Justice League || DC || Justice League || Dawn of New Gods || Justice League || DC || Justice League

Title: Justice League: Dawn of New Gods

Fandom: DC Comics / Arrowverse

Disclaimer: All rights concerning the Arrowverse reserved to Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, all rights for the comics reserved to DC. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Tags: m/f, found family, hurt/comfort, misunderstanding, secret reveal

Main Pairing: Clark/Diana

Side Pairings: Bruce/Selina, Lex/Lana

DC Characters: Donna Troy, Conner Kent, Diana Prince, Clark Kent, Arthur Curry, Zatanna Zatara, Jefferson Pierce, J'onn J'onzz, Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, Dick Grayson, Alexander 'Lex' Luthor, Martha Kent, Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Alexander 'Alex' Luthor Jr., Jonathan Kent, Krypto

Summary: Lex thought Earth needed protection from someone as powerful as Superman and Wonder Woman. For that purpose, he created clones of them. And then everything went wrong.

Justice League

Dawn of New Gods

Lex Luthor had been wary about Superman. This man, not even saying his own name, came in to perform great heroics. On their own, said heroics stood remarkable and seemed worth the praise. The problem were the means of said heroics. Superman could fly, had super-strength, was invulnerable, had heat vision and ice breath. He was, for all intends and purposes, a god.

And like the gods of old, he made people worship him. Thank him for his great heroics. The thing that everyone seemed to have forgotten was the part where those gods turned on the humans. To smite whoever displeased them, take whatever they wanted, rule them.

Superman had first started to show up in 2004 and he quickly gained popularity. Newspapers like the Daily Planet were fawning over him, humans were worshiping him. It didn't take long for people to produce and buy merchandise. Shirts with his S logo, costumes for children, toy figures, cups and key chains and whatnot. People didn't see beyond the toothpaste ad smile and hunky muscles. They saw their hero, their savior, didn't question him at all.

Lex watched, tensely. Until only a year later, two more heroes appeared. Wonder Woman and Aquaman. He controlled the ocean itself, the animals within. What a terrifying power. And she? Her powers seemed equal to Superman's, even her costume-choice was similar.

They weren't the first heroes to appear in their world. Lex had been watching this for many years now. No, Lex had been a child when the Flash had still been out there. As a child, Lex found him admirable. Him and his side-kicks Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle. Speedsters, fast runners. But they limited themselves to their home-town, to Central City. They had never gained the kind of national – no, at this point global – recognition as Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. The speedsters were local, stopped bank robberies and such things. Not catching planes in the sky or lifting tankers off the shore like they weighted nothing.

The Batman of Gotham City didn't even seem to have any powers at all, no one outside of Gotham City even seemed to believe he was real. An urban legend, a boogeyman the GCPD had thought up to frighten criminals. Lex knew he was very much real, but how dangerous could one normal man in a bat-suit be, truly? Besides, he too never stepped outside his city either.

And just a couple of years before Superman, there had been Black Lightning in Freeland. But just like the speedsters, he kept to himself, to his own city. Rarely did news about them reach beyond their home-base. Yes, Black Lightning, he controlled lightning itself, he was powerful, but he didn't seem to care beyond Freeland so Lex didn't categorize him as a potential threat yet.

The nagging worry in his mind had grown after his son was born. Alex Luthor, the center of Lex's world now. Alex and Lex's wife Lana, they meant the world to Lex. They showed him just how much more there was to life. Before, he had thought the Luthor legacy was all that matter, Luthor Corp, outliving his father's expectations. Lana loved him, in a manner Lex had never experienced before. And Lana pushed his boundaries, made him find something he had never sought out before. Friends. She introduced him to her oldest friend, Clark Kent, and within just months, he became Lex's best friend. Something Lex never thought he'd have. All his life, people had only wanted him for his money and fame. Clark Kent was the purest human being Lex had ever encountered, an honest, hard-working farmer and journalist. A kind soul.

With Clark came James Olsen and Chloe Sullivan, Lois Lane and Cat Grant. And Clark's family, of course. Clark's father and mother, who had welcomed Lex into their home. Though Jonathan Kent had been suspicious of him at first, because Jonathan had known Lionel Luthor. Lex was not his father, he did not carry his father's sins. The moment Jonathan accepted that truth and accepted Lex had been a moment of great liberation for Lex. As though it was the reassurance he needed to truly be his best self. There were people believing in him now, something he was not used to.

Clark's wife Diana, who lived part-time in Washington, became a good friend to the Luthors. Before the wedding, Diana used to live most of her time in Washington and Lex had more than the occasional run-in with her. Where Clark had that charming farm-boy naivety, Diana had this nearly ancient wisdom to her. The two had many great philosophical debates. He enjoyed her input.

And then there was the youngest Kent and he was part of why things changed for Lex...

/December 2007\

Lex had never actually taken a vacation before in his life. He never even took days off, usually even working through the weekend. And then Lana had come into his life and he found himself wanting time for something else, someone else. Now, the two had little Alex, two years old and their pride and joy. They were in Smallville over Christmas, staying with the Kents. Today, the Luthors took the kids to the Christmas market. Clark and Diana had ditched them. Lex was very understanding of that, he was a busy CEO himself and he knew Clark was pulling double-duty, leading his farm and working as a journalist. So it were just Lex, Lana, Alex and baby Jon.

"Look at that," Lana gasped softly, holding a plush goat up for Jonathan.

The little boy giggled and reached for it, grabbing it. Lex was pushing the stroller in which Alex was still sitting, because their boy was still asleep. Unlike Jon, who was wide awake and looking around eagerly, so Lana had picked him up to show him everything more up close.

"A goat for the farm-boy seems a bit on the nose," noted Lex.

"It's not like the Kents have actual goats," argued Lana. "Oh, we definitely have to get Carter a Pink Panther, you know, after his mom? I think Cat would like that."

"She would roll her eyes at it," Lex chuckled. "Let's get two."

While Lana went through the stuffed toys to pick Christmas presents, Lex's mind wandered a little. Business had been busy recently; Robert Queen and his son and heir had shipwrecked at the beginning of the year and by now been presumed dead, Queen Industry was tanking and Luthor Corp was there to pick up the pieces. He was trying to help Moira Queen to keep afloat for now, though he was also gaining a lot through this new business relationship. He was formulating further plans, until loud screaming ripped him out of his thoughts. Suddenly, something crashed into the pavement right next to them, barely a few feet away from the Luthors. Lana screamed and hugged Jon closely against her chest, trying to seek shelter, while Lex picked Alex up from the stroller, abandoning said stroller and running after his wife. He craned his neck to look at what had crash-landed and the next thing he saw was blue and red. Superman.

Not Superman heroically saving the day though. Superman being thrown through the air like a rag-doll by a man in a suit that looked like a black version of Superman's suit. The man had been what had crashed into the pavement and now he pushed off the ground, flying away just like Superman.

"Wh... What was that? Who was that?" asked Lana fearfully.

"Are you alright? Is Jon alright?" asked Lex instead, protectively cupping Alex's head.

"Yes. Yes, we're alright," Lana nodded, her eyes in the sky. "What do we do?"

"We get out of Metropolis, as fast as we can," declared Lex. "Let's get back to the farm."

Lana nodded sharply and took out her phone so they could warn their friends living in Metropolis. Whatever this was, it was dangerous. Lex had never seen Superman be thrown around like that.

It was only hours later, back at the Kent farm, curled together on the couch, watching the news coverage, that they learned what was actually going on. Aliens. Kryptonians. Escapees from a Kryptonian prison, it seemed. There were others. Superman was not the only one.

Lex had been worried, concerned, when there had been only Superman, because of the dangers of Superman potentially turning on them, but the knowledge that there were others with Superman's powers, others who had bad intentions toward Earth... Earth wasn't save. They needed measures to protect themselves from enemies as dangerous as this General Zod. They needed protection.

/2008\

That day, he had gone back to the crash-side and he had gotten lucky. He'd found blood. He took it back to his labs – and that was when he started to have the need for secret labs. At first, he simply wanted to analyze the blood, wanted to find out how Kryptonians worked. For months, he researched. Experimented. It had started out as a thought-experiment, what if he could create an army of beings as powerful as Superman, but with their loyalty to humanity? Protecting them from any Zod – or heaven forbid any even more powerful enemy? Because that had been a thought that had never crossed anyone's mind before, not really. What were they going to do if there was ever going to be an attack from someone stronger than Superman...?

Only weeks later, he got the chance to get a sample of Wonder Woman's DNA from a fight-scene where she had gotten into a brawl with her brother Ares. A Greek god. A literal god.

He experimented with the DNA, trying to find ways that it could be used to enhance. It didn't work the way he had hoped it would, but when he started the cloning process... He hadn't expected it to work, not like that. He... also hadn't expected it to go wrong. The first time he brought one of the clones into conscience was when everything went off the rails.

They were supposed to be controlled by him. Follow orders. But the wires must have gotten crossed somehow, because the Superman clone went rogue and attacked. It broke out, but not on its own. It wrecked the facilities and broke a bunch of other clones out with it.

"What did I do..." whispered Lex stunned, staring through the gaping hole in the building.

/Smallville\

"Can you say 'Themyscira'? The-mys-ci-ra?"

Clark smiled fondly, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorway, watching his wife and son. Diana was laying on the ground, playing with Jonathan. Their son was a bit over a year old now. He blinked with his large, blue eyes up at his mom, not understanding what she wanted from him, but it was okay because he looked adorable.

"Can't we teach him something... easier, first?" suggested Clark amused.

"Easier?" Diana looked confused as she turned to look at her husband. "It's not a hard word."

"I meant something like 'ma' or 'pa' first," Clark chuckled as he walked over.

He knelt down next to them, gently brushing Diana's hair out of her face. When she sat up, he got to pull her into a soft kiss. She looked radiant whatever she was wearing, be that her royal robes, her superhero uniform, the suits she wore to work, but Clark, he was a simple man, he found her breathtaking in flannel and with that jeans bib overall, her hair put up.

At first, he had been afraid of that. Of putting her here. This goddess, this mythical princess. She was... so far out of his league and to ask her to move onto a little farm in a little town? He didn't think, not fully, that he could make her happy here. He thought it would be too limiting to her, the woman who had walked through the underworld and Olympus itself.

Yet Diana had laughed that worry off, saying that she might be a princess but that she did her fair share on Themyscira too. She was used to farm-work. Which should not have been as much of a turn-on for Clark as it was, but goodness, seeing her do the work and enjoy it too was stunning.

"I'm worried about Lex," stated Clark as he leaned back against the couch behind him.

"Mh. Lana is worried about him too," Diana turned toward him, her brows furrowed. "We went out to dinner the other week, when I was in Washington. He's been working more, in recent months."

"Yeah. He has been ditching me and Jimmy when we wanted to spend time together too."

"She said he's been like that since Christmas," supplied Diana, running her fingers through her hair. "You remember what happened Christmas, don't you...?"

She sat down next to him, leaning against him. Of course he knew what happened shortly before Christmas. Zod's escape from the phantom zone. It had taken Clark, Diana , J'onn and even Kara to fight them off and capture them again. Clark had fought Zod near the Christmas market, he had seen Lex and Lana, who had gone there with Jon and Alex.

"I think he might have PTSD from the attack," Clark heaved a sigh.

"I'm afraid that's one of the things you can't help him, darling," Diana's voice was gentle.

She reached out to take his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He hated feeling helpless, feeling like he couldn't help. Jon babbled as he crawled toward them. With a smile did Diana pick him up and placing him on her lap. Clark understood Lex's fear, he felt the same way ever since Jon had been born. He was so small and fragile. Zod and so many others of Clark's enemies could harm him so easily and Clark didn't think he could go on if anything happened to his son. Lex felt that same way about Alex, only that Lex didn't have the same powers as Clark to protect them.

"Maybe we could talk to him, together? Next time you have to go to Washington, I'll come along, we make it a double-date with Lex and Lana and... we talk to him?" Clark turned toward his wife.

"Yes, that sounds like a good plan, love," Diana smiled as she leaned in to kiss his cheek.

They stayed like that for a little while until both their phones started ringing. Exchanging a confused look, they both picked up. Chloe, on Diana's phone, and Jimmy, on Clark's phone, were both freaking out, telling them to turn on the TV.

"Lois Lane, reporting for the Daily Planet. It appears a dozen Superman and Wonder Woman... clones... have started to attack Metropolis. We do not know where they came from-"

What is... How is this..." Clark turned toward Diana helplessly.

"I'm taking Jonathan and your mother to Themyscira," stated Diana with firm eyes. "You, go ahead to Metropolis, I'll bring Arthur with me on my way back."

Clark took a relieved breath at her level-headedness. But that was the woman trained under the actual god of war. She knew how to keep a calm mind even amid chaos. Closing his eyes for a moment, Clark got up, kissing Jon's forehead and then kissing Diana deeply before she left.

/Metropolis\

Diana had left Martha and Jon in the hands of her mother and the other Amazons. Though she warned them that they might need help. If what Lois had said on the TV was true, then this was a fight for the Amazons. Clones of Diana. If they had her Amazonian strength, her demigodly abilities? This was not a battle her and Kal were prepared to fight alone.

"Woah, you were not exaggerating, cuz," commented Arthur stunned.

Diana paused mid-air, Arthur clinging onto her back as she had carried him here. Devastation. Buildings torn down and strange people flying about. Like trick-mirror images of her and Clark. She was terrified to see them attack this beautiful city that had become a home to her.

"You... think we stand a chance?" asked Arthur genuinely.

They landed and she put him down, so he could ready his trident. Honestly, when Arthur had declared, all those years ago, that he wanted to become a hero, he had thought more like... in the tales from his mother, about the heroes of old. Perseus, Theseus, Jason. Those dudes. Not fighting aliens who escaped from the secret alien prison that Diana's husband kept in his alien ice castle. And here Arthur had thought his life had gotten weird when he learned that he was the prince of Atlantis, or when he had met Diana and visited Themyscira as a child. Oh no, there was a whole crazy world of meta-humans and aliens out there.

"When we fought that Zod dude, there were three of them. And even between the three of us and Clark's lil cousin and the green guy, we barely managed to contain them," argued Arthur.

Diana swallowed hard as she looked around. She could see ten, right now. They were in over their heads, she could clearly see that. Her eyes wandered the scene, trying to find her husband.

"We need J'onn, that much is for sure," stated Diana, straightening her back.

"On it. You, go, find your hubby, help him stop those... whatever... from smashing the city."

Arthur had his phone against his ear, motioning for Diana to go. She took the cue immediately.

/Gotham City\

"Are you sure about this, Bruce?"

Bruce turned, in the middle of getting changed into his costume. Selina stood in the doorway, wearing a nightgown and her purple, plush-rimmed silk-robes. There was a photo in the local newspaper of Bruce wearing that robe, on an occasion where he had to fake being his helpless playboy self when someone had broken into the manor a few months ago. Alfred had framed that picture and hung it into the Bat Cave. Frowning, Bruce grabbed his gloves.

"I'm not," admitted Bruce as he put on one glove. "But this is too big, even for Superman and Wonder Woman. I have... contingency plans. I can help."

"There's a reason you never sought them out," argued Selina. "And in a crisis like this? Bruce. You're just human. These are... demigods and aliens. An army of them."

She rested a hand on Bruce's chest, tracing the bat-symbol on it. Of course did she know that she couldn't convince him to just go back to their bed, but what kind of girlfriend would she be if she'd let him go without the mildest protest? Her other hand reached up to cup Bruce's face and she kissed him before pulling up his cowl for him.

"Don't worry about Gotham. I'll give Pam a call. Alfred, Dick, Babs and us, we'll have it covered until you return," promised Selina. "Just... be careful, Bruce."

"No—o. I want to come too!" Dick came rushing down the stairs.

"Dick. This is too dangerous for you," argued Selina as she caught the boy.

"But I could get to meet Superman. I could help," argued Dick, struggling in her grasp.

"Not this time, Dick," Bruce turned toward him seriously. "I need you to protect Gotham, okay?"

Dick pouted, though he nodded reluctantly. "We'll protect Gotham while you're gone."

"What will you do, Bruce?" asked Selina as he got a metal suitcase.

"I have a plan," replied Bruce with a smile, kissing her cheek. "I'll call for backup."

"Backup?" echoed Selina, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Superman has proven to be weak to magic. I've done research. There's a magic user in Las Vegas who seems incredibly strong. I think that she could take down Superman. Maybe even this army."

Selina hummed as she looked at the poster in the suitcase. A purple design with a woman in fishnets and with a top-hat standing with her arms spread, ZATANNA ZATARA written in elegant letters above. Magic, mh. She still remembered when he used to deny the existence of magic, but in the face of demigods, it was hard to deny any longer. He took out his phone to dial.

/Las Vegas\

Zatanna smiled as she traced the petals of the roses on her dressing desk. A card was attached to it, just xoxo, but she knew that it was from John Constantine. Picking a single rose out, she inhaled its scent deeply. Charmer. He was a scoundrel, but what a charming one.

"Breaking news! Metropolis is being evacuated as we speak-"

Letting go of the rose, she turned toward her TV, watching unbelievable footage of an attack on Metropolis. She stared wide-eyed and even as her phone rang, she ignored it at first. Shaking out of the surprised stupor, she reached for her phone, accepting the call.

"Zatanna Zatara? I assume you have seen the news."

"I am... Who is this?" Zatanna frowned, only now checking the caller ID; unknown.

"I'm Batman," was the dry reply.

For a moment, Zatanna was tempted to take it as a joke, she was even chuckling already. "Right."

"Use your magic to trace the call, if you will. Find me. We need to talk, in person."

It sounded like a trap, but Zatanna found herself curious. For a while, she had suspected Batman to be a vampire – the cape, the theme, the fact he was only seen at night. Her and John had even gone to investigate, just to realize that the man was... just a man. There was magic in Gotham City, dangerous magic. But Zatanna was not going to mess with the League of Assassins.

"Rellac eht ot em gnirb."

Zatanna put her phone away as her magic transported her to a very strange cave-looking room. And in front of her, Batman. In his full, ridiculous costume. Well, color her intrigued.

"Batman. How do you know who I am and what do you want?"

"I know you have real magic because I investigated all potential super-powered beings. You're important. Your magic is important. I trust you've seen the news."

Resting a hand against her hip, Zatanna looked around. "Yes. Looks like a nightmare."

"Superman has shown weakness to magic in the past. If these are truly Superman-clones, I think that your magic will be a key in taking care of this. Even the real Superman is struggling with this. There are too many of them. It will need more than just Superman to stop this."

"You want my help in... stopping Superman clones? You and me?" Zatanna huffed out a laugh.

"I have one more number to call and I thought you and your magic could bring us there."

/Freeland\

Jefferson Pierce was not having the greatest of days. He loved his wife very much, Lynn was the light of his life. Her and their girls. But Lynn would disagree with that. She thought he put too much of his time and focus into being Black Lightning. The thing was, Freeland needed him. He was... He was important. He was needed. He couldn't just drop them. Maybe she was right, at least a little. He needed Black Lightning. Being Black Lightning gave him a purpose. Lynn thought that their family should give him that purpose. But it was different. Only that he couldn't put it into the right words, the words that would convince Lynn. Lynn, she thought that Freeland would be alright even if he retired. They weren't Metropolis and he wasn't Superman; no giant robots or alien-attacks.

The two of them had fought about today. Again. As they did rather frequently these days. He'd gone out with Henderson for a beer. One beer turned into two, three. Then the bar had gone eerily quiet as the barkeeper turned the volume on the TV up. Metropolis was under attack (again). And all Jefferson had been able to do was... go home. And he was frustrated.

"Jefferson Pierce. We need your help."

With an unholy yelp did Jefferson nearly fall off his couch. There, in front of him, stood... Batman. And a white lady with a stripper outfit. What kind of costume party nightmare was this...? He wasn't that drunk, was he? Slowly, he stood, warily backing off.

"Magic," offered the lady. "That's how we got here. And considering you summon lightning with your will-power, you should not be that shocked about magic."

"I live in the same universe as Wonder Woman. I'm not shocked my magic existing. I'm shocked my magic teleporting strangers into my home," Jefferson glared at them in warning.

"Metropolis is under attack and if we don't act fast, it will not just stay Metropolis that's in danger. If we work together, we can-" Batman sounded all growly and serious.

"Stop it," interrupted Jefferson with a frown. "You're a legend. A boogeyman. And way out of your territory. Metropolis will be fine. That's Superman's responsibility."

"Even Superman can't fight ten of himself," argued the magic lady. "This is a too big force. Batman's suggesting that we go and back Superman up."

Of course had Jefferson thought about what it'd be like to meet Superman. He was... his own damn league. When Jefferson had started being Black Lightning, he'd felt... alone. There were no other active heroes out there. None known, at least. There'd been a strange sense of hope that had come when Jefferson first saw Superman on the news, flying. Fighting at Superman's side, with him. Fighting with Batman – the man was a scary story. He hadn't thought Batman was real.

"Sure. Let's fight an army of Superman clones with Batman and... What's your name?"

"Zatanna Zatara, pleasure to meet you, Black Lightning."

They shook hands with a smile before the witch opened a portal for them. Jefferson was fairly sure that it was mostly the alcohol and also the fact that this felt very unreal. Otherwise he would have thought this through before stepping through that portal with those two strangers.

/Metropolis\

This was too much. Clark had fought strong enemies before – none as overwhelming as Zod and his minions – but he had never fought himself. He'd also never fought Diana. Not for real, at least. They sparred, trained a lot. But these... gray copies of his wife? They didn't hold back. There was no recognition for Clark, none for Arthur either. Clark, Diana, Arthur and J'onn were having a hard time keeping them back, preventing the clones from leaving Metropolis.

The cops and army were working on evacuating Metropolis, so the heroes could fight without having to fear for casualties. So many buildings had already been turned to ashes. The golden globe of the Daily Planet laid dented in a crater on main street. He wished Kara would be here to help, but she was off-planet right now, visiting a foreign planet with J'onn's niece M'gann. For a girl who had grown up in an alien culture – not just in the sense of Krypton being an alien planet, but because it was a planet that had been out there. She'd learned about other cultures and planets, even as a child. Thanks to J'onn, she got the chance to travel. And though Clark had been skeptical at first, Kara was seventeen and Kara's adopted parents had signed off on it. Right now, he regretted it. Because they could use both Kara and M'gann's help. Honestly, they could use any help at all.

"I've sent word to Themyscira," called Diana out.

"I hope they answer the call with their weapons raised," Clark whispered beneath his breath.

"Well, if you'll have us, we'd be your reinforcement."

Clark turned his head, with the Diana-clone he had fought just taken down. His eyebrows wandered high as he looked at Batman. The bat-furry was actually real. And with him, a... stage magician? And... Black Lightning. What an interesting trio.

"We're here to help," stated Batman.

"Okay," because what else was Clark supposed to say to that, from Batman.

"What's the plan? Where do we fit in best?" asked Black Lightning.

"Honestly, we're kinda winging it, my man," declared Arthur as he ran up to them. "Not much time to make plans here. You're the lightning-guy, aren't you? Nice."

"J'onn," Clark reached out with his mind. "Connect them with us? So we can communicate."

"If you think that's the right move, Superman," there was a shift in the connection as J'onn tuned into the minds of the others. "Hello. I am J'onn J'onzz. I'm a telepath, I keep communication between the team open through my powers. You are now mentally linked with me, Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. Welcome to the fight."

"Practical," noted Batman impressed. "Zatanna wields magic, so she would be best put to use fighting against the Supermen. I estimate Black Lightning's powers to be close to en par with Wonder Woman's strength and I brought him to battle the Wonder Women."

"That is a very good strategy. What powers do you have, Batman?" asked Wonder Woman.

"Strategy. Oversight. Bring me to a good spot to oversee the scene, I will direct you where to fight. Who to fight," offered Batman. "Zatanna, Wonder Woman and J'onn against the Supermen. Superman, Aquaman and Black Lightning against the Wonder Women."

"Fine by me, I've never been one for strategy," admitted Superman.

"You fight by instinct and with brute strength, yes. I've analyzed your style," commented Batman.

"I have contacted my sisters on Themyscira. If we can hold our own for long enough and make sure they don't leave Metropolis, with the aid of the Amazonian army, we might stand a chance."

"That's good to know, Wonder Woman," Batman sounded pleased.

"Okay. Let's get to it then," stated J'onn as he took off with Batman.

"Do we actually know what is going on here though?" wanted Black Lightning to know.

"Lex Luthor did," admitted Superman, sounding disappointed. "I'm sure he had... good intentions."

"Right. Sure. The billionaire had everyone's best interest at heart," Black Lightning snorted softly.

"He cloned Wonder Woman and me," continued Superman.

"Perhaps we should go to the source then," suggested J'onn. "Mister Luthor. We have questions."

"I didn't mean for this to happen," started Lex desperately.

Diana heaved a sigh, because she believed him. She'd gotten to know Lex very well over the past four years and she considered him one of her closest friends. She had seen his PTSD, his intense fear about the dangers and threats that had been popping up in recent years.

"We have no time for your guilt, Mister Luthor. Get to the point of what you did and how we can undo it," pressed Batman. "What are their weaknesses? How do we fight them best?"

/break\

Everything was too bright. His eyes hurt. That was the first thing he noticed when he broke out. Then, he was gasping for breath. Everything was unfocused and confusing. When he looked around, he saw many tubes. Glass tubes, filled with fluid and... people that looked like... him, as he noticed when he stepped up to one, seeing his own reflection. Something was missing. A sense of identity. He knew he should have one. People had... identities. Names, feelings, people to care about. There was nothing. This was the first moment of his waking conscience. This was wrong, he was... grown. Not fully. Not an adult, but too old to have his first memory.

"Who are you?" asked someone. "Who am I?"

When he turned around, there stood a girl, his age. As naked and wet as him. Dark hair clinging to her body, her eyes a piercing blue. She came walking over to him, her head tilted. As he looked past her, he noticed rows of glass-containers with women like her, in different life-stages. He turned toward the glass-container he had broken out if. The row it stood in was marked with a C. The row next to it, where the girl had come from, was marked with a D.

"I do... not know. I know... so much. But not... that," he frowned.

"-Okay, these should all still be contained. You took the ones out that broke the others out. Hopefully, none will return to break more out, I shut down the system, there-"

A man came rushing toward them, pausing when he noticed them. His head was shiny, was the first thing he noticed. Instinctively, he moved toward the girl. She was as lost as him. She was like him. She was his kin. That was one thing he knew to be important. She was important.

"...This shouldn't have happened," whispered the bald man. "These aren't even fully developed."

"They're children," corrected a woman as she stepped past him with purpose.

She was beautiful and intimidating. And she was followed by another man, with a strange symbol on his chest. The symbol meant something, he knew that. He was just... unable to pinpoint what it was. His memory was fuzzy, like his brain was still trying to process.

"Hello," greeted the woman kindly, though she looked ready to fight if needed. "Who are you?"

"I am..." he turned toward the aisle again. "I don't know who I am."

"He speaks," noted the bald man surprised. "None of the others were capable of speech."

"I am Wonder Woman. It's okay," assured the woman. "This is Superman.

"You made them... out of us," whispered Superman, with the strange clothes.

Superman took off his bright-red cape and handed it over to him. He blinked curiously as he wrapped the cape around himself to cover up. Wonder Woman was talking to the girl.

"Let's go with... Superboy, for now?" suggested Superman with a very winning smile, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Is that okay for you, son?"

"Son," he echoed the word, tasting it on his tongue.

"Uh, I didn't mean like-" Superman interrupted himself and frowned. "Well... I guess I am..."

"Superboy and Wonder Girl," Wonder Woman stepped up to them. "Can you two help us?"

"How?" wanted Wonder Girl to know.

"Fight. There are too many for us to battle. These are... They're not... right. They have no thoughts, no intention. No... motivation but to hurt and fight," stated Superman slowly. "They're destroying Metropolis. Hurting innocent people. That's not right."

"It's not," he agreed, eyebrows drawn together.

"It seems this one took your morals and some personality," noted the bald man. "Fascin-"

"Don't finish that sentence, Lex. We're going to have words about all of this. When it's over," warned Superman seriously. "For now, we truly need all hands on deck. Inform the others."

/break\

Diana and Clark had been in the middle of their fights when Lex had contacted them through the mental link that he had found two more clones, in the facility. They'd been surprised that the clones were teenagers, not adults. They were mortified by just how many clones there were in the facility. But those two, they were different than the others. J'onn had checked, with his powers. The other clones had no thoughts, they were empty shells, filled with the urge to fight. These two, they had sparks. Minds of their own. And their minds made them want to fight at Clark and Diana's side.

The battle was brutal, but with the reinforcements, they genuinely stood a chance. First Batman, Zatanna and Black Lightning, then Wonder Girl and Superboy and lastly, finally, when the Amazons came to join their battle. With them on their side and Lex giving his input on the clones' weaknesses, they finally reigned in the enemy. Metropolis laid in shambles, but they had won.

"I can't believe that happened," muttered Black Lightning exhausted.

The seven of them sank down close together, all exhausted to the bone. Even Clark and it was very rare for him to feel that way. He leaned against Diana and she leaned against him as they both took in their comrades. J'onn had chosen to look human again, now that the battle was won. The Amazons had left again basically the moment the battle was won, though Hippolyta had demanded to take the bodies of all of Diana's clones with her. To bury them on Themyscira. Clark and J'onn were going to take care of Clark's clones, bring them to the fortress.

"What are we going to do with those two?" asked Clark softly.

He wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. He was staring over at Superboy and Wonder Girl. They were... Clark and Diana, physically speaking. It was like looking at a living picture of his high school days. But his behavior wasn't. He didn't act like Clark, or talk like him. It was clear those two were their own people.

"For now, we bring them to the farm and help them... find an identity," suggested Diana. "They're more than just... Lex's experiments. They're people. Children. And they're alone."

"This wasn't bad," commented Arthur louder, drawing their attention. "I mean the team-up. Not the... mess around it. Obviously. But it's good to have allies to rely on."

"I agree," J'onn looked around. "I think it would be beneficial for... future problems, if we stayed in touch. This will not be the last bigger crisis Earth is going to face."

"I'm not much of a fighter," commented Zatanna. "Though I... will be there, if need be. And I know someone else who can be there. Well, if he's available and not in a hell-dimension."

"That sounds wild and I want to know more," Arthur turned toward her eagerly.

"Call me when the world is ending and only then," declared Black Lightning with a shake of his head. "Freeland is mine to protect. I can't deal with... all of this on the regular."

"Let's hope this won't be a regular thing," Batman huffed. "But if push comes to shove, it will be a wise decision to be able to contact each other. Work together."

"For now... I think we gotta clean up at least a little," suggested Clark as he looked around.

"Right, right. Just give me another... hour... to rest," Arthur grunted dismissively.

/break\

They cleaned up a little – including the dead and defective clones. They also brought Superboy and Wonder Girl to the Fortress of Solitude, at least for now. Martha was still there too. Clark and Diana had plans of bringing them back home once things had settled down more.

"This feels... strange," admitted Clark as they stepped onto the stage.

"It feels right," offered Diana and slipped a hand into his husband's. "And familiar."

"How so?" wanted Black Lightning to know.

"We are the mighty. The protectors of this planet," replied Diana. "I have stood next to the god of lightning and thunder, the king of the ocean himself, the mother of all magic..."

"Gods. You are talking about literal gods," argued Batman displeased.

"What makes a god a god?" asked J'onn thoughtfully. "They have powers beyond human comprehension. And they are worshiped by the people."

The rows in front of them were filled with cheering people and the press. People had returned to Metropolis and they had come to cheer for their saviors. The heroes who had saved the day. The seven of them stood proud and tall on the stage, ready to answer questions.

"Lois Lane, for the Daily Planet," Lois stepped up first, always taking the initiative. "I think the biggest question people have right now is – is it over?"

"Yes," assured Diana, who usually took charge of press-things.

Clark, he preferred to be on the other side of an interview. He gladly stepped back to let his wife take the lead on explaining the situation. Instead, he turned toward their comrades. They had fought well together, Batman's guidance had been crucial, even though he hadn't been very effective as an active fighter against the clones – he was a human with no special powers. Special weapons, enchanted ones that worked on the Superman-clones, but still the man was only human. Which only made him more impressive, in Clark's eyes.

"What are people supposed to call you? What will the headlines read?" asked Lois.

"Super Friends, how's that sound?" suggested Aquaman with a laugh.

"No," Batman's voice was very firm and final.

"We're not... some kind of band," argued Zatanna. "But we are a... league of our own."

"I like that," agreed Diana. "We are a league of our own. A league of justice."

"Justice League," echoed Lois. "That has a ring to it."

/break\

The part Clark wasn't looking forward to at all was the confrontation with Lex. He wasn't going to face consequences for what he had done – this project had actually been funded by the government. But Clark hoped that Lex would come to the right conclusion in the end.

"We need to talk," stated Clark as he stepped into the Luthor penthouse.

He stepped through the balcony door. Lex sat on the couch, hunched over, a haunted look on his face. He was aware that what he had done was wrong and had gone wrong in a horrendous way.

"Superman. Have you come to deliver the punishment I deserve?" asked Lex, voice shallow.

"I come... because we should have had this conversation a long time ago, Lex."

He stepped out of the shadows and turned on the lights. He wasn't wearing the costume. He'd come here as Clark Kent, flannel, jeans and glasses. But with the lights off, only his silhouette, voice and him stepping in through the balcony, Lex had seen Superman. It was time for Lex to see Clark Kent. The look on his face was indescribable. Clark should have done this years ago. Maybe then things wouldn't have escalated to this point. He could not in good conscience solely blame Lex.

"W... What..." Lex's voice broke.

"When I was an infant, my planet died," Clark spoke softly and slowly as he approached his friend. "My birth parents put me in a ship and sent me out to survive. To carry on my planet's legacy. Martha and Jonathan Kent found me and raised me and loved me."

"You..." Lex whispered, voice wavering a little.

"I never knew when to tell you," admitted Clark, averting his eyes. "We met late in life. We met only shortly before I became Superman and things got... complicated. I had more than just one secret to protect. At what point is a friendship deep enough to share something so profound?"

Lex ran his hands over his head, resting his elbows on his knees. "I don't know what to say..."

"I know it's a lot. I also know your... heart was in the right place, even if your actions were incredibly and terrifyingly wrong, Lex," Clark's voice was firm and serious. "You know that, right."

"Yes, I... do," Lex groaned as he covered his face with his hands. "I just..."

"You need help, Lex," whispered Clark softly. "Diana, Lana and I have been talking about this for... too long now. We didn't know how to approach you, how to help you. But the attack on Christmas, it hit too close to home for you. Every attack. Every time a giant attacked Washington, Zod attacked Metropolis, every close contact with a force more overwhelming than you can fight..."

"All I can think of is that I can't protect Alex. Or Lana," muttered Lex desperately.

"You have to get help," declared Clark. "You have help, our help. Accept it. Please."

/break\

Donna. She liked that name. Martha had helped her pick it. It was silly, she knew, but Superboy and her had noticed the lettered aisles they had come from. That was where they came from, she from D and he from C and that was all they had. Now they had Superboy and Wonder Girl, because they were the teen versions of Superman and Wonder Woman. And after seeing those two out there, fighting, Donna found herself proud to come from that. To aspire to be like this woman one day. When all was said and done and their fight ended, Superman had brought them to an ice-fort and a kind, redheaded woman who spoke softly and reassuringly to them. She'd helped them pick names. Donna and Conner. Neither of them knew where this was going. Where they were going.

"You're going home with me," stated Martha firmly.

She rested one hand on Donna's shoulder and one on Conner's. And then Superman and Wonder Woman returned. They introduced themselves as Clark and Diana and they echoed Martha's invitation. Conner hung back, with the dog he had found. Among the defective clones they had taken away, there had been animal experiments too. One was a beautiful white dog and unlike the others, it seemed to have powers. So Conner had insisted on taking it with them.

"Can Krypto come too?" asked Conner hopefully, holding the white dog.

"Krypto?" echoed Clark confused, before his face lit up as he spotted the dog. "Oh yes! We have a farm. It's perfect for a dog. Right, Di? We can have a dog, right? Right?"

Diana heaved a sigh and shook her head fondly. "Yes. All three of you can come with us."

They were quick to fly back to the Kents' home, where Superman gladly showed them around the farm, before offering them some time to take a breath and look around on their own. Donna knew what a farm was. Factually, she knew what a farm was. All that knowledge her and Conner had woken up with. But to actually see and experience it. The way the corn felt under her fingers as she walked through the field, how the sun above warmed her sky, just how much better the air tasted compared to the city they had come from. Her eyes wandered, finding the two women of the house. Martha and Diana Kent. Diana was a fierce fighter, brave, strong and admirable. Martha had been... warm and soft. She had been kind to Donna and Conner when they had waited at the Fortress.

"Do you think we should stay here?" asked Donna curiously.

Conner sat on the ground, ruffling the soft, white fur of Krypto. Conner had instantly grown attached to the dog. He turned to look up at Donna thoughtfully.

"I wouldn't know where else to go. Do you?" countered Conner.

That was true, of course. They had no legal documents, no records, no experience of life, no place to go to, no one to turn to. The Kents had offered them all of that. Donna crossed her arms.

"We're not normal, we'll never be normal like other people," Donna's voice dropped to a whisper.

"There's no one who understands not being normal more than us," assured Clark with a kind smile as he approached them. "I'm an alien, I'm not from Earth. I grew up as the only one of my kind, only years later did my cousin land on Earth. Diana is... the most unique person I've ever met."

"What does that mean?" asked Donna, watching the man.

"She was created by her mother, formed with clay and a god made her come alive," explained Clark. "I think she is the closest person to understand how you two are going to feel."

"An artificially created person, just like us," Conner whispered surprised.

Donna guessed that was even more a reason to stay here.

/break\

J'onn tilted his head, the ear-piece in his fingers. He turned it over a few times, thoughtfully. His public persona was still Hank Henshaw and he was still working for the DEO, he had thought that was where he could do good. But now, he felt as though there was a different way to do good. This Justice League, as the newspapers were now calling them. A team of heroes. He had always taken to heroes, he had taught Kal-El, had taken Kara Zor-El under his wing too, he had been overjoyed when M'gann had reached Earth and he had introduced her to Kara, to give the two girls a chance to make friends with someone who might understand what it was like to be a young alien girl on Earth. He'd helped out when he was needed, but to take such an active part was different.

"Batman?" asked J'onn after putting in the ear-piece.

"Yes?" the other man sounded as gruff as ever.

"I think that if we are supposed to be a team, we need a place to gather," stated J'onn. "To have regular team-meetings to update one another on individually defeated threats and potential larger problems. Also a place to share practice and training with each other."

"Agreed," Batman sounded curiously pleased. "Any suggestions?"

"I think I do have an idea but it would require funding, the kind we don't have laying around," J'onn tapped his finger against his knee. "A space-station. Overseeing Earth. Neutral grounds too, seeing as each of us have our own base of operation. It would enable us to be the first line of defense in case of an alien-attack. Now that Superman and I know there are others ready to fight at our side, a threat like General Zod could be easier taken care of."

"Don't worry about funding. I'll take care of it. Can you take care of the tech-aspect?"

"Absolutely," assured J'onn, wondering where Batman would get such funding.

/break\

Jefferson was staring in awe as he actually stepped through the portal – Boom-Tube, though he didn't entirely know what that meant. J'onn had explained the teleportation device to him as he had handed it over to Jefferson to install in a safe place, preferably his own base of operation. Gambi had done so and now, Jefferson could just... step through a portal and find himself on a space-station. Sponsored by 'anonymous donations', supposedly a group of concerned citizens that wanted the protection from the Justice League, though Jefferson knew a large portion came from Lex Luthor's guilt over what had happened. A space station. They had their own space station.

"This is... breathtaking," whispered Jefferson in awe as he stepped up to the large windows.

Wonder Woman stepped up next to him, a smile on her lips as her eyes also focused on Earth beneath them. "She's beautiful, isn't she? It... humbles you to look at her from above."

All Jefferson could do was nod slowly in agreement. It truly did. It reminded him how small he really was, compared to all of this. After taking in the view, he walked over toward a meeting hall with Diana. A large, round table stood in the middle, with seven seats around it. Each seat had a symbol attached to the back – their symbols. Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman, his own two lightning bolts. The others, he would have to guess – a top-hat, supposedly Zatanna's, and a circle with an x on it, which must then be Martian Manhunter's.

"Very Arthurian," noted Jefferson as he sat down.

"No one is above the other here," offered Martian Manhunter. "On this team, we are equals."

"That sounds good," Wonder Woman smiled as she took her seat next to Jefferson.

Jefferson was still busy looking around though. This was nothing like his normal work-space. Working with this team was going to be a whole different league for him, he already knew that.

"We have training facilities built to accommodate everyone's individual powers," stated the Manhunter. "There are also rooms for everyone to stay at."

"More rooms than just seven," noted Zatanna, one eyebrow raised.

"Perhaps hopefulness that we will inspire others to rise to the occasion," Manhunter chuckled. "I do expect this team to grow, at one point in the future. And... adding space later is going to be tough."

"I'm sorry I'm late, I've had some... family matters to attend," Superman offered his most charming smile as he walked over to them and sat down next to Wonder Woman. "What did I miss?"

He was directly followed by Aquaman, who didn't seem as apologetic. He also lounged on his chair less like a king and more like a teenager who owned the place. Jefferson had seen the power this man wielded and how he truly commanded aquatic life like a king, but when not under the pressure of fighting, he seemed so very relaxed and casual, like he had absolutely no worries in life.

"General amazement at this place, mostly," offered Zatanna.

"Now that everyone is here, we can start our first team-meeting."

Jefferson was not the only one who nearly had a heart-attack as Batman just appeared behind him. Grasping his chest, he watched the man take a seat. Where had he even come from? Jefferson sat facing the portal. Had he just been hiding in a corner, or what?

/break\

"What do you think of the team, my love?" asked Diana in a soft voice.

She was laying on her side, supporting her head with one hand, the other hand resting on her husband's chest, tracing her symbol on him. Just as she owned a blue shirt with the 'Superman symbol', as the public had come to call the insignia of the house of El, Clark owned a red shirt with the WW that had widely become her recognized symbol. She liked the way it looked on him.

"I'm unsure," admitted Clark, a thoughtful look on his face. "They're courageous and we've trusted them with our life. I think that Black Lightning is a good man. But Batman is very..."

"Yes," Diana nodded in agreement. "I'm sure the man's secrets have secrets."

"He seems genuine, I do believe that he is behind his cause," noted Clark.

"But I also found it suspicious how quickly he appeared, with exactly the kind of back-up we would need to fight you and me," Diana narrowed his eyes. "He reminds me of Lex."

"Guarded and paranoid, thinking the protection of the world should rest on his shoulders," Clark hummed in agreement. "His mask is lined with lead. I've never encountered him before, but he already had precautions to stop me from finding out who he is."

"I think that we can be civil and fight at his side, but this will not be a team until we can trust one another," Diana heaved a sigh and rolled over to lay on her husband's chest.

"Not that he's the only one with secrets. We and Arthur and Black Lightning haven't shared our identities either. Trust has to be built and earned. We'll see, months from now, how this team has progressed. If we still haven't formed strong enough bonds to truly trust each other..."

"You're right, darling," Diana smiled as she kissed him.

"Now, what do you think of our... newly acquired children?" Clark quirked his lips.

Heaving a sigh, Diana rested her head on Clark's shoulder, listening to her husband's strong heartbeat. "They are... lost. They don't understand this world yet, a sentiment I can very much relate to, when I first came to Man's World. Yet I had a world I came from. They... don't. They were just created, fully grown. They miss the wonder of a child discovering the world slowly."

"Do you... Do you think we are ready for this?" asked Clark, sounding nearly afraid.

He wouldn't be ready, not on his own. This would overwhelm him, he couldn't take care of a confused teenager all on his own. The fact that he had Diana at his side, his wife who always seemed to have all answers. And just maybe, even the fact that they already had Jon helped some. Sure, Jon was a baby, but they had at least a minimum of experience parenting.

"I genuinely don't know," admitted Diana. "Taking care of not one but two teenagers, and with their peculiar circumstances, at that. It's going to be a challenge. But if anyone can face such a challenge, don't you think that Wonder Woman and Superman can take it on?"

She offered Clark a playful smile and he laughed, kissing her. "Yes, I think you're right."

/break\

"Got any threes?" asked Arthur bored, lounging in his chair.

Zatanna shook her head with a bemused grin. "You know, this was not what I was expecting."

"I guess it counts as team-bonding," Arthur shrugged.

They wanted to keep the Watchtower, as they had aptly named their space-station, manned by at least one person at all times. But being all alone was a bit boring, so Zatanna had decided to join Arthur during his time up. She had nothing to do these days anyway; she had tried to track down John to tell him all about what had gone down and try to convince him to join the League too because his magic was powerful and would be particularly helpful during the next potential alien-attack. Yet he couldn't be reached, because he was in hell. Literally. So Zatanna decided to get to know her team better. She liked Arthur alright, even knew his real name by now. He didn't take the secret identity as seriously as Batman. Honestly, she thought this could work, this team.

"So... you got a wife or husband waiting for you?" asked Zatanna after a beat. "I know Superman and Wonder Woman have each other. Black Lightning is married. I've seen Batman's girlfriend – she's gorgeous, the man at least has taste. But you and me are here, at a Friday night."

"There's this woman," Arthur paused, a crooked grin on his lips. "She's special, but we... irregularly run into each other. We hook up when we meet, but it's not a... relationship."

Zatanna huffed amused. "I have one of those too. He's always... all over the place."

"To lovers who are all over the place then," Arthur chuckled and lifted his beer-bottle toward her.

"To a hero's chaotic love-life," agreed Zatanna, clanging her bottle against his.

/break\

Diana stood at Jon's bed, gently caressing her son's cheek. He was peacefully and soundly asleep. Safe, because the Justice League had stopped a potential disaster. She truly did like that name. They had a lot of details to figure out, but for now Batman had passed out communicators that only connected with each other. In case of emergency. Diana thought they would need more – training with each other, to establish a bond with one another, to become a true team, not just individuals thrown together in case of emergency – but for now it was enough. For now, it was a beginning. The beginning of a new era. She could feel it in her blood.

Her eyes wandered from her baby boy over toward the window. Outside, she could see Conner play fetch with Krypto, while Donna was working the field with Clark. They were still such young parents, Jon was a toddler. Clark and Diana were supposed to figure this out slowly, on the way. They were supposed to have over a decade until Jon would be a teenager. Now, suddenly, they had two fully grown teenagers with powers and no life experience.

"How are we supposed to handle this?" whispered Diana a little terrified.

"You're not alone," offered Martha as she stepped into the room. "I might not be the youngest anymore, but I'll be the best grandma available. And I think your mother will be very willing to help train Donna in particular. And I'm pretty sure Eliza Danvers will be able to give you some input on raising a teenage Kryptonian. You should know better than most that it does take a village. And you have a village. You have a family that will help you with this, as... unconventional as it is."

And it truly was. Who got to raise clone-versions of themselves and their spouse, after all? Still, she couldn't help but smile faintly as she watched Clark with the teenagers outside. Unconventional was what their family had always been; a demigod and an alien. So those two fit right in.

~*~ The End ~*~


Author's note: Donna has like half a dozen origin stories and since one of them is being a clone of Diana, I figured I'd give that my own Cadmus twist to make it fit together. Also! A Justice League with TWO women in the founding line-up so shocking. Seriously, I very much loathe that a seven people team only has one woman on it... Anyway, yeah, this is the line-up of my Justice League. Next up, we're going to the Teen Titans, since we now have more teenagers around. ;)