The next day soon came.
Cherry yelled out and she soon sat up before looking confused. "Where am I?"
"We're in Metropolis, Cherry, you gave me quite a scare." Bruce told her.
"What happened?" Cherry asked.
"You were shot." Bruce said.
"I-I got shot...?" Cherry asked as her face paled. She soon saw where she got shot and remembered everything.
Bruce soon handed her a glass of water. "Compliments of Alfred." he then told her.
"I owe him one." Cherry said before taking the drink.
While Cherry was finishing her drink and getting dressed, there was a press conference at what was the remains of the building.
"I wish to assure all of Metropolis that this explosion was non-nuclear, and it presents no danger to the community," Lex smiled innocently. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." he soon said before walking away.
The people soon cried out to get his attention, still having many questions, but Lex's driver blocked them.
"She sure knows how to block people from getting any more questions asked." Atticus told his godfather.
"She has to be if she's with Lex." Clark replied.
"What could've possessed me to trust that clown?" Lex whispered to his driver which was overheard by Clark.
"You heard that too, right?" Clark whispered to his godson since they both had super-hearing.
"I sure did." Atticus nodded quietly.
A text was soon sent to Atticus's phone and it was from Cherry saying 'Lunch?'.
"Uh, Clark, I'll be right back, I'm gonna get some stuff for my family." Atticus told his godfather so that he could see Cherry in private so that they could talk.
"Oh, uh, okay." Clark told him.
"I won't be long." Atticus promised.
"All right, keep your phone on you." Clark told him.
Atticus nodded and then walked off on his own to go and find Cherry, using his phone to track her down.
After a while, he soon found her. Cherry seemed to be leaning under a pizza shop.
"Cherry! You're okay." Atticus smiled before suddenly hugging her.
Cherry normally would've made fun of Atticus for hugging her or try to avoid it, but this time, she actually hugged him back. The two of them soon had lunch together.
"Cherry, I'm so relieved that you're alright." Atticus smiled.
"No biggie..." Cherry said. "I knew I was gonna be fine the whole time."
"I was worried about you." Atticus said.
"You know, I was worried too..." Cherry admitted. "When I fell asleep, I had the most horrible vision."
"You had a vision?" Atticus asked in shock since Cherry wasn't known for having visions.
"I think it was..." Cherry said as we were shown flashes of Cherry in a gown instead of her normal clothes and she seemed to be somewhere foggy that seemed like it could be good or bad, but she couldn't tell and she soon saw a sign that told her where she was and the sign read PURGATORY.
"I wonder what it means?" Atticus said.
"But I thought Aunt Cherry was immortal, Dad..." Akito's voice said. "How could she have a near-death experience?"
"She is immortal, but someone can kill her, so she can't die by nature, but... It's not a pretty story for when a vampire is killed... No matter what, they end up in The Bad Place, and not in Heaven." Atticus explained.
"Ohh." Akito said.
"What exactly is purgatory?" Megan asked.
"It's when someone dies and they have to have someone decide whether they can go to Heaven or The Bad Place, it's like a judgement realm." Estelle replied.
"Poor Aunt Cherry," Vincent frowned. "That sounds awful."
"But she's still alive." Estelle said.
"Well... Yeah..." Vincent then said sheepishly.
"Anyway..." Atticus said before going on.
"So... You died...?" Atticus asked in the story.
"I thought maybe I was..." Cherry said, rubbing her arm. "I found a bench and sat down on it for what felt like forever, and then someone came up to me and told me that it wasn't my time yet... Then... Suddenly... I woke up and Bruce told me I had been shot."
"Whoa." Atticus said.
"Atticus, I really think I died for a minute..." Cherry said to him. "Um... I'm sorry for making fun of Clark that night at the club... I guess I was kind of a jerk."
"And sorry about saying those things back at the Daily Planet." Atticus frowned.
"Oh... Atticus, I'm really sorry!" Cherry soon cried out. "I don't know why I did it. Bruce is just driving me so crazy lately!"
"It's okay and I understand how it's driving you crazy since he's been going out with Lois lately." Atticus said.
Someone soon came by to give them pizza and then walked off.
"It's okay though..." Cherry said before looking away with puppy dog eyes as she seemed upset about something. "We don't have to stay friends. Maybe it's best because of how different we are."
"No way, Cherry," Atticus said. "We're best friends and we'll always be friends."
Cherry looked away.
"Cherry... Are you crying...?" Atticus asked, almost sounding heartbroken.
"N-No." Cherry lied.
Atticus frowned. Cherry soon looked down and wiped one eye as a tear was clearly on it and she soon took a slice of pizza and began to eat it to hide her true emotions. Atticus frowned as he could tell Cherry was sad and was just hiding her emotions. Cherry kept eating until she found that she couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Let it out..." Atticus insisted. "It'll help make you feel better."
"Oh, I can't hold it in anymore!" Cherry yelped. "I don't want us to stop being friends!"
"I don't want us to stop either!" Atticus said to her, feeling just as emotional. "They think they know what's best for us, but they're wrong!"
"Exactly!" Cherry replied.
"So, exactly!" Atticus agreed.
They soon held each other to make up as friends again as they seemed depressed to not be friends anymore. They both soon got an idea of how to stop their friendship from ending. Cherry wiped her eyes after they broke out of the hug and she began to eat another slice of pizza.
"I think I know what to do." Atticus said.
"Me too!" Cherry said. "Uh... You go first."
"No, you go first." Atticus said.
"Okay, how about we both say our ideas at the same time?" Cherry suggested.
"Sounds good." Atticus nodded.
"Okay..." Cherry said.
The two soon took a deep breath and said their ideas in unison and which were the same idea.
"It'll be fool proof... But... It's just between you and me." Cherry said.
"I agree..." Atticus said to her. "We can't tell Bruce or Clark the whole thing, they might ruin it."
"Totally." Cherry said.
"Feel better?" Atticus smiled.
Cherry looked to him before taking another piece of pizza and ate it, though slower and calmer than earlier, showing she was feeling a little bit better.
"I'll take that as a yes." Atticus smiled.
"Do you have to be right all the time?" Cherry muffled.
Atticus simply shrugged innocently.
Cherry stuck her tongue out at him after finishing the pizza.
"I'm just glad you're okay." Atticus smiled.
Cherry was happy that Atticus was alright then.
Eventually, they finished their pizza and then took a small walk together to make the most of it until they would have to separate since Clark forbade Atticus from being friends with Cherry again, and where to make sure Atticus's made up story was real, they got some things for his family.
"I guess it'll be the adventures of Atticus from now on." Cherry said, a little solemnly.
"No way." Atticus said.
Cherry shrugged.
"Okay, be honest," Atticus said before taking out a T-Shirt. "You think my mom would like this?"
"I'd get her a box of a treat she really likes that she can't get back home." Cherry advised.
"Sounds perfect." Atticus smiled.
"I usually do that for my mom whenever I go away somewhere and she's back home." Cherry said.
"That's nice." Atticus smiled.
"Maybe a hat for your dad?" Cherry suggested. "You know my dad can't leave the house without having a hat on."
Atticus began to think of what his family would want. Cherry decided to see if she could find anything for her family as she wasn't familiar with Metropolis like Atticus was. After sometime, they were both able to find the perfect presents for their families.
"Cherry, I would love to stay, but I should get back to Clark before he gets suspicious." Atticus told his best friend.
"I understand." Cherry said.
"See you later, okay?" Atticus told her.
"Okay... Later." Cherry said before walking off.
They soon separated to where their godfathers were. Cherry rubbed her arm and luckily, it didn't hurt anymore, but it was a little numb now.
"You took some time to shop." Clark said.
"Sorry, just had to find the perfect gifts." Atticus said.
"I see." Clark replied.
"Is Miss Lane okay?" Atticus asked.
"I suppose she is..." Clark shrugged. "I'm gonna go see her in a little bit."
"Great." Atticus said.
"Would you like to come along?" Clark invited.
"Sure." Atticus smiled.
Clark smiled back to Atticus as he went to put the souvenirs aside for right now. After putting the souvenirs away, the two of them soon went to check on Lois.