AN: Thank you all for giving this story so much attention and love! Things start to get even more complicated for our heroes in this chapter and it's only going to get worse! But don't worry, things will work out in the end. They always do... right?

13: Aching of the Heart

Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen mingled amongst their guests, politely accepting the repeated congratulations. They were slowing making their way towards the exit when a waiter stopped in front of them, offering a tray filled with champagne. Bruce reached forward to grab a glass but froze when his eyes lay upon a face card on the tray. It was the King of Hearts, a symbol the League associated with Superman when trying to communicate in public locations. Bruce looked up at the waiter who gave him a look of disdain.

"We need to leave," he muttered to Oliver.

"What? Why?"

Bruce pointed at the card and Oliver's eyes widened as he finally looked from it to the waiter. He recognized the Martian's murky brown eyes mingled with red. They started for the exit in a rush when someone stepped into their path.

"Well if it isn't Lex Luthor," Bruce Wayne said, recovering his composure first.

"I would congratulate both of you for expanding your companies but I don't find it appropriate," Lex said.

"Oh? And why not?" Oliver asked, slipping into a similar masked calm to that of Bruce.

Lex stepped closer to them and whispered, "This is my city and if either of you attempt to take away the business that rightfully belongs to me, I'll destroy your companies along with your reputations in Gotham and Star City."

Bruce laughed. "I'm afraid I don't have that much to lose in regards to my reputation." Oliver snorted in quiet laughter. But then Bruce became just as serious as Lex. His voice dropping quietly he muttered, "But if you even attempt to destroy my company, you'll regret it, Luthor."

"Queen Enterprises shares the same opinion," Oliver said with a wicked grin. "All's fair in business, Lex. The people are the ones who decide whether a company is worth their attention or not. Whether you fail or succeed won't be because of us but the people of Metropolis."

Lex scowled. "Watch your back, Queen. I'm sure you have plenty of skeletons you would rather keep in your closet."

Oliver scoffed. "As if you don't have ten times as many skeletons that I do. Now, if you'll excuse us Luthor, we have business to conduct."

Oliver made sure to push a little into Lex's shoulder as he and Bruce left the room. "I hate that guy," he muttered as Bruce punched the elevator button. "What was he even doing here?"

"Well, judging on the conversation, I think he was threatening us to get out of Metropolis," Bruce said as they stepped into the elevator.

"Like we'd ever do that," Oliver scoffed.

After the doors dinged shut, a transparent figure dropped down from the ceiling. Bruce and Oliver watched as Jon Jonzz materialized.

"Jon, what's happened?" Bruce demanded.

"Superman has been affected by Red Kryptonite," he answered.

Oliver gasped. "You've got to be kidding!"

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "What does Red K do to him?"

"This is bad," Oliver muttered before explaining the effects of the red rock. "It basically turns him into the exact opposite of himself," he finished.

"So we have to strike him down long enough to get the Red Kryptonite off him before he can put his plans into action," Bruce surmised. "Good thing I carry around Green Kryptonite."

"What?! You of all people know that stuff can kill Clark," Oliver said angrily. "Why on earth are you carrying it around?"

"For occasions such as this one," Bruce retorted. "You never know when you might need it."

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," Oliver muttered.

"Jon, where's Clark now?" Bruce asked.

"Zatanna sent him into a portal that supposedly took him to his apartment," Jon answered, "But when Lois called, he didn't pick up the phone. He could be anywhere by now."

"Wait, why was Zatanna with him?" Oliver asked.

"She did not say," Jon replied. "She simply informed us of the situation, stating that she convinced Superman not to do anything until he consulted with Lois."

"And Clark went along with that?" Oliver said, surprised.

"It makes sense," Bruce muttered. "Clark wouldn't want to rule the world alone. He'd want to make sure Lois supported him before going after the world leaders."

"If Lois is still at Watchtower, he'll be heading there," said Oliver.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a jet in an underground basement. "Which is why we're heading there right now," Bruce said, punching down the button on a remote he'd retrieved from his pocket. The doors opened and a platform descended.

"Nice ride, Bats," Oliver commented as he followed him up the ramp.

"You'll find your suit in the corner," Bruce said, pointing to the location.

"How did you get this?" Oliver cried in slight alarm.

Bruce grinned. "I had Alfred steal it from your car earlier. There was a possibility that we would have to make a quick getaway so I decided it was better to be prepared."

"Alfred broke into my car?" Oliver groaned in disdain. "You're paying for the damages."

"I'll take that as a thank you," Batman remarked in his guttery voice.

Green Arrow continued to mutter grumpily as the jet raced down a runway that opened up just outside of Metropolis bay. Martian Manhunter sat quietly in one of the passenger seats, exercising his telepathy towards the other Justice League members. They informed him that Superman hadn't arrived though they sounded distracted in their response.

What is going on? Jon thought.

Zatanna just informed us the real reason Clark came in contact with Red Kryptonite, Wonder Woman answered.

Jon suddenly heard Lois and Zatanna through Wonder Woman's thoughts.

You IDIOT! Lois yelled. How could you even think that Red Kryptonite would be the perfect way to give Clark a break?! Do you not remember what it did to him in the past?!

In the past he was immature, Lois, Zatanna retorted. He's an adult now. His desires have changed.

You're darn right they have! Lois cried. Now he's bent on taking over the freaking world!

He won't do anything before he gets your consent.

And how do you know that?

Because he loves you! He doesn't want to rule this world alone.

And you think I'm just going to sit back and agree with him?

You might have to in order for us to get the Red Kryptonite off.

This is all your fault! The Earth wouldn't be in jeopardy if you hadn't felt the need to mess with Clark's life!

I wanted to give him a break! Zatanna screamed. He was in dire need of some time away from being a hero. I could tell that when he was here he'd rather be at home with you and Jason. Every hero needs a break once in a while, Lois! Besides, didn't you confess to him that you really wanted to go on a vacation?

YOU LISTENED TO ONE OF OUR PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS?! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!

I wanted to help!

"Oh dear," Jon muttered, pulling out of Wonder Woman's thoughts.

"What is it?" Green Arrow asked.

"We just might find a murder when we reach Watchtower," Jon sighed.

"What do you mean?" Batman demanded, forcing the jet to head out of Earth's atmosphere.

Jon explained Zatanna's plot to give Clark personal leave. "At the moment she and Lois are screaming at each other."

"I wouldn't be surprised if we found them fist fighting," Batman muttered. "It was foolish of Zatanna to do such a thing."

"Red Kryptonite is not something you should mess with," Oliver said. "It's better for it to stay as deep in the Earth as possible. We should have gotten rid of it along with the green stuff."

"I wish we had," Batman growled. "Then we wouldn't be having this problem."

They arrived at Watchtower ten minutes later. Reaching the council room, they found Lois fuming with her back to them, looking out the window towards Earth. Zatanna was nowhere to be seen. Jason and Thora were sitting in the corner holding hands and looking worried. Wonder Woman greeted them.

"Green Lantern had to take Zatanna to the base's hospital," she muttered. "Lois beat her up pretty bad."

"And you didn't stop her?" Green Arrow asked.

"Would you?"

"No," Batman muttered. "An angry wife is not something that I'd ever like to get in a fist fight with, especially if it's Lois Lane."

They all looked over at the infuriated reporter again. Lois turned around, finally noticing they had company. "Did you see him at all?" she asked, displaying the first signs of worry.

Batman shook his head. "No. We figured he'd be here since this is where you are."

"That's what we thought," Aquaman said, "But he hasn't arrived."

"That's weird," Green Arrow muttered. "He knows Lois is here. You don't think he decided to do something on his own?"

Batman went over to the central computer and started to type furiously against the keys.

"What are you doing?" Aquaman asked.

"Each one of us has a tracking device on our suits," Batman muttered.

"Oh yeah," Green Arrow said, excited. "You can track him!"

Everyone rushed over to the computer screen, waiting anxiously as Batman pulled up the right file. The other members of the League flashed over the display of Watchtower but Superman's was located down in Metropolis. Batman zoomed in. A second later the screen displayed the rooftops of Metropolis's warehouses near the docks.

"Jon and I will go," Wonder Woman said.

"Wait," Batman muttered, halting them. Reaching into his belt, he pulled out a piece of Green Kryptonite.

"Where did you get this?" Wonder Woman said.

Batman narrowed his eyes. "You didn't think I would allow all of the Kryptonite to be thrust out into space, did you? I held on to a few pieces for emergencies just like this. And before anyone freaks out, Superman gave me permission to keep them."

Everyone seemed surprised by this except for Lois. "He had me keep some as well," she muttered.

Everyone turned to look at her. "Batman is right. If Clark was ever going to turn, he wanted to be sure to have some fragments left behind to stop him. Batman and I were the ones entrusted to hold on to them."

Wonder Woman took the meteor rock from Batman and then kissed him full on the mouth. "I'll be careful," she whispered.

The rest of the League held expressions of shock. None of them had known that there was anything between Batman and Wonder Woman. Batman didn't go around promoting his love life and Wonder Woman, well, nobody ever thought she'd settle for a man.

Ignoring the others, Batman smiled. "Don't let him sneak up on you."

"We won't," Wonder Woman promised. "Come on, Jon."

Martian Manhunter followed after her without a word. Using telepathy, he promised to keep everyone informed with what was going on once they reached Metropolis.

Green Arrow turned to Batman and grinned. "Bats, I had no idea!"

Batman ignored him, deciding to pay attention to his computer screen rather than anyone else in particular.

Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter reached the warehouses twenty minutes later since they flew as fast as they possibly could. Through telepathy Batman guided them towards Warehouse 249. Wonder Woman thrust the door open and the two stepped cautiously inside. Amidst an obnoxious scene of streamers and balloons, they searched around all the craters only to find the place completely vacant.

"He's not here," Wonder Woman muttered.

Martian Manhunter bent down near the doorway and picked up Superman's transmitter. "Wonder Woman," he called, holding it up.

She groaned. "Do you think he took it off?"

"No. According to Zatanna's story, she was here with him the whole time until he flew into the portal she created. It must have fallen off at some point."

Informing the others through telepathy of what they found, everyone on Watchtower groaned.

"He could be anywhere," Lois muttered. "Where would he have gone?"

Thora suddenly stepped forward, studying Batman's screen. She gasped. "I know that place!" she cried.

"What?" Jason said, coming to a halt next to her.

"Jason, that's the warehouse where I woke up!" She turned to Batman. "Zatanna said she had Superman go through a portal, right?"

"Yes," Aquaman answered.

"My Uncle Loki threw me through a portal at my birthday party!" Thora said. "And I landed in that warehouse!"

Everyone stared.

"You don't think…"Batman trailed off.

"He could be where I'm from!" Thora cried. "He could be on Asgard!"

o0o0o

For the next four hours Superman sat in a cell, his hands in cuffs that were chained to the wall. He didn't even attempt to escape. His state of mind wallowed in a sea of guilt. All those people dead…because of him. He'd ruined families. He'd destroyed lives. For the thousandth time, he buried his face in his hands and wept, not caring that on the other side of the wall several people were watching, including the man with the eye patch.

How could he ever live with himself? He envisioned the tears shed by all the families he'd broken. He wagered the damages he'd caused to New York and the overtime people were going to have to work to fix everything. Not to mention the expenses of the business owners whose stores had collapsed. Superman was sure he'd also taken out a series of apartment complexes with his fight against the Hulk. All those people were now in need of homes; the ones that had survived at least. That last thought caused another fresh wave of guilt and tears.

Superman longed for Lois. Every time a tragedy struck, she knew exactly what to say. She would allow him to weep openly into her shoulder. Her gentle hands would run repeatedly through his hair and over his shoulders. Occasionally she would plant a kiss on his lips, his cheek, or his forehead. She would give him the physical comfort he needed in order to cope with the anxiety of not being able to save souls and for being partially responsible for mass destruction.

But this had been one of the rare occasions where he'd been the source of the devastation. True, he had been under the influence of Red Kryptonite, but he still felt responsible for all the people who had died because of his selfish actions. Not to mention this world's heroes had nearly been killed by his hands.

He shuddered as he recounted how close he had been to ending Thor's life. If Thor hadn't reacted when he did and shattered the bracelet, Superman would have done something he would have regretted forever the second he was off the influence of Red K. The people who had died were due to the falling debris and glass, not that it was inexcusable, but it was easier to cope with than if he had physically choked Thor to death with his own two hands. People had died in previous battles he'd encountered with villains; the guilt and pain wasn't easier then than now. This time was worse because he had been the villain.

Superman briefly heard someone on the other side of the wall report that fifty people had died with over two hundred more injured. His heart constricted. Two hundred fifty people; all because of him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly through his fingers. "I'm so sorry."

He didn't have any more tears to shed. Again, his heart ached for Lois. He tried to envision her coming into the room. He imagined her standing in front of him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. He could hear her heartbeat and the sound soothed him. She ran her fingers through his hair, bent down, and kissed his forehead. Superman lowered his hands from his face, breaking the trance. Someone was about to come in.

The door opened and in stepped Nick Fury. Superman knew his name from overhearing someone earlier. Nick Fury eyed him with distrust as he pulled up a chair and sat down. Sighing he said, "You caused a lot of trouble today."

Superman hung his head. "I apologize. It was never my intention to hurt anyone."

"Then what was your intention?" Nick demanded. "Fifty people died, two hundred more are injured, the Avengers are out of commission, and there's probably over a hundred billion dollars in damages that need to be repaired. Did you intend for that to happen?"

Superman sighed. "The honest answer is yes and no."

"Care to explain that?"

Superman looked him straight in the eye. "One thing you must know about me, Nick Fury, is that I never lie. Ever."

Nick raised an eyebrow but didn't ask how Superman knew his name.

When he didn't respond, Superman continued. "The planet I came from was destroyed years ago. Desirous to save me, my birth parents shipped me off to Earth shortly after I was born. I was raised in Kansas and grew up not knowing anything about my heritage until I was in my teens. My arrival was in the midst of a meteor shower; the gravitational pull of my ship carried some fragments of my planet with me across galaxies. The meteor rocks contained radioactive pieces of my home world called Kryptonite. There are several different types of Kryptonite. Green Kryptonite is the only thing that can kill me. Red Kryptonite alters my personality and causes me to be irrational and destructive. Unfortunately, I was under the influence of Red Kryptonite upon my entrance into your universe."

"What happened to it?" Nick asked.

"Thor destroyed it as I was choking him. If he hadn't, I would have done something I would have regretted for the rest of my life."

Nick's brow furrowed. "You said that you entered into my universe. What do you mean by that?"

"Have you ever heard of alternate universes?" Superman asked, sighing in exhaustion.

"I've heard of different realms, thanks to Thor. Is that what you're talking about?"

Superman shook his head. "It's not the same thing. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I'm not from this universe."

"And how can you be sure of that?"

"Because everything I call home is missing, including my wife and my son."

"What do you call home? What are your wife and son's names?"

"I grew up in Smallville, Kansas but the city I usually look over is Metropolis. Its nickname is the Big Apricot. And no, it's not New York City; where I'm from they're two different places. My wife is Lois Lane, the greatest reporter who works for the Daily Planet which resides in Metropolis. My son's name is Jason Kent."

Nick Fury studied him a moment more. "I've never heard of either of those places. And if your wife is supposed to be a famous reporter, I'd know her. I guess I'm going to have to believe you're telling the truth."

"I am," Superman said with complete sincerity. "Would it be possible for me to speak with Thor?"

Nick raised an eyebrow. "I'm not so sure that would be a good idea. I don't want to have to clean up another bloodbath."

"Please, it's important that I speak to him," Superman insisted.

Nick sighed. "Alright but I'm only giving you ten minutes. If he's in here longer with you, I'm sure he'll start tearing limbs."

Superman smiled sadly. "I'd like to see him try."

Nick looked at him questioningly but didn't say anything as he left the room. Twenty minutes later, Superman saw Thor coming down the hall by using his x-ray vision. Thor did not look happy. It was obvious that it was taking a lot of self control for him to reign in his emotions before willing himself to open the door and come in.

"I was told you wanted to see me?" he said, anger clearly behind the words.

Superman stared. There was no denying it. He'd had a lot of time to think as he wallowed in his grief. One thing he'd immediately realized was that Thor was sure to be Thora's father. As he looked over the man before him, it was clear that his assumption was correct. They had the same blond hair and blue eyes. Not to mention the similarity in the outfits and the hammers.

"You're Thora's father," Superman said.

Thor's eyes widened. "You've seen her?" he whispered. Superman nodded. Thor rushed forward and grabbed his shoulders. "Where is she?" he demanded, shaking him slightly.

"She's in a different universe!" Superman answered. "Before you throw your hammer in my face, let me explain."

Thor hadn't realized that he'd pulled back to swing Mjolnir. He lowered his hammer, looking slightly sheepish. "Alright," he said, "tell me everything."

"I'll tell you everything I know," Superman promised.

What was once a ten minute visit turned out to be an hour. Superman noted that since he'd brought up Thora's name, S.H.E.I.L.D. decided to leave them alone. Thor listened with rapt attention, only interrupting to ask a question of clarification. Superman ended his tale with why he'd attacked the Avengers and the effects of Red Kryptonite.

"Believe me, if I had been myself, I never would have hurt anyone," Superman finished.

Thor nodded. "I believe you. You are a different man than the one I first met."

"Are the others alright?" Superman asked.

Thor nodded. "When I left the hospital they were finishing things up. They should be heading here afterwards."

Superman sighed. "I'm glad they're going to be alright. I've made such a mess. Your world will probably never trust me."

"Probably not," Thor admitted. He looked upon the Man of Steel with slight pity.

"What should we do now?" Superman asked.

"We must find Loki," Thor said. "You encountered him when you first appeared in this world, correct?"

Superman nodded. "He seemed pretty enthused about my desires of world domination."

Thor rolled his eyes. "My brother has always wanted a throne of his own."

"From what Thora told me, that doesn't seem too surprising," Superman admitted. "Do you think he'll still be by the portal I came through?"

"Perhaps," Thor muttered. "He might have changed the location after you came out of it. We won't know until we find him."

"Any ideas of where to look?"

Thor shook his head. "None that I have on hand. We'll have to discuss this with the others. I'm sure we'll be able to come up with something."

Superman nodded. Thor eyed him for a moment before inquiring, "You said Thora and your son are close."

Superman could hear the protectiveness in his voice. "They're very attracted to each other."

"Thora is strong," Thor said. "Her power is equivalent to half my own."

"Jason is the same way," Superman answered.

"I want to meet him," Thor demanded.

Superman couldn't blame him. If he had a daughter, he'd want to know who she was dating too. "When we get things figured out, I'll make sure you do," he promised.

Thor nodded. "Thank you."

Superman looked up. "The others are here."

"How do you know that?" Thor asked.

"Someone on the other side just announced their arrival," Superman replied. "I'll explain my abilities once we're all together. I'm probably going to have to tell my tale again so that they don't end up trying to kill me."

"I'll be sure they hear you out," Thor stated.

"I appreciate that."

o0o0o

"Twenty four hours and not a single scrap of news," Perry said after putting down the phone for the hundredth time. Lois, Richard, Lana, Jason, and Thora all sat in his office.

"If Clark was on Red Kryptonite, you said he'd be front page news, right, Lois?" Richard asked. "Lois, are you alright?"

Lois hadn't responded. In fact, she looked sick. "I'm fine," she finally muttered, her eyes closed.

Perry came over and felt her forehead. "Hmmm, you don't have a fever."

Lois immediately opened her eyes and jumped on the defensive. "Chief, I'm not sick!"

"Don't give me that kind of crap, Lane, you're as white as a sheet!"

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you," she said, standing up. "I'm going to see if the League has heard anything." And she stormed out before anyone could stop her.

Perry sighed. "She hasn't been this stressed since Clark left fifteen years ago."

Everyone stared after the famous reporter until she turned the corner. Thora gave Jason's hand a squeeze. "I think she'll be okay," she whispered.

Jason nodded. "I just wish Dad would show up already."

Thora remained silent. The Justice League would have opened the portal that Superman went through right after Thora's epiphany but Zatanna was still recovering thanks to Lois. The reporter had done some pretty heavy damage. Zatanna had a broken arm and a slight concussion by the time Lois was through with her. Everyone silently agreed that Zatanna deserved it but they mourned over having to wait for her to return to consciousness since she was the one who knew what portal needed to be opened. The longer Superman was missing, the more agitated everyone felt.

After Lois was sure to be out sight of the Editor's office, she rushed to the bathroom. Her stomach heaved just after she'd locked herself in the stall. Shakily wiping her mouth, Lois groaned. She hadn't been sick in a long time. Hoping this wasn't the stomach flu, she flushed the toilet and went to rinse her mouth out in the sink. Her reflection scared her. Deep purple circles clung underneath her eyes. Though she would never admit it to his face, Perry was right; she was as white as a sheet. Lois swallowed painfully and another wave of nausea caused her to rush back into the stall.

"What is going on?" she gasped. "I was fine this morning."

Weakly, she leaned against the stall and looked up at the ceiling, trying to keep herself from throwing up a third time. Breathing deeply, she decided to distract herself by thinking about Clark. If he was still on Earth, he would have found her by now. He'd told her many times that he could hear her heartbeat anywhere around the world. Maybe…maybe he didn't want to find her? If Clark wanted to hide from everyone, he would. Could he possibly be working in the shadows instead of upfront? He'd be a real criminal if he was. He'd been around enough scum to know how they ran their business.

Lois shivered. No, she refused to think he'd never want to come back to her. He loved her. She loved him. If Lois ever turned evil, she'd want him to be with her, even if his views were different than hers. Sighing, Lois got control of her stomach and left the bathroom. Without even really paying attention to where she was going, Lois found herself exiting the elevator and walking up the stairs to the roof of the Daily Planet five minutes later. Opening the door, she was met with a blast of sunlight. Immediately Lois's sickness disappeared.

"No way," she muttered.

There was only one other time in Lois's life when sunshine made her feel better and that was when she was pregnant with Jason. Could she really be? Though she was in her early forties, it was still possible she could be pregnant. Even so, the thought caused her to panic. She'd heard the horror stories of mother's in their forties dying in childbirth. Maybe she wasn't pregnant. Maybe the sun just made her feel good because it reminded her of Clark. Lois leaned against the edge and put her head down.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Lois nearly leapt out of her skin as she whirled around. "BRUCE! Don't do that!" she cried, holding her heart.

Batman crept out of the shadows with a slight smirk. "Sorry, sticking to the shadows is a bit of a habit."

"Even in broad daylight," Lois muttered.

Batman nodded. He studied her for a moment. "Lois, how are you feeling?"

Lois sighed, tilting a little to lean her back against the roof's edge. "I'm alright. Have you heard anything?"

"No. Personally, I think Thora's assumption is correct."

Lois tried not to panic. "So we need Zatanna. Is she awake?"

"That's why I'm here. She woke up about thirty minutes ago. She's not very happy to admit you kicked her butt without any powers."

Lois smirked. "I'll bet."

Batman lightly chuckled. "You've earned the respect of every member of the League, minor and major. It's obvious to them why Superman married you now."

Lois grinned. She couldn't deny she was thrilled to hear that. Trying to mask her pleasure, she said, "Well, being the wife of a superhero means you have to be tough."

"You're the only married couple in the League for that reason," Batman muttered.

"Are you and Wonder Woman ever going to tie a knot?"

Batman looked away slightly, almost as if he were embarrassed. "Let's save that conversation for another time. Zatanna and the others are going to meet us down by the warehouses in twenty minutes. Are you prepared to go?"

Lois nodded. "Let me get Jason and Thora. I'll try to dissuade Richard and Lana from coming but I can't guarantee anything."

Batman nodded. "I'll meet you down in the parking lot."

Lois raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. It wasn't usual for Batman to affiliate himself with others. Bruce Wayne, however, was a different story. Lois left the roof wondering if she was going to meet up with Batman or Bruce Wayne. The second she was out of the sun she felt sick again. Fighting down a fit of nausea, Lois got into the elevator and hit the button that would take her to the bullpen. She leaned her forehead against the side of the elevator, the cool metal slightly relaxing her. The second the doors dinged open, she forced herself to snap into an upright position. The nausea that followed was terrible. The sun was pouring in through the windows. Lois made sure to walk in its rays as she strode down the bullpen. Again, her sickness went away. Ignoring the slight wave of panic over her latest assumption, Lois entered Perry's office.

"Your uncle is going to meet us down in the parking lot," she said, looking at Jason.

Jason's temporary confusion was lifted when he realized she was talking about Batman. "Oh, cool! I didn't think he'd be the one to come."

"Where are you going? And what uncle are you talking about?" Perry asked.

"We're going to the warehouses and the uncle is from Gotham," Lois muttered.

Perry's eyes widened, catching on. "He's here?"

Lois nodded. "Richard, Lana, I'd rather you didn't get involved but you're both adults so I can't stop you from coming."

Richard looked to his wife who shook her head. "We'll stay here in case Clark shows up. It's one of his favorite places, after all. Several people should be here."

Richard seemed disappointed but he agreed. "That's a good idea. Just keep us in the loop, alright?"

Lois nodded. "We will. Jason, Thora, let's go."

Reaching the parking lot five minutes later, Lois looked around.

"Over here," came a voice from the shadows to their left. Batman stepped out. Using a remote, he signaled the Batmobile which came thundering around the corner.

"How on earth did you even get that thing past security?" Lois demanded.

Batman grinned. "Let's just say the police might be showing up soon so we'd better hurry if we don't want to be delayed."

Lois groaned.

Jason was beside himself with excitement. "I can't believe we're actually going to ride in the Batmobile! Only a handful of people have had this kind of privilege."

"Hurry up and get in," Batman ordered.

Jason and Thora crammed into the back while Lois was given the passenger side. Batman hopped in behind the wheel and turned the Batmobile around with frightening speed. Lois's stomach lurched.

"Batman," she gasped, "for my sake, please don't make sudden movements."

He looked over at her. "Lois, you're as white as a ghost. Are you alright?"

Lois closed her eyes. It took everything just to keep herself from vomiting all over Batman's car. He'd love that for sure.

Jason leaned forward, concerned. "Mom? You were pale earlier and your heartbeat is a little faster than normal. What's going on?"

"I'm just really stressed," Lois muttered.

"Hang on," Batman warned.

They'd come to the exit. Jason's eyes widened. The security gate had been completely destroyed, the remains still littered across the ground. The guards were trying to clean up some of the debris when both leapt out of the way so as not to get run over by the Batmobile.

"You could have slowed down," Thora said as she gripped Jason's hand tightly.

"There was no need to," Batman muttered. "They were smart enough to get out of the way."

Thora pursed her lips but Lois laughed weakly. Jason couldn't help but grin either. That was a typical Batman response. Batman weaved in and out of traffic, even braving three yellow lights and one red. They reached the warehouses within fifteen minutes, a record. The rest of the League was already standing around, waiting. Zatanna's left arm was in a cast. The second they got out of the Batmobile, Lois rushed to the side and threw up.

"Lois!" Batman rushed over.

Lois wiped her mouth. "I'm okay," she muttered, turning to face the sun. The rays soaked into her skin, instantly soothing her.

Batman's eyes narrowed. "What are you hiding, Lois?" he muttered as the others rushed over to see if Lois was okay.

"Not now, Bruce," Lois whispered. Putting on a brave face, she stood up. Thankfully she wasn't nauseated from the movement. The sun had done it's work. "I'm alright," she assured the others. "Batman just drives like a lunatic."

Flash grinned. "I guess you prefer men that can fly to men that can drive, huh?"

Lois returned the smile. "You know it."

Batman continued to watch her suspiciously but didn't comment.

Lois eyed Zatanna. "I'm not going to apologize," she said.

Zatanna nodded. "I don't expect you to. This way; the warehouse is over here."Leading the group, Zatanna made her way down the long stretch of pavement before coming to Warehouse 249. She pointed up at the broken window. "That's where I made the portal. I decided to have it in the air so people wouldn't accidentally step through it. I wasn't planning on anyone coming out of it, though." She eyed Thora. "You must have flown out after I'd left."

Thora nodded. "I remember the glass cutting into me. Thankfully, Asgardians heal rapidly, even half Asgardians."

"Is the portal still open?" Hawkgirl asked.

"No," Zatanna answered. "I closed it after Superman flew through."

"Well, let's not waste time," Lois said. "Open it again."

Zatanna frowned. "Don't rush me, Lois. I'm having difficulty with spells since I'm not at my full strength thanks to you."

Lois folded her arms. "Like I said, I'm not going to apologize."

"I'm just stating the facts, Lane," Zatanna snapped.

Lois rolled her eyes and walked away, leaning against a crate.

Jason turned to Thora while Zatanna continued to summon her strength to perform the spell. Thora appeared uneasy. Jason squeezed her hand. "Hey, are you okay?"

Thora looked at him. "I'm…I'm nervous," she admitted.

"Why? This might be your ticket home!"

Thora suddenly looked angry. "Do you not care if you never see me ever again?"

Jason's mouth dropped. "O-Of course I do! I didn't mean- Thora, come on, you honestly don't think I want to get rid of you?"

"You seem fine with sending me off," she muttered.

"That's not true!" Jason said fiercely. "Thora, I don't want you to go away but I also know that you want to see your family again."

She sighed. "You're right."

"So, why are you nervous?"

"I want to go home," Thora admitted, "but what if I never see you again? Don't you see? I'm not simply from a different sector of the galaxy. I'm from an entirely different universe, Jason. I don't exist here. Neither do my parents or any of my friends."

"But you're here," Jason pointed out. "If it wasn't possible for you to be here, you would have been destroyed the second you went through the other portal."

"I know," Thora said, "But just because I'm here now doesn't mean that I'll be able to be here later. There isn't a way for us to communicate from one universe to the other to open the portals at the same time."

"Then how do you know my dad is where you're from?"

"Because my parents have been looking for me," Thora said. "They would have a portal open to make sure I get home."

"I thought you said that your uncle had opened it."

Thora smiled. "It is because my uncle opened it that I know my parents are watching to see if I return. The second my father found my uncle, he would have forced him to open the portal again."

"How can you be so sure?" Jason asked, skeptical.

"Believe me, Jason. I know my family."

Jason stared into her beautiful blue eyes and nodded. "Let's hope my dad didn't tear apart your world then."

"It would take a whole lot to destroy my people," Thora said confidently.

Jason frowned. "You obviously are overlooking the fact that the only thing that can really stop my dad is Kryptonite. If what you say is true about you being here, then there's nothing from my universe in your universe; which means Kryptonite doesn't exist."

Thora's eyes widened. "You're right! And if he's that strong…." She shook her head. "No, the Avengers would not be defeated easily. They will fight until their last breath."

Jason couldn't bring himself to speak his thoughts. I hope it doesn't come to that.

"Got it!" Zatanna cried. The air before them shimmered like rippling water before stilling a second later. "I sense another portal is already open. You'd better hurry. We don't know when it will close."

"Alright," Green Arrow said, "Do we just hop in?"

"What else are we going to do?" Batman asked. "If the heroes from Thora's world are battling against Superman, they're going to need all the help they can get."

"But what about our universe?" Green Lantern asked. "We can't leave it defenseless."

"I will stay," Martian Manhunter volunteered.

"No, we need your skills, Jon," Batman said.

"I'll stay," Aquaman said.

"So will I," said Green Lantern. "I'm the protector of this sector. If I need help, I can call in the other Lanterns."

Wonder Woman nodded. "That would do. What do you think, Batman?"

Batman nodded. "It's the best option in the present situation." He then looked around. "Where's Lois?"

This caught everyone's attention.

"She didn't go through the portal did she?" Hawkgirl asked.

"No," said Zatanna. "I've been watching it the whole time."

"Then where did she go?" Flash asked.

Everyone started looking around. They'd only been waiting twenty minutes. She couldn't have gotten far. Flash did a speed search on the ground while Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and Thora searched from above. Batman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Jason looked through the closer warehouses while Zatanna stood guard over the portal.

"Nothing," Flash reported a minute later.

The others returned from the sky with the same news.

"I should have paid more attention," Jason cried.

"Jason, now is not the time to act like your father," Green Arrow said. "He would have blamed himself too."

"I should have heard her heartbeat," Jason argued. "I should have heard a scuffle."

"It's my fault," Thora muttered. "I was telling you all my stupid insecurities."

"Enough with the guilt trips," Flash ordered.

"The important thing right now is to find out where could she have gone," Green Arrow pointed out.

Jason still looked guilty but he didn't argue. Batman surveyed the area one more time. That's when he noticed something he hadn't before. Glinting in the lowering sun was one of Lois's pearl earrings. There was a faint speck of blood. More alert than ever, Batman crouched down to the ground and picked up the earring.

"What'd you find, Bats?" Flash asked.

"Lois didn't just walk away," Batman said. "She's been kidnapped."

"How do you know that?" Green Lantern asked.

Batman held up the earring. "Someone must have hauled her away without us noticing."

"Who would be dumb enough to steal someone from underneath our noses?" Flash asked.

"Someone that doesn't fear us," Wonder Woman said.

"But we would have heard them struggle," said Green Arrow.

"Not unless Lois's mouth was covered," Batman muttered, walking further away from the others, studying the ground. It took seconds for him to find what he was looking for. Like lightning, he grabbed the clothe in between two crates and sniffed it. "Just what I thought," he said, recognizing the fumes. Lois's lipstick was smeared over one side. Turning to the others, he displayed what he'd found.

"That explains why we didn't hear her cry out but why didn't we hear a struggle?" Martian Manhunter asked.

"Lois wasn't feeling well earlier," Batman pointed out. "I don't think she put up a struggle. The earring could have been ripped from her ear when her abductor surprised her from behind."

"Great, first Superman now Lois. Is Jason going to disappear next?" Flash said.

Everyone quickly looked around but relaxed when they saw Jason among them. "What are we going to do now?" he asked.

"We'll stick with the original plan," Wonder Woman answered. "We'll go through the portal in search for Superman. Green Lantern and Aquaman will stay behind and look for Lois. Jason, maybe you should stay as well."

"What? Why?"

"Your abilities would serve a greater purpose in finding your mother than your father," Wonder Woman pointed out. "We're going to be using Kryptonite on Superman. You wouldn't be able to help us."

Jason opened his mouth to retort but Batman silenced him with a look. Clearly despondent, he nodded. "Fine."

Thora was torn. She looked from Jason to the portal and back again. "I don't want to go without you," she said.

Jason heard the fear in her voice and hugged her. "Thora, you need to go home and let your parents know you're alright. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be waiting for you when you come back."

Thora didn't even want to entertain the thought that she might never see Jason again. She had to. She kissed his cheek and pulled away. "Don't go somewhere I won't be able to find you," she said.

Jason nodded. "I won't. I promise."

"Let's go," Wonder Woman commanded. "We don't have much time. Zatanna, guard this portal like your life depended on it. Keep it open no matter what."

"Will do," Zatanna promised.

Thora joined the Justice League minus Green Lantern and Aquaman as they walked into the portal. She glanced back at Jason one last time before stepping into the Vortex after Martian Manhunter.