Author's Note – I do not own any of the characters, Marvel and DC do.

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Chapter One

New Team

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"…not fair!" The Joker screamed as he found himself surrounded by not one but three Supermen. "No! No! NO!"

"You should give up now." Batman smirked as he appeared beside the black-and-silver-clad Superman. "You can't win."

"You know," Joker mused as he took a thoughtful pose, "If black-and-silver there can borrow alternates of himself to team up with, why can't I do the same?"

"The Joker in my universe met Mr Black and was paralyzed from the waist down." The Superman on Joker's left stated. "I heard that he later tried to make a joy-buzzer and accidentally turned his wheelchair into an electric chair."

"He did." A second Batman confirmed as he stepped up, briefly glancing at his armoured counterpart.

"You don't exist where I come from." The third Superman stated and Joker sagged.

"I don't? Really? Oh, this is so depressing. Alright, batsies, send me back to jolly old Arkham."

"Actually, we borrowed a concept from Superman… the unaligned one." The first Batman added as Joker gave a meaningful glance at all three Supermen. "A week ago we took delivery of a number of stasis pods for use with dangerous criminals, holding them outside time until a way to remove the danger they present can be created."

"Stasis?" Joker repeated, then his eyes widened in horror. "No! You can't do that!"

"You'll be held in a pocket of null-time." The armoured Batman said with a grim smirk. "For you, no time at all will pass, no matter how long you are in there for. You won't lose a single second from your lifespan. But the world will continue without you."

Joker's already pale face somehow turned even whiter as the two blue-clad Supermen took his unresisting arms. The black-clad Superman vanished in a blur, then reappeared with an angled cylinder which opened in readiness.

"NoooooOOOOOOOOhey, a quarterOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Joker's howl was suddenly silenced as the transparent door slammed shut and the pod activated, freezing him motionless.

"Thank you." The armoured Batman stated.

"I only wish that I had access to this technology prior to contact." The other Batman agreed. "The favour has been repaid."

"It has." The first Batman nodded, then they both stepped back and seemed to fade into the night, leaving the three Kryptonians surrounding the pod.

"So, what do you say about storing this clown somewhere safe, then… a meal?"

"Your mother's meals are outstanding." The black-suited Superman agreed. "Deal. Let's get this done."

"And then we can continue discussing just how we are supposed to differentiate between ourselves without risking the secret identities of those of us who still have them." The third one agreed.

"Dome numbers?"

The other two Supermen paused, then the second one shook his head. "No, that would have me as zero or central."

"Alpha?"

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"Hey, Clark."

"Hey, Logan."/"Hello."/"Hi."

"You know, we really need a way to tell the three of you apart." Logan groused from where he was sitting, reading a paper.

"Kal suggested dome numbers based on the moonbase." Clark said and Logan nodded slowly.

"Makes sense. And since we're in our reality, you wouldn't need the number here whereas in Kal's reality, he wouldn't need his number but you'd be… Clark-zero?"

"Clark-Alpha." The third Superman said with a smile. "After all, we all rely on your reality to cross-link through."

"Thank you, Kal-seven."

"I second the motion."

"Thanks, Kal forty-nine."

The duo snickered at the annoyed expression on Clark's face, then the newly-designated Kal-49 smirked. "I think that a small numerical display on our belt-buckles, one that activates whenever we're out of our home realities, would work. Small enough that it doesn't attract attention, but visible if you know where to look."

"Seconded." Kal-7 said instantly. "I'll have the Justice League uniforms modified when I get back. I think a holographic overlay would work best."

"I'll do the same." Kal-49 agreed and Clark sighed.

"I'll have my allies outfits upgraded to show an alpha when not in this reality."

"Good thing that we're the ones making the decision." Kal-7 laughed. "Imagine how long it would take if it had been decided in a full committee."

"I don't think even our Kryptonian lifespans would have allowed us to live long enough to see what decision was reached." Kal-49 laughed, then he sobered. "Clark…"

"Yes, Clark?"

"Are you ever going to start up your own team?"

Clark shook his head. "I don't have any plans to…"

"Ah, Clark." A new voice said as Charles Xavier entered the room, followed by a dark-haired man. "Just the person I was looking for."

"Well, we'll be heading back." Kal-7 said. "I'll have to thank your mom again on the way out, maybe have her meet my mom?"

"Oh Rao." Kal-49 said reverently, his gaze unfocused. "Two supreme chefs? Will the multiverse cope?"

Clark shook his head in resigned but amused annoyance as his alternates departed, then he turned his attention back to Xavier.

"I don't know if you two have officially met before, but Clark, meet Kevin Sydney, once known as Morph, a code-name that he has since reclaimed. Kevin, this is…"

"Clark Kent, Superman." Kevin finished, offering his hand. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

"The pleasure is mine, and I'm glad to see that you're recovering well." Clark replied, accepting the handshake.

"Since the Apocalypse incident, I've been communicating with other heroes around the world…" Charles began before pausing as Clark facepalmed.

"Sir… did you just create a superteam for me to lead?"

"Damn, I know you said that he was fast…" Kevin whispered in awe and Superman glared briefly at him before returning his attention to the professor.

"So, what have you done?"

"Actually, they're assembling now." Charles said calmly. "Trust me, please."

Clark sighed. "Dammit."

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"…so, Professor Xavier offered you membership of the team as well?" Asked the lithe man clad in a black bodysuit styled to resemble a stylized cat.

"No. My father sent me." The black-haired teenager replied. "I am under strict orders not to engage in any activities that would bring damage to the team and to obey Superman's orders. After all, Clark Kent is one of my gene-parents."

"Now that is a story that I want to hear at some point." A well-muscled black man said as he approached. "Isaiah Bradley, but in the field you can call me Patriot."

"Connor von Doom, Guardsman." The teen replied with a slight bow. "I have heard about you, sir. May I assume that the medical treatment worked?"

"It did." Isaiah smirked. "Not only on me, the other four survivors of the experiments were located and got their brains fixed too. Two of them are now in the FMC, Tuskagee and Trooper, the third joined the Solar Defense Fleet and the fourth is… just wandering."

"I think I met him once." A new voice said and the owner of the voice stepped up, her oriental clothing somehow accentuating her arabic heritage.

"Sedara Bakut, Gatekeeper." She smiled. "I can create portals to cross any distance, or use the same energy as offensive blasts. And this is Lady Briton."

"Betsy Braddock. Telepath." The red, white and blue-wearing woman smiled. "Captain Britain is my older brother."

"So, we have the heavy hitters, the ranged attacker and the telepath." Isaiah nodded. "I'm liking this team."

"Then you'll like it even more when I introduce you to your new leader." Charles said as he floated in through the door. "Ladies, Gentlemen, say hello to…"

"Clark!" T'Challa half-shouted in greeting as he bounded over to clap the new arrival on his shoulder. "It has been a while, my friend."

"You've… met?" Charles asked and T'Challa nodded.

"I asked for his aid in a mission against those seeking to depose me and install a new ruler. I knew where the proof was, but I needed help in securing it. Clark agreed to aid me."

"You never mentioned that." Charles said, the amusement obvious in his voice.

"I… I didn't think it was my story to tell." Clark said with an embarrassed shrug.

"Hah!" T'Challa laughed. "Then I offer not only my own skills and abilities to this team, but those of my land as well, my friend."

"Thanks?" Clark managed to say, causing T'Challa to burst out laughing again before dragging the Kryptonian to where the others were watching.

"So, my friend, let me introduce our new allies! Meet Guardsman, Patriot, Gatekeeper and Lady Briton."

"And this is Morph." Clark said, waving for Kevin to join them. "He has a very wide range of powers."

Kevin gave a wry smile.

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"King T'Challa?"

"Yes, father." Connor replied. "He seems to be an honorable man."

"That would be because he is." Doom replied soberly. "He is one of the few leaders whom I can truly trust to keep his word, both in letter and in spirit. You can rely on him, my son."

"Thank you, father." Connor said with a slight bow.

"As for the others… if they are chosen to work alongside Clark Kent, they must in their own ways be great." Doom mused. "I chose wisely when I sent you to Xavier."

"I thought you always chose wisely, father." Connor said and Doom glared at him.

"I have made many mistakes, many errors and many misjudgments in my past." He ground out. "The reason I am great is that I have acknowledged those errors and learned from them. Do not believe that any person is always right, all make mistakes. What matters is how one acts to correct them."

"I… understand, father." Connor said, slightly taken aback.

"Excellent. I am certain that you have much to do as a member of the Protectors as I have with the project your sister is undertaking for me, so I leave you with my blessings. For Latveria!"

"For Latveria… and for the world." Connor replied, earning a nod of approval before the screen went blank. For a long moment, he simply sat staring at the screen, then he rose from the chair and walked to the window.

The view outside was incredible, the stars shining brightly without any atmosphere to distort their light. Below the starscape was the lunar horizon and over a dozen of the domes intended to connect to the myriad realities that they would eventually contact.

A chime sounded and Connor half-turned.

"Enter."

The door to his suite opened and Patriot stepped in, looking round.

"Guardsman, or may I call you Connor."

"We are off-duty, so Connor is fine."

"Then I am Isaiah." The dark-skinned man replied, strolling over to join him in looking out of the window. "You know, I never really expected to be here, on the moon. Heck, I never thought I'd become a proper hero but here I am, one of the Protectors."

Connor remained silent, allowing the veteran to carry the conversation.

"I heard that you're a half-Kryptonian." Isaiah commented. "What does that mean for your powers?"

"I'm stronger and faster than normal humans, although not up to Kryptonian standards." Connor admitted. "I can't fly, nor can I use heat-vision or x-ray sight."

"We'll have to spar some time." Patriot shrugged. "Anyway, Clark's mom is cooking us a team meal, so you may want to get into your uniform as it'll be semi-formal. Afterwards, we'll be testing our equipment and Clark'll probably upgrade some of our stuff. He said something about a crystal shield, but I'm kinda attached to this one. It's the one Captain America used in his propaganda films before he traded it in for the circular one he uses now. You can even see the dent where the Red Skull punched it."

Connor glanced at the shield slung on Patriot's back with new-found respect.

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"Guardsman." Black Panther stated and Connor froze in the doorway.

"Did… I do something wrong?"

"Nah, he's usually like that." Patriot shrugged. "He only opens up around his closest friends. Cap, Superman, a couple of others. He'll warm up to you. Morph!"

The red-headed woman turned and smiled before rippling and shifting into a brown-haired man.

"Checking out your stored forms again?" Patriot asked, then he pulled his glove off and stuck his hand out. "Here, try me."

Morph took Isiah's hand, then rippled into a less-muscular version of him. "Odd… your power isn't natural."

"I'm not a mutant and I don't have that metagene thing." Isaiah shrugged as Morph shifted again. "Serum-boost."

"Ah, like Captain America." Morph realized. "When I tried to copy him, I ended up a foot shorter than him and skinnier than a supermodel. That serum really makes a difference."

"Metagene?" Connor asked curiously. "I don't think I've heard of that before…"

"It's a tiny quirk in human DNA that allows the person who has it to manifest powers in certain high-stress situations, especially those with an environmental aspect such as lightning, radiation, chemicals and so on." Clark explained as he walked over, nodding to T'Challa. "Almost all humans who have powers are either mutants or have the metagene. In fact, there is some evidence that the X-gene is an evolution of the metagene that doesn't require external input to activate, but the overall effect is usually somewhat less except when triggered in extremely high-stress environments."

"How many people have this metagene?" Connor asked and Clark shrugged.

"Less than a tenth of a percent, if that." He replied. "Since most of them won't be exposed to the circumstances that could trigger their powers, the number of powered individuals will probably remain fairly low, proportionally speaking."

"Enough business talk." A new voice interrupted and Connor looked round to see Martha Kent standing in the doorway. "Come on, it's time for your first team lunch."

"Come on, people." Clark instantly said with a wide grin. "Let's not keep my mom waiting."