Clarks Cave of Wonders 2041

Clark and Lana had been working on the multi dimensional portal for years it was their secret project they had kept it from everyone. Their first trials were over and it looked like it worked as the equations had predicted, Jor El was very happy with the results. Lana reminded Jor El a lot of his Louise back in the day. Back then he was about to turn his back on Krypton and take Louise to a place he found in California. Louise would get the chance to be in the movies and he could work on research at the new University of California or Cal Poly outside LA but a Luthor crossed their path and changed everything.

The loss of his Louise almost destroyed Jor El, his emotions crippled him, with the help of Hiram Kent Jor El made it safely back to the caves and Krypton. So his father wouldn't know what happened Jor El downloaded his time in Smallville removing the experience and the emotions it raised. Once back on Krypton he devoted his life to science until he met the stunning Lara Van Voor his heart beat faster he felt the same emotions again. The memory download removed his feeling for Louise until Clark uploaded the memory device to Jor El. That event was the start of a warmer Jor El.

They had worked for the last year on Jor El's inter dimensional transport gate way. There had been many trials and a lot of errors. They even blew up their deep subterranean lab a couple of times, but tonight they got it right in front of them on the outer side of the gate way was another earth, a different earth. Maybe this earth had no Kal El or maybe it had Superman, they would never know unless they explored what lie on the other side of the gate way. Lana was completely against them going through the gate way. What happened if they couldn't get back, what about their family, friends, their world? The risk was to great in Lana's mind so they did the next best thing they sent a kryptonian robot to probe the other side. They discovered a world beyond imagination. A world where almost everyone had some kind of powers. In some worlds Clark and Lana were not a couple, in one world he was married to Chloe in another he was married to Lois Lane of all people. The superman of Lois's world as they called it was a poor shadow of Superman.

Then they discovered the dark worlds, they stumbled upon a world where Lex either imprisoned Clark or just outright killed him. Lex had a vast army of 33.1 victims to fuel his ranks, he was the emperor of this world, all hail Lex. Lana just wanted to throw up once they understood how depraved Lex's world was. Then a week later they found a world where Kal El and his empress Isobel ruled over the huddled masses. Isobel apparently won the fight in the caves but saw a use for Kal El once she discovered the red meteor rocks effect on Clark. Isobel's magic ruled the day. There was a war going on Isobel and Kal El had defeated everyone but the South Americans. Europe was a dark place to live, witch craft was practiced openly and the darker the better. Lana looked over the data from the robotic probe her face frozen in horror at what Isobel was capable of doing. Clark was angry at what he saw himself doing in that dimension he couldn't understand why he was so dark. Lana discovered the answer when a picture of a bare chested Kal El in leather pants appeared on her terminal. Around Kal El's chest was a breast plate with glowing red stones. This was the evidence that they were looking for. Clark was pissed he wanted to do something to undo Isobels hold on him and that earth. Jor El advised against getting involved with another dimensions issues.

Clark and Lana hit several dimensions as soon as the portal started to open, it was forced shut. Once it was shut it couldn't be reopened. That one puzzled them. A few dimension down form the dozen or so closed off worlds they started to find something else. They hit several dead earths, animal and plant life gone. It looked like some kind of war was fought on these planets but the ultimate loss was the planet itself. What could have caused such devastation and death on such a grand scale?

They found some answers in the western cities of these planets, it seems something just appeared one day destroying all in its path. They reported that shimmering windows opening in the sky and an army from hell emptied out onto the ground. The military of these worlds put up a brave but short fight it was days and the entire planet was dead. This scared Clark and Lana what had happened to these worlds? It seemed that the war happened a little while ago but it was hard to tell if it was years ago or days ago there was no one left to talk too. All the electronics seemed to be dead as well, the only history left was the news stories and finding a library that wasn't destroyed was in itself a good trick.

These worlds scared Lana and Clark, the utter devastation happened so fast and was so complete neither Lana nor Clark thought with their gifts they could stop a attack like the ones that destroyed these worlds. On the last dead world they visited they found a headline and a story by Lana Kent, it told how the creatures appeared and overran everything. There were pictures on the front page showing these hideous monsters attacking humans. There was a story about the death of their Superman at the hands of what must be the leader of these monsters. Lana cried for that worlds Lana Kent and her loss. One story in the same paper talked about human defenders turning on each other after the attacks started. That story made Lana and Clark both sit up and take note. As the robot was withdrawing it scanned a human skull on the ground but it had a green ohm symbol engraved in its skull. Clark and Lana gasped in horror, their world might be next.

Justice League meeting a day later

"I call this special emergency meeting of the Justice League to order" said Superman. Around the table sat all the superheros of earth. Clark smiled at Lana "the first order of business is to update you on the green ohm symbols we have all seen". "It seems that these are related to events in other dimensions". "What we have to talk about this day doesn't leave this room ever". "Nocturne and I created a inter-dimensional portal to other earths of the many we visited we found worlds not unlike our own and may that have deeply descended into darkness". "We even found a world where Lex Luthor became emperor or the world".

Lana took over at this point, "we continued sending out probes until we found dead worlds not one or two but hundreds, it seems they were killed by the same thing an alien presence that just shows up using inter-dimensional transport". "Then they deposits huge armies of monsters to destroy the humans of these dimensions". "The common thread is the green ohm symbol we have found on their skulls on every destroyed planet we found millions of the engraved skulls". "It seems that the human population turned on itself at some point after the attack starts". "We believe that our dimension is on the to be attacked list but we are unable to tell how far we are on the time line to destruction that is why we called the meeting".

Clark now took over as he stood. "I know this inter-dimensional stuff is new to all of you its the last science project my father Jor El was working on before the destruction of Krypton". "We undertook his work to finish the project for our own uses and eventual use by the Justice League and the human race". "Hopefully to allow the human race to reach out to the stars without taking eons to reach another viable planet".

There was stunned silence around the table finally Bruce spoke up "how long have you been working on this project he asked"?

Clark answered "a little over ten years we have observed hundreds of earths, the dead earths are more than disturbing".

Bruce nodded his head "ok I see how this will affect us all, so I suggest that we all go to see the data as Superman and Nocturne suggested".

Green Lantern spoke next "yea I agree we need to get a handle on this as soon as possible".

Flash stood "while I am a little upset about the secret research, this is something that could kill us all so lets go and see what they have" he said.

Nocturne call a spacial displacement spell and soon all 247 members of the league found themselves in a cavern overlooking a round object and several data terminals. Clark sat down at a terminal and started the presentation showing them all the earths they found and then the dead earths. Lana took over telling them about the extent of the death and destruction of planet earth and the similarities of the dead planets. She finished up talking about the actual data they had of the monsters, their arrival, and destruction. She walked them through the attacks, how fast it happened, when it happened, and the disturbing fact that the defenders turned on each other at some point during the attacks. The defenders turning on each other was the most chilling fact. The league members didn't even ask about the other projects they could see going around them. The only interest was this attack on earth and what they could do to stop the attacks.

Rachel Dawes

Lana had been off patrol for an hour now she found a late night cafe Clark used to frequent back in his reporter days. She put down her coffee cup and got up from the table leaving a big tip. Lana walked out the door smiling to the two patrol officers "evening officers" as she passed them. Once outside the streets seemed empty it was time to take care of the task she had to do, in a flash of purple white light she was gone.

Lana appeared in the same flash of purple white light but she was very high in the sky over Gotham . Lana cast a locator spell in front of her was a red arrow pointing down and to the right to Lana's target for tonight, Rachel Dawes the one true love of Bruce Wayne's life. Lana was high above Gotham one of the darkest and dank cities she had ever been in. Tonight she was a personal mission, Bruce was at the ranch a week ago, somehow he drank a lot and opened up to Lana. Bruce and Rachel sounded so much like Clark and Lana in their younger days. Bruce went on for a hour about the one that got away, the one and only for him. At some point Chloe and Oliver came over and Bruce switched the subject, Lana had a suspicion that there was more to the story but she wanted to talk to Bruce's paramour. Rachel held the keys to Bruce's heart, she wanted to get to know who this woman was as a person before she let her know Bruce was still very much in love with her and that his love for her never faded.

The spell led Lana to a tall dark apartment building in the downtown section of the city. Lana figured she could just appear in front of the sliding glass doors to the apartment. Lana scanned the apartment she found Rachel in the master bath getting ready for bed, Lana decided to respect another woman's privacy and went for the balcony door after casting a silence spell so no one would have a way of listening to their conversation. A very shocked Rachel opened the blinds in response to Lana's loud knock. Rachel was shocked she had dealings with the Batman a couple of time in the past but this was Nocturne a superhero that's what normally was seen in Metropolis that was over 2000 miles away from Gorham. Lighting flashed in the distance as Rachel came to grips with a superhero on her balcony waiting to talk to her. Lana smiled at Rachel as she slid the door open "Nocturne this is a surprise what are you doing in Gotham?"

"May I come in" she asked?

Rachel smiled "of course where are my manners I'm just a little shocked to see you here, what can I possibly do for Nocturne?"

Lana slid the door closed and asked if she could have a cup of coffee, "I don't have any ready I was just about to go to bed but I will make you some."

"Thank you, but you might want to make some for yourself too, this is going to be a long conversation."

Rachel disappeared in the kitchen as Lana took in her surroundings soft colors adorned the walls followed by cream colored leather furniture. Everything spoke of a woman's touch certainly no man had been involved in the decor of this sanctuary. Rachel rejoined Lana with a tray with two cups saucers milk sugar and spoons. They sat on the couch Lana made her coffee and Rachel made her own. Lana stood with her cup in hand "your home is beautiful Rachel is this your work or did you hire someone?"

"No just me, I just picked what I liked."

Lana smiled "your decor isn't what I came to talk about tonight I came to share some information, and hopefully open your eyes to a possibility that could have life changing aftershocks." "First you knew me as Nocturne but this conversation is a little closer to the heart", Lana snapped her fingers and in a muted flash of purple white light before Rachel stood a woman she knew from somewhere raven hair almond shaped eyes and a very wide smile.

Oh my God it hit her like a train running her over "your that doctor um, um Lana Kent you're married to that writer, oh my God you're Nocturne?" Rachel was floored "never in a thousand years would I have ever made that connection."

Lana would have laughed but somehow that seemed to be the wrong thing at the moment. "Thanks Rachel that means my disguise is working like it's supposed to and well it protects my family too."

Rachel couldn't help herself "is your husband a hero too" she asked?

"We can talk about that later first we need to talk about a man who has been broken hearted for years and is in love with you whether you know it or not."

"The man who loves me?" "I'm not sure whom you are talking about."

Lana sighed "who is the man who has always been in your life Rachel?"

She thought for a moment, "oh you mean Bruce?"

"Yes, Bruce you sound like you were unaware of his love for you."

"Well we were always close I mean I grew up in his mansion, we played every day as kids." "Once he was sent off to that Excelsior academy, the first time he came home for a visit he had a darkness about him it was like the kid and boy I knew disappeared that year he became harder if that's the right word then he left everything behind to find himself." "That was hard I cried for weeks thankfully I had a scholarship to Gotham U Law school." "I just dug in and lost myself in study and school." "By the time Bruce appeared 7 years had gone by I had completed school and well Bruce's public side was a playboy and a very flamboyant one at that."

"Bruce told me about the day he resurfaced and you came out to give him a birthday present he said it was his happiest day in years" smiled Lana. "He almost told you everything that day, about the assassin guild and the extensive training he underwent."

"Yea then he went dark, I saw the light I had always seen in his eyes go out." "Then he became Batman over the next year. The night I found out was when all hell broke loose in Gotham the night of Arkham and the rivers." "I got blasted in the face with that poison, if it hadn't been for Bruce I would have died like a lot of people that night." "When Bruce took me back to the Batcave I was having the worst hallucination, Bruce looked like a demon with red eyes I was so scared but that was the effect of the drug to scare you to death and to make you insane." "I remember looking at Bruce's eyes after we were in the Batcave I saw my lost boy again concerned for me and my welfare." "It was a very hard couple of days after seeing Bruce in that costume and understanding for the first time what had happened to the man I used to love." "I saw love in his eyes that night and I haven't seen it since." "Bruce is all business these days or he's off to save the world as Batman."

"Well we're proud to have him as part of the Justice League just think if he stayed with the league of assassins."

"Can't go there, sorry Lana, I've seen enough of his dark side over the years." "Besides the only people that know his alternate identity there are 4 people, the Justice League, and maybe that Ras al Guhl if he's still alive."

"So Bruce came to the ranch a month ago and he got drunk for the first time ever, I got him to calm down and we started talking about our relationships he talked about the one that got away." "I talked about the troubles that followed my husband and I until the death of the last Luthor." "We still had one issue that kept us apart for almost a year, I was deadly to my husband if I got within ten feet of him I could kill him just by being in his presence it was a horrible year to face." "Then a few friends who wanted to see us both happy stepped in and the poison was removed from my body and I became just like him, powers and all." "Here I was a Kansas farm girl, normal human female and I found myself with the powers of a god." "I was glad I spent a solid year training to develop my mental fortitude without that I could have run a muck like I did once before when I accidentally received his powers." "But that's another story" "My pain was so great I was looking for a way to end my life. If I couldn't be with him it was tearing me apart, to top that off the day before I became poison to him I became pregnant too. I didn't know I was pregnant until two months after we're separated no longer to be in each others presence." "The kryptonite killed the baby after a few months."

"Oh my god I couldn't imagine what that was like."

'Bruce entered my life at that point I think that's why I came out to talk to you, he loves you, he is keeping his feelings behind the industrialist mask he wears so well these days." "He said the same thing my baby used to say about me he's doing it to protect me and it's for her own good."

Rachel just about blew up hearing that "he's saving me by not being with me, I'm a District attorney, I'm responsible for putting away criminals, I have a target on my back every day." "I have a constant police escort anytime I go out in public the Tong has a ten million dollar price on my head." "Men, they think they are protecting us when they are really hurting us sounds like you know this well Lana."

"I've heard that song and dance since sophomore year of high school from my Clark." "Sometimes I think it's a miracle that we even got together as a couple at all with him thinking like that." "I didn't know his secret at the time, but if I had my younger self would have ripped into him a good one." "All that caused was pain for me I didn't think I was good enough, or was pretty enough, my self esteem was bashed against the rocks every time we broke apart all for my own good." "It still makes me made a little mad all these years later."

Rachel laughed "wow Lana sounds like your man is lucky he has all his parts in place with you being that mad at him."

"And to top it all off we had a reputed friend interfering in our lives to to make it even more mixed up." "There were days I honestly thought I hated Clark but it was mostly manipulation and my husband idiocy that caused me pain then." "We got over that and discovered we were very much still in love that's what saved us we have always been in love and will always be in love." "What Bruce told me makes it sounds like that's where you two are, having feelings but are afraid to act on them right?"

"Well I have always felt something for Bruce even in his playboy days but what's different now he still tries his hardest to push me away."

"From what I've seen several things have changed there are few really dangerous villains out there anymore most of them are locked up in Supermax on the back side of Mercury and the crime rate has been dwindling for years now." "There are just too many things for people to do in the world and off world." "Crime used to be a action of a person facing desperate financial situation." "Some just got to become criminals because they liked the power they felt." "That isn't happening as much anymore like the Tong you're chasing after they disappeared around 1925 and then reappeared in 2021 right."

"Exactly and they are slippery to catch doing anything illegal." "New times, new crimes, and an old name builds a intimidation factor." "Criminals aren't hard to figure out they want power and money and are willing to do anything to get it."

"Wow Lana that sounds like half of the politicians I've ever met." "Reduced to its truest essence, that's the truth power and money."

"So what you're saying is Bruce and I could have a chance at happiness together if I can get him to understand that I still love him?"

"The old arguments don't work anymore the world changed, please give the man a chance he truly loves you deep down." "I think you two would be more than happy to spend the remainder of your lives together, you both would be so happy" Lana smiled. Lana could see that Rachel was weighing her options and thinking about Bruce. "I've taken enough of your time tonight if you want to talk more here's my card with my office number on it and I put my cell on the back as well call me before you decide please?"

Rachel smiled "I can do that Lana you have given me a lot to think about tonight."

Lana changed back to her Nocturne costume and floated towards the sliding doors "Goodnight and thanks for the coffee."

Rachel was already lost deep in thought, "mmmm Bruce."

Lana floated out the balcony door disappearing in a flash of purple white light heading home for her great love Clark.