LXXXV
The Fields of Elysium

Barbara Gordon hit the ground hard.

She had no idea where they had suddenly appeared. The last thing she remembered was Raven's black smoke across the desert sands as things to horrible to describe were going to eat her and then a red blur before she found herself roughly deposited, rolling along a grassy field. Slowly, she pulled herself to her feet, winced a little and looked around.

Raven was there… but she had landed harder. Barbara wasn't sure if Raven had passed out during teleporting or from the shock of impact. Arella was also pulling herself from the ground and Barda had managed to cradle Scott in her arms and land perfectly on her feet, unharmed.

"By the fires of Apokolips girl, are you trying to kill him?!" Barda's question did not find an answer… not one that Raven could provide currently. Barda carefully laid Scott down and tended to him.

Barbara pulled red hair away from her eyes and continued to survey the landscape… It was like nothing she had ever seen, closer to a dream than reality. Fields of long green grass rippled in a gentle breeze – like waves along a jade ocean. The sun seemed brighter, everything was so clear. The summer air smelled of fragrant flowers, too numerous to identify with the hint of the sea beyond the hills.

And there were no shadows. It was warm - but not hot. A perfect sort of day to walk towards the rolling hills in the distance. The landing had been rough, but Raven had certainly picked a good destination, wherever it was…

"Is this heaven?..." It was a strange thought that Barbara had asked before she thought about it.

"This is Elysium, child."

Barbara stared at the old woman who had answered, standing beside Raven... She hadn't been there a second ago… Where?... and then Barbara realized... She wasn't a person at all. She was a spirit. This land had no shadows, but it did have shades.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am… but who are you?"

"I am Azar, High Priestess of Azarath… Or rather, I was... It was I who spoke to Ra's only a moment ago through the voice of Raven. She carries the souls and hope of Azarath within her so we may balance the evil of the great ravager. We were very lucky to escape just now."

"From those demons?"

"No child, from Trigon. He was waiting for us. Did you not see his hand reach out to crush us in his wicked grasp?"

"I only saw a blur of red."

"That was the hand of Trigon, child. He sought to crush us as a man swats a mosquito. It was Raven who protected all of us and provided our narrow escape… Arella, your daughter will require your arts…. But first, let me draw out the unwanted distraction from inside of her. He and I must have words."

Barbara watched as the shade of Azar pulled out the very familiar figure from Raven's prone body… It was Clark… glowing white. If Azar were a shade, Clark was retina-burn.

"Calm down, young one. Burning your way out of Raven will not help anyone. She saved you, after all." Azar was trying to calm the Kryptonian.

"I have to get back! Take me there. You don't realize how dangerous he is!"

"I know perfectly well how dangerous he is. I also know you're no match for Ra's al Ghul. Your spirit is weak, child."

"You don't understand what I can do."

"It is you who does not understand what Trigon can do. If his servant can cast your spirit aside, Trigon will devour your eternal soul as simple nourishment."

"He must be stopped!"

"He must… But he will not be overcome with force. Do you understand?"

The burning image of Clark dulled in luminosity. This was clearly something he did not understand. Barbara turned to see Arella cradling her daughter's head, working her healing magic on Raven while Barda's obvious anxiety had grown… Her fighting spirit had also dulled as desperation drew heavy lines upon her brow.

"The power of the mother box is fading… When it goes… he goes."

"Barda, everyone fears the worst but let's plan for success. Let's say Raven wakes up quickly. Where can we take Scott so he can be saved?" Barbara Gordon didn't have the strength to move mountains or the ability to travel the universe like Raven… but she could reason. She could plan. And they needed a plan…

"Clark was right… He isn't human. A hospital of your world may not be able to save him. His injuries are severe, without the mother box and the priestess, he would surely be dead by now."

"Where do mother boxes come from? This is a technology I've never seen."

"We are of the race of the New Gods. As the first-born son of Izaya, the Highfather, Scott is the Prince of his home world, New Genesis... A place much like this realm, but its inhabitants are gods, not spirits. I am a warrior of Apokolips, the dark twin of New Genesis, ruled by the omnipotent tyrant Darkseid.

Both worlds have technology beyond your mortal reckoning, but the mother box is surely one of our greatest accomplishments, created by Scott's mentor, the revolutionary scientist Himon."

"Could Himon help, Scott?"

"Certainly, if he were still alive… or able… or sane. It is good not to take things for granted on Apokolips."

"How about his father, Izaya?"

"The Highfather… beyond a doubt… But this would mean war between the worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips. There is a sacred pact… sealed in power so arcane so as to become magic. Should Scott Free return to his home world, the pact is broken and our worlds will be at war - which would destroy us both. For all my love, I can not burden the responsibility for a war of the gods. Scott would never forgive me, even if his life was saved."

"Can you go to New Genesis?"

"Of course… But what could I do?"

"Talk to Izaya. Surely a father does not want to see his son die…"

"Then you know nothing of Darkseid. But Izaya is merciful, I have heard these things. Perhaps… But to travel to the Highfather I would need to boom tube to New Genesis, and that would kill Scott."

"Could Raven take you?"

"Her mystical travel seems similar to the matter threshold used by the boom tube. Perhaps…"

"If she were to do this, could she plead her case for allies against Trigon?"

"The new gods are locked in an age-old struggle where neither dare raise a finger, but this fiend Trigon would surely be considered a threat against existence itself! If my Scott can be saved, I will declare them cowards to the last not to rally against such a monster."

"Thank you, Barda… Who is that?"

In the fields of Elysium, there appeared an alien… like an astronaut who had shot through the clouds into heaven, pacing towards the spirit of the sun champion.

The ladies watched as the alien astronaut approached. He wore red and blue space suit, like none Barbara could ever have imagined. It was too thin too be pressurized, with a hundred dials and gauges in languages she had never seen.

On his chest plate, Barbara could make out a large, red "S", outlined by an inverted triangle with the two top edges softened. It seemed to be a crest, his country of origin perhaps?...

Everyone watched as the man pulled off his space helmet, to reveal the eyes of an old human man welling with tears, a smile overwhelming his white-bearded face. His joy had brought him to tears. They were even more shocked when he called out to Clark…

"Kal-El!"

Author's Note:
Elysium is an earthly Heaven in Greek mythology. A country-side Valhalla where those chosen by the Greek gods live out the afterlife in bliss, free from the base toils of mortality in a land of plenty.

"Kal-El" is Superman's Kryptonian name. Be prepared to have your mind blown in the next chapter where I'm re-writing the entire Superman origin.