A/N: As I said, I'm a stickler for 'real-life' detail. While the 1950's 30 kiloton nuke test did take place in the US, it actually happened at/to the London Silver Vault. But I'd be hard pressed to explain Superman's presence in the UK. He is barely tolerated in the US, I can't have him foiling crimes in other parts of the world. Not yet anyway.

*****************************************************************************************************************************
12.15PM, Smallville

Clark's cellphone trilled in the breast pocket of his flannel shirt. He ignored it. The massive steel sheet above him was more important. He welded both ends with his heat vision and cut out a rough shape in the metal. The barn was getting quite warm now. Satisfied with the measurements, he finally answered his battered phone. Maybe Batman could get him an indestructible phone. That would be nice. The screen was cracked, so he couldn't see the caller ID. But he was pretty sure he knew who was calling him.

"It's my day off Lois. This had better be pretty damn good."

On the other end of the line, Lois balked. Clark hardly ever spoke like that. Normally he was extremely slow to anger.

"Smallville, have you seen the news?"

"Pardon?" He asked as he cut another hole into the metal sheet.

"I said have you seen the news?"

"Er.. No."

"Why not?"

"Lois, I'm really busy right now, and I'm kind of far away from my computer and television. Is this important?"

"Important? It's freaking revolutionary. Look, just...switch on your TV when you get to it or something, it's sure to be running there. You do have a TV right?"

"Yes Ma'am, I do has me one o' them Tee-Vees. Jesus Lois, I'm not a fu...reaking hillbilly." He said irritably. He cut off the connection.

12.15PM, Metropolis,Daily Planet Offices

Lois looked down at the screen of her I-phone.

"He hung up on me. Me." she said. The tiniest of smiles was on her face as she said it. "Mmh." Jimmy said, his eyes riveted on the TV screen. Her attention went back to it, just like everyone else in the office.

The television volume was turned up.

The White House

"...will be a force to be reckoned with. And now without further ado, allow me to introduce to you the founding members of this team. They are, Captain Atom. Wonder Woman. Black Canary. Green Lantern. Hawkman. Katana. And Catwoman. Do we have any questions?"
The Chief of Staff asked as he blinked at the blinding flashes from the cameras. There was a flurry of activity and voices.

"Please, one at a time."

"Elise McDowell, Wall Street Journal. Where exactly did you get the members of this team? I mean we've heard of the Princess,but that's the only person we've heard of. Who are these others? At best we've only heard rumors about them. And what's the criteria for recruitment?"

The Chief of Staff was a veteran of the old days, he had been a fixer at the White House for years prior to landing this position,which he had held for nearly 10 years.
He got here because he was very good at his job. For the first time in his career however, he had no idea how to answer the questions posed to him. He had only learned of the JLA moments before.
Elise McDowell was a veteran too. A bulldog reporter who had started as a cub reporter at the Boston Globe,making a name for herself over the years.
Leave it to her to bust his balls with such tough questions.
But being an experienced man, he maintained a poker face.

Murmurs spread around the room. He would have to think of something, fast.

"Well Elise, that was a lot more than one question." He joked.
He made eye contact with Diana as the assembled press members laughed. She got the message.
Thank god at least one of these people was a professional.

"C'mon Henry. You're stalling."

"I am McDowell, you know me too well. I'll let those with better qualifications than I answer those questions."

Diana stepped over to the microphone.
She wore her Champions armor, despite the White House advisors begging her to cover up. The way she saw it, if people couldn't even look past her clothing, then those weren't people who's opinion she cared for. The Chief of Staff stepped aside with masterfully hidden relief.

"Good afternoon all. I hope you are well. To answer your questions Miss McDowell,the members of the Justice League of America are drawn from various ranks. Some are civilians, some are drawn from the ranks of the military,government and law enforcement agencies. Some, like Hawkman, are alien in nature. We do not discriminate. All those who hear the call and pass our stringent conditions will be allowed to serve on the team. We thought it best to mix and match. Strength in diversity." she smiled a textbook photo smile, and the room exploded with camera flashes as more voices clamoured to have their questions answered.

"Yes, you sir."

"Anderson Mathews, USA Today. How are we supposed to trust aliens on the team? How do we know they won't turn against us?"

"Mr Mathews, I should think that what is good enough for your government is good enough for you. Unless of course, you doubt the wisdom and ability of the very people whom you elected to make these decisions for you."

"I do trust my government. It's the aliens I have difficulty with."

Laughter from the audience.

Under his helmet,Hawkman's jaw clenched tightly. He felt ready to rip the man's head off. Where did he get off asking if they could trust him? How could HE trust them? He didn't ask to be here. If he had his way he'd be back on Thanagar, away from all these bickering humans with their petty concerns. But he could never go back.. Not after what happened. Trust.. what did they know of it? Had they earned HIS trust? His fists clenched so hard the white adhesive tape wrapped around his hand burst at the knuckles. His wings twitched.

"Easy now." Katana whispered beside him, her lips unmoving. She could feel the anger coming off of him like heat from a flame. Hawkman was so surprised she had spoken his rage dissipated immediately. He barely stopped himself from turning his head to face her.

"Mr Mathews, I am no more human than he is, yet you seem to have no problem trusting me. Perhaps it is because he looks so different?"

"Well..."

"In that case I would ask you to remember a very simple phrase often used by humans. 'Don't judge a book by it's cover'."

"With all due respect Princess, that's just too easy."

"Apparently not." More laughter. "Hawkman has been living among you for years now. He chose to do so, as I have. If your first concern whenever you meet someone that looks a little different from you is that he or she will try to exterminate or enslave you, then I think that says more about your ideals as a people-or lack thereof-than anything else."

Mathews knew when he was beaten. He sat down without saying another word. The reporters clamoured for her attention.

"Order please. I can only take a few more questions. Yes, you sir."

A heavily bearded man with incredibly long hair rose from his seat.

"Alan Moore, the Telegraph. As my colleague said earlier, we've only heard rumors about the team members. For example, we've heard that Captain Atom has nuclear based powers. There are fears of him...leaking, for lack of a better word, radioactive energy."

To his credit, Captain Atom remained impassive, like a chrome statue with his hands clasped behind his back in a classic military pose. There was a brief pause. The very air seemed to buzz with anticipation.

"I did not hear a question." Diana said plainly. More laughter,but it was uneasy. The press could see that despite her youth and physical appearance this was not someone they would easily bait. The Chief of Staff smiled.

"Fair enough. Frankly speaking, many around the world are worried about the effects of a walking nuclear reactor. We don't want another Chernobyl, you see. What guarantee do we have that his abilities aren't harmful to..." he searched in vain for the right words.

"Normal people?" Diana finished sternly.

"Well...er...yes."

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments.

Someone coughed.

A chair scraped.

A message tone pinged.

Diana let it drag for a second or two longer.

"Mr..."

"Moore."

"Mr Moore. Captain Atom has been working with scientists from the US Military division DARPA for several years now, studying the range and effects of his abilities to their absolute limits. So far they have concluded that his energy is well contained within him, so I would not worry about any 'leakage'. I can give you no guarantees because there is no such thing as a sure thing, but his abilities are not harmful to 'normal' people. No more harmful than the batteries in your cell phones, the waste dumped in your oceans, the fumes from your vehicles or the sugar in your tea. Does that answer your question?"

The implication was clear. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

"...Yes. Yes it does." Moore replied. She smiled again, but it was a cold smile. This time no one laughed, or took photos.

"Anyone else?" it sounded more like a challenge than an invitation.

Silence. No one wanted to get whipped. Much less on live television.

Daily Planet Offices

"Oh, she's good. I think Washington is going to like her very much." Lois commented.

"Sshh!"

The White House

One man rose from his seat.

He was elderly, certainly the oldest, most experienced journalist there.
He had worked for the Chicago Tribune and New York Times, and now he was with Associated Press.

"Jules Slater, AFP. I can't believe no one has asked this yet. Are you going to recruit Superman?"

Here Diana smiled her first genuine smile of the briefing.

"We will recruit anyone who wishes to join us."

"Even Superman?" He pressed.

"Even Superman." she repeated.

There was silence for a second, only a second, before all hell broke loose.
Voices ran over each other like a waterfall as everyone fired off their questions. Diana was a little taken aback. The Chief of Staff stepped in to cut them off.

"Thank you, that'll be all for today. We are very busy here at the White House as I'm sure you can imagine. Have a good afternoon."

Daily Planet Offices

The TV screens went mute as the footage continued to play out. Perry White walked slowly into the center of the room, holding the universal remote. He stood silently for a long time, ensuring he had everyone's undivided attention.

"I'm not going to give you a rousing speech, god knows that's not my style. I don't think I have to tell you what this means either. If you still need that at this stage then you're in the wrong line of work. Get cracking. Now." He walked back into his office as everyone in the room rushed to their work-stations.

"We're witnessing the birth of a new world order Carrot Top. This changes everything. Everything Jimmy."

"It sure does. I wonder if Superman'll join them."

"Somehow I don't think he'll have much choice."

"Nonsense. You always have a choice."

"Very cheesy Jimmy."

"It's also true, Lois."

"What if the choice is death or destruction?"

"It's not like they said 'join us or die'."

"Uh-uh-uh. Answer the question."

"Well, yes. Death and destruction are still choices. They're just not particularly sunny choices."

"You know that actually makes a lot of sense Jimmy. Clark hung up on me and you actually said something coherent. I think I've seen it all now."

"Well thanks Lois... I think."

Perry White's grizzled head poked out of his office.

"Olsen!Lane! Where the hell is Kent! Get him in here yesterday! Reporters don't get time off on days like this!" He slammed the door without waiting for a reply.

"You know, he would have made a hell of a drill sergeant." Jimmy said.

"I don't even think there were question marks in that statement." Lois replied.

"Well, you heard him. Let's go get Clark."

"You know where he lives?"

"Oh yeah. It's not too far off actually. But first, lunch."

"I'm buying."

"You'd better, because I'm broke."

"Been treating Veronica again Archie?"

"So Cat Grant likes good things. Who doesn't? That doesn't make her Veronica Lodge."

"Oh? So she's Betty is she?"

"No...But you make it sound like it's a bad thing if she isn't."

"Your words,not mine."

12.17PM, Smallville

"Was that that Lois girl you used to talk about?"

Clark turned around. Martha was standing at the door of the barn, holding a tray containing a pitcher of lemonade and a plate of cheesecake. He hovered over to her.

"Yeah. She wants me to check something on TV."

"Anything important?"

"Probably not. Last time it was a video of a Michael Jackson cat. I'll look at it later. This is delicious." He commented with his mouth full of cake.

"Manners Clark. And I'm not just talking about the food. Don't swear young man, especially not to a lady."

"She's hardly a lady." Clark mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." he replied with an innocent smile

"Anyway, don't swear. Or almost swear. That's not how we raised you."

Yeah right, Clark thought as he chewed.

When he was younger,Jonathan swore like a sailor whenever he hammered his fingers or got electrocuted or burned working on the machinery,and that happened on an almost daily basis.
To his credit, he always thought Clark was out of earshot. But even before his powers had developed he already had unnaturally keen hearing.
Martha only swore twice in Clark's memory,once when she had fallen off a horse and broken her wrist, and another time when she had spilled a pot of bubbling hot gravy in her lap.
Both times they had been especially creative curses.
To this day he still wondered where a sweet lady like her had learned such colorful language.

"What's wrong honey?"

"Nothing mom." He took another bite from the cheesecake. The flavors exploded on his tongue.

She gave him a knowing look that said she wasn't buying it.

"Really." He polished off the slice.

The look intensified.

"Ok, so maybe I've been a little stressed out lately."

Martha chuckled.

"You know you're just like Jonathan. Very mellow most of the time. But when he was mad or stressed out, he'd work like a dog, and he got a little snappy with me too. I didn't complain though. I know some men would be inclined to do much worse when they were in a foul mood. Most of the time it was easily remedied by some food. But I sense that won't be the case with you. What is it dear? Is it about your father?"

Clark sighed wearily. Should he tell her? It was always a tough choice. Burden them with his problems, or share them and ease some of the weight he always carried around with him?

As if sensing his dilemma, she said gently, "You know you don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders here. When you come home you are our son. Clark Kent, not Superman. You don't have to put on a brave face for us. Talk to me."

They both sat down cross legged, facing each other on a bale of hay. Clark was silent for a long time.

"It's a lot of things mom. Dad's health. My job. My other job..."

"There's more, isn't there?"

"My powers, they've increased a lot over the past 5 years."

"That worries you?"

"I don't know if they'll ever stop. I thought flight would be the limit. Then I thought heat vision would be the limit. Then I thought it would be x-ray vision. Now I can see different spectrums of energy, and that's not all. The intensity of the powers I already have keeps climbing. I can see further, fly faster. I keep getting stronger. Nothing is a challenge anymore.
Just yesterday I was stopping a robbery by this gang of ex-Delta Force guys I had written a story on a while back. You remember them, the guys who broke out of the Supermax prison and dropped completely off the map about 3 years ago. Anyway the trail led me to Kentucky. It turns out they had broken into Fort Knox... Anyway in the heat of the moment I ripped the doors of the vault clean off.
I went home and did my research on that vault. Obviously there wasn't much information on it, but average vault door weighed at least 22 tons, and it was made of reinforced steel. 22 tons of reinforced steel!I ripped them off as easily as if I was peeling off a sticky note. And that's not all. Apparently in the 50's a 37 Kiloton nuclear warhead couldn't bust the vault. I'm officially more dangerous than a nuclear bomb... I barely had time to fix it and high tail out of there before the entire military force stationed there swung in. The only reason you didn't see it on the news is because they were too embarrassed to admit there had been a break in. I don't even know how they kept the story quiet with all the gunshots and explosions..."

He was rambling now and his eyes had gone vacant. Always a bad sign. Martha held his face in her hands.

"Clark,you said it yourself. That was in the heat of the moment. You can't judge yourself so harshly."

Very gently,he removed her hands from his face.

"Thats just it mom. I do have to judge myself so harshly. I'm probably the most feared man on the planet. I can't keep going like this. What if I really hurt someone one day? What if I kill someone? They've tried to put me down for far less, we both know that. What will happen on that day?"

"Oh honey. Is that why you're doing this?" she motioned to the steel beams and thick metal sheets lying on the floor of the barn. "Are you planning on building a prison for yourself?"

"Not a prison. A fortress. Somewhere I can be alone with my thoughts. Somewhere I can isolate myself. If ever that day comes. When that day comes."

"You're too hard on yourself. It was just a door. I know you would be much more careful with a living thing. And if ever the day comes that you have to handle someone so roughly,if ever the day comes that you'll be forced to take a life, then I know that person will have surely deserved it. You are an honorable man Clark, you had those qualities long before you could fly or shoot fire from your eyes. The fact that you show remorse for your actions speaks volumes about the kind of person you are."

Clark sighed again, but this time he sounded relieved.

"Thanks mom. You always know what to say to make me feel better."

"I'd be a pretty horrible mother if I didn't." she joked. "Come on, lets get back inside. I have a casserole with your name on it. Jonathan should be back from the doctor any minute now."

A/N: You know its funny this story is rated M, but I just can't make Clark swear. Not the big words anyway. I'd sooner write a steamy sex scene between him and a goat than do that. I can have Diana swear at some instances, I can maybe bear old money Bruce swearing. Maybe. But Boy Blue? I feel like he'd step out of the comic book panels and vaporize me if I had him say the word 'fuck'.

Blame it on Byrne. That guy was very influential. He really set the tone for what Superman is today for casual and serious fans alike, like him or not. History repeats itself though,and for a long time we've been into 'real world', social justice heroes-regardless of whatever the hell that means or counts for in fictional universes of highly advanced aliens and omniscient entities.
But I digress, art cannot stay rigid, it has to imitate life. And comic books/films are a business at the end of the day. It does seem that people are getting tired of that now though. Watchmen and the Nolanverse Batman were refreshing, but I think I speak for a lot of people when I say we want a bit of that outlandish theme back.

I think that's why Marvel/Fox/Disney/Whatever stuff like GOTG and Deadpool are far more popular among 'civilian' fans than DC/Warner Bros/Whatever stuff like Watchmen and BvS. It's not just about humor,maturity,color scheme,continuity or the lack thereof in their films. Its that defying-the-laws-of-physics-and-every-hollywood-rule-ever factor. After all, the average civilian moviegoer lacks the patience to grasp the nuances behind why Superman 'died' in BvS(many didn't even register the often blatant,sometimes subtle similarities/references to Jesus until fans/reviewers pointed them out), or why Rorschach screamed at Manhattan to kill him in Watchmen.

But guys saving the universe by literally holding hands and believing really hard? Or one mutant mercenary effortlessly and brutally killing countless other mutant mercenaries; with nothing but a leotard, swords,a couple bullets and vengeance-or the power of love depending on how you look at it? Fucking awesome! When's the next one? Also, British villains. Apart from a few exceptions, nearly all the villains in Marvel films are brits. Gods, aliens, even the Nazi's are played by brits. I'm sorry but their actors are simply the best. Superman is being played by a brit FFS. That should tell you something. On a random note I really think Henry Cavill should be the next James Bond. As soon as he finishes Man from U.N.C.L.E of course.

Also, the soundtracks don't hurt. IMO Watchmen is the only recent DC/Warner Bros movie with a brilliant soundtrack. Whoever does the score for Marvel films deserves a huge raise. They're showing the world that 60's,70's and 80's music is actually way better than most of the crap we have today. I didn't even know Angel of the Morning was actually by Juice Newton,not Shaggy,until I watched Deadpool. So thanks, whoever the Marvel soundtrack person is.

Read. Review.