The Waiting

"A House is not a Home"

Gotham Heights

Two interminable days had passed. Clark went back to the house after the Watchtower, because he didn't know where else to go. It was just a house now. Diana had made it a home.

It was easy to forget that Clark was still a young man.

Superman was such an overwhelming figure that even some of those closest to him forgot this basic fact.

Young men make mistakes. It's how they become older, wiser men. Some mistakes are made out of ignorance, some out of hubris, some out of thoughtlessness and some are made because they want to believe.

It's a universal fact of life, that when you're young, you think you have it all figured out and all the answers. Hopefully, years and experiences teach you otherwise. It's why your parents seemed to get smarter the older you get.

Most of the mistakes you make when you're young are correctable, but some are not. It's why a news story about a murder being committed by someone young is really a double tragedy. One life is gone forever, while another is damaged in a way that can never be fixed.

Clark was desperate that his mistake wasn't the uncorrectable kind. The only news from Themyscira was that Diana was still alive, but unconscious. No visitors were allowed.

All there was to do was wait.

He cleaned the pool. He wished he could so easily wipe away the memory of the crime that had happened in it. He fixed the fence and did his best to answer the neighbors' questions when they approached him on the street.

Diana was away; business, was all he told them. They seemed to accept this, but a few took a longer look at him. He wondered if they thought she had abandoned him, run off with someone else. What would they think if he told them the truth? The woman they thought was his first wife had brutally attacked the woman they thought was his second wife and nearly killed her. The image of trying to explain to the police that his first wife was actually Lashina, a New God and Fury from Apokolips and that his second wife was really, Princess Diana or better known as Wonder Woman. He probably wouldn't even get to the part about him being Superman before they locked him away.

There had been a crime committed, though. Lashina had attempted to murder Diana. He was an unwitting accomplice in this, by allowing Lashina in the house in the first place. Clark felt so stupid and naïve. Everyone had told him Lashina was no good and could never change. Even Diana's opinion had been blunt on this point.

Why was I so stubborn, he thought? I know Lashina better than anyone, yet I wanted to believe she could change. Was it as simple as wanting to believe something good could come out of the nightmare that was my time on Apokolips, he wondered?

Clark had been haunted by it. The way Darkseid had used him, twisted and warped who he was; it was such a personal violation. Clark had been a victim, yet the damage he'd caused had created so many victims, he could never make the claim that he was one too. He'd never spoken about that time with anyone. They accepted that he was brainwashed and left it at that. While it was certainly true he was brainwashed, the memories of that time were still crystal clear in his mind.

Clark hadn't just killed during that time; he'd willingly and eagerly killed. In some ways it was like burning insects under a magnifying glass. The inhabitants of the planets he conquered for Darkseid thought their defenses would protect them. Clark had effortlessly proven how wrong they had been. That darkness was a part of him, he now knew. In the despair over all that he had done, Clark had tried to find one thing that hadn't been pure evil and cruelty.

Lashina.

The relationship he had with her was the thing he finally thought of. It wasn't love, he knew that now, but it hadn't been about cruelty, either. Unlike everything else on Apokolips, it wasn't the strong forcing the weak, but two people willingly giving themselves to the other. He later realized he was probably the first man that had given her the choice of being with him without threats.

It was a moment of kindness in the middle of a living nightmare. He clung to the thought that at least one thing wasn't evil and cruel about that time. It was the real reason behind his insistence on giving her a chance. He thought if she could change than something good had come out of it.

He now knew that nothing good comes from Apokolips. Hers was the final betrayal that sealed the verdict on that time of his life. It was a mistake that could never be undone. Now he desperately hoped his desire for something good out of that time, hadn't caused another mistake that could never be undone.

If the Queen forbid him from seeing Diana or Diana herself wanted nothing to do with him ever again, he would gladly endure it as long as she survive. His hopes and dreams of the future had been narrowed to that one thing, Diana's life. Everything else was secondary to her surviving

So he waited in the house that was not a home.

The Watchtower

A somber mood hung over everyone. Their thoughts were for Diana's welfare. Sadness and anger seemed to be the two strongest emotions. Sadness for what had happened and anger that it had. The ends of the Earth were scoured in a hunt for Lashina, but she seemed to have disappeared. Most assumed she had returned to Apokolips like a dog returning to its master.

As the first day turned into the second and then into the third, the unmistakable possibility that Diana might not recover began to find it's way into the heroes' minds. No one wanted to voice it, but they could see it in each other's eyes. It was a look of almost bewildered shock, as if they had never thought it possible. The more mortal of the members had lived each day with the possibility that it might be their last, but Wonder Woman was different.

Where even Superman had Kryptonite, Diana seemed to have no weaknesses. She was an immortal, a Demi-Goddess, a being above such Earthly problems. It's such a shattering experience to have what you accepted as a truth pulled out from under you. The thought that Diana could be struck down by an assassin wielding a simple knife made no sense.

In this climate, heroes seemed to keep filtering back to the station, hanging out long after their shifts ended. It somehow seemed like the place to be, while they waited for any news.

The world went on and missions were taken; yet always one thought was hanging over all of them.

Wally, Plastic Man and Mari were sitting in the cafeteria. They had coffee in front of them, but it went untouched. Their shifts had ended hours ago.

"It's too quiet,' Mari whispered.

"Well, everyone's thinking about, well, you know,' Wally replied.

"Did I mention that Dinah likes me now,' Plastic Man offered.

"Not now, Plasty,' Wally said.

"Yeah, no jokes, not now,' Mari added.

"I know, I wouldn't,' Plastic Man said, seemingly taken aback that they thought he would. "I'm not that crazy. I just thought we could talk about something else instead of what everyone's not talking about."

"Sorry,' Wally replied. "But I don't think Dinah likes you now, buddy."

"She's said she doesn't on more than one occasions,' Mari said.

'I also told you she was coming around, remember?"

"But you're crazy, aren't you,' Mari asked.

"Like a henhouse,' Plastic Man offered with a smile.

Mari and Wally looked at each other, but neither got that.

"Okay, just for the sake of conversation, why do you think she's coming around to liking you,' Wally asked.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Again, Wally and Mari looked at each other. She shrugged her shoulders still having no clue.

"Um, no?"

"We went on a mission together,' Plastic Man explained. "We kicked some biker ass together! You don't have bonding experiences like that with someone you don't like."

"Wasn't the Question there, too,' Wally pointed out.

"Yes, but I don't know how she feels about him,' Plastic Man replied. "I just know we were together, in the trenches. Ipso Fungo, she likes me!"

"Ipso Fungo? What does that even mean,' Mari asked.

"Tell her, Wally."

"I don't know either."

"It means she likes me,' Plastic Man confidently replied. As this was going on, Shayera came into the cafeteria. She got a cup of coffee and walked over to the table.

"Mari, Plastic Man, do you mind if I join you?"

"Hi, Shayera,' Wally offered, but she didn't even look at him.

"Sure, have a seat,' Mari answered. Shayera sat down, across from Wally but still didn't look at him.

"Now see that's what it looks like when a woman doesn't like you, buddy,' Plastic Man whispered to Wally.

"Are you still mad at me, Shayera? I said I was sorry."

"Mari, would you tell him, if I were talking to him, I would say yes, I'm still mad at him,' Shayera replied.

"Wally, if Shayera were talking to you," Mari began, but Wally waved her off.

"I heard," he groaned. "Mari would you tell her that I'm sorry, but that I did have a good time with her."

"Shayera, Wally's sorry, but he did have a good time with you,' Mari repeated.

"Tell me, it seemed like he was having a good time hitting on other women while we were on a date!"

"Wally, Shayera said… oh, this is stupid,' Mari said. "If you two are going to fight, at least fight without me in the middle."

Shayera finally looked at Wally, but didn't say anything.

"I screwed up, Shayera, I didn't know it was that kind of date,' Wally offered. "I had a great time with you though. I was hoping, if things work out, you know with Diana, that you might like to do it again this weekend? Constantine is still in town and so is Zee."

"Let me think about it,' Shayera finally relented.

"See? Ipso Fungo, she likes you,' Plastic Man proudly said.

"Ipso what,' Shayera asked. She looked at Mari and Wally, but they both shook their heads and shrugged. Jonn was walking by and caught Mari's eye.

"Jonn, any news?"

"Nothing new, she still hasn't awoke,' he replied.

"Okay, thanks, let us know if anything changes,' Mari said. The somber mood came back to all of them and they just sat there, heads down.

Metropolis – Suicide Slums

When Granny Goodness first made contact with Intergang, she had been thinking ahead. She didn't trust anyone, especially humans, so she set up a series of safe houses for herself that would be undetectable to anyone, even Superman. There locations were highly guarded secrets, but one person knew about all of them, Lashina. She was currently residing in one of the most secure safe houses.

She hadn't gone back to Apokolips, as that would mean facing Lord Darkseid. He had little tolerance for independent actions, in fact, none at all from his subordinates. Lashina knew her one chance was to be able to tell the Dark Lord that she had wounded Superman. Wonder Woman's death might get her a stay of execution. The only problem was Lashina wasn't certain the Princess was dead. So here she remained, waiting for some sign that she was no more.

Kal-El had showed up before she had been able to make sure the Princess was dead. Lashina thought briefly of fighting him, but there was another with him and she knew more would be coming. Escape was the logical thing to do. Besides, Lashina knew if she fought him, she would have to kill him too and that wasn't something she wanted. Hurt him, punish him, yes, but never kill him. In all the worlds, he was the one man she would never kill.

In Lashina's admittedly twisted mind, he represented something different than anything she knew from her world. Growing up on Apokolips an attractive girl learns early how to fight. She also learns that she is subject to the whims of those more powerful than she is. Rape almost isn't the right word for what happens on Apokolips, as everyone is raped in one way or another.

Lashina had watched others in the orphanage shipped off to the brothels or worse, and vowed that would never happen to her. She was forced to give herself to some of the elite when she was young, but once she was old enough that stopped.

Kal-El had been different. He was more powerful that just about anyone, perhaps as powerful as Darkseid himself, yet he hadn't taken what he wanted. He had asked and Lashina could see for the first time in her life that he was a man willing to accept no for an answer. This was such a foreign, alien idea, that someone would ask her to be with them without threats or violence. She found herself drawn to him. When they had sex it wasn't the brutal, forced kind she had experienced, but gentle. He awakened passions she hadn't known she possessed.

Kindness she had always associated with weakness, yet not with him. He touched her heart, something she had locked away a long time ago. The emotions he stirred within her were previously unknown and she hungered for more. Then he rebelled against Darkseid and was gone. He should have been her mortal enemy, yet she found in her heart that had been locked away all those years, she couldn't hate him.

The idea of him with anyone else was equally intolerable to her. It seemed like such a cruel twist of fate that it was the one woman she hated most that he would fall for. Wonder Woman, the very name churned the bile in her stomach. Everything about her Lashina despised. The thought that she might steal Kal-El away from her was too much. The Princess had to die.

He's mine, Lashina thought. In the twisted logic she had learned on Apokolips killing the Princess would bring him back to her. It was the lesson of Granny's orphanage. Lashina had learned that helpless feeling of being beaten and having no way to stop it. She in turn watched as those previously beaten now turned around and beat the new arrivals even harder. It was a never-ending story that repeated again and again. Those that are tortured one day become the torturers.

Lashina had punished Kal-El by taking the Princess away from him. In the logic of the orphanage, this would harden his heart. The darkness that began with her death would grow and he would turn away from this world and then Lashina would be waiting.

The one flaw to her plan was his kindness. It was what drew her to him, yet to have him again she would have to force him to lose it. It was a Catch-22 that she couldn't seem to find an answer for. To have what she wanted, she had to destroy the very thing that made her want it in the first place. As she took another drink, doubts came to Lashina's mind. Doubt was weakness she reminded herself. Pushing them away, she focused on the one thing she was certain about, the Princess must die.

Themyscira – The Healing Island

Queen Hippolyta had been at her daughter's side the whole time, refusing to leave. The parliament, her subjects, everything could wait as long as her daughter's life was in jeopardy. She had lived three thousand years, but the single perfect moment of her life was the first time she held Diana in her arms. My child, my baby, she remembered joyously thinking. This was a love as old as time, a mother for her daughter.

From that day forward, Hippolyta had seen the world anew, through her daughter's eyes. Watching her grow had filled the Queen with unimaginable joy. While she loved all her Amazon sisters, Diana was special she was her daughter.

Now her daughter hung between life and death, every moment of it agony for Hippolyta. Sorrow, worry, anger, they all swirled around inside of her. She sat at Diana's side, as the poison burned its way through her system. Epione had told the Queen that while the ray had healed her wounds and the herbs would assist her, it was up the Princess' system to fight off the poison.

Hippolyta spent her time, wiping a cool cloth across Diana's burning forehead, while whispering constantly to her. They were words of encouragement, of love, anything that came to the Queen's mind that would help her daughter fight through this.

In other moments, late at night, Hippolyta was angry. The wild dog, Lashina that had done this would pay with her life. Every time Hippolyta looked at the pale, beautiful face of her daughter, her anger would grow. If Diana dies, Lashina will wish for death's release before I am done with her, Hippolyta silently promised. But that was too horrible to imagine, Diana had to survive, she just had to.

It was during these wee hours of the morning, that sleep finally overtook Hippolyta. A gentle hand on her shoulder brought her out of her slumber.

"My Queen."

"What is it, Phillipus? She hasn't,' Hippolyta said and then frantically looked at Diana.

"No, Hippolyta, there has been no change,' Phillipus replied. "Epione believes this is a good sign."

"I pray it is."

"You need to rest, you've been here for days now,' the General offered.

"No, I can't leave, Phillipus, not until she recovers,' Hippolyta forcefully said.

"Please, I will make sure you are summoned if there is any change."

"No."

The General had known her Queen far to long. The look in Hippolyta's eyes told Phillipus that there would be no argument she could offer that would move her from the spot she was in.

"Then I guess I will have to wait with you, my Queen,' Phillipus finally said and pulled up a stool next to Hippolyta. They sat there in silence for a long time. Hippolyta would wipe the sweat from Diana's fevered brow every few minutes.

"She's strong, Hippolyta, she'll make it,' Phillipus finally offered. "She's also stubborn like her mother, so I'm positive she won't allow this to stop her."

Hippolyta smiled. This wasn't Queen and General, but two very old friends.

"I can't imagine how empty my life would have been without her, Phillipus,' Hippolyta admitted.

"I have faith in the Princess, she will survive."

"May the Gods and Goddesses hear your worlds,' Hippolyta replied.

The sat there a while longer, but Diana remained eerily still. The General had been turning something else over in her mind and finally broached the subject.

"You know she's in love with him.' Phillipus ventured, knowing this was a touchy subject.

"Yes."

The thought of Superman brought back some of her anger at him. Hippolyta realized she had been lucky she hadn't broken her hand when she slapped him, but her sense of betrayal was so great she couldn't stop herself.

"I think he loves her too.'

"He has a strange way of showing it,' Hippolyta fired back. "He brings that woman into their house and allowed this to happen!"

"I admit I was puzzled by this as well,' Phillipus replied. "When I spoke to the Martian to update them on her condition I asked him why."

"What did he say?"

"Something about second chances,' Phillipus said. "It seemed rather naïve to me, but I got the feeling that Diana understood this about him."

"His second chance is the reason Diana's lying here right now,' Hippolyta stated.

"Lashina is the reason she is here, Hippolyta," Phillipus replied. "I saw the look in his eyes, he cherishes Diana. I still believe he is a good man."

"A good man who's naïve can cause just as much damage as an evil one, Phillipus,' Hippolyta responded. "Your good man allowed this to happen."

"And what if when the Princess recovers, she wished to return to him?"

"I will forbid it! She is staying here on Themyscira from now on!"

Phillipus chuckled softly and the Queen turned with a glare.

"What?"

"I believe we had this argument once before when Diana first went out into the Man's world,' Phillipus replied. "I doubt it will have a different outcome this time."

Hippolyta looked over at her daughter and a small smile came to her lips.

"No, I suppose you are right, she is so headstrong,' Hippolyta said. "And before you say it, yes, I know where she gets it from."

"An admirable quality in both, I would say,' Phillipus offered.

"So you're the diplomat now, are you?"

"Hardly,' Phillipus replied. "I just know my Queen and Princess very well. She wasn't in love with him, yet she was willing to marry him rather than give in. Do you imagine that now that she is in love with him, she would do any different?"

"So what would you advise?"

"I don't know,' Phillipus admitted. "I am like you and would wish to keep her here, safe, but I think that time is over. Diana is a grown woman and has started to forge a life for herself. As much as we wish to protect her, I don't think she'll let us anymore."

Hippolyta seemed to ponder the General's words for several moments. Again she wiped Diana's sweat soaked brow.

"Those are questions we can discuss at a later date, Phillipus. Right now my only concern is for her survival."

"As is mine, my Queen."

The morning light peaked over the horizon and fell across the slumbering forms of Hippolyta and Phillipus. The Queen slowly sat up, blinking her eyes against the sun's rays and looked at her daughter. It seemed her fever had broke. A smile came to Hippolyta's face as she lightly ran her hand over Diana's forehead, brushing a few matted curls to the side. Phillipus stirred and looked at Diana and Hippolyta.

"Any change?"

"The fever has broke."

Epione came into the room, carrying a tray of herbs and potions.

"Now there's two of you underfoot,' she said.

Before they could respond, the sound of a soft groan caught everyone's attention. They glanced down to see Diana's eyelids flutter open.

"Mother,' she weakly said.

"Yes, I'm here, Diana,' Hippolyta replied. Tears welled up in her eyes as she leaned over and fiercely hugged her daughter.