16: Disarray
Thora hung up the phone and turned to the League. "Superman's at my house."
"Where do you live?" asked Batman.
"New Mexico. I told my mom that we should be getting there around nine."
"How are we going to manage that?" Flash asked. "Some of us can run or fly but to get all of us there…?"
"I can remedy that but I'll need to make another call," Thora confessed. "Does anybody have a quarter?"
Green Arrow pulled a roll out of his pocket. "What?" he demanded from everyone's looks. "You never know when you're going to need a payphone. I've had plenty of times when my cell phone has been damaged in a fight."
He handed the change to Thora, ignored the teasing comments of the others. Thora smiled as she dialed the number her parents forced her to memorize in case of emergencies.
"Hello?"
Thora's smile deepened as her heart swelled. "Uncle Tony!" she cried. "It's me!"
"Thora?! Where are you?"
"I'm in New York City! Look, Uncle Tony, can you give me and some of my friends a lift back to my house?"
"Um…I would, sweetheart, but I'm kind of tied down at the moment," Tony muttered.
"Oh," Thora replied, "I'm sorry; you're probably working."
"No, it's not that," Tony assured, quickly hushing the hurt in her voice. "I'm literally tied down. Pepper won't let me go anywhere until I've healed completely."
"What do you mean?" Thora asked.
"Well, that Super guy did a real number on everybody," Tony revealed. "I just got released from the hospital an hour ago."
Thora's mouth ran dry. "Is everyone okay?" she managed to choke out.
"Everyone is fine," Tony assured. "Hey, I'll tell you what, I'll have Jarvis ship out an automated pilot plane to your location. When it gets there, hit the blinking blue button and I'll know that you're aboard. Then I can manually set the controls to take you home from my phone."
"Thank you so much, Uncle Tony!" Thora cheered. "I'll come and visit as soon as I can."
"You'd better. My son is going crazy without his babysitter."
"I'm sorry."
"Ahhh, don't worry, he'll get over it. Hey, if you can get to the Statue of Liberty I can send the plane there."
"Okay. When?"
"In about two hours."
"We'll be there. Thanks again, Uncle Tony! You're the best."
"You know it," Tony replied heartily. "See you soon, sweetheart."
"Bye." Thora hung up the payphone and turned back to the League. "Okay, our ride will be here in two hours. We just need to make sure we're at the Statue of Liberty when it arrives."
"Cool; who's coming?" Flash asked.
"Well, my Uncle Tony can't come personally because he's still recovering from the injuries from Superman," Thora replied hesitantly, "so he's sending an automated plane through Jarvis, his super computer."
"A computer is flying the plane?" asked Martian Manhunter. "Will it be safe?"
"It should be if it doesn't encounter any threats," Batman answered. "Is your Uncle alright?"
"Yeah, he's fine."
"Supes didn't kill anybody, did he?" Flash asked.
"No."
"Good," Green Arrow sighed. "So, what are we going to do for two hours?"
Thora grinned. "Well, we are in New York. Who wants to meet Spiderman?"
o0o0o
Jason knelt over the remains of Hal Jordan, his mind reeling in disbelief and horror. His shock ran so deep, he didn't even fight as guards yanked his arms behind his back and cuffed him with Kryptonite handcuffs. Unable to find his feet, he was dragged from the room, his strength gone, his mind spiraling, and his eyes locked on the late Green Lantern. Before he was pulled around the corner, Jason saw the green ring slip from Hal's finger and fly up into an air vent.
The sickness from the Kryptonite caused Jason to moan as he was hauled into another cell. After being deposited onto a rough mattress, Lex Luthor loomed over him with a vial smirk. "I'll give you a few hours to grieve," he sneered.
"You killed him," Jason wheezed.
"He knew the risks involved with meddling in my affairs," Lex replied without pity.
"Release me!" Jason demanded, his anger making him temporarily forget his physical pain.
"In good time," Luthor replied, unfazed. "When Superman returns, I'll need you to lure him here. Once he is exposed to the Kryptonite, I'll finally rid the world of the alien scum and his posterity."
"What about my mother?! Where is she, Luthor?!"
Lex's wicked smile widened as he headed to the cell door. "Don't worry, Jason. You'll never see her again."
"I swear, if you hurt her, I'll kill you myself!" Jason spat.
Lex turned around. "The son of Superman threatening to kill someone? I'm sure he'd be ashamed if he heard you say that."
Jason ignored the stinging in his heart as he retorted, "I'm also the son of Lois Lane and she wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in your chest."
Lex shrugged. "Then it's a good thing she'll never get the chance. I'll check on you again, Jason. And next time I'll bring some friends who will be most interested to study you." He slammed the door.
Furious, Jason weakly turned towards the wall and finally let the tears flow down his cheeks, his heart shriveling as he cried.
o0o0o
The meeting over, Superman left the others to join Lois up in the library. "What's captured your attention?" he asked, shutting the door.
Lois looked up and smiled. "This is great!" she exclaimed, holding up the spiral bound book. "It's all the articles we did for the Daily Planet."
Superman smiled. "A personal favorite in my collection; it holds a lot of memories."
Lois stood and replaced the book on the shelf. "Yeah, it does."
She turned around to find him inches away from her. Her heartbeat quickened. Superman suddenly pulled her tightly against him and kissed her full on the mouth. Lois, surprised at first, gasped -which wasn't the best idea since it invited him to have more than just a kiss. She pulled back, pushing her hands against his chest. She wasn't surprised to see the hurt in his expression.
"Clark, I know this is going to sound weird but even though you look just like my Clark, you're not him."
"Your Clark?" He stared at her for a moment and then challenged, "Does your Clark kiss you differently than I do?"
Lois grimaced. "No."
"Does he hold you differently?"
"No."
"Then what's the problem?"
Lois felt uncomfortable. She wasn't sure if she could put into words what she was feeling but she needed to try. He deserved to know. Taking a deep breath, she explained, "The problem is I'm not from here! I'm not your Lois! I'm her parallel! We are the same in looks but the experiences we've had are obviously different. You can't honestly tell me that even though you see me, you see her?"
Superman's furrowed brow suddenly became smooth. "One thing about me hasn't changed; I can't lie." He sighed, "Yes, Lois, I see her. You look like her, act like her, and even smell like her! How can I not be captivated by you?"
"Believe me, Smallville, I'm just as captivated," Lois gently assured, "But the reality is I'm not your Lois and you're not my Clark."
"Well, the reality is I've lost my Lois. What happens if you can never return to your Clark?"
Lois's heart began to race. Of course he heard it since that all too familiar look of guilt crossed his features.
"Lois, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."
"Then why did you?" she asked, turning away from him to stare out the library windows. Her fascination of this place had long since died and it hadn't even been a day. She didn't belong here. "I can't possibly stay," she muttered, her shoulders shaking. "I need to get home to where I belong."
Superman cupped her shoulders with his strong hands. "Lois," he muttered right in her ear, "I can't deny the hopes I have that you will never return to your universe but I know it isn't right for me to keep you. I'll do everything I can to get you home."
Lois turned around. She stared into his blue eyes for a long time. "You're telling the truth," she observed.
"I never lie," he replied unhappily.
"Clark, I'm sorry your Lois is gone."
Superman searched her eyes. "If I can't find a way to get you home, will you stay with me?"
Lois's heart skipped a beat. Those blue eyes were hypnotizing. Denying the urge to kiss him, she nodded. "If I can't get home, I will."
o0o0o
Thora's heart pounded with excitement as she led the Justice League down the shadier parts of New York. True it was dark, but the less attention they drew to themselves the better. Thora didn't want to public getting wind of any other unknown vigilantes since they were still traumatized over Superman's dramatic entrance. Besides, by going to the shadier parts of the city, they were bound to run into Spiderman.
"Why don't we call Spiderman?" Green Arrow asked as they leapt onto another roof.
"His cell is dead," Thora answered, flying easily over the rooftops.
"How do you know?" Hawkgirl wondered.
Thora smiled. "Spidy texts a lot."
"What is he, a teenager?" Batman muttered as he fired his grabbling hook towards the next building.
Thora was about to answer when someone let out a loud whoop just a head of them. Spiderman came flying through the air, letting go of his webbing to do a couple of flips before releasing another web towards a tall apartment complex. The League watched in silence as he chased down a man who was sprinting along the sidewalk. The man was obviously a mugger from his poor clothes and the purse clutched in his arms. Spiderman strung the guy upside down to a street pole.
"You know, if you're going to mug someone, maybe you should try not dressing the part, huh, tough guy?" Spiderman mocked as he turned around, cast off another web and went soaring around the building to give the purse back to its rightful owner.
"Come on!" Thora said, "Before he gets away."
"We'd catch him before he did," Wonder Woman replied as they followed her.
Spiderman was just about to take off again when Thora shouted his name. "SPIDERMAN!"
He looked up and, though masked, it was obvious from his body language that he was surprised. Shooting a couple webs, he slingshot himself up to where Thora stood. Spiderman looked her up and down. "Well, either Loki cast a terrible spell and turned Thor into a girl or you're Thora."
Thora laughed before hugging Spiderman affectionately. "Peter, you know it's me."
Spiderman pulled his mask off. What the League thought was a teenager was obviously a man either in his really late twenties or early thirties. He grinned widely as he looked Thora up and down. "You look great! Since when did you start dressing like your dad?"
Thora smiled. "A couple days ago, honestly. Oh! Peter, this is the Justice League."
Peter looked up, noticing the League for the first time. He swallowed. "Friends or foes?"
"Friends," Batman replied. "I'm Batman. This is Green Arrow, Flash, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter. We're looking for Superman."
"Friends with the big guy, huh?" Peter sighed, sitting down on someone's lawn chair. "He tore up a whole heck of my town today. They'll probably be cleaning up for weeks. This is almost as bad as the time Loki tried to take over the world the first time."
"We apologize for Superman's behavior," said Wonder Woman. "He was not himself."
"So I've heard," Peter replied. "He's not here though, if that's what you're wondering."
"Oh, no, we know he's with my parents," Thora said, "we're waiting for Uncle Tony to bring a plane to get us there. I thought I'd introduce the League to you. And because you weren't able to come to my birthday party, I figured it would be good to see you too."
Peter grinned. "Yeah, how was old Odin's big bash?"
"Well, minus getting thrown into a vortex that took me to an alternate universe, it was alright."
"I'm glad you're back," Peter said. "How long before Iron Man's plane appears?"
"Two hours," Flash answered.
"Since we have time to kill, do you guys want some pizza?" Peter asked with a grin.
"Pizza sounds great," Thora laughed, remembering Peter used to have a job as a pizza delivery boy; the job didn't last long.
"Alright, wait here. I'll be back in five," Peter promised, replacing his mask. Without a moment's hesitation, he leapt from the roof, free falling several feet before casting a web.
"Rather reckless," Hawkgirl muttered.
Batman smirked, "Definitely doesn't seem to act his age."
The others laughed.
o0o0o
Zatanna sat lazily on a crate, eyeing the opening of the vortex in boredom. It had been hours since the League had disappeared. Where were they? Did they not understand that to keep such a portal open was exhausting to the spell castor? Her eyes began to droop for the tenth time. Zatanna shook her head and slapped her cheeks.
"I wondered if you'd still be around here," said a sinister voice directly in front of her.
Zatanna sat bolt upright. "Luthor! Don't scare me like that!"
Lex raised an eyebrow. "Scare you? I thought you had keen senses."
Zatanna blushed angrily. "I do!"
Smirking, the villain leaned against the crate. "So tell me, what are you doing here so late in the evening?"
"That's none of your business."
"I beg to differ."
Zatanna frowned. "How so?"
"Where's Superman?"
"Why should I know? I'm not his keeper."
"Come, Zatanna, you promised me twenty four hours free of the alien and though that time was fun, I need to know his whereabouts in order to move to the next phase of my plan."
"And what plan would that be?" Zatanna asked, trying to seem uncaring; in reality her senses were now on full alert.
Lex smirked. "That's none of your business."
"Ha ha, very funny," scoffed Zatanna. "Seriously, Lex, what are you scheming? I might be able to help."
"Thanks but I try to not make it a habit of dealing with witches."
"Ouch. We prefer sorcerers. It's a more sophisticated title."
Luthor rolled his eyes before motioning to the shadows just behind Zatanna. She turned around just in time to see a pair of strong hands wrap something around her throat. Before she could reach up to tug the collar off, the strong hands grabbed her arms and tied them behind her back. After failing to break free, Zatanna was hauled off the crate and dumped at Luthor's feet. He smiled wickedly.
"You honestly believed I would let you walk free after making a deal with you to rid the world of Superman?"
Zatanna tried to speak but her voice was lost. She glared accusingly at Lex. His evil smile deepened.
"It's one of the inventions I love to use when…certain…punishments need to be given. The device prevents the vocal cords from working properly, cutting off any kind of noise from the victim."
Since she couldn't talk, Zatanna spat onto Luthor's custom leather shoes. This only made him laugh.
"I like a fiery woman. Take her back to the lab," he said, turning towards his limo. "I'm sure we could learn how to persuade her to our cause. Having a magician on our side would be a great asset when Superman decides to show his face."
"Do you think he'll come, boss?" Zatanna's attacker asked as he carelessly hefted her over his shoulder.
"Of course he will," Lex snapped. "I have the perfect leverage."
"You mean that kid?"
Lex whirled around. "Shut up!" he shouted. Glancing back and forth, he hissed, "There might be others, you idiot."
Zatanna's eyes widened as she considered Luthor's plot. He was going to do something to her to make her work for him? She'd like to see him try! But what about this kid? It couldn't be Jason? Zatanna looked up and noticed the vortex was still open. No matter what they did to her, she had to be sure her concentration stayed to keep it from sealing. She was the only one able to do so. Or was she? Cursing that she couldn't say a spell, Zatanna struggled against her bonds. The man holding her slammed his shoulder into her stomach. Zatanna looked up just before she was dumped into the limo's trunk. Her eyes widened. In the shadows were Aquaman and Green Lantern. Though she didn't have the voice, she could still mouth the words: Dr. Fate. The trunk shut and the limo drove away, Zatanna bumping around uncomfortably in the back.
Green Lantern stepped out of the shadows, watching the limo disappear. "Why didn't we go after her? She's one of us right?"
Aquaman eyed the new Green Lantern with slight annoyance. "Did you hear what Luthor said? If we had tried to stop him, we might have killed the kid."
"How? I didn't see a kid anywhere."
"Just because you didn't see him doesn't mean that Luthor has some secret device that could kill him."
John Stewart, the new Green Lantern, sighed. "Well, what are we going to do now?" He felt at quite a loss. Five hours ago he'd been sitting at home enjoying his day off when the green ring had latched itself onto his finger. He'd been picked up in an orb of light and transported to Oa, the home of the Guardians of the Universe. Long story short, the old Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, had died in combat and he'd been chosen to replace him. John knew Hal more by name than personally, since they both served their country, but he couldn't believe he'd been the Green Lantern. Nor could he believe he'd been nominated as his replacement. John liked the Justice League and supported them but he never thought he'd be one of them. He didn't have the slightest clue what to do. The Guardians had simply given him the basic information of how to be a Green Lantern before shipping him back to Earth. He'd found Aquaman by chance when he'd crash landed into Hob's Bay just outside of Metropolis upon his return.
Aquaman ran a hand through his long hair. "The kid is more than likely Superman's son."
John was immediately pulled from his thoughts. "Wow, wait a second, Superman has a son?!"
"Quiet!" Aquaman snapped, looking around. Staring at Green Lantern angrily, he closed the distance between them. "The first thing you need to get through that thick land-dwelling skull of yours is that secrets are expected to be kept secret!"
"Sorry," John replied hotly, "forgive me for slipping up when I haven't even been on the job for a day."
"Don't remind me," Aquaman muttered.
John wanted to retort but thought better of it. Instead he silently contemplated the revelation he'd just learned. Superman had a son and Lex Luthor of all people was probably holding him hostage. Why was it that John had a horrible suspicion that Hal Jordan died in a rescue attempt? The reality of his new calling was suddenly pressing very heavily upon his shoulders.
"Zatanna mouthed something before Luthor shoved her in that car," Aquaman said. "Did you catch what it was?"
"Uh, yeah, it looked like she said 'Dr. Fate'. Who is he anyway?"
Aquaman stiffened. "Dr. Fate is part of the League but he works according to his own timetable. He's a very powerful spell castor."
"Why would Zatanna mouth his name?"
Aquaman stared at the portal. "If there's one thing I know, magic can only work when someone is concentrating on the spell. If Luthor has Zatanna, her concentration is eventually going to break. When that happens, the portal will close -along with any hopes of getting the others back to our universe."
"Wow, hold on, you're saying that the reason why I haven't met the rest of the League is because they're all stuck in there?" asked Green Lantern, pointing at the shimmering portal floating ten feet in the air.
"That's correct. We need to get Dr. Fate and have him keep the portal open."
"And then what?"
"We go in and find the others. If Jason's in trouble, Superman needs to know. Heaven help us all if Luthor's also got Lois."
"Lois? As in Lois Lane?"
"Yes," Aquaman answered, pulling out a cell phone. "Watchtower, we've got a problem. We need to talk to Fate." After a pause, Aquaman frowned. "I don't care if he's busy! This is a King of Hearts 911."
"King of Hearts 911?" Green Lantern questioned.
Aquaman ignored him. "Thank you," he said into the phone before hanging up.
Before Green Lantern could ask another question, a pillar of light ruptured through the air. Temporarily blinded, Green Lantern rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw a man in a deep blue outfit with a bright yellow cape and helmet staring at them.
"What's the situation?" he asked in a deep voice.
"Superman and the others are in an alternate universe and this portal is the only way for them to come back," Aquaman explained quickly, pointing at it. "Zatanna was keeping it open but she was abducted by Luthor. We would have stopped him but he has a hostage that he's planning on using to lure Superman in and I have a deep suspicion it's Jason."
"Jason? How could Luthor know-?" Dr. Fate asked.
Aquaman shook his head. "I don't know but I'm certain it's him because Hal is dead."
Dr. Fate looked at John Stewart and nodded. "I knew Hal Jordan's fate was to come to pass soon. It is good to have you on the team, John Stewart. You will do great things for the League."
John's surprise was obvious as he took Dr. Fate's offered hand. "Thank you," he said, shaking it. "I'm sorry for Hal's passing."
"Everyone must pass on," Dr. Fate replied. "It is fate after all. I will keep the portal open, Aquaman, but you must return the others to this universe promptly. It is not wise to keep a vortex open and this one has already long passed its welcome."
"We'll do what we can," Aquaman said. "Thank you, Dr. Fate. Come on, Green Lantern."
John swallowed hard. This was unnerving; his first mission. He hadn't even had any training. Well, on the job training was better than practice. He knew that first hand from military experience. Following Aquaman into the portal, he suddenly felt like he was being sucked through a giant colorful straw.
o0o0o
Spiderman returned in ten minutes with five hot pizzas in tow. Since the Statue of Liberty was close, they decided to arrive at their waiting location before having dinner. After finding a discrete area in the Statue of Liberty's shadow, they partook of their meal while Spiderman shared his story of how he got his powers. The Justice League also gave him a short story of how they received their abilities; except for Batman and Green Arrow who, despite not having special powers, had enough combat skills to keep up with the others.
Thora had just finished telling Spiderman about Mjol and her new found abilities when Tony's plane appeared. It shot out of the sky with a definitive roar before coming to an abrupt halt two hundred feet above them. Slowly it lowered itself, coming to rest on the thick grass.
Spiderman came to stand next to Thora. "Even his planes arrive in style, don't they?" he said.
Thora grinned and gave him a hug. "I wish you could come with us."
"I would but Goblin's up to something," Spiderman sighed regretfully.
Thora gave him a squeeze. "I'm sure you'll stop him. Hopefully I can stop by soon and we can go out for Chinese."
"That sounds like a plan. Take care of yourself."
Before Spiderman could turn to see the others off, the water exploded. Everyone turned to see Aquaman emerging from a wave of water that was already retreating back into the bay. Green Lantern was with him - except it wasn't Hal.
"Aquaman, what happened?" Batman demanded, rushing forward.
Aquaman didn't waste a breath. "I come with bad news. Zatanna has been taken by Lex Luthor and I have high reason to suspect that he has Jason as well."
"What?!" everyone gasped in unison.
"What would Luthor want with Zatanna?" Flash wondered.
"What about the portal?" Green Arrow asked.
"Dr. Fate is watching over it."
"What about Jason?" Thora cried, grabbing Aquaman's arm. "Is he alright?"
"I'm not positive Luthor has him but I have suspicions," Aquaman answered.
"Based off what?" Flash inquired.
Green Lantern cleared his throat. Everyone stared at him. "I'm the biggest suspicion," he said, pulling the ring off. "The name is John Stewart. Just a few hours ago I was basically abducted to the planet Oa where the Guardians of the Universe informed me that Hal Jordan had died in combat and I was chosen as the next Green Lantern. Hal was with Jason before he died."
"And Luthor was going on about how he had the perfect bait to lure in Superman and his crony let loose that it was a kid," interjected Aquaman. "We know that Superman would rush in to save anyone but Lois's disappearance and Hal Jordan's death lead me to believe that Luthor knows Clark's secret and therefore would have taken Jason. He might even have Lois. We need to get Superman and go through the portal before something happens to Dr. Fate. He said he can't keep the gate open much longer."
Flash sat down in the grass. "Hal's gone," he muttered. "I can't believe he's gone."
The others' hearts were just as heavy. They weren't even in the same universe to rush off and avenge Hal. And now there was the high possibility that Superman's family was at risk. The sooner they returned home, the better.
"We don't have time to waste," Batman said heavily. "We need to keep moving. Sorry that we can't welcome you onto the team in good spirits, John."
John Stewart put the ring back on. "I understand, Batman. I'm sorry that you lost a comrade and friend."
"Come on, Flash," Martian Manhunter said, stooping to help the Speedster rise.
Spiderman looked beside himself. He hadn't expected a fish-man to suddenly leap out of the water nor the guy in green who obvious had just replaced a fallen hero. He wanted to introduce himself but even then his spidy-senses were going haywire. "Thora, I gotta go," he said.
She didn't respond.
"Thora?"
Shaking her head, the Asgardian princess turned to look at her friend. "Sorry, Peter, what was that?"
Spiderman raised an eyebrow. Thora was usually incredibly focused; what could be causing her distraction? Something was up. Fighting his desire to ask, he repeated, "I've got to run."
"Oh, okay," she said, still slightly preoccupied. She gave him a hug. "See you, Pete."
"Okay, bye," Spiderman muttered before running towards the city. He shot a couple of webs onto the Statue of Liberty and slingshot himself into the night.
"Thora, we need to leave," Wonder Woman called.
Thora realized that the others were already on board the jet. "Coming," she called as she rushed up the ramp. Once inside, she found the blinking blue button Uncle Tony told her to push in the cockpit. The second it was pushed, Jarvis responded. "Hello, Miss Thora."
"Jarvis, it's good to hear from you!" Thora cried happily.
"Likewise, Miss Thora," Jarvis said. "Mr. Stark would like me to inform you that you will be arriving at your home in New Mexico in an hour and a half. There are fresh drinks and food in the lounge for the journey."
"Thank you, Jarvis."
"Enjoy your flight, miss."
Thora left the cockpit to find the League sitting around a lounge-like setting. Large circular couches surrounded a large table. A bar loaded with drinks and food stood against the wall, tempting them to come and partake.
"The food and drinks are for us," she said. "Jarvis said it would take about an hour and a half to get to my house."
"We're coming from New York," Green Arrow mused. "That is some pretty incredible technology to get from New York to New Mexico in such a short time."
"He's obviously not following regular flight regulations," Batman pointed out. "It would take a lot longer than that to get there if he were. We're also to be sure to break the sound barrier if we are to arrive there in that allotted time."
Green Arrow whistled. "Like I said, it's impressive tech. If we weren't from different universes, I'd strike up business deals."
Batman nodded. "So would I."
The air thickened as everyone allowed their melancholy to show. It was a heavy blow to know that Hal Jordan was gone. He had been arrogant but he also had a heart of gold. The team was definitely going to miss him. Hawkgirl decided to be the one to try to get to know John Stewart first.
"So, where are you from?" she asked, offering him a drink she'd taken from the bar.
John accepted it gratefully. "Detroit, Michigan."
"What do you do for work?"
"I'm an architect. I'm also a veteran for the U.S. Marines."
"Another military man, huh?" Wonder Woman said, joining the conversation. "It seems the ring likes that type."
"So do I," Hawkgirl muttered, glancing at John before getting up to get some food.
"It must have been a surprise when the ring showed up," Martian Manhunter said.
John nodded, looking down at the ring. "It was. Believe me I'd rather Hal still had it. I didn't know him personally but he was well known in the military."
"He was a good man," Batman agreed.
"To Hal," Flash said, holding up a glass.
"To Hal," the others repeated gloomily, toasting their fallen friend.
"When I find out for sure that Luthor killed him, I'm going to kill him myself," Flash growled as he threw his glass down on the counter.
"Flash, it wouldn't be the right thing to do," Martian Manhunter reproved.
"It would be justice!" Flash argued. "Luthor has wheedled his way out of justice since his first offense with Superman. If anyone deserves to be obliterated it's him."
"We all agree with you," Wonder Woman said, "but just as you pointed out, Luthor's biggest adversary has always been Superman and therefore I believe it should be Superman who decides his fate."
"We all know the big guy doesn't have it in him to kill," Flash retorted. "We should do him a favor and kill Luthor ourselves. It would be easy."
"Would Hal want you to avenge him in such a way?" John asked.
Flash stared at John angrily but then slumped in his chair. "No," he mumbled. "He wouldn't want that because we would only be stooping to Luthor's level."
"Exactly," Batman said, standing up. "That's why Superman has never taken it upon himself to end Luthor's life, even if Luthor has tried to end his more times than any of us can count."
"He might kill Luthor this time," Aquaman muttered. Everyone stared at him. "If Luthor has Lois and Jason and possibly tortured them, do you honestly think Clark won't do something drastic? His family has never been on the line before."
"Lois Lane has been threatened plenty of times and Superman hasn't killed anyone," said Green Arrow.
"That was before she was his wife," Aquaman replied.
"We still don't know for sure if Luthor has them, Aquaman," countered Wonder Woman.
"Do you want to sit around and find out by reading the obituaries for Lois and Jason?" Aquaman retorted. "I, for one, do not want to live with Superman if that occurs. He would be a broken man."
Everyone's silence displayed their agreement.
Batman decided to change to subject. "Aquaman, how did you two find us?"
"I listened for your voices through the water," Aquaman answered. "After pinpointing your location, we traveled through the water to where you were."
"It's not a form of travel I'd be happy to repeat," John muttered.
Everyone laughed.
In no time at all, Thora looked out the window to the familiar brown land belonging to New Mexico. Her heart began to pound furiously in her chest. She was almost home.
o0o0o
Jane stiffened in Thor's arms as she heard the roar of a jet.
"That sounds like Iron Man's plane," Thor muttered.
Jane bolted for the door, not even bothering to put on her shoes. Her eyes widened as she watched the aircraft make its slow decent into her backyard. Before the plane had touched the ground the hanger was open and a blur of blond, red, and silver rushed into her arms.
"MOMMY!"
Jane's arms latched around her daughter as tears fell freely down her cheeks. "My little girl," she whispered, stroking Thora's hair, "I'm here."
"I missed you so much!" Thora cried, holding tightly to her mother. She never wanted to let go again.
Thor came out and wrapped his arms around his favorite women. Thora reached for his hand. "It's good to have you home, raindrop," he muttered, kissing her forehead.
Thora's tears doubled from the nickname she never thought she'd hear again. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, sweetheart," he replied. "I see that Mjol has treated you well."
Thora stepped away from her parents so they could look at her outfit. "It's very similar to yours, Father," she said.
Thor nodded. "Except for the skirt, which is customary for female Asgardian warriors."
"Really?" Jane said mockingly. "Are you sure your outfits didn't get mixed up?"
Thora giggled while Thor smiled affectionately at his wife. "Laugh if you must," he replied.
It was then that Thora remembered they had an audience. She turned around to find the Justice League trying desperately to remain patient through this reunion. Seeing that they were finally recognized, Batman stepped forward. Thor took notice of him along with the others and came forward to meet him.
"I am Thor, prince of Asgard," he said, holding out a hand. "This is my wife, Jane. Thank you so much for taking care of our daughter."
"Batman," the Dark Knight replied before introducing the rest of the League. "We were told Superman was here."
"Ahhh, yes, Clark is inside," Thor said jovially. "He was victorious in defeating us but it took a great toll on his body. He's resting."
"Would you like to come in?" Jane asked.
"Please," Wonder Woman answered.
The League silently compared Thor to Hercules, someone they had all met on various occasions when the man challenged Superman to fight; although they all agreed that Thor wasn't as arrogant as Hercules. Once inside, everyone settled in the living room. Thor made to check on Superman but he hadn't even taken a step when the Man of Steel came around the corner.
"I thought I heard familiar voices," he said with a tired smile.
Batman ignored his colleague's obvious fatigue. "Superman, we need to return to Metropolis immediately."
Superman noted the strain in his friend's voice. "What's going on?" he asked, suddenly becoming on full alert.
"It's Jason," Thora cried. "Aquaman thinks he's in trouble."
Superman looked at the King of Atlantis, waiting.
"If you hadn't noticed, Hal Jordan's been replaced," Aquaman pointed out. "He was with Jason when he died. I believe Luthor has Jason because of a confrontation I overheard him having with Zatanna before he kidnapped her."
Superman appeared devastated by the loss of Hal. He tried to mask his sorrow as he welcomed John Stewart to the team. "If what you've told me is true and Luthor has Zatanna, who is keeping the portal open?"
"Dr. Fate," Green Lantern answered, "But he said he won't be able to keep it open for long."
"Then we should go," Superman said, heading for the door.
"But you just arrived," Thor protested.
"My son is in trouble," Superman said. "I need to go to him. Besides, I've caused your universe too much grief already."
Thor frowned. "Under an influence you couldn't control, Superman. I would like to help."
"The portal can't stay open," said Batman. "If you came with us, there's a chance you'll never return home."
"Thor, I want to help too but it's better for us to stay here," Jane reasoned, taking her husband's arm. She knew how he could be when told he couldn't do something; he usually put up a fight before admitting defeat. But this time she wasn't going to allow him the chance of leaving. They'd already lost Thora once; she wasn't willing to lose him.
Thor stared at his wife and seemed to understand her silent worries. Cupping her face, he sighed. "I consent defeat," he muttered, "Although I do so unhappily."
Jane smiled despite his frown. "Thora's home now. There's much to celebrate over."
"A celebration would be most welcome," Thor admitted. "I'm sorry all of you cannot stay. It would have been wonderful to entertain such guests on Asgard."
Superman smiled. "Maybe another time, my friend. Thank you for allowing me to stay here."
"You're welcome to our home any time, Superman," Jane said. Looking around, her smile faded. "Thor, where's Thora?"
Thor stiffened. "She was here," he muttered, pointing in the corner.
Everyone stood up and looked around.
"The door's open," Wonder Woman called from the hallway.
Superman groaned. "She didn't."
Batman folded his arms. "Are you surprised she did?"
"Did what?" Thor demanded, staring at them.
"She went after Jason," Superman answered.