A/N: These chapters were written straight after the last one. So several years ago. I've been reading and re-reading them and am ready to post them.

(Also, because I finally found out who Darkseid's daughter is.)

Only ten chapters.


She was just a little girl, eleven years old. Like Ryan, she had been bounced throughout the foster system.

Like Ryan, she fell into the laps of the Kents.

"Naomi is- was my Chief of Staff." Jonathan frowned. "Maddie was her foster child. She didn't have any enemies and I make sure to keep my staff out of any business that might make enemies."

"She's a second-generation meteor-infected." Harry informed them seriously as he sat in the Kent's living room with Jonathan and Martha.

"Like Evan?" Martha asked, referring to their godson.

"Right."

"So you can clean her then."

"Yes… but that doesn't mean that I should." Harry said firmly. The Kents could see Harry was gearing up to explain and paid extra attention. "You remember the story of how I first met Scott and Emma? Mutants had just been stripped of their powers. It was like losing a sense or a limb.

"Maddie has had this ability for eleven years, unless she wants it removed then the only interference she receives from us is sending her to Lorna for lessons."

"Do we know what it is?" Jonathan asked.

"No. We will just have to ask her."

"Can she actually talk?"

Maddie hadn't said a word. Apparently this had been the case since her mother died years before.

"She has the physical ability. She just needs the mental and emotional encouragement."


Clark was sitting in his office chair with his feet on his desk and a folder in his hands. It was fascinating work done by some of Lex's people on examining the Orb before they made a decision on how to proceed.

His door opened and Bruce Wayne stomped in moodily before dropping onto his couch and glaring at his 'younger' friend.

"What happened this time?" Clark sighed as he put the folder down and moved to his armchair.

"I had a board meeting."

"And…?"

"And all they wanted to talk about was using Batman to sell products." Bruce said in disgust. "I kept telling them no, but they wouldn't let it go!

"Why don't you have to deal with this sort of thing? My manor is staked out but the farm and castle are free!"

"First of all, with all our identities being revealed, I had security tripled at the farm. It wasn't hard as Amara and Dani bought all the surrounding land years ago.

"Second, Harry just put up more magical protections on the castle so the press couldn't find it. Chloe was not pleased when she couldn't get home last week."

"So I just have to ask Harry to put the same measures on the Manor?"

"You could." Clark allowed. "But remember that you often hold events there. If any of your invitees have media connections…"

"I'll ask Harry and the others for advice." Bruce grumbled. "This still doesn't help me with my company."

"Well, that's the problem. You aren't treating it like your company. Your name is the name of the company. Fire the board if you have to."

"Clark, I'm not immortal and I don't have the ability to alter time at home so I can get extra sleep. I can't run the company by myself."

"I don't run MBI on my own." Clark countered. "Takami does most of the work. She has people who work for her. I have final say on whether something happens or not but otherwise I sit here, read proposals and progress reports and wait for my night time patrols."

"What does Lex do?"

"Stays out of sight."


"Do you understand now? You can't work alone. Not in the way you have been. You caused deaths and some of them were not justified.

"It's why we work with others to make sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are going after the right people."

"They made their choice. I don't regret what I did to them."

Lex sighed as he sat in his manor, opposite him was Andrea Rojas. He had sent her to the X-Men's world in the hopes that she would see just how outmatched she was.

It worked to a degree, but she still had a major attitude.

For now she would be assigned to one of the Amazon squads who aided Superman in patrolling Metropolis.


Maddie McKnight was clearly being overwhelmed. This was fairly typical for anyone used to dealing with Kusano Potter.

Unfortunately for eleven-year-old Maddie, Kusano now came with her own posse. Carefully following the pair around were Thor Odinson and Jessica Jenkins. Thor was three and a half and Jessica was five.

The three were constantly questioning Martha and Jonathan about when Evan would be able to play with them.

At the moment, they were dragging poor Maddie around and showing her everything they knew and loved about the farm. Chiho and Uzume were happily chaperoning them.

"Is everything ok, Ryan?" Amara asked the teen as she cleaned the counter-top in the farmhouse kitchen. "I'm surprised you aren't out there with Chiho and Ku."

Ryan had a serious look on his face. "I'm currently avoiding Maddie."

"Did something happen?" Martha asked as she placed a tray of glasses on the kitchen table.

"I got confused when we were talking to her. I forgot that she doesn't speak as opposed to speaking quietly. I was listening too hard and didn't realise I was responding to her thoughts and not her words.

"I think I freaked her out."

"But it was an honest mistake, yes?" Amara said sympathetically.

"Yeah, but it's not like I can explain it to her. Chiho said she would try and smooth things out. I'm just gonna stay clear till then."

"Maybe you should ask the other telepaths if they've ever had the same issues." Amara suggested. "If nothing else you can warn them of the possible pitfall."

Ryan just scoffed. "They've been around for thousands of years. They've probably experienced everything."

"Don't be silly, Ryan." Martha admonished. "Harry and the others always say that many of the things they have witnessed in our universe are completely new to them. Harry had never encountered a null magic area until he was kidnapped to the Hidden City."

"I guess." He sighed. "I'll talk to them this evening if none of them come over before then." He said as he walked out of the house.

"What's wrong with him?" Amara asked curiously.

Martha just smirked. "He misses Chiho at school. She spends so much of his free time in Japan at university and he is stuck at Smallville High for the next year.

"It doesn't help that Chiho seems very happy with her school work as long as she has Uzume."

"Here's hoping they can pull through."


"Alright girls, I think Maddie can use a rest now." Uzume admonished the little ones lightly.

"But we haven't taught her about how to ride the horses!" Kusano protested.

"Ku, you didn't learn it all in one day." Chiho reminded her. "Save something for her to learn tomorrow."

Thor looked like she was going to protest some more but Kusano reluctantly agreed.

"Good afternoon ladies." Came the posh and polite British tones of Neville Longbottom.

The three younger girls giggled as they curtsied as they had been taught, even though Thor was wearing dungarees.

"Hi Uncle Nevie." Thor waved happily.

"Thor, Jessica, Kusano, won't you introduce me to your new friend?"

Thor immediately grabbed Maddie by the hand and dragged her forward.

"Gently, Thor. Remember your strength." Uzume warned. The little goddess was still getting used to the differences between the Aesir of home and the humans of Midgard.

Jessica quickly moved things on as she saw their littlest friend start to panic. "Uncle Neville, this is Maddie. Maddie, this is Uncle Neville."

Maddie frowned as she looked between the white skinned tall man and the dark skinned small girl.

"We aren't related." Neville explained with a smile. "I am a close friend of the family."

"You are Daddy's brother. That makes you my uncle." Kusano corrected him.

"Yes, but you are adopted and so are Harry and myself."

"You don't share any genetics, remember Ku?" Chiho explained.

"Well, that is a lesson for a later date." Neville said firmly. He didn't want to get dragged into the minefield of The Birds and The Bees with three pre-teens. "Maddie, would you come and sit with me for a bit on the porch? I'd like to talk to you."

Maddie really didn't look like she wanted to do that. Kusano didn't seem to notice. "Ok, but don't be too long. We need to wash up for dinner." She lectured.

"Yes Miss Kusano." Neville bowed quickly making Thor laugh. "Come on Maddie, I don't bite."

"Maddie, would you like me or Uzume to come with you?" Chiho asked the clearly scared girl.

Maddie immediately grabbed Chiho's hand.

Chiho patted the hand and turned to Uzume. "Ryan is coming to help you with the girls."

Sure enough, as the trio of Chiho, Maddie and Neville approached the house, Ryan was exiting. He gave them a generous berth for Maddie's sake.

Chiho and Maddie sat on the swinging porch bench that Xander had built and installed. Neville perched on the railing.

"Maddie, you've seen how Chiho and the others have been using magic and powers on the farm, yes?"

The girl nodded. She had seen a lot of amazing things that day.

"So, you shouldn't be surprised that we know about your ability."

She paled.

"Relax, we know you aren't responsible for Naomi's death." Neville assured her. "We even captured the person who did do it.

"It was your birth father. Now, don't worry, he can't harm you and we won't let him get free. We just wanted you to know so you can stop worrying."

"Hello Maddie."

The girl gasped at the tall woman in red, blue and gold armour who had appeared behind Neville.

"I take it you recognise me?" Wonder Woman asked with a smile as she moved around the railing to sit next to Neville.

Maddie nodded vigorously.

"Well, Neville here is one of my brothers-in-law. Chiho is like a sister. Little Kusano and Thor are also like my sisters."

The girl looked between Wonder Woman and Chiho in awe.

"As Neville told you, we know about your ability to control glass with your mind. We want you to go to school here in Smallville where you can learn to control it better. You'd be learning from the same people that taught Superman."

"Superman?" It was the first word she'd spoken to another human in years.


"Tell me what happened. Start from before the beginning."

"Again?"

Superman rolled his eyes at the whining Avatar of Time.

"Suck it up, Flash!" Green Lantern, John Stewart barked. "We just had to bail you out of jail. You are lucky the magical protections prevent people recognising your civilian form when you're in costume."

Yes, people knew that Barry Allen was The Flash. They also knew that Clark Kent was Superman and the superhero identities of all members of what was now being called 'The Shield'.

But they didn't know the civilian identities of the superheroes. It was a nuance. It meant that they didn't have to be disrespected by scum when they were in costume.

Batman didn't have to worry about taunts and threats about his riches and dead parents. The Flash didn't have to deal with jurisdictional issues when he crossed between precincts or cities because he was a cop.

Wonder Woman and Superman didn't have to deal with idiotic reporters looking to dig up imaginary dirt to make a quick buck and a chance at fame.

But the issue for the moment was The Flash being arrested for stealing isotopes from a lab and not remembering anything about it. Especially as both The Flash and Green Lantern, John Stewart, had foiled a similar robbery the previous day.

"Flash?" Superman prodded.

"I don't remember anything after getting into that chase with the gorilla driving the car."

"A gorilla?"

Flash just glared at him. "Do you want to get Chloe or Wonder Woman here?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of the White Queen." Superman responded. "That way I could see the gorilla and maybe we could learn some more."

"Oh... sure, that'll work."


"Do you think Steve Rogers would mind if I resurrected him?"

Lorna looked at her husband and soulmate as he stood in the doorway of her office. "Why?"

"So someone else can deal with all this crap I keep getting from the government about the heroes."

"Honey, I'm fairly certain that, not only would Steve 'mind', he would also make several attempts to kill you… and damned the consequences." She told him dryly.

Harry slumped. "Yeah… Luna even threatened to help him."

"So you just came here to complain?" She smirked.

Harry slumped in the chair opposite her desk. "Today is pretty much my last day at the school. Jason's too."

"Someone complained?" Lorna frowned.

"No, unlike Scott, Emma and Laura, Jason and I are publicly known. Aside from putting the students at risk, we can't get any work done because the students are in awe."

"But they've known what you can do for ages! They can all do what you can."

Harry just shrugged. "Celebrityism."

"That's not a word."

"Sure it is."

"Don't make me hurt you."

"Like you'd even try. You love me too much."

"I'll tell Aphrodite."

"Over a literacy dispute?"

"Or Chloe."

"God no! That girl needs to be banned from politics. She can argue for anything!"


Superman, The Flash and Green Lantern had managed to track down the gorilla that The Flash had been chasing the previous day. It turned out to be a very intelligent being from a hidden city populated with gorillas of similar intelligence.

This Gorilla was called Solovar and he was hunting another Gorilla named Grodd.

"So you're a bounty hunter?" Green Lantern frowned.

"No. I am the Chief of Security for Gorilla City." Solovar said firmly. He stood tall on his legs with grey fur.

"Why come out personally?" Superman queried.

"Because it is personal." Solovar growled. "This happened on my watch. Grodd developed some sort of mind control. He's been working with some human female called Corwin."

"Doctor Sarah Corwin?" The Flash asked. "At the labs where we interviewed her after the robbery, there was a gorilla there in one of the enclosures."

"Hiding in plain sight." Solovar snarled. "Like I said, the bastard is sneaky as well as a genius."

"Let's go and get him then." Lantern nodded.

"Here, these headbands will neutralise his mind control ray. I only have three."

"You've got this covered." Superman assured them. "I'll head back home for now."


"Why are they all looking at me?"

Kyla and Lana smirked at the beautiful, blonde and currently disturbed Kryptonian teen.

"Because you are unique in this country." Kyla answered. "The majority of natives have dark hair and eyes. You have bright blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Chloe has the same problem." Lana assured her.

They were sitting at the outdoor tables for the university cafeteria in Japan. There was little point in subjecting Kara to High School life but she could certainly benefit from learning at university with people her own age.

Whilst in classes the Amazons applied the translation charm on her. Outside she survived without so she could learn the language properly.

"Tskuimi has it worse." Kyla grinned. "She has blonde hair, blue eyes and a bust that puts porn stars to shame."

"One of these days I'm going to get you in a lab and I'm going to discover the truth." Lana eyed her sister glibly.

"What truth?"

"That you are a Sekirei."

Kyla was fairly open about sex. Others would call her crass or rude.

"These history classes are disturbing." Kara interrupted in the hopes of moving the conversation away from her baby cousin's love life. "So much death and destruction. But you still keep those weapons around."

"As Harry pointed out before, some of those weapons do have reasonable uses." Lana answered. "Unfortunately, the governments don't keep them for those uses."

"Besides, Harry and the others have already neutralised the nuclear weapons."

"I really hope someone tries to launch one of those!" They looked up to see Uzume and Chiho join them.

"You should probably settle for Harry's memories." Lana glared at the Sekirei. "Launching a nuclear missile will cause untold panic."

Uzume pouted. "I bet it would be so much fun."

Kara frowned as the girls suddenly looked distracted. They then seemed to snap back to reality and stood as one.

"I swear to God, if some idiot is doing that 'city under a dome' thing again… I'm going to inflict some pain." Kyla grumbled.

"We just got a call for all hands on deck." Lana explained for Kara. "Central City has apparently vanished. Except it hasn't. We need to go and help with crowd control."

"What should I do?" She asked, she was very much out of her depth.

"You can come with me to Izumo Inn." Chiho offered.

"I could help with the missing city." Kara suggested.

Kyla and Lana shared a look.

"This probably isn't the best option for your first outing with us." Lana said apologetically. "We'll talk to the others and see if we can get you cleared to accompany us during one of our patrols of Metropolis or another city."

"We will go to the castle instead." Chiho decided with finality. "We can help with the monitoring and coordination."


Twenty minutes after they arrived in the Great Hall everything was on high alert. Grodd had somehow managed to evade The Flash and Green Lantern and fire four nuclear missiles at the Hidden Gorilla City.

Despite that, everyone seemed far too calm.

"I've seen the images of the Japanese cities!" Kara was trying not to panic. "Those missiles could destroy half the continent!"

"No, these missiles were personally modified by Logan and myself." Emma assured her. "The only damage they will cause is panic."

"You've already admitted that you couldn't have gotten all of the missiles, and that people have been making new ones, what if the rest of the world fires theirs? Isn't that the Mutually Assured Destruction they are talking about in class?" She asked Chiho.

It was Emma who responded. "Kara, we tagged every missile we modified. If one gets fired that we missed then it will be dealt with by your cousin and his team." She assured the teen.

"Miss Frost, if these missiles are safe, maybe this would be a good opportunity to work with Superman and experience what he does." Chiho suggested tentatively.

Emma regarded the young Ashikabi for a moment before closing her eyes in thought.

Emma eventually waved her hand at the Kryptonian causing her casual jeans and blouse to become tight, long-sleeved blue top with thigh-high red boots, a short red skirt and a red cape. The emblem of the House of El was on her chest.

"This was designed for you by Lana. Your code name is 'Supergirl'. Like your cousin you are a symbol of hope, you are a defender of the innocent.

"Laura, could you take her to Superman?"

"On it." The mutant clone nodded before she left her station and vanished with Kara.

Emma gave Chiho a reassuring smile. "It is a good idea, Chiho. The rest is up to Kara to prove herself."


Sitting calmly in an armchair at Oval Office in Washington, Lex watched with undisguised amusement as military officials ran around like headless chickens attempting to seem like they were useful.

Next to him was General Lane. Across the desk President Jonathan Horne stared at Lex, his expression was tense but patient.

"Mister President! A new player has been spotted with Superman!" An Air Force general announced frantically.

"Anything we should worry about, Mister Luthor?" Horne queried tightly.

"A relative of Superman's." Lex shrugged. "She wanted to help and it was agreed that this would be a relatively safe event to test her on."

"Why weren't we informed of another alien on the planet?" The Vice-President demanded.

"Because it is none of your business." Lex glared at the man.

"You are purposefully withholding information from the United States Government. Do not think for a second that we will not arrest you and try you for treason."

"Do you support that stance, Mister President?" Lex asked.

"No. But I would hope you understand just how much harder it makes it for us to trust you."

"Then let me be frank; We don't care if you trust us. We don't trust you. After all we have had to do for America over the past few years… it will be some time before you can earn the trust of myself and my team.

"The world knows who we are now. Threatening us will simply see us leave this country and make our homes in one of the Alliance countries. They have our trust and respect.

"And do bear in mind that we will uproot our business and take them with us."

Silence descended on the Oval Office as everyone stared wide-eyed at the formerly bald billionaire.

"You'd cripple the country." The President's Chief of Staff whispered, horror clear in his voice.

"You're bluffing." The VP sneered. "You and the heroes would never tarnish your own reputations. Pulling your businesses from America would cause untold strife for your current employees."

"Do you remember the Mars Invasion?" Lex asked with a small smirk. "My friends could have easily stopped your missiles before they hit the planet. But they knew that if they did, you would never learn.

"Millions died that day. But hopefully you've realised just how stupid it was to unilaterally attack a potentially unaware civilisation.

"It cost millions of lives, property damage… and perhaps most importantly to the American people, it cost them the right to self-govern.

"If we are forced to leave the country then yes, America will be crippled. You will have to call on aid from other countries. But, chances are, the American people will want you tossed out of office.

"That means the Alliance will have to step in again. They may decide to maintain a greater level of influence instead of backing away completely."

"The United States of America will never submit to foreigners." The VP snarled.

"Enough." Horne said firmly. "As of this time the Shield Team has posed no threat to America. They have proven themselves as protectors of the people-"

"Actually, Mister President, I have a report that says the so-called 'hero' going by 'The Flash', was arrested yesterday for stealing highly regulated radioactive isotopes." The Vice-President smirked as he handed over a police report.

Horne placed the file on his desk, not looking at it. He simply looked at Lex.

Lex inclined his head in appreciation of opportunity to explain. "Yesterday The Flash and the Green Lantern foiled an attempted robbery by two scientists of the same isotopes. When they were caught they had no memory of what they had done and couldn't explain it.

"Following up a related lead, the two Shield members encountered an event that caused The Flash to experience the same situation as the two scientists.

"Mind control was employed on the two scientists and The Flash. The party responsible is the one who launched those missiles."

"Mind control?" The VP scoffed. "What fantasy will you come up with next?"

"How about a man with the ability to fly through space faster than a bullet, who can lift buildings on his shoulders? What about a woman with wings like a hawk who comes from another planet?" Lex retorted.

"Mister Dyne, please take a seat and leave us alone for now." Horne said, never looking away from Lex.

"Jonath-"

"Now, Mister Dyne."

Vice-President Dyne gave Lex a look of such loathing before he stormed off.

"Mister Luthor, whilst I am aware and can, to some extent, understand why you work in secret and under the radar, you and your people need to remember that the United States of America is a sovereign nation.

"We are entitled to protect our borders, police our lands and enforce our laws. Every visitor, be they immigrant, tourist or temporary worker, is required to register at the border.

"This applies to visitors and immigrants from other planets as well."

Lex went to speak but Horne held up his hand.

"I realise that asking them to apply for a visa and passport is not practical, but something must be done. Regardless of how they came to this planet, they are living, working and operating in the United States of America.

"They, like yourself, bring weapons of incredible power to our country and use them without license or warning. We regulate gun sales and we expect you and your team to ensure that their weapons are registered appropriately.

"Are we clear, Mister Luthor?"

Lex was not happy. His amused and casual demeanour was gone and his face was now stone cold. "My friends and I are open with the Alliance. They have-"

"I'm not interested in arguing with you Mister Luthor." Horned interrupted, his voice was becoming angry. "This is not a negotiation."

"Sounds more like blackmail and threats to me."

Weapons were pulled and aimed at the relaxed and seated form of Harry Potter as he appeared in the President's chair. Jonathan Horne found himself seated in a chair identical to the one Luthor and Lane sat in as he was between them.

"I'd advise against trying to harm Doctor Potter." Lex said quickly. "Put one hair out of place on his head and he won't be the only person invading this office."

"Sir, I've seen what happens to people who attack Harry Potter." General Sam Lane added. "Superman would be the least of your worries."

Truth be told, he was actually more worried about what his daughter would do. Lois might be a maverick and a loose cannon, but she was incredibly loyal and determined.

Evidenced by how she had strong armed Clark into helping her investigate Chloe's 'death' a year or so earlier.

"Lower your weapons." Horne was just as unhappy giving the order as the agents were following it.

"Tell me, Jonathan, what demands has Lex, Superman and their friends made of the United States?" Harry asked as he plopped his feet on the infamous desk.

"Complete autonomy and secrecy."

"They never demanded that. They simply declined your demands for information you weren't entitled to.

"How about this; define the strain or drain that Lex, Superman and their friends have placed on the United States."

"They live in this country and don't pay taxes or register."

"Actually, they are all tax paying citizens. Furthermore, Lex, Bruce and Clark are the top three contributors to this country's economy."

Jonathan mentally stalled as he realised he now knew the civilian identities of the two heroes currently in the field.

He mentally rallied. "They have caused millions in property damage."

"Now that is slander." Harry pointed his finger at the President calmly. "We both know that the only damage caused is by the people they were trying to stop. Had they not intervened… Darkseid would have levelled every city on the planet, as would the invaders from Mars, Brainiac, Poison Ivy… do remember what I told you a second ago, they are all tax paying citizens. That entitles them to take legal action for things like slander and libel."

"Mister President, you seem to be forgetting the important points." Lex re-entered the conversation. "At this moment in time, four high-yield nuclear missiles, belonging to the United States of America, are heading for a foreign country.

"Let's forget the fact that they weren't actually fired on the orders of your government for a moment and focus on the fact that America had these weapons and was unable to keep them secure."

"Perhaps you should remember that it was a foreign party that infiltrated the nuclear base and fired them. A foreign party that had far superior technology and methods." Horne said heatedly.

Harry just laughed. "That's exactly what Lex was getting at. You failed to keep those missiles secure and now the Shield team is having to fix your cock up."

"Sir, the missiles have been stopped." A general informed them quietly.

"How?" Horne asked.

"The new player ripped the war heads off and tossed the missile bodies to the ocean. The Green Lantern was spotted flying off with the war heads."

The President's head snapped to Harry. "Where is he taking them?" He demanded.

"Probably for disposal."

"That is United States property!"

"Finders keepers." Harry smiled darkly. "Don't make me confiscate the rest of your missiles."

Harry stood abruptly, this caused the agents to tense.

"Well, the situation has been resolved." He said as he stretched. "I don't know about you Lex, but I feel your efforts to come here and liaise with the White House was a waste of time."

Lex stood as well. "It seemed like the right thing to do."

"Pearls before swine, Lex. Pearls before swine." Harry lectured before he vanished, taking Lex with him.

Horne scowled and stood before moving back to his desk. "General Lane, this situation is untenable." He told the one armed soldier. "You need to convince Potter and his people to work with us. If they keep pushing their luck then the next administration may well be one that declares war on Shield."

"Sir, we've already seen what the end result of that will be. It's how you became elected." Sam Lane was tired, he hated politics.

"I ran for office with the intention of working to greater cooperation and collaboration with our allies." Horne lectured. "Potter doesn't seem interested in anything of the sort.

"I've managed to rebuild the bridges burnt by the previous administration. Britain, Canada, France… almost all are back on board with us.

"How is it going to look to them when they see Shield isn't willing to work as a team.

"It won't just be America they are fighting against."

Sam frowned thoughtfully. "A team? What is the United States offering as a part of 'a team'?"

"Intel!" Horne said in frustration. "Experience, logistics and communication! Man power!

"With our assets we could direct the Shield team to areas that need the most help!"

"Sir… you just said the words that would ensure they never work with you." Sam grimaced. "'We could direct'. You are demanding command and control of some of the oldest and most experienced beings in the galaxy. These people have seen civilisations rise and fall.

"At the moment you sound like my oldest daughter when she tried to tell the contractors how to build a wall because she had just finished her very first Lego house."

The President steamed at that analogy, but he could see the point. "And what would you suggest, General?" He asked in clipped tones. "These people act with impunity. They fly over the skies of America and perform, admittedly, amazing acts. But we can't explain those acts to the people who have to sit there and wonder why Superman was beating the shit out of a robot that morning."

Much to Horne's annoyance, Sam chuckled. "I'm not sure you'd want to tell the people the reasons behind most of those. The number of failed military experiments that have brought the country to the brink of disaster is… frightening."

Sam became serious. "They will never accept you trying to tell them what to do. Or what they can and cannot do. If you are asking to be kept in the loop and informed of events then try assigning a liaison who can receive standardised reports.

"They aren't interested in ruling over the country like gods. They just want to do what they do every day. Luthor, Wayne and Kent spend their days in offices and boardrooms overseeing their companies.

"Potter treats patients at the medical centre.

"The rest work on farms or at the school where they teach young people with powers, control."

"School?" Horne perked up.

"I have met several children who have powers that meant they could never have a fulfilling life due to their abilities. There was a baby who literally was emitting a dangerous energy field. It would have killed him and anyone around him if Potter hadn't neutralised the ability."

"And what happens to these children when they leave the school? Do they immediately become part of Shield?"

"No, they find a job, someone to love. Buy a house and settle down."


"Solovar says that Grodd is now in custody." Batman reported as the usual group met in the Great hall. "He appears to have reverted to a primitive mind-set.

"I believe it would be prudent to have either a telepath, Chloe or Wonder Woman make sure."

"The Flash needs to go through some better training." Green Lantern said sternly.

"Hey! Because of me we won!" The aforementioned speedster objected.

"You had Grodd at your mercy and you toyed with him." Lantern lectured. "You had your hands on his mind control helmet and you merely crossed some wires! You didn't even know what those wires did!

"You could have easily taken the helmet leaving me free to trap him with my ring."

"He has a point, Flash." Cyborg spoke up. "I've been looking over the scans Green Lantern took and you could easily have blown yourself up instead."

"I think we can arrange to send you off for some war games." Brunhilde ended the argument. "It will also help you integrate Supergirl into your team better."

"Speaking of, you did great out there." Scott assured the teen. "I'm curious, was it your idea to remove the war heads or did some one instruct you?"

"Kal told me what to do." She admitted somewhat shamed.

"That's fine." He assured her. "You are going to be part of a team. Following orders and instructions is just as important as giving them."

"I've spoken with Solovar and he has agreed to arrange a meeting between Amara and their leaders." Superman informed them. "Aquaman, I didn't want to speak on your behalf but it might be beneficial for everyone if Atlantis was to engage in discourse with Gorilla City."

The gold shirted king frowned. "I have no objection, but in what way would it be beneficial?"

"Atlantis and Gorilla City aren't part of the Alliance. Both are in open communication and cooperation with the Alliance, though. An independent connection between your two people may help strengthen your positions should you become more involved with the world at large."

"We will discuss this later." Orin nodded.

"Do we want to discuss the situation with the US Government and Shield, or save it for another forum?" Lex asked.

"There is very little to discuss." Harry shrugged. "We made it clear that we are willing to work with the government, they are just unwilling to accept anything less than control."

"Maybe it is time we made a legitimate and legal play for control of America." Lex suggested.

"As in…?" Dani asked curiously.

"One of us runs for President. I have plenty of connections that are interested in getting Jonathan moved up to the U.S. Senate.

"I can take another run at the local senate. We can put more focus on getting Jonathan into the Oval Office within the next two decades."

"Dad says he won't run for the White House." Superman shook his head. "He doesn't want to try and deal with the possible arguments and accusations that come with adopting an extra-terrestrial that couldn't be registered."

"And no one not born in this United States will run either." Jean said firmly. "Not until the law is changed to allow it, at least."

"Which means we either narrow the pool substantially or expand our group a bit." Jason said thoughtfully. He noticed everyone looking at him scowled. "I will not be going into politics."

"What about Bruce or Virgil?" The Flash spoke up.

"I have been warned against running for office." Batman responded quickly. "I have been shown reasonable evidence that suggests it would not bode well for my mental health and therefore, the country."

"Virgil, then." Jason shrugged.

"He's not into politics either." Harry smiled.

"Someone like Virgil can run the same way Jonathan did." Dani suggested. "We give him a team to handle the minutia and politics and he just sets the moral stance for his administration.

"He'd be a figure head and leader as opposed to a policy maker."

"All we can do is ask." Superman said firmly.