The walk to the front of the café seemed like it was a mile long as he headed towards this unknown girl, but Bruce almost could feel himself growing excited in the anticipation of saying something to her. Even his heart was starting to race. While trying to think about what he was going to say to her, Bruce reached the spot where she stood without even knowing it until he almost bumped into her. The girl turned her head upon hearing his approach and stared at him for a moment with passive look on her cherubic face. Her blue eyes seemed to nearly pierce his being, which caused Bruce to grow slightly nervous for the moment and held him silent as well. Swallowing his small fright, Bruce found a word. "Hi." He near murmured to her and then received a rather broad smile in response to this on her part.

"Hi." She greeted in such a warm and friendly manner that only seemed to amplify the smile upon her face at that moment, which in turn near kept Bruce to nervous to say anything else. Seeing as how he was being the rather shy and quiet one, the girl took it upon herself to start up a conversation. "What's your name?"

"Bruce." He replied while his gaze only halfway upon her while the other half seemed to be downcast upon the floor. The thought to even ask her what her name was had yet to cross his mind for some reason, but it turned out he didn't need to.

"I'm Linda." She replied, now fully giving him all her attention. "How old are you?" All these questions were typical of a small child, but to Linda it was just merely a way to find out more about this new friend that had come over to talk with her.

Bruce stared at her for a moment as if a bit astounded by the fact that she was being so blunt and forward with him like this. However, he managed to recover enough of his sense to answer her question. "Six."

If it was even possible, Linda's smile grew even brighter at this answer. "Really? Me too!" she exclaimed while stepping closer towards Bruce now and away from her mother, who had taken notice of the fact that her daughter had found someone to talk to while she was talking to the lady behind the counter still. "Do you live here?" she asked next, wondering if Bruce lived nearby or somewhere in Smallville. When Bruce shook his head 'no' in response to this, Linda frowned slightly. "You don't? Then were do you live?"

"Gotham City." He replied, his gaze now growing more steadily upon Linda as the ease of talking with her seemed to have its affect o him now.

Linda's brow furrowed a moment as she tried to figure out where Gotham City was or if she had even heard of it before. When she had racked her memory enough and found no trace of the name Gotham in there, yet, Linda gave Bruce a sideways glance. "Where's that at?" she asked, looking very much like an owl at this point.

Bruce couldn't help but start to smile at the way she looked and the sound of complete and total innocence in her voice, something he didn't realize or pick up on, but it was there and it was very much genuine as Linda had no idea where Gotham City was let alone heard of it. "It's in New Jersey. On the east coast." Bruce half answered and half explained to Linda while still holding a slight smile to his face as he talked.

"Wow, you live all the way in New Jersey?" Linda asked with a grin on her face now. "If you live that far away, then what are you doing here in Smallville…in Kansas?" she asked a bit puzzled now as to why someone from the east coast would be in the Midwest.

Bruce glanced back over at his parents who were every once in a while casting looks over at their son to see what he was doing. Looking back at Linda, he pointed with his thumb back over his shoulder. "I'm traveling with my parents on vacation." He replied. "We're headed home now, but they wanted to stop for a while." He now explained and then became quiet a moment after his eyes wandered up away from Linda.

Her nose wrinkled a bit while a brow lifted as she couldn't understand what had caused Bruce to go quiet all of a sudden and also attract his gaze. Linda lifted her head up and then let it drop a bit backwards and then grinned as she understood now what took her friend's attention so suddenly. "Hi mom!" she greeted while then brining her head back to its normal position.

"Hi yourself." Martha returned with a grin and then once more looked over at Bruce. "Who's this Linda?"

Linda's face broke into a huge smile as she turned her body so that way she stood sideways now. "My new friend, he's from Gotham City." She stated while then looking over at Bruce with the same huge smile that caused him to grow a bit nervous once again.

"Hello, and what's your name?" Martha asked while smiling at the young boy who looked to be the same age as her daughter.

He glanced up at Linda's mother with a small smile on his face and found his voice. "Bruce Wayne."