Chapter 105: Point of No Return

Jason's POV

I knocked on the door of the apartment and leaned against the wall as I waited for someone to answer. My wish was soon granted as Lois opened the door.

"Jason. It's good to see you again. Although, I'm a bit surprised. Bruce always picks Tim up." She stated.

"He had a meeting." I replied as she let me in.

I could see Tim and Conner on the couch watching TV as they munched on popcorn.

"Time to go, Babybird. Go get your stuff."

He groaned as they got off the couch and disappeared into Conner's room to get Tim's stuff.

"Would you like a drink or something?" Lois asked.

"No thank you." I replied.

Tim and Conner soon walked out, dragging Tim's duffel bag behind them. I tensed as they hugged each other goodbye. He could easily crush Tim. Swinging Tim's bag over my shoulder, I placed my hand on his back and pushed him over towards Lois.

"Thank you for letting me spend the night, Mrs. Lois. I had fun." Tim politely stated as she smiled at him.

"You're always welcome here." She replied.

A sudden blast made the building echo. The building shook as glass shattered, items fell from shelves, and people screamed in horror. I grabbed Tim and pushed him under me to protect him. I could see Conner shielding Lois.

Silence fell almost immediately… What the hell just happened?

"Mom."

Everyone looked up to see a teenager drenched in blood. His unruly brown hair nearly covered his deep brown eyes as blood dripped down the side of his face. A woman covered in more blood and struggling to breathe was in his arms as he approached slowly.

"You have to help her. Please… Mom, it's me."

Oh my God.

Chris.

********Break********

Soon, Lois, Raven and J'onn were in the infirmary at the Watchtower. They were helping Thara, the girl that Chris had brought with him. Chris had already disappeared into Clark's room. Leaving Tim and Conner on a couch in the waiting room, I got up and wandered over to where the Justice League's bedrooms were located. I headed straight for Superman's room and pushed the door open.

I could see him standing in front of the mirror in nothing but his jeans. Scars covered his body as he looked at his reflection. It's weird, he's a Kyrptonian and I'm still bigger than he is... He's probably around 5'9. Hell, he's even smaller than Dick. He should be over 6'2 by now… And those scars… He's got nearly as many as I do. You'd have to use drastic measures to actually leave a scar on a Kryptonian.

"What did they do to you?" I whispered as he turned to face me.

"Jason… I thought you were dead." He softly replied.

"Me dead? I thought you were dead… Clark couldn't find you."

"I know he did… I saw him… I tried to escape… I just-" he rambled before I laid my hand on his shoulder as he adverted his eyes and whispered, "Connor and Tula… they're dead, aren't they?"

"Yeah. They're dead." I replied, closing my eyes to block out the pain.

"I tried to save them… I just wasn't strong enough. It's all my fault." He sobbed.

"No. It's not your fault… It's mine. I was in charge… I let Tula go by herself. I didn't react fast enough and Connor ended up pushing me out of the way. I sent you into the Phantom Zone-"

"It was an accident. You didn't mean it… Zod and Ursa came for me. Not you… Me… because they were my biological parents."

"What happened to you?"

"Ursa tortured me. Every day. I was only twelve… The scars are from her. And when she was done, she'd let them have me… the other prisoners… she let them… she watched them… They raped me!" he screamed before breaking down.

"Oh God. Chris. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." I whispered as he wept against me.

For what felt like forever, he cried against me as I held him.

"I know it hurts. I know what it feels like… But, it'll be okay. I promise."

He finally calmed down enough as he pushed himself back.

"How many years has it been?" he asked as he finally calmed down.

"Five."

"Time doesn't pass in the Phantom Zone… I was twelve the entire time, but now I'm not… I don't understand."

"I don't know either, but it'll be okay. It'll be okay. We'll figure this out… Explain the girl you brought."

"Her name is Thara… I don't know how, but I managed to contact her. She rescued me."

Well, that isn't strange at all.

"Chris!" Clark practically screamed as he nearly tore the door off its hinges.

"Daddy." Chris choked out as he was swept into his adoptive father's tearful embrace.

I quietly left the room and shut the nearly broken door behind me.

********Break********

Less than ten minutes later, The Justice Society, The Justice League, The Outsiders, Teen Titans, and Young Justice were crammed into the meeting room at the Watchtower. The members were in their seats with their families around them. Chris stood beside Clark at the head of the table.

Chris cleared his throat before beginning his speech. "As you all know, General Zod has been dead for five years. He died during the attack… But, Ursa did not. She was sent back into the Phantom Zone five years ago… Before the first attack, several sleepers were sent out. And now Ursa is planning on releasing the second wave in three days-"

"Why should we believe you? How do we know that you're not one of them?" Hal asked.

"I am not one of them!" Chris growled.

"They were your parents." Hal added.

"They were my parents by blood. Lois and Clark are my real parents." He hissed.

I stepped forward and stated, "I believe him. Chris wouldn't lie about something like this."

"If Jason believes him then so do I." Kyle added before whispering something in his mentor's ear.

The two Green Lanterns held a private conversation before Hal seemed to agree on something and they both redirected their attention to Chris.

"Anyway, we have to find the sleepers before the army arrives." Chris stated.

"How many sleepers are there and why are they so important?" Oliver asked.

"Thara has informed me that there are currently six sleeper agents… Nearly everyone in the Phantom Zone was loyal to Zod and they want revenge for their fallen leader. They have taken jobs in the military, the CIA, and nearly every department that involves metahuman affairs."

"How are we supposed to contain them?" Flash asked.

"We keep them in the Fortress of Solitude… Until we figure out a solution."

"What about the younger Titans, Young Justice, and our families that know our identities?" Flash asked as he seemed to tighten his grip around Bart, who was in his lap, as Wally laid his hand on his uncle's shoulder.

"The Titans and Young Justice will remain here with the remaining members of the Justice Society and close family members only. The other remaining teams can decide whether to stay here or fight." Clark added.

********Break********

Tim's POV

"It's not fair!" Conner whined as Bart and I suddenly looked up from the board game we were playing in Batman's room at the Watchtower.

Damian and I were currently forced into sharing a room with Bruce, while Jay and Dick were in Nightwing's room. Due to the crisis, we were all sharing with someone. Thankfully, Alfred was safely in England. Leslie was coincidently in the United Kingdom for a vacation.

"Dude, just cause you landed in jail, it's not the end of the world." Bart said as he pointed to Conner's player that was currently sitting in jail.

"It's not that! For years all Superman ever did was mourn over Chris! And he was just starting to somewhat pay attention to me and then Chris came back! It's not fair! Chris is the son of General Zod and he gets treated better than me! It's not fair!"

"Kon, I'm sure Clark cares for you as much as he does-" I began.

"No! He doesn't… No one does... I'm just a clone."

********Break********

Bruce's POV

Clark was watching Chris, Thara, and Kara interact with each other in the training room as I came to stand beside them.

"My son's been alive all this time, Bruce." He stated as we watched the three of them training with each other.

I grunted in response as I noticed the shadow of the youngest Kryptonian in the room observing the other three.

"And what about Conner?"

"What about him?" he replied as Chris caught sight of the younger boy and pulled him out of his hiding spot. They talked for a few seconds before the four Kyrptonians split into two separate teams. Boys versus girls.

"Do not forget the fact that you have more than one son, Clark." I replied before leaving his side.

********Break********

Jason's POV

"So, I see you have a new team now." Chris muttered as he came to stand beside me.

"Yeah. We're the Outsiders… Wanna join?"

"Maybe later."

"Come on, Chris. I'll even let you pick an awesome name to call yourself… Unless you wanna be Superboy again."

"No. Superboy is in the past. Besides, I could never take it away from Conner. That's not what big brothers do, right?"

"Right." I replied, thinking about how I could have never have taken the title away from Tim. "What are you gonna call yourself then?"

"I kinda already have a name… It's um, Nightbird." (Chris Kent's alias is actually Nightwing. Apparently, DC cannot come up with any original names anymore and I don't want to get Chris confused with Dick, so he'll be known as Nightbird in my series to avoid confusion.)

"Nightbird? Aren't you in the wrong family for a name like that?"

"You should have seen my original choice… Besides, Thara's Flamebird."

"Great… What's up with you two anyway?"

"I love her. She saved my life… We have a special connection. We can communicate telepathically… We were always meant to be together."

"How old is she?"

"Twenty-one."

"Uh huh… Didn't you say that you were twelve and stuck in the Phantom Zone? And now you're like seventeen?"

"What's your point? You're eighteen and Donna's almost twenty-three."

"Touché." I muttered before something clicked in my head. "You sound like you've known her your entire life. How long has it been since you've been out of the Phantom Zone?"

"Jason, you have to understand-"

"How long?"

"Nearly a year."

"A year! And you're just now telling people you're alive! What? Was telling your family and friends that you're alive on the bottom of your to do list!"

"No! I've been busy. We had to find the sleepers and-"

"And what!"

"They wouldn't let us!"

"Who's they?"

"I know it's gonna sound crazy, but Flamebird and Nightbird wouldn't let us."

"Uh huh."

"You don't understand. Nightbird won't… Never mind he doesn't want me to tell you."

"And now you're bipolar." I muttered before turning to leave as he grabbed my arm.

"Jason, wait. Just trust me, okay?"

"I do trust you, Chris. Don't make me regret my decision."

"You won't… We recovered the last sleeper yesterday and Ursa will be coming in two days… I want you to stay here."

"Chris-"

"No! Last time Tula and Connor died! They died and they'll never come back! Haven't there been enough deaths already? I don't want you to be one of them."

"I won't be and neither will you."

"Jay, please. Don't do this."

"Sorry, but there's nothing you can do to change my mind."

********Break********

Bruce's POV

"What is this place?" Nightwing asked as we entered an underground cave.

"I've been growing Kryptonite down here for the past five years."

"How much have you-" he began before we reached the main cavern.

His mouth dropped open as we came face to face with the entire cavern filled with different shades of the rock.

"Kryptonite's different colors?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes… You and I are the only ones who know about this and it will be kept secret. Understand?"

"Gotcha… How much are we gonna need?"

"Nearly all of it."

********Break********

Tim's POV

"Conner! Bart! Stop! I'm tired of being in the middle!" I yelled as they continued to toss the ball over my head at lightning fast speeds.

Conner redirected his attention as Bart threw it to him. I jumped up and caught it. Finally! Now I can get out of the middle… Monkey in the middle kinda sucks when you have no powers… and when you're short. Bart and I swapped glances as Conner narrowed his eyes at the door.

We could hear Clark and Chris laughing over something. Clark hugged Chris before continuing down the hall as Chris entered the gym.

"Hey, what are you three doing?" he asked.

"Playin monkey in the middle." Bart replied.

"Cool. Can I play?"

"No." Conner hissed as his new 'brother' frowned.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because."

"Because why?" Chris asked.

"Just cause." Conner hissed.

"Just cause is not an answer, little brother."

Conner's eyes narrowed before he forcefully shoved Chris backwards and screamed, "You are not my brother!"

Chris let out a small cry of pain as he collided with the wall of the gym. Clark was in the room less than a second later. He lifted up Chris' shirt to reveal a set of angry handprints on Chris' chest. A second later, Clark was standing over Conner.

"What did you do to him!"

"I… I-"

"Stay away from my son! You shouldn't have even been made in the first place!" Clark roared before Conner fled the gym.

Bart and I just traded awkward glances as Clark helped Chris up.

"You shouldn't have yelled that at him. He can't help the way he was made no more than I can change who my birth parents are."

"He hurt you."

"He didn't mean it. It's just a bruise."

"You're still weak… and Conner was created for-"

"I know. But you're forgetting something… I wasn't created for good either. Yet, you still accepted me as your son. Conner shouldn't be any different… Just because you thought I died didn't mean you couldn't have another son. Just because I was gone for a while didn't mean you should have blocked him from your life." Chris replied before leaving the three of us just standing there.

********Break*********

Jason's POV

"Move over!" I growled as Dick decided to take up all the room.

"This is my bed! Go sleep on the floor!" he growled back.

"You go sleep on the floor!"

"This is my room!"

"I want my own room!"

"The Watchtower is overbooked!"

"Then I'm going back to Gotham!"

"You can't! This is the safest place!"

"And I feel so safe with you practically on top of me!"

"Not my fault that you're fat!"

"It's muscle! And your ass is fat!"

"It is not!"

"Is too!"

"Go sleep with Bruce!" he growled before pushing me onto the floor.

"Not with Tim and Damian being in there! It's already crowded enough in here!" I snarled before there was a knock on the door.

"Get the door, Jay." Dick ordered before rolling over.

I cussed his name beneath my breath as I opened the door to see Thara standing there.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure, just give me a minute." I replied before pulling a shirt over my head and stepping out into the hallway. "What's up?"

"Chris has spoken highly of you before."

"Thanks?"

"Why do you feel the need to protect him?" she asked.

"I don't know… He's like my best friend and I can't let him down again."

She nodded before saying, "My time is coming to an end… Take care of him."

She then walked away and left me standing there.

********Break********

"The three of you are staying here." Batman sharply ordered.

"You can't tell me what to do! I'm eighteen! I'm an adult!" I yelled.

"Jason, I do not need you to remind me of how old you are. And you will not raise your voice at me like that again."

"But-"

"Do not argue with me! You're not going out there!"

"Please, Jay. Don't go. Don't leave me." Tim pleaded, close to tears as I bit my lip in hesitation.

"Stay here." Damian pleaded as he held onto my other arm.

"Fine. I'll stay." I huffed.

Soon, Superman, Supergirl, Batman, Nightwing, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Star Safire, Zatana, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Star Safire, Flash, Aquaman, Tempest, Starfire, Troia, Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Shazam, Raven, Nightbird, and Flamebird boarded a ship and departed from the Watchtower.

We waited until they got out of sight before Kyle, Tom, Zach, and I grouped together.

"Let's go." I ordered as a voice called out, "The four of you aren't going anywhere."

We turned to find Lois glaring at us.

"There have been enough lives lost already… Besides, there's a shield up around the Watchtower. No one gets in or out until my husband returns."

"Mrs. Lois!" Tim and Bart screamed as they came running.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"We can't find Conner!"

********Break********

Bruce's POV

The ship came to an immediate halt as the power flickered. Nightbird's face appeared on the screen as we all looked up.

"Dad, I'm sorry, but I don't want any of you to get hurt… Thara and I are going alone. A force field has been placed around the ship that won't disintegrate until four hours… It's safer this way." He somberly replied before the message was erased.

"No!" Clark screamed. "Someone get that force field disabled! Now!"

"Clark!" Lois screamed as we all looked back up at the monitor. "Conner's out there."

********Break********

Jason's POV

"He's not here." Tim stated as everyone crowded around the central computer at the Watchtower.

Lois started sobbing as Iris Allen and Mera tried to console her. Immediately the lights dimmed and everything flickered.

"Tim, what did you do?" I hissed as he hit random buttons on the monitor before turning.

"I didn't do anything… I don't think we're alone anymore."

********Break********

Bruce's POV

"I've managed to bypass the force field's security somewhat. Once I hit enter, you have exactly two seconds to get out." Nightwing explained as Superman nodded.

"Do it." He growled.

Dick hit enter and Clark disappeared. The rest of us stayed put. We paused as the lights dimmed and everything flickered.

"Uh… Did the billionaires pay the electric bill?" Flash asked as everyone starred at Green Arrow and me.

"We're not alone."

********Break********

Tim's POV

Everyone present at the Watchtower huddled together as the two remaining Green Lanterns, Kyle and Allen, put up energy shields around us. The heroes' family members stayed in the middle with the Young Justice. The Titans surround them. The Outsiders surrounded the Titans and the Justice Society surrounded the Outsiders.

Figures with red eyes soon approached from all directions. We all held our breath as the enemy Kryptonians started attacking the energy shield. In all, there were about fifty of them… We were outnumbered.

Allen and Kyle held their positions as black smoke drifted into the Watchtower. We all moved closer together as the enemy started screaming as the smoke literally carried them off. I swapped glances with Bart, who shrugged.

*********Break********

Dick's POV

We all grouped together as over fifty Kryptonians approached us. Bruce instinctively moved in front of me as they approached. Before they could even get close enough, weird looking black, shadowy, stuff completely encased the army and swallowed them hole.

I looked at Batman and whispered, "You saw that right?"

Seconds later, an extremely bloodied and bruised Nightbird dropped down in front of us. He had an unconscious Superman and Superboy with him.

"H-help me. Please." He pleaded as Kara was the first the move.

"Where's Thara? What happened?" she asked as he immediately started crying.

********Break********

Jason's POV

"I'm sorry about what happened to Thara."

Chris nodded before whispering, "She sacrificed herself… It's like she knew she was gonna die."

"I'm sorry… What exactly happened out there?" I finally asked.

"Dad and Conner had somehow gotten onto the field… They went down and I gave Nightbird control… Thara was consumed by Flamebird… She sealed the Phantom Zone and died."

"Uh huh." That doesn't answer my question.

"I know you're confused, but there are some things in this world that no one will understand."

"So what happens now?"

"I'm leaving for a while."

"What!"

"Jason, I'll be back… He told me that I'll be back." he replied as his brown eyes briefly flashed black.

"What-"

"We'll see each other again. You're still my best friend… But, there are some things I need to take care of."

"You don't have to do this, Chris."

"I do… I won't turn around... This is the point of no return... at least for a while."

I've got two somewhat new stories up! A Bat and A Butler and Radioactive. Check them out!

And I skipped the battle sequence in this chapter, because it focuses on the Supers and not the Bats. If you want to know exactly what happened, you'll have to read it in my upcoming story; Superman Family (Title is still a work in progress). This chapter also presented a ton of unanswered questions, they'll all be answered in time.

I also have a poll listed on my profile. Please take it and help me out :)