By David Mycock Time Wave 27
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of smallville or superman they belong to the people who created them at the time the other characters belong to their respective creators.
Pairing: Clark/Lana/Raya/Diana
Summary: Set during season Four, Clark is hit by a mysterious wave of energy which gives him knowledge of the future and how to prevent a dark future from befalling him and those around him. He decides to act on the knowledge especially concerning Lana.
(Fortress of Solitude)
Clark watched as Dax-Ur and Brainiac worked together as they began the process of trying to undo what had been done to Lana, he and the others were still somewhat edgy around the AI even though they knew it was no longer a threat. Jor-El was busy trying to remove all the negative hate and rage Nyssa had towards her sister and father, Bruce was watching the process with Talia and Ra.
"Kal-El I was just wondering I thought you were going to kill Zod instead of sending him to the zone?" Kara inquired from behind him along with a few of the other members of the League including Raya and Diana.
"I was going to Kara" Clark admitted "But in the end I decided banishment back to the zone was the worse outcome for Zod and for Lex" he continued as he looked at the others "Nearly everyone who knows about the zone are either here or in the zone itself, the chances of them escaping are a million to one" he stated with as much confidence as he could manage.
"And if he does somehow escape?" Bart asked from beside Chloe who was leaning against his side with a smile pleased the war had been stopped and hopeful her friend would soon be back in her right mind.
"We will be ready to deal with it and if he does escape then I will end him" Clark answered with a dark look at the idea "Kal and my future self would end him in a second but if we are going to be hero's people will trust we cannot kill without at least trying to imprison them first" he continued "The insane meteor freaks were different in that there was no hope of them been saved, we could not undo what was done to them" he stated.
"We understand Kal-El" Raya assured him with a sympathetic smile "Let us hope Zod never escapes because his revenge will be shift and deadly" she stated.
"I know" Clark agreed with a nod of is head as he turned his attention back to Dax-Ur and Brainiac working on Lana.
"By the way Clark" Oliver spoke up "Bruce and I with Lionel's help have managed to convince the press to hold a conference tomorrow morning so we can explain what we have to done to the criminals we caught as well as the fact the war is over" he explained.
"Let us hope the people respond as we expect them to" Jade said with uncertainty "We know the government is not going to like it but if we have the support of the people we should escape without the government coming after us" she stated with quite a bit of uncertainty in her voice still.
"They should considering they will never again have to worry about the likes of Joker, Sinestro, Bane or Riddler" Arthur put in "That has to count in our favour" he added as he leaned against the wall.
"We'll find out soon enough" Diana said knowing that it was not going to be easy to face the press and through them the government and the people but she was confident it would turn out in their favour once they realised the world was safer with the major criminals exiled to the zone.
"How is it going Dax-Ur?" Clark inquired wondering if Lana could be brought back at all or if she was lost forever. The idea of her been post forever caused him great pain, even if he had felt a distance from her as her recalled more and more from his future memories.
"Undoing what has been done to Lana is not a simple procedure Kal-El" Dax-Ur answered with a sigh "Her entire life has been rewritten, however having Isobel within Lana with a set of her real memories should help us bring Lana back as she was before she was kidnapped" he informed them.
"How is Isobel?" Clark couldn't help but inquired knowing it could not have been easy for the witch to watch as Lana was brainwashed and then used by Zod.
"Before we put her to sleep so we could work she told me to tell you how sorry she was that she failed to protect Lana" Dax-Ur answered "I think you will need to have a long conversation with her once we are finished" he stated.
"I know" Clark said with a nod of his head "I'll leave you to it, I best go and see my parents and let them know we did it" he added a few seconds later "I suggest everyone get some rest or visit your loved ones because tomorrow is not going to be easy for any of us" he went on as he turned to the group behind him "You've earned the time to relax, we've saved the world and stopped the future I saw in my future memories" he told them with a grateful smile" he finished as he ran a hand through his hair.
The group nodded and began to break up except for Raya who intended to accompany him to the farm, Diana hugged him and they almost lost themselves in a heated kiss before she moved to Donna's side and left to inform their mother they had succeeded in their mission. The others used their crystals to return home bar Chloe who joined Clark and Raya; she hoped Mr Kent had managed to talk Martha around. Clark shot one last look at where Lana's body lay before he activated his crystal; they vanished in a bright light.
(Kent Farm)
Jonathan looked up as Clark finally returned with Raya and Chloe; he noted they all looked pretty happy or at least happier than when he had last seen them. He ran a hand through his hair and hoped they had done it, that the fighting was finished and he especially hoped that they had rescued Lana or Martha was going to explode. They had been arguing quite a while since the group had left to fight the final battle, Martha just would not accept the idea of Clark not doing all he could to rescue Lana as he had before. She did not want to think that Lana maybe lost to them completely; she still hoped Lana would become her daughter in law. What she seemed to have forgotten is that Clark would not be just marrying Lana if she could be saved, he would most likely marry Raya and Diana as well.
"How did it go son?" he finally asked as each took a seat at the dinning room table.
"We did it dad, Zod and nearly all his allies are now in the zone" Clark answered with a relieved smile that set Jonathan at ease somewhat "We think Toyman managed to escape but apart from that the others are in the zone" he explained.
"What about Lana?" Martha demanded to know as she entered the kitchen clearly having been listening to them.
"We managed to rescue her but whether Dax-Ur and Brainiac can undo the brainwashing that was done to her we don't know yet" Clark answered as he turned to face her "Dax-Ur is hopeful it can be undone as Isobel has a complete set of Lana's memories within her, and as they are joined still well that should help" he explained knowing his mother would not like this "We can only wait and see what happens" he stated.
Martha stared at him before shaking her head and storming away, she was angered to see how little the news seemed to affect Clark. More and more since he had gotten the memories his future self she saw far more of Kal than the son she had raised, she cursed the day those memories came back. Jonathan let out a sigh as he watched his wife all but storm out of the room, he was worried this event could tare their family apart especially if Lana was indeed lost forever.
"I'm sorry son, I've tried talking to her again and again on this matter" he said clapping a hand on his son's shoulder as he noted the slight slump in Clark's posture "But she will not see anything but the loss of Lana and what she see's as your lack of care to get her back" he admitted.
"I care" Clark shot back heatedly "Believe me I do, but I am far more than I used to be when Lana was all I could ever see" he explained "Even when I remove the memories of my future self, it will not change how I now view things" he admitted running a hand through his hair "I will recall what has happened to me through all this, it has changed me for the better in my eyes" he stated with real belief showing in his eyes as he looked at his father.
"I think so to son" Jonathan told him proudly "You've become the kind of person I always knew you could be, you are ready to become a hero for this world even earlier than I expected" he continued "You might have lost some of the love you used to have for Lana but I don't think it is all gone, just spread between Diana and Raya" he added "Loving three people can't leave the kind of love you used to show for Lana, she will have to come to understand this if she is brought back" he went on with a small smile "I am sure your mother will come around in the end" he finished hoping to set Clark's mind at ease.
"Yeah I think Mr Kent is right Clark" Chloe put in hoping to help cheer Clark up "She'll come around and before you know it everything will be like normal well almost" she added with a grin.
"You must keep faith Kal-El" Raya stated "Martha Kent is hurt and upset right now, when she has calmed down and truly seen what you and the League have accomplished I think she will finally understand the sacrifice you had to make for the world" she continued "A sacrifice I think any of them would have made including Lana had it been you who was captured" she suggested.
"I think Raya is right, Lana would have done it knowing you would not want her to risk everything just to save him" Chloe agreed with a nod of her head "As much as it hurts to admit, you did the right thing Clark" Chloe finally acknowledged.
Clark nodded his head before he turned and exited the house to head to the barn; Raya quickly followed him knowing this was not easy for him. He had never been at odds with his adoptive mother so badly; it had to be hurting him. Lara she believed would have been more understanding, but then she had stood by her husband's side as their planet was destroyed. She had never doubted or second guessed any of Jor-El's decisions to try and save Krypton; she had been supportive and caring. Martha Kent in her eyes failed in this regard, but then Martha Kent had not seen war as Lara or anyone else including Kal-El had seen it.
Clark stood at the barn doors where this journey had begun and looked out into the night time sky, he saw the stars were burning brightly and he wished Krypton was still viewable. Raya leaned against him and he brought his arm across her to draw her nearer, he felt a bit calmer now but he hoped his mother would calm down and see he could not have made any other choice but the one he had made.
"Are you okay Kal-El?" Raya inquired worried by his continued silence.
"In time Raya in time" Clark responded as he leaned his head against hers and lost himself in the beauty of the stars.
(Press Conference, Next day)
Clark stood with Bruce, Oliver and the others as they waited for the press to finish entering the large hall. This he hoped would be the true notification of the Justice League's birth; it could go either two ways once they had said their peace. He had hope it would end in their favour, Raya and Diana stood by his side and their close presence gave him strength not to fidget. Dax-Ur, Lionel, Ra and Talia were the only members missing; none of them believed their presence would help matters especially where it concerned Ra and Lionel. Finally the last few members of the press arrived and it was time to start, he was thankful they were all in costume for this.
"I thank you all for coming" Bruce said starting the conference as the most recognisable hero within the group "As you know the last time I spoke to the press I stared a war had begun between the group I now stand with the League, and a group of villains who intended to destroy the world and rule what was left" he explained "I now state for the moment the war has been won, the League defeated the villains yesterday" he told the assembled mass of reporters who immediately began to shout questions.
After a few minutes of nothing but chaos the press settled down enough for Kelly Benson of the Daily Planet to ask the first question, she seemed pleased to hear the fighting was over.
"Batman, exactly what has happened to villains as we've had no word from the authorities that they have been handed over as normal?" Kelly inquired.
"We did not hand them over to the authorities Miss Benson, we exiled them to what is known as the Phantom Zone" Bruce answered knowing this was where the real trouble began "Before you ask the Phantom Zone is a prison of alien origin which is used to house the worst criminals of the known 28 galaxies" he explained.
"Are you saying you are in contact with alien life Batman?" John Cooper of the Metropolis Inquisitor inquired.
Bruce did not answer as Clark moved forward hoping this did not get as crazy as he suspected it would, Bruce gave him a clap on the shoulder for support.
"My name is Kal-El, I was born on the planet Kryton before it was destroyed by a civil war. I was sent to this planet to survive by my parents due to the fact my people have been here many timesbefore, I was adopted by human parents and raised as one of you" he informed the now eagerly listening press "However due to my alien nature I gained many vast powers from your yellow son, I will not discuss those powers here as at the moment that is not important" he told them pausing for a second as he gathered his thoughts "I was sent here to ensure this planet did not suffer the same fate as Kryton, my father hoped I would become a symbol of hope to your kind. Someone to look up to when the darkness grew" he went on "I am not the only Kryptonian here, my cousin Kara-Zor-El was also sent here and another of our kind has been here for many years before we came" he told them before he was interupted.
"If everything you have just said is true, why have your people spent so much time on earth and why chose it as the place to escape to?" Max Dixon of the Metropolis Journal demaned to know.
"I can't really say what drew so many of my kind to this planet, all I know is my people are not the only ones who have found a home on this planet" Clark answered as best he could "Other species have come here, both good and evil, you are not alone in this universe and now you know this truth" he stated "I and those like me who are part of the League are sworn to defend this planet and its people even if it costs us our lives, it is the reason we are here above even the survival of our race" he explained.
"How can we honestly trust you if you are not born on this planet?" another reporter demanded to know looking a little fearful.
"Trust takes time, you have come to trust many of the hero's now standing before you and I am sure in time you will come to trust us as well" Clark responded "We are not your enemies and I hope your govements who are listening to this realise this truth" he stated.
"Can you explain anything about this intergalatic prison Batman mentioned?" Kelly Benson inquired deciding to move things back to the point at hand.
"Yes I can as it was built by my people including my own father, it's purpose is to imprision the worst criminals of the known 28 know galaxies" Clark informed them "Criminals like The Joker and Bane, and intergalatic ones such as Sinestro" he continued "There are no guards in this prison, no fences and absoultly no way of escape" he concluded.
"Why have you decided to send the captured villains to this zone when you have been content to let the local police and justice systems deal with them?" John Cooper asked.
Oliver moved up to Clark's side and took over the microphone "we made the choice due to the fact that every villian we have taken down and handed over to the government has escaped and gone onto cause more destruction and death than the time before" he explained their reasoning for their new way of dealing with their enemies "It is high time we dealt with these people on a more permanent basis and ensure they never hurt the people again" he stated.
"Does that mean all the criminals you capture will be sent to the zone?" Kelly Benson inquired finding the idea quite pleasing as it meant they would no longer have to fear manmen like the Joker.
"No, only the worst of the worst" Bruce answered moving back to the front of the group "The League stands together to protect the people of this planet as a whole, we will be on call at all times but a time will come when we will retire and allow others to step up and take our place" he explained.
"Do you see yourselves above the goverments of the world?" Max Dixon demanded to know beliving this was going to be the best story he had ever written.
"Of course not, whilst we do not answer to any one government but to the people of this world as a whole" Oliver answered with a shake of his head "We will of course abide by the laws of the government and work with them if needs be, if one of us should turn we will turn that individual over to the government unless there was an outside influence causing such a turn" he informed them "The League is not above the law" he stated much to the relief of the people infront of them.
"How many aliens are in the League altogether?" Kelly Benson inquired thinking this would be the biggest story the Daily Planet had ever had and the fact she was the one reporting on it would sement her place in its history.
"Seven in all and whilst most of them are from Kyrpton not all are" Clark told them "Each of us who have come here from somewhere else have found a home here and we intend to ensure it remains safe" he finished and then moved away from the microphone.
"How many criminals have you sent to the zone already Green Arrow?" Max Dixon asked continuing to make notes.
"Joker, Bane, Sinestro, Deathstroke, Riddler and the leader of the villians Lex Luthor" Bruce answered knowing Lionel had agreed to allow Lex to be named as he intended to make an annoucement tommorow on the subject "They have been sent to the zone for their crimes, their actions resulted in the death of far to many lives as to be given a chance to escape and cause more death" he added.
(Kent Farm)
Martha, Jonathan, Chloe and Lois watched the news conference with mixed feelings, each wondering how the govements of the world would take what Clark and his friends had said. It would be a lot to take in for most people, granted due to some hero's the knowledge of life outside their planet was not as crazy as it seemed.
(Fortress of Solitude)
Lionel felt conflicted as Bruce let it be known that Lex had been behind the group of villians who had caused such destruction and death, he had agreed it was nessacary but still he felt conflicted. Lex had become a monster thanks in part to his own stupidity in the way he had raised him, he wished it could have been different now he saw the error of so many of his previous choices.
Dax-Ur continued to work alongside Jor-El on cursing Lana and Nyssa of the evil now within them, Isobel ensured that when not asleep she could do no harm until the brainwashing had been undone. Talia sat near her father hoping this would be the beginning of a whole new part not only of her life but more importantly Bruce's as well. Ra placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder in support, he glanced at where Nyssa lay and hoped she could be saved from the darkness within her.
(Press Conference)
Clark watched as the press filed out and let out a breathe as he felt so damn tense, the questions had just kept coming. But finally it was over, and now they had to wait and see what kind of response they would get from the goverments. He noted Kelly Benson from the Daily Planet had not left along with the other reporters and he wondered what she wanted, he moved towards her.
"Can I help you Miss Benson?" he inquired.
"I was just wondering Kal-El if you and your friends are ready for the kind of chaos that will come once this story is put out tommorow?" Kelly inquired with a brief smile.
"Yes we are, we knew it would not be easy once the story was told but we are ready for the response" Clark answered "We are confident the people will back us up, they no longer have to fear so many dangerous criminals and we intend to make the world even safer" he added with conviction.
"I hope so" Kelly responded "I really do, it is high time someone managed to keep these deranged psycho's in prison even if it is a intergalatic prison" she stated before she turned and left the room.
"That's a smart woman" Arthur said from behind him, Clark glanced at him and nodded his head in agreement.
"I agree and exactly the kind of person we want writing what went on here at the Daily Planet" Clark told him "I think we might be off to a good start" he stated.
"Lets Hope so" Arthur shot back as they re-joined the others and returned to the fortress with their crystals.
(LuthorCorp, Next day)
Lionel stood at the front of a large crowd that included a lot of press, however the majority were the company's board members and employee's. This was going to be the beginning of a new era of his company and what he hoped would be the redemption of his family name, finally the noise died down and he knew it was time to start.
"I know for many of you" he began "You have come here to hear about my son Lex been named as the leader of the group of villians who caused so much damage lately" he continued "I am afriad to say the story is true, Lex had a relapse of the brake down he suffered at the beginning of last year only it had a much more serious affect on him" he explained "He became a completely different person and he used this company for his own ends, that ends today as after a meeting with the board I have once again been named owner of the company" he stated "All illegal projects he started have been shut down and all evidence turned over the proper authorties, should Lex somehow escape his new prison he will never be able to take control of my company as I have disowned him of all his rightful inheritence" he went on before he paused and took a drink of water from the near by glass "From this day onwards Lex Luthor has no connection to myself or this company" he finished.
"Mr Luthor, may I inquire then who will inherite the company when you step down or pass on?" Kelly Benson inquired shocked by this turn of events and wondering how it was she was getting so many exciting stories lately.
"In the last three years I have come to know a family who have raised a young man anyone would be happy to call a son, whilst my previous contact with his parents have been somewhat shaky I feel I have formed a strong bond with them now and after a long talk they have agreed to allow me to name their son as my successor" Lionel answered "His name is Clark Kent, he has shown he has what it takes to help my company make a new more cleaner image for itself in the years to come" he continued with a smile "The board have already been told my choice and whilst some of them are unsure of my choice I am sure as time goes on they will realise what I already know, he is a worthy successor" he finished.
This left a rather stunned crowd as they tried to grasp the fact that Lionel Luthor had chosen some unknown teenager to be his successor, but they guessed his stated friendship with the boy and his parents was behind this unexpected move.
"What did you mean by your company having a cleaner image in the future Mr Luthor?" one of the other reporters inquired.
"My company lately has suffered a lot of bad press due to projects that were not in its best interest, I admit I made many mistakes which caused some these events but no where as close as Lex did" Lionel answered "From this point on Luthorcorp is dedicated to bettering mankind, all projects dealing with offensive weapons will be scapped" he explained to the even more stunned mass "We will instead excel in defencesive technologies and other things that will make all our lives better" he stated "I will also ensure those who work under me never have to suffer an unjust sacking again or fear for their jobs, they are from this point forward secure and are what makes my company succesful" he continued "I hope in the coming years to remove the black mark against my family name" he finished before he stepped away from the podium and watched as his workers exploded in cheers and clapping. Others joined in as the press made notes for the story they would write.
Clark, Martha and Jonathan stood in an unseen section of the room behind a two way mirror watcing the conference. Clark wondered at how this would affect the future as he doubted he would end up a reporter anytime soon thanks to this twist, he knew his parents were still unsure of Lionel making Clark his heir but they decided they could not interfer as Clark had made the choice to except. Over the next couple of years he would be trained in all manner of ways to take over the company, Raya, Diana and a few others from the League would be given jobs at Luthorcorp as well whilst others would join Queen Industries or even Wayne Enterprise.
(Fortress of Solitude, A Week Later)
Clark sat at the main console of the fortress working on the first planning draft for the Watchtower, which would end up been built exactly how it was built in the future. But it would now be a join project between Luthorcorp, Wayne Enterprise and Queen Industries and thus the cost of building it would be shared. Clark would be adding the alien technology which would allow them to monitor the earth for threats, there was also going to be monitoring scanners for detecting threats from space. Teleporting technology would again be added as would defensive weapons, there would be no offensive weapons at least not unless they were needed.
He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair as he knew soon he would have to leave with Kara, Raya, Brainiac and a copy Jor-El's AI. They were going to head into deep space to locate the city of Kandor which he had finally admitted had survived the destruction of Krypton. Kara had been out raged at first that he had kept this news from her, once she had calmed down she had realised he had been right and the news would have just distracted her. The journey there and back would take them a week or two to complete, whilst they were gone cyborgs replica's of them would take their places at school and as members of the League.
"How is it going Kal-El?" Dax-Ur asked from behind him and he turned to see the elder Krytonian behind him as well as Brainiac.
"Slowly but I am sure to have it completed before we leave to find Kandor" Clark responded with a tired smile "Of course even once the plans are complete we'll have to refine them before we even think of beginning to build the Watchtower" he added "But in the end it should be worth it" he concluded.
"Agreed Kal-El" Jor-El spoke up from the console "It will allow us to monitor for any threats from both earth bound problems and far into deep space" he reminded them "Once Kandor has been brought into moon orbit, it will be even more important to be prepared for any kind of threat" he stated.
"You realise our plans for Kandor are not going to go down well with the governments of the world" Kara cut in making them all turn to face her "They might see it as an attempt at invasion" she suggested.
"I don't think it will that bad Kara, infact I think many would be awed by such a thing happening in their lifetime" Clark responded with a shake of his head no fully convinced on his own response but thinking Kara was been a little over dramatic as the response to the truth of aliens been on earth had not been as bad as he had first feared.
The people had of course been stunned by the news that there really was other life in the universe, far more than they had ever believed. That quite a few had come to see earth as home even more surprising, the governments had of course not been happy about what had happened to Lex and the other criminals. The people had as they had hoped backed them up and thus in the end had the governments had given their approval to the League to send the worst repeat criminals to the zone, however they were sure some of the more dangerous elements of the governments had designs on them in the future.
"Do not be complacent Kal-El" Raya broke in from the side who stood beside Diana, Donna, Bruce and Talia who had also joined them.
"What do you mean Raya?" Clark inquired.
"The military and those who think like them will see us and our people once Kandor is here as threats especially in big numbers" Raya responded "We will have to take every precaution to ensure the safety of both worlds, not only from outside threats but also from each other until they learn to trust we are no danger to them and they are no danger to us" she explained hoping her lover took this warning to heart.
"I have to agree with Raya Clark" Bruce said "Some branches of the government and especially the military will not be pleased to have a city full of aliens with super powers near earth" he continued.
"Maybe we should instead of moving Kandor into moon orbit" Jor-El suggested "We should move it into the orbit of one of the other planets; we could then use our technology to terraform it" he explained to them "It would take away the kind of fear humans would fear from it been in moon orbit, it would also give our people a lot more protection as humans cannot travel far in space at this time" he added.
"Jor-El's idea has merit" Kara agreed with her uncle and hoped Kal-El would see the wisdom in it as well "Kal-El I know you were raised here and have a more confident view of the majority of humans but in this case I think you may be seeing far to much good in them" she continued "Until they can really learn to trust us, we cannot put Kandor so close to where they could fire a weapon at it" she stated.
"Ok Kara you've made your point" Clark agreed reluctantly because he knew she was right Humans were not perfect and once Kandor was here, it might just cause panic especially if they put it in moon orbit so close to earth "We'll move it into orbit of Saturn and terraform its moon Titan" he decided.
"That is a good choice Kal-El as Titan has a substantial atmosphere which will make terraforming it easier for us" Jor-El agreed pleased by his son's logic.
"I have good news as well" Dax-Ur said as the others nodded in agreement "After many failures Brainiac and myself have finally succeeded in undoing the brainwashing to Lana, she is resting at this minute recovering from what I am sure was a hellish procedure as it was not without pain" he admitted with a pleased smile.
Clark let out a smile at that piece of news and swept Raya into his arms and kissed her, hopefully this news would put his relationship with his mother back to normal and remove the strain that had befallen it since Lana was kidnapped. He then clapped Dax-Ur on his shoulder and thanked him for his hard work, he even thanked Brainiac as this verison of the AI was not the one who had brainwashed Lana in the first place at least that was how he saw it.
"What about Nyssa?" Talia inquired wondering if Dax-Ur and Brainiac had managed to work their magic on her sister as wel.
"We managed to remove the hatred that she has for you and your father from her memories, and we have managed to change her personality into something more in line with you" Brainiac stated before pausing as he considered his next piece of news knowing it might not be received well "However as Dax-Ur warned you before, messing with someone's memories is risky and we believe Nyssa may have suffered some memory loss as a result of the operation we used to fix her" he explained.
"How much memory loss?" Talia asked actually feeling worried for her sister now she knew Nyssa was no longer a threat to her, Bruce and her father. Bruce detecting the note of worry wrapped his arms around Talia's wraist and pulled her closer much to her happiness.
"Hard to say at this point" Brainiac admitted "But we should know in the next day or two as she awakens" he concluded. Talia hoped Nyssa had not lost to much of her memory, she wondered how their father would react to this news knowing it was his request they do the operation on her.
"How soon will it be until Lana is able to have visitors?" Clark asked intending to collect his parents and Chloe once he was told it was okay for Lana to have guests.
"I'd give it a day or two" Dax-Ur answered "Just to be sure, her entire body has undergone two very stressful procedures as has her mind" he reminded them "Isobel stated she will be trying to talk to Lana as she sleeps, I am certain she will upset, distraught and angry at what she was forced to do whilst under the control of Zod" he told them.
"That is to be expected" Diana replied "Lana has been through a very traumatic experience and it will take her a while to get over it" she went on "If needs be my mother has granted her permission to come to the Island whilst she recovers, somewhere we know she will not encounter any men" she told them.
"Please tell your mother we are grateful for her aide in this matter" Clark said thankfully to Diana "I think Lana will take her up on it depending on how stable she is once she awakes" he added.
The group soon broke up and went their separate ways; Clark continued his work but soon felt he needed to sleep. Finishing up his current work he got up and activated his crystal and vanished to first tell his parents the news about Lana and then to get a good nights sleep.
(Luthorcorp)
Lionel sat his desk going through the many files Lex had on the projects he had started since he had become owner of the company, these included the more insane projects since he had been affected by Brainiac. He shook his head amazed at the madness shown even in the earlier projects, it made him wonder just had deep rooted the evil within had been. Had Lex ever had a chance to been a good person? He asked himself. Leaning back in his chair he wondered what could have been had he been a better father, had he been a better man.
(Fortress of Solitude, two days later)
Lana Lang woke up feeling as if her entire body was on fire and had been trampled by a dozen people, she blinked as her vision blurred for a minute before it finally cleared up. In front of her were the Kent's including Clark, Chloe, Lois, Kara, Diana and Raya.
"How do you feel Lana?" Dax-Ur as he continued to run scans over the body to ensure everything was okay.
"I feel like hell, my body aches" Lana answered after Chloe had handed her a glass of water which she took a large gulp from "It also feels as if I have not seen any of you in days" she admitted.
"You haven't Lana, I thought Isobel was going to talk to you about what happened whilst you were asleep" Clark told her as he took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze which she returned.
The mention of Isobel instantly brought Lana's memories back of everything her ancestor had said to her in her dreams, she had fought the idea that she had been captured and brainwashed bitterly until Isobel had swore on her husband's grave. Tears began to leak out of her eyes as she tried to keep her composure, she had been raped by Lex and Zod no matter that by that point Lex had been possessed by Zod. It had been Lex's desire for her that had led to her been kidnapped, she finally couldn't stop it and she burst into tears. Martha quickly pulled her into a hug and held her; she ran her hands through the young girl's hair just relieved to have the real Lana back.
"The scans show the process we used to undo the brainwashing has indeed reversed the affects" Dax-Ur told them all as he read the scan results one more time "All she needs now is rest and time to recover, however healing the trauma caused by the events in question will take longer" he added.
"Can" Lana tried to ask before she broke of as fresh tears erupted. A few minutes later she recovered "Can you repress the memories?" she asked.
"I could but that would be a very bad idea" Dax-Ur told her in response "Repressing the memories will only cause more damage in the future as they will eventually break through whatever barriers I put up around them, you need to deal with them now" he advised seriously.
Lana nodded her head in understanding but she knew it would be a long time before she could ever fully get over what had been done to her, she looked to Clark and noted his concerned gaze resting on her and she wished to be able to return it but she looked away and leaned back in her bed.
(Themyscira Island of the Amazons, three days later)
Lana stood between Diana and Donna as she said her farewell to Clark, as he prepared to head into deep space to find Kandor and bring it back to the sol system. He would be accompanied by Brainiac, Kara, Raya, and a copy of Jor-El's AI, it would not be an easy trip but she was secure in the fact they would make it.
The last three days had not been easy for her as she kept having vivid nightmares of what Zod in Lex's body had done to her, Clark had tried to comfort her but she had quickly moved out of his reach. Thankfully he understood what she was going through and had gone to get Diana who had been able to help her, now three days later the nightmares still refused to leave and so she had taken up the Amazon queen's offer of coming to the Island to help in her recovery.
"I'll be back Lana, I promise" Clark said wanting to take Lana in his arms and kiss her in reassurance but he knew she was not ready for that kind of affection from him yet. He knew it was possible she might never be ready; finally he backed away and shot into the air where the others were waiting for him.
"I know Clark and I'll be waiting for you" Lana promised in reply "Isobel wanted me to assure you she will not fail you again" she told him wanting to feel Clark's arms around her but was too unsure how she would feel if it actually happened right now.
"Isobel did not fail me Lana I've already told her that" Clark responded with a shake of his head knowing the spirit felt guilt and remorse for Lana's capture "She was in a battle and lost track of her position, she was then ganged up on and taken down. It could have happened to anyone of us" he assured her "Isobel did what she could, no one blames her" he stated.
"I'll tell her when I see her next" Lana said hoping it would help cheer up her ancestor who still resided in her body.
"It is time Kal-El?" Brainiac shouted from above "We need to leave" he added to which Clark nodded his head.
"Do not worry Kal-El, the Island is well defended and no one from your world knows where it is" Diana assured him as she stepped forward before she and Clark engaged in a heated kiss.
"Just be careful Diana, I don't want to lose anyone" Clark told her in response to which she just smiled and kissed him again before she stepped back and watched as he began to float into the air.
"I'll see you soon" Lana said before he shot into the air to join Raya, Kara and Brainiac who then all vanished into the sky.
"He'll be back Lana" Diana assured her as she pulled Lana into a hug as she noted the other girl was beginning to grow uneasy.
"I know, he always comes back to me" Lana replied with a small smile echoing what she had told the Kent's near the beginning of all this.
(Saturn, two weeks later)
Clark was quite tired as he finished helping to move Kandor into orbit of Saturn close to its moon Titan, it had been a very long trip for all of them but it had been worth it. Of course convincing the population of Kandor of their identities took some time even with Jor-El's AI helping them, but in the end they had succeeded. They'd had to reconstruct the House of El as a member of the council which now ruled Kandor; Clark was now the head of the house as Jor-El had insisted he take it. Kara was his proxy and would fill in for him when he was busy, he had ensured should anything happen to him that Kara would replace him as the head of the House of El. To ensure the house's position he had married Raya in a traditional Krytonian wedding ceremony, it had been presided over by Jor-El. He hoped Lana and Diana would understand why he married Raya without consulting them first, he especially hoped Lana would understand.
Moving the city into the sol system had not been easy but given the nature of the advance state of Krytonian technology, they had managed to move the city through an enlarged transport beam from its position to the sol system. From there thanks to the yellow suns rays empowering them, a large group of Krytonians had used their super strength to move the city into orbit of Saturn. Clark had decided with the council not to tell the governments of earth about Kandor, at least not until they had new defensives up to protect their last refuge.
Clark turned and headed for earth longing to see Diana and Lana as well as his parents, Chloe, Lois and the rest of his friends in the League. Raya quickly joined his side, Kara and Brainiac remained on Kandor helping their fellow Krytonians plan the terraforming of Titan.
(Themyscira Island of the Amazons)
Lana sat at the base of a cliff looking longingly into the sky wishing Clark would return, it had been two and a half weeks since he had left on his journey and the more he was absent the more she missed him. The two and a half weeks had been hard ones, but she was finally beginning to regain more and more of her old personality. The aide of Diana and her fellow Amazons as well as the Kent's Isobel, and Chloe had helped her face much of what had happened; during the time she had spent brainwashed. She heard Diana come up behind her as she often did; she glanced at her friend and fellow lover of Clark noting she too had a longing look on her face.
"I just received a communication from Jor-El, his deep space monitors had detected movement near Saturn" Diana informed her "We believe Kal-El and the others had returned and were successful in their mission" she added with a wide relieved smile which was quickly returned by Lana.
Lana felt great relief at the news and prayed it was the truth; she wanted Clark back more than ever. After everything they had been through she wanted to make sure their relationship this time was permanent, even if it included sharing him with Kara and Raya. Suddenly Clark landed in front of them so fast they felt the ground shake a little as he landed, Raya quickly followed.
"Clark" Lana shouted as she rushed forward and surprised him by pulling him into a deep passionate kiss before hugging him. A few seconds later as she pulled away Diana repeated her actions.
"Welcome home" Diana said as she stepped back pleased Kal-El had finally returned.
"Thanks, I've missed you both" Clark responded relieved to see Lana looked and sounded so much better as well as felt okay touching him again.
"So what happened out there?" Lana inquired taking his hand in hers.
Clark sat them all down and began to explain everything that had happened on their journey as well as what had happened on Kandor itself, when he reached the point of marrying Raya both Lana and Diana interrupted with hugs and congratulations much to his surprise. Diana asked Clark to think about asking her mother for Diana's hand in marriage, as soon as possible to which Clark agreed. Lana of course knew they could not get married as quickly as he could to Diana and Raya due to their age, but he promised to get her an engagement ring soon which made her extremely happy.
(The Watchtower, the Future)
Kal-El stood in the large meeting room of the tower staring out into the vastness of space, so much had happened after he had come back from bringing Kandor to Saturn's orbit. He still went by Clark Kent when he was on earth in his persona of the owner of Luthorcorp but the majority of the time he now went by his true name, as a way of showing respect to Lionel he had kept the company's name as it was. Lionel had died five years ago from natural causes, having seen his dream of redeeming his family name fulfilled.
His parents Martha and Jonathan had also passed on which may have pushed him to let go of much of his human persona, then again it could be his full exposure to his real culture and history. He lived on Kandor for half the year and the other on earth, Raya soon joined him telling him their children were once again running wild. Lana was on earth at this moment in time with his children with her, her clothing business was very successful and took much of her time but she refused to let anyone else look after their children. Diana was on duty and in the middle of a crisis with Nightwing, Huntress and Brainiac. Their daughters were on the Island of the Amazons visiting their grandmother, he had a big family now much to his joy. He wondered what the future held for all of them; he clasped Raya's hand and continued to stare into space.
The League continued to exist as a force for good with many new members having joined over the years including Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Bruce was now retired and living happily with Talia and their children. Nyssa lived with them to with her own husband and son, the memory loss she had suffered had not been as sever as was feared. Ra had passed away a two years ago just before Jonathan Kent, happy to see his daughters both married and with kids. Chloe had married Bart forever changing her future; their three kids had all inherited Bart's speed much to Chloe's frustration as keeping track of them was no easy. Lois had settled down with Oliver but they had no kids, at least not yet.
The others in the League had either retired or still on active duty, some were married and others were not. He nodded as he passed J'onn in the hallway who nodded back; the Martian was a changed being after finding out he was not the last of is kind. However to save his fellow Martians he had to rage war against the white Martians, the very creatures who had helped destroy his race. The League and the Green Lantern Corps had helped him, and in the end the Green Martians were freed and the white Martians were driven away even deeper into the unknown. J'onn was now married again with kids; Mars with New Krypton's help was beginning to recover from the war that had destroyed it.
It had taken a lot of time for the human race to get used to the fact that not one but two other races shared their solar system; there had been times when it seemed the panic and fear would erupt into outright war but it had never reached that point. The aide and advancements mankind of received had helped them improve their lives, many of the most serious illness's had been cured and most humans now lived far longer lives than they had before. All three races now lived in peace and had regular contact, the Sol system was now the most protected in the 28 known galaxies. Kal-El smiled as he thought of how far they had come since the moment the memories of a war torn future had downloaded into his mind, he would not have changed things at all.
The End: