18: Woes

Loki was falling asleep. For the hundredth time in the last two hours, he slapped his face. For the thousandth time in the last two hours, he cursed his ridiculous affection towards his niece. If it had been Thor, he would have closed the portal the second the oaf was gone. But it had to be his niece who asked him to keep the gate open, even going so far as to challenge his magical capabilities to Odin's! The nerve of the girl! No, even if Loki once again tore at the idea of leaving, his pride wouldn't allow it. Despite his sour attitude, he was inwardly proud of his niece for being so devious. That was something she'd inherited from her father. Although Thor could be disgustingly noble, there was a small mischievous side to him that Loki liked; of course, he would never admit that to anyone especially Thor.

Loki's chin rested on his chest as he decided to rest his eyes for just a few minutes.

"If you do that, the portal will close and the connection may be lost."

Loki bolted upright and scowled while rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asked, practically spitting venom.

Odin leaned against his staff while putting a hand on his hip. "Do you not think I have been watching? I was half tempted to fry you to death for allowing Thora to once again disappear into that portal. Be grateful that I didn't."

Loki smiled maliciously before chuckling. "Oh, I see, precious Odin doesn't want his granddaughter to hate him for obliterating her uncle. It must really burn you that she cares for me."

Odin rolled his eyes. "Loki, I will never know where this hatred of yours sprouted. I care for you-"

"Right," Loki spat, interrupting. "If you had truly cared, you would have prevented me from getting sucked into a black hole!"

"You let go of the staff yourself!" Odin shot back. "If it was anyone's fault it was your own. You desired abandonment and now you reap the loneliness it entails."

"Shut up!"

Loki rose to his feet. The two stared angrily at one another, challenging each other's will. After a moment, Loki's exhaustion got the better of him. He wanted to fight, to freeze Odin in the eye, something, but he could barely keep his eyes open. The constant spell was eating away any strength he had left. Pretending to relax, Loki sat back down on his crate.

"If you haven't noticed, I have a portal to keep open so I'm in no position to fight with you – although I desperately want to freeze your face off, I'll refrain for Thora's sake."

Odin frowned. "Why did you let her go back?"

"I thought you said you'd been watching," Loki mocked. Getting no response from the All–Father, he sighed. "She flew in too fast for me to stop her. I didn't even realize what she was until she entered the portal, she was coming so fast. I haven't even seen Thor fly that quickly."

"That is because Thora is lighter and can therefore travel more swiftly with the wind current," Odin revealed. "It still doesn't explain why you couldn't simply pull her back out after she'd entered."

"She was already gone, you oaf! She entered the other universe which is out of my magic's jurisdiction. As to why she went, I have no idea. But I will keep this portal open until she gets back."

"Loki, if you continue to let your energy drain into the portal you will die."

Showing his fatigue unwillingly, Loki closed his eyes and growled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Odin grabbed Loki's shoulder. "You need rest."

"Get your hands off me!" Loki shouted, clawing at the old Asgardian's fist.

After a few seconds of struggle, Odin slammed his staff into the ground. A burst of raw energy rushed out of the bottom creating a visible shockwave. Loki was blown off his feet, slamming into the brick wall. He crumbled in a heap on the ground and didn't get back up. After transferring his magic to concentrate on keeping the portal open, Odin pulled off his cape and draped it over Loki's shoulders.

"Stubborn young fool," Odin muttered, frowning.

As he looked over Loki, he wondered how his adopted son had come to the current path he walked. He and Frigga had raised Loki with the same affection they felt for Thor. Odin chose Thor to be the next king of Asgard not because of favoritism but because Thor held the potential to be a better king. He had been thinking of his people, not his sons, when it came to choose who should take over his throne. Loki chose to become bitter and jumped to the wrong conclusion without an explanation. He allowed his hatred to overrule any compassion, making it impossible for Odin to even try to explain himself. The tragedy of it all was that Odin still loved Loki yet would never be able to have him as part of the family again because Loki was unwilling to understand all the facts. Odin took the liberty to brush a loose strand of hair from Loki's face.

"Stubborn young fool," he repeated affectionately.

A gust of wind alerted him and he turned to see Thor and the Justice League descending from the air.

"Father, what are you doing here?" Thor asked in obvious surprise. Surveying Loki, he became concerned. "What happened?"

"We tried to converse," Odin responded, standing up. "What are you doing here, Thor?"

Before Thor could reply, the rest of the Avengers fell out of the sky, their landing stirring up the dust in the alley.

"You didn't think we'd let you run off on your own," Captain America said, straightening up. "Jane filled us in. We're coming with you."

"My friends, you must still be recovering," Thor said, looking them over. "You are in no condition to fight."

"Actually, Banner's been working on a great formula that heals you after a couple hours. Worked for us," Iron Man said.

The Avengers finally noticed the rest of the League.

"Wow, who are all of you?" Hawkeye asked, taking in their costumes.

"We're the Justice League," Wonder Woman responded. "We came for Superman."

The Avengers looked at the Kryptonian a little apprehensive. Superman didn't blame them. The last time they'd met, he'd beat the crap out of them. "I'm sorry for what I did," he apologized for the thousandth time.

"Technically it wasn't your fault," Hawkeye said.

"Not entirely anyway," Iron Man muttered. "So, are we going after Thora of what?"

"I cannot stop any of you from entering the vortex but Thor must remain here," Odin said stubbornly, rejoining the conversation.

"What? But Father-"

"No! Thor, you will obey me!"

Superman stepped forward. "There is little time that can be spared right now, sir. My son may be in danger and Thora may be rushing into a big mistake as we speak. Would you stop a father from trying to save his son or daughter?"

Odin eyed Superman without emotion. The All-Father was obviously doing a silent scan, weighing the man's words. After a moment, he looked at Thor in pain. "I already lost my granddaughter once. Are you going to make me lose both her and my son?"

Thor came forward. "Father, I promise that I will return. I will not abandon you, our people, or my wife. But I need to rescue my daughter. She is my responsibility. If I cannot save her, how can you expect me to save a kingdom?"

Odin sighed. "Very well, go. I will keep the portal open until you return."

"What about Loki?"

"He would have died if I hadn't intervened but now, he rests. I'll watch over him too."

Thor nodded, grasping his father's arms. "Thank you," he said, staring into his father's eyes.

Odin stared back. "You go with my blessing. Return with her safely, my son."

Those who couldn't fly were picked up by those who could. Due to his size, Hulk allowed Bruce Banner to come out to be carried through the portal. He promised that if the others needed him, he'd resurface. The Justice League was rather shocked when they saw a simple, rather skinny man result from the Hulk's transformation. Iron Man shook his hand like it was no big deal to see his friend turn from giant green monster into regular everyday scientist.

"Good to see you, Banner," Iron Man said as he hoisted him up.

"You too," Banner replied. "It's been a while."

"We can catch up on the way," Captain America said. "Lead the way, Superman."

Grabbing Aquaman by the arms, Superman rushed into the portal, the others trailing along behind him. He felt as if he was being thrust through a strange technicolor spiral. The trip through the vortex was brief but still left everyone feeling dazed as they touched down on the docks of Metropolis. Dr. Fate left the crate he was sitting on to greet them.

"It's good to see you have returned in good health," he said, eyeing everyone with his glowing yellow eyes.

"Dr. Fate, thank you for keeping the portal open," Superman replied, shaking his hand. "Unfortunately, we're going to need it open a little longer."

"I know," Dr. Fate said, nodding. "The girl barreled through so fast I couldn't stop her to ask who she was or where she was going. She seemed to be in a hurry."

"And so are we," Thor answered, stepping forward. "The girl you saw was my daughter. Do you know which direction she headed?"

Dr. Fate turned, pointing straight at Metropolis.

"She headed for LexCorp, I'm sure of it," Superman said, training his eyes to travel through the city.

"Do you see her?" Batman asked.

Superman shook his head. "No. She might already be inside. Luthor's lined the whole building with lead so I can't see past the outer shell."

"What's the fastest way to get to the building?" Captain America inquired.

"Flying, to be honest," Superman responded.

"Not all of us have that ability," Dr. Banner muttered.

"Those who can't fly can ride with me," Batman called. Nobody had noticed the Dark Knight slip away to where a large plane stood waiting. Black as midnight, the paint gleamed sinisterly in the dim street lamps lining the warehouses.

Iron Man let out a whistle. "Nice ride."

"Where did that come from?" Flash demanded.

Batman smirked. "Don't ask."

"Right everyone, let's move," Captain America ordered.

Superman ignored the slight annoyance over not giving the orders for once. It was strange when you were paired up with someone who's presence was as commanding as yours. Dr. Banner, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Green Arrow, and Aquaman boarded the plane. Superman looked at Flash who folded his arms.

"I'll meet you guys there," he said smugly to Superman's questioning eyebrow. Before anyone could comment, the Speedster was gone in a blur of red and yellow. The man was impossibly stubborn sometimes but it couldn't be denied: Flash was the fastest out of all of them when it came to a run. He'd probably beat everyone there.

Superman made the decision to fly as fast as he could when within city limits; his son was in danger after all. The others would catch up eventually. Thor seemed to have the same idea. The Thunderer sped along next to the Man of Steel in an exhilarating pace. Neither man spoke; their thoughts were too preoccupied on their children. Thor had to allow himself to trail just a little behind Superman when they reached the heart of the city since he didn't know where exactly they were headed.

Five minutes later, Superman and Thor touched down on the roof of the neighboring building to Lex Luthor's skyscraper. A second later, they were joined by Flash who was munching down on a hotdog. Swallowing a large mouthful, he shrugged. "I can't pass up a hotdog when I come to Metropolis. They make them different here than in Central City. Besides, you guys were taking too long and I was hungry."

Superman rolled his eyes but he was smiling, amused. "In the midst of getting food did you notice anything?"

Flash nodded. "Of course. I rushed inside the building and took a sneak peek at the security monitors. There's a level underground that's got more security than Fort Knox."

"What is Fort Knox?" Thor questioned.

"It's a place where the US Government keeps a lot of gold," Superman answered quickly. "That's got to be where Jason is. Did you try to go down to the actual level for a closer look?"

"No," Flash answered. "I know how Luthor's traps are set up, Supes. If the guy has you figured out, he's bound to have traps for the rest of the League. If he took out my speed deep down underground, I wouldn't be able to make it back up before getting shot. I thought it better to wait for the rest of you. The level is 33.1, in case you were wondering."

Superman sighed. He admired that Flash had taken the logical approach to the situation but it was taking everything he had to accept it. More than ever he wanted to burst through those walls, find his son, and kick Luthor into prison before he knew what hit him.

Thor seemed to share in his agitation. "We can't sit here and wait like frightened women," he muttered, tightening the grip on his hammer. "If this man is as mad as you have informed, he is irrational and therefore prone to irrational measures. I will not idly wait while my daughter could be under the potential scrutiny of a madman."

Before anyone could call him back, he flew off towards the building, his hammer brandished before him like a lance. Superman sighed. "Flash, wait here for the others. When they arrive, come in after us."

"What?! Supes, this is Luthor we're talking about, remember? He's sure to have Kryptonite!" Flash argued.

Superman was already in the air. "And I have an Asgardian. Thor will have my back. Just storm the place when the others show up, alright?"

As he caught up to Thor, he heard Flash mutter under his breath, "Just don't die down there, big guy. We need you."

Superman clenched his jaw and directed all his focus on finding Luthor and his son. Thor charged up his hammer and flung a hauntingly beautiful array of lightning towards the base of LexCorp. The strike ripped apart the wall causing the building to shake in protest. Several windows exploded, raining their fragments towards the sidewalk. Superman used his heat vision to destroy the shards flying towards pedestrians.

"Be careful where you throw that stuff," he said, chastening Thor.

The Asgardian frowned. "I apologize. I meant no harm to come to the civilians."

"I know," Superman muttered while focusing back to the entrance they'd just created. The gaping hole went down into the ground, revealing several hidden floors. Superman x-rayed the ground, but couldn't see through anything. Several unsuspecting victims were buried in the rubble caused by Thor's lightning. "We're going to have to use the elevator."

Thor looked at him with disbelief. "Why not burn your way through? I could use another thunderbolt."

"No," Superman answered firmly. "People will die if we do it that way."

"Are not all the men and women in this building scum?" Thor asked ignorantly.

Superman shook his head. "Not all of them. Luthor may have a few that are shady characters but for the most part, his workers are normal people trying to provide a living for their families."

Thor took this in and then sighed. "We'll take the elevator then."

"Thank you," said Superman.

Thor raised an eyebrow. "I may seem brazen, Superman, but I value the lives of the innocent just as much as you. I hold no grudge or ill-will towards those who have not committed a crime. I'm here for my daughter and only those who oppose me will suffer the wrath of Mjolnir."

Superman smiled at the man's determination. "Then let's go find our kids."

He led the way into the building, down to the last floor Thor's lightning had struck. A man's leg was stuck under a fallen chunk of ceiling. Thor lifted the rubble off and asked if the man was alright. He stared at Thor as if he spoke a different language. Thor looked incredulously to Superman who repeated his question to the man. The man looked at Superman and nodded.

"Good, make sure to get medical attention," Superman advised before heading towards the elevator doors.

"Why would he respond to you and not me?" Thor asked, bewildered.

"I think he was in shock. People have never seen you before and you do have a commanding presence. I think you just scared him."

Thor appeared thoughtful as they entered the elevator and Superman pushed the button that would take them to level 33.1. "The people of Earth had similar reactions when I first visited them," Thor muttered.

Superman put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let it get to you, Thor. People are often afraid of what they don't know. It took the people of this Earth a while to trust me. Even now some still have problems with that."

"Like this Lex Luthor we are about to fight?"

"Yes. He's the greatest supporter of having me wiped off the face of the Earth. Heck, he's probably even the chairman."

"Why does he hate you so much?"

"I don't know," Superman sighed, leaning against the elevator as it continued to creep its way downward. "But he hates me enough to know everything about me. He knows my weakness and he'll have it on him without a doubt. I need you to be wary, Thor. I'm going to need your help when the Kryptonite appears."

Thor stood tall. "You have my word, Superman. What do you want me to do?"

"If possible, get the green rock away from me as soon and as fast as you can. As long as it's near me, I'll be of little help to you or anyone else."

Thor understood. He placed his hand on Superman's shoulder. "I will do all I can to help you, my friend."

Superman smiled. "Thank you."

The doors dinged open and the two heroes turned to face them, their senses immediately kicking into full alert. Therefore, it surprised them when the first thing to greet their sudden entrance was Lex Luthor himself surrounded by Jason, Thora, and Robin. Superman's heart rate accelerated at seeing his son but then he paused. Something was wrong. Jason's eyes were glazed over, his expression quite blank. A quick glance showed that Thora and Robin were in the same predicament.

Lex Luthor smiled widely at the sight of Superman though his eyes displayed caution as he looked upon Thor. He hadn't anticipated an unknown hero. He'd have to alter his plans in case of interference. "It's good to see you, Superman or should I say… Clark Kent?"

Superman froze in horror. His expression was exactly the one Lex had been hoping for. Walking around Jason, Thora, and Robin – who stood as still as sentinels – Lex came closer, his sinister smile deepening. "Oh, yes, I know who you are. I've known for years. Ten, to be exact."

Superman realized he couldn't pretend that Luthor was wrong. Obviously he knew everything about him or else he wouldn't have kidnapped Jason specifically to lure him here. "How?" he demanded.

Luthor, pleased that Superman didn't deny his suspicion, put his hands behind his back and gloated. "I think the biggest give away was when Lois Lane ditched her four year engagement to Richard White for Clark Kent, a man that had been 'traveling abroad' for five years who returned the same time as Superman. I'm not an idiot, Clark. I took that little piece of news and studied out the new Kent family. I already knew that Jason was really Superman's son; he'd reacted similarly to how you do when I introduced him to Kryptonite back on the Gertrude.

"That evidence, along with other smaller tidbits of information, took me months to gather but once I had it, I could prove to myself that Clark Kent and Superman were one and the same person. Good job fooling the rest of the public by congratulating Lois on her marriage while wearing the cape. That must have been difficult to display such a ruse for so long."

Superman felt sick. "If you've known for so long, why didn't you do something then? Why wait until now?"

Luthor grinned. "This moment wouldn't be as satisfying if I had acted rashly, Superman. No, I decided to bid my time, calculate everything down to the last detail, before making my move. And oh how sweet this moment is! I'm going to crush you in the most devastating way possible. You took everything from me. I'm simply returning the favor."

"Enough of this!" Thor ordered. Electricity crackled around Mjolnir, an outward expression of his obvious agitation. "Your gloating is done. I will have my daughter or else I will pry her from your dead body!"

Luthor finally remembered that Thor was there. Staring at the man curiously, he glanced from him to the girl and back again. They were definitely related. Even the outfits were similar. "Who is this?" he asked.

"I am Thor, prince of Asgard, son of Odin," Thor introduced proudly, "and I demand to know what you have done to the princess of Asgard."

Luthor raised an eyebrow. "Is he serious?" he asked mockingly to Superman.

"This isn't a joke, Luthor," Superman raged. "What have you done to Jason and the others?"

"I've just insured myself is all, Superman," Luthor replied, a wicked gleam in his eye. "I'll reveal more on that in a moment. Before your friend interrupted, I was about to deliver my other token of your defeat."

He held up a cylinder that Superman instantly noted was of Kryptonian make though the symbols didn't add up the way they were supposed to. Even from this side of the room, he could see his paled reflection in the surface. "What is that?"

"Like it? I happened to find it when I was digging around Smallville," Luthor revealed.

Superman's expression filled with rage. "What were you doing in Smallville?"

"Well, when I learned your identity, I took it upon myself to dig around. In case you haven't noticed, that town is famous for a meteor shower that hit about thirty years ago. Using my superior intellect, I gathered that was the event in which you unfortunately graced us with your presence. I tried to find your ship, along with meteorite fragments to use against you, and instead found this. One of my workers discovered how it works. All you have to do is simply turn it so the symbols match up and you're instantly transported to a parallel universe, a mirror of this one. However, I later learned that there are a few opposites there. For one, you rule as a tyrant over the people of Earth along with the rest of the Justice League. Humans have tried to rebel but fail since you kill their leaders before they get the chance."

"I would never do that!" Superman cried in shock and disbelief.

"In this universe, it's a reality," Luthor retorted, shaking the cylinder. "And the other happy note is that in that world, Lois Lane is dead."

Superman stopped breathing. "No."

"Yes," Lex whispered with an evil smile. "I killed her."

Superman felt like the building was crashing down on him. His mouth ran dry. Only one terrorizing thought screamed through his mind and when he voiced it, his tone was unfamiliar; it was deathly and threatening. "Where is she?"

Lex's smile faltered but only for a second. He masked his temporary fear by shaking the cylinder again. "I figured that since the Superman in that universe had lost his beloved, how generous would it be if I returned to him the one thing he longed for most?"

Superman's heart skipped a beat. He stared at the cylinder with profound understanding. Lex Luthor was practically holding Lois in his hands. "You kidnapped her." It wasn't a question.

Lex laughed. "I did. I didn't force her to turn the cylinder. She did that on her own. Since her parallel self is dead, the other Lois Lane didn't arrive here, unlike my worker's experience. Unfortunate that you won't be able to see her ever again but look on the bright side, your other self is probably overjoyed to be reunited with his long lost wife. I'm sure he'll do everything in his power to keep her by his side. It's what you would do after all."

The gravity of his words hit Superman like a fistful of Kryptonite. He would never see Lois again. But then a thought struck him. If he could get the cylinder from Luthor, he could enter the parallel universe and rescue her! Just as this thought entered his mind, Luthor turned to Jason.

"Jason, destroy this for me, would you?"

It took two seconds. Superman's heart constricted while his mind filled with confusion as he watched his own son step forward, apply heat vision, and destroy the only thing that could bring Lois back. Luthor dropped the cylinder just before the heat touched it. The object hit the floor and melted into a pile of silver sludge. Superman didn't realize he'd fallen to his knees until Thor stepped forward. Luthor's laughter filled the chamber, ringing in Superman's ears.

Thor reacted without a word. Brimming with anger over the burden this villain had placed upon his friend, he flung his hammer right towards Luthor's face. A shockwave rippled through the room as metal met metal. Robin, Jason, Luthor, and Superman were all blasted into the air from the impact. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling. Thor's eyes filled with surprise as he looked into the blank expression of his own daughter. "Thora?" he muttered in disbelief.

Without responding, Thora pulled Mjol back and swung with all her might. Still in shock, the hammer connected with Thor's jaw, sending him flying into the wall. Superman stood up, shaking the crushing grief in his heart aside. He surveyed the scene and then saw something that chilled his blood. Jason and Robin had leapt in front of Luthor and taken the full blast of debris that had threatened to crush the billionaire. A deep cut dripped crimson blood down Robin's right cheek just under his eye. The boy did nothing to wipe it away.

In a burst of super speed, Superman rushed at Luthor. He grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off his feet. Jason grabbed his arm but Luthor held up a hand. "Wait," he commanded. Jason immediately stilled.

Anger rushed through Superman's veins as he stared into the eyes of the man who'd consistently tried to destroy him. The irises were nothing but a pair of endless black pits, the emotions within spawns of every sinister evil mankind could commit. "What have you done to them?" Superman whispered furiously.

"Like I said, Superman, I created insurance for myself."

"By controlling my son?!" Superman raged, hoisting the man over his head.

It was at this moment that the other League members and Avengers showed up and Jason acted. Grabbing Luthor, Jason set him down safely before turning on his father and punching him right in the face. Superman soared into the wall nearest to the door. Before the others could even move to see if he was alright, Jason rushed into the dark space and noises of flesh connecting with flesh met the ears of the heroes.

Thor emerged from his wall with electricity shooting from his eyes. "Luthor!" he cried, flying forward. Thora altered his course, smacking him with Mjol a second time. Thor flipped end over end in midair. His daughter didn't wait for him to right himself. She soared after him, summoning lightning as she went.

The Justice League and the Avengers looked upon the chaos. Batman spotted Robin and his heart sank. If what they had heard was right and Luthor had somehow managed to control Jason, he was also controlling Robin. Batman devoted his attention to his adopted son and quickly noticed the empty stare in his eyes and the eerie way he moved.

"Luthor is controlling them," Batman revealed to everyone.

"Obviously," Green Arrow muttered.

"How?" Black Widow wondered, looking around. "Surely there has to be something he's using to manipulate their movements."

"That's what we have to figure out," Batman replied. "The best way to do that is to talk to Luthor himself."

"How are we going to get to him without hurting the kids?" Captain America asked. "He'll use them as a shield in order to protect himself."

"I'll take care of Robin," Batman said. "Thor and Superman are keeping the other two preoccupied. However, we need to be cautious. If Luthor sees all of us, he'll call Thora and Jason to him immediately. We're going to need several road blocks in order to delay that return."

Captain America nodded. "We'll handle Thora. Your team can deal with Jason."

Batman reached into his belt and pulled out a piece of Kryptonite. He handed it to Wonder Woman. "As a last resort," he whispered to her.

She looked pained as she took the fragment. "I'll only use it if it comes to that."

"I know."

She held his face. "Bruce, are you sure you'll be able to handle Robin?"

Batman kept his face devoid of emotion. "I taught him everything he knows. I'm the only one who can bring him down quickly."

Martian Manhunter suddenly gasped. "Batman, Robin wants you to do everything you have to do to stop him!"

Batman jolted upright. "You can hear him, J'onn?"

"Yes," J'onn replied.

"Can you also hear Thora and Jason?" asked Hawkgirl.

"Yes," J'onn said with thick emotion. He looked like he was in pain. "It's like listening to someone plead in the midst of torture."

"J'onn, reach out to Jason and see if you can communicate with him," Batman ordered.

"I'll try."

Jason?

No please! Stop! Dad!

JASON!

J'onn? The reply came in exasperation. Is that you?

Yes! We are trying to figure out how to release you. What did Luthor do?

He injected something into our brains through the back of the neck, Jason answered. He put Thora and Robin under for the procedure but I was awake the whole time. The second that device was inside I lost control over my body. It's horrible, J'onn! I can see everything I'm doing to my dad and I can't stop myself.

Did Luthor say how to remove the device? J'onn asked while trying to ignore the torture he was feeling from being connected with Jason.

No but I thought of how to do it.

How?

Luthor has a device too. It's like the transmitter to ours. If you can take that one down, we'll stop fighting.

But could it kill you?

Not if my dad aims correctly with his heat vision. He just has to jam the antenna and then we won't be able to move anymore. You'll have to remove the devices after that.

Okay. I'll tell the others and we'll see what we can do.

Please hurry!

J'onn left Jason's mind and opened his eyes in time to see him punching Superman into another wall. The Man of Steel wasn't fighting back at all. He took the punches, not lifting a finger against his son.

"I know what we have to do," J'onn said, alerting everyone to the plan. He reached out telepathically to Thor and Superman so they could be clued in to what was going on.

"We have to free Superman from Jason so he can reach Luthor," Batman said.

Dr. Banner stepped forward. "I'm strong enough to keep him at bay."

"Are you sure?" Hawkgirl asked.

Dr. Banner smirked. "When Superman attacked us the first time, I was the only one who walked away without any injuries."

"But you were knocked unconscious," Hawkeye remarked.

Dr. Banner scowled. "At least my arm wasn't broken."

Hawkeye opened his mouth to retort but Black Widow cut him off.

"Enough," she ordered, punching Hawkeye in the arm. "We have work to do. Banner, keep Jason busy. Once you've pinned him down, the rest of the Justice League will help to keep him from being summoned to Luthor's side. The Avengers will do the same to Thora. Batman, can you keep the other one busy like you said?" He nodded. "Alright then, J'onn, did you transmit that to Superman and Thor?"

"Yes," J'onn responded.

"Then let's get this over with." Black Widow stood straight to notice that everyone was staring at her. Captain America sent her a fond smile. "What?" she demanded.

Surprising everyone with his open affection, Captain America pulled her close and kissed her full on the mouth. "You're adorable when you order people around, you know," he muttered.

"Hey, save the romance for when we get back to our universe," Iron Man called as he turned his jets on. "We've got a fight to stop."

And with that, everyone broke into action. The most dramatic change was Dr. Banner who transformed into the Hulk with an almighty roar that shook the entire floor. Batman didn't wait to see what the others were up to. He rushed forward straight towards Robin. The young man leapt out to meet him, using all the skills he'd been taught to fight against his tutor. The two punched, kicked, twirled, swerved, and punched again in a strange kind of dance.

Jason punched his father again and Superman spit blood. He still hadn't lifted a finger to fight back. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Not only was Jason his son, he was also the last thing Superman had of Lois. No matter what, Superman would never hurt him, even if he knew that Luthor was really the one behind the punches. Superman lifted his arm to wipe the blood from his mouth just as Jason came swinging for another round. Suddenly a massive green hand slammed into Jason sending the boy careening off course.

"Don't hurt him, Hulk!" Superman cautioned as the big green monster went barreling after Jason.

Hulk gave him the briefest of glances, signifying that he'd heard. Superman didn't wait for an invitation; he shot towards Luthor who saw him a mile away. Just as predicted, Luthor called out to Thora, Robin, and Jason but was alarmed to see that none of them were coming to his rescue. Robin was held in Batman's arms, unconscious. The Dark Knight had pulled a move that knocked the kid out before he knew what hit him. Jason was being restrained by the Justice League and the Hulk. Thora was tied down by the Avengers, failing in her struggle to break free, tears streaming down her face.

Luthor had a split second before Superman would be upon him. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a shard of Kryptonite. Superman lost control of his flight and slammed into Luthor, sending the two of them rolling over the other several paces before coming to a stop. Lex scrambled to his feet, looking triumphant. He loomed over Superman and kicked him mercilessly.

"Did you think you could win?" he gloated, kicking Superman again. The Man of Steel doubled over, crying out in pain. "You've cheated death for too long Kal-El. I should have ended your life a long time ago! I won't make that mistake again. Now, you die!"

Time seemed to slow down. Superman's eyes were trained on the Kryptonite rushing towards his heart. Flashes of his life passed before his eyes: the first time he used his powers; the first time he discovered his Kryptonian heritage; the first time he'd rescued Lois and fallen in love; the day he gave up his powers for her; the loss resulting in taking away her memories; leaving for Krypton only to find it gone; returning to Earth; recovering from New Krypton; discovering Jason was his son; finally marrying Lois; and then Jason and Lois themselves, his personal miracles. These images surged through him as the Kryptonite drew near.

And then, the sound of a gunshot filled the air. Superman blinked and stared. Lex Luthor stood rigid, his frame filled with shock. He looked down only to see blood soaking into his shirt. He looked at Superman one last time, surprise and confusion written on his face, before crumpling to the floor. His blood continued to pool around his dead body. Superman looked to the source of the noise and froze.

Standing in the doorway was a woman. Her skin clung to her bones, her unkempt hair hanging loosely around her gaunt face. Her clothes looked like those of a homeless person, complete with several patches and multiple stains. Though her arms looked like one touch would snap them in half, she held the revolver with pinpoint accuracy. She looked like death. Superman would have questioned who she was had it not been for her eyes. Lowering the weapon and ignoring everyone but the man she'd just saved, the woman stumbled into the room. She reached Lex Luthor's corpse without interference and removed the Kryptonite from his hands. Throwing it with all her might, she dropped the gun and fell to Superman's side.

"Lois?" Superman gasped, pulling her towards him. Shocked at how frail she felt in his arms, he held her like she was a piece of glass. She clung to him for dear life.

"Clark," she whispered her voice raspy. "Oh, Clark! I'm free. We're finally free."

And she passed out in his arms, tears freely flowing down her paled cheeks.