Author's Note: It's the final chapter of this story, and man what a ride. Now, I know what some of you want, and that's what comes next. You can find those details at the bottom, but until you get there, enjoy.

Man Into Machine

Now and then, I've been hanging by a string
I watch the world change from man into machine
Man into machine
Man into machine
Zeros, ones, is that all we will become?
An empty shell of what was human
Man into machine
Man into machine
We have become so inhuman

-Man into Machine by Veer Union

Brainiac's now iconic skull-shaped ship was wrapped in numerous green constructs of a certain Corps' making. It was being towed away from Metropolis' remains, the latest part of the recovery effort.

Down in the crater that had been left behind in the ship's wake, a group of Green Lanterns were finishing the latest touches to support structures placed in the hole within a hole, Held above it was the captured city itself, the bottle containing Metropolis held above the hole by a construct. Several Lanterns would fly up to the city, occasionally turning it by the slightest of margins before returning to the edges of the crater.

Watching the process, Wonder Woman found herself supervisor along with one of the Guardians. This one, Ganthet she believed he was called surveyed calmly, and made a remark. "When we had learned what the Collector of Worlds was doing, we went to Colu in hopes to unite against a common threat. The Coluans wanted nothing to do with us, and were determined to catch up with their exile as soon as they could. When that did not happen, and Vril Dox began to outpace all pursuit, we returned to Colu to form another sector. They, being autonomy minded, refused but were not able to resist. So we struck a deal. They would teach us the means to reverse the shrinking process for the day when we caught up to Dox and we would not place them under our jurisdiction. After all this time, the bargain will bear its fruit."

"Are you sure this will work?" the Amazon asked. Though she put on a front of strength, technology was not her greatest area of knowledge. Yes, she was learning, was still learning, but still had some difficulty interacting with Man's technologically advanced world as compared to Themyscira. Brainiac's technology was something else altogether. How did the Green Lanterns know they were doing this correctly?

"The process works; the Coluans were efficient in that respect," Ganthet answered. "It was demonstrated for us. We made sure that we would never lose the knowledge."

It also helped there were Lanterns who were savvy with this area. They were using their rings to hack into Brainiac's programming, diverting most of their resources to the restoration.

Speaking of Brainiac, Wonder Woman could see a very thick construct, one that was made by multiple Green Lanterns, and which held the dangerous Coluan himself. The alien monster was being taken to a transport vessel, one which Ganthet had arrived on, and would take Brainiac back to Oa for trial.

There was some resistance from A.R.G.U.S. about this. There were demands that Brainiac be placed in their custody, after all, the Coluan had invaded and committed atrocities against the American people. He was theirs to prosecute. The Green Lantern Corps held no jurisdiction here, and was not recognized as a law enforcement agency.

Ganthet had responded that Brainiac's crimes extended far beyond Earth, included countless worlds, and that based on the U.S.' system of jurisdiction, Brainiac fell under the Corps' authority. America was not recognized by the Corps as the official representative for Earth and would not be recognized until the entire planet itself elected it into such a position. Until such time as a global consensus like that could be established, the Corps would be handling this matter, but was perfectly willing to work with the local authorities on this case in a consulting role.

That would not go over well with A.R.G.U.S.'s superiors, but there was nothing they could do about it. In a head-on fight, the United States government did not stand a chance against the Green Lantern Corps, and A.R.G.U.S. knew this.

She had seen Steve standing near his superiors and fellow agents. The Amazon had not been able to get an impression of his emotions and the man she had thought to be a friend made no attempt to approach her.

It was becoming disturbing how the men she grew close to had a pattern of distancing themselves from her.

Glancing away, and up, Wonder Woman spied out the floating form of Superman. The guardian of this city was keeping away from others, watching everything, waiting for the moment of truth that Metropolis would be restored. She knew him to be a symbol of hope, which in turn gave him a reputation of being approachable. Right now, Superman was anything but approachable.

After everything he had been through, she understood why he would want to be alone. She also understood the sense of responsibility that kept him here and not in his arctic Fortress.

At that time, one of the Lanterns glided towards them. ""We're ready to break open that bottle. We did our best to get the thing turned so that it fits with everything else. No streets replacing buildings or anything like that."

Ganthet nodded. "Then proceed, Lantern."

There was a quick answering nod, and the Lantern returned to the bottled city. The Amazon felt her heart rate increase in anticipation, hope and excitement taking hold. This was the moment, the one where it was all put right again. That their failure to protect could be corrected, and order restored.

There was a tiny part that had doubt. Were they really capable of undoing the damage that Brainiac had wrought? Could they restore a city that for all intents and purposes was never meant to be returned?

Lanterns raced away from the crater as a misty green energy began to fill it. Like a tide of water or a cloud of mist, it spread out until it filled the hole in the city. Then energy thrashed about, much like the tide itself, and then emerging from the middle, and growing, the tops of skyscrapers pierced through it and rose up and up to the sky above.

It was quite a sight. Length, and width, and height expanded, colors gradually restoring themselves as the faces of these man-made structures. You could hear a rumbling as earth connected with earth, two opposing surfaces grinding against one another. It sent tremors along and throughout the rest of the city, forcing people to brace themselves against the shuddering streets and buildings.

The cloud of energy began to dissipate, much like a fog in the morning hours. The shadows of restored buildings began to penetrate through the green screen, followed soon by figures of people, people who were coming out from hiding and advancing slowly from their former captivity.

There was a cry from a child, followed by the naturally stumbling footsteps of a boy running. Wonder Woman watched as the child ran to a woman, one who snatched him up and began to sob, the mother by all reason. And then the citizens of this city reunited with their returned brethren, a wave of people who cried out for missing loved ones or welcomed the first ones they encountered.

This was an even better sight to behold.

"It is a hard duty, is it not?" Ganthet spoke softly beside her. "Sights like these, they remind us why we do what we do, and why we will always continue to stand against evil."

"It makes it worth it," she agreed.

As the last remnants of Metropolis returned, Batman stood at what had been the outskirts of the stolen city. Cape rustling in the air, he calmly observed each and every building being unshrunk and restored to its proper place.

The confrontation in the swamp with Brainiac had been unnerving. Superman had appeared ready and willing to put the alien down, consequences be damned. Then...then he had relented.

Never had the Dark Knight felt so relieved.

As if in response to this thought, a presence appeared behind him. Tilting his head to one side, he spotted J'onn landing on the roof some feet away. "I am glad to see you are unharmed," the Martian greeted him.

"We cut it pretty close today," Batman returned, turning his attention back to the city.

J'onn moved to stand next to him, also observing Metropolis. "Indeed."

The pair were silent for a moment. Ultimately, it was Batman who broke it. "We dodged a bullet," he spoke calmly. "Superman looked as if he were ready to kill Brainiac, but stopped himself. I wasn't sure if he would."

"While I understand your reservations, I do believe you do the League an injustice," J'onn responded. "Events are already much different than they were in that timeline. The League continues to improve upon itself. I myself have yet to see the cracks that would lead to the Regime."

Already, Batman could see where this was going. It wasn't that hard to see the lead up. He was just going to have to disappoint his friend.

"For a brief moment, I saw Superman the Kryptonian," he said after awhile. "Make no mistake, Brainiac has wronged Superman and he wanted justice, if not revenge for his home world. Superman the man raised on Earth intervened and calmed him down. If it weren't for his upbringing here, we would be having a different conversation."

"Perhaps. Regardless, Superman made the correct choice."

Yes, yes he did.

"You should reconsider your resignation from the League," J'onn then added, no surprise to the vigilante. "Despite your self-imposed exile, you still work well with the League. Your presence would only help prevent that timeline."

Batman shook his head. "I disagree. There are still issues that need to be resolved and our current situation appears to be working as well."

"Issues that you have with whom?" J'onn questioned. "With the others? Concerning the others? Or within yourself?"

Trust J'onn to shift his way to the heart of the matter. "Both, and neither."

"You know what my wishes are. The others are of the same mind. I trust you'll come to the same conclusion before too long."

The Martian never gave up hope, did he? "We'll see," was all he deigned to respond with.

A large hand found its way onto his shoulder. "No, Batman, I strongly encourage you to rethink your position," the green-skinned man pressed.

That actually surprised him. He hadn't ever seen J'onn push his opinion on others. And if he was making such a gesture, then he had good reason for it. The suddenness and his surprise gave him pause, one that he was actually wondering if he should reconsider his position.

And he was right, they had performed as if he had never left. Would it be so bad for him to return?

Before they could continue though, there was a gust of wind and the two were not alone. "Hey, this is where you two went!" Flash exclaimed, coming to a stop on the other side of the Dark Knight. "The others were beginning to wonder."

"Just surveying Metropolis' restoration, Flash," J'onn told the speedster smoothly, dropping his hand from Batman's shoulder. Nice one, J'onn, the vigilante couldn't help but think.

Thank you, came the mental reply.

Damn it, he hadn't meant to project that thought. "What are you doing here, Flash?" Batman inquired as he looked at the red-clad man.

"Like I said, looking for you. The others are helping with the cleanup. I would have thought you would be long gone by now, Bats."

Well, he would have if not for the distinct lack of transportation. He had landed his jet in one of Brainiac's docking bays, so he didn't have immediate access to it. Already he had activated its autopilot so that it would fly itself to him, but it was taking up some time already.

"Not everyone moves as fast as you," Batman replied snippily.

Flash didn't even appear offended by the remark. "Tell me about it. All of this recovery stuff is taking forever."

"We all have our problems," J'onn intoned.

"Yeah. Unfortunately mine doesn't end here. I've got a pain in the butt still waiting for me back home and I'm not even sure what to do with it. I had to throw the poster child for ADHD in a closet before coming out here."

Both Batman and J'onn gave the speedster an incredulous look. "You put a child in a closet?" the vigilante couldn't help but ask.

"It was the only thing I could think of with short notice," Flash defended. "I don't have a babysitter on speed dial, or anything. Knowing my luck, he's already broken out and trashed my place." He sighed. "I've got to get him out of there, he's driving me nuts. And it's not like there's a group of superheroes his age or anything for him to hang out with."

Batman stared at the red-clad man before he decided to throw him a bone. After all, he did know of a group and perhaps this kid giving the Flash a headache would keep them on their best behavior. They couldn't get into trouble if they were having to supervise a whirlwind of energy.

"I think I know someone that can help you," he finally said.

Everyone had broken off into their own groups. Diana was hanging around Superman. J'onn had checked in with Batman, with Flash of all people joining them. That was an odd grouping to be sure.

However, there was one person that John had noticed wasn't around. Hawkgirl had taken off on her own once the battle had been won and Metropolis had been restored. He couldn't help but notice her absence.

When the Green Lantern Corps arrived, he had heard the Justice League's anguish at thinking they had lost a city. Shayera had seemed to have taken it hard as well. As a teammate, it was his duty to make sure she was alright. Everyone needed to debrief, to vent, and to make sure she got the support she needed, he went after her.

It took awhile, but eventually he found her sailing past the outskirts of Metropolis. She didn't appear to be heading anywhere specific, just milling around in the air. That helped the former marine catch up to her quickly.

Approaching her, he was soon flying next to her, keeping a small distance between them. "Hey," he gruffly greeted her.

The Thanagarian glanced at him. "What do you want?" she replied back, equally gruffy.

"I just wanted to check on you, see if you were doing alright," he responded.

"I'm fine." Well that was short and blunt. "I just need a moment to think."

"Think about what?"

Hawkgirl shot him a look. "It's nothing. Just mind your own business."

Generally, John would have taken the hint. After all, he knew better than to mess with hard headed women. They had a tendency to thrash you if you didn't stop bugging them. Yet, they had been in an extremely tough spot not too long ago. This needed to happen. "I wasn't going to say anything in front of the others, but I couldn't help but notice how Brainiac's attack was affecting you."

The redhead glowered at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"All I'm saying is that you were hit hard by what happened to Metropolis. Everyone was. I figured you might like someone to talk to about it."

"Well, I don't," she snapped at him. They were quiet for a moment. "You can go away anytime now." That was a suggestion he blatantly ignored. "You're not going away, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

Hawkgirl rolled her eyes. "And you won't go away unless you pretend you're a shrink, right?"

"You got it."

She grumbled audibly. "Fine, I'll play your little game." Suddenly, the winged woman flew down to the ground, the Lantern keeping up with her. The two of them landed on a hill, the sight of Metropolis off in the distance. There was a highway nearby, one that ran around the hill, though surprisingly there were no gas stations or fast food restaurants around. It was like the development crews had left this spot untouched—for now.

For several moments, neither one of them spoke. John wasn't going to say the first words, not when he knew he needed to listen, and he knew Hawkgirl would speak when she was good and ready.

For that, he was rewarded. "Okay, I'll admit Brainiac destroying...shrinking...whatever he did, it did get to me. You weren't there, you didn't see Metropolis just vanish in front of you. I had a kid with me and he had to watch his mother die."

John hid the wince that wanted to so badly appear on his face. He could only imagine what that was like...well, maybe not. When he had been on his tours in Afghanistan, there had been plenty of collateral damage between his unit and the Afghani villages. Mothers crying over injured or dead children, kids desperately trying to help parents blown to pieces—it was a nightmare to witness. Hawkgirl had been in a tough spot.

He didn't really have anything to say to that either. His words would come across as either insensitive or tone-deaf, and he was not that kind of man. Instead, he remained silent, allowing his comrade to vent at her own pace.

"We were lucky—incredibly lucky—that we were able to fix everything, that Metropolis wasn't actually destroyed. Despite everyone here, we didn't stand a chance against someone as methodical and advanced as Brainiac." Hawkgirl paused for a moment, her eyes squeezing shut tightly before they reopened. "We could very well be cleaning up a giant hole rather than making sure a city fit back into place like a jigsaw puzzle."

"You're right," John acknowledged. "But the way I see it, luck is a part of it. There are a dozen instances I can think of where the good guys won and the bad guys lost because of dumb luck. I'm not a gambling man, but I do recognize when things happen outside of my control."

"You can live with that?" the redhead responded, looking at him intently. "You're fine with luck going your way?"

"That's not what I said at all. I recognize it, but I don't anticipate it. In fact, I'd rather do everything I can to minimize how much of a factor it is. That way a fight can't be influenced in the wrong direction."

The corner of the woman's mouth twitched up. "I kinda like that."

"I thought you might." John then took a step towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know about you, but I think we're all in need of some down time."

"And a stiff drink," she retorted.

That actually wasn't a bad idea. "You're on. I know a little place in Detroit we could go to. Owner doesn't ask a lot of questions and doesn't want a lot of trouble either."

Hawkgirl raised an eyebrow. "Uhh, you do realize I have wings, right? I draw enough attention just standing."

"You let me worry about that."

The Thanagarian stared at him for a moment before she smirked. "Alright, I will. Lead the way, John Stewart."

Luthor relaxed in his seat, even though it was not his preferred office atop his headquarters. That was still under renovations; so he had to make due with a much smaller room that had been spiffed up to his standards. Other than this, everything else was restored, as if it had never been taken from him. Relaxation, however, was not on his schedule for this evening, though. He already had a meeting scheduled and was currently attending to it.

Across his expansive desk, a reedy man with fading red hair and prominent gray streaks on either side examined the orb which contained the nanotechnology which the CEO had appropriated from the skull-shaped spaceship, once owned by the now named Brainiac.

Skin seemed to be pulled too far back on the man's face, exposing very prominent cheekbones. Small eyes peered into the orb, as if trying to see each and every individual nanobot contained within. A hand that seemed small with fingers that were much too long carefully handled the object, turning it one way, then another.

Peering up at the tycoon, the reedy man asked, "You are sure that this is nanotechnology?"

Luthor allowed his lips to curve upwards. "I have it at the highest authority."

"How did you come by it?" the man asked. "Most nanotechnology is still in its infancy. You have major breakthroughs, and occasionally a massive leap forward, but most tend to be unreplicable."

"From what I hear, you are the foremost expert on the subject," Luthor replied. "No one else on earth has your expertise. It is my hope that you will not only study but replicate, and failing that reverse engineer the technology you now hold in your hands. Unless you feel the challenge is beyond you…"

To the man's credit, he did not seem to take the bait. "I prefer to have healthy skepticism until proven otherwise, and absolutely. I will say, I am interested."

The businessman was in a good mood. The word that this man was interested was enough of a hook for him, for now. "What would you need in order to produce results?"

The reedy man paused and made direct eye contact. "You are not going to leave this alone, are you?"

Luthor only answered with a knowing smirk. There was no need to say anything.

The orb was placed on the desk, the reedy man reclining back in his seat. "I will need a lab. I will need to be able to order resources and materials with no scrutiny. In effect, it is what you would call a blank check. There will be no pressure. No demands. If that is what you are willing to do, then I will do more than study this technology. I will build you what a man in your position craves most."

Luthor's smirk became sharper. "Are you sure you're not a negotiator? If you put your mind to it, it is a career you could go far in."

"It's not my passion. To change the world on the other hand…" His guest had trailed off, pale blue eyes returning to the orb.

The bald CEO intertwined his fingers together, resting his elbows on the arm supports of his chair. "I can grant you the lab, order the materials and whatnot without asking too many questions. However, I want updates. Weekly."

"Monthly," the man argued. "Spending too much time writing reports is time not spent researching."

"Two weeks," he compromised. "After a year, we can renegotiate. By then, we can discuss demands."

The reedy man licked dry lips. "If I were to refuse?"

"Then I find someone else more willing to adhere to me. That I am willing to consider compromising with you should be seen as an act of faith. I value your expertise and am willing to consider your demands instead of throwing you out." It was brutal honesty, and while Luthor preferred more subtlety, sometimes you had to make exceptions to get what you want.

The man seemed to think it over, reaching up to adjust a bow tie he wore that peeked out from a sweater vest. The seconds seemed to tick by, slowing and infuriatingly, until finally he gave an answer. "You offer too tempting an opportunity to pass up. If you will draft up the contract, then I can give my agreement."

And those infuriating seconds were now justified. Standing up, Luthor held out his hand, which was accepted with reciprocal shake. "I look forward to seeing what you come up with, Professor Ivo. I will be in contact with you very soon."

Mercy was called in soon enough, and Ivo escorted out. Because of anticipating and a need to move, Luthor had not finished with a contract to have signed now, but thankfully he now had the opportunity to revise some of it. There would need to be enough in it to placate the professor while sneaking in a few of his own conditions.

So far, this was proving all the more profitable.

Once he was alone, Luthor turned towards the windows that offered him far from the best view of his city, yet he still took it all end. For a time, he had almost lost everything. No matter how far his reach extended globally, what deals he made, contracts accepted, or mergers officiated, this here was his. The land, the people, the businesses, all of it.

So this had been a big wake up call. No longer could he sit idly by, content with antagonizing the blue boy scout that struggled to take what was rightfully his away. There were greater forces at work, some of them from the very stars. It was past time that he began to take a hand at this high-stakes galactic poker table and make a wager or two.

Never would he be caught without several aces up his sleeve.

Turning back to his desk, the tycoon accessed his personal computer, all the while shuffling various documents still on the desk's surface. It was getting late and it was more than time to retire. Without looking, he opened up his business email, planning to skim through whatever else was in there before calling it a day.

The first three were reminders of some mundane task that could wait for the morning. The fourth was a panicked missive from an incompetent manager who really needed to be fired. The fifth was labeled URGENT, and would have been ignored due in part from being primed by the previous email.

That this one came from Happersen was what made Luthor pause.

Opening it up, and having to put in his security clearance—a surprise in and of itself—he read through a surprisingly short message. Happersen was known for making detailed reports. All this e-mail contained was a quick summary and instructions to watch the attached video file. Since the Brainiac robot was no longer on the premises, Happersen had been reassigned to pour over all the data that the CEO had made off with from Brainiac's ship. The computer mounted gauntlet had been copying every file it could before being shut down.

It seemed like something had been found. Moving his cursor over the video file, he selected and opened it up.

"I was beginning to wonder when we would meet."

Luthor frowned. The image on his screen was that of the boy scout, but he was sitting on a throne of all things, talking directly into the camera.

"I was beginning to wonder if you would ever leave that throne of yours to come find me."

That was a different voice, one that took the business man a moment to recall. If he wasn't mistaken, hadn't that costumed vigilante sounded like that? The one from Gotham?

The one that had stolen his robot.

"If what I've heard is true, you never had any problem killing-"

Killing?

"-people. Strangling them, beating them, burning them with your heat vision; there was no hesitation."

It was an argument, a back and forth of ideology and pragmatism. Verbal give and take, blows taken to the ego, and arguments going back and forth. Names were thrown about, such as Zatanna and Diana. And then there was the physical fight.

Pills that could enhance strength, armor powered by kryptonite, and…

A sword of glowing green—kryptonite—piercing right through that disgusting S…

There was quite some pleasure seeing that.

And it all ends with the snap of a neck…

By the time the video had ended, Luthor was sitting back in his chair, thinking. There was so much there, so much to know, so much to use. This...this was a game changer. An ace among aces. If used effectively and appropriately, who knew what damage this could do.

What damage indeed.

The night sky held a beauty to it, one that space lacked. Was it because you stood on the surface of a planet, looking up at it rather than being surrounded by it? Was there some sort of existential or philosophical answer to that?

Neither really meant anything to Clark, not when he sat on the porch swing, taking a sip from a beer offered to him by his Pa. He may not be a man who enjoyed alcohol, but that didn't stop him when the company more than made up for the bitter taste. Supper had ended some time ago, and the Kent family had migrated outdoors for a while.

There was much talk, but none of it about world-shaking events or forces beyond their kin. No, they spoke about little things, mundane happenings, like who Pa ran into while in town the other day, or Ma's current battle with a den of opossums, if only she could find their den. Petty gossip, fond memories, and a little teasing to make sure nothing was left out.

Eventually, the most important question of that night was asked, and by his mother, naturally. "You boys had enough meatloaf? Would you like to take any back with you, Clark?"

It was a smile that only a child refusing brussel sprouts could give that formed on the Man of Steel's face. "I'm good. Thanks Ma."

"Jonathan?"

"I can have it for lunch tomorrow."

"You boys don't stay out for too long. It's starting to get chilly," the Kent matriarch warned as she got off her seat and headed back inside. It was an unusual occasion for her not to immediately begin cleaning dishes after a meal, but this was an unusual visit. Normally, Clark would have called ahead to let them know he was coming; flying back to Smallville from Metropolis was not a hard feat.

However, this time he had shown up unannounced, the weight of recent events still hanging over him. Brainiac, the fate of Krypton, the near loss of Metropolis, and the swamp…

Yet, none of it had been mentioned once while he had been here. It had all been small talk, but it was the kind that inspired laughter, and made you relax. And now here he was, lazily swirling what was left of his beer in its bottle, still unfinished.

His Pa let out a deep breath, sitting back in a rocking chair. His bottle was half-empty too, and was paid no attention to. "How've you been?" the older man asked.

That was a question that could be answered in a lot of ways, but trusted that the honest one would be spoken. Clark...didn't know how to answer it. A general "fine" was not appropriate here, because he didn't feel "fine." "Good," "okay," and "same old, same old" were also not options. Truthfully…

"I've been better," he admitted, letting his head fall back. His neck began to resist when he leaned too far back, and he remained that way.

"It's been tough," Pa stated. "You've had a lot to think about. That's on top of what happened to Metropolis. I don't know if you'll believe an old man like me, but it's going to be okay."

Clark closed his eyes. He so much wanted to believe that. But Pa hadn't been there, in the swamp, where he had considered deliberately taking a life. Brainiac didn't deserve to live, and as the last son of Krypton, he had almost given in to avenging...taking vengeance on the bastard.

"I almost did it," he confessed. "I wanted...I wanted so much to kill him, Brainiac. After everything he's done, the people he's hurt, the lives he's taken...and I couldn't do it. But I was so close…"

Pa was quiet for some time, allowing the adopted Kryptonian to sit there with his thoughts. Now, on top of what he was feeling before, there was apprehension as well, the same a child felt when confessing a dark secret to their parent and awaiting either acceptance or condemnation. Even now, after all these years and all of the abilities he possessed, the Kents were the ones that always made him feel vulnerable.

They made him feel vulnerable in the only way a child felt with their parents.

"There's always going to be those moments when a man faces a hard choice. There's always going to be the time when he wants to do the easy thing," Pa began, his words carefully chosen. "Would it have been easy to kill Brainiac? Yes. Did you? You didn't. You chose to go it the hard way. For that, I couldn't be more proud of you."

Clark's heart swelled, relief and other strong, positive emotions welling up within him. There might have been some reciprocal pride as well, the kind only felt when a person was praised.

"It's a close second to the first," Pa continued, losing Clark for a moment. "If you're wondering, the first was when you caught that reporter lady who fell off that building and someone took your picture of doing that. The first time there was anything on that angel stuff that was coming out of Metropolis. Your Ma has the news article and everything in her scrapbook."

Ah, that's what he was talking about. That was years ago…

"Wonder whatever happened to that lady," Pa wondered curiously.

That lady happened to be his coworker at the Planet with the sharpest tongue and wit he had ever encountered. Would Lois like hearing her referred to as "that lady?" Probably not, but she wouldn't show it if there was no ill intent.

Clark lowered his head and found Pa looking right at him. The younger man shifted in his seat, sitting straighter under that fatherly look.

"I always knew you were destined for great things. It's why I knew, we knew, we couldn't keep you here. No matter what comes your way, I know that you'll do your best to do the right thing, even if it isn't easy. That's why I'll always be proud of you. Never you think otherwise."

There must have been something in his eyes because it was becoming a little blurry and he was not tearing up A hand wiping the moisture away fixed that for the time being. Years of practice kept him from knocking off his glasses; even if he didn't need to wear them here, he had begun not to feel like Clark without them.

As he lowered his hand, blinking a few times to further clear his vision, the adopted Kent gave a wane smile and said, "Thanks, Pa."

"Now, if you could do me a favor," Pa continued, somewhat surprisingly. "Is there anything you could do about that meatloaf?"

Clark found himself blinking dumbly. "But aren't you…?"

"Clark, there are many reasons why I married your mother. Her meatloaf was not one of them," the Kent patriarch stated wryly.

That brought a genuine laugh out of the younger, dark-haired man. "I don't know, Pa. I can fight anything that threatens Earth, but I don't think I can cross Ma."

"This is a job for Superman. I need that meatloaf gone by the time I get up tomorrow morning," Pa turned in an extremely flat tone of voice.

That only prompted another laugh. It seemed to be only known between the two of them that Pa hated Ma's meatloaf, but neither had the heart to tell her. It was another thing to know, growing up as a Kent and the home they provided to an orphaned child so many years ago.

It wasn't just the people of Metropolis he fought for and protected. It was people like Ma and Pa, people so full of kindness and love, and who deserved nothing but the best. Yes, the world was unfair, and bad things did happen to good people, but perhaps his actions went far enough to balance that out.

For two people, farmers in the middle of nowhere, Kansas, he would give it his all to see them happy and filled with hope of a brighter tomorrow. For the children they would raise, he would do his best to show them that they didn't have to be satisfied with a world that seemed to be against them, and to take away their fears that nothing was possible.

Still, as he had held up that murderer, there had been an urge, one that he had found himself almost giving in to. Now that there was some distance from that moment, Clark was shocked and a little horrified that he could even feel that way. It was sobering, coming with a clarity that only Ma saying, "We're having meatloaf tonight" could only bring.

He could recall the conversation, back at the Fortress with Batman. How that man was glad he hadn't found his parents' killer, and now the Kryptonian truly understood why. The want to have vengeance was great, and then where did you go after that?

At least he still had Pa and Ma to keep him centered, to provide a place of safety where he could be anything else other than Superman.

The man's gaze turned towards the night sky, partially blocked off by the portion of the roof that hung over the porch, but still visible nonetheless. Out there, that's where he had been born before coming here. What other secrets and threats remained out there, and which ones would he have to protect the Earth from?

Which one would be the one to push him to the point that he would deliberately take a life?

"Clark? What are you thinking about?"

Breaking away from his thoughts, Clark looked to his Pa. The older man had a little concern on his face, but nothing more than that.

"Just thinking," he answered. Enough with thinking about the future and whatever else it held. For the moment, everything was right. There were no worries, no problems, and no threats.

For now, that was more than enough.

Author's Note: I would like to give shout outs and thanks to Protocol115, Archergreatestsecretagent, and FlackAttack for their consistent reviews, and to everyone else for taking the time to review. Now, I know a bunch of people thought the footage of the future was going to get out, and they were partially right. I don't think that anyone thought that the villains of the story were going to be the ones to get their hands on it first.

Now, for what you've been waiting for: What comes next? I've got some good news for that. It's a two for one special, that's right. Once again, it's two stories for the price of one. The first will be a Justice League story, currently nameless, on ShadowMajin's account. The second will be Teen Titans, also nameless, and you can find that one on my, Anonymous Void's account. When these stories will be posted, I am unable to say right now, so keep your eyes peeled or put a couple alerts on us so that you won't miss the next installments. In the meantime, feeling free to speculate on what the plots of these stories are, who the villains will be, and so on and so forth. It's always a treat to read what's on your minds.

FlackAttack: ShadowMajin is the one to talk to about the super pills and whether or not Batman still has any. If he does, that could bring up some possibilities for a spectacular fight. As for Brainiac, the repercussions of this story will reverberate for some time, and in a lot of different plotlines. So long as this Coluan lives, well, we haven't seen the last of him, though how that will happen will have to remain a mystery for the time being. I think some of the questions you raised in your last review have been answered by this chapter, but that still leaves many more questions asked. Thanks for the reviews, and I look forward to whatever speculations you have.