On the 16th day of the hero's 16th year

For one single precious held most dear

By the shade of evil with time in his hands

Choices will be made to determine who stands

The hidden hero will be proclaimed

After a fall leaves him heavily maimed

The day's weather will be fought

By winter, summer, and storms a lot

The land of choice is the original spot

Where she died and now lives reborn

In the world of the original's form

The Road to Happiness, The Long One

A/N: Please review! As of right now I have 39 out of 40 chapters done. All chapters should be out around the middle of July. The last two chapters will be longer than usual.

Characters: Cal (Your "average" mysterious male), Mason (Cal's best and most trustworthy buddy), Kara Danvers (Kara Zor-El, AKA Supergirl), Jason (Kara's Ex), Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Clark Kent (Superman), Lois Lane (Superman's wife), Batman, Bartholomew, Karen (Power-Girl) and more that aren't quite ready to be presented yet. (Lots of characters are Out of Character (OOC), but I try my absolute best to make it as close as I can with the story.)

Chapter 30: Day 11/16, Thursday

Cal rubbed Kara's back gently. He glanced at the time: 1:28. Sighing, Cal began brushing Kara's hair with his hand. Kara smiled.

"Do you love me?" Kara asked, whispering. "I mean, what specifically do you love me for?" Cal smiled.

"I love YOU, Kara," Cal answered, whispering back. "There's no specific part of you I DON'T love… But put all your unique characteristics together and you get, well, you… You get Kara Danvers, the girl I love…" Kara smiled.

"And do you want to know why I love you?" Kara asked. Cal laughed quietly.

"Do I really need to?" Cal asked. "I believe that you love me and that's enough for me…"

"Well, can I tell you anyways? Even if you do believe me?" Kara asked. Cal smiled.

"Of course," Cal answered. Kara sighed.

"Last week…" Kara began, still whispering, "Last week, I saw something… Maybe it was a dream… Maybe I was just covering up some trauma that happened that day… But… when those men came into class with their guns… I thought I saw you…" Kara swallowed heavily. "I thought I saw you save everyone… And… at one point you had gold all around you and you radiated… Well, to me you radiated any good feeling I could even think of and more… But I could see other people didn't feel what I did… I felt… Like you were meant to be mine… I probably just hallucinated that or something, but… you were different… You were good... And I liked that… And I now know I love you for it… I love you for being and making a difference in my life… which is to say… I love you for you too…" Kara smiled. Cal stared at the ceiling.

'How could she still remember that?' Cal asked himself. Deep down, he knew. Cal knew deep down that someone or thing let her remember. And that was the answer he had been looking for… right?

"Kara…" Cal started.

"Sh," Kara said, sitting up on his lap and putting her finger over his lips. "I don't want to know if I am right and that was just a dream… I want you to know that I love you and always will…" She put her forehead to his. "…always." She kissed him on the lips, lightly and longing. "Nothing, not the past, not the present, not the future, could ever take that love away," Kara promised. She stared into Cal's eyes. "And all I want is for you to promise me you will always come back to me… You don't always have to love me, but always come back… Promise me…" She closed her eyes. Cal gently grabbed her cheeks, and Kara opened her eyes, staring into his again. She held her hands over his. Slowly, Cal leaned in and kissed her. Kara closed her eyes again and let the pleasant sensation of Cal's passionate kiss roll over her. Cal broke the kiss and put their heads together.

"Always," Cal promised. "Always…" Kara smiled. She grabbed Cal's head and brought him in for another kiss. She began making out with him, mashing their lips together. After a few minutes, they broke for air.

"Cal… I love you…" Kara whispered.

"I love you too," Cal whispered back. She smiled. She started taking off her t-shirt when Cal grabbed her hands, stopping her. Kara looked at him, confused.

"What's the matter? Nervous?" Kara joked. Cal smirked, but shook his head.

"I just want you to know, I love you for you, not your body…" Cal said. Kara laughed lightly and shook her head, looking away.

"You mean I'm not pretty," Kara assumed. Cal quickly protested.

"No! No!" Cal protested. He gently held Kara's chin, making her look at him. "Kara, you're BEAUTIFUL! No one can come even close to how beautiful you are… It's just…" He looked away nervously. "I just… I've just never done this before…" Cal admitted. "And I don't want it to make things awkward between us because I… don't know what I'm doing…" Kara sighed.

"Cal…" she whispered slowly, "Cal… look at me…" Cal turned his head slowly, meeting Kara's eyes. "I haven't done anything like this either… and…" She took Cal's hand. "I'm willing to try with you…" She smiled and squeezed his hand reassuringly. Cal smiled. He kissed her again. She broke the kiss and took off her t-shirt, revealing her light blue bra. Cal admired her for a moment, and Kara helped him get his shirt off, revealing several large scars and Cal's muscular body. Kara bit her lip and began tracing the scars. After a while, Cal grabbed her hand and kissed her. Kara grabbed the back of Cal's head, keeping him pulled in. Cal ran one hand up and down Kara's back and used the other to caress her cheek. They continued their passionate embrace until the door swung open. Instinctively, Cal covered Kara, and Barbara stepped in, flicking on the light. Noticing their half-naked states, Barbara blushed and looked away.

"OMG!" Barbara cried. "I'm so sorry to interrupt!" Kara and Cal quickly got up, found their shirts, and scrambled to put them back on.

"Barbara!" Kara said, putting on her shirt. "What was that for?!" Barbara glanced at them, noting they were dressed, and turned back around.

"I'm SO sorry!" Barbara apologized. "It's just Doomsday is terrorizing Metropolis and Batman wanted you to help on this… I'll tell him you're busy!" Barbara started walking out, but Kara stopped her.

"Wait!" Kara said. "It's okay, I'll help… Just give me a minute." Barbara nodded and left. Kara turned to Cal, but before she could say anything Cal cut her off.

"It's okay," Cal reassured her. "Go save the world." Kara grinned and kissed Cal.

"For luck," she said, leaving. Cal smiled as she left. Soon after, Mason appeared.

"Cal," Mason said. "Doomsday's back…" Cal nodded. "Real quick," Mason said. "I know we've got a LOT to catch up on, but last time I went to see the armor it was gone… So… yeah… it might not be there…" Cal nodded silently.

"We'll talk later?" Cal asked. Mason nodded. Cal focused and disappeared.

"Good luck buddy," Mason said.

-Break-

Supergirl evaded another punch from Doomsday. Doomsday growled and tried again, but Supergirl side-stepped and elbowed the creature in the side. Doomsday grunted and fell to his knees, but quickly swung his leg around, tripping Supergirl. As she tripped, Doomsday grabbed her cape and threw her into a nearby building, but The Protector caught her. She briefly thanked him, and he nodded. She flew towards Doomsday, who roared and clapped his hands together, creating a sonic boom. Supergirl flew back, but The Protector rushed forward, unaffected. He slid under the large creature and quickly stood up, landing a solid punch in the lower back. Doomsday yelled and spun around, throwing his arm around. The Protector caught the swing and held it, jumping over Doomsday. The Protector wrenched Doomsday's arm around, and Doomsday growled and pulled The Protector back in front of him. The Protector let go of the creature's arm, flying back a few feet. Suddenly, Supergirl slammed Doomsday in the back, sending him flying towards The Protector. The Protector quickly kicked Doomsday back towards Supergirl. Supergirl avoided the crashing creature, hovering beside The Protector. Doomsday got back up and roared. Growling, he rushed towards the duo, angrily and wildly thrashing his arms. Supergirl swiftly avoided the thrashes, and The Protector ducked them and slammed a fist into Doomsday's abdomen. Doomsday grunted and flew back, slamming into a car. Even more angry, Doomsday recovered and flew at The Protector. The Protector managed to block the first swing, and began ducking the second, but the blow glanced off his helmet, sending him lurching away, dazed. Supergirl quickly got between The Protector and Doomsday. Doomsday growled and leapt through the air, slamming his fists onto Supergirl. She tried to block it, but there was little effect and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Suddenly, Superman appeared and tackled Doomsday to the ground. Doomsday grunted and slammed his fists into Superman's back. Superman's grip loosened and Doomsday slipped from his grip. Swiftly, Doomsday moved behind Superman and kicked him. Suddenly and skillfully, The Protector jumped on Doomsday's back, choking him. Doomsday gasped for air as he swung around, trying to grab The Protect and rip him off. The Protector held, and Doomsday's vision started becoming blurry. As a last ditch attempt to get The Protector off of him, Doomsday leapt into the air, falling back down onto his back. They both hit the ground, The Protector being crushed by both the ground and the heavy Doomsday, but The Protector held on. Doomsday's eyes closed and The Protector waited a few more moments before pushing Doomsday off of him. Superman helped him to his feet. The Protector coughed, and tried to wipe off the blood off of his white and black armor, which was leaking through the joints. The Protector produced a pair of handcuffs, which he quickly clasped around Doomsday's wrists. Superman went over to Supergirl, checking her.

"Cal's gonna freak…" Superman muttered.

"Mh?" The Protector asked. Superman shook his head.

"Nothing, I just think Supergirl's in a coma… And her friends aren't going to be happy…" Superman explained. The Protector nodded.

"Well, good luck with that," The Protector said, disappearing. Superman sighed and nodded.

-Break-

"Yeah, the armor was right in its spot," Cal said. Mason shrugged.

"I don't know what happened then. The armor was just… gone before," Mason said. Cal shrugged.

"It's back now, that's all that matters," Cal said. Mason nodded. Suddenly, Barbara entered, holding her arms.

"Hey… Cal…" Barbara said. "Could you come with me?" Cal and Mason glanced at each other, and Cal nodded. They began walking down the halls.

"Um, well… You know how Kara went to fight Doomsday…?" Barbara asked. Cal nodded.

"We were just-" Cal started, but Barbara cut him off.

"Not that, not that," Barbara said. "I mean, you two love each other so I mean, you know, your choice and whatnot. I'm sorry for interrupting that by the way… I, uh, would have left you guys alone if I had known… Anyway! Um, well… Kara got hurt and," Barbara raised her hand as a sign to let her finish. "Kara got hurt and she's more or less in a medically induced coma… Normally Zatanna and the doctors fix people up, but, uh, Zatanna is busy for the next few hours and the doctors don't quite understand Kryptonian metabolism and don't want to make anything worse so they put her into an extremely safe coma…" She looked at Cal, who was frowning, worried.

"So she's okay?" Cal asked. "Or at least she will be?" Barbara nodded. "And can I see her?" Barbara nodded again. They continued in silence for a bit.

"Hey Cal…?" Barbara asked.

"Yeah?" came the reply.

"Can I just say, you and Kara are really amazing together… And… well… Frankly, I'm kinda jealous. You two are so awesome together, it's almost like watching a really cliché romance movie, but I can't say I don't enjoy it…" They reached the door to Kara's hospital room, and Barbara quietly open the door. Cal silently walked through the door, seeing Kara on the bed, arms over the blankets, gold hair flowing down to her shoulders. Small scratches were around her arms and face, but she still looked beautiful. Cal winced at the realization that Kara looked so beautiful because she was hurt. Cal pulled up a chair and sat next to Kara, taking her hand in his. Barbara quietly shut the door and left. Cal sighed and kissed her hand, holding it close to his face.

"Kara…" Cal started. "I don't know if you can hear me, but you're going to be okay, I promise." Cal sighed before continuing. "You told me about recalling that day that guys with guns came into the school… You said something about feeling happy when I was radiating gold… I never thought anyone would feel that way with that… Most people only feel fear, even Mason… But you… You felt differently… Only one person has ever felt that way before… What I'm saying is, that wasn't a dream… I did that… I…" Cal swallowed. "I am The Protector… I have your armor in my closet… I…" Cal sighed. "I should have done something before Doomsday could have… I'm sorry… I love you Kara… I wish I could tell you about who I am, about what I've done in person… But I can tell you know, and hope you hear me…

"I told you the story of how I was… tortured… and I went into a three-week coma… Well, in that coma… I had to kinda… escape… It took me a while, but I managed to escape my own mind. From there, I went to this place… A pocket between dimensions… My, quote on quote, great-uncle Bartholomew met me… He looked at me and said, and I'll never forget these words, 'So you're the kid who's going to replace me? You don't look like much…' From there, for nearly 2 pain staking years, he taught me how to fight and, as best he could, how to use my powers. At first I was lonely, and I managed to convince him to let Mason join me… After all, he was the most trusted person I'd ever known. Bartholomew told me that if I was going to let Mason have knowledge of me, he'd have to be vetted very thoroughly. Together, Bartholomew and I vetted Mason, him teaching me both sides of scouting and espionage, and the like. He taught me how to avoid even someone as skilled as Batman… After a while, Bartholomew let Mason join, saying that Mason was probably the only person in the world that was trustworthy enough to keep such a secret. Well, after the 2 years, I was sent, as a sort of final test, to a dimension where a majority of our history never happened… I was one of the few people from our dimension that had even lived at all. I learned that I had been murdered by a pedophile at a young age, standing up for another kid. Well, it was an interesting dimension. There was internet and electricity, but they still all fought in the medieval style and no other technological advancements had happened. My final test was to lead about 300 fighters against Chronos and his army of demons. He had about 10000 demons and his second in command, Darren, who stabbed me and teleported me away yesterday. To us, Darren, who had powers similar to mine, was a legend. No one alive had ever seen him.

"When I first arrived, they said I was 'The Chosen'. Some were skeptical that I was the one sent to save them, as they should have been. I agreed with the skeptical, thinking that I was supposed to hide in the lower ranks and help from the shadows, as I was trained. But a majority vote made me their leader. I quickly learned that my thought process was different. My first objective was to teach everyone defense, which lacked very significantly. They scoffed at me, but did so. The next day, Chronos attacked. We only survived with absolutely no causalities because of what I had taught them, though a few people were injured. Even so, I and others were still skeptical. One girl, Annabeth Monroe, was offended that she wasn't chosen as leader. She challenged me to a duel, which had rules. The rules were that the current leader got only a wooden sword, while the challenger received a steel sword and shield. It took me a bit of effort, but with all that training I had received I managed okay. I ended up trapping her with her own weapons, and I could see the resentment in her hazel eyes. But in addition to resentment, I saw… admiration. She, even though she probably wouldn't ever have admitted it, wanted me to lead. When I had her trapped, that was when I realized I cared for her, even though I didn't know her very well yet. The next day, I did a little spirit and moral lift. I had everyone find either an equal or rival and they would spar to see who won. Worked fairly well, everyone had fun and everyone bonded a bit more. That night, Annabeth took some food and water and brought it to my tent. She gave me some and we talked. We grew closer. I decided that I wanted her as my second in command the next day. Well, we both thought Darren was a legend, someone that existed long ago. But we couldn't have been more wrong really. Darren was one of us… Darren was a spy in our camp. Annabeth was told that there was a spy, but she thought it was a hoax to make us turn against each other. On the last day…" Cal choked up. "On the last day, Annabeth saw Darren enter my command tent. I was focused on a stealthy plan that would get the least people killed. I didn't even hear him come in, but he did. He had a knife, and he raised it to kill me. He probably would have, but Annabeth threw herself between us and took it for me. I saw her in the corner of my eye, and I whipped around to see Darren and his creepy ass smile on his face, and Annabeth falling to the ground with a knife in her chest. I yelled, 'NO!' and kicked Darren, hard. He disappeared and I turned to Annabeth. She was dying really quickly, but she managed to say something I couldn't quite hear. I caught the words 'not' and 'fault' and I asked her if she was telling me if it wasn't my fault and she smiled and nodded… Then, I went on a rampage, and single handedly killed whatever demons were left. I attacked Chronos too, and I thought he wasn't coming back, but he did. That day, I almost went insane… In that short amount of time, I really cared about Annabeth. Not as much as you obviously, and in a different sort of way.

"For the last few years, I've had to live with that guilt, but when I took that psychological test… Someone kinda hijacked it. Time and Space, brothers, apparently are jealous of me… They tried to get me to give up being The Protector. But they couldn't convince me, so they started to torture me. After a while, something inside me snapped and I made a move. A single move, and they threw everything they had at me. I was numb with pain, but suddenly everything stopped and I saw her. I saw Annabeth and she told me she was sorry and explained everything… Then she disappeared." Cal swallowed. "That's not the whole truth… Before she disappeared, AS she disappeared, we kissed… I'm so sorry Kara… I… I didn't mean to cheat, but I did… I'm REALLY, really sorry… I got caught up in the moment…" He held Kara's hand a bit tighter. "I'm so sorry Kara, please forgive me… Forgive me because I love you…"

-Meanwhile-

Kara floated aimlessly in a white landscape. She landed on her feet and looked around, confused.

"Am I dead?" Kara asked herself aloud.

"No, you're not dead," a voice said behind her. Kara spun around to find a young woman dressed in a brilliant, deep green business suit looking at her. She snapped her fingers and a desk appeared behind her. She walked swiftly, her heels clicking on the white floor. She sat down at her desk and shuffled through some papers. Kara stood there standing, more confused than ever. The woman looked up at Kara. "Well, I'll explain everything in a second, but please, take a seat." She snapped her fingers again and a comfy chair appeared in front of the desk. Kara sat down, noticing a name tag on the desk reading 'Destiny'.

"So you're Destiny?" Kara asked. "How did you get your powers?"

"I was born with my powers," Destiny said without looking up. "And my name is Destiny, and I was born to control people's destinies." She moved some more papers around her cluttered desk. "Ah ha!" She pulled a thick folder out from under the papers and sat down. She opened it and sighed.

"Why am I here?" Kara asked. Destiny waved her hand as if to say 'that doesn't matter'.

"You're in a medically induced coma till someone that understands Kryptonian metabolism and physiology can help you. You took a beating, but you'll be fine as long as no stupid doctor poisons you with some medicine or another. Anyway," she looked up from the folder. "I'm just here to help you pass the time with some education." She stared at Kara's eyes. "Some education about Callum." Kara frowned, shocked and confused.

"What about Cal?" Kara asked slowly. Destiny frowned for a split second.

"Who? Oh yes, Callum. People call him Cal; I always forget that. Yes, Callum. I have noticed you two have grown quite close, and I figured that you should know more about him before your future unfolds. Callum has been destined to die since before he was born," Destiny said. She went through some more of the papers in the folder.

"Wait… That's how it works isn't it?" Kara asked. "I mean, people are destined to die when they're conceived?" Destiny looked at Kara.

"Oh no, that's not what I meant. I meant that Callum was supposed to die before he was even born," Destiny clarified. "In fact, Callum was supposed to die…" She looked at the papers once more. "87 times since he was conceived… Wow, really? 87 times? I hadn't realized the number grew that high…" She shrugged. "Anyway, he was supposed to die by so many different things in so many different ways. 2 snake bites, 12 falls to the death, 5 kidnappings gone wrong, 1 miscarriage, 34 gun shots, 28 stabs, and 5 pedophile/serial killers… Wow… The things he was destined to die from, and not to mention all the pain he was destined for…" She tossed the folder onto the top of the desk. "Callum was supposed to go through enough pain that the entire world could barely compete."

"But, you control destinies, why didn't you just not give him pain and death?" Kara asked. Destiny sighed.

"I control destinies, but I don't make them. They are automatically generated, and I have the power to alter them, but some people destinies I just can't keep altering… At least, he won't let me without good reason…" Destiny explained. "To us both, Callum was… a special exception…"

"Why?" Kara asked. "Why is Cal destined for pain and death and why is he a special exception?" Destiny sighed and looked up, almost as if she was listening to something. After a while, she looked back at Kara.

"As to why he is destined for pain and death is beyond comprehension for most. Simply put, the universe picked him as a scape goat," Destiny explained.

"Scape goat?" Kara asked. Destiny smiled to herself.

"The universe, every few centuries, picks someone person to suffer for the misdeeds of everyone, with a few requirements. The person has to have an innocent nature, come from nearly nothing, and they have to be both willing, deep down in their soul, and able to take it," Destiny said.

"So the universe is like an entity? It controls everything?" Kara asked. Destiny shook her head, her smooth, brown hair following her movements.

"Nothing controls everything. The universe is like nature. Nature happens, and no one can really explain why, but things can interfere with it. I, for instance, can alter it, but nature, above all else, is annoyingly relentless…" Destiny sighed.

"Ok, I think I get it, but what about Cal being a special exception?" Kara asked. Destiny looked up again, listening. After a few moments, she turned back to Kara.

"Callum is my son."