The crowd began to whisper and look around at each other.
Clark was no less shocked than the rest of them. Surely, he didn't mean the Elijah, the prophet of God. The man who had never died but left the earth in a chariot, not that Elijah.
"I am the Elijah that you read about in the Bible and I've come to reveal the will of God."
"Dude, you must be crazy or trying to spring some sort of trap," said A.C.
Although Clark and Aquaman didn't often see eye to eye, he was right in this case. It wasn't that A.C. was a bad guy; it was just Clark didn't like his past relationship with Lois and they didn't go about doing the right thing in the same way. It was the same way Lois had never been able to be best friends with Lana. Both relationships had taken place before they were married or even dating, but jealousy wasn't always rational. How many people liked their spouse's old flames?
"I assure you I am perfectly sane and this is no trap. I'll get right down to business and then decide if you believe me. The fact of the matter is that you all are elderly superheroes and with very few exceptions, there is no one taking your places. Having superheroes around until the end of time is a part of God's plan. He intended for a small group to help with villains and natural disasters whether you're from another world of His creation or whether you got your powers from science. You all are to be like angels on earth and role models for the last days. Each one of you here today has proven yourselves to be worthy of His gifts. Unfortunately, there are others not here today that have turned to evil, but you all are far too familiar with that."
"You said it yourself," said Peter Parker, "we're too old to continue fighting. We can't live forever."
"Not forever, just a long period of time. If you consider the definition of death, it is just the soul leaving the body. So even Enoch and I will die by that definition. The wages of sin are still death. You will not be immortal. You can still be killed, but it will not be from old age. If you choose to comply with the plan, you will become youthful again and stay that way."
"So how long would we live?" asked Bruce Wayne.
"Jesus could return tomorrow or a thousand years from now. Only God knows when He's coming back and the day of your death."
Clark thought about all this. The symbol's meaning was so clear now. It was a timeline and the figures were superheroes. They would be there until this world was destroyed. He suddenly felt smothered. He stepped outside to get a fresh breath of air. He could still hear the discussion going on.
It was pure and simple. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't go a possible thousand years without Lois in his life. It already felt like it had been a thousand years and it had only been a week.
Surely, God could understand this. One of the things that had been a comfort to him was that at 95, it was only the matter of a few years at most before he was reunited.
He sat down on the ground and leaned against the building.
He wondered what Lois would tell him if she were here. He didn't have to wonder he knew. She would tell him it was his responsibility. The world needed Superman. Didn't she know Superman needed Lois Lane?
Elijah stepped out and Clark stood up.
"Have you come to a decision yet, Clark Kent?"
"I have. Lois would want me to do this. I'm ready to become a full-fledged superhero again."
