Chapter Text
Hylas Trevor and John Kent were lazing on the couch. There wasn't a television in the room. Instead, they read.
"One year already," said Hylas. "Who'd have thought the children of Superman and Wonder Woman would get together?"
"Your brother and my sister have been together forever," John responded.
"It's different with them. We're the ones that are like our parents. The raw power, the ones who look like their children."
"Mary's pretty tough. So was Lyta before she got swallowed up by the Red Skies. I'm pretty sure Ari could kick my butt."
"Arion would never do that to his best friend."
John grinned. "I know, but he could."
Hylas leaned over and kissed John. "Happy anniversary."
A loud shock woke John from his slumber. Hylas was still asleep. It wasn't an actual sound and he almost thought it was a dream. If Kent Nelson had taught him anything it was not to discount this sort of thing. If something had awakened him like this, then there was a good chance it was important.
Getting out of bed, John quickly got dressed and flew out the window. Up in the air, John focused his senses. Once John found the general direction, he zoomed off in search of it.
It didn’t take long to find. Whatever it was came from Metropolis. That wasn’t his favorite place to go. Too many painful reminders of what he’d lost. Not that he could avoid the place with Mary living there.
As he drew closer, John could feel the malevolence emanating from the area. The thing that had entered this dimension was a creature of pure evil. It was also powerful - so powerful that John wondered why it hadn’t drawn Hylas, Ari, the Nelsons or any number of other mystic-oriented people. Instead, it was just John and, as he now saw, Mary.
John flew over to his sister and floated next to her.
“You felt it, too,” he asked.
“Yes, but Ari didn’t. I guess not Hylas, either.”
“Just us.”
John and Mary were twins. Like their parents, they had black hair and blue eyes. There was strength, with the muscle more defined in John, but not as the result of any workout routine. It was natural for Kryptonians on Earth, even hybrids like themselves.
“I’ve never sensed anything so evil,” said Mary. “Not even when Wotan summoned the Unholy.”
“Whatever brought us here isn't present,” John said. “But it’s close. Did I ever mention I didn't want to be a superhero?"
Mary rolled her eyes. "Only a few thousand times."
"Is that all?"
"You can't keep blaming Dad that you weren't powerful before. Who knew that your solar absorption was blocked? Besides, you more than made up for that with your other talents."
John gave a quick smile. "When we figured out the truth about our powers."
Mary nodded in agreement.
It was then that a small rift opened above the city. From out of it came four figures. The malevolent being was right on the other side. If it came through, who knew what damage it might do to Metropolis, or even the world?
Moving at hyperkinetic speed, John found himself next to the rift an instant later. Grabbing hold of the ankh around his neck, John concentrated his will on shielding the rift. There was no way he could stop something as powerful as what was on the other side. He might be able to slow it down long enough for the rift to be closed. If John were convinced of the divinity of God, he might think Satan was on the other side. A link like that was the only reason the ankh could work.
John sensed the source of the portal and looked at him. “Close…. the damn…. portal."
A man with scraggly red hair and a beard turned toward the rift. With a moment’s concentration, the rift closed in on itself. The entity was blocked, but some of its power got through. Enough power to shatter John’s shield and send him careening through the air.
Mary shot off after him. John had more weaknesses, largely because his invulnerability was different from her own. For the most part.
“What the hell was that thing, John?”
“My guess would be the Uncreator - if it exists. Or whatever it was that was destroying universes."
One of the four figures floated in the direction of John and Mary. He held a woman in his arms. He was filthy and had long scraggly hair and a flowing beard. Whatever he was wearing was hidden. Worse, the four of them reeked, as though it had been a long time since they'd last taken a bath. To John and Mary’s hypersenses, it was nearly like a physical assault - much worse than anything in the city.
“That creature is called the Anti-Monitor," the man said. "It attempted to destroy all of reality. We had to stop it from entering this world."
John and Mary looked at each other, their eyebrows rising, almost mirror-like.
::John,:: Mary sent telepathically. ::I bet this is Dad.::
::Dad,:: John quizzed. :: How is that possible? He’s dead!::
::Obviously not.::
Turning to look the man over, John said, “Clark Kent?”
It was difficult to see facial expressions on the man through the beard, but something happened.
“How could you know?”
“We’re your children,” Mary answered.
“My children? John and Mary?”
“That’s us,” said John.
“John, you’re flying!”
John just shrugged his shoulders and remained quiet. Now was not the time to discuss these things.
“I should have known! You two look so much alike! Lois, it’s our children!”
The woman made sounds like she was crying. Mary flew over and gently extracted her mother, giving her a hug. Lois Lane wasn't the only one who was crying.
“Why don’t we go to my place,” offered Mary. “We can get you settled in and cleaned up.”
"Who are they," John asked, indicating the other pair with them.
"Survivors," was all Superman said.
They convened at the townhouse Mary shared with Arion Trevor. By this time, he had been awakened by the reverberation of the Anti-Monitor’s power and had noticed Mary was gone. Arion stood half-dressed in his special white leathers. Only his belt buckle was non-white, featuring the symbol of his power center in silver, four isosceles triangles bisecting with the longer sides converging outward. Arion was the only existing practitioner of Atlantean magic.
“I can’t believe it,” Arion said. “Superman is back.”
“Yeah, and he sure could use a shower,” John quipped.
Arion rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a di-- jerk.”
Superman frowned at his son’s comment. Then he sighed and his face returned to normal.
“John,” began Superman. “You and I should have a talk. Maybe you can help me cut my hair and trim this beard. Although it looks like you could use a haircut yourself.”
John rolled his eyes at that comment. He had long ago foregone the idea of short hair. It flowed down his back in waves, with feathers interlaced in a few small braids.
“No. No haircut for me,” said John. “This is ceremonial. It’s part of my Lakota name.”
“Lakota name? Are you Indian now?”
“I’m part of the tribe. I helped them out with a problem.”
“Did they give you powers? In those feathers, maybe? I wouldn’t think the ankh came from the Lakota.”
John glanced down at the ankh. “This is... I found it. It has a specific purpose. The source of my power is me because I’m a hybrid Kryptonian.
“Anyway, Mary has a special razor that can cut through your hair. Scissors, too.”
“No, hon,” Mary interrupted. “I left them at your place last time you gave me a haircut.”
John nodded. “Right.”
“Why don’t you take Dad back to your apartment to get him cleaned up. And maybe the other one who looks like he could be our long-lost brother? I’ll take care of Mom and the redhead.”
“OK. Follow me.”
The flight to John’s place was silent. They soon arrived at a rather distinctive apartment building. Much of its surface was covered with solar panels. That stood out in New York City.
“We can fly in at super-speed,” said Superman. “Just tell us which apartment is yours.”
“No need,” John replied. “I’m not a super-hero.”
“Then how do you explain your powers to people?”
John was slightly amused. In Superman’s entire career, the only people with superpowers were the costumed heroes and villains. With a few rare exceptions, secret identities were always maintained. Infinity, Inc. had blown that away when most of its members opted to go public with their true names. John and his allies took it a step further by dispensing with the costumes entirely.
“Let’s go inside. I’ll explain.”
Once in the apartment, John told his story. “After you all went off to the Crisis, we were pretty much on our own. No adults left, or not anyone who we would have trusted to care for us. Ari and Hylas always had Themyscira - I guess you’d remember it as Paradise Island - but the rest of us were on our own. Mary and I were thirteen and had no one but each other. It was about a year before Dick and Helena showed up. They took us in and became Batman and the Huntress. All Mary and I could think about was that being a super-hero robbed us of our parents. Why would I ever want to do that? I didn’t and I won’t.”
“You mentioned people know of your powers. Was that wise?”
“Everyone I knew could take care of themselves so why should I care? You were dead as far as I knew. When Mary and I said we were the children of Superman people were less surprised that you’d have thought. Things fell into place.”
Superman frowned. “They know who I am?”
“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t have any reason to think it would ever matter.”
“John, I--”
“What’s all this noise out here,” asked a naked Hylas as he entered from the bedroom. “I didn’t know we were expecting guests.” Then he turned red. “Be right back!”
When Hylas returned, John gave a nod.
“Look who’s back,” John said.
Walking over to John’s father, Hylas took a close look. “This is Superman. Who’s the other one?”
Superman smiled at the other. “He’s Superboy from another universe, one that didn’t survive the Crisis.”
“Where’s your mother,” Hylas asked.
“With Mary.”
“You know me,” Superman asked.
“Sure. Hylas Trevor. Diana’s youngest son. You used to bounce me on your knee.”
“Hylas? You’re roommates?”
“No,” John answered. “This is my place. Hylas is just visiting.”
“There’s also another fellow with red hair who’s with Mom. Take a wild guess who he is?”
“Red hair? A Luthor?”
“Bingo!”
“That’s… wow. You think he’s related to Alexis?”
“Probably not. Another universe and all that.”
Superboy spoke up. “Why does the Trevor name sound familiar to me?”
“His mom is Wonder Woman,” John answered. “Well, at least she was until she became a goddess and Queen of the Amazons.”
“Diana is a goddess,” Superman asked in surprise.
“Yeah,” Hylas answered. “After the Red Skies thing ended, Mom and Dad showed up as gods. She said the Olympians gave them the gift of godhood to make up for their losses. Then they spent some time trying to figure out how they still existed. Since they didn’t have a new past in that reality, they guessed this universe must still exist. They did some exploring and found their way back home.”
“Then none of the universes were destroyed? We know there were universes out there but never imagined this was one of them, not after we found out that some people from our world had history in that new universe. We weren't among them."
“According to mom, five survived. They were used as a template for that new universe. I don’t know what happened to the substance of those universes. Physics is right about matter and energy not being able to be created or destroyed. It’s eternal. There’s got to be more worlds than just the six.”
“There are,” said Superboy. “There’s a lot of emptiness but when Alex was up to it, we could move between them. Otherwise, we’d never have survived. No food, no yellow sun, and no air. Alex can move between dimensions. I guess mine and Alex’s universes didn’t make it, but I don’t know how we could still exist.”
Hylas shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re Kryptonian. There’s no doubt about that, at least not based on what I sense.”
“The Anti-Monitor chased after us and we had to stop in a lot in different universes. We couldn’t stay long because then the Anti-Monitor might try to destroy them.”
“Anyway,” said John. “You guys are here to get cleaned up. Why don’t we head into the bathroom and get rid of all that hair and then get you clean?”
Stroking his beard, Superman said, “I think I like this.”
“Maybe, but it’s disgustingly filthy. You can always grow it back again.”
“No. I think a trim for the beard and hair and then boiling water to completely disinfect it.”
“Well---”
John was cut off by the sound of someone buzzing to be let up.
“I’ll take care of them,” Hylas offered. “You get the door.”
John nodded and went to the intercom. “Yeah?”
“Let me up, man,” the voice answered. “I need to talk.”
Sighing, John pressed a button that gave the other access to the elevator to his apartment. A light-skinned teenage black boy soon appeared.
“What’s the problem, Tommy?”
The boy settled himself down on the couch. “I told Dad I had a boyfriend. He flipped out. Then he blamed you. Anyway, it was way too hostile in Gotham for me, so I figured I’d head over here. Can I, um, stay tonight?”
John’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Tommy. This conflict with his father was nothing new. He knew Tommy had to be taking things out of context. Though Dick hadn’t been happy about John’s behavior prior to getting involved with Hylas, he didn’t hold that against him. There was more going on than Tommy was saying.
“You’re always welcome, Tommy. Tonight, you’ll have to crash in my room. I have company.”
“Guests? In the other bedroom and the couch?”
“I think so.”
Tommy shrugged. “Who is it?”
“My father.”
“You’ve never called anyone I know your father. I mean, except the one you lost.” Tommy looked guilty to have said those last words.
“Clark Kent. Superman.”
That brought a shocked look across Tommy’s face. To him, Superman was a mythical figure who had vanished to save the world a few years before his birth. Imagining Superman actually back in the flesh was a lot to take in.
“Wow. Where is he?”
“Bathroom. He’s kind of a mess. Lots of dirt and grime.”
“Is your Ma there, too?”
“She’s with Mary.”
“Maybe I should just go.”
John frowned at Tommy. “Don’t be silly. We'll make it work.”
“Yeah? So you wouldn’t mind if he came to visit? My boyfriend, I mean?”
“I guess. Who is he?”
Tommy shifted a bit and looked down at his feet before quietly saying, “Thor.”
“Thor! You mean the god Thor? Holy shit, no wonder Dick was upset!”
“Man, I thought you’d be on my side!”
“I know I was with Arcadia when I was your age, but this is a little different. Thor, I don’t know about that guy. He’s a creep. Your dad fought him in World War II.”
“What’s going on,” Hylas asked as he exited the bathroom.
They explained the situation.
“Right. I had some flings with Amazons so I can relate.”
“Seriously? After what he tried to do with some of the Amazons?”
Switching to telepathic mode, Hylas said, ::Just let it go. You and I both know Thor’s tastes for the young ones. Tommy is mature enough that he’ll make Thor lose interest soon enough. I’m sure he’ll find some tween girl next::
John gave Hylas a look like he was crazy. ::That guy is a pervert with no business being with a fourteen year old boy.::
“Hey,” shouted Tommy. “No fair switching to telepathy to talk about me!”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea right now,” said John.
Tommy looked angry. “Then I’ll just go to Aunt Helena’s.”
“Sure. If you think she’ll be okay with Thor dropping by then go ahead.”
“That’s not fair! Why could you do it and not me?”
John sighed. “It worked out for me, but it wasn’t a good decision. Besides, Diana would have put any Amazon who hurt me in the ground. I know Thor. He’s a creep. He’ll hurt you because he won’t care. When he decides you’re annoying, which happens with every young person he ‘dates’, he’ll drop you without so much as a goodbye.”
Tommy started tearing up. “He wouldn’t do that. He loves me.”
“Oh, shit,” Hylas said. “I guess you were right, John. Why didn’t I know about this?”
“Ben and Jess were involved. You can guess they didn’t want anyone asking questions so I agreed to stay quiet. It’s almost lucky it was one of those telepaths. He was able to draw her out but then she saw what he was and, well, he was over her.”
Hylas turned to look at Tommy and pointed to the bedroom. “In there. No Thor, not tonight. We’ll discuss this more when Superman isn’t taking a shower in the next room.”
Tommy pouted and stomped off, slamming the door behind him. He knew better than to try to sneak away from the two of them.
John and Hylas settled down on the couch to wait for the two Kryptonians. They suspected it might be a while because it was the first shower either man had in a while. Maybe. Superboy’s comments made that uncertain.
Laying back between Hylas’s legs and in his arms, John drifted off to sleep. In a dream, he saw a woman with skin like alabaster, eyes of coal, and hair of obsidian black. She was clad in black leather and wore an ankh around her neck. Suddenly he knew who she was, and he awoke with a start.
Towering above him was his father. He was shirtless, his hair in a ponytail, and the beard neatly trimmed. Ironically, the shaved and short-haired Superboy looked more like the father John remembered, though not so much that anyone would have confused the two.
“Dad.”
Superman smiled down at his son.
“Bad dream, son?”
“No, just odd.”
“Listen, John, whatever you are, I do love you. I don’t ever want you to think otherwise.”
John smiled. He hadn’t been at all sure how his father would react to a same-sex relationship. They hadn’t been very close when John was younger, primarily because John had barely manifested even a hint of Kryptonian power. Now he had power and his father had returned. It was nice to hear Superman express his feelings to John.
“We should go back to Mary’s place and figure out what we’re doing tonight.”
“Shouldn’t you wake Hylas?”
“No. Dick Grayson’s son is here. Asleep in my bed, I think. Hylas should stay here with him.”
A perplexed look crossed the face of the Man of Tomorrow.
“I wouldn’t have he’d have children this late in life.”
“Yeah, well, when he showed up here after you had all disappeared, he was much younger. Kind of like you and Mom are right now, Dick doesn’t really look much older than me. Maybe ten years or so. His son Tommy is fourteen. He sometimes comes to me when he has problems.”
“What’s wrong?”
“He’s, uh, dating an older man. Dick doesn’t care for it. Neither do I. We don’t have time to worry about it right now.”
“You don’t think fourteen is too young?”
“With someone his own age? No. But I know why he came to me.”
“Why is that?”
John carefully extricated himself from Hylas’s arms and got up off of the couch. “When I was fourteen, I had a fling with an Amazon. We spent a summer together. She had to go back to Themyscira when a new Wonder Woman was named.”
Superman looked confused. “With an Amazon? How did you even meet one?”
“Oh, um, when Diana and Steve showed up, they started letting Amazons out. I can tell you that Diana made sure nothing like that ever happened again. With the Amazons and me. A little bit of tougher love than I’d ever wanted.”
“Diana looked after you?”
John shrugged uncomfortably. “Let’s call it complicated and talk about it another time. We should probably head back to Mary’s place. I’m sure Mom will want you with her.”
Clark nodded his assent. They spoke with Superboy and then the three were out the window and on their way to Mary and Arion’s home.
Had John glanced down he would have seen the form of a strong, youthful woman wearing a new version of the Wonder Woman costume. She was not the redhead he might have expected, nor even one of dark hair to signify Diana or Hippolyta. She was an all-too familiar blonde who John knew intimately. It would have to wait for another time to discover how Arcadia came to be the new Wonder Woman.
John lay on the beach in Virginia next to his best friend, Arion. Both had always been orphans to the super-heroics of their parents, but this time it was literally true. There had been a Crisis a year earlier from which the entire population of costumed heroes and villains disappeared. To date, only two had returned, and no one knew if any others would make it home again.
Dick Grayson and Helena Wayne told a tale of five universes merging into a new one with a singular history. In that new history, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Robin didn’t begin their super-heroic careers until the 1980’s. This left the Golden Age versions of those heroes, as well as their progeny, in uncertain territory. Dick and Helena didn’t exist or shouldn’t have.
None of this mattered when a wave of anti-matter came their way and put an end to their time in that world. They were surprised to find that their ‘deaths’ had led them home, and in the prime of their lives.
The non-costumed children of the super-heroes were now all orphaned and in need of homes. Among them were John and Mary Kent, Arion and Hylas Trevor, Jay and Annabelle Chambers, and Anubis Hall. It was decided that Helena would take in the Trevors and Dick would care for the Kents. Anubis simply disappeared one night, off to delve into the darker aspects of magic. Jay and Annabelle decided to strike out on their own, traveling the world.
It was a considerable change for these four from Virginia to take up residence in Gotham City. John was angry and rebellious, which clashed with the structured lifestyle of Dick Grayson. On top of that, Dick decided to adopt the identity of Batman, now more confident in his abilities and certain he could fill his mentor’s shoes. He also met and fell in love with Jacinda Watters and married her within a year. The presence of two teenagers in a house of newlyweds led to additional conflict.
During that time John discovered that he had inherited Kryptonian powers, at least in part. Up until then he'd only had enhanced everything, but nothing exceptional. Now he could fly, had super-strength, and could alter his density to become either intangible or diamond hard. He and Mary also made new discoveries regarding the nature of Kryptonian physiology and powers.
Now that school was out, John and Arion took a trip down near Metropolis to visit the beach. It was while there that a beautiful blonde woman dropped out of the sky wearing winged sandals. Arion recognized her instantly.
“Arcadia? How did you get here?”
The Amazon smiled warmly at Arion.
“Your mother and father have returned,” she said. “They are allowing all Amazons a chance to see the world. As the first to be given this opportunity, I was asked to bring the news to you and Hylas. I have seen your brother already.”
Arion was stunned.
“M-my parents? They’re back?”
“Yes, Arion. Do you need transportation to Themyscira?”
“No…no, thank you. I can get there on my own.”
This was all very curious to John. He wondered if some of the other universes were still suffering from waves of anti-matter and had recently taken Diana and Steve Trevor. Something about that didn’t sound quite right. John could understand Wonder Woman being at the forefront of any battle, but why would a man in his late 60’s be doing so?
“John,” Arion said. “I have to go. I’m not sure if you can be there.”
“No prob,” John responded. “Give them my regards.”
Arion nodded vaguely, as if only half aware of the response. Then he pulled out a scroll from his backpack and recited it, which caused him to rise into the air. It didn’t take long for him to zoom out of sight.
“I guess it’s just you and me,” John said to the Amazon.
Arcadia looked down at John and smiled.
“John is your name,” she asked. “John Kent, Arion’s close friend?”
“That’s me.”
“I am Arcadia. I have heard of your family, John Kent.”
John shrugged his shoulders. That Amazons knew about Superman was no surprise.
“Tell me, John Kent. Do you know much of the world?”
“Some. Why?”
“I am here to see the world. Perhaps you could show some of it to me.”
This piqued John’s interests. He was only supposed to be down in Virginia for two weeks. When he didn’t return, Dick was sure to be very upset. John found himself not caring. This beautiful woman before him was far more interesting and the idea of leaving with her to explore some of the world intrigued him.
"I'd be happy to be your guide.”
“I do not simply want a guide,” Arcadia said. “I also wish for a companion.”
That sounded like a great idea to John. Arcadia was sure to be something different, being powerful and very likely to have never had sex with a man. It seemed as though Arcadia wanted to change all that.
“All Right. Let’s go.”
“What do you mean, John isn’t here,” Arcadia asked Hylas.
“He’s gone to Mary's place. Important family business. Why are you dressed like some new version of Wonder Woman?”
Arcadia’s stern face dropped into sadness.
“I am sorry to report that Sister Orana has perished. Several hours ago, the evil under the island had a tremendous surge of power which allowed it to break free onto Themyscira. Orana courageously gave her life to put the demons back under. I was named Wonder Woman and sent here to inform you and Arion.”
The news stunned Hylas. Orana had been Wonder Woman for almost fifteen years. Hylas and Arion had a hand in choosing her before Diana returned. Orana had been an exceptional Wonder Woman.
“Gods,” said Hylas. “I never thought it would happen. I think I know what gave Themyscira’s evil a boost.”
“Oh, really?”
Hylas explained the situation with the Anti-Monitor and the return of Superman.
“If evil has come this close it will seek other avenues of entrance. We must be ready to face it. It may be able to send forth minions to prepare the way.”
“Yeah. Look, I should go to Themyscira, but there’s a slight problem. Dick Grayson’s son is in the bedroom. I know he’s meta, but I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone.”
“I have to find John.”
“Fine but take Tommy with you.”
Arcadia gave Hylas a strange look, but she wasn’t prepared to argue the point. Hylas was the son of the queen, and his place was with his family.
Nodding her head, Arcadia walked into the bedroom. Hylas was out the window and gone within moments. He knew there would be much to prepare for Orana’s send-off.
“I don’t really know what to make of this place. I saw the five universes merge into one. I even understood, somehow, the technology the Monitor used to do it,” said Alex Luthor. “How can Earth-2 be sitting here as though nothing more happened other than the loss of most of its superhumans? What exactly did happen at the end of the Crisis and how can me and Superboy even exist if our own worlds were erased?”
“Some people who died during the Crisis showed up here,” said Mary. “Maybe the universe reorganized itself to find a place for you.”
“You think we're now from here,” Superboy asked.
“If we do belong here, will we lose our memories of our pasts? Will this new history have always included us, or will it just be that the memories of others are altered to make it seem like we belong?”
“Maybe a bit of both,” John answered. "You wouldn't exactly be the first but it's not quite the same situation. We'll introduce you to Grant Emerson and David Knight. They might be helpful."
“We’ll figure it out,” said Mary.
The redhead made her way across the room and through the doorway. The next room was almost completely dark. Only a computer monitor provided any light. A lone figure sat before it, tapping away at a keyboard. There was no outward sign that he had noticed her presence, but she knew he had.
Finally reaching him, she lay a hand on his shoulder. He visibly flinched, but then calmed. Human touch was usually unsettling to him, but she was an exception.
What seemed to be flames reached out from each of their heads. They touched, merged, and extinguished. It was only then that he turned to look at her.
{Jessica. Something happened?}
Jessica nodded her head.
|Yes, Ben. Superman has returned.|
{Something followed? Orana?}
|Yes, I think there’s a connection.|
Ben turned back to the computer and used it to dial up a phone number.
“Hello,” came a voice from the other side.
Not used to physically speaking, Ben said nothing.
There was a pause at the other end. Then, “Ben?”
“Mary. The thing that came through. Orana…. it’s somehow related.”
“What about Orana?”
Leaning toward the microphone, Jessica said, “There was a surge of evil on Themyscira when your father came through. Orana is dead.”
“Jessica? Jess, we thought something happened to you!”
“I can’t talk now, Mary.”
The connection was dropped. The pertinent information had been passed on and Ben and Jessica had no further interest in conversation.
Ben McNider and Jessica Reyes were both products of Dr. Love’s Helix Project. In Jessica’s case, being the granddaughter of Danette Reilly, the second Firebrand, practically guaranteed she would develop superpowers. There was an adverse effect on her, turning her into one of the Helix-unique flaming telepaths. Ben was also a flaming telepath, but he and all the others lacked the degree of control needed to maintain sanity. All that anyone could deduce was that her natural affinity with fire somehow protected her.
Ben and most flaming telepaths weren’t so lucky. It was maddening to be around people. Thoughts were extremely intrusive. Physical contact made it worse, and Ben sometimes felt he was losing himself in other people. No one had known what had been done to him, not early on. Ben spent most of his life believed to be severely autistic. His affinity for computers made it seem like he was an idiot savant. That wasn’t the case, and only after the JSA disappeared did the truth become apparent.
The children of missing heroes were frequently drawn to one another, almost as if to validate their existence. When he met Sofia and Mateo Zuniga, the truth came out. Their psychic abilities allowed them to see that Ben’s mind was in perfect working order. It was only the effect that other minds had on him that made him seem mentally ill. Managing to briefly suppress his powers, the twins enabled Ben to be released from the hospital and moved into his father’s home. Despite all the help, it was Jessica who had the most profound effect on his life.
In the depths of space, a red sun spins, several planets orbiting it. The inhabitants of one of its planets referred to its star as Rao, named after one of its deities. It was well known that the inhabitants of that world had died over a century earlier, victims of an unstable core that blew the planet to pieces. Its two survivors were sent hurtling through space toward Earth. All that remained of the great Krypton was a ring of debris circling Rao like an asteroid belt.
It was strange for a small, one-person spacecraft to approach the ring. Edging closer and closer, the craft finally vanished from sight. Closer inspection showed that the ship had passed through an illusion and fell into the atmosphere of the very much intact Krypton.
The ship moved through a green barrier with ease, setting down in the Jewel Mountains. From out of it came a dark-haired young man. He had a grim look on his face. This was exactly what he feared. No one on Daxam had believed Lar when he told them he had caught a brief glimpse of an intact Krypton. Resolving to prove he wasn’t deluded, Lar Gand traveled to the Rao System.
The Daxamites had breathed a huge sigh of relief when they thought Krypton had been destroyed. Millennia ago, the Kryptonians had gone on a rampage. Many planets had been laid waste, with entire races vanishing from the universe forever. A group of rebels opposed them, teaming with several other races to put an end to the Kryptonian Reign of Terror. Together, they developed a genetic plague that bound Kryptonians forever to Krypton. Leaving the planet meant death.
Those Kryptonians who opposed the rampage found a new homeworld for themselves on the planet Daxam. Knowing that the threat of their tremendous power was great in future generations, the Daxamites enlisted their allies to develop an even more extensive plague. Out of this came an extreme allergy to lead. The only cure for it was a substance native to Krypton - kryptonite. That provided reasonable assurance that a cure for lead poisoning would never be found.
As Lar thought about these things, he was approached from above by a flying Kryptonian. He wore a military uniform, very similar to those Lar had seen pictured in history files. Lar was certain he recognized the man.
“General Zod,” Lar spoke. His Kryptonese was of a very different dialect than that of present-day Krypton, but it was enough for the Kryptonian to understand.
A sneer crossed the general’s face, and his eyes began to glow bright red.
“I do not recognize you,” Zod boomed. “I can only conclude that you descend from one of the traitors. I can see that you are a slightly modified Kryptonian.”
“Lar Gand.”
Zod almost leapt upon Gand. It was clear that he held a deep hatred of the Gand name.
“Pel Gand. I knew that traitor. He had served by my side until he turned into a simpering fool.”
The name was known to Lar. It was his great-great grandfather. Lar had met him once or twice but there was no real connection between them other than blood. Familial bonds on Daxam rarely lasted beyond two generations, largely because of their long lifespans.
“I never knew him. But why the deception? You’re still all here, and no one was going to bother you.”
“Not all of us are here.”
“My scanners showed a biological percentage that’s consistent with population growth and perhaps a few deaths.”
A vicious grin crossed Zod’s face.
“There are two things your people didn’t know. One, we were able to manufacture a floating city that was crafted out of the very stuff of Krypton. Zor-L and his wife headed that colony. Second, he and Jor-L genetically engineered their pre-borns to grant them immunity to the genetic plague. It’s true that it resulted in a lethal allergy to kryptonite, but we sent them away.”
“Two Kryptonians are free in the universe?”
“Three, as well as four hybrid children. Those children are immune to lead and kryptonite. I do believe the hybridization process will make for a much stronger race of Kryptonians.”
“Where could they possibly breed with--Earth! You sent them to Earth?”
“Of course. We were already there, though they were long ago robbed of their rightful powers. They had the technology to advance those subhumans in such a way that they could breed with us. It is those hybrids who will see Kryptonians reborn at full strength.”
A thought had barely crossed Lar’s mind before Zod caught on to it.
“You won’t be leaving Krypton, boy. Not alive, anyway.”
“You don’t want to do this,” Lar sputtered. “They know I came here. If something happens to me Daxam and the GLC will be on to you. They might not stop with exile next time, especially if they think you can escape.”
“By the time they get here it will be too late. We are more than ready to take on your people and the Green Lantern Corps.”
END