This is story made of six short stories, each focusing on a Lord. We will see new identities forged, old personas fall…and redemption that can only come from death. It will not always be happy, but in the end, each of them will find what they need.

The Father becomes the Son, The Son becomes the Father.

Art of Peace, Art of War

It wouldn't be long now.

A few minutes, a few hours, a few seconds, his next breath. He didn't know when it would happen, but it would be soon now. His limbs were telling him that, the way he could barely lift them, get them to work. He'd never felt so heavy, even changing his density had never made him feel like this. He welcomed it, in a way, let it come. He called to it, to take away the sights of the past, the sounds, the smells, the touch. Taste was all he had left now, that acid-coppery taste of bile and blood mixed and shaken. His memories too, oh they were there, but it was another life, another time…so many lives gone, so many years…

It wouldn't be long now.

&&&

Earth was nothing like Mars.

That much was, of course, obvious. The Earth was green, the sky blue, which was nice but just strange. Green was the color of skin, not of the ground (even though the ground was technically brown with green grass) and the sky was supposed to be purple, because of the light reflected from the red soil.

And speaking of skin, the peachy pink flesh was just too disturbing for J'onn. It looked like someone had covered them with goo and let it harden. The hair was something J'onn didn't get either, along with clothing. Human were always trying to make themselves look good while hiding themselves…it was just strange and wrong.

There was a lot wrong with Earth.

Everyone was greedy, and selfish, and they only cared about themselves. They would rather cling to things they did not need then help someone in need. Basic things like medicine, food, and shelter cost money. When they mated, it wasn't forever…most of the time it wasn't for a few years. They even made a mockery of it, going to places like "Las Vegas" to join with the person they claimed they loved…

They were a backwards people, playing with weapons as if they were toys and never realizing just what they could do if they simply tried.

J'onn had struggled with all of this when he had come to Earth. He had seen the makings of a new Mars here…if only the humans learned how to behave.

When Superman had said that the Lords could no longer merely aid the humans through fighting crime…but by governing them, J'onn had smiled…a true smile…for the first time in ages.

&&&

His breath was coming out his wheezes. It was like trying to suck in a mouthful and only getting back a taste. Not enough…not enough. Every breath prolonged his life, every breath shortened it. Too much effort was needed to breathe, wasted too much oxygen. He used more then he got with the next breath, so every one was growing weaker…so much weaker.

He'd been spoiled on Earth…he remembering going there and getting dizzy from the oxygen levels. It had made his head feel fuzzy, weaken him and confused him. That's how they had caught him.

But h had grown use to it, and now…now he paid the price. For getting use to it…for all his crimes.

It wouldn't be long now.

&&&

Each of them had taken up their own ways of making the world a better place. Batman had began to install cameras and spy equipment everywhere, so that no one could plot evil deeds without them knowing. He also had guns permanently outlawed, and owning one was a 10 year sentence.

Superman had gone after every criminal, first just beating them, breaking their bones so they couldn't move. It wasn't until month 7 that he figured out to use his heat vision. John had ragged him for that for weeks. He'd also been the one to crack down on other heroes…something that would come back to haunt them only a few days ago.

Shayera and John had taken to rebuilding the police force, getting them to go from the corrupt, lazy units they'd once been to a crack policing force. The officers' job was to deal with citizens, and let the heroes do all the work.

Diana had begun education programs, to train children how to be good little citizens. The Arts, history, the evils of trying to take too much. The evils of being even slightly bad. How if you saw someone do something that might even possibly be bad, you should tattle, turn them in. It didn't matter if they hadn't done anything…most likely, they were going to someday…this just weeded out the really bad ones. She's also tried to sneak in teachings of the evil of men, how women should stand up and not let them rule them, admire women heroes, not men. When one little girl said that she liked the Flash, Diana had smacked her for worshipping a man.

Diana had been in a hospital bed for 2 months after they'd gotten done with her. J'onn had stood by and let Superman strangle her, threatening to crush every breath from her body if she ever insulted Wally's memory again. John and Shayera had been more clear: IF they ever saw her alone, she would die.

Diana had stayed on the station after that, and didn't do much of anything.

J'onn had taken over the planning of studies after that, and thus no longer had time to journey around Earth, helping those in need. His duties as commander of the WatchTower during the day, combined with planning out strict Martian-inspired lessons at night had forced him to stay inside, to work.

He had done all of this to try and make Earth better…to make it more like Mars. He had hoped that through his trials, people would rise up from the ooze and become better, more perfect people.

Like the Martians.

&&&

His hearing was the first to go, dying away and leaving him with only the sound of his labored breathing. Next, his vision grew cloudy, lights dancing around his eyes and the landscape changing.

He hadn't moved in hours…or maybe days. He didn't know when it was. All he knew was that he no longer had the will to try and move, to get up.

To live.

It wouldn't be long now.

&&&

Michael Jon Carter.

J'onn would never forget that name.

The hero. The showboat. The traveler. The thief. The traitor. Their savior.

Maybe the others didn't see it that way. Maybe the others saw him in a worse light. But for J'onn, he was the savior.

When they had returned, without their powers, they had gone back to Bruce's house, to try and regroup. Bruce had tied them up, raged against them. Clark and Diana tried to argue that they should figure out a way to get back their powers.

None of them had realized that the world wasn't what they thought it was. That for months now, a rebellion was growing. Led by the man from the future, the 25 year old that had seen the new era of peace and knew the history of the lords.

Michael Jon Carter. Supernova.

He'd bugged the house, with the aid of his partner, the new Blue Beetle. Jamie. Ted Kord was long dead, killed by Superman for speaking out against the Lords. But his works were taken by Supernova, who, had used his knowledge from the future to sneak into the mansion and bug it. Hearing that the Lords were weak, he'd had Jamie go up and get the Green Lantern's attention, told them of the crimes, that now they could act.

A perfect trade: Jamie was free to do as he wished on Earth, Supernova acting as his mentor. The new Green Lantern didn't have a problem with the young hero, and they ended up forming a little alliance.

Supernova had been the one to suggest what to do with J'onn.

He'd been the one to send him back to Mars.

It wouldn't be long now.

&&&

His heart was failing. He could feel his blood slowly, his muscles dying, his brain shutting down. His fingers had dug into the red soil of his beloved Mars, clinging to it like a baby to its mother.

He had disgraced its name. He had fought for peace…but only made war. His actions, placing Martian ideals on a foreign land, had only brought pain and suffering. Everything he had been taught as a child by his own father, he had used in vain…thrown away for his own twisted goals.

He had shamed Mars…and now, he would pay with his life.

As the last spark of thought drifted through his head, J'onn heard a voice, calling to him.

"J'onn…its time to come home…J'onn…its time to rest…."

J'onn closed his eyes.

&&&

High above him, Supernova watched as the last Martian's body went lax, the death rattle echoing silently across the planet.

"Goodbye J'onn…be at peace." Michael said, sprinkling some red soil over the corpse.