DC Elseworlds 1. Chapter 1

**Invasion Earth**

Summary: Kal-El leads the Kryptonian invasion of Earth and comes up against the Justice League whose members include a raven haired goddess who haunts his dreams.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters I use in this story.

Author's Note: A kind of Elseworlds story where Kal-El was never sent to Earth and Krypton is ruled by a dictator intent on carving out an Empire for himself with Kal-El as a loyal soldier.

* * *

Kal-El enters his bed chamber aboard his ship to find Aethyr waiting for him. He knew she would be there. She had been his mate as well as his second-in-command for some time now. Not out of love of any sort. He knew that. It was because it made sense for her to be close to someone in his esteemed position. After all he is the adopted son of General Zod, ruler of the Kryptonian Empire. He sits down on the bed and lets out a weary sigh. It had been a long day. Aethyr is quickly up and massaging his shoulders.

"What is the matter Kal-El?" she asks with some concern. Aethyr does have a modicum of affection for him. After all he is most handsome and very skilled in bed. She has some hope that one day he will agree to be bonded to her and thus cement her position in the hierarchy of the empire.

Kal-El takes a moment to savour her hands. She is most skilled with her hands and in truth she can be considered quite beautiful. Although her vivid green eyes bother him slightly as he often finds himself dreaming of a woman with blue eyes. "It was a trying day," he replies.

"Did the Almerac Queen not wish to be allied with us?" she asks. Kal-El had been sent by Zod to negotiate an alliance with the planet Almerac.

He huffs. "She was more interested in getting me into her bed."

Aethyr stops her massage for a moment and peers over Kal-El's muscular shoulder covered in its black skin-tight suit with the symbol of the House of El etched across the front in blue. "Was she not attractive?" Aethyr asks. After all she has no problems if Kal-El wishes to take a mistress. She herself had had many lovers from many different worlds as had Kal-El. It was simply the Kryptonian way to take pleasure in sexual intercourse.

"Her appearance was pleasing yes but her attitude was most irritating. It was like dealing with a spoilt child. She has no concept of how the universe works beyond that she expects that she commands and it is done." He shakes his head wearily and rubs his eyes. He hadn't even mentioned yet Maxima's attempts to try and arrange a marriage between him and her. How one such as her became queen Kal-El will never understand.

Aethyr moves round so she can kiss Kal-El on his cheek. "Well maybe you will be fortunate and General Zod will decide simply to conquer the planet."

Kal smiles slightly. "If only it were so simple. If it was I wouldn't be talking to her in the first place. She may be a fool but her generals are not. Invading Almerac would be a difficult undertaking even for us."

"I'm sure you could do it Kal-El," Aethyr says with assurance. Over the years Kal-El had proven himself a most skilled leader who had led the Kryptonian forces to many victories. It was part of the reason she had worked so hard to get assigned to Kal-El's command in the first place. Here she could face true tests of her skills as Kal-El was often assigned the most important assignments.

Kal-El smiles at her. "You are too generous as always but in truth I shall be glad to be away from this world as soon as possible. I miss the red sun of home."

"Even though it robs us of all our abilities?" Aethyr queries. She had discovered she liked all the abilities she gained when she was in systems with a yellow sun. She liked the immense strength and speed not to mention being all but invulnerable to any sort of physical harm and she hasn't even gotten to the flight ability or the various visual and auditory enhancements. Rao had been most generous to them in granting them such power.

Kal-El on the other hand worried slightly that such power would simply go to the heads of those under his command. "It is a reminder," he tells Aethyr. " A reminder from Rao not to be caught in the arrogant belief that we are all powerful and indestructible."

Aethyr shakes her head. "Sometimes I think you would have been a good philosopher Kal-El."

"My father would have never accepted that from his son, even one not of his blood."

Aethyr strokes his cheek. "Come to bed. You have had a hard day and I wish to make you forget it."

* * *

_Her touch is scorching as her hands glide over his skin. She is a goddess. She must be. Never in his life has Kal-El seen such physical perfection even amongst his fellow Kryptonians. She moves with grace and poise that even the finest soldiers under his command do not possess. She is hovering over him and he reaches up and touches the smooth skin. It is soft like nothing he has ever touched before and he can feel her heat pour into his hand and light his body aflame._

_He needs her. He has to have her. He'll go insane if he can't be one with her and then as if she could read his mind and maybe she can for all he knows it happens. He is inside her and they are one and it is beyond description. No woman he has met on a dozen planets has had the effect on him she does. He is helpless before her. She asks and he'll obey but she says nothing as she just begins to rock her hips as they make love._

_Strange primal noises escape his throat. He is pretty sure he has never made such noises before. No woman before her has managed to illicit them from his lips. Oh Rao. He can feel the pressure and heat within him building so intensely, beyond anything he has felt before. Her pace increases and she gasps with pleasure and it makes him so happy that he is giving her pleasure. He wants to give her pleasure she has never felt before the same way she is doing the same to him._

_The end comes suddenly. Her movements become erratic and he knows she is close but so is he and then it happens. Her body arches and Kal can't help but look into her blue eyes and that moment. It is the most impossibly beautiful thing he has ever seen as he stares into her at the moment of rapture and that is what tips him over the edge and he follows her into release. The dam bursts. The heat flows out of his body. It seems endless. Part of him doesn't want it to end. He could die right now and be completely satisfied with his life because he had this one moment._

_Then all too soon it ends. He isn't dead and the beautiful goddess has collapsed on top on him as breathless as he is. He takes his hand and runs it through her long, dark curly hair._

_She murmurs into his neck a breathless "Kal." A single word that manages to convey everything she is feeling._

_And he responds with a breathless utterance of her name that does the same thing. "Diana."_

* * *

Kal-El's eyes shoot open. He swallows hard and discovers his body is slick with sweat. He has never had a dream that intense before about the strange woman that haunts him every time he closes his eyes. He turns his head to see Aethyr asleep beside him. Rao. This is insane. He just dreamt about the most amazing sexual intercourse he has ever experienced when he and Aethyr had been making love just before he fell asleep.

Their love making as always was efficient…which is not a great word to use now he thinks about it but it is true. Aethyr is a soldier in everything she does. She is a very good soldier. One of the best under his command but yet she can't fill the void he has in his heart. She is not someone he could sit and have long conversations with or simply lie in commendable silence with. She is not someone he can ever see himself being bonded too. Not like the woman in his dreams. He closes his eyes and can see her as vividly as if she was really there.

Who is this woman that haunts his dreams so? He prays to Rao often for answers but receives none. Why has Rao forsaken him? He has tried to walk the path as best he could and it has not been easy considering he has been expected since he was a child to be this loyal soldier of the Empire.

Kal-El sighs softly. He wonders what his birth parents would think of what he had become. Zod would have his hide for such thoughts. Jor-El and Lara had opposed Zod's takeover of Krypton and had been sentenced to the Phantom Zone for doing so yet for some reason Zod had shown pity on their infant son and raised him as his own. He had been taught from an early age how his birth parents had been fools to oppose the order and discipline Zod had brought to Krypton but Kal-El had been unable to help himself in digging around the archives and had in fact discovered his father and mother were actuality quite brilliant scientists. So the fool analogy wasn't quite correct. A part of him doubts this is what they would have wished for him but they aren't here and he is trying to live his life the best he can.

Zod had allowed Kal-El to keep his name despite his parents being Zod's enemies and a position as the head of the House of El much to his uncle's chagrin but Zod, quite wisely, did not trust Zor-El. Kal-El did not trust his own uncle. Zor-El was duplicitous, only interested in his own survival and position.

Anyway Zor-El was on Krypton where Zod could keep an eye on him. Kal-El actually rarely saw his uncle as he was growing up. Probably due to the fact Zor-El might try and have him done away with.

Kal-El's upbringing had been to groom him for the position he now occupies as the commander of the Kryptonian flagship, leading the forces of Krypton as they carve out an empire in the name of Zod. Kal-El had personally overseen the conquering of over a dozen planets since he had been given this role.

His musing are interrupted by a communication from the bridge of his ship. Kal-El passes his hand over a small crystal on the table next to the bed. "Speak," he tells the person on the other end.

"Sorry to disturb you commander but General Zod demands you contact him immediately," the man on the other end informs Kal-El.

Kal-El suppresses a groan. "I shall be right there." he gets out of bed and starts to dress himself.

Aethyr wakes up at his absence. "Kal-El. What is it?"

"My father wishes to speaks to me. It is nothing you should be concerned with. Go back to sleep and I will return shortly," he tells her while he smoothes out the symbol of his family that is displayed on his chest. Aethyr does so and Kal-El makes his way to the bridge. "Open a channel," he instructs the communications officer.

Kal-El then drops to one knee and a hologram of General Zod appears in front of him. "Father," Kal-El greets the middle-aged man sporting a slightly greying beard.

"Kal-El," Zod greets him back. "I hear your negotiations were not successful."

Kal-El had sent a message explaining his failure. He hadn't been sure how long it would take before his father would respond so he had gone to bed to rest. "Queen Maxima is arrogant. She believes she does not need allies."

Zod arches an eyebrow. "That sounded like distain in your voice Kal-El. She was not to your liking I presume."

"No father but I was civil to her throughout our meeting. I swear."

"I am sure you were. You always obey me without question."

"Of course father. Strength comes from obedience as you taught me."

"And you learned well Kal-El."

Kal-El waits in silence as Zod seems to contemplate things. "I had hoped to avoid a war with Almerac. The resources needed for a full scale invasion would leave other parts of the empire vulnerable but it seems Maxima wishes to make things difficult." He pauses for a moment. "Kal-El."

"Yes father."

"I am sending you the location of a nearby planet which will serve as a base for an attack on Almerac. Conquer it and subdue its inhabitants."

Kal-El looks at the communications officer who nods signalling that they have received the co-ordinates of the planet they are to conquer. Kal-El's gaze returns to Zod. "As you command father," Kal-El responds as the hologram fades to nothing. He stands up. "Lieutenant," he says address the most senior officer there at the moment.

"Yes commander," the lieutenant snaps in reply.

"Send out the long range probes and gather all the information you can on this plant my father wants us to invade. Signal the rest of the battle group to meet us at the edge of the solar system this world resides in."

"Yes commander."

"Once the probes have scanned the planet bring me the results immediately," he orders.

"Yes commander."

Kal-El then departs back to his bed chamber where he finds Aethyr sitting up waiting for him.

"Kal-El. What did General Zod want?" she inquires.

"We are to set up a base on a nearby world as a staging post for the invasion of Almerac."

Aethyr smiles gleefully. "That is wonderful news."

Kal-El does not share her enthusiasm. He has never been fond of unnecessary violence. In every conquest he has overseen he has always tried to preserve life both Kryptonian and those who were conquered. In another world he would never kill at all but unfortunately Kal-El lives in this one and a sad fact of war is that people die and worse die as a result of his orders. It will certainly be no different at the planet they are heading to now. He feels the ship shift into hyperspace as they break orbit of Almerac wondering what planet they are actually heading to.

* * *

Many hours later Kal-El is looking over the scans of the long range probes and all relevant information on the planet they are to subdue. Aethyr's enthusiasm had dulled somewhat as she sits with him.

"This primitive world is of no challenge. One of our ships could conquer it," she claims.

Kal-El looks up at her briefly. "Perhaps but I would prefer to be able to hit this world's military facilities all at once. Once they are disabled the inhabitants will see how pointless further resistance is."

Aethyr shakes her head. "Kal-El. You should not waste your compassion on inferior creatures with inferior technology. Their weapons can not hurt us. Frankly I'm amazed they have survived to this point in their development. From what I have read they are a most violent and savage race who constantly wage war on each other."

"If only we were so different," Kal-El comments ruefully at the civil war that had brought Zod to power.

"That _was _different," Aethyr insists. "General Zod was bringing a new order and the old one had to be destroyed first."

"Still I am in charge and I decide our tactics," he insists. He doesn't want to have to kill more people than is absolutely necessary.

"Of course Kal-El. I will obey whatever order you see fit to give," she responds suitably chastised. Aethyr has learned exactly how far Kal-El can be pushed and knew when not to push any further. In fact she got this position because her predecessor didn't learn that lesson and pushed too far. Kal-El had him reassigned to a garbage scow if she remembers correctly.

Kal-El gives her a stare for a few moments to make sure she understands him before getting back to finalising his attack on this world. Aethyr is right that these people possess no weapons capable of hurting them. Their most powerful weapons were thermonuclear devices which could be easily neutralised.

Aethyr picks up a pad with information on the inhabitants. "They look remarkably like Kryptonians," she comments idly. Hmm maybe she could find some attractive males here that would please her.

"Yes they do but they do not possess our dense molecular structure or even the tinniest fraction of our abilities so take it easy on any males you wish to have intercourse with," Kal-El informs her. He doesn't want to hear stories of how she has shattered bones because she was careless.

"Well I could say the same about you and any females of this world," Aethyr retorts.

"You could if I hadn't read up on how fragile these beings are an hour ago."

"What do these beings call themselves?" Aethyr asks out of idle curiosity.

"Humans. They call themselves humans," he informs her before adding, "and they call their world Earth."


	2. Chapter 2

_Diana can't prevent the moans of pleasure that escape her as he places kisses all over her body. Never has anyone brought her such pleasure. Never has she allowed any man to touch her in this way before but then she has never met any man like him before. He is the most beautiful man she has ever seen, rival to the Gods themselves. He is perfection. Every muscle has perfect definition and he moves with unerring accuracy. She has to touch him. His skin is warm and smooth. He feels like satin coated over steel._

_His hands gently caress her curves and his touch is almost scorching hot. Oh by the Gods does she want him, need him. She has never wanted a man like she wants him but she wants more and she doesn't know what it is exactly she wants until he slides in her and their bodies become one. She lets out a loud groan as he fills her, completes her. Then he is moving and she is moving too, their bodies in perfect sync._

_Noises Diana didn't even know she could make escape her throat as he makes love to her. She feels this strange sensation, like a knot tightening. There is heat flooding her body. Her lover begins to increase his pace and as he does so groans of pleasure escape his lips. It pleases Diana that she is giving him pleasure. She wants him to experience even a fraction of the ecstasy she is feeling._

_The ending approaches if the sounds he is making is any indication and the ending is near for her. Oh by the Gods she wants…something more. Him to be closer if that were possible. She looks into his blue eyes and can see fire burning in his irises. It is then the knot inside her snaps like elastic and waves of pure bliss flow through her body. Waves crash on the shore over and over almost endlessly. In fact Diana thinks she wouldn't mind if it was endless. Diana wouldn't mind if this was her last act in this world because she could die in the knowledge she has experienced one moment of absolute perfection and completion._

_During all this she has managed to never let her eyes drift away from his gaze. He had reached his moment at the same time as her and she watched the sheer bliss, the sheer rapture in his eyes. She could see right into his soul and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. _

_Then all too quickly it is over and the tide recedes. Her lover collapses on top of her and she finds she likes the feeling of his large muscular frame covering her. She can't help but run one of her hands through his dark hair._

"_Diana," he murmurs breathlessly. A simple, single word that somehow conveys so much feeling._

_Diana can't help but return the sentiment. "Kal," she says in nothing more than a breathy whisper._

* * *

Diana shoots up in bed breathing heavily and unmistakably sweaty. She had had many dreams about the strange man with blue eyes but none had been like…like…well like that before. Her body is still…humming she thinks is a good word. Diana places her hands over her face and takes a moment to allow her body to cool off.

This was insane. She is having dreams about making love to a man who, as far as she knows, she has never met. When the dreams first appeared she had dismissed it as just an odd occurrence probably due to some strange drink Flash had created and somehow talked her into drinking. When she kept having them her next thought was that her Gods were trying to tell her something but despite many prayers to them none had told her what her dreams meant or foretold.

Diana glances at her bedside clock. She will have to get up soon. She is, after all, an ambassador for her people and that entails meetings. Not as many as there used to be but the world isn't what it use to be. In truth she is failing in her mission. She had become champion to come to the outside world and spread the Amazon ideals. When she had become champion Diana believed she was fulfilling her destiny. She had never believed that she had been gifted with all this power just to live out her immortal life on Themyscira.

Her mother had been furious with her because she had actually forbidden Diana from entering the tournament to decide who would be the Amazon champion. Diana had worn a helm which completely obscured her face so no-one knew it was her until she removed it after she had been proclaimed champion. Even her mother, Queen of the Amazons, couldn't undo what had been decreed by the Gods so Diana left her home for the first time in her life.

When she first came to the world it had been like she had been expecting if she was being honest. There was war and crime and greed but there was goodness and hope as well and for a time it looked like she was succeeding. There were definite signs of progress but lately everything has grown dim. Especially since Lex Luthor became US President.

Deciding she can't simply lie in bed and wallow Diana gets up and heads for her shower where she'll probably have a cold one in an attempt to cool her still overheated body off. Not that she really feels the cold. Her skin is too dense. She turns the water on and lets the slight pin pricks of water flow over her body. Well it is better than nothing and anything to try and get the feelings of her dream out of her head is something.

After standing under the water for a long time trying to reorganise her thoughts Diana turns off her shower. It is then she senses another presence in the bathroom with her. Her body tenses up in readiness and just as she is about to strike the intruder a towel is thrust through the curtain. A towel held by a hand in a familiar black glove. Diana takes the towel and wraps it around herself before she steps out to see Batman standing there.

"What are you doing here Bruce?"

"Business," he replies curtly.

Diana walks past him into her bedroom. "You could have warned me. I do have other responsibilities."

Bruce follows her. "Really?" he asks sceptically. "Last I heard you had been reduced to a skeleton staff while your Sisters debate whether to call you back home and abandon the rest of us."

Diana keeps her back to him as she dresses. After all it isn't like this is something Bruce had not seen before. They had dated for a while but it had ended for reasons too numerous to go into.

"No quick defence of your Sisters?" Bruce queries.

Diana finished dressing and turns to face him. "Can you blame them?"

The sad truth was that no Bruce couldn't blame them. If he had the option of hiding away on some paradise island he might be tempted to take it but he didn't have that option. He had to try and keep fighting to save this world despite its fall into chaos. Despite the crime and wars he had to believe there was still hope. Otherwise why continue.

"So what is this business you are here to see me about?" Diana asks getting to the nub of it.

"The President has requested representatives of the Justice League meet him."

Diana snorts. "Justice League. When was the last time we actually stood for Justice Bruce?"

"We make the best of what we have Diana."

"What we have is permission to operate only under the license of Lex Luthor and what we do for him is not justice."

"No it is not but if we didn't do his dirty work he would have us all arrested. You know what he thinks of metahumans."

"I know he has the ones we catch shipped off to only the Gods know where and we stand by and do nothing."

"What are we to do Diana? He is the President."

Diana laughs scornfully. "Only because he rigged the election."

Bruce shakes his head wearily. He and Diana have had this argument before. "Diana at least the ones who agree to join us we can look after. It is the best we can do."

And sadly Diana knows that Bruce is right. He is always right. If only they had had someone, a figure head, a symbol of truth, a leader who could have stood up to Luthor. Then maybe the world would not be as dark as it is. She takes a deep breath. "Lets get this over with."

* * *

"Ah Batman. Wonder Woman. How nice to see you again," Lex Luthor greets them warmly as they are shown into the Oval office.

"Mr President," Bruce greets him formally. "What can we do for you?"

"Always straight to business with you isn't it," Lex seems to lament. "By the way excellent job in capturing Volcana last month."

"Do you even bother with trials anymore or do you just ship them off to be re-educated?" Bruce asks.

Lex smiles. Most people couldn't get away with a comment like that but Lex had found Batman very useful over the years so he allows him some leeway. "I'm afraid that information is need to know and you, very sadly, don't need to know."

Diana fights the urge to hit Luthor repeatedly. "Can we get on with why we are here," she requests impatiently.

"Very well then." Lex activates the intercom. "General will you come in here."

A General and two other officials enter the room.

"I believe you know my Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Sam Lane," Lex says introducing him.

Bruce and Diana nod in greeting.

"Ok General. Lets start shall we."

The two officials hand over a file each to Batman and Wonder Woman.

General Lane starts. "Five days ago what appeared to be a meteor crashed near Smallville in Kansas. It was found by a Jonathan and Martha Kent who reported it to the appropriate authorities. On closer inspection, however, it became clear that the meteor was in fact some sort of device of alien origin."

"And you're only telling us about it now?" Diana asks wishing she could be surprised or outraged but she isn't either.

"Yes," Lex confirms to them while still smiling.

"You haven't been able to figure out anything about it," Bruce deduces. Otherwise Lex wouldn't have bothered to summon them here.

"No we haven't," Lex confirms being annoyingly cheerful about the whole thing. "But I'm guessing that Martian colleague of yours might be able to or maybe the Green Lantern one. The device is on that truck you may have noticed outside on your way in."

"The device will remain under guard at all times," General Lane informs them.

"Oh yes indeedee," Lex says almost insanely cheerfully. He then shoos them away. "Now off you go. I do have a country to run."

Bruce and Diana turn and walk out with General Lane accompanying them. They head outside and hop into the back of the truck with the device. It is burned and charred with entry through the atmosphere but on closer inspection it looks to be composed of interlacing crystals.

They sit there with the device as they are driven through the numerous checkpoints on their way to the airport. Diana shakes her head. These checkpoints were in every city. The United States was virtually a police state now that Luthor was in charge.

From Washington they were flown in a military plane to Metropolis all the time accompanied by General Lane and an entire company of soldiers. They eventually take the device to the League HQ building. They had founded it in Metropolis because at the time this city represented the future and its press led by the Daily Planet newspaper stood up for truth and honesty. Or at least they did before Lex passed certain laws curtailing the freedom of the press.

Once inside they find J'onn waiting for them in a lab. He greets everyone formally and politely but in truth he hated being down on Earth. He would much rather be up in the Watchtower. Earth had fallen below what he once hoped it could be and to him humanity seemed on the downward slide to its own destruction. If he had the means to leave he would. He had already had to watch his beloved Mars be destroyed. He didn't want to have to watch another civilisation disappear into history.

He turns his attention to the alien device as soon as it is brought in. "Hmm crystal technology. Very advanced," he comments.

"Do you have any idea what it is?" Bruce asks him.

"I can tell you."

All in the room turn as Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, walks in.

"You know what this is?" Diana asks him.

Hal nods, his expression very serious. "I have seen these before. It is a long range probe sent to scout out Earth."

"For what purpose?" General Lane asks.

"Invasion," Hal answers simply. "This probe is Kryptonian."

J'onn's expression darkens considerably at that news.

"Who or what are Kryptonians?" General Lane inquires.

"A very powerful race who are in the midst of carving out an empire for themselves," J'onn answers. This was grave news indeed. Even he who had been living in refuge on Earth for years now had heard of the Kryptonian conquests.

"The Guardians allow this?" Diana queries.

Hal laughs sadly. "The Guardians won't risk a full scale war with Krypton."

"If they come we will destroy them," General Lane says assuredly.

Hal shakes his head. "General you have no idea what you are up against but I do. I've fought them. Trust me you can't stop them."

Diana is puzzled. "Hal. We need to know about them if they are coming here. What can they do?"

"Anything they want Diana. Kryptonians are all but invulnerable not to mention their technology is several millennia ahead of Earth's. If they come in force, which they will, our only option will be surrender."

"Out of the question," Lex says over the video link at the suggestion of surrender. The League had contacted him to inform him of their findings.

"Mr President," Hal begins, " with all due respect I don't think you truly grasp the situation. Kryptonians possess technology far in advance of your own not to mention that they themselves are immensely powerful beings. Resistance is pointless and will cause unnecessary deaths."

"You met them and survived," Lex reminds Hal of what he had said.

"Only because the leader I met was generous and spared my life Mr President."

"Everyone has a weakness, even these Kryptonians."

"If you fight them you won't live long enough to find out if they do. Trust me I've seen it on half a dozen different worlds. The probe that crashed was no doubt one of several that scanned the planet, analysed its technology and determined the location of all military facilities. Their fleet will exit hyperspace and then disable all military facilities in the first wave of the offensive. I must say again Mr President that you must surrender and advise all other governments to do the same."

Lex sighs sounding almost bored. "I will consider your advice." He then terminates the link.

"He isn't going to do a damn thing," Diana comments angrily.

"That much is obvious," Bruce states. He turns to Hal. "How much time do we have?"

Hal shakes his head. "I don't know. Considering this probe crashed 5 days ago they could be here anytime."

"So what do we do?" Diana asks.

"We must evacuate the Watchtower," J'onn advises. "As soon as they detect it they will figure out it contains technology of other worldly origin." J'onn had used Martian technology in some of the design.

"You can't fight them directly," Hal reiterates.

Bruce is thinking things through. "So you have said. Luthor will waste men and material to massage his ego but we have to be smarter."

"In what way?" Diana asks him.

"We need to go underground. Lex is right in one thing. Everyone has a weakness. We just have to stay alive long enough to find it."

A few hours later Diana is overseeing the evacuation of the Watchtower knowing that these Kryptonians could be here any second. She had found a few moments to contact her mother and warn her. If these Kryptonians were as powerful as Hal kept saying they were then even Themyscira might not be safe. She thinks the Senate would see sense in a surrender. The Bana, on the other hand, would certainly not. The other tribe of Amazons had always been much more severe in their view on men and more militaristic in their society. They would gladly die fighting rather than live under any kind of servitude.

Wally West, known to the outside world as the Flash zips up next to Diana. "This is the last lot," he informs her. He had perform one last check of the satellite using his superhuman speed.

"Good."

"I can't believe it has come to this," Wally laments sadly at the sight before him of the last few workers teleporting down to the surface.

"From what Hal has said a direct confrontation would be pointless Wally."

"Yeah I know and I trust GL's word. Although who would have thought it would end with an alien invasion. I was betting on it ending with us being thrown in one of Luthor's re-education facilities."

Diana hates to say this out loud but she agrees with Wally. Deep down she thinks Lex only keeps the League around to deal with the violent and rogue metahumans out there. Once they are gone she is pretty sure Lex would have turned against them. Well that matters little at the moment in the face of what is coming.

The last group teleports away.

"Guess it just us," Wally remarks.

Then the alarm sounds and Diana and Wally rush over to a monitor.

"What is it?" Wally asks.

"The scanners have detected hyperspace windows," she answers.

Then though the windows of the Watchtower the fabric of space distorts before several large vessels, bigger than the Watchtower, appear in orbit accompanied by smaller vessels. All seem to be composed of the same crystal material as the probe. Diana opens up a com frequency.

"Batman here!" is the reply.

"Bruce," Diana begins to say. "They're here."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Diana stares as the ships glide into orbit and take positions above every continent. The ships could almost be considered beautiful as the sun glistens off their crystal surfaces and the light splits into the rainbow of colours.

"Diana," Wally says bringing her back to the present. "Time to go."

Diana turns her head and nods sadly. She and Wally head for the transporter. With one last look around at the place she was once proud to live and work in when it was being used to truly bring justice to the world Diana activates the transporter and she and Wally disappear. As soon as they do a virus Bruce implanted into the computers activates which is designed to wipe all records. Monitors overload and the lights go out as the Watchtower, like the hope it once represented, fades into darkness.

On the bridge of his ship Kal-El stands with his hands behind his back and looks out through the transparent window at the blue and white world below. While not the the ice and crystal magnificence of Krypton he has to admit it is beautiful in its own way.

"All ships are in position commander," the tactical officer informs him.

Kal-El glances at the officer. "Very well. Begin the invasion. Order the first wave in."

Aethyr moves to stand next to Kal-El as dozens of small ships descend down carrying the strike forces that composes the first wave of the invasion. Their job is to disable all military facilities. It shouldn't take long with such a primitive world. Aethyr estimates no more than a few hours.

"Commander," a junior officer speaks seeking Kal-El's attention.

Kal-El turns to face the officer who is manning the scanners. "What is it?"

"Sir scanners detected a matter-energy transport shortly after our arrival."

Kal-El's brow furrows and he strides over to the scanner console. He looks down at the readout. "Impossible."

"Kal-El?" Aethyr queries.

Kal-El turns his head to look at her. "These people are too primitive to have such technology." He turns his attention back to the junior officer. "Where did it originate?"

The officer quickly deduces the origin. "An artificial satellite in orbit. I'm bringing it up."

The image appears on the holographic display in front of them. Kal-El studies it. There is no way these humans should have been able to build something on this scale. That means there is something more going on than he knows and he doesn't like that. He can only minimise loss of life if he knows as much as possible. He straightens up and turns to face Aethyr.

Aethyr straightens up immediately. By Kal-El's body language she knows he is about to assign her a task.

"Aethyr take a squad and secure this satellite," he commands.

"Yes commander," Aethyr chimes in obedience.

"I need to stay here and oversee the invasion. I will join you as soon as I can."

"I understand."

Kal-El nods. Aethyr is an excellent soldier. A fine product of the empire. "Go." He lowers his voice. "And take care."

Aethyr smiles. While Kal-El's concern for her well-being is misplaced she appreciates it as a sign he cares for her. She does have that ambition of being bonded to him. She then turns and leaves. She must assemble a squad and take this satellite. She doubts it will be a difficult task but she will still perform it to the best of her ability. Kal-El would expect nothing less.

5 hours later Kal-El enters the satellite. The invasion had taken longer than he planned due to the stubbornness of one particular nation of this planet. The one that called itself the United States of America. In fact its leader was still refusing to officially surrender. Kal-El can just tell this one is going to give him a headache but he will deal with him later. Its military had been defeated and all its offensive weapons disabled at a much higher cost of human life than Kal-El was happy about and he let the captains who had lead the attacks know of his unhappiness. It was totally unnecessary considering these humans are incapable of hurting them.

Aethyr can see Kal-El's unhappiness as he enters the satellite. It hadn't been difficult to secure as it was deserted. She straightens up and salutes with a closed fist placed on her chest over her heart.

Kal-El returns the gesture. "I'm glad to see you at least do as I ask."

Aethyr knows that look. Some hapless captain is going to get a severe dressing down later. She really hopes Kal-El lets her watch. It is always most amusing to see the way he can bring those under his command to sheer terror by a simple gaze. Kal-El can appear most intimidating when he wants to and not just appear. She had trained with him enough to know he could easily back up it up if he wanted to. Kal-El was most skilled in combat.

Kal-El looks around the satellite. The technology is so different to what he is used to. It has more warmth than Kryptonian technology which is merely designed to be practical. "Artificial gravity," he mutters.

"Yes," Aethyr confirms for him. "It was not functioning when we first boarded but we have managed to restore it."

"Known technology?" he queries.

"No none that I have seen but all technology shares basic principles so we were able to manually set it. Unfortunately the central control system had been disabled surprisingly efficiently for such a primitive piece of technology."

"Get the technicians on it. I want this place taken apart to discover the origin of the technology and any data that can be recovered from the on-board systems."

"Of course Kal-El."

Kal-El gazes at her. "Not you personally. Assign someone else. I need you for something else."

"For what may I inquire?"

"One of this world's leaders is proving most bothersome. I have commanded the others to attend a meeting where I will accept their formal surrender and inform them of what will be required of them now they are subjects of the Empire."

"And the bothersome one?"

"We are going to pay him a visit. I have no time or patience for someone who is likely to stir up trouble. We are on a tight schedule."

Aethyr of course knows that. Zod was already gathering the forces needed to defeat Almerac and this world needed to be converted into a base and staging area for the attack. The size of forces required drew troops away from other sectors of the Empire leaving some of them vulnerable to their enemies so speed was of the essence.

Kal-El looks around one more time. If he had more available time he would take it to help look this facility over. Then a thought strikes him. "You know we might be able to convert this into something useful for our purposes."

Aethyr wasn't entirely sure of that.

"Whoever you assign to examining it instruct them to look into that," he suggests to Aethyr.

"As you command Kal-El."

"Well we must get back to the flagship. I think it is always best to put on a show when you meet a leader."

Yes a show of power Aethyr thinks to herself. Whoever this leader was that was being bothersome was obviously a fool for not realising just how outmatched he is. It would be a fatal mistake on his part.

* * *

"5 hours," Green Arrow comments. He is attending a secret meeting of the Justice League. They had all gone underground on Batman's advice.

"We are all aware of that Oliver," Bruce replies.

"But the whole world, every army, every base, every one of the planet's nuclear arsenal disabled in 5 hours," Oliver says still not quite able to believe it.

Bruce is reviewing the footage that had managed to be caught of these Kryptonians. It was amazing. Their speed, their strength, their seeming inability to be harmed in any way. "Wally. Watch this and tell me what you see."

Wally stands next to Bruce who is sitting at a monitor. He has to say he likes their little underground facility. It looked like an old bunker and Bats had said he had been preparing it for the inevitable day Luthor would turn against them. Wally always did give Batman credit for his ability to think ahead. Anyway he looks at footage of one of the attacks on an American base. To a normal person it simply look like black streaks flying around but to him it was so much more.

"Well?" Bruce queries.

"They're fast. I'll give them that but I'm probably faster."

Bruce notes that as something that may be useful one day once they figure out how this resistance they are planning to set up will work.

Hal Jordan meanwhile is shaking his head. He had seen this all before but seeing it happen to his own world was much more traumatic.

Diana too is watching all the footage. These Kryptonians were almost god-like in their power. It would be a very long struggle ahead if they are to every liberate Earth. It would require great patience. Bruce had been right. They will have to bide their time until they can find a weakness. The other League members were all settling in to this, what is now their home. Her thoughts are interrupted by an alert on the computer Bruce is at. "What is it?"

Bruce brings up what looks like a radar screen. "I tapped into NORAD and have been monitoring the ships since they entered orbit."

"You tapped into NORAD?" Diana asks somewhat disbelieving,

"It was a lot easier than you probably think."

J'onn who had been silently all this time chooses to speak. "So what is happening?"

"The largest vessel is descending down."

"Where?" Hal asks.

"Washington," Bruce answers.

"Why Washington?" Wally asks.

"Because Lex refused to go along with the global surrender."

Diana turns to look at Hal. "Hal. What will they do?"

Hal shakes his head. "Not sure. Depends on who is in charge. Some Kryptonians are nicer than others. If it is one of the meaner ones I wouldn't be surprised if they destroy the entire city as an example."

Diana is horrified. "But all those people," she splutters out.

"Wouldn't matter to some Kryptonians. Some are pretty nasty. Tend to look down on other lifeforms as lesser beings," Hal informs them.

"And the rest?" Bruce asks curiously.

"If this leader is like the one I met then even Luthor may survive if he is smart. Some Kryptonians are fairly nice. Even have a moral code and a sense of honour."

Bruce swings round in his chair to face Hal. They have a few minutes before the ship reaches Washington and they find out what is going to happen "Tell me all you can about them."

"They are a fairly dispassionate race. They tend to be ruled by cold logic rather than emotion but that doesn't mean that their emotions aren't there. They are. Bubbling beneath the surface. They were once a fairly peaceful race from the stories I heard but about 30 years ago there was a coup by some elements of the military and ever since then they have been set on this expansionist policy."

Bruce listens with interest before glancing back round at the screen. The ship is over Washington. Guess they'll see what is going to happen.

* * *

As Kal-El makes his way through this white building that houses the leader of the United States he is met by what he assumes are bodyguards foolishly trying to stop him. He looks over at Aethyr as she hoists one up by the jacket he is wearing looking as annoyed as Kal-El is feeling.

Aethyr tosses another one aside frankly insulted that he thought his primitive projectile weapons could stop her. She follows Kal-El as he smashes the door down and they enter an oval shaped room. She casts her gaze on the bald man sitting behind a desk.

"Come in. The door is open," he jokes.

Kal-El's gaze darkens. "You are the leader of this nation?"

"That I am," Lex confirms. He stands up and offers his hand. "Lex Luthor."

Kal-El ignores the gesture of the hand being offered and simply folds his arms across his chest.

"Alright. Straight to business then. How can I help you?"

Aethyr frankly can't believe the arrogance of this man. He has to be mad.

"You can help by offering your immediate and unconditional surrender," Kal-El tells him.

"Well that is a very generous offer but I must refuse." Lex then presses a button under his desk and waits...and waits...and nothing.

Kal-El shakes his head. "We detected the enhanced humans you had hidden away. Some of them gave off energy that was easily detected. They are being dealt with."

And as Kal-El speaks the sounds of energy weapons going off and screaming is heard.

Kal-El then unfolds his arms and brings his hands down on the desk smashing it into pieces. "I don't like taking lives unnecessarily." The undertone of anger in his voice is all too clear.

"Who does?" Lex says sounding braver than he is feeling. He had brought the metahumans he had captured and re-educated here as a last line of defence but it seems he has seriously misjudged these Kryptonians.

Just then a soldier enters dragging along General Lane. "This is the military leader you asked for Commander."

Kal-El looks at the elderly man. "You are the leader of this nation's military?" he asks wanting confirmation.

General Lane straightens himself up. He won't look weak in front of these invaders. "I am," he confirms.

"Your name?"

"General Samuel Lane."

"I am a generous person General but I have my limits. If there is no resistance than your people may go about their lives as they see fit within the laws I will lay down. If you fight us..." Kal-El trails off and turns his head to Aethyr. He nods signalling her.

Aethyr nods in return and then in a burst of superspeed and the sound of a sickening crack she snaps Lex's neck.

General Lane looks on in shock.

"I hope I have made my point," Kal-El tells him.

General Lane nods slowly.

"Good. Now I have summoned all the leaders of this world to meet at your United Nations where I will address them. I expect you to be there."

"Me?" General Lane asks totally confused as to why he would be there.

"Yes you. By the authority given to me as the new overseer of this world I can appoint regional leaders. Now I could appoint someone under my command but I believe the people of this nation will respond better if it is one of their own kind. I would like it to be you."

"The United States is a democracy."

"I have studied your language General and from what I have seen and read from your global information net your nation does not meet the definition of a democracy."

The sad truth there is that General Lane agrees but Luthor had people everywhere to prevent any move against him but now he is dead it no longer matters. If his daughter, Lois, was here she would be reminding him that his oath holds him to oppose all threats both foreign and domestic and to up hold the Constitution. Fighting these aliens was impossible at the moment. They had completely neutralised all military forces. They needed time to rebuild and he would have to create that time. "Very well then I accept...but only till new elections can be organised."

Kal-El doesn't have time for the petty internal politics of these nation states. "How you run your internal affairs is your own concern but as citizens of the Kryptonian Empire I will place obligations upon you. These I will inform you at the meeting I mentioned."

"I will be there," General Lane tells him.

Kal-El nods. "Then I will leave you General. I'm sure you have work to attend to as do I." Kal-El the turns and leaves at a normal pace with Aethyr following. He hadn't wanted to do that but he had met leaders like this Lex Luthor before and he had let them live due to his dislike of unnecessary killing. It had come back to haunt him, cost him the lives of those under his command, of those who trusted their lives to him. He would not repeat that error in judgement despite how much regret he feels.

Once outside Kal-El takes a moment to bask in the glow of the yellow sun and lets its ray rejuvenate him. He sighs deeply.

"It had to be done," Aethyr says at Kal-El's sigh.

"I am aware of that," he responds. He just wishes that there had been another way or he had the luxury of finding another way or the luxury of time to find another way but he has his father's expectations to live up to as well as a schedule for the invasion of Almerac to adhere to. Mercy is something he rarely has the luxury of granting at the best of times. The communicator on his wrist goes off. Kal-El raises it to his mouth. "Speak."

"Nam-Ek here commander. All the enhanced humans have been neutralised."

Another thing Kal-El regrets deeply. "Very well. Take their corpses to the ship to be studied."

"Yes commander."

Kal-El would prefer to let them undergo whatever funeral rights they have on this world but when his ship's scanners had detected them they became another thing he had not known about beforehand. Their abilities must be studied. There are almost certainly others out there, perhaps some who had abilities that could actually inflict injury upon his soldiers and even though he wishes to save as many lives as possible Kal-El's primary responsibility is to the troops under his command.

With this taken care of he flies upward back to his ship that is hovering above the city. In a couple of days he must address the leaders of this world so he better get started on his speech. Some days, particularly days like this, he really wishes he could have led a different life.

* * *

Author's Note: I wrote Lex being killed to show that Kal-El is a soldier who has fought in many battles and therefore has a cold, hard edge to him. Of course I could equally say that is a result of him being raised by General Zod. Equally important though is that I wrote that he shows regret for his actions and in that last line that he wishes that he could have had a different life.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A couple of days after the death of President Luthor, not that anyone amongst the Justice League was really mourning him, the members of the League are about to watch the televised meeting between their new Kryptonian overlords and the world's leaders.

"We lucked out," Hal mentions as they wait for the meeting to begin.

"In what way?" Diana asks Hal.

"Kal-El is the one who spared my life. We could have ended up with a lot worse."

Bruce scowls under his mask. This Kal-El had murdered Lex, essentially, in cold blood along with Luthor's metahuman army.

"Killing Lex wasn't exactly the actions of a saint," Wally says, putting to words what Bruce is essentially thinking.

"True," Hal says in agreement, "but like I said that day another Kryptonian would have just destroyed all of Washington."

"They still can," J'onn adds darkly.

Hal turns his gaze to Diana who is standing, arms folded looking far too tense. Of course hiding out in this bunker wasn't doing his disposition any good either but...he had fought Kryptonians. He had seen them break through the force fields his ring could generate with their bare hands. However nice Kal-El is, and to be fair he had been extremely polite that time their paths crossed. He had Hal's injuries tended to and let him go on the condition he did nothing more to oppose them which Hal didn't. By that time the world Hal was on had been completely subdued so there was little point in continuing. He left and reported to the Guardians who were becoming more concerned by the day about just what to do about the Kryptonian race.

Anyway Hal is off subject. He was thinking that however nice Kal-El is all Kryptonians have a hard edge and they don't tolerate resistance or rebellion. Not that they, the Justice League, are really set up to resist anything at the moment even if that is what they intend to do.

His musings are interrupted by new arrival.

"Hello Lois," Bruce greets her.

Lois stalks over. She didn't like coming down here all that much. The only plus side was that this little hide away was in Metropolis. She doubts anyone suspects that there was an old bunker right underneath their feet. It was a hell of a walk to get here though. She had to walk through this long access tunnel that linked this place to the League Headquarters and that isn't easy in high heels.

"Hello Bruce," Lois says back before bending over and kissing him on the cheek. Few people knew that Lois Lane, the reporter, was dating Bruce Wayne, the millionaire.

"How's your father?" Bruce asks.

"Surprised to find himself suddenly running the country." Her father had phoned her shortly after it happened and they had had their first real talk in years. She had hated him for weakly obeying Luthor and doing next to nothing to prevent Lex's desecration of this nation. While they were a long way from patching things up their talk had cleared the air somewhat. Her father even mentioned something about repealing Lex's press curtailments. Not that she was badgering him or anything. She knows he has plenty of other stuff to do with running the country but if he could spare 5 seconds to restore the freedom of the press Lois would certainly not be complaining.

"Well none of us could have foreseen this Ms Lane," Diana mentions.

"What? An alien invasion? Guess not but at least they had the balls to do what you lot should have done years ago and get rid of Lex."

"And that doesn't bother you?" Bruce asks her. "The fact they killed Lex."

"No. Why should it? How many innocent people did he condemn to death or better yet Bruce how many people did you hand over to him knowing they would die? You let Lex brow beat you into submission out of fear. Frankly it disgusts me."

Bruce frowns, turns to face her and takes off his mask. "Then why do you date me if it disgusts you?"

Lois sighs in exasperation and then sits on his lap. "Because I love you silly and even though I hate the way Lex used you I can't simply turn my feelings off." Lois then looks at Diana. "Unlike some people," she says in a less than subtle stab at what happened when Diana and Bruce broke up.

Bruce places his finger to Lois' cheek and turns her head back to look at him. "Lois. Behave."

"Fine," she says petulantly. She turns her attention to the screen. "So what do you think our new alien overlords want of us." She grins wickedly. "Maybe they want all us Earth women to be their sex slaves," she says as joke to rile Bruce. At that moment Kal-El enters the hall to address the gathered leaders. Lois stares in awe. "I wouldn't say no to him if that was the case."

Bruce shakes his head. "Lois," he protests.

Lois looks at him. "What? Oh come on. I mean look at him Bruce. He's a freakin demi-god and I'm only human."

Bruce's chest starts to rumble with the rare sound of laughter. Only Lois can make him laugh.

Unnoticed by everyone else is Diana staring in total and utter disbelief. Great Hera! It is him. The man from her dreams. Of course she remembers now. She called him Kal in her dreams. Why didn't she put it together as soon as she heard his name?

He is just as breathtakingly beautiful on the screen as he is in her dreams but what does this mean? Were her dream a forewarning? That doesn't explain the erotic nature of them but saying that they have only become explicitly erotic in the last few days when they must have been getting closer to Earth. This makes no sense. What is this connection she feels to him?

And she really does feel it because her heart is racing and her mouth has suddenly gone dry. She tries to focus as Kal-El begins to speak.

"Citizens of this world you call Earth. I am Kal-El of the planet Krypton. By right of conquest your world, your property, yourselves now belong to the Kryptonian Empire." He raises his hands in a gesture of friendliness. "But you need not fear. We neutralised your armed forces as a mere demonstration that resistance of any kind is pointless. I have no wish to harm any of you. You will find in time that being citizens of our great Empire will bring great benefits to your world and will bring great improvements to your quality of life but equally you will find that being citizens also brings responsibilities. Today I have issued the new laws by which all of you are now subject to. You may run your individual nation states as you see fit within these laws. Obey them and you may live your lives as you wish. Disobey them and your lives will be forfeit. To you that may seem harsh but that is the way of Krypton. It is the way we live our lives. We are from birth pledged to obey our leader General Zod and from now on so are you."

Kal-El then places his closed fist over his heart in a salute as do his accompanying guard. "Long live Zod. Long live the Empire," he says and all the men of his guard echo.

"Bunch of fascists," Lois mutters in disapproval.

Bruce is more interested in Hal's reaction since he has met Kryptonians before. "What do you think Hal?"

Hal is in deep contemplation. "We're a base."

"A base?" Bruce echoes.

Hal nods. "Yes. If they were planning to colonise this world they would completely remove all existing government structures and replace them with Kryptonian ones. No we are simply a military base, probably for an attack on another world."

Bruce is now the one in deep contemplation. If they aren't planning to colonise this world then that might it easier to force them to leave. If they make it too difficult for the Kryptonians to remain then they might cut their losses and leave especially if all this is for an attack on another world because that almost certainly means they are on some sort of timetable.

"What do you think Diana?" Bruce asks and gets no response. He spins round in his chair to face her to find her lost in thought. "Diana?"

Diana blinks. She had been completely lost in the sound of Kal-El's voice which brought back flashes of her dreams of him where he whispered her name in her ear as they lay together satiated after they had made love. She shakes her head and pushes that memory to the back of her mind. "Sorry. What were you saying?" she asks Bruce.

"I was asking what you think," Bruce repeats for her.

"I think," she begins as she stalls a little. She hadn't really been paying any attention to what had been said. "I think it is like you said before Bruce. We study them and find their weakness."

"They will almost certainly set up some ground bases," Hal adds. "If we wait until one is on-line we maybe able to access their database and find out what we need that way."

"Sounds sensible," Bruce replies. "What about you J'onn? What do you think?"

"That Diana and Hal are correct. We must not rush in and reveal ourselves. We must plan everything we do very carefully. Freeing Earth is something that may take a long time."

With that Diana decides she can leave. The main show is over for now and they must wait and see what the Kryptonians do next. She heads for the small room she has in this underground facility and once there sits on her bed and places her head in her hands. Sleep hasn't been very restful as of late due to the dreams she has been having so she thinks a nap might be a good idea. Also she needs to think about whether she should tell the others about her dreams. She hasn't told anyone about them. She isn't sure she should. After all they are very personal and it isn't like they reveal anything useful. If only her Gods would answer her prayers.

"Lovely speech wasn't it."

Diana's head snaps up and glares at her intruder. This wasn't the kind of answer she was hoping for. "What do you want Ares?"

The God of War removes the helm that obscures his face and looks down at the champion of the Amazons. "Well since these Kryptonians disabled all weapons of war I have a lot of free time on my hands and thought I would drop by and see how my favourite annoyance is doing."

That hadn't occurred to Diana that with the armies of the world totally neutralised Ares no longer has endless wars to feed his powers. She actually smiles. Invaders they may be but they have done more to bring peace to this world in a matter of hours than she had managed in years. The irony was delicious.

"And what is so amusing?" Ares asks at Diana's smile.

"I think you know."

"That is not amusing Princess. It is down right frustrating and worse these Kryptonians' minds are so disciplined I can't manipulate them."

Diana laughs at seeing Ares so pathetically downbeat.

"Stop it," he growls.

Diana can't stop herself. She couldn't even if she wanted to. She has wanted a moment like this for years and despite everything that is going on she is going to take this one moment to enjoy herself.

Ares has had enough. "Laugh while you can Princess. Sooner or later my time will come again. I can wait centuries if need be." He then vanishes and in his wake Diana says "So can I."

She then lies down and closes her eyes. Merciful Minerva. There he is. That is all she has to do these days to see him. Close her eyes and there he is in the beautiful naked flesh. She can feel the heat flush her body already and the craving deep within her to be one with him. She shakes her head and takes a breath. She is a trained Amazon warrior and she can force herself to focus on something else. She has to before this drives her mad.

* * *

Kal-El returns to his ship after leaving this city called New York. He hates making speeches. Also he has much to do turning this world into a base for the attack on Almerac. He has already issued to the nation states of this world certain amounts of raw material he will require. He believes even with their primitive technology they can deliver them in the time scale he has set. He reaches his bed chamber and lies down. He hasn't been sleeping much since he reached this world. Instead he has been plagued by the dreams of her. He closes his eyes and there she is staring at him with those blue eyes piercing into his soul.

"Kal-El?"

Kal-El opens his eyes and finds Aethyr standing on the threshold to his chambers. "Yes. What is it?"

Aethyr walks over and sits on the bed next to him. "Are you ok?"

"I am just weary."

"Still can't sleep?" she asks. She had noticed how restless he appeared to be when they were in bed together.

"No," he admits. "Maybe I should request some leave after all this. Like I said back at Almerac I miss home."

Aethyr says nothing for a moment since she can't think of what to say so she she goes for changing the subject. "I heard your speech."

"For the 10th time I am certain since I basically give the same one on every planet we conquer. How are the preparations for the ground bases going?"

"They are on schedule."

Kal-El nods and closes his eyes once more. "That's good. Any resistance I should know about?"

"There have been a few incidents here and there but for the most part these humans seem accepting of our rule."

"Hopefully it will stay that way. We don't have time to waste repressing rebellions."

Aethyr looks at him lying there with some concern. "Worry not Kal-El. I am sure the ground bases and the ship yards will be built on time."

Kal-El groans. He had almost forgotten about the ship yards.

"On the plus sign I think that satellite we found will be useful. Our engineers have it working again including the transporter."

Wait that reminds Kal-El of something. "Did we ever manage to retrieve anything from the on-board data banks?"

"Oh yes. Well not much I'm afraid. Hang on one moment."

Kal-El senses Aethyr leave the room using the heightened speed they possess and then return a few moments later. His eyes are still shut but he hears her tapping on a data pad.

"Let me see. We found out that the satellite belonged to some organisation. I have its name here somewhere. Oh here it is. It belonged to something called the Justice League."

"Justice League?" Kal-El queries.

"That's what we translated it as. I mean it should be correct. These human languages are very simple by comparison to our own."

Kal-El shakes his head. "See what you can learn about them from this planet's information net. They call it the internet or something like that."

Aethyr smirks. She knew what it was. She had accessed it in her spare time and found many interesting images of humans performing sexual intercourse. When she found the time she really would have to find a male or two to perform it with herself.

"And remember what I said about how fragile these humans are," Kal-El says.

Aethyr blinks. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

Kal-El smirks. "I make it my business to know how those under my command think."

"That is another way of saying I am predictable."

"I am neither confirming nor denying that allegation," he says with a self-satisfied smugness.

Aethyr pouts.

"And don't pout."

Aethyr points at him. "Just you wait Kal-El. One of these days," she vaguely warns.

"Now that isn't you making threats against a superior officer is it Lieutenant," he says addressing her by her rank but with lightness in his tone that indicates he is only teasing her.

"Not at all...sir!"

Kal-El chuckles. "You are dismissed Lieutenant."

"Yes sir!" she chimes before she softens her voice. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

"Thank you but no. I need actual sleep." If she stayed he wouldn't get that and he is finding it increasingly difficult to have sexual intercourse with Aethyr when all he can think about are his dreams about the blue eyed woman. He nearly called out her name the other day when he and Aethyr were having sex before he caught himself. That would have been difficult to explain since he has never mentioned his dreams to her. He doesn't think he can. She is not a great believier in dreams that may portain to prophecies or any such thing. She would probably just have concerns for his mental well being. He has concerns over his mental well being.

Aethyr moves to him, bends down and kisses him gently. "Ok. May Rao grant you pleasant dreams."

She then leaves Kal-El alone. The problem is that Rao is granting him dreams that are all too pleasant. He can already see her hovering above him in the naked flesh and his body responds in a way he doesn't need right now. He takes a deep breath. Ok he is a soldier. He was trained to keep his mind focussed and disciplined. He can make himself think of something else. He has to before this drives him mad.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kal-El is stalking through the corridors of his ship looking for Aethyr. It had now been 21 Earth days since they arrived at this planet and happily everything was going relatively peaceful and well. He, however, had not managed many nights of actual rest where he wasn't plagued by the dreams. They still came virtually every night and Rao still refused to answer his prayers as to their meaning.

He finds Aethyr in one of the training areas taking on 5 soldiers. They don't stand a chance. An assertion proved as Aethyr quickly sends all 5 flying in different directions.

"Having fun?" he queries.

Aethyr turns to face him with a manic grin on her face. This is her favourite way to unwind. One of the fallen soldiers tries to take this moment to attack her thinking her distracted. Aethyr ducks just as he throws a punch then she elbows her attacker in the stomach causing him to bend over. She then grabs his head and throws him over her shoulder onto the floor in front of her before wrapping her arms around his neck in a position where she could snap it if she so chose.

"You're dead soldier," Kal-El observes. His speaking causes the other 4 to snap to attention at his presence.

Aethyr releases the one she has a grip on and allows him to stand too. She wanders over next to Kal-El. "You know they stop as soon as you arrive. You are always spoiling my fun," she complains.

Kal-El arches an eyebrow. "There are only 5. You can beat 5 with your eyes closed."

"I was trying to unwind not train," she explains.

"I see," Kal-El dryly comments.

The 5 soldiers meanwhile are still standing there waiting to be addressed.

"You know they will stand there forever unless you say something," she points out. "Unless you feel the need to unwind."

"Another time perhaps." He then addresses the 5. "You 5 are dismissed. I need to talk to my Lieutenant alone."

The 5 hastily exit.

"So what is the problem?" Aethyr asks.

"You mean problems," Kal-El corrects her.

"Problems?"

"The main ground base on the American continent is still not operational."

Aethyr frowns. That was suppose to be operational days ago. "Well that is simply not good enough."

"My thoughts exactly and I need someone to put the fear of Rao into the engineers down there."

Aethyr reaches a horrifying realisation. "Kal-El. No," she pleads. "There must be someone else. Nam-Ek for example. Nam-Ek would be perfect."

"He doesn't possess your engineering skill. I need someone who actually understands what they are doing and as I recall your first posting was to the engineering corp."

"That was before I could prove my fighting skills."

"And I fully appreciate your fighting skills Aethyr. We have fought many times side by side. But they aren't necessary on this world. Besides it is more than your engineering knowledge I need. It is your ability to motivate and keep discipline that I need. I am fed up of getting reports back with excuses as to why this base is not operational."

"Then why don't you go personally."

Kal-El looks at her darkly. That sort of comment was totally unacceptable from a subordinate and Aethyr suddenly realises what she said. She instantly straightens herself up and stands to attention. "I apologise for that Commander. I was out of line."

"Yes you were," Kal-El confirms for her in a deeply serious voice.

Aethyr stands nervously under Kal-El's gaze. "I will of course follow any directive you give."

"I never doubted it and let me clarify something Lieutenant. I never give anyone an order that I am not prepared to do myself. Unfortunately I have other issues to attend to. That would be why I mentioned problems as in the plural."

Aethyr knows she is in trouble when Kal-El starts talking down to her. She should know better. His mood has not been a good one as of late probably due to the lack of sleep he has been getting. "Forgive me Commander but I was not aware of any difficulties with the occupation."

"There are none. No my problem is that the Kandorian Elite Guard are on their way." Kal-El was not looking forward to this at all. The Elite Guard were the most brutal, vicious soldiers in the Empire. They were always assigned the most bloody battles on the most difficult battlefields. For example in systems with red suns where they had no abilities or like their latest campaign where they was engaging the forces of Apokolips. Having them here would cause nothing but trouble since due to their experiences they no longer knew when to turn off the brutality. On a world such as this they were likely to start a rebellion if they decided to have some 'fun' with the natives. He had always planned to use them in the battle that was to follow with the forces of Almerac. However he was curious as to why they were coming now as he had not yet made the request to his father for them to be assigned to this campaign.

"The Elite Guard?" Aethyr queries with surprise. "Why are they here so early?"

"I don't know," Kal-El answers and it was not through lack of trying. He had made several requests as to why they were on their way and got no satisfactory answers. He had simply been informed that their commander would fill him in when they arrived. "This will require all my attention so I am leaving you to deal with this ground base problem."

Aethyr salutes. "Consider it solved Commander."

"Dismissed Lieutenant."

Aethyr departs quickly leaving Kal-El alone with his thoughts. As she heads to her quarters to change into her uniform and pack a few items she continues to mentally chastise herself. That had been so foolish. Kal-El's mood was such that he was not in the frame of mind to be as lenient as he usually is. In fact his frame of mind slightly concerned her. As well as his lack of sleep, when he does sleep it is clear he is having very intense dreams. She had noticed him get up often to shower and it became clear why one night when she noticed that he was covered in sweat due to whatever it was he was dreaming about.

It hadn't affected his duties and she hoped it would not because if it did she was duty bound to report it and that would damage her chances of Kal-El choosing to be bonded to her. On the other hand Kal-El knew the regulations as well as her and it was possible he would be disappointed that she didn't report such a thing. She reaches her quarters to find Nam-Ek waiting there. "What do you want?"

"Now is that anyway to treat family," he lightly protests.

"You're only a second cousin."

"You know why I'm here."

Aethyr sighs. It was a good thing she insisted on keeping her own set of quarters despite being Kal-El's mate. She would hate to have to explain this to him. She walks over to the far wall and traces a pattern on it with her finger causing a secret alcove to open up. She reaches for a data crystal inside before she turns round and throws it to Nam-Ek. "Here and make sure no-one catches you."

"I am well aware of how this works."

"Leave," she orders forcefully. "Kal-El gave me an assignment to perform. I don't have time for this today."

Nam-Ek bows in submission and departs.

* * *

Kal-El paces the bridge of his ship nervously. It had been several hours since he had been informed that the Elite Guard were on their way. By his reckoning they should be here any moment.

"Commander. Hyperspace window opening," the officer at the scanners reports.

Kal-El takes a deep breath and looks out through the transparent window as the ship appears in orbit. It was different to his own being that it was a heavy battle cruiser made with stronger types of crystal armour composing the hull and more powerful weaponry. A testament to the fact that they fought against the strongest of foes.

"Their commander is requesting permission to come aboard," the communications officer reports.

"Permission granted," Kal-El responds. "Have the honour guard stand ready in the bay."

"Yes commander," the communications officer chimes in obedience.

Kal-El departs the bridge and makes his way down to the bay. He wonders what it is that brings them here that he couldn't be informed of over the communication channels. After all they are encrypted in a way that is supposedly unbreakable.

Kal-El enters the bay and waits at the front of the honour guard who are in two lines behind him. He can see the commander and her 2 lieutenants fly toward them. They land in the bay. "Guard. Salute!" Kal-El orders and they all, including him, place their closed fists across their chests in salute. The commander of the Elite Guard returns the gesture and Kal-El takes a moment to study her. She was older than him and a scar down the left side of her face was tribute to the many ferocious battles she had fought. She kept her blond hair tied back. Also on her belt below the armoured vest she wore was a Kryptonian sword, along with her side arm and if Kal-El was to shift his vision beyond the visible spectrum he would hazard a guess he would see many hidden daggers upon her person. She marches up to him and looks at him coldly.

"I see you are still getting the cushy assignments commander," she comments.

"I would not say that. The Brylyx put up strong resistance when I conquered their homeworld."

"Those bunch of pasty faced weaklings," she says scornfully.

Kal-El tries to move on. "So what brings you here Commander?"

"That is something I will only discuss with you in private but before we do I just have to say it is nice to see again little cousin."

"It is nice to see you too Kara and I'm not so little anymore."

Kara looks up. She hadn't actually seen him in person since he was a child and now he hovered over her by half a foot. "Yes you were rather skinny back then weren't you. Glad to see you filled out a bit."

Kal-El tries not to think about just how much she bullied him back then. It wasn't really her fault her behaviour. It was her father's fault. Considering who Zor-El is it is amazing Kara isn't totally deranged although considering what it takes to survive 10 years as the leader of the Elite Guard she may not be far from deranged now he thinks about it.

"So shall we go so we can talk," Kara suggests.

"Of course. Nam-Ek!"

Nam-Ek steps forward from the line behind Kal-El and salutes. "Yes commander."

"Please show Commander Zor-El's lieutenants to the guest quarters that were prepared from them."

"As you wish commander."

Kara nods at her 2 lieutenants to go and they follow Nam-Ek.

"Honour Guard. Dismissed," Kal-El orders and they too depart in disciplined formation.

"You have them well trained couz," Kara observes.

"Couz?" Kal-El queries at the colloquialism.

Kara shrugs. "I picked it up from...you know I can't remember where I picked it up. Well we can discuss that another time. How about some refreshments before we talk?"

"Of course." Kal-El speaks into his communicator and orders some refreshments to be taken to his quarters before he and Kara head there.

In Kal-El's quarters Kara takes a drink of the strange concoction she was given. "What did you say this is called?"

"These humans call it soda. I tried it and thought you might like it."

Kara takes another drink. "It's not bad."

"So why are you here Kara?"

Kara takes a small crystal from her belt and throws it down on the table that she and Kal-El are sitting at. Kal-El picks it up. "Is this necessary?" he asks. The device is designed to block all known surveillance devices.

"It is when it involves our glorious leader."

"Is something wrong with my father?" Kal-El asks with some concern.

Kara chuckles. "Your father."

"Yes my father. He raised me. That makes him my father."

"Yet you still keep the El name."

"I am the head of our house Kara."

"Oh yes don't I know it. My father has never forgiven General Zod for that and I never heard the end of it while I was growing up."

"You father is a duplicitous, untrustworthy, sorry excuse of a man not fit to rule a noble house of Krypton."

"Don't hold back there Kal. Say what you really think."

Kal-El looks at her oddly after she said his name. It instantly brings images of his dreams to his mind. She, the woman, calls him Kal.

"What?" Kara asks at his odd expression.

He shakes his head. "It is nothing beyond it has been a while since anyone simply used Kal." He's lying of course.

"Not even your mate?"

"No."

"Where is she by the way?" Kara asks since she knows his mate is also his second in command.

"I sent her on a task," he says vaguely not wishing to discuss the details. "Now back to my father."

"He's coming."

"Where?"

"Here."

Kal-El's eyes widen. "Father is coming here?!"

Kara nods while she takes another drink of 'soda'. Hmm these humans have interesting tastes she muses.

"Why?"

"Who knows. I just follow orders. I was told to come in advance and inform you so you can prepare. He should be here in 7 days."

Kal-El rubs his eyes. If he doesn't have enough to worry about. Now he has this. Why is his father coming here? He can't even remember the last time his father left Krypton. Zod had always been wary to be away from Krypton in case someone thought about trying a counter coup in his absence. Maybe that is no longer a concern after 30 years but it leaves the questions of why now and why here.

"Are you alright Kal?" Kara asks as she watches him wearily rubbing his eyes. He looks quite sleep deprived now she really looks.

He shakes his head. "I'm just tired. I haven't been sleeping well lately and now on top of everything else I have to do as this world's overseer I have to organise security and a proper greeting for the esteemed leader of our Empire and on top of that I have this impossibly tight schedule to prepare for the invasion of Almerac."

"Oh yes. I heard that was what we were doing." She gets up and wanders round the table and places her hands on his shoulders. "Fear not Kal-El. Now that I'm here I can assure you my soldiers and I will assist you in Almerac's defeat and the further glory of the Empire."

Kal-El pats one of Kara's hands. "Thank you. I am sure with your assistance we shall be victorious," he says in response because it is the expected thing to say.

Besides," Kara begins to say with a manic grin. "I've longed dream about fighting the warriors of Almerac. I shall enjoy turning their seas red with their spilt blood."

That is an image Kal-El could do without.

"Actually is their blood red like ours?" Kara asks.

"I do not know," he answers and truly he has no real wish to find out.

Kara shrugs uncaring. "Oh well I guess I'll find out soon."

"Yes I'm sure you will," he says with a lot less than enthusiasm.

"How is the occupation of this world going?" Kara asks changing subjects.

"Relatively peaceful. I had to execute one of the nation state's leaders but apart from that there has been little resistance."

"Too bad. My soldiers could do with a workout. We travelled here straight from Krypton and they could do with fresh air."

This is exactly what Kal-El wants to avoid. "They may take leave on the planet if they wish but I will not have them cause trouble."

"Kal..." Kara starts to say before he stands up and uses his full height advantage on her. "I mean it Kara," he says with deadly seriousness. "If they cause trouble or if their actions stir up rebellion amongst the humans I will have them severely punished."

Kara searches his face for a second before she breaks out into a smile. "I'm glad to see this kind of toughness in you Kal. You were too sentimental and compassionate as a child."

"Kara. I mean it," he repeats.

"Very well. I give you my word as a daughter of the House of El that no-one under my command will cause trouble. Good enough for you?"

Kal-El nods. Swearing on one's house was an unbreakable promise.

Kara looks around Kal-El's quarters. "You know by now most commanders have a little harem of native women to pleasure them."

"I am not most commanders." In truth he couldn't even consider sex with another woman at the moment not when his mind is so full of the blue eyed one. It was getting so bad that when he was Aethyr he was imagining he was with her. Diana. Her name echoes stronger than ever in his dreams.

"Aethyr has you well trained I see. I didn't realise you were bonded to her."

"I am not and how did you learn that it is Aethyr that is my mate?"

"I am the commander of the Elite Guard Kal. You would be amazed at the kind of information that comes my way."

There is a beep as Kal-El's communicator goes off. He raises it to his mouth. "Speak."

"Commander we are receiving an alert from one of ground bases."

"What kind of alert?"

"I do not know. The message was cut off. Something about intruders accessing our data streams."

Kal-El frowns. Why this now? These humans had been so trouble free up to this point. "Which base is it?" he asks.

"The one of the American continent."

That is the one he sent Aethyr to. "Patch me through to Aethyr immediately!" he demands.

"We have been trying commander. She is not answering."

Without another word Kal-El is swiftly leaving his quarters with Kara in pursuit. "Kal. Wait! I will accompany you."

Kal-El says nothing but he allows her to follow him as he heads for the nearest airlock and he and Kara descend downward through the atmosphere at such speed to leave fiery trails in their wakes. They soon arrive at the base to find it in chaos with explosions and fires. A female soldier comes up to them and salutes.

Kal-El returns the salute. "What happened?"

"We do not know. There were these beings in colourful outfits and a Green Lantern was with them."

Kal-El did not like the mention of that. While sure the Guardians would not explicitly interfere it does not mean that a Green Lantern would not. He had met more than a few who liked to interfere in business that was not their own.

The soldier continues to speak. "There was this one being in red who could move faster than even we can and a unknown green skinned life form who also possessed great speed and strength and was capable of changing shape. There was a women with them who seemed to possess abilities like our own. She and Lieutenant Aethyr fought."

"Where is Lieutenant Aethyr?"

The female soldier visibly pales. "Oh you have not been told."

"Told what?"

"I...I...It is better if I show you. If you will follow me commander."

Kal-El follows the soldier with Kara tagging along looking almost thrilled at the carnage around them. They enter the central command building and Kal-El's eyes fall on a sight that brings great pain to his heart because there lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood is Aethyr and instantly he knows what state she is in without having to be told her condition. Aethyr, his mate for the last 3 years, his second-in-command as they conquered worlds together is dead.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Diana Prince sits in Metropolis' Central Park enjoying the sunshine. She had dressed up in her disguise so she could get some fresh air. Hiding out in a bunker was not doing her sanity any good and it was under enough strain as it was due to her dreams of Kal-El...of Kal. In her dreams she is always calling him just Kal. The scary part of it is that some part of her longs for that type of intimacy. She has always felt a little alone, a little detached from everyone. She isn't like anyone else. Not even her fellow Amazons. Not really. She is a golem. A lump of clay the gods breathed life into and to which they granted gifts of strength, speed, flight, beauty, wisdom but despite all those gifts she has always felt a little lonely. She felt she was missing something or someone. Someone to share her life with. To hold and comfort her.

She tried to obtain it by dating Bruce but it became obvious that they were too different. That too much separated them. She looks around the park and can see the odd couple walking hand in hand, smiling, laughing. She lets outs a sigh. How she wishes she had someone to do that with. Of course what she is witnessing is also highly ironic. A month ago no-one would have dared to be in this park due to Luthor's regime but now that they were living under an alien occupation people somehow deemed it safe to come out to the park again.

"You know. You are not an easy person to find."

Diana stands up instantly and turns to face that voice. "Donna?!"

Diana's little sister stands there dressed up like a typical Metropolitan with a cylindrical bag on her back. She had been looking for Diana for days. "Mother says hello."

Diana moves quickly and gives her sister a bone crushing hug.

"Whoa. Easy there sis," Donna complains.

Diana lets go. "I'm sorry but I was surprised. What are you doing here?"

"Why do you think? You left a brief message that the world was about to be invaded and that if they manage to discover us we should not fight them and that you are off into hiding until you, and when I say you I mean you and the Justice League, find some way to defeat them. That was 3 weeks ago. Mother is frantic. I haven't seen her this worked up since the first time you told her you had started dating men."

"Man. It was one man." Diana feels the need to correct Donna.

"Yeah. Whatever. Anyway since Mother was on the verge of coming to find you herself I volunteered myself arguing that I knew the world better than she did."

"I did not mean to cause Mother so much worry."

"I know you didn't Diana but when your message mentioned invulnerable aliens you can't really expect Mother not to worry."

Diana lets out a breath and heads back to the park bench. Donna sits down next to her. "I was just telling her what Hal told me about them."

"And? Are they?"

Diana nods. "Yes they are. They are also strong and fast and they fly Donna."

Donna's eyebrows rise at the fly remark. "Seriously?"

Diana nods once more.

"Wow. They are like demi-gods or something."

"That isn't an inaccurate description," Diana admits to her sister.

Donna looks around. "No offence but things seem better than I remember," she comments comparing it to the last time she was out in the world.

"They killed Luthor the first day they got here and put General Lane in charge."

"Okay," Donna says really slowly not quite sure how she should react to that. "But things could be worse right. I mean they aren't burning cities to the ground or anything."

Diana has to concede that Donna has a point there. Apart from the new laws that were issued things aren't so bad. "No they aren't burning cities but we're no longer free. We are now citizens of the Kryptonian Empire. We are living under an occupation."

"And you and the others are going to do something about that aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Is that wise?" Donna asks with real concern.

"We are being careful. We have been in hiding since they arrived, biding our time, looking for weaknesses," Diana explains to her sister.

"Found any?"

"Not yet," Diana admits. "But we are hoping to get some more information soon."

"When you say soon what do you mean?"

"Tonight. We are going to infiltrate one of their bases tonight and see if we can access their computer systems."

Donna shakes her head. "Mother is not going to like this. She wanted me to persuade you to come home."

"I can't Donna. I have to be here. I think I am meant to be here."

"What does that mean?"

Diana takes a breath. "You may not remember me telling you this but a couple of years ago I think I mentioned to you an odd dream I had."

Donna thinks back and then shakes her head. "No sorry. Can't recall that."

"Doesn't matter," Diana says as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. "Well the dream involved a strange man I had never seen before," she tells Donna as she unfolds the piece of paper and hands it over to Donna. "This is what he looks like."

Donna looks at what is a hand drawn image of what she would say is a very attractive man and she is now having a vague recollection of Diana mentioning this. "Who is he?" she asks her sister.

"I didn't know. For years I dreamt about him and never knew who he was until 3 weeks ago."

"Why? What happened 3 weeks ago?"

Diana reaches into her bag and pulls out a copy of the Daily Planet and hands it over to Donna. "This is the copy that shows the leader of the Kryptonian forces addressing the UN. Look at the picture."

Donna does so and then compares it to Diana's hand drawn image. "By the Gods. It's him." Donna looks at Diana. "What does this mean? That you knew what was going to happen."

"No," Diana says emphatically. "The dreams never showed me that this was going to happen. They never showed me anything beyond his image. At first I barely remembered the dreams but they got more frequent and intense until now..." She trails off.

"Until now?" Donna queries wanting Diana to continue.

"Now all I have to do is close my eyes and I can see him Donna. I can barely get a decent night's sleep because the dreams are so intense."

"Intense how?"

"They are rather...explicit."

Donna strangely breaks out into a grin. "Explicit?"

Diana frowns. "Why are you smiling?"

"It is just that you are so dull I never imagined you could come up with erotic dreams."

"Donna!" Diana protests. "That is not helping. I don't understand why they are explicit. I don't understand these dreams at all and none of the Gods will answer my prayers and explain them to me. I'm going insane trying to work out why I am having them."

Seeing the distress her sister is in Donna puts her arm around Diana's shoulders. "It's ok Diana. I am sure there is a reason but if I may ask why not just go to the source."

"What? You mean go see him?"

Donna nods.

"Donna I can't."

"Why not? If they are so bad that you can't sleep, that it is affecting your mental health you need to deal with it."

"It isn't that simple Donna. He is the leader of these Kryptonians. How would I even get near him?"

"Ok you have a point there," Donna concedes. "So what are you going to do?"

"The only thing I can do. Help the League in creating our new resistance movement."

"And what do I tell Mother?"

"Tell her you tried very hard but that I refused to abandon the world to its fate. Besides there is no guarantee that Themyscira will remain hidden forever. This way I am helping drive these Kryptonians away before they find our home."

Again Donna has to concede that Diana has a point. So far it seemed these Kryptonians couldn't penetrate the magic around their home but there was no guarantee that that would last. "Ok. Truthfully I thought you would say something like that so I brought you something." Donna hands over her bag to Diana. "Look inside."

Diana unzips the bag and looks inside and lets out a small gasp. "Donna. Did you steal this?"

"Borrowed. I borrowed it," she corrects Diana.

Diana runs her hand up and down the metal blade of what is in the bag. It is her mother's sword. The one Hephaestus forged for her. "Donna do you realise how much trouble you will get into when Mother finds out?"

"Yes but you need it more and don't say otherwise. If you are planning some raid tonight who knows what you may face."

"Donna we will be sneaking in, getting the information we need and sneaking out. We aren't going to be fighting anyone."

Donna scoffs loudly. "Oh please. How often do these plans actually work in reality. I've heard it all before Diana and you always end up having to fight your way out. You know it. I know it. So please take the sword. Maybe it's blade can hurt these Kryptonians."

Diana contemplated that for a moment. This sword could kill Gods. It made sense she supposed that it might be able to hurt these Kryptonians. "Ok I'll take it. Thank you and when Mother finds out tell her to take it up with me."

Donna shakes her head. "No Diana. I appreciate the gesture but I have to take responsibilities for my own actions. I'm seeing exile to solitary confinement for about a century."

Diana smiles and then gives her sister a hug. "Ok but when this is over I will come home. You can assure Mother of that."

"I will. Anything else you want me to tell her?"

Diana thinks for a moment. "Just that I love her but this is something I need to do."

"She isn't going to like that answer."

"I know but it is the only one I can give."

"Take care," Donna tells her sister.

"I will. I promise." Diana then watches her sister wander off until she disappears from sight feeling a little guilty at what Donna will have to endure when she explains to their mother why Diana isn't with her. Diana understands that her mother just wants her home where she thinks Diana will be safe but the best way Diana can ensure her home's safety is to be out here trying to drive the Kryptonians off the planet.

Just then her communicator goes off. "Diana. Where are you?!" a loud voice demands to know.

"Bruce keep your voice down," Diana replies distinctly annoyed at being yelled at.

"You know it isn't safe up there."

"I needed fresh air and sunshine Bruce. Besides I'm in disguise and it isn't like it was under Luthor. We aren't being looked for or tracked down by the Kryptonian forces."

"We could be after tonight," Bruce points out to her.

"That's tonight Bruce and just in case it goes wrong I'm taking one last chance to enjoy the sunshine. You should do the same."

"I was never a daytime person," Bruce says lightly and Diana can detect a small hint of humour in his voice. Of course he is correct. Batman always does his best work in the dark. It was part of the reason they broke up really. Diana found all the darkness depressing while Bruce seemed to revel in it. They were other issues of course. Issues they never really discussed but Diana knew bothered Bruce deep down. That was the crux of their problems right there. She could never get Bruce to open up and discuss his feelings. She could never get him to let her in all the way and it wasn't like she didn't try. She may be immortal but she decided in the end that she simply wasn't prepared to wait for something that Bruce was never going to give her so their relationship ended.

And it wasn't like Lois suggested that she turned her feelings off. Diana didn't. She and Bruce simply reverted back to having a solely professional relationship. The friendship they have is still there but that is all they have now.

After a moment of silence Bruce speaks. "You'll be there at the agreed departure time?"

"Yes."

"Very well," he says realising that Diana needs a moment before they undertake tonight's mission. "Batman out," he says signing off.

With that over Diana takes her time looking around taking in the trees, the flowers, the grass, the sky, even the buildings. She takes a deep breath and enjoys the relatively fresh air knowing that if the mission goes wrong tonight this could be the last time she enjoys such things. The way Luthor and his metahuman army died was proof enough of how Kryptonians treated those who opposed them. If they get caught then Diana expects nothing less than for them all to be put to death.

* * *

Aethyr stands in the command centre of the still non-operational base. The yellow sun had vanished below the horizon by now and her cells were already missing the charge that it bestows upon them. She had been here several hours after departing the command carrier and she had quickly found out why this base was not operational. It was due to a complete lack of discipline amongst the soldiers and engineers who had decided to waste time revelling in their abilities rather than performing their duties. Aethyr had soon put a stop to that because as like Kal-El said she had a reputation of putting the fear of Rao into people. She had already demoted the entire command staff as punishment for their incompetence and when she gets a chance she'll have to talk to Kal-El about who to assign here as replacement command staff. She has a few candidates in mind and normally she would just do it herself but considering Kal-El's mood when she had left him she better play it safe and consult him first.

A soldier comes up to her, salutes and hands over a data pad. "Here is the latest update you asked for Lieutenant."

Aethyr reads over the pad. Good. She had got them back on schedule. If she works them right through the night she should have this base on-line by tomorrow. That should placate Kal-El. While she is reading a couple of engineers come in and look to be working in the communication system. Wait. Wasn't that done already?

Aethyr quickly scrawls through the data pad again. Yes that was done already. She takes a moment to actually study the two who have walked in. One of them she doesn't recognise but the other man...the other man with brown hair and brown eyes looks so familiar. Now where she has seen him before?

Then it dawns on her. She marches over quickly and lifts him off the ground. "What are you doing here?!" she demands to know of him.

The man looks at her trying to pretend ignorance but Aethyr can see he recognises her. Aethyr grabs his wrist and lifts his hand up and takes in the green ring on his finger. "I will ask again. What are you doing here Green Lantern?"

Hal seeing the jig is up summons a green bubble around himself which knocks Aethyr across the room. Aethyr gets back to her feet just as the other man's appearance shifts into a creature with green skin and a blue bodysuit. He then speaks into some form of communicator. "We've been discovered."

The next thing Aethyr knows is that explosions are going off all around the base and that she is getting seriously angered. "You will pay for this," she assures them. She shifts into accelerated speed and sends both adversaries through the entrance back outside the room. She is about to pursue them but blocking her way is a tall woman, taller than Aether with dark hair and piercing blue eyes carrying a sword. "Who are you?" Aethyr demands to know.

"I am Diana."

* * *

Earlier that night the group consisting of Diana, Batman, Green Lantern, J'onn, Flash gather a short distance from the Kryptonian base. Bruce had been studying it for a week and had seen lax procedures in place which should allow them to infiltrate the base, access whatever passes for a Kryptonian computer, therefore gaining much needed intelligence on their occupiers, and getting out without anyone noticing them. That is the plan anyway and Bruce is hopeful they can pull it off but there are always unknown even he can't account for.

"So how are we doing this exactly?" Wally asks.

"Well for starters you stay here until we call. You are our fall back should anything go wrong. You possess greater speed than they do so should we need a distraction to aid our escape we'll call you," Bruce informs Wally.

J'onn speaks next. "Hal and I shall impersonate engineers and access the data and communications systems." That was due to the fact that Hal had had experience with Kryptonians and their technology before and that J'onn had spent the last few weeks studying the Kryptonian probe that was discovered and now had a basic grasp of their technology and language.

"Diana will escort them pretending to be a soldier while I will scout around the base under the same guise," Bruce adds.

Diana looks down at herself. To aid this she is dressed in a Kryptonian uniform that Bruce had had Wally steal a few days ago. She doesn't like it. It is black and skin tight and she doesn't understand why that is. It doesn't seem to offer very much protection but since these Kryptonians seem to be invulnerable to harm maybe their uniforms are simply meant to be functional.

"So what if this goes wrong and we all die?" Wally suddenly asks which cause everyone to look at him. He shrugs his shoulders. "I'm not that daft. We all know this could go wrong."

"Then Oliver will take over. That is why he isn't here. I left him instructions just in case something happens to us. He will ensure that the others are taken care," Bruce says in reply. The others being the other members of the League. Bruce had left information regarding accounts with enough money to tide them over for a long time if necessary and he trusted Oliver enough to ensure that the others would be looked after well.

So with all of them dressed up like Kryptonians they make their way onto the base. Bruce separates and goes on his separate way. Diana is slightly concerned about him. Unlike her, Hal and J'onn Bruce had no powers and normally that makes no difference. Not really. This situation, however, was totally different. They were on a military base with dozens of super powered beings. One thing she did note was that Bruce never once mentioned a thing about the sword she was carrying. She had seen enough footage of Kryptonians to know that some of them did carry bladed weapons of all sorts. Most likely captured prizes from other worlds so she didn't really stick out.

With Bruce gone Diana did her best to appear to be escorting Hal and J'onn. They reach the central command building without too much trouble and J'onn and Hal make their way inside while she waits outside. So far so good she thinks to herself. She takes a moment to appreciate that like their ships Kryptonian constructed their buildings out of crystal as well. A few minutes pass by with no sign that they have been discovered yet. Then suddenly J'onn is speaking into her communicator.

"_We've been discovered," _comes the message over her communicator. Diana swears colourfully under her breath in her native Greek and rushes inside to find Hal and J'onn flying out of the room she is heading towards. She can see that they will need time to recover so she rushes past them and stands in the doorway. Inside are only two. Both female. One with piercing green eyes demands to know her name which Diana gives.

The other one then flies at Diana. Diana watches as this soldier believing she possesses massively superior strength and speed comes at her hopelessly exposed. Not wanting to shed unnecessary blood unless it was absolutely the last option Diana tosses her sword into her other hand, pulls her right fist back and hits the flying woman so hard that she flies backwards the entire length of the room slamming into the crystal wall hard enough to crack it and then the soldier slithers down to the floor clearly unconscious.

Aethyr had never taken her glare off the new intruder. The strength she just showed was almost Kryptonian like but Aethyr is positive that this woman is not Kryptonian. In fact a quick scan of the intruder with her eyes down to the cellular level proves that conclusively.

Diana can hear groans as Hal and J'onn get up. Clearly they had been taken by surprise. She guesses that the explosions that were still going off are Bruce's doing. "Hal. J'onn. Did you get what we came here for?" she asks her friends.

"Not yet," J'onn answers.

"Can you do it by yourself J'onn?" Diana asks.

"I believe so."

"Good. Hal go assist Batman," Diana orders and Hal without a word of protest does just that leaving Diana standing off with this other soldier. This one Diana takes to be more experienced than the one who had attacked her. This one was studying her before making a move.

Aethyr could not let these intruders succeed. Kal-El would have her hide but the woman in front of her is obviously powerful. The green skinned one re-enters the room and the woman walks forward to protect him as he works. Aethyr watches as the creature begins accessing the data systems of the base. She cannot allow that. In a burst of accelerated speed she moves forward before the woman can raise her sword.

Diana is taken by surprise by just how fast this other woman moves and finds her sword slapped from her hand before she can raise it. A punch comes at her face but Diana manages to avoid it. With J'onn working right next to her a fight was the last thing Diana wanted right now but it seems fate was giving her no choice. She kicks her opponent in the stomach which causes her to bend over and stumble back a few paces. There is not very much space in this room. Diana needs to lure her opponent outside and leave J'onn to his work.

Aethyr gasps at having the air knocked out of her. Rao! She hadn't fought an opponent that was this strong in quite some time. Out of the corner of her eye she catches a green glow penetrating through the crystal walls that could only be the Green Lantern and worse she knew this Green Lantern. She had no doubt he was causing chaos amongst a base of relatively inexperienced and ill-disciplined technicians and soldiers. She just knew she should have persuaded Kal-El to give Nam-Ek this task.

Diana eyes the cracked crystal wall behind her opponent and without much more thought rushes forward and drives into Aethyr's midsection. They both fly back and crash right through the damaged wall to the outside. J'onn takes a moment to note it and the unconscious soldier on the floor. Hopefully she would stay that way until he was done.

Meanwhile Aethyr finds her adversary has landed on top of her. With an effort she positions her feet under this 'Diana' and pushes her off. Diana stops in mid air and looks down at Aethyr. This one can fly too! Aethyr has an ominous feeling tonight was going to a long and difficult affair as she launches herself upward.

Diana trades blows in mid-air with her opponent. Each blow would be bone shattering if inflicted upon a normal human being but as these Kryptonians seemed invulnerable Diana reckoned holding back of any sort would be foolish and by the sound her opponent makes when she does manage to land a blow it seems to Diana that she is inflicting actual pain upon her opponent.

Aethyr is knocked back and is getting more annoyed by the second. Her opponent is as fast and as strong as she it seemed but Aethyr has many other abilities to call on. Her eyes glow as the only warning as she unleashed two beams of intense heat at Diana.

Diana sees it coming barely and raises her arms just as the two glowing beams burn through the outer layer of her uniform until they hit her bracelets underneath at which point they bounce off harmlessly into space.

Aethyr looks on dumbfounded. A momentary hesitation that costs her as a forearm smashes into her face knocking her from the sky. She lands with an unceremonious thump and the taste of blood in her mouth.

Diana floats down after her opponent to find her on the ground on all fours spitting up blood. She actually hurt one. These Kryptonians can actually be hurt Diana learns in this moment. Her opponent takes what appears to be a very deep breath then she turns her head at Diana and an enormous wind rises from her opponent's lips and blows Diana from the sky. Her flying relied on air currents which had now been disrupted. Despite this Diana manages to land on her feet in a crouched position. She quickly looks up as her opponent dissolves into a black blur moving right at her. This time Diana can't move to block it. She gets hit sending her flying across the base and she crashes into a partially built building, possibly a barracks, which promptly collapses on top of her.

When Diana hears the structure above her being lifted away she expects it is her green eyed opponent. Well she is partially right in some way. The colour green is involved but she finds it is J'onn. He helps her to her feet.

"Are you ok?" he asks.

Diana shakes her head slightly to clear the cobwebs. While she is certain she will be feeling the effects of this fight in the morning for right at this moment her adrenaline is making the pain almost unnoticeable. "I am fine but what are you doing here?"

"You needed assistance," J'onn explains simply.

"Did you finish?" Diana queries. She would hate to go through all this for nothing.

J'onn shakes his head. "No but Batman is taking care of it." Bruce had appeared while J'onn was working and insisted that he go aid Diana. Seeing that no-one but an unconscious soldier was there J'onn reasoned it would be safe to leave Bruce so he did.

Diana looks around. Her opponent is gone. "Where did she go?"

J'onn's eyes glow as a sign he is using his telepathy. "She is with Batman. His life is in danger."

Diana is about to fly off when she and J'onn find themselves surrounded by several soldiers.

"Go help Batman. I'll take care of this," J'onn informs her before he morphs in a dragon like creature with a long elongated body and engages the soldiers in combat.

Diana moves quickly and glances Hal fighting up in the sky. She hopes he will be ok but for right now she has to help Bruce. She also glances a red streak being pursued by several more soldiers. Flash had taken the explosions as a sign that things were going wrong and was now providing a most useful distraction as it seemed that he was indeed faster than the Kryptonians soldiers pursuing him. She flies up to the command centre and to her surprise finds Bruce unharmed. The same could not be said of the opponent Diana had been fighting. She is lying on the floor with a pool of blood forming and sticking straight through her heart is Diana's sword. Diana looks up into Bruce's eyes and words are not needed for what had happened. The woman had returned here, cornered him and he had reached for the only weapon there, Diana's sword.

Diana can hear the groans as the other soldier she had knocked out earlier begins to come round. She grabs Bruce by his arm. "Bruce. We have to go!"

He looks at her in a daze barely able to grasp what he had done. He had broken his one vow that he would never kill.

Seeing Bruce is in obvious shock Diana hoists him over her shoulder. She glances at the device they plugged into the communication system. It says 'Download Complete'. They had accomplished their goal. She grabs it and then yells over her communicator to Hal, Wally and J'onn that it is time to go. She grabs her sword and pulls it out of the dead woman whose lifeless green eyes are staring upward with a look of what appears to be shock. If Diana had more time to think on it she would realise that this is the look of someone who thinks they are invulnerable only to find that, at the last moment of their life, they are not.

Diana quickly moves past the slowly awakening soldier, with Bruce still slung over her shoulder, before she flies off into the night sky leaving behind fire and chaos and a single death which will have far reaching consequences beyond what she can imagine.

* * *

_Author's Note: Right I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I strongly implied that it was Diana that killed Aethyr at the end of the last chapter and I'll admit that was my original intention but as I was writing it I came up with this, what I think, is a much better idea and will fit in better with what I have planned yet to come._


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kal-El bends down next to Aethyr's lifeless body and passes his hand over her eyelids shutting them. Why no-one had bothered to do that before he didn't know and frankly didn't care right now as he tried to keep a handle on his emotions. He is a Kryptonian. He is not governed by his emotions. He will not lose control. Not in front of his subordinates and his cousin.

Kara looks on with morbid interest. A clean wound right through the heart. Efficient. "So much for it being peaceful," she comments mockingly.

That is it. Kal-El growls low in his throat. The last thing he can stand is Kara making humour at this situation. In a blur of motion he stands, grabs Kara round the throat and slams her hard against the wall. His eyes are burning and glowing red with barely suppressed rage.

Kara, meanwhile, lets out a moan of almost perverse pleasure and wraps her legs around Kal-El's waist. "Hmm," she says her voice low, "it has been ages since I've been with a real man."

Kal-El looks at her in disgust. "We are on duty and one of our fellow Kryptonians just died. Act like it." He then releases his hold on her neck and Kara drops herself back to the floor.

Kara rolls her eyes. "You're attitude is just because she was your mate. We're soldiers Kal. We face death all the time."

Part of Kal-El knows Kara is correct but lately he has been finding it harder to keep his emotions in check. He puts it down to the lack of sleep. He closes his eyes and pushes his emotions down. He then looks Kara straight in the eye. "This base is in chaos. Do you think you could see fit to re-establish order?"

Kara smiles almost sweetly but it is the smile of someone who has long forgotten what being sweet and kind mean so it almost an impression of a sweet smile. "Of course Kal. You leave it to me."

Kara begins to leave and Kal shouts after her. "And no putting anyone to death unnecessarily!"

Kara waves her hand dismissively in a gesture that says not to worry about it. Kal-El has a feeling he should worry about it but he has other things to deal with. He pushes any grief he feels over Aethyr's death to the side. He can deal with that later. For now he has to find out what the ones who were on this base were up to. He turns his attention to the female soldier who had met them. She is still standing there looking decidedly nervous and is that a bruise on her face?

Kal-El walks up to her and tilts her face to better look at it. "You are injured," he dryly remarks.

The female soldier not wanting to look weak in front of her commander dismisses it lightly. "It is nothing commander."

"What is your name?"

"Asha Del-Nar."

"Del-Nar?" Kal-El repeats. He knows that name somehow.

"Yes commander."

"Your father sat on the ruling council before the New Order."

"Yes...I don't really remember him though," she says with a slight stutter.

Kal-El looks at her. She must be about his age so it makes sense she doesn't remember her father. It also explains why she is just a common soldier. Del-Nar opposed Zod and therefore he was probably banished to the Phantom Zone and had his house dissolved. Who knows what his daughter here went through after that. However, that is an enquiry of another time. "I want to know exactly that went on here. Start with Lieutenant Aethyr's arrival."

Kal-El then listens as Asha details everything she knows starting with Aethyr immediately demoting every single one of the command staff. A small smile comes to Kal-El's lips. He would have done the same. He listens carefully as Asha details what Aethyr did for the several hours before darkness came. It seems she had almost assigned Asha here as her temporary second-in-command. They get onto the part where Aethyr noted the 2 imposters at the communication system. He lets out a sigh. "What did they get?" he asks knowing what they were doing.

Asha moves over to a small table on the corner of the room and brings back a data pad. Kal-El reads it. Oh terrific. The security encryptions were not functional yet. "So they got everything," he states.

"Yes commander. I...It was partly my fault. I attempted to stop them but I underestimated the woman who was with them."

"This was the woman Lieutenant Aethyr fought?"

"Yes commander."

"She gave you the bruise."

"Yes commander. As I said previously she was strong like us. I am afraid I only have second hand accounts of the fight. She managed to render me unconscious. When I came around I briefly saw her pull a sword of some kind out of the Lieutenant. She then flew off out of the hole in the wall."

"Flew off?" Kal-El queries wishing confirmation of what Asha said.

"Yes commander."

Kal-El's brow furrows deeply. Humans as far as he knows don't possess powers like that. None of the advanced humans they killed and analysed had power like that. "Describe her."

"She was tall, almost your height. She carried herself like a warrior. She had dark hair and blue eyes."

Kal-El's eyes widen at the description. It can't be her. That is not possible.

Asha continues unaware of what revelation she is laying upon her commander. "And oh she said her name was Diana."

All the strength in Kal-El's legs suddenly leaves him and he staggers over to the wall and leans against it. Oh Rao. She is real and she is here on this planet.

Asha comes over deeply concerned. "Commander. What is it? Are you ill?"

Kal-El turns his head to look at her. He can't do this in front of her. He must not fall apart right now. He summons the mental strength from somewhere and gets a grip on his turbulent emotions. He straightens himself up. "I am fine," he lies. His gaze shifts to Aethyr on the floor. The ones responsible for this have no idea what they have done and what he will be forced to do in response. On the other hand it suddenly occurs to him that if he finds them he will find her and maybe get the answers Rao won't give him about the meaning of his dreams. This thought gives him new strength. "Asha," he addresses her. She snaps to attention. "Where is the former commander of this base?" he asks.

"I do not know," she reluctantly admits before she clarifies. "Once I came to I signalled the alert and was trying to restore order when you arrived."

"And they were no where to be seen I take it."

"No commander."

Kal-El raises his communicator to his mouth. "Kara."

"Yes Kal," she answers.

"I'm going to send you the images of the base commander and his staff. I need you to find them for me."

"What for?" Kara queries.

"Because they failed in their duty."

"Consider it done," she replies and Kal-El can hear the happy anticipation in her voice. He makes his way over to the data access controls and sends the images to Kara's communicator.

Asha watches on. "If I may ask commander. Who is this Kara? I know from her insignia she is a commander."

"She is my cousin," Kal answers. "Kara Zor-El."

"THE Kara Zor-El?" Asha asks with genuine fear in her voice. All Kryptonians knew of the Elite Guard and of their commander.

"Yes," he confirms for her while he looks up something else from the data banks. He then turns to face her. "Come now. Let us see what your former commanders have to say for themselves."

By the time Kal-El and Asha make their way outside they find the base in some semblance of order. The fires are being dealt with and proper patrols are guarding the air and the ground around the base. Kal-El has to hand it to his cousin. She gets things done. He finds her staring down the line-up of the former base commander and his 3 lieutenants. Kal-El walks down the line as they stand to attention at his presence.

"Found them!" Kara announces cheerfully.

Kal-El gives her a wry smile. "You know you are suppose to be the feared commander of the Elite Guard. You know all serious and dangerous."

Kara smiles lopsidedly. "Appearances can be deceptive," she says with a dangerous overtone.

Kal-El nods and turns his attention to the 4 lined-up. "Gar-Ek!"

One of the 4 steps forward. Kal-El moves to stand right in front of him. "Ek. Let me guess. You are Nam-Ek's brother."

Gar-Ek stands there nervously. "That is correct commander." His brother had always been helpful in getting Gar positions and promotions.

Kal-El turns to Kara. "Where did you find them?"

"Sitting around doing nothing."

Kal-El's gaze darkens considerably as he looks back at Gar-Ek.

"I can explain," Gar-Ek almost pleads.

"By all means. Do so."

"Lieutenant Aethyr removed me from my position, unfairly may I add."

"You may not," Kal-El tells him.

"I was removed," Gar-Ek begins again but Kal-El cuts him off.

"And so that is your excuse. If you were up to the job you would have assumed command as soon as you learned Lieutenant Aethyr had died. You did not do so which just went to prove she had been right to remove you in the first place." Kal-El raises his arm in Asha's direction. "She on the other hand was doing the best she could in a job she was never trained for."

Gar-Ek looks at Asha with distain. "Her. She is nobody. A disgraced daughter of a dissolved House."

"Who is more skilled and has more experience than you do but is always overlooked for promotions based on what I assume is bigotry at her name. Can you explain that Gar-Ek?"

Gar-Ek says nothing indicating to Kal-El that he has hit right on the mark. "You have failed in your duty and so has your brother by promoting you based soley on the fact you are family. I cannot tolerate failure or incompetence or bigotry." By now Kara has moved so she is standing right behind Gar-Ek. "I shall deal with your brother once I return to my ship. In the meantime your services to the Kryptonian military are no longer needed." Kal-El then nods at Kara who swiftly draws her sword and plunges it into Gar-Ek's back and through his heart and she does so with a sickening smile of enjoyment on her face.

Kal-El watches Gar-Ek fall to his knees. Kryptonians are usually very hard to kill but if the heart is cleaved then death is quite sudden and permanent and Kara's sword is made of a Kryptonian alloy that can penetrate even their skin. Kara pulls her sword out as Gar-Ek slumps face first onto the ground. Kal-El's gaze turns to the other 3 who all stand terrified awaiting their fate. "As for you 3 I will allow you to live but I am demoting you back to the rank of ordinary soldiers. All privileges and merits you have will be stripped from your records. Now if you have a problem with this then you can join your former commander on the ground there. Do you have a problem with this?"

"No sir!" all 3 snap in reply.

"Excellent. Now I will leave you in the hands of your new commander. Del-Nar!"

Asha moves to beside Kal-El. "Yes commander."

Kal-El looks at her. "They are all yours."

Asha's eyes widen. "Me?" she asks totally stunned which causes Kara to smirk. Her cousin is laying it on thick today.

"Yes," Kal-El says calmly. "You have enough merits to your name to have been promoted long ago. Congratulations."

Asha gets over her shock and gives Kal-El a salute. "Thank you commander. I will not let you down."

"I am sure you won't but I want this base repaired and on-line as soon as possible."

"Of course commander." Asha then turns her attention to the 3 standing in line. "You 3! Start helping with the clean-up. Now!"

Kal-El gives her a nod of approval and a salute which Asha returns before she marches off to undertake her new duties.

"You should have let me kill them all," Kara comments almost wistfully.

Kal-El doesn't look at her. Failure to perform one's duty was always punishable by death but he rarely ever enforced it but with Kara here and Aethyr dead he had little choice this time. "The death of their leader was sufficient," he says in reply to Kara.

Kara shrugs. "If you say so Kal."

"I do say so unless my father sent you here to relieve me of my command."

"If he did do you think I would tell you."

Kal sighs. "No."

Kara smiles and goes up to Kal and pats him on his shoulder. "You're smarting up. You may even survive your brother's machinations."

Kal-El rolls his eyes. Lor-Zod, his brother and Zod's biological son, was the head of the Kryptonian Intelligence Agency which included a form of Secret Police that tracked down internal enemies that may pose a threat to General Zod. Of course his brother also used to them to build up his own power base for the day he succeeds Zod. Lor was also totally paranoid that people were plotting against him all the time including Kal-El himself. He had no doubt that Lor was spying on him. In fact Kal-El knew for certain that some under his command were spies for his brother. Actually that reminds him of something he must do before he deals with Aethyr's death and those responsible for it. He turns to face Kara. "I require your assistance once more."

"Well you know me Kal. Anything for family...except my father." The word father was spoken with unrestricted loathing.

Kal-El looks at her briefly. He and Kara had only exchanged correspondences over the years. They hadn't met in person since he was a child so he can't say for certain that he knows her. Predict her motivations maybe but know her...he isn't sure even Kara herself really knows what is going on inside her mind. However that is an issue for another time. For right now he needs to retrieve Aethyr's body and return to his ship.

* * *

Nam-Ek tries to rapidly move towards Aethyr's quarters without looking like he is trying to get there rapidly. He can't draw anyone's suspicion before he gets there and clears out her hidden compartment. Commanders Kal-El and Kara Zor-El had returned from Earth a short time ago with Aethyr's body. Kal-El's face was unreadable but Nam-Ek reckoned it would be a good idea to stay on his good side and if he examines the contents of that compartment in Aethyr's quarters he is certain Kal-El would be unhappy.

He makes it to Aethyr's quarters, waves his hand over the wall which causes the entrance to close up. He makes his way over to the wall and draws the pattern on the wall and the alcove opens up. Nam-Ek looks inside and finds nothing. He desperately searches inside with his hand like the data crystals inside had merely turned invisible.

"They're not there."

Nam-Ek spins round. "C-C-Commander!" he stutters.

Kal-El stands there with Kara beside him looking at Nam-Ek like a predator eyes its prey. "So," Kal-El begins, "how long have you been acting as Aethyr's courier?"

"Sir?" Nam-Ek queries feigning ignorance.

Kal-El waves his hand dismissively. "Don't bother with the act. I was well aware that Aethyr was spying on me for my brother."

Kara looks at her cousin mildly surprised. "You did?"

Kal-El looks at her with one arched eyebrow. "Do I look that gullible?" he asks rhetorically.

"Well..." Kara starts to say.

"Don't answer that," he tells her before he turns his attention back to Nam-Ek. "Now I'm guessing you were more worried about protecting yourself than letting my brother know about Aethyr and with General Zod travelling under a communication blackout that gives me until he gets here to deal with this my way."

Nam-Ek gulps. "Commander I can explain."

"Oh don't bother. I am well aware of the influence my brother can exert on people so I don't blame you but I can't afford the risk of him knowing and telling my father. So I'm afraid you'll have to share your brothers fate."

Nam-Ek's face puzzles up as Kal-El turns to leave. "I'll wait outside," he tells Kara before he leaves sealing the room on his way out leaving Nam-Ek alone with Kara.

Kal-El waits outside the room for a few minutes before Kara emerges with her sword bloodstained along with her face and her uniform. "Is it done?" he asks his cousin.

"It's done," she confirms for him. "By the way how are you going to explain his death?"

"I don't need to explain anything. I have every right to execute those under my command who have failed in their duty as per the Kryptonian military code."

"I wasn't aware he failed," Kara points out.

"He failed in my opinion."

"Ah. In that case can I ask why you mated yourself with Aethyr when you knew she was spying on you?"

"I picked up a saying on the Cthalonian homeworld after I conquered it. 'Keep your allies in your house but your enemies in your bed'."

"Hmm," she says half impressed. She then studies her cousin further. "You did care for her though didn't you?"

Kal-El nods. "I grew somewhat fond of her. She was a good soldier. Loyal to a fault. I had hoped one day that she might see that being loyal to my brother was not the same thing as being loyal to the Empire."

"How do you know I'm not a spy for your brother and that I won't tell him what you are up to?"

Kal-El looks at Kara with an amused expression. "You hate my brother and his spies. How many have you put to death? 17?"

"18," Kara corrects him. Although technically they were killed in combat if anyone makes an enquiry. "Kal-El I will say this. You are making an error in this course of action. Death of a Kryptonian soldier is punishable by the destruction of the city of the one who committed the act. General Zod will not be happy with you when he gets here if you haven't done that."

"Firstly we aren't certain who exactly killed Aethyr."

"Then you destroy any city in that case. You know that."

Kal-El shakes his head. "I will not kill millions of innocent beings for the actions of a few!" he snaps.

Kara smirks at him. She really likes how full of fire he is. Most Kryptonians are as cold as the the Kryptonian Polar regions. "Watch that temper Kal or I will seriously consider making you my mate," she says huskily.

Kal shakes his head in renewed disgust at Kara's lustful expression. He doesn't need this. He has too many conflicting emotions running through his head. Grief...certainly a little at Aethyr's passing. He will pray that Rao will be merciful and grant Aethyr passage to the next life but his main priority right now is finding those responsible for her death. If he can capture them before his father gets here then maybe his father won't decide to destroy human cities as punishment and on a personal level if this Diana that was there is the same one from his dreams maybe at last he can get the answers he seeks. Now what did Asha say about them? Colourful costumes...green skinned being...a Green Lantern..wait. That sounds familiar. Without another word he storms off leaving Kara standing there by herself.

"I'll just go get clean up shall I. Why? So I can get the blood of your recently deceased Captain off me. Thanks couz. I think I will go have a shower." Her one-sided conversation over Kara heads off to have that very shower and to maybe fantasise that Kal would come join her. He really had filled out in all the right places since she last saw him.

* * *

Kal-El is in his quarters searching through the database. Where is it? It was after he had asked Aethyr to look into the organisation that constructed the satellite they had found. Here it is. The Justice League. He had been so busy when she mentioned it to him he had not bothered to read what she found and had only vaguely listened as she gave him a summary.

Lets see here. Batman, Green Lantern, the green skinned one was called the Martian Manhunter...funny he thought Martians were extinct, Green Arrow, Aquaman, the Atom...No, no, no. Where is she? He scrawls down until he comes up with Wonder Woman and there staring back at him is her image...the image...the one that he sees every night. He lightly traces the contours of her face. "Diana," he whispers.

"What?" Kara asks at Kal's mutterings as she exits the shower room completely naked. She had decided it was easier to fantasise about her cousin when she is using his shower and he is just in the next room.

Kal-El only glances at her momentarily. Enough to spot that her body has scars to match the one on her face. She had decided to use his shower for some reason he can't fathom or maybe he simply doesn't want to even try. "Nothing," he says in reply as Kara puts on a clean uniform.

Once Kara is dressed she wanders over behind her cousin so she can look at what he is looking at. "Is she the one?" Kara asks at the image.

"She was one of the ones there," Kal-El answers.

"Justice League?" Kara queries at the name.

"They set themselves up as some sort of law enforcement agency," he elaborates.

"More enhanced humans I take it."

"Yes. How did you know about that?"

"Please Kal. I've been monitoring your reports back to Krypton."

"Well yes essentially but Aethyr mentioned that they had seemed to disappear about the time we arrived here and since they hadn't caused any trouble I basically forgot about them."

"And now you have to find them."

"Yes," Kal-El says somewhat distractedly as he reads through Aethyr's report more thoroughly.

"Any idea how you will do that in the 6 days before General Zod arrives?"

"Perhaps," he says as he finds some information here that may be helpful in that regard.

"And would you like to tell your cousin?"

Kal turns his head and his lips curve up into a cheeky smile. "No I wouldn't." He then activates his communicator and contacts the bridge.

"Yes commander," the voice on the other end chimes in obedience.

"Contact the squad we have in the city of Metropolis on the American continent. Tell them I need them to locate and detain an individual. She works at an information organisation called the Daily Planet."

"As you wish Commander and this individual's name?" the officer on the bridge inquires.

"Lois Joanne Lane."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Lois gets into work at the Daily Planet striding across the bullpen to her desk carrying the air that she rules all she surveys and in a sense she does. Not a single person here can hold a candle to her. She sits down at her desk nice and early. Well she hadn't actually been to sleep yet. She knew last night that her boyfriend Bruce Wayne aka Batman had been infiltrating a Kryptonian base and she hadn't been able to sleep out of worry for his safety.

These last few weeks had been interesting to say the least. For the first time in years Lois has been able to be a real reporter again. No longer did she have to write her stories with the fear that Luthor's henchmen might come along and haul her off for writing something 'unpatriotic' or that she was a destabilising influence on society or at the extreme end Lois knew a couple of reporters who had been arrested for treason for writing articles that were critical of Luthor's regime.

"Lane!" Perry's less than dulcet tones roar across the bullpen.

Lois lets out a sigh. Perry always does this just as she has sat down. She gets back to her feet and makes her way over to Perry's office, knocks on the door and walks in. "You bellowed Chief."

Perry gives her the eye at the 'Chief' remark. "Sit down," he orders.

Lois does so. "So what's up?" she asks.

"You tell me," Perry responds.

"Huh? You've lost me Chief."

Perry hands over a piece of paper. "One of the sources in the White House sent me that. It seems the Justice League was spotted attacking a Kryptonian base."

"They weren't attacking it," Lois protests before she realises she has said too much.

"Ah ha!" Perry proclaims. "I knew you were in with them." Perry reckoned she had to be by the way Lois always manages to get the exclusives on them. "Does the President know?" he asks her.

Lois burns a hole in Perry with her gaze. "My father is not the President and who my sources are are no-one's business. Not yours. Certainly not my father's."

"Firstly Lois your father is acting President until elections are held."

Lois snorts. "After he 'cleans up the system'," she says using air quotes. "I know. So that will be never then."

"Well I have some faith in him and secondly Lois I know the importance of keeping sources' identities secret. I have been in this business 30 years."

Lois rolls her eyes. Here we go. One of Perry's '30 years' speeches.

Perry catches Lois' look. "Alright we'll skip the speech for now. So tell me have you heard anything about what happened last night?"

"No. They were going to infiltrate the base and try to access their computer systems but I haven't heard back from them." Lois leans forward and lowers her voice. "Did your source say anything else?" she asks with genuine concern.

Perry shakes his head. "No sorry. It's impossible to get detailed information on these Kryptonians. Everyone is too afraid of them to get close enough."

Lois leans back in her chair and lets out a sigh. "I know. What is it now? 3 weeks since we were made subjects of their empire."

Perry nods in confirmation. "3 weeks since they demanded that over half of the world's mining output be set aside solely for them. Have you seen how much commodities cost now? They say if this keeps up more than a few months the global economy will collapse."

"I've seen it but at least no-one has been stupid enough to refuse. Considering the way they dealt with Luthor I'm guessing anyone that does refuse will share his fate. Not to mention they have a whole fleet of ships in orbit above the planet." Lois shakes her head. "You know normally I would fight to the bitter end against any form of oppression but even I realise how pointless that would be unless we can find some sort of weakness in these Kryptonians."

Perry slowly moves his head form one side to the other in thought. "Well at least they haven't restricted the freedom of the press. We may not be able to fight them with arms but we still have words."

That causes Lois to smile. It is then her attention is caught by a commotion outside in the bullpen. Lois heads for the door and there she finds 3 men, Kryptonians soldiers by their uniforms, rudely barging past everyone until they stand in the middle of the floor.

"We are here for a Lois Joanne Lane. Co-operation is mandatory," the one Lois assumes is the leader announces. At this point Jimmy walks up to them. Oh god no Lois thinks to herself. Jimmy don't be stupid.

"Why are you looking for her?" Jimmy stupidly asks before he finds himself lifted clear of the floor with a powerful hand around his throat. The soldier holding him looks at Jimmy with a mere modicum of interest as Lois might look at bug just before she squishes it.

Needing to help Jimmy Lois steps forward. "Hey!" she yells. "Put him down! I'm the one you want. I'm Lois Lane."

Jimmy gets dumped on the floor as the 3 soldiers make their way over to Lois.

"Lois," Perry hisses. "What are you doing?"

"What I have to Chief."

The leader stands over Lois. "You will come with us," he orders.

"Fine but I am going to make a complaint to your commander about the way you just marched in here."

The soldier smirks knowingly. "That is no problem. It is Commander Kal-El that we are to take you to." The soldier then looks Lois over. "You're a bit shorter than his usual consorts."

"What do you mean 'consort'?"

"Commanding is a stressful job and it is normal practice to use the locals to 'unwind'." The soldier says unwind with an unmistakable leer followed by a deep belly laugh which the other 2 join in with.

Lois' eyes widen. "You mean he wants to have sex with me?"

"Of course...after your interrogation."

"What interrogation?" Lois demands to know.

"Commander Kal-El will be asking the questions. I suggest you start practising answering them." The soldier then grabs Lois by the arm and drags her out. Lois tries to resist but she might as well be trying to stop an oil tanker for all the effect it has on her captors.

After Lois is gone Jimmy gets to his feet, rubbing his throat. He needs to tell them. He quickly leaves and makes his way to the alley behind the Planet and into the phone booth there. He picks up the receiver and dials. "It's J.O. Something happened that you need to know. 3 soldiers came and took Lois to Commander Kal-El to be interrogated. No they didn't say what about."

On the other end of the phone Diana sits there taking everything in. "Ok I've got that. Thanks J.O." She ends the call.

"I wonder why they took Lois," J'onn idly speculates from his position at the main computer they have down here. He had been going over the data they managed to retrieve from the Kryptonian base.

Diana shakes her head. "I don't know but someone better let Bruce know. I'm not sure how he'll take it though."

Bruce had been in deep shock since they escaped the Kryptonian base and made it back to Metropolis. He was having great difficulty in coming to terms with the fact he killed someone. Diana takes a deep breath in preparation to go tell him and then winces slightly at the act. When they got back last night she discovered that fighting the Kryptonian woman had cracked a couple of her ribs. She won't even mention the myriad of bruises she has but in the end they'll heal in a couple of days.

"I shall do it if you wish," J'onn offers.

"No thanks. It should be me." Diana then gets to her feet and makes her way to Bruce's private room passing fellow her Leaguer Black Canary who is being chatted up by Green Arrow. Diana thought there was something between those two but Dinah would never confirm it. She reaches the door to Bruce's room and knocks. "Bruce. It's Diana. Can I come in?"

Diana waits a moment before the door opens. She can see by the look on Bruce's face that he still hasn't slept. "What is it Diana? I want to be left alone," Bruce says in a way that sounds like all life has been sucked out of him.

"There was a message. It's about Lois." There is a spark in Bruce's eyes and the mention of Lois' name. Diana continues. "She has been taken for interrogation."

Bruce growls deeply then turns around and proceeds to throw the small table in his room into the wall smashing it. Diana cautiously walks up behind Bruce and gently places her hand on his shoulder. "Bruce. I'm sure she will be ok."

Bruce shakes his head in defeat. "It's because of us. They are looking for us."

"But why would they take Lois?"

"The articles. All the ones she has written on us. They will believe her to be a lead to get to us."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because it is what I would think if I was in their position."

"She won't tell them anything," Diana says with certainty.

"And then what Diana? Will they resort to torture?"

"No they won't." Diana and Bruce turns to the doorway to find Hal standing there. "Kal-El is too noble, too honourable to stoop to torture," he informs them from his personal experience. "If she can lie convincingly then they will simply question her and let her go."

"You are certain?" Bruce asks.

"That is what happened when they captured me. Kal-El still has a sense of honour. If he didn't he would have already blasted a city or two to rubble. I know Kryptonians who have done that just for the fun of it."

Diana listens on. Still no-one is aware of her dreams of Kal and to know that he is perhaps a decent man brings some warmth to her heart.

"We on the other hand are in big trouble," Hal feels the need to point out. "Kryptonian law is harsh. The death of a Kryptonian soldier is punishable by execution of the one responsible and of their accomplices."

"Hal!" Diana protests at his bluntness considering how Bruce is handling it.

"It's alright Diana," Bruce says as he wearily sits down on his bed.

"Maybe last night was a mistake," Diana suggests.

"We would have to have done it sooner or later Diana," Hal says.

"Would we?" she asks not entirely convinced. "Maybe we should have just kept a low profile until they left."

"Diana," Hal begins, "they are never leaving. Not unless you force them to go."

"You said we are merely a base," she reminds Hal.

"Yes and do you think they would leave it unmanned at any time. There will always be at least 3 ships in orbit at all times. On top of that Diana we are citizens of the Kryptonian Empire. Once you are a citizen you remain one for the rest of your life. Earth is simply not a priority right now in terms of being fully integrated into the Empire but they'll get around to it eventually. Probably once they have completed the invasion of whatever planet they are planning to conquer and when that happens we will probably get a new overseer and they may not be as nice as Kal-El."

After all Hal has seen it before. Kal-El conquers a planet, moves on and the overseer left to take charge is not nearly as nice or as sympathetic to the local population. Some Kryptonians could be very cruel and see other lifeforms as inferior and nothing more than merely pets to play with. He shouldn't think so negatively though. Maybe the data they got last night will aid them. "Has J'onn found anything useful yet?" he asks Diana.

Diana shakes her head. "No but he has barely scratched the surface of the data we got," she informs Hal.

Meanwhile Bruce is listening on and not really listening. He is too lost in thought about last night. He can still see her, the look on in her eyes as the sword plunged right through her heart. He had been finishing the download form the Kryptonian database when she suddenly showed up and threw him hard across the room right next to where Diana's sword lay. He picked it up. Why did he pick it up? For once Bruce doesn't have an answer. Did he really think an invulnerable being would be afraid of a little sword?

She actually smirked at him. He can remember that right before she charged at him, so fast he never really saw her move. One moment she is across the room from him the next she is standing there with a sword right through her heart. A sword Bruce was holding. It was his fault. He killed her. How did he kill her?

"How?" he asks.

Hal and Diana share a look. "What?" Diana asks.

"How did the sword kill her Diana?"

Diana swallows. "Oh. That sword was made for my mother by Hephaestus. The magical properties of the blade are capable of killing the Gods themselves."

It is then something clicks inside Bruce's mind. "Magical properties."

"Sorry?" Diana asks wondering if she quite caught that.

"Magical properties," Bruce repeats. He stands up abruptly. "Don't you see?" he asks the other 2.

"See what?" Hal asks.

"These Kryptonians are vulnerable to magic."

It is then that Hal and Diana finally catch up. They had infiltrated the base to find out what weaknesses these Kryptonians had and by the death of that Kryptonian soldier they did just that. With this knowledge they now have a weapon with which to fight back against them.

* * *

Lois sits alone in a plain and very spartan room. These Kryptonians sure were fond of crystal as she took in that the room was constructed of crystal. The table were simply a raised platform of crystal. Only the chair she sat on and the 2 across the table were made of something else. Metal and she wasn't sure what type of metal it was. Probably nothing that is found on Earth.

After she had been abducted from the Planet she had been brought up to one of the ships in orbit around the planet and then left in this room where she was told that Kal-El would be coming shortly. The crystals in the wall shift revealing a entrance and two figures, one male, one female enter the room wearing those black uniforms that all Kryptonians seemed to wear. The only difference Lois had noticed in them were the symbols in blue that were across their chests. In this case both the man and woman had the same symbol. A kind of strange S inside a 5 sided pentagram.

"I am Kal-El, head of the House of El, Commander of the Kryptonian occupation force," the man introduces himself. Lois takes a moment to look him over. She had joked to Bruce about Kal-El being a demi-god but seeing him in person Lois reckons she wasn't far off. He is 6 foot plus, has short dark hair and unbelievably gorgeous cerulean blue eyes. Not to mention he is wearing a skin tight outfit that shows off a muscular physique most men would kill for.

Kal-El introduces the woman. "This is Kara Zor-El, Commander of the Kandorian Elite Guard."

"Zor-El?" Lois queries. "Are you two related?"

"We are what you would call cousins," Kal-El says in response to her query.

Huh. Kara is a lot shorter than Kal-El but Lois notices that she possesses similar blue eyes and could pass as a sister let alone a cousin. Lois also doesn't miss the scar down the left side of Kara's face. That is the first imperfection Lois has seen in any of the Kryptonians. It also is an indication to her that they are not as indestructible as they first appear. "You speak good English, you know, for aliens," Lois observes.

Kara snorts. "Your language is incredibly simple. Took me a mere 10 seconds to grasp the basics."

"Kara," Kal-El gently reprimands. "Lets us sit and begin shall we."

Kara shrugs as she and Kal sit down. Kal-El briefly looks over the pad he is holding. "Now you are Lois Joanne Lane. Is that correct?"

Lois nods. "Yeah. Look what is this about?" she asks wanting to get to the point.

"This is about the organisation known as the Justice League," Kal-El answers.

Uh-oh Lois thinks. She guesses that this means last night's operation didn't go so good. "What about them?" she asks pretending innocence.

"Last night they committed an act of terrorism against the Kryptonian military."

"Well you know you go about invading other people's worlds they tend to get a bit cranky about it."

"Irrelevant. They broke Kryptonian Law."

"And what are you going to do about it?" Lois asks.

Kara smirks. "Oh I don't know how about we destroy your city of Metropolis as punishment. What do you think Lois Lane? That sound like a good idea?"

Lois gulps. The woman is being deadly serious about that. "That is a little over the top."

"But perfectly within our legal right," Kal-El tells her.

"You can't just go around destroying cities," Lois protests.

"Sure we can," Kara insists. "At the last count I had destroyed over 30 cities. What's one more."

"You can't be serious," Lois says.

"Why would we joke about such a thing?" Kal-El asks rhetorically. "Destroying cities and therefore killing millions of people is not a joking matter."

"No I guess not," Lois concedes. She takes a moment to gather herself. She better take this seriously. These people mean business. "So...um...why am I here?"

"So you can tell is where to find the Justice League," Kal-El tells her.

"How would I know where to find them?"

Kal-El looks at her dubiously and then inputs a few commands into his data pad. A holographic display appears over the table showing numerous front pages of the Daily Planet that involve the Justice League . "All these issues of your newspaper have one thing in common," Kal-El informs Lois.

"What is that?" she asks.

"You wrote them."

Lois laughs. "So you think because I wrote them I know how to contact the Justice League."

"Don't you?" Kal-El asks plainly.

Lois shakes her head. "No. I don't."

"Be aware Lois Lane that we can tell if you are lying."

"What? Some kind of polygraph? Take your best shot. Look here is the truth. Yes I wrote stories on them and yes I may have made a friend or two amongst them but I haven't seen or spoken to them since you arrived. I don't know where they went or where they are now." Lois watches her two interrogators wondering if they bought that and really a polygraph? She has been fooling them since she was 12 years old. Her father thought buying one would make sure she kept out of trouble. Ha! All it did was force her to discover a way to fool them.

It is then Kara stands up and moves around the table and roughly lifts Lois up and shoves her into the wall where Kara proceeds to grind right up against Lois.

"What are you doing?!" Lois demands to know.

Kara smiles strangely. "Hmm. You have fire in your soul. I like it."

Then to Lois' complete and utter shock the woman kisses her and not some simple peck either. It is the most overwhelming and powerful kiss Lois has ever received in her life. Combined with the curiously pleasant sensation of the warm, solid but unmistakable feminine body pressed next to her own Lois can't help but let out a moan of pleasure that allows Kara to deepen the kiss. Tongues intermingle as powerful hands caress Lois' body until just as suddenly as it began the kiss ends. Lois swallows hard and gasps for breath, her eyes glazed over.

Kara licks her lips. "Hmm. You taste good. If you want we could go to my quarters and take this much further." Kara then looks Lois up and down with Lois not realising that Kara is using her x-ray vision to inspect Lois' body. Kara seductively whispers in Lois' ear. "I'm really eager to investigate the differences between our species. What do you say?"

Before Lois can say anything, before Lois can even form a coherent thought Kal-El speaks. "Kara. We are suppose to be interrogating her," he reminds his cousin.

Kara gives Kal-El a twisted grin. "You have your methods couz. I have mine and I'm sure Lois here would prefer mine. Then again you could always join us."

Lois' eyes widen at what Kara is saying. Gee what kind of society do these people have Lois wonders.

"Kara," Kal-El says sternly.

Kara sighs disappointedly. "You are no fun," she complains. Kara then makes her way over back to sit down beside her cousin.

"Lois Lane," Kal-El says her name.

Lois shakes her head trying to refocus. Wow. She is incredibly turned on right about now. She coughs, straightens her clothes and moves to sit back down.

"Shall we continue?" Kal-El asks her.

"Sure," she says uncertainly. "I'm not sure what you expect me to say though. I honestly don't know where to find the Justice League."

"I believe you and our sensors confirm the truth of your words."

'Score!' Lois thinks to herself smugly. Alien technology 0. Lois Lane 1.

"But from your stories you must know these people quite well."

"Um sure I guess," Lois says thinking that she can't really plausibly deny that considering just how many stories she has written.

"So you will help me understand them by telling me all you know."

"Why do you want to understand them?" Lois asks.

"By their actions they have made themselves our enemies and I want to know who I am fighting against."

"You made yourselves the enemy first by invading out planet," Lois hits back. "You can't expect people not to hate you for that."

Kara smirks. "Love the fire," she comments while staring at Lois with obvious lust in her eyes.

Lois smiles nervously and wonders if she is going to get out of here without having to sleep with this woman. Not that she has never thought about what it would be like. Everyone thinks about it at least once in their lives. Right?

"Do you hate the wind for blowing down your home?" Kal-El cryptically asks.

Lois' face frowns up in puzzlement. "I'm not sure how that is relevant."

"Answer the question please," Kal-El requests.

Lois takes in his gentle stare for a moment and thinks to herself how easily she could have fallen for those cerulean blue eyes if she and him had met under different circumstances. "I guess you can't hate the wind. I mean it isn't a person. It is a force of nature."

"Exactly and so are we."

"You can make a rational choice not to act," Lois points out.

"You are incorrect Lois Lane. We have no choice."

"Everyone has a choice," Lois argues.

"Not everyone," he replies with extreme sadness in his voice. Kal-El has never had a choice from the day he was adopted by General Zod. His life had been mapped out from that day to this and only Rao has the power to change that. "Now back to the Justice League. They are now criminals and if you refuse to aid us you will be considered as to have aided and abetted them."

Great Lois thinks. She can say nothing and be arrested or help them and betray her boyfriend and co or maybe there is a third way. "I...there is nothing more to add than what you can read in my articles. I pride myself in telling the factual and accurate truth." There. She helps them without telling them anything they couldn't look up themselves.

Lois finds Kal-El looking right at her like he is trying to read her. "I believe you."

"You do?"

"Yes I do but I will have our sensor readings gone over again before I let you go to make sure you haven't lied to us."

"I haven't," Lois says trying to convey as much certainty as possible across.

"We'll see. In the meantime I will have food brought to you." Kal-El stands up as does Kara who makes her way round the table and lays another kiss on Lois. She then gently strokes Lois' cheek. "Love the fire," she says in a soft voice. With that Kara and Kal-El exit leaving a slightly baffled Lois behind.

"Was that really necessary?" Kal-El asks his cousin as they make their way to the bridge.

"Well since you aren't willing to accommodate me I have to get my pleasures from somewhere."

Kal-El rolls his eyes. He doesn't know where this sudden urge of Kara to have sexual intercourse with him has come from but he is not something he is going to contemplate even for a microsecond. "You know we could simply have slipped the transmitter in her food."

"True but my way is more fun." When Kara had been kissing Lois she had managed to slip a tiny transmitter into Lois' mouth which Lois promptly swallowed just as Kara had planned. Now they can follow her wherever she goes and also much more than that.

They reach the bridge.

"The transmitter is working normally commander and has attached itself to the correct sensory inputs," an officer on the bridge informs them.

"Show me," Kal-El commands.

The officer activates the holographic display and in front of Kal-El is the image of the cell where they are holding the prisoner but from a very unique perspective. The transmitter will now allow them to see and hear everything Lois Lane does and everywhere she goes. After all he was lying when he said he believed her. Kal-El knew from the start she was being deceptive and that she did indeed know where the Justice League was and now they will find the Justice League and Lois Lane will be the means by which they do so.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

After holding Lois Lane for a few more hours and having her questioned once more so that no-one would be suspicious that they had released her too easily Kal-El watches her wander through her life through the 'transmitter' they placed inside her body. Of course calling it that is a simplification. It is a very sophisticated nano-technological device that integrates itself into the auditory and visual regions of the brain. More importantly it is a device that is well beyond these humans' ability to detect and Kal-El believes not even the Green Lantern he knows is on this planet should be able to detect it. Of course his major enemy here is time and that is why he is employing what could be portrayed as less than honourable means to achieve his goals. His father, General Zod, will be here in less than 6 days and if he gets here before Kal-El finds this Justice League to present to him then he fears his father will punish these humans severely for the attack on the base.

It is not that he isn't upset over their attack or Aethyr's death because he is. He just doesn't believe millions of innocent human beings should pay for the actions of a few. If he had more time he would be mourning Aethyr's death more he is certain. On the plus side this is giving himself something to focus his mind on. Back on the planet's surface when Asha had told him that Diana, the one from his dream, was real he almost lost control of his emotions which is not a good thing. Kryptonians do not allow their feelings to govern them and as a commander in the Kryptonian military he cannot allow his feelings to govern his actions. He has too much responsibility, too many lives depend on him to allow his feelings to make him make rash decisions. He has worked too long to get where he is to allow his emotions to risk ruining it.

Kal-El watches through Lois after his soldiers return her to her place of employment. He had found her moderately interesting during the brief time he talked to her and under different circumstances might even have found her physically appealing. However right now she was simply a means to an end. He continues to watch as Lois explains to her fellow colleagues what happened to her before she seems to return to her work. At the end of the day she leaves but she doesn't seem to head home. Kal-El leans forward in the seat he is in in his quarters with interest. She heads down the side of the building and to a primitive communication device which she picks up and activates.

"It's L.L," she says.

Bruce virtually runs through the bunker so he can speak to Lois. "Lois. Are you alright?" he asks with great concern.

"Yeah. I'm alright," she replies. Lois looks around nervously just in case she is being watched. "I thought it better to phone just in case they released me so they could follow me to you."

Bruce nods. He is glad Lois is smart enough to do that. "So what did they want?" Bruce asks.

"To know where you are. Bruce. What happened? All they would say is that you committed acts of terrorism against them."

Bruce sits down wearily as he recounts what happened unaware that Kal-El is listening to every word.

So someone named Bruce killed Aethyr Kal-El notes. In some sense he is relieved that it wasn't Diana. However as an accomplice her fate is as sealed as this 'Bruce'. Saying that, he wouldn't have to put her to death immediately. Maybe even he could find a way to avoid having to kill her. At least until he gets the answers he seeks about why she haunts his dreams like she does.

Lois listens on and can hear Bruce's sadness and pain at what he did. She bites her lower lip. She is torn. She wants to rush over and comfort him but doesn't want to risk leading the Kryptonians to him. "Bruce. I...Can't you come over to my apartment. I mean no-one is looking for Bruce Wayne. In fact I'm surprised no-one has picked up on your disappearance."

Bruce smiles down the other end of the phone. "Bruce Wayne is having a extended vacation on his private island," he tells Lois as to where he is if anyone asks.

"So you can disguise yourself into someone else. I know you do it all the time." She pleads softly "Come and see me tonight."

Bruce contemplates it for a few minutes before answering. "I'll be there at 8."

Back on his ship Kal-El reaches for his communicator and contacts the bridge.

"Yes commander."

"Get me all the information you can on a Bruce Wayne," he orders.

"As you command," the voice on the other end replies obediently.

"Boring!" Kara complains childishly from her seat next to Kal-El.

"And just when I was beginning to enjoy you being quiet," he says acerbically.

"Oh come on. She works, she makes a phone call, she agrees to meet someone. I mean what a boring life she leads. You should have let me have her for an hour."

"She wouldn't survive an hour with you," he comments. "And did you miss the part where this Bruce Wayne talked about being the one who killed Aethyr?"

"No I didn't. So what are you going to do to him?"

"I have no choice but to put him to death Kara. You know that."

"I do," she admits. "Can I interrogate him first though?" she asks with enthusiasm.

Kal-El looks at her dubiously. He is well aware of how she interrogates people. On the other hand this Bruce Wayne killed Aethyr. "Sure. Just as long as he is alive to receive his formal execution once your done."

Kara leaps up and into Kal's lap and hugs him. "Thanks couz."

Kal-El is not entirely comfortable with Kara sitting there especially as she is grinding into him yet in a way that she is trying not to make it obvious what she is doing. "Kara. Forget it!" he tells her in no uncertain terms.

Kara looks at him and pouts. "Oh come on. Be a man."

Kal-El lifts her off him with the ease that comes from possessing the immense strength the yellow sun grants him and places her back in her seat where she folds her arms and huffs. Kal-El rolls his eyes. If he didn't know just how deadly she was he would dismiss her a petulant child but Kara was no child. She would just as happily kill someone as she would have sex with them. In fact he has heard stories where she has killed people during sexual intercourse. By refusing her Kal-El reckons in fact he has a better chance of staying alive. As long as he does so Kara will see him as a challenge she has to overcome. With Kara seemingly not speaking to him for now he turns his attention back to the transmission they are receiving from Lois Lane. He knows that what he learns through this is the key to him locating the Justice League but more importantly to him personally in locating _her_.

* * *

_Kal watches Diana sleeping peacefully in their bed. She looks so beautiful and perfect and innocent. The bed sheet was only half covering her and her long legs are visible. He lets out a happy sigh. Only a short while ago they had been making love and he had found a completion with her that he somehow had never managed to find before. Before sexual intercourse was merely about satisfying his body's physical need. His body had a physical need to have sexual intercourse and on the many planets he had conquered or visited he found females who could satisfy that urge. It was perfectly logical. It was perfectly Kryptonian._

_However with her it was so much more. He didn't have the words to describe it. His people had so long ago tried to bury their emotions that he thinks the word may have slipped out of usage if not existence on how to describe it. He just felt...whole. He turns away from her and heads out onto his balcony so he take in the splendour of Kandor below him while he tries to reconcile these strange new emotions he is feeling. It is currently dark but Kandor was lit to make it perhaps the most beautiful city he had ever seen. Superior to any he had come across and his actions had made it possible. Krypton was at peace with itself as well as its neighbours._

_He looks once more into the room where Diana lays. Her world too was at peace allowing her to be with him. Kal tries to remember what choice he made that allowed him the fortune to have Diana as his Bonded One and frowns when he can't remember it. How can he not remember it?_

"_Because you haven't made it yet."_

_Kal spins round at that voice and comes face to face with someone who looks remarkably like himself only older. "Jor-El?" he queries hesitantly at whom he believes is his long lost father._

_The man smiles. "You have travelled far my little Kal-El. But one journey is ending and another is about to begin."_

* * *

"Kal!"

Kal-El's eyes shoot open and he finds himself sitting in his chair in his quarters. He must have dozed off. That was a very different dream from the others he has had. It felt different too yet in a way he can't quite find the words to describe the difference and was that truly Jor-El he saw. Kal-El has no real memory of either of his parents as they had been banished to the Phantom Zone when he was but a baby. He only has images of them he managed to retrieve from the archives illicitly. He thinks back on the dream for a moment more. It was like some dream future and he and Diana were bonded and it felt so right, so natural, so...this is madness. Truly it is. Now he is dreaming of being bonded to a woman he has never met. 'Rao please tell me what they mean,' he prays.

"Kal?"

At the second utterance of his name he looks up and finds Kara standing over him. "Kara?"

Kara gives him a little odd smile. Kal-El had noticed she had a lot of odd smiles. "Time to wake up couz. Our little spy just woke up too."

Kal-El focuses on the holographic display. Lois Lane had indeed woken up. He had been watching her last night until she fell asleep. It had not been a very profitable night as she and Bruce Wayne had said nothing that revealed where the Justice League's base was. "Is the squad still in position?" he asks Kara as he pushes the memory of his dream aside and focuses on the here and now.

Kara nods. "They are."

"Good." Since it had become obvious that both Lois Lane and Bruce Wayne were too cagey even when alone to let something slip that would assist in his search Kal-El had sent a small squad to the vicinity of Lois Lane's home. When Bruce Wayne left this morning they would follow him and since the yellow sun granted them visual abilities beyond what these humans can possibly comprehend it would be a simple task to do so without Bruce Wayne being aware of it. Their abilities could allow them to follow him from such a distance that Bruce Wayne could have no possible way of knowing he is being followed.

Kal-El watches as Lois Lane and Bruce Wayne exchange farewells.

"Will you manage to get back in the daytime?" Lois asks Bruce with some concern for his safety. She had persuaded him to stay the night with her feeling that he needed the comfort she could bring.

Bruce smiles touched by her concern as he put back on his disguise of what would appear to be a homeless person. "Of course. No-one ever notices the homeless. Have you ever noticed that? People look away because they don't want to be reminded of the failings of a society that allowed such a thing to happen."

"Way to look on the bright side there Bruce," Lois says with her usual sarcasm.

Bruce laughs slightly and gives Lois a quick kiss. "I should leave. Have a good day at the Planet." Bruce then heads for the door.

"Bruce!" Lois calls out stopping him. He turns to face her. "Don't be a stranger. Ok?" she requests.

"I'll try," he says non-committally. He then makes his departure from Lois' apartment, down the staircase and outside. He looks up and sees it is overcast. It will probably rain later. With that thought he starts his journey back to the now empty and defunct League HQ. He takes an indirect route adding as many unnecessary turns as he thinks is appropriate. He doesn't believe he is being followed. When he had made his way to Lois' apartment last night he had done his best to check that Lois wasn't being watched. Maybe in an ideal world he wouldn't have even risked going but the truth is he loves Lois deeply. More than he is ever willing to admit and last night he needed her to comfort him so he took the risk and went. He takes one last look around as he enters the League HQ through a side door and then makes his way inside. As he does so he is unaware that high above him above the clouds those who can see through clouds and stone and brick and almost anything track him. They watch until he goes through some door in a sub floor of the building and then he disappears from even their sight.

Bruce makes his way to the main computer room and finds J'onn still trying to filter his way through the data they stole. "Any progress?" he inquires.

"Some," J'onn admits. He is looking over what appears to be information on Kryptonian physiology. "I don't have a complete grasp of their language but if I am reading this correctly their extraordinary abilities are a result of the interaction of the electromagnetic energy of the sun on their cellular structure."

"So in simple terms the energy of the sun fuels their abilities," Bruce interprets it.

J'onn nods. "Exactly." J'onn then looks up so he is looking at Bruce. "How was Lois?"

"Fine. She doesn't seem to have been mistreated in any way."

"Good. That's good."

"Did you manage to contact the magical members of the League?" Bruce asks since they were going to need them since they learned of the Kryptonian's weakness to magic.

"Some," J'onn answers. "A few left into other dimensions rather than stick around and you know that your friend Zatanna is in Europe."

Yeah Bruce does know. In fact he had talked to Zee over the phone to make sure she was alright and safe. "Where's Diana?" he asks since she is usually awake by now.

"Still asleep," J'onn answers before he elaborates. "With her injuries combined with the fact she hasn't been sleeping well lately it was only a matter of time until it caught up with her."

"How do you know she hasn't been sleeping well?"

"It doesn't take psychic powers to see how tired she is lately." J'onn then smirks. "Although it helps. In fact I believe I shall check up on her and ensure she is ok. Her ribs were quite painful yesterday." J'onn gets up and leaves and in fact this is a good excuse to take a break from his research for a few moments. It had been consuming his every waking moment trying to decipher the data so a break was welcome. He gets to Diana's room and can sense she is still asleep. In fact J'onn can sense something else. A psychic field? He opens his mind and tries to connect to it.

* * *

_Diana lies peacefully in bed after she and Kal had made love. Her eyes are closed and she probably looks like she is asleep. She knows Kal is not next to her. She can sense the lack of warmth but she can feel him watching her. She wonders what he sees when he looks at her. She wonders if he felt the same completion she felt when they were joined as one._

_All her life she had felt a little empty inside but when she and Kal were together the emptiness was gone. She felt whole. She felt like her soul had found its missing half. She can remember a story her mother told her of how men and women were once one until Zeus with a mighty thunderbolt split them into two and scattered them across the world and that for their whole lives men and women search for that half that was torn away. She had always believed it a story until now._

_Diana can sense Kal has moved off onto the balcony. It is then she hears a new voice. One she has never heard before._

"_Because you haven't made it yet," the unmistakably male voice says._

"_Jor-El?" Kal asks back with what Diana notes is hesitation and even perhaps a hint of nervousness._

_The male voice speaks again. "You have travelled far my little Kal-El. But one journey is ending and another is about to begin."_

* * *

"Diana!" J'onn shouts as he bursts into her room.

Diana shoots up in bed. "What?!" she yells after being awoken so suddenly.

J'onn stares at her a moment and realises the psychic field he sensed dissipated as soon as he woke Diana up.

Diana tries to gather herself as she awakens from her dream and finds J'onn in her room. "J'onn what is it? Is something wrong?"

J'onn looks at her intently gently probing her mind. "Diana. How long have you been having these dreams?"

Diana's eyes widen noticeably and she gulps. "A few years on and off," she tells him honestly. "You're not going to tell the others are you?"

"Diana I may have to. I sensed a psychic field. These dreams are being projected into your mind while you sleep."

"They are?" she asks in not complete surprise if she was being honest. She doubted she could dream about someone she had never met.

J'onn shakes his head. "I do not understand why I never sensed it sooner."

Diana makes sure the bed sheet is wrapped tightly around herself and she swings round so she is sitting on the bed. "J'onn I...maybe I should have told you but the dreams they never made any sense and they never foretold of this Kryptonian invasion."

"I know. I saw," J'onn confesses to Diana.

Diana blushes at the thought of what J'onn saw. "Um. They only became like that shortly before the invasion. Before then they were simply odd flashes of Kal."

"Kal?" J'onn queries interested.

"In my dreams I always call him Kal."

J'onn takes the chair on the opposite of the room and pulls it near Diana and sits down. "Diana. I fear your mind maybe being manipulated."

"If it was some devious plan to deny me sleep then I can tell you they succeeded. Otherwise J'onn you've been with me. I have been myself haven't I?"

J'onn would have to admit apart from her obvious lack of sleep Diana had not been acting abnormally. "I would like, with your permission, to scan your mind and make sure," he requests.

Diana nods. She too wants to be sure she isn't under some outside control. J'onn very thoroughly begins to scan Diana's mind. He is bombarded by images. Many he has seen before previous times he has had to enter Diana's mind. Then come the dreams and the intensity shocks even him. He has never completely understood dreams as he himself doesn't have them but he knows enough about them to know they should not be so intense. It is like someone wants them to be remembered yet there is something else. A lingering impression left behind by the one responsible and it is not as he expected at all. There is no coldness or hate from someone trying to manipulate Diana. There is warmth. An almost tenderness. Perhaps even love. He steps back.

"Well?" she asks once he is finished.

"Your mind is not being controlled. The psychic field I detected earlier is completely gone. From what I can detect it is merely projecting images into your mind. Nothing more."

"Any idea what or who is doing this?" Diana asks.

J'onn shakes his head. "It is nothing like I have felt before. It is odd though."

"Odd?"

"The remnants of it felt warm, loving even. Whoever or whatever is doing this is taking great care not to be overly intrusive or forceful. That would explain the shortness of your earlier dreams. They were making sure not to send you anything more than you were ready to handle."

"Can you block it?" Diana asks.

J'onn shakes his head. "No. It is accessing your dreams. The only way to stop it would be to stop you sleeping and that isn't an option. Sleep is a biological requirement for you."

Diana lets out a sigh. "So I'm stuck with them then?"

"It would seem that way."

"But what is the purpose J'onn?" she asks. "Why show me these images?"

J'onn shakes his head. "I do not know beyond I sense there is a greater purpose at work here. That something important is about to happen and that whatever is to come will involve you and Kal-El."

_'It is more important than you can imagine J'onn J'onzz,' _a voice in J'onn's head says.

_'Who are you?' _J'onn thinks back.

_'A parent whose children have lost their way. Please don't interfere. If you do then this world will share the fate of Mars. Diana and Kal-El are key to this planet's survival and to my children's future. Allow the events I have set in motion to play out. There is little time left.'_

_'Why is there little time?'_

The voice answers in such a way to send shivers through J'onn's being._ 'Zod is coming.'_

* * *

"What hideous clothes these humans wear," Kara comments unflatteringly at her current clothes.

Kal-El gives her only a customary glance as he is more interested in the sensor readouts he is trying to obtain. After his soldiers reported on where they lost sight of Bruce Wayne he realised that scouting needed to be undertaken and due to the importance he decided to do it himself. Not wanting to draw attention or alert the Justice League he had dressed himself like a human so he could scout around the location where Bruce Wayne vanished. He didn't want them to be alerted and disappear. This was his chance to capture them. For some reason Kara has become his shadow and decided to follow him.

Kal-El looks at the scanner readout in his hand. "There is an underground passage below this building leading into some sort of underground structure."

He and Kara walk along until they are over the structure. Kara looks down through the ground and only gets a blurry void. "Why can't I see it?"

"The structure seems to be lined with element atomic number 82." Due to the density of that particular element even Kryptonian eyes could not see through it. Kal-El looks at his cousin. "Will your soldiers assist me?"

"Are you asking for my help Kal?"

"Yes. We have one chance to do this before my father arrives and the Kandorian Elite are the best."

Kara smiles at the compliment. "Well it is nice to get some recognition finally."

"So you will assist me?"

"What is family for Kal."

"Thank you but please remember I want them alive. Only kill if they is no other option."

"Sure. After all I believe you did promise me I could interrogate this Bruce Wayne and I am so looking forward to that."

"Yes I did." Kal-El looks up at the dreary overcast sky. "We shall return after the sun sets. Is that enough time to get your soldiers ready?"

"Kal. Those under my command are always ready," Kara informs him sounding a little insulted that he wasn't aware of that. Kara prides herself on having the best, most feared soldiers in the 28 known galaxies.

* * *

"How's it going J'onn?" Oliver asks as he walks into the computer room that evening. He had seen J'onn analysing the Kryptonian data they seized endlessly.

"I am making progress," J'onn answers.

"Really?"

"Indeed. From this data it is specific wavelengths of light that grant them their power."

"And that helps us how?"

"Well it we were to bombard and surround them with an incompatible wavelength of light it may be possible to inhibit their powers."

"Well that would be helpful," Oliver supposes.

"Yes. Of course that still leaves them with their technology which is extremely advanced."

"There is that."

J'onn looks up for a moment to find Oliver relaxing in his civilian clothes. "How is your relationship with Dinah progressing?"

Oliver looks at J'onn with complete surprise. "You don't usually ask questions like that."

"True but being trapped down here has left me little to occupy my time."

"So you have decided to indulge in gossip."

"You forget Oliver. I am telepathic so it is not gossip but more fact."

Oliver actually blushes. He coughs to clear his throat. "Oh. Yes. I forgot." Oliver garbs a chair and sits himself down. "I take it you know everything then."

"No. Only what you were thinking about when you entered the room. You were projecting quite strongly."

"Ok that is a little embarrassing." When Oliver had entered the room he had been thinking about how he spent his previous evening with Dinah in his room. In his bed. How she lay there and he could gaze at the soft curves of her body and know he finally had her permission to touch them. How it progressed from there and they made love until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

J'onn smiles softly. "I will not say anything," he assures Oliver.

"Yeah. I know that but it just made me think. You probably pick up a lot of private stuff because we humans aren't good at controlling our thoughts."

"I try not to. Imagine it like hundreds of voices in a room chattering away just out of earshot. You can hear the noise but not make out any of the words. As I said you were projecting loudly. Like someone suddenly shouting."

Oliver contemplates that for a moment and then gazes at what J'onn was reading when he came in. "What were you reading when I came in?" Oliver asks.

"History. I wanted to understand better Kryptonian culture, what drives and motivates them. Specifically this coup Hal mentioned and their leader General Zod." Especially since the voice mentioned that Zod was coming. J'onn had had some time to think about what the voice said about leaving events to unfold which meant that the future was still in flux. That it could be altered and that he himself could somehow alter it. Maybe there was a way to block Diana from these telepathic images she was receiving. That thought occurred to him but should he. The voice...J'onn had felt its concern, its love, its belief that what it was doing was for the greater good somehow and it made J'onn feel that as much as he might want to intervene that he shouldn't on this occasion.

Suddenly the alarms go off and J'onn rushes over to the main computer and tries to locate what is happening. Bruce, Hal, Diana, Wally, Dinah and a whole host of others rush in soon afterwards.

"What's happening?" Bruce asks, close to, demands to know.

J'onn stands and speaks gravely. "They've found us."

* * *

_Author's Note: I had intended Kal and Diana to meet this chapter. I really did but it just kept getting longer and longer so I decided that J'onn's announcement that they had been found was a good place to end this chapter instead. Thanks to everyone who has written reviews. Oh I'll mention for those who don't know or haven't worked it out that the element with atomic number 82 is lead. Up next Kal-El finally finds Diana and the little blond psycho known as Kara Zor-El gets to have some fun with a couple of the Justice League._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

J'onn flicks up the security camera images onto the main screen. It shows the bunker being invaded by dozens of Kryptonian soldiers. One in particular looks directly into a camera causing a lump to catch in Diana's throat. It is Kal.

Bruce looks on with dark foreboding. "We need to get out now."

"I thought you had all the entrances sealed with magic," Wally reminds Bruce.

"That will only slow them down," Hal tells them. "Magic may affect their powers. We aren't sure." In truth that was an educated guess from what happened with the female soldier on the base and what they had managed to extrapolate from the data they got as to how Kryptonian abilities work. "But they still have their weapons," he points out to everyone.

"Grab only what is essential and head for the secondary exit. You know where the rendezvous is," Bruce instructs everyone who promptly and quickly head back to their rooms to grab what they can.

Kal-El marches purposefully through this underground structure. He has them and they are not getting away. He comes up to a door which to his surprise no-one can punch through. A captain comes up and salutes him. "Commander. There is something impeding our abilities protecting the door."

"Give me a scanner," Kal-El orders. He is passed one and Kal-El scans the door. His brow furrows. "Some sort of electromagnetic energy is permeating the doorway. Do it the old fashioned way."

The captain salutes and orders his soldiers to draw their weapons and cut through the door which they proceed to do while Kal-El looks on. He doesn't know what this strange energy is but he won't let it stop him.

"Hmm interesting," Kara idly mentions as she sands next to her cousin. "Well couz lets see how you do when you face the prospect of not relying solely on your abilities." After all she had had to fight many campaigns in systems with red suns and she had the wounds and scars of old battles to show that.

"I have never relied solely on them Kara," he feels the need to point out. Yes they were extraordinary but he always felt that they should be considered an incredible gift and never a right. Kal-El turns his attention to the door which is yielding under their weaponry. It is soon cut. "Remember I want as many as possible alive," he orders.

"Yes sir!" they chime in obedience.

Kal-El nods and they knock the cut door down and rush into the base soon followed by himself and Kara each seeking something different. His soldiers fan out into the complex of corridors and rooms while he searches for one person in particular. He comes across someone coming out of a room. Unfortunately it is not the one he is seeking. "Hal Jordan."

Hal whips round to the sound of the voice. "Commander Kal-El."

It had been a few years since he had seen Hal Jordan but Kryptonians possess eidetic memories and he remembers with crystal clarity their last meeting and how this Green Lantern was trying to aid the natives of a planet he had been sent to conquer. Hal Jordan had been injured and captured during battle with Kal-El's troops but he had his wounds treated and had let Hal Jordan leave. Kal-El had done so mainly because he saw no reason for Hal Jordan to suffer but also so he could relay to the Guardians not to oppose Krypton. "You oppose me once more."

"This is my home planet. You can't expect me not to fight to defend it."

"I understand but you also understand how little choice I have in what I must do now."

"I am fully aware of Kryptonian law." Two soldiers now appear behind Hal who glances at them. Hal raises his ring and surrounds his body with a green glow. "However I won't go without a fight."

Kal-El nods in acceptance of his decision and in fact respects it. He too would not surrender without a fight. It is the only honourable action to undertake. Kal tenses himself up while Hal powers himself up before the two of them fly right at each other.

* * *

Kara meanwhile is skipping along a corridor looking for someone to play with. Well someone in particular and she had made a bet with her 2 lieutenants that she would find him first. The first one she comes across isn't the one she is looking for but he will have to do. She has come across a man with blond hair and facial hair. "Why hello there," she greets him. "Are you coming quietly? Please say no."

Before Oliver can reply someone else does. "No."

Kara turns round to the find who said that and finds standing there is a blond woman. Kara looks at her amused. "Oh two against little old me," she jests. "Now that isn't fair...on you."

Dinah glares at the woman, takes a deep breath and lets loose her Canary cry. Oliver quickly covers his ears but Kara doesn't at first until the sound hits her. She covers her ears as pain shoots through them and her ear drums burst. Fighting the disorientation she reaches for a dagger in her boot and then flings it at the offending noise. It strikes Dinah directly in the vocal chords.

"Dinah!" Oliver shouts out horrified. He rushes over just as Dinah falls over her hands reaching at her throat. Oliver holds her in his arms. "Oh god Dinah. I...please don't die. I love you."

Dinah unable to say anything back due to the dagger impaled in her throat simply strokes Oliver's cheek with a bloody hand before her hand falls limp and her eyes close shut as she takes her final breath.

Oliver shuts his eyes as tears form in them.

"Insolent pest," Kara says dismissively as she stands over Dinah and Oliver.

In a fit of rage Oliver, without thinking, jumps up and tries to strangle Kara to no effect obviously. Kara chuckles darkly before she grabs Oliver by the throat and shoves him hard into the wall. Blood is trickling out of her ears as a result of the sonic scream the human female attacked her with but Kara has endured worse. "Aw was that your beloved I killed," she says with no sincerity or sympathy in her voice. Kara's lips curve upward into a positively evil smile. "Don't worry. You'll be joining her soon."

Kara pins Oliver with one hand while she brushes his hair aside with the other so she can see his face clearly. "You want to know something that everything in the universe has in common?" she asks him.

"Go to hell!" Oliver spits out.

Kara continues. "Everything burns." Oliver then sees the eyes staring into him glow and it is the last thing he sees. The last noise he ever makes are screams as the smell of his burning flesh wafts down the corridor.

Diana has just grabbed her most important belongings when she hears screams and picks up the smell of burning flesh. She hurries out her room hearing the scuffles and shouts of what she recognises as the voices of her fellow Leaguers. The Kryptonians have gotten in. She has to hurry. She makes her way along the corridor and comes across Dinah's body with a dagger in her throat. She feels she must take a moment to bend down and grieve for her friend.

"Oh you don't mind returning that do you?"

Diana looks up at a Kryptonian woman with blond hair and a scar down the left side of her face standing next to a burnt corpse pointing at the dagger. She has the most sickening smile on her face. Diana stands up straight. "You did this?"

Kara nods. "It was fun."

"Fun?!" Diana shouts outraged.

"Yes but you are going to be a lot more fun than these two aren't you." Kara looks the woman over. "You're the one who fought dear departed Aethyr," she says realising that this woman matches the description.

Diana realises that must be the name of the woman she fought at the base. At that moment the whole place shakes. Kara tilts her head as she listens. "Ah I see my cousin has found the Green Lantern. Pity. I haven't killed a Green Lantern in a good 6 years but oh well I still have you." Noticing that the woman has a sword Kara reaches for her own and draws it out. "Shall we?"

Diana seeing she has no choice draws her own sword. "We shall."

3 soldiers appear in the corridor as they search for all the people they can find. "This one is mine. Leave!" Kara orders. Obeying their leader without question they do so. "Sorry about that. Don't want us to be interrupted."

"Do I at least get to know your name?" Diana requests.

"Of course. How terribly rude of me. I am Kara Zor-El. Daughter of Zor-El and Alura. Commander of the Kandorian Elite Guard and the last person you will ever see in this world and you are?"

"Diana. Daughter of Hippolyta. Princess of Themyscira."

"Diana," Kara repeats in acknowledgement of her opponent's name. "Lets go."

Both Kara and Diana move forward and their swords clash.

* * *

Kal-El throws a punch which connects with the Green Lantern's face. He was not in a good mood having been knocked through several walls since their fight started. A Green Lantern was a worthy opponent and Kal-El had the bruises to prove it but frankly he had had enough as he follows up his last punch with a few more. A Green Lantern's weakness was that using their ring required immense concentration and it is only possible to maintain a high level of concentration for so long. This one's concentration was slipping and his attacks had slowed to the point Kal-El could easily avoid them.

With one last mighty punch the green glow around his opponent fades and he falls to the floor unconscious. Kal-El reaches down and removes the ring from his opponent's finger before crushing it in his hand.

"Take him to the ship with the others," Kal-El orders a couple of his soldiers.

"Yes commander," they respond obediently as they pick up the Green Lantern and carry him off.

Kal-El activates his communicator and contacts one of Kara's lieutenants. "Mala. Report!"

"The capture progresses well Commander. By our estimation we have captured 80% of the known members of the Justice League," Mala informs him.

Kal-El nods satisfied with the progress. "Where is Commander Zor-El?"

"I am uncertain due to the inhibiting nature on our visual abilities of the lining of the walls."

Kal-El shakes his head at the thought that no-one is keeping an eye on Kara. Only Rao knows what she is up to. Probably ignoring his wishes. He better find her but he needs to know one thing first. "Is Bruce Wayne captured yet?"

"Zara is overseeing it Commander," Mala informs Kal-El. Zara was Kara's other lieutenant and it had not escaped Kal-El's notice how Kara seemed to prefer female lieutenants to serve her for reasons only Kara knows or maybe not considering how dangerously unbalanced his cousin's mental state is.

"Inform me when you have him," he orders. With that taken care of Kal-El begins his search for Kara knowing that without his constraining influence there is no limit to what she might do.

* * *

Kara and Diana are parrying back and forth, their skill with a sword being roughly equal although Kara's technique is more aggressive and direct. In one exchange Kara manages to parry Diana to the side allowing her an opening to punch Diana in the ribs which she does.

Diana rails back as Kara manages to hit the ribs Aethyr had managed to crack.

Kara grins maliciously. "Oh I see old Aethyr did some damage. Good for her." Kara then proceeds to redouble her efforts now knowing her opponent has a weakness.

Kal-El stalks through the corridors looking for Kara wishing his visual abilities would work down here. Also with all his guards running around using his enhanced speed would not be a wise decision either. To his surprise he comes across Zara and in her custody is Bruce Wayne.

Zara straightens up. "Commander," she says in acknowledgement of his presence.

"Lieutenant," Kal-El says back to acknowledge her. He then looks at Bruce Wayne who is standing tall despite having his hands restrained and not show any weakness. "You are under arrest for the death of Lieutenant Aethyr."

Bruce says nothing. There is nothing to say. He had been caught in his quarters trying to pack and he had no defence against someone with super powers. They had not been enough time or enough magical members of the League to completely enchant the facility like he wished. There had also not been enough time to translate the data they stole into something useful like a weapon. These Kryptonians had found them too soon and Bruce does have to wonder how they found them.

"Take him to the ship," Kal-El orders Zara.

She dips her head as a sign of obedience as she not so gently drags her prisoner away.

Kal-El watches them go. He had managed to keep his emotions in check at the sight of Bruce Wayne which actually was no easy feat considering he had an urge to put his fist through the man's head. However there are processes and procedures that have to be gone through in how to deal with those who break Kryptonian law and as he keeps reminding himself he is a commander in the Kryptonian military and he is duty bound to uphold those laws. Bruce Wayne would receive the appropriate sentence for his crime soon enough. Now he must resume his search for his erstwhile cousin. That is his priority right at this moment.

* * *

Kara and Diana were now exchanging blows having managed to disarm each other. Kara throws a punch which Diana dodges and then grabs the arm and twists it. She then uses her other arm to grab Kara by the hair and drive her head into the wall. The wall crumbles as Kara's head leaves an deep impression. Kara then elbows Diana with her free arm which causes Diana to release her grip on Kara and stumble back a few paces.

Kara shakes her head to clear the cobwebs and the dust from her hair. Ever since this started she had this little smile on her face. Her opponent is strong, fast and greatly skilled. It has been ages since she has had this much fun.

Diana eyes her opponent carefully. This 'Kara Zor-El' was different to Aethyr. While both their fighting techniques were similar and obviously military derived it was the look in Kara's eye that bothered her. A kind of insanity Diana had only seen a few times in her life.

"Well I think that is enough of a warm up," Kara announces. "Time to show you what a true Kryptonian can do." Kara pauses for a moment. She may not be the tallest or largest Kryptonian alive but she was nearing the age at which a Kryptonian was at the peak of their power. Time to show this woman that however strong she was she was already dead.

Diana readies herself as her opponent actually smirks before Kara's form dissolves into a blur. Diana is then rapidly hit on her face, into her ribs and there is definitely what feels like a kick to her stomach which sends her flying back along the corridor until she smashes into the wall. In what seems like an instant Kara is there with her hand around Diana's throat.

Kara's smile is positively pure evil. "Like I said to the male before I killed him do you know what everything in the universe has in common? No. Everything burns."

Diana can see the glow in Kara's eyes and recognises it instantly from what Aethyr tried to do. She raises her arms, bracelets crossed in front of her face. The two beams of heat bounce off the bracelets and straight back into Kara's face who screams in agony as she covers her face with her hands.

Diana being the warrior she is takes her opportunity to attack. She punches Kara in the stomach as hard as she can which causes Kara's hands to drop from her face and allows Diana to reign several blows on Kara's face. Just when she is thinking she can knock Kara out Diana finds her fist caught in a vice like grip by Kara. She sees Kara spit up some blood before she looks up chuckling despite the fact she is quite clearly hurt. Her face is obviously burnt and she has the beginnings of what looks like a black eye.

"I knew you would be fun. I just knew it," Kara proclaims with unbelievable cheerfulness considering she is genuinely hurt but then again Kara had endured much, much worse in her life.

Diana tries to hit Kara with her other hand but Kara catches that too. Kara then head butts Diana hard. "Time to end this," Kara says in a tone of malicious intent. She once more dissolves into a blur but whereas before she only inflicted a few blows this time the blows keep coming, each with bone shattering force. Diana can feel more of her ribs crack until suddenly she feels a massive uppercut to her jaw which is powerful enough to send her flying upward into the ceiling before Diana lands back on the ground. Diana coughs up blood as her insides feel like they've been liquefied. Her breathing is laboured and Diana can tell that she is severely hurt before her eyes flutter shut and the darkness claims her.

Kara meanwhile retrieves Diana's sword before she stands over her opponent. "This is a fine sword," Kara says in admiration at the workmanship. "It will be fitting as the means as to which your life is ended," she says even though she knows her opponent is unconscious. She usually prefers her enemies to be awake so she can see the life drain from their eyes but what can she do. With one last crooked smile Kara raises the sword over her bloodied and battered opponent as she prepares to strike the final blow.

* * *

J'onn who had been phasing through walls trying to avoid capture had seen the majority of the League captured. A few had managed to escape thanks to him phasing people out and Wally using his superior speed. He was having one last look to see if there was anyone else that could be rescued before he went to the rendezvous point when he sees Diana about to be killed. He must intervene quickly.

_'NO!' _the voice from before demands loudly. '_Don't interfere or this world is lost.'_

The voice causes J'onn to delay for a moment but he is about to ignore it as he can't let Diana die when round a corner Kal-El appears. In an instant he has grabbed the Kryptonian woman round the throat and thrown her so hard into the wall that her body makes a hole in it.

"What do you think you are doing??!!" Kal-El screams outraged. "I told you to only kill if absolutely necessary."

Kara looks into her cousins eyes to find them burning, literally, with rage. "I thought it was necessary," Kara replies with complete calm and self assuredness.

Kal-El tightens his hand around Kara's throat tighter. He is more than tempted to see if he can squeeze the life out of her. How dare she go against his wishes!! He doesn't care how feared and powerful she is. He is still in charge of this occupation. When he found her near two corpses and about to kill another he just completely lost control of his temper. Cousin or no she has gone too far. Kal-El's attention is then caught by coughing. He turns to look at just who Kara had nearly killed. In his rush to stop her he hadn't looked before. As he does so now his eyes widen.

Oh Rao!

It's her!

He instantly forgets Kara and rushes to the badly hurt woman. She has fallen unconscious. Kal-El kneels down and strokes some hair out of the way to reveal a badly bruised and rapidly swelling face. He swallows hard as his emotion rush to the surface. He...what must he do?

He has to get her injuries treated. Yes that is what he must do. Otherwise she may die and he can't allow that. Kal-El picks her up and without as much as another word leaves with her.

Kara frees herself from the wall and shakes her head in a mixture of annoyance and confusion as well as just to get even more dust out of her hair. She then brushes the dust off her uniform. What was that about she wonders along with why is her cousin always ruining her fun since she arrived at this planet. Oh well she has other ways to amuse herself. Before she too leaves she picks up Diana's sword. She really does admire the workmanship and it will make a nice addition to her collection. She then decides she better check up on how this operation went since it seems her cousin is more concerned about her defeated opponent.

She starts to walk off while she rubs her throat. Kal is mighty powerful for his age. It is such a shame he doesn't seem all that interested in her. After all Kara is more than willing to attend to his needs and she hazards a guess that he is quite capable of attending to hers. Honestly. He really doesn't need to go through the effort of nursing that woman back to health. Then an idea strikes her and a wicked smile forms. Well if her cousin won't attend to her she knows where to find someone who will whether they want to or not.

J'onn watches as the woman departs. It seems the Kryptonians are winding up their operation. He should get back to meet with those that escaped. He hopes he did the right thing letting Kal-El take Diana.

_'You did what had to be J'onn J'onzz,'_ the voice says in answer to his question.

_'Are you ever going to tell me who you are and why I feel I should trust you?' _J'onn thinks back.

_'As I said I am a parent and your feelings of trust are because you can sense that my intentions are noble.'_

_'Your methods need work,' _J'onn criticises at the sight of Dinah and Oliver's bodies. When he is safe he will pray for his lost friends. It seems so wrong that their lives ended at the moment they had finally gotten together but J'onn knows better than most how cruel the universe can be. It took away his wife and children and left him the last Martian in existence.

J'onn can then feel an immense sadness before the voice answers. _"I act in the only way I have left to me," _it says with immense regret at what J'onn thinks is its own impotence at not being able to do more.

"_What are you trying to achieve?" _J'onn asks hoping that knowing what the goal is will help him better understand.

"_There is a possible perfect future that can come from this. You saw it in Diana's dream. Earth and Krypton at peace. However that future becomes more difficult to reach every passing day my children follow Zod's path."_

"_So in summary what has to happen?"_

"_For your world to be saved and for Krypton to be restored to its true self Zod must die and Kal-El must be the one to kill him."_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Kal-El just stands there watching her sleep. He can barely believe that she is real. He studies her youthful face and thinks how she looks as perfect in real life as she did in his dreams. He has had her injuries treated. Fortunately Kryptonians possess advanced medical knowledge and technology and for them her injuries had been a relative simple task to heal. Especially combined with her own healing abilities.

While she was being treated the physicians had taken the opportunity to study her DNA. The results were intriguing. For the other advanced humans their DNA had been altered at some point in their lives. For her she had always been like this since she had been created. For Kal-El it was confirmation of what he had read up about her. He had read up everything he could find out about the Justice League after their attack on the base but he will admit about being more thorough on finding out about Diana or Wonder Woman he believed these humans called her.

She shifts slightly in her sleep and Kal-El can clearly see the outline of her body move under the sheets that covered her. His breath catches a little bit and he has to drive down the temptation to use his enhanced visual abilities to look at her. It is not out of some cultural nicety he resists. Kryptonians don't feel shame as in regards to their bodies. Also in a way he has already seen it in his dreams but this is different. This is the real woman and he is worried that if he looks at her that way he will...sully her...is that the term?

Or taint her is perhaps better.

Sully? He has been spending too much time studying human languages. He is almost certain that is not a Kryptonian word.

Yes he is afraid he will taint her by even looking. He is certainly not going to even dare touch her and risk marking her flawless skin with his clumsy touch. His physicians did good work Kal-El notes. It is hard to tell how badly Kara beat her and he has not forgotten about that. He will deal with Kara later...maybe. Or maybe he should let it go. If he took it further he has no way to know exactly how Kara will react and he can't afford to make her his enemy. She is too dangerous and powerful. While she came here in one ship Kal knows she has an entire battlegroup at her command all of whom are fanatically loyal to her. She had had 6 years to shape the Kandorian Elite to the way she wants. Not to mention she has his father's complete trust in her or at least she did when he gave her the command all those years ago.

Back then the Kandorian Elite also acted as his father's personal bodyguards. Nowadays that task befell on the Argosian Guard who had been created by his brother Lor in another one of his paranoid driven decisions that everyone was out to overthrow Zod's regime. Lor personally selected each and every single member of the Argosian Guard so that each was unquestioningly loyal to Zod. Personally Kal-El thought it was designed to remove the regime's weakness, its dependency on an alliances of Houses. His father needed the support of those who had allied themselves with him during Krypton's civil war to set up a functioning government. Part of that was stripping the Houses of those who opposed him and splitting their assets between his allies and then granting them more possessions over the years from the conquered territories. The weakness though was obvious. His father's house was not powerful enough to keep order without the others so Zod's grip on power relied on keeping his allies happy.

If Lor could make the Argosian Guard powerful enough that the House of Zod was more powerful than all the other houses combined then Zod could finally rule truly unquestioned. The trick was to do it without the heads of the other houses noticing. It was part of why Kal-El was more than happy to be a soldier on the front line away from all the political machinations of his family even if it meant he missed his home world greatly some days.

His musings are interrupted by his guest stirring. Her heartbeat has increased and incidentally so has his. It is a sign she is waking up. Kal-El finds that his mouth has gone oddly dry as her eyelids flutter open and he catches a glimpse of that blue that has haunted his dreams for so many years.

Diana wakes up to the feeling of lying on something wonderfully soft. Much softer than her usual bed. Her eyes blink open and she finds herself staring at a ceiling made of crystal. It slowly comes back to her. She had been fighting the Kryptonian woman and she had lost. The woman had simply been too fast and too strong. It had shocked Diana immensely just how much power the woman had or it would have if she hadn't being beat into unconsciousness at the time.

Diana takes a moment to assess herself and oddly feels in little pain. The sheets covering her certainly aren't brushing up against any bruises or wounds. They are in fact caressing her skin more like a lover not that Diana knows exactly what that feels like. Then it occurs to her that they are caressing her bare skin. She is naked.

"How are you feeling?" a voice she has never heard in person yet is all too familiar to her asks with great concern and tenderness.

Diana doesn't panic despite the urge inside her to do so. She grabs the sheet so it doesn't fall off and then sits up which allows her to note that her body has a slight general ache. Her eyes falls immediately upon that standing across the room from her is him. Diana can't help but look him over in his skin-tight uniform that shows off the muscular physique. The same one she had been seeing in her dreams. He stands there looking almost shy as his stunning blue eyes study her with gentleness. For a soldier which she knows he is she finds it odd that there is so much warmth and kindness in his eyes considering he has committed less than kind acts since he arrived on Earth.

Kal-El walks forward a few paces. "Are you in pain?" He asks a different question this time.

Diana finds her voice. "No. I'm fine but I wasn't...did you treat me?"

Kal-El smiles at the first sound of her beautiful voice. "Not me personally no but I did order it."

Diana looks around. "Where am I?"

"In my quarters on my ship," Kal-El explains simply.

Diana remembers back to the bunker being overran. "Did you capture all my friends?"

"If you are referring to the Justice League then I can inform you we captured a great many of them. They are being held in specially designed cells that negate their abilities." Kal-El had left Kara's two lieutenants to take care of it while he was more concerned with Diana's well-being.

"Why?"

Kal-El frowns slightly like the answer should be obvious. "You violated Kryptonian law."

"The base," she whispers.

"Yes. The base where you killed my second-in-command."

Diana screws her eyes shut. "It was an accident. He didn't mean to."

"Perhaps but he did and now Bruce Wayne will be punished accordingly along with all those that assisted him."

Diana opens her eyes with surprise at Kal-El saying Bruce's name. "How did you know his name?"

"We have many ways of gathering information," Kal-El answers vaguely.

"What about me? Am I going to be punished?"

"Yes," Kal-El answers honestly. "But not before you answer my questions."

"What questions?"

"Why are you in my dreams?"

* * *

At the same time Bruce is pacing back and forth in what is obviously an interrogation room of some kind. He has a fair idea what is coming and of what his fate is. Hal had explained that the punishment for what he did was execution. Funny thing is he isn't afraid in the least of dying. In a sense he has been dead for years. A part of him, maybe the best part, died the day his parents were killed. The only thing he is worried about is if Lois will be alright after he is gone. He does love her and he is sorry that they won't take that journey together to wherever it would have led.

When Bruce became Batman he accepted that it would probably end with his death but he hoped that he could make a difference to Gotham City before that happened and when he helped form the Justice League make a difference to the world. Unfortunately when Luthor had been elected President years of work Bruce had undertaken was undone virtually overnight. Then these Kryptonians came with all their vast power and once more changed things in an instant.

The crystals slide open and Bruce stops his pacing as a single Kryptonian woman enters the room and seals the door behind her with a simple passing of her hand over a particular section of the wall. From Bruce's guess the doorway must be keyed to her genetic code since he had already tried to open that doorway himself. The woman sits herself down and then rests her head on her hands as she looks him over. He studies her back noticing the prominent scar on the left side of her face and what is a healing black eye and what looks like partially healed burns.

"Well. Well. What do we have here?" Kara says while assessing her prisoner. She had been dying to get started on this and hadn't even waited until her injuries had fully healed.

Bruce says nothing in return.

Kara portraying an air of professionalism reads over the data pad in her hand. "Lets see now. Bruce Wayne. Only son of Thomas and Martha Wayne, both deceased. Head of the multinational Wayne Enterprises and is worth, at least on this primitive little backwater planet, a great deal in monetary value."

Kara looks up at him. "Now lets see. We caught you with the Justice League who have a member called Batman, origin Gotham City, which is the same place you come from. Coincidence?"

Bruce still says nothing which causes Kara to smile. "Oh good. You're the silent type. I thought you might ruin all my fun and tell me all your secrets right off but since it seems you won't it means I get to employ certain interrogation techniques to make you talk. My cousin's only restraining point was that I leave you alive to receive your execution. You have no idea how many possibilities that leaves me with."

Bruce locks eyes with her and at this moment realises just how much trouble he is in. The look in her eye. He has seen it before. The barely concealed insanity. What she projects is a thin façade of civility out of necessity. However there are people whose safety rely on his silence so Bruce will remain stoically silent and tell her nothing.

Kara places her pad down and gets to her feet. She wanders up to her prisoner who simply continues to lock gazes with her. Oh this is going to be so good she realises. She then grabs his arm and snaps the bone and is mildly impressed by her opponent's lack of reaction.

Bruce grits his teeth as he tries to block out the pain as the woman gazes him with malevolence.

Kara smiles oddly. "You will scream. I guarantee by the time I am done you will scream. You will beg. You will plead for mercy. Then you will tell me all your secrets and once you have I will make you scream. I will make you beg. I will make you plead for mercy all over again." She pats him lightly on the cheek. "Now doesn't that sound like fun?" she says with insane cheerfulness.

* * *

"Why are you in my dreams?"

Diana isn't sure she heard that correctly. "I'm sorry. What?"

Kal-El moves to the bed and sits down. He raises his hand to her cheek, no longer able to resist the urge to touch her. As his fingers touch her cheek ever so gently Kal-El takes in the feeling. She feels as soft as he dreamed of. "My dreams. For so long I have dreamed of you. Why?" he asks with gentle earnest.

Diana swallows at the feel of his fingers on her cheek. They are making tiny electric shocks travel through her entire body. "I...I don't know." She swallows once more. Her mouth has gone dry. "I...I have dreamt of you as well," she admits.

Kal-El tilts her head trying to read her, trying to see if what she says is true.

"I...can I have clothes?" Diana suddenly asks.

Kal-El's lips curve upward in amusement. "Interesting moment you have chosen to remember that," he wryly comments.

Diana too smiles at the warmth and humour in his eyes. Diana had met soldiers whose experience had left them totally bereft of warmth, like that woman she fought, but she is glad to see Kal-El hasn't lost his. He finally takes his hand from her face and speaks to what looks like a bracelet on his wrist in a language Diana doesn't understand.

"Clothing and food will be here shortly," he informs her.

"Thank you," she says genuinely.

"You are welcome but this is only a temporary delay. I require answers."

"About the dreams."

Kal-El nods to confirm it.

"I know. I want answers too. I don't know if you believe me."

"I neither believe or disbelieve you for the moment."

Diana nods in understanding. "Um what of my friends?" she asks changing the subject temporarily.

"As I said we are holding them. Some suffered minor injuries but they are well. We will question them and then decide their punishments."

"Hal said you execute those responsible for killing a Kryptonian soldier."

"Hal?...You mean the Green Lantern. Yes he is correct. Kryptonian law is quite strict." Kal-El turns his head as there is knock from outside. "Enter!" he orders.

A soldier bring food and varying choice in clothing before leaving quickly.

"What happened to the clothes I was wearing?" Diana asks.

"You would not want them. They were stained with your blood," he tells her.

"I see. Is it possible I could be alone while I change?"

Kal-El feels slight disappointment at that. A primal part of him wants desperately to see her in the bare flesh but he needs to remain professional. He stands up. "I shall be outside. Also if you think of trying to escape please note that outside this room is an entire squad of my troops. Even you for all your obvious strength could not fight that many. Also note that we are in space and I don't believe you can survive in a vacuum."

"I understand," Diana tells Kal-El who then departs leaving Diana alone. She takes a deep breath. Funnily escape is not as forefront in her mind as it probably should be. She was speaking the truth about wanting answers to her dreams and only by staying here can she get answers. Also she would not contemplate escape without at least seeing if it was possible to rescue her friends and for that she would need to know where they are and the layout of this ship. To do that she needs Kal to trust her. She wants him to trust her and part of her wants to trust him.

Diana takes in what to wear. Not a lot of choice actually. What is it with Kryptonians and these black uniforms they are so fond of. Well it is better than sitting here in the naked flesh so she puts one on and turns her attention to the food they brought her. She picks up a slice of odd looking meat and nibbles it unsure if she will like the taste. After a few small bites she decides that it is perfectly edible and tucks in. Even what she thinks is some sort of purple vegetable is not too bad.

A short time later after Diana has finished her food Kal-El returns to find Diana sitting on the bed her legs folded under her. He can't help but think that a plain uniform looks most pleasing on her figure. "Was the food adequate?" he inquires.

"It was fine," she replies.

"Good. I am glad."

Diana watches him stand there awkwardly almost shyly. "So. Where shall we start?" she asks.

"I am uncertain. How long have you had dreams about me?"

"A few years I think. At least that is how long I can clearly recall having them."

"I believe it is the same for me. What do you dream about?"

Diana blushes instantly. "Well at first there was nothing more than flashes of you Kal."

Kal. She called him Kal just like she does in his dreams and it sounds wonderful spoken from her lips. He feels this strange warmth in the deep recesses of his heart. "You say my name in my dream just like that."

"I do?"

Kal-El nods. "You do...Diana."

Warmth floods Diana's heart at the sound of her name spoken by his lips. "You say my name like that too."

"Really?" Kal-El goes and sits next to her once more. "I don't understand this...this connection, this pull I feel to you. It isn't logical."

"Affairs of the heart are rarely logical," Diana points out to him.

Kal-El observes her briefly wondering if she is speaking from personal experience. "They are for Kryptonians. We rarely bond out of pure emotion. It is for political union or for genetic compatibility."

Diana observes him back wondering how any society could live without the joy only love can bring. "That sounds so cold."

"It is our way. Emotions must be controlled or otherwise they control us."

"That isn't something that woman who beat me seemed to think. She seemed to be getting pleasure out of killing my friends." Her voice is laced with anger at the memory of what happened to Oliver and Dinah.

Kal-El does not blame Diana for her anger. He was angry at Kara too. "I must apologise for Kara. My cousin went against my wishes."

"Cousin? She is your cousin?"

"She is."

"Will you punish her for her actions?"

"It is not that simple."

"Why not?" Diana asks a little miffed since her friends will seemingly be punished.

"Kara is not technically under my direct command. We are of equal rank. She did not break an order as I cannot give her one. She broke my wishes. There is more I could say but it is not any of your concern."

Diana represses the urge to ask why not but why would he answer her since she is technically his prisoner. Maybe she will ask later if she can gain his trust.

"May we return to the discussion about our dreams?" Kal-El requests.

"Yes. I want to get to the bottom of them as well."

"Get to the bottom?" Kal-El queries at the strange turn of phrase. "I am not familiar with that expression."

"I apologise. It means to gain an understanding of the causes of something. I forgot that English is not your natural language is it?"

"No. It is not."

"It isn't mine either."

"Yes I know. You speak a form of Greek." Diana looks at him but before she can asks how he knows that Kal-El answers it first. "I spent much time researching the Justice League. I like to know my enemies and your internet was most useful in providing information."

"We are not your enemies," Diana protests.

"Yes you are," he assures her.

"Even me?"

"Yes."

"So why am I not in a cell like my friends?"

"I told you. To answer my questions."

"About the dreams."

"Yes. I need to know. For years I have carried them as a secret only known to myself. I thought perhaps my mental well-being was being compromised but I came to realise that was not it. I also prayed to Rao for answers but received none."

"Rao?"

"Our Father. The Creator of the Kryptonian race. In terms you can understand he is our God."

"I prayed to my Gods too," Diana admits.

"And did they answer you?"

Diana shakes her head. "No," she admits in great sadness.

"So that leaves us with the only option of talking to each other and hope together we can find the answers we seek."

"I am not certain it will help. I have tried and tried to find meaning in them without success."

"It is the same for me but what choice do we have left when neither of our deities will answers our prayers."

Diana contemplates his words. If this was a normal situation where she has been taken prisoner she would barely dignify her captor with a response but this isn't a normal situation. Kal said he felt a connection, a pull and Diana feels it too. She has from the moment she woke up to find him here with her but she has resisted it making her do something foolish and unwise. J'onn said that he sensed something important was about to happen and that her and Kal would be at the centre of it or something along those lines. If that is the case then she has to know and only by speaking to Kal does she have any hope of getting an answer. With her decision made she looks directly into Kal's blue eyes. "Ok let us talk."

Kal-El smiles and Diana's heart skips a beat at the way it transforms his face from stern and authoritarian into kind and gentle and...beautiful really. With him smiling the way he is Diana has to say he is possibly the most beautiful man she has ever met. It causes her to smile in return.

Kal-El can feel his heart nearly melt when Diana smiles. He can remember from one of his dreams comparing her to some Goddess and he has to say seeing her in person with that smile adorning her beautiful, perfect face he has to wonder how far off he was. He can't have been very. He mentally shakes himself down. He is allowing his feelings to take over him again. He pushes his emotions down or at least tries to but it isn't as easy with her here as it usually is. Using what control he has he returns to their conversation. "Very well. I will start with what I remember about the first dream I had that involved you." Kal-El then begins to tell Diana that very dream as they both seek to get the answer behind what links them together.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

J'onn looks around at what is left of the Justice League. It isn't much. Flash, the Atom, Plastic Man, Booster Gold, Blue Beetle. It seemed totally random as to who escaped and who didn't. There are a few other out there who have been in hiding since the moment the Kryptonians arrived on Earth and he supposes he could gather them together but for what end. As J'onn looked around now he had to admit that it was essentially over. They can't fight the thousands of Kryptonians in orbit. Maybe they never could but J'onn had observed humans rarely admitted that anything was impossible.

The question now was though was should J'onn continue to give those of them left a purpose and continue to try set up a resistance.

_'Worry not J'onn J'onzz. In a few days one way or another it shall be over.'_

The mysterious voice was back.

_'You are gambling a lot on whatever it is you are planning,"_ J'onn tells the voice irritably.

_'More than you can possibly imagine and I do feel genuine sorrow for those who have been lost and those losses still to come.'_

"_Losses still to come?' _

The voice speaks with great sorrow. _'I can see many possible futures but in all there is loss of life but that is the price of change and I hope you trust me when I say the alternative is much, much worse.'_

J'onn sadly shakes his head. The strange thing is he does trust the voice as illogical as that sounds as he is basing it on nothing more than a feeling. He looks up once more at his friends.

"Fancy place old Bats has," Wally comments.

The rendezvous point had been here at Wayne Manor in Gotham. J'onn takes in what by human standards is great splendour. He only has to wait a few days the voice said. That is a short enough span of time to put off any decisions about what to do and simply let themselves rest here and come to terms with what has happened. If the voice is not being truthful then a decision will have to be made but it can wait. In the meantime J'onn can only hope his captured friends are being treated well and he has real hope of that being the case if Hal's stories about this Kal-El are true.

A few days. For he who has already lived centuries that is no time at all.

* * *

3 days. That how long Kal-El has before his father arrives. Problem was that he was no closer to finding out the meaning to his dreams and once his father gets here Diana's fate will no longer be in his hands. They had talked for hours about their dreams. Diana had seemed embarrassed by the sexual nature of them. Must be a human trait. After all Kal-El can't understand what is embarrassing about what is a perfectly natural biological urge. To reproduce you have to have sexual intercourse. It is a simple fact. Even so he had felt the need to try and ease her discomfort by interjecting a little humour into the conversation. He isn't sure he entirely succeeded since a sense of humour has never been his strongest trait.

Unfortunately neither of them were any closer to understanding the dreams. He should be disappointed by that but in fact he takes the reality that he got to spend several hours with Diana as a blessing. Her presence is calming and comforting to him. It is not logical that her presence does that. He knows nothing of her beyond what he read but for once on his life he feels...

He feels.

Instead of listening to the logical rational part of his mind he is listening to the feelings he locked away for so long. It is interesting and if he is going to honest he is a little afraid but at the same time he has this urging to explore his emotions for the first time since he was taught to control them as a small child.

"Hey Couz!"

Kal-El almost audibly groans. Right now he feels deeply annoyed. Just because he decided not to pursue any further what she did when they captured the Justice League does not mean he wants to see and talk to her right now. Can't he even walk around his own ship without her bothering him. That was basically what he was doing while he thought. Diana had needed rest so he left her to sleep and he has been wandering around aimlessly ever since. Well not completely aimlessly. He checked in on the bridge to make sure everything was running smoothly. He also checked in on the prisoners to make sure they were being treated the way he expects. Since they were he guesses he won't have to demote anyone today.

Kal-El stops and turns his head as Kara catches up with him. "I thought you were interrogating Bruce Wayne."

"Oh I'm just letting him rest. These humans are so frail and you did insist I leave him alive."

"Yes I did." In fact Kal-El has found himself wondering if he did the right thing in handing Bruce Wayne over to Kara. Of course then he remembers how Bruce Wayne killed Aethyr and he decides that he actually doesn't care very much what Kara does. Besides it is Kryptonian law that Bruce Wayne is interrogated before his execution is carried out. Kal-El is simply holding that off until his father arrives. He will hand the Justice League over as proof he has taken care of the rebellious element and if his father is in a generous mood maybe General Zod won't reduce a few cities to rubble as punishment. "Has he revealed anything yet?" Kal-El asks Kara in reference to Bruce Wayne.

Kara smiles another one of her odd smiles. "Not yet. I have to give him credit for that but fear not Kal I shall break him."

Kal-El arches an eyebrow at that comment.

"Not literally," Kara corrects at her cousin's enquiring look. Kal-El starts to walk once more and Kara walks with him. "So how is your interrogation of the woman going?" she asks him.

Kal-El is not surprised that she knows about that. Kara seems to know far more than she should. "It is progressing," he answers to give her no real answer to her question.

Kara smiles which Kal-El can tell is totally fake. "Well isn't that nice."

He lets out a breath. "What is it Kara?"

"What is what?" she asks with fake innocence.

"You have a point. Raise it."

"I have no point beyond it is interesting how you took a powerful, beautiful woman to your bed so you could play healer."

"Her injuries were already treated."

"Stop procrastinating Kal. There is nothing wrong in admitting that when you saw her you decided that you wanted her to have sexual intercourse with."

"I admit nothing," he says in reply. He is certainly not going into the real reason why he is doing what he is doing with Kara.

"Fine. Since you won't tell me about that tell me how are you getting on with preparing for our Beloved Leader's arrival. You know since you are missing a second-in-command to take care of that for you."

"Am I? Am I really missing a second-in-command. I mean your lieutenants have been very helpful and I thank you for that but I am not so distracted that I have been neglecting my duties Kara."

"Oh really and where is this second-in-command?" she asks him. She then pretends to look around. "Nope don't see them."

"Well obviously not Kara because he is still in command of his ship for the moment."

Ship? That means he appointed one of the other ship captains. Which one? Then it hits her. It has to be that childhood friend of his. The son of one of Zod's servants. "You didn't?"

"Why not? What is wrong with Kond-Ah?"

Kara shakes her head. "Your preference for those from dissolved houses will get you into trouble one of these days Kal."

"I promoted him to command a ship in _my _battlegroup on merit and merit alone Kara. After Aethyr he is next in line and for the moment he can oversee his duties from his ship so he doesn't need to be here. Now unless there is something else I have a prisoner to interrogate."

"Interrogate. Is that the euphemism we are going with?"

Kal-El scowls at her attitude. "Kara. Go interrogate your prisoner or something."

"'Or something'? Very articulate there Kal," Kara mocks.

Kal-El shakes his head and stomps off leaving Kara alone. Hmm her prisoner needs some rest before she starts up on him again which leaves her some free time to fill. Now what will she do? Oh she knows. She can go to her ship for a few hours and play with her new pet. A little sadistic smile forms on her face. Yes that is what she will do. New pets always need to be broken in at some point after all.

* * *

Kal-El walks past the guards outside his quarters who salute automatically and he makes his way inside to find his 'prisoner' sitting on his bed reading off a data pad while at the same time eating some food. He takes a moment to admire her simple beauty. While they did not find out what this connection between is Kal-El can't help but feel it as soon as he stepped into the room. He can feel her pulling him towards her like a magnet attracts metal. He finds it is as disconcerting as he does appealing which makes little sense to him. It is not rational or logical in any way he is use to. "Morning," he says in a way of greeting he believes is used on Earth.

Diana looks up from her reading and can't help but give Kal a smile despite him being her captor. She had virtually felt him enter the room but was too caught up in her reading to heed it attention. She can feel the connection, the pull to him and she is beginning to doubt whether it is this outside force J'onn drew her attention to alone that is responsible. During their less than profitable talk last night about their dreams she had found him to be quite warm, funny and under all that military training even sensitive. Someone less perceptive than her might not have seen it in him but she did and she has to admit she is attracted to him. His presence is soothing in a way Diana hasn't felt...well ever possibly. Of course first and foremost she could tell that he was a soldier. He talked like a soldier, moved like a soldier, even stands still at attention like a soldier does. If she can just break through it and reach to what is underneath she is certain she will find a decent, noble man.

Kal-El moves over and takes the pad from her. He had allowed her limited access to their database. "Kryptonian history?" he queries at what she was reading.

"Yes. I like to understand other cultures. It is part of my job." She then corrects herself. "Was part of my job. I was an ambassador for my people. Maybe technically I still am. I am not sure."

"Yes your people. You call yourself Amazons. Is that correct?"

Diana nods in affirmation. "Yes."

"I too read. You are a race of warrior women."

"That is part of who we are but above all we believe in living in peace. I was suppose to take those teachings to the outside world."

"Suppose?"

Diana nods slowly. "It wasn't going very well," she sadly admits. Her gaze drifts to the floor as she contemplates her own failings.

Kal-El is unsure what to do but he doesn't like seeing her so sad so he sits down next to her and gingerly places his arm around her and in response she rests her head on his shoulder. This position is illiciting new and strange sensations inside him. A feeling to protect he thinks. To somehow take away her sadness.

Diana rests her head and closes her eyes. She supposes it might look odd to an outsider that she is sitting here taking comfort from someone who is her enemy so to speak but with Kal's arm around her an odd sensation of safety and security has come over her. In a way she needs this. Diana will never admit it openly. She is an Amazon princess as well as just being an Amazon warrior so admitting her feelings especially to an enemy is not something she is going to do.

What she won't admit is how much it hurt to look at the world and see it fall apart and know that even though you tried your best you still failed. To not only stand by as the world falls apart but to even assist the main cause of it as they did by serving Lex Luthor. They lost their way somewhere along their journey. Even she lost her way and did not do enough to oppose evil. Of course that raises an interesting question. Is she risking the same thing here with Kal by her desire to trust him and for him to trust her.

"This is the point I should ask you to tell me where your home is since it is hidden," Kal-El says.

Diana tenses slightly as his line of questioning but does not move. "Are you going to ask me?"

"Would you tell me?"

"No."

"Then I will not ask it as it would be a waste of time and I have a feeling there is little that would make you tell me which is fine by me since I strongly dislike having to use those methods."

Strongly dislike is not the same as he would not use those methods Diana mentally notes and she has an inkling what exactly those methods are. Probably torture of some kind.

"What is your home like?" he asks out of the curiosity he has to know everything he can about her.

Diana contemplates not telling him anything for a moment but remembers her need to gain his trust if she even has the slightest hope of saving her friends so she tells him about her home but tries to be careful not to say anything that might give away Themyscira's location. Every so often Kal would interrupt her merely to clarify a term he was not familiar with but otherwise he simply listened to her in what she thinks is genuine interest. Combined with the fact he said he did a lot of research into the Justice League Diana takes him as someone with a strong urge to learn.

Kal-El listens to her carefully. Her home sounds beautiful in its own way. Not Krypton but few things in the universe match the splendour of home. Her culture is also interesting. It is a warrior culture not unlike home. Zod had militarised the entire Kryptonian civilisation in the 30 years since he took power. She moves on to stories about growing up with her actual sister as well as her Amazon sisters and as he listens to her speak Kal-El comes to decide that Diana is a kind, generous and warm person. They are rare qualities amongst his fellow Kryptonians. Maybe that is why he finds her so appealing because as much as he wants to put it down to the dreams he is starting to think that what he is feeling for her in his heart has arisen solely from spending time with her.

Kal-El also detected a distinct longing in her tone of voice as she spoke. "Do you miss your home?" he asks her.

"Very much," she admits.

"I do as well," he admits.

"I miss my mother and sister."

"I have no biological siblings and I can't remember my biological parents. They were lost to me when I was an infant."

"Lost? Are they dead?" Diana queries.

Kal-El considers for several moments whether to tell her or not. The logical part of him is saying no while the newly freer emotional part wants him to share everything with her. The emotional part wins out. "Imprisoned," he clarifies. "Death would have been kinder."

Diana raises her head from his shoulder so he can look at his face. "I don't understand," she says with puzzlement.

"They were sent to the Phantom Zone. I believe an appropriate human expression is that being there is a 'living hell'." Kal-El then attempts to further explain the Phantom Zone. "It is a prison dimension. When you are sent there you are transformed into the insubstantial. You can no longer touch or feel or interact with anything. All you can do is sit and watch forever. Time does not exist in the Phantom Zone. There is no release. Not even death."

By the Gods that is a horrific existence Diana thinks to herself.

Kal-El continues. "It was originally created to imprison those whose crimes were so horrendous that they didn't deserve death. They deserved to suffer forever."

"What crime did your parents commit?" Diana asks him in the only logical conclusion to what he said.

"They opposed our leader General Zod's takeover of Krypton. They were members of the former ruling council."

"That's it?"

"For General Zod that is enough. He wanted those that opposed him to suffer for eternity. I believe he imprisoned many hundreds from the stories I was told later as I was too young at the time to know what was going on."

This General Zod sounds like a truly evil person Diana thinks. She looks at Kal-El and has trouble reading him as to what he is feeling. She wonders why he obeys someone who did something so awful to his parents. "What happened to you?"

"I was adopted and raised by General Zod."

"What?" Diana asks not sure she heard that right.

Kal-El looks at her with intensity in his blue eyes. "General Zod is my father."

* * *

Meanwhile back on her ship in her quarters Kara is dressing herself after spending some pleasurable time with her new pet. This one had a lot of fire which frankly only made Kara's desire stronger. Too often she has to endure those who meekly surrender their will to her. She likes the strong ones that require her to spend time and effort breaking them so she can mould them into what she wants. It is part of the reason she admires and lusts after her cousin so. Oh he may appear to be just another ordinary, blindingly obedient soldier but he isn't. In his eyes she had seen the fire, the close to unbreakable will inside that drives him. No wonder he commands the flagship and it isn't because he is General Zod's son. General Zod has never once lifted a finger to aid Kal in his rise through the ranks. Kal-El is where he is through merit and by Rao she is going to enjoy the challenge of getting him into bed. She already was.

Kara checks the time. She has let her prisoner rest enough. Time to get back to Bruce Wayne. He too was strong willed and a challenge and Kara is going to enjoy breaking him immensely. She turns and looks at her pet chained and lying on her bed. Her pet is glaring at her with pure hate. Kara growls low in her throat with desire in response. If she didn't have Bruce Wayne to interrogate she would spend another few hours with her pet.

Kara walks over to the bed with a deliberate sway in her hips. Her pet remains still. Kara had taught her pet that if she moves without instruction the punishments were severe but Kara knew that deep down her pet was only paying lip service to her and of course knowing this is half the fun. The look of defiance in her pet's eyes even when she does what Kara instructs gives her a thrill. This one will be a challenge and Kara loves challenges. Her whole life had been full of them. From surviving her bastard of a father to surviving 30 years in the Kryptonian military fighting one battle after another to earning her way to command of the Kryptonian Elite Guard.

Kara sits down and runs her hand over her pet's naked body. Kara's quarters were nice and warm so her pet didn't need clothes. Hmm the human female form was very similar to her own. Legs, hips, Kara takes a moment to gentle caress her pet's womanhood. She had every intention of exploring that very thoroughly in the time to come and to have her pet return the favour. Her hand continues upward over the stomach onto the breasts which Kara takes another moment to not so gently pinch a nipple. Like on her own body human breasts were also sensitive and Kara would explore that further later too. Arms...oh silly her. She had forgot to mark her pet as belonging to her. She will have to correct that.

Kara pins her pet down with her immense strength. She bends down and whispers in the ear. "Hold still and this will be over all the quicker." Kara then activates her heat vision and onto the left arm of her pet she burns the symbol of the House of El. Her pet screams which Kara expected. She will have to toughen this one up a bit more if her pet expects to last any length of time with her.

Kara finishes and stands up while her pet breaths heavily through gritted teeth. "What the hell is this?" her pet demands to know.

Kara loves the fire in her pet's spirit. "That is a mark to show who you belong to."

"You branded me?!" her pet shrieks indigently.

Kara in an instant grabs her pet round the throat at her insolence and pins her to the bed. "Yes I did. You belong to me now and forever and it would serve you best to remember that Lois Lane. Am I clear?"

"Yes Mistress," Lois grits out from between her teeth.

Kara smiles at her pet's obedient response. She had had Lois Lane brought here to satisfy that thought she had back in the underground facility about needing someone to attend to her needs and like she had said when she and Kal were interrogating Lois Lane she does really love the fire this one has in her soul. It had been easy enough for her troops to locate Lois Lane and bring her here since she still had that transmitter in her head. Kara had been sure to deactivate it so her cousin won't see something he shouldn't. By the time Kal notices it is no longer transmitting enough time will have passed that the transmitter would be past its operational life-span anyway. Kara releases her grip round Lois Lane's throat. "Now I have to go perform my duties. Be good and I might reward you later."

Kara leaves and Lois glares at the doorway. She is chained to the bed to prevent her escape. She had been stripped and humiliated and forced to...she had been forced to pleasure her 'mistress'. She had no way to resist. How can one resist a being of such immense power. No her only hope is to play along and wait for an opportunity to escape. Lois sits up and looks down at her marked and bruised body. Her abductor had not been gentle in the slightest. Lois then looks at the brand on her arm and a horrible feeling of hopelessness hits her. What if she can't figure a way out of this. At that thought tears form in her eyes and now Kara is gone Lois lets the tears she wouldn't dare show in that woman's presence fall.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"General Zod is my father."

Diana isn't sure how to take that. Kal had just described the horrible way this Zod treated his opponents and now he tells her that he calls himself Zod's son. "How can you call him that?" she asks.

Kal's face adopts a look of puzzlement. "He raised me," he answers simply like that is suppose to explain it.

"But he imprisoned your parents," she says trying to make him see that calling Zod his father is wrong.

"And he could have done the same to me or had be put to death. Believe me he has had others put to death for a lot less than being the offspring of his enemies. He spared me. Raised me. Taught me to become the person I am. Isn't that the definition of a parent?"

"What about love?" she asks him back. For her he missed out the most important bit of being a parent. That you love your child unconditionally.

"What about it?" he asks rhetorically. "I told you that emotions have very little to do with why Kryptonians bond. The same is true of why we have children. It is merely to ensure the continuation of our bloodline. As for why my father spared my life I am sure his reasons were perfectly logical."

"You don't know why?" she asks with some puzzlement.

"It was not my place to ask. I simply accepted it as is."

"But aren't you angry at what he did to your parents? Don't you hate him?"

Kal-El tilts his head slightly as he processes her words and his emotions. "Hate and anger are a waste of time and energy. They would not bring my biological parents back."

Diana studies Kal closely. Just when she thought he was showing a lot more emotion than Hal said that Kryptonians did he falls back on cold logic. She doesn't understand...yet. "Are you not at least curious about who your parents were?"

"No. I know who they were." Kal-El then stands up and walks over to the wall. Diana watches him trace a pattern on it with his finger and then an alcove opens up in the wall. He then comes back with a flat blue crystal in his hand. He sits down and holds the crystal in front of Diana. The crystal glows momentarily before it projects a holographic image of a man and a woman about a foot high. "These are my parents. Jor-El and Lara."

Diana takes in the image of a blond woman with the same blue eyes Kal possesses next to a man who looks remarkably like a slightly older version of Kal with greying hair. What was most interesting though was that in the woman's arms was a small blue eyed baby which Diana assumes is Kal.

"I'm not suppose to have this," Kal-El admits to her.

"Because of their opposition to General Zod," Diana guesses.

Kal-El nods. "I was taught to see them as fools for their opposition to the New Order yet when I was a child I couldn't help but be curious about them. I trawled the archives of my House for weeks trying to find an image that hadn't been erased. This is one of the few I managed to find."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asks him since she can see doing so is exposing himself to trouble.

"I don't know," Kal-El admits in all honesty. "I just didn't want you to think I was unfeeling towards them. I was simply stating a fact. I can do nothing to help them and hating my father would be a waste. I am sure he did what he felt what was necessary. In the end that is all any of us can do."

Diana thinks she needs to know more if she has any hope of really understanding Kal's lack of reaction. "Since I told you about my home would you tell me about yours?" she asks him. This way she can maybe hope to understand what it is that drives and motivates Kal-El.

The corners of Kal-El's lips curve upward slightly at the thought of home. He would be more than happy to tell her about home. He takes one last look at his parents. It has actually been awhile since he last look at this image which he guesses can't have been long before his parents were banished. They look happy and he wonders if they felt love for him as Diana seemed to think that was important since she asked about it. Funny until she asked it he had never thought about what they felt. He must have looked at this image dozens of times over the years and never once did he consider what his parents felt. Actually now he thinks about it why did he keep looking at it over and over? Kryptonians have eidetic memories. He only needed to look at it once but he had looked at this and the other images he has sporadically over the years.

That is something he is going to have to think about before he has an answer. However he will have to do that later as he is eager to tell Diana of Krypton. He puts the crystal back in its alcove, sits back down next to Diana and proceeds to tell her all about Krypton.

* * *

Bruce is huddled in a corner of his interrogation room trying to block his mind to the pain his interrogator had inflicted on him. She hadn't broken any other bones since she broke his arm although he knows she could at any time. Maybe she was saving that for later or maybe she knew enough about human physiology to know that there is a limit before to what a body can endure. He shivers. She had literally torn his clothes off and left him stark naked. Probably to try and embarrass and humiliate him. Humiliation was a commonly used technique when trying to break someone.

He hadn't told her anything and he wouldn't. He wouldn't betray those of his friends that are left free on Earth by telling that woman anything about their location. The door opens and said woman walks in carrying a tray of food.

"Now then how are you? Feeling ok?" she asks as she places the tray down. "I brought some food."

Bruce doesn't move.

Kara sits on the table. "Now don't be like that. You need to keep your strength up."

Bruce still doesn't move.

"No?" Kara sighs. "You know all this suffering is for nothing. I can make your stay here pleasant for the both of us."

A laugh deep from his chest escapes Bruce. She has moved on from torture to the temptation angle.

Kara observes him closely. "You shouldn't dismiss it so lightly. Think about it. Think about what I can do that no mere human woman can do. Think about how strong and agile I am. Think about how much stamina I have."

Bruce looks up at her. "You will have to do better."

Kara stands up disappointed. After all Bruce Wayne is not a bad looking man and by appearance is in fine shape for a human. Of course she is not entirely sure he could survive sexual intercourse with her unless she was very delicate. She had had to be with Lois Lane. "Very well then. We shall do it your way." Kara turns her attention to the food she brought and incinerates it with her heat vision. She then detaches a cylindrical device from her belt and moves over to where Bruce is who doesn't move. Kara admires that. She then presses the cylinder to his neck and injects a drug into his bloodstream. "That will prevent you from sleeping," she informs him. "Lets see how resistant you are when you can no longer sleep."

Bruce smirks. He has gone days without sleep.

"Oh you find this amusing," she says at his reaction. "Maybe you will find it less so when I mention what has happened to your mate."

Bruce's smirk fades instantly but he says nothing.

"Ah still silent. Yes I know all about Lois Lane. In fact I know her better than you do."

Bruce gets to his feet so he can stand over Kara with his extra height. "Where is she?"

"Tell me something and I will tell you something."

Bruce glares at her with his most intimating look which a small part of him wonders how intimidating that can be when you are beat up and naked.

"Alright I'll give you something first. Like where her birthmark is. The one on her thigh."

Bruce fights the urge to throttle her knowing that he actually can't.

Kara can see the battle in his eyes. The hatred of her and his battle to keep himself in control. "It is this simple Bruce. The longer you keep silent the more she will suffer. I can tell you don't care about yourself but I bet you care about her."

"I want to see her."

"No."

"Then for all I know you could be lying."

"I am a Commander in the Kryptonian military. I don't lie but if you want proof..." Kara once more reaches for her belt and the little pouch that is there. She pulls out a lock of hair, brings it to her nose and sniffs it inhaling the scent. "Hmm. She does smell wonderful."

Bruce snatches it from Kara's hand and she lets him. After all she can always get more of Lois Lane's hair.

Bruce examines the lock. It is certainly Lois' colour and he too inhales the scent. It faintly smells of her too. "What do you want to know?"

"Where are the remaining members of the Justice League? Particularly the ones known as the Flash and the Martian Manhunter."

Bruce was willing to say some things to spare Lois suffering but he can't betray that. He hopes Lois will understand. "No," he tells Kara.

Kara lazily shrugs one shoulder. She had hoped her threats to inflict suffering on his mate might have persuaded him to start talking but it seems not. "Oh well. Guess we start over." In an instant she has Bruce shoved up against the wall with her hand round his throat. Kara's mouth forms a manic grin. "Now tell me. Do you know what everything in the universe has in common?"

Outside the room the two guards' enhanced hearing can pick up blood curdling screams and their enhanced sense of smell can detect the unmistakable odour of burning flesh.

* * *

While Kal tells her about Krypton Diana has focussed on one thing in particular. His face. Or rather the expressions it displays. When he describes his home as beautiful she can tell that to him it truly is. His face adopts almost child-like wonder at times which she is certain he doesn't realise he is doing. She decides to ask him a question that will allow her to move onto his upbringing. "Were you allowed to see a lot of your home planet as you were growing up?"

"No," he says sadly. "I was restricted to the palace until I came of age out of fears for my safety. But I saw many holographic images of Krypton. I was given an excellent education."

"So was I but I had to be given one."

"Because you're a princess."

"You read about that as well?"

Kal lifts a shoulder slightly. "It was in an interview you gave to Lois Lane."

Lois. This was the first time Diana thought about her. Oh Hera she must be going frantic with worry about Bruce. Diana calms herself. Lois was a strong person. She would cope.

"You are not like many of the princesses and queens I have met," he tells her.

"In what way?"

"Most were arrogant. Full of their own self-importance and the belief that their position was a right when it is a privilege and certainly not one they earned since their title were hereditary," he says with little respect for them.

"They did use their position to serve their people as they should?" Diana queries.

"No. They only served themselves."

"And what about your leader General Zod?"

"Everything he does is for the greater glory of the Kryptonian Empire and by default its people."

Diana has to fight the urge to roll her eyes at such propagandist nonsense that has obviously been drummed into Kal's head. "How does conquering other worlds help anyone?"

"We bring order to chaos. We being all the benefits of our technology to improve everyone's life. The same will happen to Earth over time. You shall see. Your lives will be greatly improved."

"Except that we won't be free. We will be second class citizens on our own planet." An odd expression forms on Kal's face. That combined with his silence makes Diana realise she has made a point he had never considered before. She continues. "Is that what you were taught as you were growing up?"

"Yes," he answers briefly as he tries to fully grasp the point she made.

Diana ventures with something new. "Is it what you believe or simply what you were taught to believe?"

There is a long pause before Kal speaks. "I don't know."

Well that is progress Diana thinks to herself. Part of what she is trying to do here is to get through all that preprogrammed military training that he must have had rammed into his head at some point. It had occurred to her that saving her friends might need her to get Kal to see what he is doing is wrong and that there are other options. Of course another part of it are her feelings for him. She wants...she just wants his mind to be free from constraint. For him to form his own opinions and not go along with what has been drummed into him as he was growing up.

Kal-El meanwhile is having a small crisis. Surely he believes without question what he does benefits the worlds he conquers. He must do or he would never do it...or has he simply deluded himself into believing that to ease his conscious. It isn't like he has ever had any other option.

_'Strength comes from obedience and obedience brings strength.'_

That is what his father drummed into him over and over again as he grew up and Kal-El obeyed his father without question or had he?

As he thinks about it if he obeyed his father's laws without question then he would have put the Justice League to death and destroyed their home cities as punishment. He could say the same on other planets where he stretched his father's orders, his father's laws, to their limit. He never broke them and if his father gave a direct order he obeyed. No questions. No objections.

"Kal?"

Kal-El is broken from his thoughts by her voice and her hand placed on his cheek. Her touch is so soft and warm. He takes her hand from his cheek and holds it while he gazes at the concern in her eyes. Of course his prolonged silence must have worried her. "I am fine."

"No you're not."

Kal-El swallows hard. "I...it is just..." he trails off finding trouble finding the words to describe his feelings.

"What?" she implores gently.

"I am questioning if I have done the right thing all these years. I have never questioned it before. I...don't know what to do."

Since Kal is still holding her hand Diana takes her other one and strokes his cheek. She had hoped to make him question blindingly following the orders of a dictator. She hadn't meant to initiate Kal having a full blown philosophical crisis. "We all have doubts in our life at some point if we are doing the right thing."

"Even you?"

Diana smiles sadly. "Yes. Even me. Before you arrived..." She stops.

"Before I arrived," he says wanting her to continue.

"The Justice League. We use to stand for what was in our name. Justice. Then Lex Luthor came to power and we found ourselves doing his dirty work."

Kal-El wasn't entirely familiar with the term 'dirty work' but he had a fair idea what she meant.

"We shouldn't have. I shouldn't have. He was insane, corrupt but he was also the legitimately elected leader of the country. At first I thought that meant the right thing was to do what he asked but it was a mistake. We let him get into a position of power over us and by the time I started questioning it it was too late." There is deep shame in Diana's voice over what she did for Lex for too long.

"If he was corrupt why not simply kill him?" Kal-El asks slightly puzzled. His confusion over what he has done in his life forgotten for the moment as he is more concerned with Diana.

"Killing is not the answer."

Kal-El is more confused. "Aren't your people warriors?"

"Only if we are given no other choice."

"That is what I believe also."

Diana looks at him with great scepticism. "I know you killed Lex when it was not necessary."

"It was very necessary," Kal-El argues. "Believe me I have met his kind before. Like you I did not wish to kill and let that leader live. It cost me the lives of many under my command. After I killed that leader in retaliation I promised myself not to repeat that error."

"It is never an error to value life."

"I do value life but those under my command come first."

"So if you had to you would kill human beings to keep your troops safe?"

"Yes," he answers without hesitation.

Diana shakes her head. "You are valuing one life above another. All life is equally sacred."

Kal-El snorts derisively at her words. "You have no comprehension of the horrors this universe holds. Trust me when I say they are some whose lives are not worth considering as sacred."

Diana glares at him, her eyes burning. "I am all too painfully aware of what horrors this universe holds. My people. Do you know why there are no men?"

Kal-El shakes his head. That he did not know and Diana had never mentioned it to him in their earlier conversation.

"I will tell you. It was because my mother trusted a man named Heracles. In fact she loved him and he returned this love by betraying and raping her while his men did the same to my sisters."

"Rape?" Kal-El is completely unfamiliar with the term.

"He forced himself on my mother," she clarifies.

"That is abhorrent," Kal-El says with genuine revulsion.

"Are you saying you with all your power would never even consider it?"

"Of course not. The concept is an anathema to my very being." He is insulted she could even imagine he would do such a thing. "Anyone who does such a thing deserves to be put to death. It is the act of a barbarian."

"Yes it is," she says in agreement.

"Was such a thing ever done to you?"

Diana shakes her head. "No. I was...born," she uses for lack of a better term right at this moment, "long afterwards."

"I am glad." If such a thing had been done to her Kal-El would hunt the one responsible down and take great pleasure in killing them. Kal-El takes his hand and reaches for her face and cups it gently. "I give you my word that no-one under my command would ever commit such an act and if they did I would have them immediately executed."

Diana gently pats his hand as a gesture of appreciation before she notices that Kal-El is gazing at her with great intensity. The next thing she knows is that his head is moving towards her until his lips meet hers in a sweet chaste kiss.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Kal-El can't believe how wonderful Diana's lips feel against his own before he suddenly realises his foolish impulsiveness. He quickly breaks away, stands and moves across the room leaving a slightly befuddled Diana sitting on the bed. "I am sorry," he apologises.

Diana shakes her head slightly to regain focus. That soft kiss had left her whole body tingling. "For what?" she asks him.

"There I was telling you how no-one would ever force themselves on you and I am suddenly kissing you. I would understand if you are angry at me."

Diana takes a breath and stands before she goes over to him and places her hand on his shoulder. "I am not angry."

"You're not?" he asks with a mixture of surprise and hope.

"Surprised but not angry."

"I don't know what came over me. I am not impulsive by nature. Aethyr use to take great pleasure in teasing me that about how I would plan everything in detail. That I did not know the joy of simply acting on random impulse."

Diana smiles. He is rambling like an embarrassed school boy and he looks so adorable doing so she is finding it hard to resist her own impulse to kiss him now she knows what it feels like. She had already been fighting the strange pull she feels around him. She thinks it might be a touch more difficult after this and she really wasn't angry at him. Like she said she was surprised to suddenly find him kissing her and part of her would really like it if some time soon he kissed her again.

Kal-El tries to gather himself together. This is not how a commander in the Kryptonian military should act. He has no idea what impulse drove him to do it. He had his hand placed on her cheek and was indulging slightly in how smooth and soft it felt against his rough hand and then...then his eyes had under their own volition turned his gaze to her lips. Next thing he knows is he is touching her lips with his. The only saving grace is that somewhere, somehow his self-control was strong enough to ensure it was only a gentle touching of lips and not the passionate ravishing that he had dreamed about for weeks. He stands straight. "I should go. I have duties to attend."

"Don't think you have to leave because of that kiss," Diana tells him. "I told you I am not angry at you."

"It isn't that." Diana looks at him sceptically. "It isn't," he insists. "I have to check up on how the prisoners' interrogations are going and check in with my second."

The prisoners. Her friends. Diana takes a small gamble. "Would it be possible for me to see my friends?" she asks Kal.

Kal-El takes a good minute to think about that. "Maybe," he says. "But not until tomorrow. I will not have time until then and I will only allow it if I escort you."

That was about as good as she could hope for she thinks. "Ok. Thank you." She then gives him a small kiss on his cheek.

Kal-El raises his hand to where her lips touched him and smiles at the lingering feeling of them. "You are welcome."

"One other thing."

"Yes."

"If these are your quarters where are you sleeping?"

"Your concern is touching if unwarranted. There are guest quarters on this ship. Sometimes my missions are diplomatic not militaristic. I am using one of them." He then moves to leave before Diana stops him once more.

"One other other thing," she says a little embarrassed.

Kal-El smiles at her not in the least bothered by her stopping him. "Yes."

"I noticed some female uniforms in your...closet...if that is the right term."

"Yes," he answers. "They belonged to my mate."

Diana's colour suddenly fluctuates. "Mate?" Oh great Gaea. She had never considered, not once, that he might have a partner of some kind.

"Yes but it no longer matters."

"What do you mean?"

Kal-El looks her dead in the eye. "Because she is dead."

"Dead," Diana repeats woodenly before she comes to a horrifying conclusion. The only Kryptonian she knows to be dead is that one at the base. "She was the one at the base wasn't she."

"Yes."

"I'm sorry," she says in sympathy.

"Why?" he asks a little bit perplexed. "You did not kill her."

"It is just on Earth you express sympathy to someone who has lost a loved one."

"She was not a 'loved one' as you put it. I told you before emotions have nothing to do with how we bond."

"So you feel nothing?"

"I did not say that. I was fond of her yes but it is more complex than you know."

"Complex how?"

"That is something you do not need to know," he tells her bluntly. "Now I must perform my duties." Kal-El then departs rapidly.

Diana sits down on the bed. She has so many conflicting emotions running through her right now. A strange warmth at the kiss Kal gave her. That had made her heart beat with an extra step. Now, however, there is sympathy for Kal and confusion at his reaction. It is obvious she is missing something but he didn't seemed very inclined to tell her what it was. She shakes her head slightly when she realises she is hoping for too much. She isn't going to break through all his barriers in a few hours. That will take time.

She looks at the doorway. She doesn't like being imprisoned here but she knows there are soldiers outside her door. She doesn't know the exact number but considering she is a match for one of them power-wise and assuming her fighting skills are superior, which she isn't certain of, then there are too many for her to hope to defeat. Besides where would she go on a spaceship in orbit. She can't survive outside in space.

Diana retrieves the data pad she was given and tries to find something to read to pass the time. She pauses for a moment to utter a silent prayer for her friends and for her mother and sisters. From what Kal said Themyscira must still be hidden so she is hopeful that they are fine. Her mother is probably making herself sick with worry over Diana's safety but that is better than her mother being imprisoned or worse.

Diana flicks through the available choices on the pad which had been translated into English for her. She has made progress with Kal-El. Of that she is certain. She just has to be patient and not push too hard. Allow him to let her in at his own pace. Only then can she even begin to hope to persuade him into trusting her. She will need that if she is going to help her friends, if she is going to protect the Earth. It is simply going to take time to get through all that military training. She glances again at the door of what is her prison essentially. It seems like time is one thing she has lots of.

* * *

Kal-El stands on the bridge of his ship looking out at the blue and white planet below and at the new shipyards in orbit. They weren't ready yet but they would be shortly. Then the fleet needed to conquer Almerac and its empire would assemble here. He knows he hasn't paid as much attention to it as he should have but he has been distracted and Kond-Ah is more than capable. A smile threatens to tug at the corners of his mouth as he thinks back to his childhood. Kond had been one of his few friends. Being the son of General Dru-Zod could be a lonely existence and Kond was only there as he was the son of one of Zod's servants so in some ways Kal-El had been fortunate to have him as a friend. Kond-Ah himself managed to avoid the fate of being a servant by joining the military and Kal-El had kept an interest in his friend. He kept an eye on Kond and when Kal-El became commander he had Kond transferred to his battlegroup where he rose to Captain of a ship and now his second-in-command.

Kal-El has attended to almost everything he needs to and is now simply thinking over Diana's request to see her friends. There would be no harm in it would there. She would not be alone with them. He would accompany her so it was unlikely they could plot or plan anything. They weren't being very forthcoming in their interrogations he was told. He admires them a little for their loyalty to those that remain free. He too would never reveal his secrets. Although it was highly unlikely he would ever be captured. It is not arrogance that drives that thought. Merely a recognition that as a Kryptonian he is one of the most powerful beings in creation. He is thinking about other things too. The points she raised about the things he has done serving his father. He is confused about whether what he has done was right or wrong. It is going to need more thought before he reaches a conclusion.

Of course the one thing he is not doing is thinking about the kiss he gave her. No he is definitely not thinking about that. He is not thinking about how soft and warm she felt to his lips. Nor is he thinking about what it would feel like to have her warm, soft naked body pressed to his own...

Oh Rao curse him. That is exactly what he is thinking about. Even the attempt to distract himself with his duties has achieved nothing. What is he going to do?

Diana...she is not like any other woman he has met. For starters he hasn't spent years dreaming about other women. Not that he has any idea why and it seems unlikely he will find out. Strange thing is he isn't bothered. When he first saw her all he wanted to know was why was he dreaming about her. Now all he cares about is spending time with her. He likes spending time with her. He has this odd feeling that he can trust her with knowing who he is on the inside which will be an interesting experience since even he doesn't know who he is inside himself. He shut part of himself away years ago.

As per usual lately his introspection is interrupted. "Hi-diddly-ho cousorino!"

Kal-El's head whips round as Kara walks up behind him. "What?"

Kara stands next to her cousin and looks at him. "What?"

"What was that you said?" he clarifies.

"Oh that. I picked it up off the humans' broadcasts. They call it television I think." Kara had been watching it when she had some spare time. She finds it interesting the ways these humans come up with to entertain themselves.

Not particularly interested Kal-El moves on. "Has Bruce Wayne said anything yet?"

"You will have to narrow that down Kal. He says a lot of things."

"Kara don't try to be clever," he reprimands her. "I am not in the mood."

From how tense and short tempered her cousin is Kara can only come to one conclusion. "You still haven't slept with her yet have you."

"That is none of your business," he tells her in no uncertain terms.

"Fine. The short answer is no he has not given me the location of the remaining members of the Justice League."

"Is he still alive?" Kal-El asks.

"Of course he is. You said you wanted him alive for his execution so he is. Now he may be in less than perfect health by that time but I assure you Kal he will be alive."

Kal-El nods. That is good enough for him. "The others aren't talking either," he mentions to her.

"Stubborn species these humans," Kara comments.

"So it would seem." Kal-El returns to looking out into space.

"2 days," Kara says.

"I know. Are you sure there is nothing you can tell me about why my father is coming here?"

Kara shakes her head. "No. As I said Kal I wasn't told anything. Just to come here and tell you. How are the preparations going?"

"On schedule." Kal-El turns to face his cousin. "My brother is up to something isn't he?"

"What makes you think that?" Kara asks him back.

"All this secrecy that includes not telling me."

"I hear rumours. I know nothing for certain," she tells him.

Kal-El lets out a weary sigh. "I haven't been home in ages. I'm guessing Lor is even more paranoid than I remember."

"You aren't allowed to see him in person anymore unless you are one of about half a dozen people," Kara informs him.

"Which still doesn't explain why my father is coming here," Kal-El says incredibly frustrated.

Kara places her hand on his arm in sympathy and yes she does still know what sympathy is. "I'm sure General Zod will tell you when he gets here. I'm pretty certain that he likes you in his own way."

"Thank you Kara. Despite everything I am glad you are here. I have so little blood family left." She may be more trouble than a legion of parademons but she is the only close family he has left. Well the only family he really counts as family. He doesn't count his uncle.

"I know. Our house isn't what it use to be. You are its last son and I'm its last daughter."

"And your father?"

"My father can burn in the fire pits of Apokolips for all I care."

"Maybe one day General Zod will let you throw him in."

Kara smiles with eager anticipation. "Do you really think so?"

"I could always ask him for you."

Kara throws her arms around her cousin's neck. "That would be great."

Kal puts his arms around her and for a moment forgets all the aggravation she has caused because for a moment she is acting like the person she may have once been before life twisted her. The moment doesn't last as she grinds against him in a blatantly sexual manner. He pushes her away. "Kara. No."

She pouts. "You're still no fun."

"Good," he says not the least bit apologetic.

"Well if you ever change your mind or that woman in your quarters doesn't live up to expectations you know where to find me."

"Unfortunately I do," he jests lightly.

Kara puts of a face of mock shock. "Wow. That was an actual joke. Not a funny one to be truthful but I didn't know you still had a sense of humour."

"I'm hurt," he says with mock pain.

Kara smiles wickedly. "Not yet but if you're into that I have ways of inflicting pain."

Kal-El shakes his head and walks off. He isn't going to even bother giving that a response.

Kara watches him go and shrugs. Kal would be a lot of fun and there is something else she wants from him too but she can be patient. After all she has her pet to entertain her in the meantime.

* * *

_Kal-El stands on the balcony over looking Kandor. Diana is asleep in their bed and he lets out a sigh of contentment. He can never quite grasp fully the feelings she invokes within him. Then suddenly his grasp of reality changes. This isn't real. This...this is one of his dreams._

"_It is not exactly a dream Kal-El."_

_Kal-El spins round and there like before is a man who looks like his father Jor-El. "You are not my father," he declares with certainty. He doesn't know how he knows that exactly but he does._

"_Yes I am," the man replies. Kal-El looks at him sceptically. The man continues to speak. "I am the father of all Kryptonians."_

_The words take a moment to sink in before it strikes Kal-El the meaning of them. He drops down to one knee. "Rao," he says in a humbled whisper._

_The man places his hand oh Kal-El's shoulder. "You need not kneel before me my son."_

_Kal-El gets to his feet. "I thought...you never answered my prayers. I thought you had abandoned me."_

"_No Kal-El I have not but abandonment is part of the reason why I am here."_

"_I do not understand."_

_Rao wearing Jor-El's face walks to the edge of the balcony and looks out. "You have lost your way. You have abandoned me and my teachings for the way of Zod."_

"_There was a war," Kal-El begins to explain which has Rao turn to face him with an all knowing look on his face. "But of course you know that."_

_Rao nods in confirmation._

"_Did the war not go the way you wanted?" Kal-El asks him._

"_I never wanted a war at all. Do you think I took any pleasure in watching my children kill each other by the thousand."_

"_No...but if it wasn't your will..."_

"_Why did I let it happen?" Rao finishes of Kal-El._

"_Yes. I know it is not my place to ask," Kal-El says fearing he is being disrespectful to his creator._

"_No you are not being disrespectful," Rao says as if he is reading Kal-El's thoughts. For all Kal-El knew he could well be. "You are simply asking a question. You were always so good at that...as a race I mean. I gave you curious minds and you used them to explore and gain knowledge from 28 galaxies and what has Zod done with all this knowledge. Used it to carve out one of the largest Empires in history. He has killed millions and enslaved countless billions more and for what Kal-El?"_

"_I..." _

_Rao cuts him off "Do not answer that. Let us return to your original question about why I did not interfere. Would you have wanted me to? Would you have wanted me to treat you like infants that were incapable of making their own choices. The most difficult part of being a parent is knowing when your children are old enough to make their own choices. At that point you must stand back and let them but for a God that comes with a price."_

"_What price?"_

"_Once you give up that power you can never get it back so the answer to your question is simple Kal-El. I did not intervene simply because I no longer have the power to do so. I forsook it so you could stand on your own two feet lest I be ever tempted to use it again. I had not foreseen the path you would end up on. If I had I may have made a different decision."_

_Ideas, opinions, questions form in Kal-El's mind. "If you cannot interfere then what is this?"_

_Rao looks around and smiles. "Oh yes this. This is not interfering. This is merely showing you a possibility. Whether you make the choices to reach here is entirely up to you."_

"_What about Diana?" Kal-El asks._

_Rao smiles wider and look into the bedroom where she sleeps. "Lovely isn't she."_

_Kal-El looks back at her and then at Rao. "Why is she here? What are you using her for?"_

"_Nothing. I am not using her in anyway."_

"_You brought us together," Kal-El accuses._

"_I did not. You would have met her regardless of what I have done. I was not the one who sent you to Earth."_

_No. His father did. "Why is she here?" he asks again._

"_I told you. I am showing you a possibility. Everything you see here you can have Kal-El."_

_Kal-El looks at Diana and even here is this dream can feel the pull, the connection to her. "What is this link you created between us?" he asks._

"_I did not create it. The link between you and her was already there. I merely amplified it."_

"_What does that mean? How could a link exist between us? Until I arrived at Earth I had never met her in person."_

_Rao looks directly at Kal-El. "She is the one who fits your soul."_

_Fits his soul? That old belief that there is someone who completes your essence._ "_That is superstitious nonsense," Kal-El says dismissively before he realises that he just told off his creator. To his immense relief Rao doesn't look angry. He looks amused._

"_Better," Rao says. "She has made you better."_

"_Better?" Kal-El queries_

"_More willing to express an opinion rather than be a mindless automaton," he explains. "In more time she might turn you into a free thinking radical," he says as a joke. By the look of puzzlement on Kal-El's face Rao reckons that his son never considered that his creator had a sense of humour. Rao takes a breath. "Time," he states. "Time is the enemy. It is why I showed you the dreams and this. If I had had more time I would have let you and Diana reach this point on your own."_

"_What do you mean if you had more time?"_

"_I mean that in 2 days a crossroads will be reached where you must choose Kal-El. One choice will bring about the redemption of the Kryptonian race. The other will condemn it for all eternity."_

_2 days but that must mean... "Father. This is to do with my father."_

_Rao nods. "Yes."_

"_You said I must choose. What choice must I make?"_

"_Whether to listen to your heart or listen to your head."_

"_I do not understand."_

_Rao gestures at the scene around them "One choice will lead to this."_

"_And the other?" Kal-El asks with trepidation. He has a feeling that the alternative is not as pleasant as this but Rao is gone. Vanished. Kal-El does not understand. Then the ground shakes so violently Kal-El nearly loses his balance._

"_Kal!" Diana shouts as she comes running out to him. He gathers her into his arms. "What is going on?" she asks, the fear all too plainly evident in her otherwise flawless, perfect features. He looks at her and a feeling he can't name wells up inside him so powerfully it almost hurts. He just wants to save her, keep her safe, protect her from all the horror that exists._

_Another shake hits and from the balcony Kal-El can see other buildings in the city collapse. Then a huge plume of smoke and lava erupts in what he knows is the heart of the city._

"_Father!"_

_Kal-El looks at the source of the new voice and rushing toward him is a sight that he can barely believe. A small blue eyed boy with black hair who looks like he did when he was a child. He has a son. He is too in shock to move and barley even notices Diana leave his side and go and gather the boy into her arms. It is then a massive crack appears in the balcony. It runs across it at an angle between where he stands and where Diana and his son are. Diana is trying to comfort the boy and that is the last image he sees of them as that part of the balcony gives way and plummets to the ground below._

"_NO!!!" he screams out which is his last word as the whole building collapses and takes him with it. Then there is only darkness._

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter has been a while. Ideas have not been free flowing through my mind nor words onto my screen but I finally managed to get this chapter finished. My thanks to all those who have written reviews. I do read them all.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"NO!!!" Kal-El screams as he awakens in the bed in the guest quarters he has been using. He gasps for breath which is a rare and interesting experience. He is rarely breathless but he is feeling such panic inside him that he can't help it. He can feel sweat on his forehead and he raises his hand to wipe it off. As he does so he can see his hand is shaking. He clenches his hand into a fist and wills the shaking to stop. He takes a few deep breaths and regains control. That dream...that nightmare. He has never experienced one like that before. One that made him feel actual...terror. When he saw Diana and his...

Son.

He had a son and that swirls up feelings of deep longing within him. He would like a son that would ensure that the bloodline of the House of El would continue past him and Kara. Then Rao's words come to him about how what he saw was a possibility. A possible future? He can have that? He can have a son with Diana?

He...he needs to see her. He knows it is irrational and that she is fine but he is having trouble getting the image of her plunging to her death out of his mind. He needs to see her to reassure himself and then he'll get back to sleep. Yes that is it. He gets up and dresses and makes his way to his quarters. The guards salute him as always and he enters the room.

Enters the room to find Diana up and pacing about with frantic energy. Now he should be asking her what is wrong since it is obvious something is but his attention is more caught with the fact she is pacing back and forth with only the bed sheet wrapped around her in such a way to highlight her figure. He feels heat rapidly build up inside him and his eyes actually start to itch and burn slightly.

Shaking his head to regain focus he clears his throat and addresses her. "Diana?"

She stops and looks at him like this is the first time she had noticed he was in the room. "Kal? What are you doing here?"

He stutters. "Well...I...this is going to sound foolish."

"What is?"

"I...had a dream where you died."

Diana's eyes widen. "I plunged off a balcony with our son didn't I?"

Kal-El stares at her in shock. "You had that dream?"

"Yes," she answers. That is why she is up. She was dreaming about lying in the bed in the bedroom in a place he has never been before and then the ground shook and then the next thing she knows is that her son is running to her. Somehow in the dream she just knew that the little boy was her and Kal's and then...then they plunged horribly to their deaths. That was when she woke up with a scream which was just so unbefitting of an Amazon princess. Since then she has simply been trying to work off the nervous energy by pacing around so she can get back to sleep. She suddenly realises why Kal is here. "You were checking up I was alright weren't you?"

Kal-El nods slowly feeling a little embarrassed.

A wide smile forms on Diana's face. "That is really sweet."

"Sweet?" Kal-El repeats insulted. "I'm not sweet. I am a Commander in the Kryptonian military. I am feared. Not sweet."

Diana walks over to him and places her hand on his chest. "Well I think you're sweet."

At the touch of Diana's hand on his chest Kal-El closes his eyes and tries to bite back the groan that is threatening to arise. Even through the fabric of his uniform it feels like her touch is burning him.

"Kal?" Diana queries gently as she wonders why he shut his eyes. He opens them and she can see fire alight in his irises. That's odd. The only time she has seen that before was in her dreams when they were making lov...OH!

Kal looks at her with feelings of deep arousal burning within him. Seeing her die like that has snapped something in him. Those feelings he felt in the dream. To protect her, make her safe are joined with others. He wants to cherish her, worship her, love her in the way she deserves to be loved. "Diana." His voice is low and husky.

"Kal," she says back and to her own surprise her own voice has lowered in register making it sound husky too.

His head moves towards hers until their lips are only millimetres apart. His heart is thundering in his chest. "Make me leave now or I'm not sure I'll be able to stop."

This close Diana can feel heat radiate off him in waves. Her heart beats ferociously in response. His breath mingles with hers and the last thing going through her mind is that she wants him to stop. She has spent nearly all the time since she got here fighting the urges she feels around him. Her warrior discipline allowed it but right here, right now her warrior discipline has deserted her. That dream had been horrific and all she wants now is to be in Kal's embrace where he will make her feel safe and loved. With that thought she closes the last remaining tiny bit of distance between them as her lips touch his.

As soon as Diana's lips touch his own it feels to Kal-El like an electric current running through his body. He pulls Diana into his body and returns her kiss hungrily, greedily and with passion like he has never felt. Diana's arms in response wrap themselves around Kal's neck which means she releases the hold she has had on the sheet around her body and the sheet slides off of her onto the floor.

Never once breaking their kiss they slowly walk towards the bed until it hits the back of Diana's legs at which point she lets herself be lowered down in Kal's arms with him following her down. They kiss for a long time. Savouring, tasting, exploring. Diana had never kissed that many men and now she is wondering why the hell not when it feels this good.

When the need for air becomes too great Kal-El finally has to stop. He reluctantly breaks away from her even though part of him is screaming not to lose contact with her. His whole body feels on fire and that was just with a kiss. As he regains his breath he looks down on Diana who is also breathing hard. Her chest is rising up and down. Her bare, naked chest to go along with her bare naked body. He can't help but take time to take her in in all her glory. Rao. She is more perfect in reality than she looked in his dream if that is even possible. Maybe she is a goddess after all. She could pass for one with her flawless olive skin, perfect round breasts, flat smooth stomach, curved hips and long toned legs. Just looking at her was making Kal-El more aroused than he had ever felt in his life but while she was naked he was still in his uniform and that wouldn't do. He needed to feel her bare skin against his own so the uniform will simply have to come off.

Diana catches her breath and can see Kal looking her over with hunger and heat and desire flares up within her. Even more so when he pulls the top half of his uniform over his head revealing his torso. In a word which she never usually uses, WOW! She had seen other men topless. Human men. Bruce, mostly, but even Bruce would be hard pressed to match the sight before her of this perfect example of masculinity, of the perfectly defined muscles that look like they were chiselled out of marble but he wasn't overly muscled like some body-builders she had seen. It was all perfectly in proportion to his build. His hands move to the waistband of his pants and she finds her mouth go dry. She does manage to notice that he has already removed his boots. Something she can't recall him doing but she was distracted.

He slips his pants of his legs and stands there before her completely exposed and despite some tiny voice in Diana's head saying she shouldn't be doing this at all, and certainly not looking at what she is looking at, the waves of burning desire inside her have washed away any argument she might have against doing this. Kal moves down on top of her and she can feel what she was staring at press against her abdomen. He had certainly been blessed in that department. Well endowed was something of an understatement.

Kal-El kisses her once more. His senses are being overwhelmed by the sensations around him. Her feel, her scent. He can feel something deeply primal rise up within him urging him to stop delaying and become one with her but he ignores it. He wants this to last as long as possible and besides he hasn't had a chance to due what he has only dreamed about and that is explore the body of this goddess that lies beneath him.

His lips move away from her lips, down over her chin and onto her neck. Diana tilts her head back, closes her eyes and simply drowns in the feeling. Her hand reaches up round the back of his neck and she caresses the nape of his neck unaware of how incredibly sensitive the skin is there. His kisses stop as shivers run up and down his spine and he lets out a moan of pleasure.

Diana's eyes open and seeing the rivers of pleasure her touch is obviously bringing smiles.

Kal-El gently lifts her hand away, brings it to his lips and kisses the palm. "You are distracting me from pleasuring you you know."

"Shouldn't this be a mutual pleasuring?" Diana asks back with a twinkle in her eye.

Kal-El kisses her on the lips. "Trust me there will be plenty time for that later." His voice drops to a husky whisper. "Let me make love to you the way you deserve," he almost pleads.

In the brief time she had known Kal Diana had never seen his emotions so clearly written on his face as they are now. She remembers Hal saying how Kryptonian emotions were there bubbling beneath the surface. In Kal's eyes she can see that they aren't bubbling. They are erupting like a long dormant volcano that has suddenly sprung to life. She strokes his cheek gently. "Ok," she replies in a whisper.

An ear to ear smile breaks out across Kal's face. So wide that dimples Diana had never noticed before appear. Gods he looks even more beautiful if that is possible and she can feel a new rush of heat flood her body. She slides backward so she can lie flat out on the bed and he crawls up over her on all fours until they are face to face once more. Kal kisses her once more before his lips resume what they were doing earlier and head downward back onto her throat, into the little hollow there and forever downward into the valley between her breasts and then...and then... "Oh Kal!"

Diana had had no idea that her breasts could illicit such wonderful feelings within her until his lips and his hands work what seems like magic on them. Electric shocks run through her body. Her back arches as she clutches at his hair desperately needing something to hang onto. It is too much yet it is not enough. Kal continues his downward motion over her ribs, down onto her stomach all the time never letting up in exploring every inch it seemed with his lips, his tongue, his hands.

His hands gently caress her hips before moving down where they brush her knees apart. She feels his hot breath on the wickedly sensitive skin of her inner thigh and then...oh by all the Gods on Olympus.

As Kal continues to give her this indescribable pleasure she hears strange noises of want and need and what sounds like whimpering. Then she realises that it is her making the noises. Her hands clutch at Kal's hair even tighter as the knot she remembers from her dreams winds tighter and tighter and...then it snaps. Light explodes behind her eyes as her whole body trembles in release.

After what seems like an age the sweet pleasure ends and just like in her dreams she had wished it had gone on longer. She lies there breathless, her limbs slack and contemplates that in some ways it was not like her dreams at all. It was a hell of a lot better. She feels Kal move up and gather her into his arms.

"Diana?" he queries gently.

Diana opens her eyes. She hadn't realised she had closed them and looks at him looking at her. "That was..." she begins to say but trails off.

"That was what?" he asks.

"I...don't have the words," she answers.

Kal-El looks at her curiously for a few moments before a thought occurs to him. "You've never done this before have you?"

Diana shakes her head. "My relationships," well relationship, single, if she was going to be honest, "they never got this far and before that I lived on an island of women."

Kal-El looks at her and powerful emotions swell up inside him. He will be her first sexual partner and while he is pretty certain he has been other women's firsts as well none of them make him feel the way Diana does. It makes him fight all the harder to suppress that primal urge just to take her, to claim her as his. He is going to do this right by her. He lowers his lips to hers and kisses her once more. "Last chance," he whispers. "I still have the will power to leave if you want me too," he tells her even if in truth that is the last thing he wants to do.

There is a part of Diana that is screaming at her to do just that. Probably the bit that remembers what her mother said about men but the connection she feels with Kal is much, much stronger. "I don't want you to leave."

Kal smiles and his dimples show once more. He moves so he is over her once more and looks directly in her eyes as he slowly slides inside her. Diana lets out tiny gasps of pleasure despite how foreign the feeling of Kal being inside her feels.

Kal-El closes his eyes and grits his teeth at the sensations. Once he is fully within her he holds very still allowing her to adjust to him and allowing himself time to regain control of himself. This is...this is beyond any of the dreams he had ever had about this moment. His body is burning with heat already and they have barely started yet.

"Kal."

The utterance of his name causes his eyelids to open and look at her once more. "Diana," is all he says back and yet somehow it is all he needs to say to convey his feelings. With one more kiss he begins to move, gently at first remembering that this is her first time. Diana's hips rise instinctively in response.

Time passes. Whimpers turn into moans of pleasure. Gentle movements become fast, powerful ones. There is nothing beyond this. Nothing beyond them.

Diana's fingers rake across Kal's back as she tries desperately to find something to hold onto before she becomes lost. It only encourages Kal to move faster, harder, deeper. So deep Diana is having a hard time working out where she ends and Kal begins. That is when it hits. The glorious ecstasy like before but it is so much more powerful this time. Wave after wave of pleasure racks her body. She thinks she might be screaming. She can't really tell. She is so overwhelmed by it all. She almost misses that Kal has joined her in release. Only the fact that his own screams drown out her own is what allows her to know.

Kal-El has never felt pleasure like it. Fire burns in his veins and all he can think of, all that his instincts want is for him to thrust harder, faster, deeper. He can barely tell where he ends and she begins anymore and yet it is still not enough. He has never let himself be so consumed with his primal emotions before. He can feel his release approaching but he fights it off. He won't come until she does. Then he feels her arch beneath him and her voice cries out and it is too much. With one final thrust he buries himself as deeply as possible and lets go. The heat, the awful, wonderful burning heat flows from his veins as he pours himself into her.

For both of them it is the most powerful experience of their lives. It is more than two bodies coming together but the joining of two souls that fit together as one.

After what seems an age they collapse together. Their hearts thundering in their chests.

Diana finds that Kal remains lying on top of her. She doesn't mind at all. She likes the feel of him, the smell of him. His scent surrounds her and despite the fact he is definitely sweating it isn't in the least unpleasant. When humans sweated Diana found her superior sense of smell was definitely not an asset but with Kal it is different. Maybe it is a Kryptonian trait and she has to say this is a strange line of thought for someone who just went through the single most powerful experience of her life. She gently runs her hand up and down Kal's spine while she tries to process what just happened. She can now completely understands why her sisters fear this so. It is so powerful that if abused it could bring pain equal to the overwhelming pleasure. She knew it could feel good. She just didn't expect it to reach a place so deep inside her that it almost feels like it touched her soul.

Kal-El is taking a few moments to regain coherent thought. He has never been that consumed by any woman before. Before there was always some small part of his mind on something else. His duties, what battle he must fight next, that kind of thing but for the last...however long they just made love for he has thought of nothing but Diana. The taste, smell, feel and sight of her. It was in one sense just like the dreams. It was more than the mere physical. Diana reached somewhere inside him he didn't know even existed. It qualifies without any competition as the perhaps the greatest experience of his life and it isn't enough. Now he has had a taste he wants more. He lifts his head, props himself up on his arms to take his weight off of her and looks at Diana with her flushed cheeks. She looks staggeringly beautiful. "How are you?" he asks her.

"Can I get back to you when my brain starts working again," Diana jokes which causes Kal to laugh. An honest, genuine laugh.

"I know how you feel," he admits to her.

Diana cocks her head quizzically at him. "I know this was my first time but I assumed it wasn't yours."

"It wasn't," he confirms for her. "However it was by a long way the best experience of my life."

Diana swells up with pride that she for once doesn't bother restraining because right here, right now she can forget all the problems they face. Forget that technically they are enemies. Tomorrow they will have to face that but that is tomorrow. This is today. "It was better than I dreamt about," she tells him.

"For me too but I was thinking that this was only the first time. We can probably do better."

Diana looks at his eyes and can see the glow in them that shows his renewed interest. That and he is still inside her and from what she can tell as hard as when they started. She smiles at him with a glint of mischievousness in her eyes. "You know I think you're right." She then suddenly rolls them over. "But this time I get to be on top," she declares.

Funnily at the sight of her above him Kal-El has no problem with that whatsoever.

* * *

Author's Note: Again sorry it has been awhile since my last update. I've been distracted by life but I am trying to put in an effort to get on with this story. As for this chapter this is my first attempt at something more explicit so please be gentle when reviewing. Thank you to all those who reviewed the last chapter and I hope to get the next chapter up soon.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Kal-El watches Diana sleep. He idly brushes some hair away from her face. He himself had just woken up after falling asleep exhausted from hours of lovemaking. Rao. It had been so good He had never made love to someone as passionate as her. He had never made love where his own emotions were so rawly exposed. As a Kryptonian he usually buried them, controlled them as they needed to be controlled but his control had been slipping for awhile. It had started when the dreams increased in their intensity. Then they denied him the sleep required to regain the mental energy to suppress his emotions. Then he met Diana and somewhere in the couple of days since then he decided that it didn't bother him if she saw his emotions.

That is not a thought he should be having. It is certainly not what he was taught but his teachers probably never considered he would meet the person who fits his soul. Rao had been right and he had been wrong to dismiss it as superstitious nonsense because that can be the only explanation of how Diana makes him feel the way that he does right now. He watches her stir slightly before her heart rate increases and her eyes begin to flutter open.

Diana wakes and finds her body has a delightful ache. She stretches aching muscles that had been overly used by hours of lovemaking. It had been beyond good and she has this warm contented feeling infusing the core of her being that she must admit she has never felt before. She opens her eyes and finds Kal looking down on her.

"Morning," he murmurs softly.

"Morning," she replies with a smile as she sits herself up not bothered in the least that they are still both naked. After all she had taken the opportunity to thoroughly explore Kal's body just as he had explored hers. A heated tinge forms on her cheeks as she remembers what they shared.

"How are you?" Kal-El asks her.

"Tired," she replies. Her stomach then grumbles. "And hungry," she quickly adds.

Kal-El smiles before leaning over and waves his hand over the communicator on the bedside table and orders food to be brought. It quickly arrives and they both eat ferociously having burned significant amounts of energy with their exertions. As Diana nears finishing her meal she airs a thought she had had before they made love. "We're still enemies aren't we?"

Kal-El is caught a little off guard by that question so it takes him a few moments of consideration before he answers it. "Yes," he says simply and truth is she is technically a prisoner. He has been putting off the decision of what to do with her and all her friends for days now. Until his father arrives. If his father wasn't coming Kal-El would have dealt with this the way he preferred but with his father here in a little over a day all he can do is plead with his father to at least spare Diana's life. He isn't sure he can save any of the others and speaking of the others. "Would you still like to see your friends?" he asks her.

Diana nods. "Yes."

"Then I'll arrange it," he informs her.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome."

"What did last night mean to you?" she asks him because for Diana allowing what they did was no small thing. Allowing a man to see and touch her the way Kal had went against everything she had ever been taught.

"More than any other experience I have had in my life. I am sure there are better words but I am not good at expressing my feelings," he admits to her. That comes from a whole life of being taught to suppress them.

Diana understood. "That's ok."

Kal-El leans over and kisses her deeply. "We better get up."

Diana takes a moment to recover from that breathtaking kiss before she simply nods and says "Shower first."

She gets up and Kal-El watches her intently as she stretches. Renewed feelings of arousal course through his body. Diana peers over her shoulder and smiles at the obvious effect she is having on him. She wanders around the bed and adds a deliberate extra sway to her movements. She reaches the doorway to the shower and stops. "You know I never said anything about showering alone." With that she vanishes inside the room followed by a blur of motion that is Kal-El chasing after her.

* * *

Hal drinks down the last of his water that came with what he assumes is breakfast. Assumes on what he thinks what time of day it is. It is hard to keep track in a cell with no windows. Not that this experience is entirely new. He had been captured by Kal-El's forces once before. In fact this could be the very same cell they locked him in last time. It looks the same. Bed, what passes for a sink and toilet, small table and chair. He glances up at the transparent crystal that is the door and can see one of his constant companions. A guard that stands and watches him constantly. They change over in shifts. Hal has nailed down when they change over to the second. Useful information he has stored away in his mind that he hopes will come in handy when the right opportunity presents itself. After all if he is going to get out of here he will have to come up with a way by himself. He seriously doubts the Guardians will risk full scale war with Krypton just to save him or the Earth. When war comes, and it inevitably will, it will be over something that in the Guardian's eyes is more valuable than the Earth which on the grand cosmic scale is a rather primitive, insignificant world even if it means so much more to Hal personally.

He hears footsteps in the distance. No doubt his interrogators are coming. They always come just after he has been fed to ask him the same questions over and over and he gives them the same answer over and over. That answer being that he says nothing and just sits there having a good old fashioned staring contest with them. Deep down he thinks that they really don't believe that he will tell them anything but Kryptonians are sticklers for protocols and interrogating prisoners is one of those protocols.

The footsteps get nearer so Hal gets to his feet. However who appears in his view is not who he expects at all. The door slides open and in she walks. The door slides closed behind her. "Diana."

"Hal," Diana says back painfully aware of the guard watching them so she has to be cautious about what she says. "How are you?" she asks him.

"Oh you know not so bad although having the Kryptonian equivalent of bread and water 3 times a day is slightly monotonous."

Diana nods in understanding while she looks around the cell. After she and Kal had showered, amongst other things, he had arranged for her to come here under escort while he attended to his duties. She understood the reasons for the escort and it was fine. It at least gave her a chance to see some of the ship and get some idea of the layout. She is still a warrior and has to think of every scenario including the possibility of attempting escape even though at the moment that is not plan A. She will have to admit to the oddity of this situation. She is sleeping with the commander of the forces that are occupying Earth and holding all her friends prisoner while she plots escape from him. Yet on the other hand she can't deny the pull she feels towards Kal along with the feelings he can elicit in her heart with merely his smile. This is certainly one situation all her training and all her previous experiences had not prepared her for.

"So where have they been keeping you?" Hal asks her since he hadn't seen her being held along with him and the others.

"Kal has been holding me in his quarters under guard," she answers without really realising exactly what she is saying.

"Kal?" Hal repeats at the overly familiar way she uses his name.

"Hmm, hmm," Diana confirms.

Hal studies Diana for a few moments before a light-bulb goes off in his head. "Diana. Are you sleeping with him?" Diana's posture goes very stiff suddenly which is all the confirmation Hal needs. He shakes his head. "Diana. What are you thinking?" he chastises. "Kryptonians go through sexual partners like you and I go through hot meals." He isn't saying it to hurt or upset her but he he knows for Diana that sex would be a much deeper emotional experience for her that it would be for any Kryptonian and he is worried that she will get hurt. On the other hand they are all going to be put to death eventually so it may not matter too much unless they can escape.

"Kal is different," she says in response.

"Really?" Hal asks sceptically.

Diana goes and sits on the bed and she gestures for Hal to sit down next to her which he does. "Hal," she begins to say before she trails off. How does she explain this? She takes a breath and starts again. "He is different...I think. I mean I know I don't know as much about Kryptonians as you do but before we..."

"Had sex," Hal fills in for her.

Colour perfuses Diana's cheeks. "Yes...before that we talked a lot. He told me about himself growing up. I truly believe that there at his core he is a good caring man."

"Diana I know Kal-El is a man of honour from the last time I met him but he is still Kryptonian. Duty. Duty to the state. Duty to their leader is the overriding factor that motivates them."

"But I can reach him Hal," she argues. "I can show him that there is a better way. I just need more time."

"I am not sure time is something the rest of us have Diana. I told you that Kryptonian law is harsh and unforgiving."

"There must be some other way apart from execution?" she asks Hal.

"You will need to ask 'Kal' about that."

"I know," she admits solemnly. "But I don't want him to think that what we shared was for the sole purpose of helping you. It has to mean more than that."

"Did it mean more to you?" Hal asks.

Diana nods and looks Hal straight in the eye. "Hal. I think I'm falling in love with him."

Hal takes a moment to absorb that before replying. "That complicates things."

"I know," Diana says softly.

"I mean I'm all for and believe in love at first sight Diana but did you have to choose the logic driven commander of the aggressive force that has invaded our planet for the one you fell in love with?"

Diana frowns slightly. "I wouldn't say it was at first sight Hal. I mean I would be lying if I didn't say I thought he was attractive but it is more complicated that that."

"How so?" he asks her.

Diana looks out the cell at the guard. "I don't think I can say here."

Hal follows her gaze. "No I guess not. Larry over there would probably just report what you say to his superior."

"Larry?" Diana queries.

"Oh that's what I call him. They work in 3 shifts so I call them Larry, Curly and Moe."

Diana looks at him intrigued.

"I know what you're thinking," he tells her. "You're thinking that this is more along the lines of what Flash would do and not me."

"Well...yes," she confirms for him.

Hal shrugs. "What can I say? He rubs off on you after awhile and I need to do something to pass the time between interrogations sessions which seems to have been cancelled today thanks to your visit. Not that I am complaining."

"Have they been treating you well?"

"About how you expect. Moe tends to look at me like a bug he would dearly like to step on but apart from that yeah."

"I'm glad and I will say that I am trying to think of a way to help you. You and the others."

"I know you are Diana. You are a good friend."

"The same goes for you Hal." He had earned much respect from Diana over the years they had worked together.

"Are you going to see the others?" he inquires.

"Yes."

"Is Kal-El allowing you to see Bruce too?"

Diana assumes so. "Yes. I mean I never asked about Bruce personally but Kal said I could see you all."

Hal comes to a realisation. "You don't know do you."

"Know what?"

"Diana. Bruce isn't here with the rest of us. I haven't see him since we were captured. Something about him undergoing specialist interrogation techniques."

The phrase 'specialist interrogation techniques' sends a cold shiver up Diana's spine. She instantly thinks torture but Kal would never do that would he because if he has then she has severely misjudged the man she has allowed herself to develop feelings for. "I will find out what has happened to him," she promises Hal.

* * *

Bruce hears the door open but does not move from his position huddled in the corner of the room. He doesn't even raise his head to look. He isn't sure he has the strength anyway. His tormentor had made sure of that. He thinks that she injected him with something more than to prevent him sleeping because ever since then he has felt a general weakness of his body. Right now, however, that is barely a concern. It is overshadowed by the pain he is in or more accurately the pain his tormentor has inflicted on him in the attempt to make him talk. He hears a voice speak his name and it is not the one he expects.

"Oh Bruce," the voice says with deep sympathy and concern.

Bruce turns his head so he can look his visitor in the eye. Look at her with his one remaining eye.

Diana moves over to where Bruce is and kneels down. She had gotten in here by pointing out to her escorting guards that their commander had said she could see ALL her friends and that must include Bruce. What she didn't expect was to find him naked, huddled in the corner of the room. His body is covered in bruises and cuts and she can plainly see he has lost an eye. It almost looks like someone stuck a hot poker in it. "Bruce who did this to you?"

Bruce's voice is croaky and raspy from lack of water. "Woman...blond hair....blue eyes...scar...face."

Diana's blood boils with fury. It was her. Kal's cousin. The one who nearly beat Diana to death.

"They caught you too," Bruce observes.

"They caught almost everyone," she informs him. "Apart from J'onn, Flash and a few others," she had discovered during the course of her visit to the detention area.

Bruce nods before his gaze drifts away from Diana back to the floor.

"Bruce. I'm going to help you somehow," she promises.

Bruce shakes his head. "Don't bother. It doesn't matter," he says sounding defeated.

"Of course it matters," she contradicts him. "You shouldn't be suffering like this."

"Doesn't matter," he repeats. "All that matters is that the others are kept safe. Won't talk. Won't betray them. Won't let her beat me."

"Bruce I can help you," she tries to assure him.

The certainty in her voice catches Bruce's attention and he once more turns his head to look at her. "How?"

"I've been with the Kryptonian commander Kal-El. I've been trying to earn his trust. If I speak to him he'll listen to me." Well she hopes so anyway and on top of that she would like to exchange a few sharp words with him over how Bruce has been treated. She is furious but she will wait until Kal gives an explanation before she decides how colossal a mistake she has made in opening up her heart to him. She hears the door slide open so she stands up and turns around to see who it is.

"Well, well. Look who we have here," the visitor announces upon entering. "If it isn't my cousin's latest conquest. Tell me Diana, daughter of Hippolyta, princess of Themyscira, what was it like and please don't spare the details."

Diana glares at who has entered with hatred. It is Kal's cousin.

* * *

Kal-El is going about his duties feeling remarkable happy despite the problems he will be facing tomorrow as soon as his father arrives. In fact he has been so happy he has caught himself humming away occasionally which got him a few odd looks from his subordinates not use to seeing their commanding officer behaving so out of character.

He had allowed Diana to go visit her friends. It seemed only right but he had insisted that she be escorted. He may be feeling things for her he has never before but he is still an officer in the Kryptonian military and technically she is a prisoner, an enemy, and he just can't allow her free run around his ship. Diana said she understood and he hopes she does. He is traversing a very narrow path here.

At this precise moment he is on the bridge. The communications officer speaks up. "Incoming message from Captain Kond-Ah," she informs Kal-El.

Kal-El smiles. "Open a channel," he commands and a holographic image of his childhood friend appears. Kal-El takes a moment to take in that Kond had not really altered that much appearance wise except for him being older, taller, broader. "Captain," Kal-El greets his second-in-command.

"Commander," Kond-Ah greets him back.

"Everything in place for tomorrow?" Kal-El asks in regards to General Zod's arrival.

Kond bows his head slightly. "Indeed."

"Good. That is good."

"Are you feeling alright?" Kond-Ah asks.

"Of course," Kal-El replies. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You are looking...well...happy. I haven't seen you happy in a long time."

"Surely you must be mistaken. I am positive I have been happy often over the years."

"Contented maybe. An acceptance of your position certainly but not happy."

Kal-El searches his memory. Has he not been happy? Aethyr made him feel...what did Aethyr make him feel? He only became her mate in the first place because he knew she was one of her brother's spy and he wanted to keep her close by so he could keep an eye on her. He definitely was fond of her but he can't think of any time she made him truly happy. As for his life...it is probably not the one he would have chosen, had he had a choice, but he never had a choice so he made the best of it. He can't say he is truly happy about his position as it is right now either he supposes.

By Rao it seems Kond is right. He can't remember the last time he felt like the way Diana makes him feel. His musings, as always lately, get interrupted. This time by the whole ship shaking. What was that? "Kond I'll have to speak to you later," he informs his friend before the communication link is severed. He moves quickly to the internal communications position. "What is going on?" he demands to know.

The person on duty, a strangely slight, small women, unusual for a Kryptonian, frantically tries to clarify what is going on. "There is trouble in one of the interrogation suites," she reports. She looks up at her commander standing next to her. "It's Commander Zor-El."

Kal-El swears colourfully under his breath and swiftly departs the bridge. He is going to kill her this time. He soon makes his way down to the interrogation room that he knows holds Bruce Wayne and where he knows he will find Kara. Despite what Bruce Wayne did Kal-El had not bothered to visit him. He had been quite content to leave it to Kara. It seems he has no choice this time. The ship shudders around him once more before he reaches the doorway and sees the guards he left to escort Diana at the door. That could only mean...

The door has become jammed so he does the only thing he can and smashes it in. He finds Bruce Wayne lying unconscious on the floor and Diana and Kara with their hands round each other's throats. It is obvious they haven't noticed him so he announces his presence in a loud voice. "That is enough!!!"

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who sent in reviews._


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Today must be Kara's lucky day. She was just going to renew her interrogation of Bruce Wayne only to find when she entered his room that someone else of particular interest is there. That someone being Kal's little interest. Right now she is giving Kara a glare that would melt her down had Diana heat vision. "So have you come to join the fun?" Kara asks. "I must admit it has been awhile since I've done two at the same time," she says suggestively.

Diana feels ill at what Kara is suggesting.

"Oh what?" Kara asks at Diana's expression. "I'm not good enough but my cousin is? I've got a lot more experience you know."

"I have no idea what you mean," Diana protests.

In an instant Kara is standing next to Diana, her face in Diana's hair and inhaling deeply through her nose. "I can smell him on you. I can smell him and sweat and," Kara makes a moan of perverse pleasure, "sex." The scent is unmistakable especially to Kryptonians who possess a superlatively sense of smell.

Diana cheeks flush through a variety of shades of red.

Kara smirks. "I can see Kal forgot to mention our sense of smell to you." Kara swaggers over to her chair by the table and sits down with her feet resting on the table. "So lets hear all about it then. It was good wasn't it. I'm betting it was good."

This is a subject Diana has no interest in discussing especially not with Bruce in the room whose stare she can feel stabbing into her back. She straightens herself up into a more intimidating posture. "What happened between Kal and I is private. What I want to know is what did you do to Bruce."

"What happened between old Brucie and I is private," Kara smart mouths back using Diana's words.

Diana's eyes narrow and her temper rises higher. It had already been high from the moment Kara entered the room. "You're a repugnant woman."

Kara looks on extremely amused. "Am I? What are you going to do about it?"

Diana makes a step to move forward only to find a hand suddenly on her shoulder. She turns her head to find Bruce standing right behind her. "Diana. Don't," he tells her. "You are playing into her hands."

In the next instant Bruce has been shoved away hard into the wall knocking him out cold. "Stay out of this Brucie," Kara mocks his unconscious form.

That is it. Diana can't stand this anymore and with all her speed and strength she throws a punch which connects cleanly with Kara's face. Kara slams into the wall which cracks under the force and the whole room, the whole ship, shakes.

Kara shakes her head and rubs her jaw. That one had actually smarted a bit. "So you fancy round 2 do you despite the thrashing I gave you last time." Kara grins gleefully. "I am more than happy to oblige."

Kara charges at Diana who knowing that in a sheer clash of strength she can't win moves to the side and uses Kara's momentum against her. As Kara is gliding past Diana shoves her in the back and Kara sails into the wall face first with tremendous force and the room shudders once more.

Kara pushes herself off the wall. Alright that could have gone better she is more than willing to admit. She can hear Diana move toward her so she kicks out catching Diana in the midsection. Kara then spins round and delivers her own punch to Diana's face. This time it is Diana's turns to hit the wall causing the room to shudder again.

Diana takes a moment to gather herself. That was stupid.

"Come on princess," Kara challenges. "Don't tell me that is it." Kara smiles mockingly. "Unless, of course, Kal has worn you out."

That infuriates Diana once more and she foolishly charges at Kara. Somehow she manages to connect with Kara's stomach and slams her into the wall. She then wraps her hands round Kara's throat and squeezes as hard as she can. A gesture that Kara returns. Neither notices the new figure that has smashed down the door and entered the room.

"That is enough!!!"

Both Kara's and Diana's heads snap round to the source of the voice and see Kal standing there looking furious. They release their grip on each other.

"Hey couz," Kara says in a rather croaky voice.

"Silence," Kal-El commands. "You I will deal with in a moment," he tells his cousin in no uncertain terms.

Kara rolls her eyes and rubs her throat.

Kal-El turns his attention to Diana. "When I allowed you to leave my quarters I thought it was on the understanding that you would not cause trouble."

Diana can see that the caring, compassionate man who made love to her last night is gone and in his place is a stern authoritative commander. It is actually intimidating the look he has and there are few people and certainly no men that can make her feel intimidated. However she has her own issues she needs to air that won't be put off no matter how intimidating he looks. "And I thought you weren't motivated by your emotions."

"I'm not."

"Oh really. Then how do you explain how you allowed her," her meaning Kara, "to torture Bruce beyond that you wanted vengeance."

"She was interrogating him as per Kryptonian law," Kal-El answers.

"Rubbish. Look at him. That isn't interrogation. That is torture."

Kal-El does indeed look at Bruce lying on the floor and the injuries he has suffered.

"Don't listen to her Kal," Kara says as she seductively wraps herself around his body. "I was doing what you said I could. Question him as long as he was alive for his execution."

Kal-El can see that several more of his troop have appeared in the doorway. He summons the ones he had assigned to Diana. "Take her back to my quarters."

"We aren't finished here," Diana argues.

"Yes we are," Kal-El tells her in a tone that leaves no room for argument. "And if you cause any more trouble I will throw you in a cell along with the other prisoners. Am I clear?"

Diana's face darkens considerably. It seems she has misjudged him just as she feared. Her resolve hardens just as her heart breaks. "Perfectly," she says coldly. She fixes Kal an icy glare before she stomps out with her escort.

Kal-El summons another couple of soldiers in. "Take him to the physician," he orders pointing at Bruce. "Have his injuries treated."

"Yes sir!" the soldiers chime in obedience before one of them picks Bruce up and carries him off. Kal-El turns to the few soldiers who are left. "The rest of you return to your duties. Now!"

They disappear quickly. Kara meanwhile is still wrapped around Kal having a wonderful time enjoying how he feels next to her. Now if only she could get rid of all these clothes they are wearing.

"Kara," Kal-El begins.

"Yes Kal."

"You have 5 seconds to get off of me before I lose my temper," he says with unmistakable threat present in his voice.

Kara, at her cousin's tone of voice, wisely decides to shift herself away. "So I guess my interrogation is done," she queries.

"It is all done Kara. Tomorrow my father gets here. It is down to his judgement now."

Kara can tell she may have pushed Kal too far this time. "Kal I apologise if I crossed some line."

Kal-El lets out a weary sigh. He should be mad at her. He was on the way here but that was before he knew Diana was here too and the look she gave him, a cold icy stare, has just deflated him instantly. He finds he no longer has the energy to be mad at Kara. "You didn't actually cross a line," he tells her. After all she was acting on what he allowed. "I just..."

"Just?"

"Like order. I like my life to be in order and lately it seems to be nothing but chaos. I was mad at you. I am mad at you. You are a commander in the Kryptonian military and I don't think it is unreasonable to expect that you don't get into brawls with prisoners."

The military discipline that Kara was taught kicks in at the point Kal is making. "You are correct. I am taking out my boredom in the wrong way. I therefore do apologise Kal."

Not wanting to be at odds with the only family he has left that he actually considers family Kal-El decides to accept her apology.

"Are you going to speak to her?" Kara queries Kal in relation to Diana

"Not for awhile. I think I need to let her calm down or I may end up with her hands round my throat."

"That is probably wise," Kara comments. "In the meantime do you want to spend some quality family time together?"

Kal-El looks at her dubiously. Kara raises her hand. "I swear no sexual innuendo of any kind." She can tell that he is not in the mood and it would ruin any chance she may have at a later time.

"You know what. I think I would," Kal-El decides. He has no intention of seeing Diana for awhile and he needs to pass the time while he thinks through what he is going to say to her. "Just let me assign a repair team for this room first," he tells Kara.

"Oh sure," Kara says with a real genuine smile that Kal-El hasn't seen since he was a small child. He then heads off to assign that repair team. He will let Diana cool off before they talk. There are things he needs to explain and he needs her calm enough so that she will actually listen to him.

* * *

A few hours later, after he had spent some surprisingly pleasant time with Kara where she did keep her word and laid off the sexual innuendo and her attempts to lure him into bed Kal-El is making his way past the guards and into his quarters. He spent some time thinking through what Diana said and what she might ask when he got here. Now that he is here he finds Diana pacing. She doesn't look as calm as he was hoping she would be by now. An observation reinforced when she marches up to him and slaps him across the face. "Feeling better?" he asks.

Diana growls at him. She is angry at the way he had her virtually hauled off or would have if she had refused to go. That doesn't even include the anger she has at him for what happened to Bruce or more accurately what he allowed to happen.

"Will I come back when you are more ready to listen to me?"

Diana moves to slap him again but Kal catches her arm in an iron grip. "Don't," he commands.

"I am not one of your soldiers to command Kal."

"No you are not but you were questioning me in front of them."

"What?"

"Before you were questioning me in front of them. Did that occur to you?"

Diana pulls her hand back out of Kal's grip. "What are you on about?"

"In case you forgot I am a commander. You in the eyes of the troops under my command are a prisoner. You therefore do not get the right to question me. If I had allowed you to continue to do so it would have undermined my authority. That is why I had you removed. Now you come from a warrior race. I am sure you understand this concept."

Despite her inner rage Diana does understand. It had not occurred to her before but she can see his point. "I understand," she tells him.

"Good. Now since we are alone you may question me."

"How could you?" she asks. "How could you allow that...that woman to torture Bruce like that?"

Kal-El slowly paces the room. "I spent some time these last few hours thinking about that."

"And?"

"And you were right. I was angry over Aethyr's death and wanted vengeance. Wanted Bruce Wayne to suffer beyond the punishment he will receive under the law." He wanders over to the bed and sits down with a weariness engulfing his body. Diana sits down next to him, her anger fading a bit at his admission. "It is more than he killed someone I cared about," he begins to say. "It was anger at the loss of all that potential."

"Potential?" Diana queries.

"Aethyr had potential to be more than she was. To grow. I know she did. I think that is why I grew to care for her." He had seen her change and grow over the years she served under him. Yes she was a loyal soldier of the Empire but so is he. She may have been his brother's spy but he always had hope that Aethyr might become something great one day. That she would see beyond that loyalty to his brother. She had the potential and when he saw her lifeless body and all that potential had been wrongly snatched away he has to admit that he was angry. Despite saying, despite convincing himself, that he didn't let his emotions dictate his actions this one time he had. To his surprise Diana takes his hand into her own.

He tries to explain it to Diana. "If I am being honest there are many Kryptonians," too many he silently adds, "who don't grow, don't change, don't take on new thoughts and new ideas. They are perfectly happy to go through life exactly the way they are. Aethyr was never like that. She had potential. It was there buried under all the training, all the misplaced loyalty."

"Misplaced loyalty?" Diana inquires.

"To my brother. He is the head of Kryptonian Intelligence. Aethyr was a spy."

"You knew she was?"

Kal-El nods. "Yes but it is hardly the point. What I am trying to say is that Aethyr had the potential to grow and change. If the Kryptonian Empire is going to survive long term it needs people like her."

"Why?"

"Societies that don't change die. It is what my father believed. It is why he overthrew the council."

"Change does not always mean change into something better," Diana points out. Her anger has long faded as she listened to Kal's surprisingly honest appraisal of his motivations.

"You have made this point before in trying to point out that my logic was flawed as it came to the objectives of the Empire."

"Yes and you said you didn't know if you had done the right thing over the years."

"I still don't know but in truth I haven't had time to think about it since we last talked about it." Kal-El turns his head to look at her and smile. "We did get a little distracted," he jests lightly.

"We did," she confirms for him with the same lightness in her tone.

"I had Bruce Wayne's injuries treated and I promise he will be treated well from now on."

"Thank you."

"His eye is lost. There is nothing that can be done."

"Are you going to punish Kara this time for that?"

"For what? Acting within what I allowed. No. This is on my shoulders and mine alone. At least until tomorrow."

"Why what happens tomorrow?"

"My father arrives and then it is out of my hands. The most I can do is ask him to spare you as a personal favour to me."

"No," Diana tells him.

"What do you mean 'No'?"

"I mean is that I will not be treated differently from my friends."

"Diana that will mean you will be put to death."

"I realise that," she tells him along with the realisation that her hope that she could reach Kal, persuade him that there was another way is at an end. Funnily she is not as upset as she thinks she should be at having her hopes dashed. Maybe the full ramification of what he said hasn't sunk in yet or maybe she still thinks she can find a way to save everyone. "I will only accept you sparing me if they are spared," she tells him.

"I can't do that. I..." he trails off. He hasn't told her about any of what he has been trying to do from the moment Aethyr was killed.

"You what?" she prompts him to continue.

"I need them as a bargaining tool. Under Kryptonian law I was suppose to destroy the city of the one who kills a Kryptonian soldier. That would be Gotham in this case."

"You are suppose to kill millions of innocent people?" Diana asks barely able to believe what she is hearing.

"As a demonstration of what happens if you cross the Empire but I thought that if I caught the Justice League and presented them to my father that I could demonstrate that I had dealt with the disruptive element and that destroying Gotham was unnecessary. It was perfectly logical you see. Sacrifice a few lives for the sake of millions of innocent ones."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't need to know. It is my burden. My responsibility as the Overseer of this world. You are a prisoner. Last night has not changed that."

"So nothing has changed?"

"I didn't say that. I...I have been trying to find a way out of this conundrum I am in. Under the law my duty is clear but I don't like killing and I certainly have no wish to kill millions of innocent people Diana. This was the only way I could think of. I know it is far from perfect but it is the only option I have."

Well Diana can't know that for certain as she is not familiar with Kryptonian law. "Anything else you haven't told me?"

"I don't think so...oh wait the dreams. I know why we have been having the dreams."

"You do? How?"

"Rao spoke to me in the one we shared just before we died in it."

"Rao. Your god?"

"Yes. He told me that he was responsible."

"Did he say why?" she asks and Kal-El reiterates everything Rao said about how he had to make a choice and what they were shown in the dreams was a possible future that they could have. At that powerful emotions swirl up within Diana. In that dream she had a son. Something she isn't sure is possible in real life except that Kal seems to be indicating that it is possible. "What is this choice you must make?" she asks Kal.

"Rao was not clear on that issue. Only that it involves my father and that it will be soon."

Then maybe saving herself along with her friends is not as impossible as it seemed only a moment ago. If the dreams are a possible future then it seems there is a way because she would only be alive in that future if her friends are too. She will not change her position about sharing their fate but Diana realises that she must also stay with Kal. It is obvious he is the key to this. Whatever it is. Whatever this choice it is he must make. She has to be here with him so she can help him make the right one. Diana has a feeling that they will only get one chance to make the correct choice.

"Are you coping with all this?" he asks her with gentle concern.

"What? Prophecies of the future?" Kal nods in answer to her question. "I get them all the time. We have an Oracle back on Themyscira who has the ability to see into the future."

"I see." Then after a moment. "Are you still angry at me?" he asks shyly.

"I was but it passed. I am not happy with what you did but I am not angry anymore."

Kal-El looks down at their entwined hands. "I don't know for certain what will happen when my father arrives except that you and your friends will die."

"Not necessarily Kal. Rao's vision showed me still alive."

"Yes but I can't see what choice I can make that will save your life if you don't let me make a plea to my father."

"I am not changing my mind," she states firmly.

"I don't want you to die," he says softly.

Diana places her finger under his chin and lifts his head to look at her. "I don't want to die either but regardless of what we have shared Kal I am still loyal to my friends and to Earth."

"And I am still loyal to Krypton," he tells her before he amends it slightly. "I am just not certain anymore whether it is to my father's version of Krypton." Kal-El supposes in a few ways he has always been bothered slightly by some aspects of the Kryptonian code. What does destroying a whole city achieve anyway? In most cases he is aware of it simply stiffens resistance.

It isn't exactly a denunciation of General Zod but Diana will take what she can get under the circumstances. If only she had more time. That is what she told both Hal and Bruce. That she needed more time to reach Kal's core. To make him see things in a new light. Unfortunately she isn't going to get the time but still she has hope. What can only be described as a vision from Kal's god gives her hope that there is still a way out of this. "Will I be able to remain with you until my execution?" she asks seeing that she needs to be with him if they are going to find a way out of this and there is the fact she cares for him deeply. Despite what he allowed to happen to Bruce she still cares. Unlike Kryptonians she can't turn her feelings off so easily.

"Yes...I think. I don't see how my father would have a problem with it."

"Good," she says and then gently presses her lips to his in a tantalizing, breathtaking kiss.

Kal-El draws back to look at her in the eye. "Are you sure? I mean you could die tomorrow if my father commands it."

"That is tomorrow," she tells him. "We can't change what is to come. All we can do is enjoy what time we have. I care for you Kal, deeply."

"I care for you too. More than for anyone else in my life," he admits honestly.

"Then let us forget what may come tomorrow and have one more night together. If this is my last night in this world make it special for me."

Kal-El pulls her forcefully into his arms and devours her mouth. If she wants tonight to be special then he swears to Rao himself he will make it a night that the universe itself will remember.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. Next up General Zod arrives._


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Kal-El stands nervously on his bridge while fidgeting with his dress uniform. He hates this thing although he has always liked the long robes that are part of it. He is waiting for his father's ship to arrive. It will be here any moment. He had received the signal that indicated his father's ship plus escort had entered the solar system. Standing next to him is Kara in her own dress uniform not looking any happier than he is at having to wear it.

"Argh! I hate this thing," she complains as she fidgets with her robes confirming what Kal-El was thinking she was thinking.

"I share your pain," Kal-El dryly comments.

Kara straightens the ankle length robes out. "You had a good night," she mentions.

"Is it that obvious?" he laments.

"Yes," she confirms for him. "You still smell of her."

Kal-El raises his arm and sniffs it. Huh Kara is right. Diana's scent is on him. He should have showered longer but it is too late to do anything about it now and Kara is also right about last night being good. It was very, very good. He doesn't think he has ever given so much of himself to anyone as he gave to Diana last night. A moment of exquisite ecstasy before he faces the uncertainty of what will happen now that his father is here. He says a silent prayer to Rao for guidance while he waits.

"Hyperspace window opening commander." The wait is over. From his position Kal-El can see his father's personal cruiser and 3 escorts appear in orbit.

"General Zod is signalling us," the communication's officer informs Kal-El.

"Open a channel," Kal-El commands while he drops to one knee as does Kara. The holographic image of his father appears. "Father," Kal-El greets him.

"Kal-El," Zod says back before his gaze falls upon Kara. "Commander Zor-El."

Kara bows her head. "General," she says with all due reverence.

"Everything is prepared for my arrival?"

"Of course Father," Kal-El assures him. "We are ready to welcome you aboard at any time."

"I knew you would not let me down Kal-El."

"I live to serve you," Kal-El says but for the first time in his life the words leave a slightly bitter taste in his mouth.

"Send me all your reports. I wish to be caught up before I come aboard," Zod instructs.

Kal-El signals to the communications officer who transmits the reports. "They are being sent now," Kal-El informs Zod.

"Very well. I will signal you when I am ready," Zod tells them before the image fades and the communication ends.

Kal-El and Kara get back to their feet. "He won't be happy when he reads what you have done or rather what you haven't done," Kara mentions to her cousin.

"I know. I am prepared for that."

Kara turns her attention to the escorting ships. "The Argosian Guard," she says with spite. They had taken away her role as Zod's protectors.

"Yes. Who leads them?"

Kara looks at him with surprise. "You don't know?"

"I haven't been home in years Kara and my brother it seems thinks it is information I do not need to know but I am guessing you do."

"It's Ursa. Ursa commands them."

Kal-El's mood darkens considerably. Ursa had loved to bully him when he was a child. In fact Ursa hates children which probably explains why his father never bonded with her and ended up bonded to his mother, Faora. He lets out a sigh. "Let me know when the General signals his readiness to come on-board," Kal-El orders the on duty lieutenant.

"Of course commander," the lieutenant replies obediently.

With that Kal-El departs the bridge and heads back to his quarters. He finds Diana kneeling beside the bed speaking softly. It doesn't take much to recognise it as a gesture of prayer. He waits quietly until she finishes.

Diana prays to her gods for guidance and strength even if they haven't exactly been very forthcoming lately in answering her. Once finished she stands to find that Kal has returned sooner than she expected. She can't help but smile at the way he looks. His dress uniform, which he had complained endlessly about while she was helping him dress, makes him look so handsome and there is just something about the robes that really suits him. She thinks a cape would have the same effect. "Everything ok?" she asks.

Kal-El nods. "Yes. For the moment. My father has arrived. He is reading my reports before he comes on-board."

Diana nods in understanding. "What will he do?" she asks with concern.

"I expect he will demand a private meeting with me where I explain myself which I am prepared for. Despite what you may think my father is not some unthinking brute only interested in violence. He has a great mind."

Twisted mind more like it from what she knows but Diana keeps that opinion to herself.

"How are you feeling?" he asks her.

"Better," she replies. Diana is just glad she recuperates quickly because this morning she had felt like she wouldn't be able to move for a week at least. Unsurprisingly sexual intercourse had never been something Diana had thought of a great deal while she grew up on Themyscira and she certainly never contemplated having it with someone of Kal's strength and power. Last night had been indescribable. Now she definitely understands what someone means when they say they felt the Earth move. She felt the Earth, moon and stars move and a couple of times she was pretty certain the universe underwent another Big Bang. Also just like she dreamed about watching Kal through his moments of release was a truly beautiful sight to behold. She can close her eyes and still remember the feel of him inside her, filling her and then the feeling as she came hard around him causing him to come in thick, hot gushes as he emptied himself inside her, filling her with a glorious warmth.

Diana lets out a breath and tries to move on as she can feel her body warming up considerably as she remembers. Anyway bottom line is that it was an action they repeated many, many times and it had left her feeling aches in muscles she never realised she had so she had been extremely tired and stiff when she woke up this morning. "You?" she asks back regarding how he is feeling.

Kal-El had never been more thankful for the healing ability the yellow sun bestows than this morning. Otherwise he severely doubts he could have gotten out of bed let alone be ready to meet his father. When he thought last night had been very, very good earlier he was completely underplaying it. It had been beyond any words he possesses. It had also brought the memories of his dreams back and just like in them watching Diana at the moment of utter rapture was perhaps the most amazing, beautiful thing he has seen beating all the wonders of this universe that he had been fortunate enough to see during his life. Then he can't forget the way it felt to be inside her. To be surrounded by her heat. Rao even if he didn't have an eidetic memory he could never forget what it felt like when she climaxed around him bringing him to a breathtaking climax as he emptied himself into her in long rapturous gushes he wished would never come to an end.

Kal-El lets out a breath and tries to dampen down his arousal before it becomes all too evident. Frankly considering how many times they had made love last night he is amazed he has the energy left to be aroused again so soon. So in summary last night had left him very tried and stiff. More so than he had ever felt before even when he had been with a fellow Kryptonian. "I am sufficiently recovered to perform my duties," he says as an answer to Diana query about how he is feeling.

"Spoken like a true soldier," Diana comments.

"I am a soldier," he reminds her.

"I know. I didn't mean it to sound like a criticism. It is just..."

"Just what?" Kal-El queries.

"Just that I think you could be anything you want to be. Anything you set your mind to you can accomplish."

"That is most flattering but I think you overestimate me," he says with genuine modesty.

Diana walks over to him and runs her hands down the edges of his robes. "I don't think I do. Call it woman's intuition." Kal-El cocks his head slightly perplexed at the expression. "It's a saying on Earth that relies on the belief that women have good instincts and judgement," she explains. "You don't have a similar saying?"

"Kryptonians are too logical to have sayings that relate to instincts," he explains.

"Do you ever feel you lost something by embracing logic?" she asks curiously.

"Not before I met you, no."

"And now that you have met me?"

"I need more time to think on that but lets just say you bring out emotions in me I haven't experienced in a long time if ever and I think I might like the feelings that have been awakened in me."

Diana smiles and kisses his cheek gently and while he tries to return the smile he can't quite hide the worry in his eyes. She guesses it is worry about what Zod will do to her when he finally comes on-board the ship. Diana herself was trying to be philosophical about it. If she died then she died. She would regret not seeing her mother and sister one more time along with a few decisions she had made in her life but everyone has regrets about decisions they made. At least she met Kal before the end. Her regret there is that if she dies now she won't be able to see out whatever it is they have between them but she shouldn't be so negative. She still has faith there is some way out of this.

* * *

A few hours later Kal-El stands next to Kara in the bay awaiting his father's arrival. Kond-Ah, his second in command is here along with the proper honour guard. Good. Everything looks in order. He sees his father approach along with his two oldest allies Ursa and Non. Ursa looks a lot like he remembers her except slightly older. Living under Krypton's red sun means she has had to endure the rigours of ageing that the gifts of the yellow sun prevent. Non too looks like he remembers mostly. Still a huge, hulking unthinking brute. He notices Kara's less than happy expression. "Remember Kara. Be good," he tells his cousin.

Kara plasters on a fake smile. "I won't kill her ok despite the fact I have killed people for less." A lot, lot less but Kara knows she needs to behave when in the presence of General Zod if she wants to stay alive.

"You know Kara there is something as too much information," he points out. He would have been happy with 'I won't kill her' as an answer. His father lands in the bay and he, Kara and Kond-Ah drop to one knee with their heads bowed. Zod walks up until he stands right in front of Kal-El. "Father," Kal-El speaks with reverence. "It is an honour to be in your presence." That left a slightly bitter taste in his mouth as well he notes. Rao. What ideas has Diana managed to put in his head.

"Rise," Zod commands and all 3 rise. "Walk with me Kal-El."

Kal-El walks next to his father as they start to leave the bay. Kara falls in behinds next to Ursa while Kond-Ah walks beside Non. Kal-El had tried to read his father's face and his voice to judge how he was reacting to what he would have found in Kal-El's reports but got nothing. He wonders and worries what his father has made of the actions he had undertaken. "How is Mother?" he asks in what seems an appropriate way to start a conversation with his Father.

She is good health. She sends her regards," Zod answers.

"I am pleased to hear that," Kal-El says and he means it. He has no particular dislike of his mother in any way.

"Tell me," Zod begins. "Are the invasion plans of Almerac on schedule?"

"Yes Father."

"Good. I knew you would not let me down."

"I would do all within my power to follow your commands." Ugh. There is that bitter taste again.

"Your brother thinks otherwise," Zod comments.

Kal-El frowns. Is that why his father is here? Because of some allegation Lor has made against him. "With all due respect father. If Lor has something to accuse me of then I have a right to know what that is so I may defend myself."

"Which is why I am here Kal-El. You command the flagship of the fleet but more than that you are my son. I have always considered you so despite the fact we do not share a bloodline."

"And I have always considered you my Father," Kal-El replies as they walk through the corridors of the ship.

"Lor thinks you have been tainted by all the time you have spent away from home," Zod tells Kal-El of the allegation Lor is making.

"Tainted? In what way?"

"That you have taken on-board the pacifist ideals of other cultures."

"Once more with all due respect to you and my brother that is nonsense."

"Is it?" Zod asks with all seriousness. They reach the rarely used guest quarters for those of highest importance and step inside. Zod turns to the entourage behind them. "I will speak to my son alone."

"Kond-Ah will you show Commander Ursa and Non their quarters?" Kal-El requests.

Kond-Ah bows his head. "As you command." He then leads Ursa and Non off down the corridor to their quarters.

"Commander Zor-El," Zod says addressing Kara.

"Yes General," Kara says in immediate and respectful reply.

"I would like your ship to be battle ready immediately," he informs her.

"My ship and my crew are always ready," Kara informs him.

A subtle smile adorns Zod's face. "Excellent. In that case go there now. I will give you your orders shortly."

Kara bows her head and salutes with her closed fist over her heart. "As you command General." Kara then turns and leaves swiftly. Huh a mission of some sort. She likes the sound of that. She was getting bored simply orbiting this backwater little planet. She could do with killing something that wasn't Ursa. God that smarmy, smug look Ursa had as they walked here was working Kara's last shred of self-control. Ever since she got her own battlegroup charged with General Zod's personal protection Ursa had been intolerable whenever they met. Stupid smug, arrogant, self-important harlot of a woman. One of these days...one of these days...Kara will make sure Ursa gets what is coming to her. She swears it.

Zod closes the door and turns his gaze to his son. He had read all the reports and was disappointed in him. Kal-El's infractions were not the worse he had ever seen but there were below what he expects of his son. Perhaps Lor is correct and Kal-El has been influenced by the otherworldly cultures he had been in contact with. Perhaps it was time he took Kal-El home and close to him so he could reteach him what it meant to be Kryptonian. Well that is why he is here. To judge for himself. He decides to start on a softer issue though. "Aethyr is dead."

Emotions flickers across Kal-El's face for a moment. "Yes Father."

"That is a matter of regret," Zod remarks.

"It is," Kal-El says in sad agreement.

"You have the one in custody."

"Yes," Kal-El confirms. "Bruce Wayne and his accomplices as well."

"Not all of them," Zod corrects from what he had learned.

"No. He and the others would not reveal the where the others were hiding."

"Yes the others. This 'Justice League'. There was a Green Lantern in their number I read in your reports."

"Yes Father. A native of this planet by the name of Hal Jordan."

The name strikes a memory. "You've met him before."

"Yes."

"You let him live."

"Yes with a warning to give to the Guardians."

"The Guardians and their vaunted Green Lantern Corps," Zod says with little respect. One day they will have to be dealt with but until then Zod will simply keep expanding the Empire and his own personal power. "He will be put to death along with all the others...including the woman I hear you keep in your quarters."

Kal-El's heart screams out in horror at what his father has just said but he keeps his feelings buried. He can't show them in front of his father. He also mentally notes to work harder to find whatever spy passed that information on. He knew he hadn't identified all his brother's spies yet and obviously one had been passing on messages during the few hours since his father arrived. "If you think that is appropriate father then it will be done," Kal-El says rather blandly.

"You should have put them to death long before I got here," Zod chastises.

"I thought it appropriate they be interrogated first," Kal-El says in his defence.

"I see. And why isn't the home city of this Bruce Wayne burned to the ground?"

Kal-El knew that was coming. "May I speak freely?" he requests.

Zod gives his acquiescence with a nod of his head.

"I didn't believe it was necessary. I had captured those for responsible for Aethyr's death. I would have put them to death as an example to the people of this world. It is my belief that alone would be sufficient to make the point about what happens to those who cross us."

Zod goes and sits himself down at the table in the room and lets out a sigh of disappointment. "I thought I had taught you better than that Kal-El." The disappointment was all too evident in Zod's voice. "If you show any mercy than it is a sign of weakness that the enemy will exploit for their own benefit. Enemies must not be solely defeated Kal-El. They must be utterly crushed."

"But father," Kal-El protests. "This world...its people are so primitive. They are no threat to us."

Zod eyes his son suspiciously. Kal-El had never argued with him like this...well ever. "It seems your brother was correct Kal-El. You have been tainted."

"I do not agree," Kal-El insists.

Zod snaps to his feet and Kal-El flinches at the look of intensity in his father's eyes. "Your opinion is irrelevant Kal-El. Effective immediately I am taking command personally of the Almeracian invasion. You will stay by my side so I can reteach you how to behave like a true Kryptonian once more. The Justice League will be publicly executed. Those are my commands."

"Yes Father," Kal-El grinds out.

Zod can see Kal-El needs an immediate lesson in regards to his behaviour. "And oh yes one more thing. The woman in your quarters."

Kal-El tries to hold his emotions at bay and not even think of what fate will befall Diana. "What of her?" he asks his voice choked with far more emotion than he would like.

Zod issues what is a decree but is also a test for his son to see just how tainted he has become. "She will be the first to die and you Kal-El, you personally, will be the one that puts her to death and you will do so with your own two hands."

At that statement Kal-El can't hold in the angry, instant rebuttal that come to his lips. "I will not!"

A younger, less experienced person that Zod might have lost their temper at this point and allowed this to degenerate into a shouting contest. Fortunately Zod was at his core a cool, calm, calculating person. He stands toe-to-toe with his son their eyes locked in a battle of wills. "You dare refuse me."

"On this matter, yes," Kal-El says resolutely. No way is he himself doing that.

"I do not know what has gotten into you Kal-El but it stops here and now. So let me tell you what will happen if you refuse to obey me. The Justice League and that woman will die and I will make you watch them die in the slowest, most painful method I can conceive of. Then I will obliterate the entire surface of this planet wiping out every living being. After that I will strip you of every title you possess and dissolve the House of El. Of course that will mean that your cousin will also be stripped of everything she has as well." Zod can see in Kal-El's gaze that his will is wavering at Zod's words as the ramifications sink in.

Zod continues. "Or you can do as I command. Put that woman to death and I will spare the beings of this world from extinction and your cousin from any punishment. You, however, obviously need a serious re-education which I will ensure you get. Now tell me Kal-El which choice is it to be?"

There is no choice. Despite his feelings for Diana Kal-El can't let billions perish. She would understand he hopes. He bows his head. "I will do as you command," he says in the quietest voice he may have ever used. So quiet he is almost inaudible.

"Excellent. I never doubted it."

Kal-El needs to get out of here so he can absorb what he has just agreed to do. "May I be excused?" he requests.

"No," Zod states firmly. "It is time for your first lesson. Accompany me to the bridge."

Kal-El morosely follows his father feeling bitter and angry and utterly useless. Everything he wanted to accomplish here is falling apart. They soon reach the bridge.

"Connect me to Commander Zor-El," Zod commands.

Kara's holographic image appears. "General," she says bowing her head.

"Commander Zor-El. Take your ship to orbit over the metropolis known as Gotham City and await my command. It is time these humans learn the price for disobedience."

"As you command General," Kara obediently responds.

Kal-El swallows. He knows what is about to follow and he can't do anything to stop it.

"Connect me to the planet's communication net and override all current transmissions," Zod orders. "It is time I introduced myself to my newest subjects."

"Yes General," The communications officer responds in total obedience. It takes a few moments. "We are connected. You may speak."

Down on Earth the surviving members of the Justice League watch from Wayne Manor, where they had been hiding, as the image of a middle aged man with a beard appears on the tv. J'onn in particular looks on in interest as he knows from the data that was stolen who that is. The man speaks.

"People of the planet Earth. I am General Zod. Your ruler. Several days ago members of what you know as the Justice League attacked one of our facilities based on the surface. This act of terrorism against the Kryptonian Empire came in spite of the laws you were issued with and the warnings that disobedience would be severely punished. We have captured your Justice League. They will be publicly executed shortly in a place of our choosing. You will be notified of the time and location beforehand when we deem it appropriate."

J'onn shares a look with Wally who is watching the broadcast with him. They have an immediate understanding of the fact that this public execution could be a chance to rescue their friends. The details they can work out later as J'onn turns his attention back to Zod's broadcast.

"A few of these so called heroes are still at large so an example is required of what happens to those that cross us and what will happen if there are any more hostile acts against the Kryptonian Empire." The image shifts to a satellite view of a city. "The city below is the home of the criminal you know as Batman. For his part in the death of a Kryptonian soldier it will be annihilated." As he says it a shadow crosses the city. It is Kara's ship as it crosses in front of the sun directly above.

J'onn is immediately on his feet. "Wally get the others down to the cave now," he orders and in an instant Wally is gone to round up the others and Alfred and take them down to the Batcave. Just before J'onn himself phases down he catches a glimpse of an intense beam of red energy hit the centre of Gotham before the tv picture cuts out.

He gets down to the cave to find Wally has rounded up the others and Alfred. As for the millions above in the city there was nothing they could do. The whole cave shakes as the shock wave hits it. It is followed by rumbling which is no doubt the explosion front approaching them. The rumbling gets louder. The whole cave shakes and bits of rock fall from the ceiling. J'onn can feel it as the explosion front passes overhead no doubt reducing the Manor above to rubble. The power fails, the lights go out and the cave goes dark.

On his ship Kal-El watches the image as the explosion wave spreads out from the point of impact engulfing the city. All those people. Dead with no warning. No chance to defend themselves let alone save themselves. He feels sick to the pit of his stomach. His father turns to face him. "Now you may be excused Kal-El," Zod informs his son. Kal-El turns without a word and departs with his robes sweeping out behind him.

Zod watches his son depart and he does consider Kal-El his son. He has no idea what exactly has happened to him lately but Zod will put an end to it whatever it is. He knows Lor has been making accusations against Kal-El for years but Zod had dismissed most of them but the last few he received had left him concerned hence why he travelled all the way here. He could have called Kal-El home but that wouldn't have gotten Zod the answers he sought. He needed to see Kal-El out here on the fringes of the Empire in the circumstances that have now so obviously corrupted him.

Up to now Zod would have to admit that adopting Kal-El had worked out better than he could have imagined. He only did it initially to spite Jor-El. He can still remember Jor-El being brought before him in chains and on his knees just before Zod banished Jor-El to the Phantom Zone. A wonderfully ironic fate since Jor-El had created the Phantom Zone in the first place. There on his knees, broken and defeated, Zod had assured Jor-El that he need not worry about his baby son because that he, Zod, would make sure that Kal-El would be raised to be a true Kryptonian. The expression on Jor-El's face as he realised what that meant was one Zod had treasured ever since.

Kal-El as it turned out would be an attentive and obedient son. There were a few occasions where he strayed but nothing beyond what one would expect of children. Also to Zod's pleasant surprise Kal-El turned out to be an excellent soldier who progressed up the ranks not through any favour he himself gave out but because Kal-El earned it. He then went out into the vastness of the universe and led the forces under his command to many victories which resulted in expansion of the Empire's territory, power and influence. Yet something that had happened here at this planet was threatening to undo it all and had left Kal-El in need of some serious disciplining.

What Zod threatened to do with dissolving Kal-El's House was a last resort because if he is forced to do that to his own son then Zod's own reputation and prestige would also be damaged. He certainly would not give the House to Kal-El's uncle Zor-El. He was far too untrustworthy. Hence the reason Zod made Kal-El head of the House of El in the first place even though he had only been a baby at the time. No. Better to dissolve it and take the hit than hand it over to Zor-El but as Zod said that is a last resort. First he will deal with this Justice League. Then the invasion of Almerac which he cannot trust to be left in Kal-El's hands anymore. Then he will take Kal-El back to Krypton with him. Maybe sometime back home where both he and his wife, Faora, can keep an eye on him will straighten Kal-El out.

He turns his attention to the communications officer. He needs to make sure of one more thing concerning Gotham City. "Contact Commander Zor-El. Instruct her troops to sweep through Gotham. There are to be no survivors," he commands. "That is the will of Zod."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Diana had been meditating, an act she uses to help pass the time of this confinement, when Kal stomps into the room looking angrier than she has seen someone ever look. He sets about the quarters tipping over and destroying all the furniture in almost a blur of motion. It ends with him putting his fist into the wall causing a large indent surrounded by cracks to appear. She approaches him, he is breathing heavily, and touches his shoulder lightly. "Kal?" she queries. When he doesn't respond she slowly moves round so she can see his face and to her surprise finds that there are tears streaming down his cheeks. Diana moves to take his head into her hands. Kal lets her and she brings his head to her shoulder. She places her hand on his back and tries to sooth him with gentle strokes. "Shh. It's alright."

"No. No it isn't. Nothing is alright," Kal-El says virtually sobbing. His voice drops to a pained whisper. "I'm sorry Diana. I am so sorry."

Diana pulls back so she can look him in the eye bust she keeps her hands on his cheeks. "Sorry about what Kal?"

"Gotham. My father destroyed it and I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Diana fights hard to keep her anger at bay. Hera. All those people gone, murdered.

Kal-El then tells her the worse part. "He says you and your friends are to be executed and that I..." He can't say it.

Diana takes a breath to calm her rage. "You what Kal?"

"I have to be the one to kill you Diana. If I don't he will wipe out the entire human race to teach me a lesson."

"A lesson?!" Diana shouts outraged. To hell with keeping her temper in check. What kind of man kills billions of people to teach his son a lesson.

Kal-El nods miserably. He had failed totally, utterly and spectacularly in his plan to offer up the Justice League and when his father had said that he has to kill Diana Kal-El just couldn't take it anymore. There was no way he was ever agreeing to that so what did his father do. Threaten to kill billions of innocent people if he didn't. His father is a monster. Rao why had he never seen that before. How can he have been so blind and the worse part of it all is that he can't do a damn thing about it short of killing...

No! He is not even contemplating that. Killing his father is not a option. That would leave Lor in charge and Rao help Krypton should his brother be left in charge and since Kal-El himself would be dead after committing such an act there would be no-one to stand against his brother.

Kal-El looks at Diana, at the rage in her eyes. She probably hates him now and that is a thought he can't stand. He would almost rather her be dead than hate him. "I am so sorry Diana," he repeats.

Diana strokes his tear soaked cheeks. "I know you are."

"I don't know what to do."

"Don't you? It is perfectly logical Kal. One life in exchange for billions. You have to kill me."

"I can't!" he shouts. "Don't you understand. I told my father I would but I can't. I know I can't."

"You must," she insists. As angry as Diana is right now she won't let billions die. If her life must be sacrificed to do so then so be it.

"I can't," he sobs. "I can't kill you Diana. I love you."

Diana's eyes widen in surprise at his confession. She leans forward and plants her lips on his. "I love you too," she says in a whisper.

Kal-El pulls her into his arms and closes his eyes. He just wants to feel her in his arms. He says a silent prayer. _"Rao please help me."_

* * *

Kond-Ah returns to his ship. It had been a long day with General Zod's arrival but at last it was over and he can get some well earned rest. He arrives in his quarters and seals the door. He changes for bed and lies down only to have his communicator go off. He groans loudly. Of all the times why did it have to be now? He picks it up off his bedside table. "Yes?"

"Kond?" the voice on the other end queries.

"Asha?" Kond queries back. Asha Del-Nar had been his friend for many years now.

"Yes it's me and don't worry I've encrypted this signal."

"Asha I'm tired and it's late so please get to the point," Kond tells her grumpily.

"It's time," she says cryptically.

"Time for what?" Kond asks.

"This is our opportunity Kond. Zod is finally away from Krypton."

As what she is implying sinks in he sits up abruptly. "No Asha," he says shaking his head. "Don't even suggest it. We're not ready to make our move yet. We still can't get near Lor-Zod."

"So? We can get to Zod and Kal-El."

"No absolutely not. We are not killing Kal Asha," he tells her in no uncertain terms.

"Don't let your friendship get in the way of what you know needs to be done Kond," Asha reprimands him.

"Don't be so simple Asha. Do you know how many people amongst in this fleet owe Kal-El everything. Kill him and you turn them against us and our movement. You might as well kill us both now and get it over with. If we are ever going to restore Krypton it needs perfect timing to remove the entire bloodline of Zod at the same time."

"And what of Kal-El?" Asha asks.

"You don't know him like I do Asha. All this pointless killing and expansionist ideals are not part of his being. In time I think he can be brought around to our point of view. Imagine that Asha. The son of Zod embracing our movement. He could bring half the fleet to our side."

Kond has a point Asha guesses.

Kond continues "Besides Asha do you think we would survive long after killing Zod."

"No. Of course not but we would send a message that Zod, his bloodline, and all those that follow him that their time is at an end," she argues.

"Or we could simply expose ourselves before we are ready and Lor and his Secret Police will finally have an excuse to be let off the few remaining leads that restrain them," Kond says as he points out the flaw in Asha's logic. "Look one day Zod will be dead Asha but we must only strike when the time is right and Kal-El is off limits for the time being as long as I think he can be swayed to our side and that is an order in case you have forgotten who is in charge."

"Yes sir," Asha says obediently before the connection is cut.

Kond sighs as he lies back down. Rao was she impulsive sometimes but he knows he is correct in his assessment. This just isn't the moment to strike.

* * *

"What is that?" Kara's pet asks as she walks into her quarters.

Kara looks down at her uniform. "Oh that. That would be blood. I've been on a mission and you humans bleed so easily." She had personally taken some delight in sweeping through the ruins of Gotham and killing the survivors. Kara walks over to the bed where her pets is chained up and kisses her deeply making sure to rub her blood stained uniform against her pet's naked flesh. Hmm she will look so good with some blood smeared on her. Kara grabs her pet by the hair and forces her pet to look at her in the eye. "Now then I'm going to take a shower and then you and I will have some more fun." Kara smiles wickedly. "After all you have learned just how much fun I can be haven't you?"

"Yes Mistress," Lois replies obediently. She knew the unpleasantness that came from contradicting Kara.

Kara releases her hold on Lois' hair and pats her on the head. "Good girl. I'll get you trained yet." With a sadistic laugh at her own joke Kara then heads off to her shower.

Lois holds back the tears. She had learned that Kara could easily hear her from the shower and she was still not going to show any weakness in front of that woman but that was getting harder with each day that passed. She feared it was only a matter of time till her spirit was broken utterly. Until she would welcome what her 'Mistress' did to her. Lois would rather be dead frankly. Unfortunately she lacked the means to kill herself at the moment since Kara had made sure to keep anything that could be used like that out of Lois' reach. She just had to hang on. Surely sooner or later Kara would slip up and when she did Lois would put an end to this nightmare with the taking of her own life.

* * *

Kal-El stalks the corridors of his ship as he had done for the last few days. He had barely seen or spoken to his father since Gotham was destroyed. It was out of a combination of the fact that his father was busy now he had taken charge and out of the fact Kal-El was too angry to bear spending any time with his father. To his surprise his father had let him be. This was a surprise considering his father had seemed intent on...how did his father put it?...Oh yes on re-educating Kal-El on how to be a true Kryptonian. Well if being a true Kryptonian means callously killing millions of innocent beings then frankly you can count him out.

Kal-El wasn't naïve to the point he didn't know he was responsible for thousands of deaths but that was different. That was war and people die in war. It is one of the few universal constants but he had never undertaken in the wholesale slaughter of innocent beings unlike Kara but he wasn't mad at Kara for destroying Gotham. She was doing her duty. She had no choice just like he has no choice but to kill Diana. When they had both calmed down after Gotham's destruction they had had a more civilised chat....

Kal-El shakes his head. What is he thinking!?! A civilised chat? Rao could he come up with a more ridiculous term? Not even if he tried. What he means is that they had discussed her execution. They had to he supposes. Diana was far too selfless for her own good saying that if her death spared billions of others then she would accept it as her fate. Kal-El couldn't see how he could bring himself to do it. He certainly couldn't see how he was going to go on afterwards, living with what he had done. Rao wasn't answering his prayers or speaking to him lately. In fact the dreams had ceased entirely leaving him all alone looking for a way out of this that he was pretty positive didn't exist.

"So is this a social call?"

Kal-El looks up at that voice. Hal Jordan? He had wandered into the detention area without even noticing he had done so. "No," he answers bluntly.

Hal moves forward until he right against the transparent door to his cell. Kal-El seems tetchy. "Bad day?"

Kal-El frowns. "Not your concern," he tells Hal Jordan.

Hal shrugs one shoulder lightly. "Guess you're right. So set a date for my execution yet?"

"That is no longer up to me."

"Ah," Hal says in understanding. "Yeah. I heard General Zod had arrived. Taken charge has he."

Kal-El's eyes glow red for a moment. "He can do as he pleases," Kal-El spits out angrily before turning around and stomping off no longer wishing to discuss anything with a prisoner.

Hal arches an eyebrow of interest. An emotional Kryptonian. That's new. Especially the angry glare when Hal mentioned General Zod. Huh. They must have had a tiff or something.

Kal-El decides to head back to his quarters. Diana was still there. His father hadn't seem interested in moving her. At least his father had never said anything about it to him. He turns a corner to find Ursa heading his way. Just great. This is all he needs.

"Well, well. Kal-El," Ursa says in an annoyingly fake pleasant tone of voice.

"I'm not in the mood Ursa," he says sharply.

"That's Commander Ursa," she feels the need to correct. She had been waiting days to get a moment like this with Kal-El. She had gotten much enjoyment out of tormenting him when he was younger.

Kal-El snorts derisively. "Only because my brother is delusional and paranoid. It certainly wasn't because of your skills as a warrior since you don't have any." Normally Kal-El not say such things but he is no longer in the mood to play along with the expected social niceties.

Ursa is shocked for a moment by the sheer brazen disrespect Kal-El shows her before it turns into anger. "You dare!"

Kal-El moves so swiftly it takes Ursa by completes surprise when he grabs her by the throat and shoves her hard against the wall. "Listen to me and listen well. I am not the child you bullied anymore and if you think you can push me around like that then you are gravely mistaken."

Ursa tries to break free of his grasp but finds that she can't. Kal-El is stronger than she is. "Let me go!" she demands.

"Or what?" Kal-El asks her not in the least bit intimidated. "You'll go running to my father like the love sick whore that you are and yes I know how you look at my father when you think no-one is watching you." He squeezes her throat tighter. "Go right ahead. He already thinks I've been corrupted. This would be just more evidence to support it." He releases her suddenly and she gasps for air. "Get out of my sight," he tells her disgusted by the sight of her.

Ursa rubs her throat which she is pretty sure will be badly bruised. The look in Kal-El's eyes as he looks at her...it is one even she is intimidated by. She walks away only to find Kara Zor-El there looking most amused.

"Well it is obvious you got your own battlegroup due to to overwhelming skills to relate with people," Kara jokes mockingly. She had seen the whole thing and it was most entertaining. She is just a little jealous that it wasn't her that got to do that to Ursa like she has been dreaming of doing for years now.

Ursa doesn't dignify it with a response and walks past deliberately bumping into Kara on the way past. Kara grins despite this. "Watch your back," she says with just enough menace in her tone to make Ursa look twice at her before departing. Kara saunters up to her cousin who has his eyes shut while he seems to be taking deep calming breaths. "Kal?" she queries.

Kal-El opens his eyes and turns his head to look at Kara. "What Kara?" he snaps.

"Are you alright?" Kara asks with genuine concern because while watching him terrify Ursa was amusing it was completely out of character for him.

"Nothing is alright Kara," he answers.

"What do you mean?"

He shakes his head. "Doesn't matter. It would involve me saying things you don't want to hear."

"Try me."

He takes a breath. "Alright. You asked for it. I have come to the conclusion that I have spent the last...well my whole life following the teachings of a man who is nothing but a brutal dictator with a thin veneer of civilisation who justifies his actions that are really only to increase his power by claiming what we do benefits all those we conquer when in fact it doesn't."

"Uh huh. I see. Anything else?"

"No just that when I am forced to kill Diana that will be the last order I ever carry out for my Father." Even calling Zod his father is starting to leave a bitter taste in his mouth now.

"What does that mean?"

"I haven't decided yet."

Kara places her hand on his arm gently. "Kal. Don't do anything foolish ok. I know you're upset..." Kal laughs, interrupting her. "What?" she asks at his mirth.

He looks at her and the dangerous gleam in his eyes makes her back up a step. "Kara. You have never seen me genuinely upset."

Kara quickly filters through all her memories of Kal. Even when Aethyr died he wasn't this upset. She better mention something to him "Kal about the executions that are to come," she begins to say.

"He's having you help organise them," he assumes.

"Yes."

"I thought he would. Do what he tells you Kara. You don't have to share my fate."

Ok now she is starting to getting really concerned about her cousin. "What does that mean?"

Kal-El laughs darkly. "I haven't decided that either yet."

Then to Kara's complete surprise he embraces her and wraps his arms around her. This is kind of nice she thinks to herself. She could easily see herself doing this more often.

"Kara. I hate you and I love you. I hate some of the things you have done but you are the only family I truly have left now and I'm sorry but I don't think I can get your father thrown into a fire-pit anymore. My pull with my father isn't what it was." Kal-El can feel Kara's whole body shake as she laughs at his joke. He pulls back to look her over. "If it was up to me I would just let you kill him but I'm afraid I'll never have that kind of authority."

"So things between you and the General are that bad?"

"I refused point blank to obey him so he threatened to kill every being on the planet below to force me to. We have barely spoke since then. I don't even know when this execution is going to happen. He hasn't seen fit to inform me."

"It's tomorrow," Kara tells him. "It's going to be down on the planet in the city of Metropolis so the citizens can see it in person as well as it being broadcast across the planet."

Kal-El nods. "I see. Well thank you for telling me Kara. I guess he was just going to show up in the morning and drag me down to the planet with him."

"Kal. Don't do anything foolish," Kara pleads. "You can still find a way to resolve this with the General."

Kal-El shakes his head. "No Kara. Being here...being with..." he trails off but Kara can guess what he was about to say. Kal-El continues. "My view on certain things has changed permanently. There is no going back. I must walk a different path than from before."

"I don't understand," Kara admits.

"I know. I don't understand it myself. It is just a feeling I have."

Kara looks at him even more perplexed than she was before.

"Well I am sure you have things to do," he says bringing an abrupt halt to this conversation. "I'll let you get on."

With that Kara watches Kal head back off towards his quarters. Now she too has a feeling. An ominous feeling that Kal is about to do something monumentally stupid. In that case she better go back to her ship. She has preparations she needs to make and a feeling she doesn't have a lot of time.

* * *

Diana has spent the last few days mentally preparing herself for her death. A concept she has never really considered before. Sure her work with the Justice League was dangerous but she is immortal and she thought she would live forever. Not anymore. She had written a letter for her mother which Kal had promised that she would get. She told him to go to the embassy and that the staff there would find a way. Right now she is saying a prayer.

"_Have faith child. All is not lost yet."_

Diana's eyes shoot open and she looks around the room but sees no-one. She could swear...she could swear that voice was in the room with her. She shakes her head. She must he hearing things. She closes her eyes and resumes her prayer.

"_Have faith Diana. Have faith in Kal-El and in your love."_

This time Diana keeps her eyes closed. The voice, she realises, is not in the room but in her head. It is not one she recognises belonging to any of her deities but she mentally answers it anyway. _"I do."_

"_Then you will find that there is still hope. There is always hope as long as love exists."_

"_Who are you?" _Diana mentally asks.

"_A concerned parent trying to guide his children back to the light."_

The wording sparks an inkling inside Diana. _"Rao?"_ she asks tentatively.

"_That is one of my names."_

"_Why are you speaking to me?"_ Diana asks.

"_To tell you, to warn you, that Kal-El will need the strength only your love can provide to do what must be done."_

"_What is that?"_ Diana asks.

"_Kal-El will know the moment to choose when it comes," _Rao answers cryptically.

Choice? Yes Kal had mentioned that. He had to make a choice. _"And if he makes the right choice then what? We live happily ever after?" _Diana muses sceptically.

"_Maybe but to borrow another human phrase the course of true love never runs smooth. You will face many challenges and tests yet. More choices with less than pleasant outcomes no matter which option you go with but my children have fallen so far that restoring them to their true path will be difficult. Many more will die before the final reckoning comes."_

"_And what about Earth?" _Diana asks.

"_I am truly sorry over the millions Zod killed," _Rao says with genuine remorse._ "There was no way to prevent it but Earth will survive and recover if Kal-El does what is necessary."_

"_And what is that?"_ Diana asks again trying to get a precise answer but she gets none. _"Hello! You still there?!"_

"Diana?"

Diana opens her eyes and sees Kal has entered the room and it seems Rao, assuming that was him, has decided to choose his moment to leave well and leave her without an answer. Nearly as bad as her own Gods. Diana gets up from her knees where she had been praying. "Kal."

"Are you alright?" he asks. "Because I was saying your name for a minute there and you never heard me," he explains to her.

"I was praying," Diana explains. "And I think Rao might have spoken to me."

"He did?" Kal asks hopeful for a moment that maybe Rao has answered his prayers. Diana nods in confirmation. "What did he say?"

Diana reiterates the entire conversation to Kal.

"That's not very helpful," Kal-El laments.

"It has been my experience," Diana begins to explains, "that Gods like to be cryptic."

Kal-El moves to sit on the bed. "I am tired of all this," he says wearily as he sits down.

Diana sits down next to him. Kal had looked increasingly tired and downcast ever since Zod arrived. She was starting to get concerned about his health even if she didn't really know if he could even get sick.

"Well it will be over tomorrow," he tells Diana. "That is when you are to be executed."

"I see," she says.

"I wish..." Kal-El begins to say.

"You don't have to say it Kal. I know."

"It's wrong Diana. Everything is wrong and for my whole life I've been a part of it. Worse I've defended it."

"You never had any other choice Kal," she says sympathetically. "You were a child when this all started."

"A baby actually," he says feeling the need to correct her.

Diana smiles as she remembers the image he showed her that of his parents and of him as a baby. "You were chubby."

Kal-El frowns and turns his head to look at her. "Chubby?" he asks insulted.

Diana's smile becomes a smirk. "Uh huh but you were awful cute."

"That is almost as bad as sweet."

Diana can see the humour in his eyes even if it is only for a moment that they can forget their woes. She takes his hand in hers. "You know I've seen so many sides of you during the time we've been together. I've seen you be the soldier commanding with stern authority yet I have a feeling that can be quite compassionate and caring to those under your command."

"Well I do care for their well-being. I am, or I was, their commanding officer. Their well-being was my responsibility."

"That also applies to everyone of Earth doesn't it. You were, what was the term you used?...oh yes you were their Overseer."

"I cared in the sense I wasn't going to kill them unnecessarily but if it came down to it I would have if they had fought me."

"I understand. I mean I come from a race of warriors. If we have to kill we will."

"It's a shame I will never get to see your home. It did sound beautiful," Kal-El says with some regret.

"It is beautiful," Diana confirms for him with a little sadness in her voice at the fact she will never see it again. "But then again so are you," she jests light heartedly trying to keep the mood light.

Kal-El looks at her sceptically. "I do not think that term really applies to me."

Diana strokes his cheek lovingly at his modesty. "It describes more than physical beauty. Inside you are a caring, tender, compassionate man. You were just forced to shut it away for a long time."

Kal-El strokes Diana's cheek in return. "I think beautiful is more apt in describing you. Well actually I think perfection is a better term but I didn't want to enlarge your ego anymore than it is already."

Diana eyes light up in wonder. "That was a joke," she says half-surprised.

"It was," he confirms for her. "Joking is better than thinking about what tomorrow will bring."

"Then we won't think about it. I'm sure we can distract ourselves."

"How?"

Diana places her finger on her chin in an exaggerated show of hard thinking. "Let me think. You and I are alone on a bed. Now I wonder what activity we can do that would pass the time."

Kal-El smiles at her humour. "I get it. You sure?"

Diana nods. "Yes. I mean we had that night before Zod arrived because we weren't sure what would happen but since we know that this is probably my last night in this world I think I definitely want my last night to be spent with the man I love."

In a sudden blur of motion Kal grabs her and flips her onto the bed beneath him. "Just to let you know I am going to making that night pale into insignificance after this."

Diana smiles seductively. "I doubt it," she says to challenge him.

Kal-El returns the smile. "To borrow a human phrase I learned 'Oh ye of little faith'." He then claims her lips in a scorching kiss.

* * *

The day, the hour, the minute, the second had come. Diana was on her knees before him in one of the parks of Metropolis. Thousands of people were here to watch along with the appropriate number of Kryptonian soldiers to keep order. In fact they seemed more than he thought there would be. Kara had brought in extra troops from her regiment. A couple of ships belonging to the Kandorian Elite Guard had arrived during the night when he was otherwise engaged. He had been making love to Diana. Their last night together before he executes her on his father's orders. His father was here too. Standing directly behind him on the stage that had been erected making some long winded speech about the greatness of the Kryptonian Empire and the righteousness of what is about to happen. He just wants his father to shut up so this can be over with. The entire Justice League too was lined up on stage awaiting their fate. Bruce Wayne was next as soon as he kills Diana. For some reason his father had insisted that he kill Diana first. Probably as a test to see how far he had been corrupted. Much more than his father can possibly imagine. Not that it matters. In a few moments nothing in Kal-El's life will have much meaning anymore because once he kills Diana he too will be dead. Maybe not physically but inside he will be.

Kal-El looks at the instrument of Diana's fate. Her own sword. His father had somehow found out that Kara had taken it when Diana was captured and decided that it would the means by which Diana was to die. Kal-El locks eyes with his cousin for a moment. She too is here. She is standing next to Ursa looking less than pleased at having to do that. He feels some sympathy for her. He might as well use his emotions before he dies and loses them. It is a pity he will not get to explore his emotions further. He had only just begun to understand them.

"Now the sentence of the Justice League will be carried out with all of you to bear witness to the fate of those foolish enough to reject the greatness of the Krypton," Zod announces. "My son Kal-El will start with the decapitation of the one known as Wonder Woman." Zod looks directly at his son. "Kal-El," he says to make sure his son is listening to him.

Kal-El straightens up like he is at attention.

"Carry out the sentence," Zod commands.

Kal-El raises the sword back. He knows in his head what he must do. If he does not kill her billions will die but in his heart he wants nothing more than to save her and hold her in his arms. Suddenly a memory flashes in his mind of when he was talking to Rao.

"_You said I must choose. What choice must I make?" he asked Rao._

"_Whether to listen to your heart or listen to your head."_

Kal-El's eyes widen. This is the moment. This is the choice he must make. To kill her or to save her.

"Kal-El," Zod hisses from behind at his son's hesitation. "Remember what will happen if you don't do this," he reminds Kal-El in a whisper.

"Yes General," Kal-El says in obedience. He takes one last look at Diana. She is looking back at him with her soft blue eyes which silently give him her forgiveness for the act he is about to commit. "I love you," he tells her not caring who hears.

"I love you," Diana says back. She then closes her eyes and awaits her fate.

Kal-El then swings the sword.

Head comes away from body.

The choice has been made.

May Rao forgive him.

* * *

_Author's Note: So what do you think of that ending for a cliffhanger? I have had that ending in my head for ages and I am so glad I got to write it down finally. I'll take this moment to thank everyone who has written reviews._


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Ursa stands next to Kara Zor-El, a position she is most uncomfortable with. There was just something about Kara that irked her. Always had. She had never understood why her General had given Kara command of the Kandorian Guard. Saying that she had never truly understood this favouritism he had shown the members of the House of El. The House, in her opinion, should have been dissolved like all the others of the ones that opposed them but no. Her General decided to take in the whining, screaming infant son of Jor-El and raise the little brat as his own son.

True she had gotten much enjoyment from bulling him for years or she had until their meeting yesterday. She could still feel the impression of his fingers on her neck. How and when he became so powerful Ursa has no idea and now she will have to see more of Kal-El because from what she hears General Zod is taking him home to be 're-educated'. Personally she would just kill him and get it over with.

Ah General Zod has finished his speech. Now they can get to the good part. Ursa always did like a good execution.

"Now the sentence of the Justice League will be carried out with all of you to bear witness to the fate of those foolish enough to reject the greatness of the Krypton," Zod announces. "My son Kal-El will start with the decapitation of the one known as Wonder Woman. Kal-El."

Ursa observes Kal-El straightens up like he is at attention.

"Carry out the sentence," Zod commands.

She watches Kal-El raise the sword back and hesitate. She can hear General Zod remind Kal-El what will happen if he doesn't carry out the execution. Kal-El chimes in obedience and then exchanges some words of affection with the woman which she finds meaningless. He is still a foolish child after all it seems. She watches as Kal-El swings the sword. Head comes away from body but not the one she was expecting. She moves forward in horror at what Kal-El has done but she only gets a few steps forward before she feels a sharp pain rip right through her. Blood spills from her mouth as she looks down to see the point of a sword sticking out of her chest where her heart is.

The last thing Ursa hears before the darkness claims her is Kara Zor-El smugly whispering in her ear. "Told you to watch your back."

* * *

Kara stands next to Ursa while suppressing any urge she has to kill the dark haired bitch and to concentrate on the upcoming executions. She has to be professional and hope Kal is not going to do what she fears he might do. Fears strong enough for her to call in a couple of extra ships from her battle-group that she had been keeping hidden on the edge of the solar system just in case something unforeseen came up. She looks around and judges that she has succeeded in having her troops outnumber the ones belonging to the Argosian Guard. Good. That's good. It will make it easier just in case Kal does the monumentally stupid which he won't. Nope. It is just an irrational fear she has. Kal knows better. Kal would surely know what would happen next if he did the unthinkable.

Rao how long can General Zod whitter on?! It seems like hours since he started this speech. She locks eyes with her cousin for a moment and can see the anguish in his eyes at what he is being asked to do. He always was far more sentimental and compassionate than a proper Kryptonian should have been. On top of that he had let slip yesterday that this woman had had a far deeper influence on him than she should have had but she has faith that in the end he will do the correct thing. And in case she is wrong she has made the appropriate arrangements. Oh thank Rao. General Zod has finally finished his speech. Now onto the good part.

"Now the sentence of the Justice League will be carried out with all of you to bear witness to the fate of those foolish enough to reject the greatness of the Krypton," Zod announces. "My son Kal-El will start with the decapitation of the one known as Wonder Woman. Kal-El."

Kara observes Kal straightens up like he is at attention.

"Carry out the sentence," Zod commands.

Kara watches Kal-El draw the sword back and then hesitate. Oh Rao no. He isn't going to do this. General Zod reminds Kal-El of what will happen and her cousin responds that he will obey. She relaxes at his words but only for a moment as he exchanges vows of love with the princess on her knees. Damn her cousin to Apokolips. She knows instantly what he is going to do. She touches her communicator on her wrist to send the signal just as Kal-El swings the sword. Head comes away from body. Kara catches Ursa move forward and in one swift motion she draws her sword and drives it into Ursa's back and right through her heart with great satisfaction. She had been wanting to do this for a long time. She takes one moment, and only one moment because she knows she won't get another, to whisper in Ursa's ear smugly. "Told you to watch your back."

Then all hell breaks loose.

* * *

Diana is on her knees before Kal who holds in his hand her sword. General Zod is prattling some garbage about the greatness of the Kryptonian Empire but she is choosing to ignore most of it and focus her attention on Kal. She can see this is breaking his heart. She herself has mentally prepared for this moment and death holds no fears for her. Only sadness at not seeing her mother and sisters again and great sadness at not seeing through to the end what she and Kal have together. It would have been interesting to see if it could have worked. After what seems an eternity General Zod seems to finish his speech.

"Now the sentence of the Justice League will be carried out with all of you to bear witness to the fate of those foolish enough to reject the greatness of the Krypton," Zod announces. "My son Kal-El will start with the decapitation of the one known as Wonder Woman. Kal-El."

Diana observes Kal straightens up like he is at attention.

"Carry out the sentence," Zod commands.

Diana watches as he draws the sword back. This is it. Then he hesitates for a moment before General Zod whispers to Kal a reminder of what he will do if Kal doesn't kill her. He looks down at her with a gaze that begs forgiveness which she silently gives.

"I love you," he says.

"I love you," she says in return and closes her eyes and awaits whatever will greet her in the next life. Her hearing picks up her sword cutting through the air...over her head?

Her eyes fly open just in time to catch head come away from body. Then at the back of the stage she sees Kal's cousin murder some dark haired woman. Then all hell breaks loose around her.

* * *

General Zod delivers his speech to the assembled masses and to those who are watching on the broadcasts. He will show these humans the glory and greatness of the Empire he created out of the ashes of the civil war that almost destroyed Krypton. It was all about glory or more accurately restoring it. The council that ruled Krypton before his victory had no vision at all. They were all happy to oversee the slow but gradual decline of the Kryptonian race. A decline that would have led to its eventual extinction. That was a fact of the universe. Races that did not change or adapt died and Zod would not allow that.

His people could be great. After they were few beings in the universe that could match the power of a Kryptonian so there were few obstacles to them reclaiming that greatness and their rightful place as the dominant force in the universe. That is all Zod had ever wanted. At first he tried reform by peaceful means but the council refused to listen to him, especially Jor-El. They remained steadfastly opposed to his ideas and stuck in the old ways so he had no choice but to resort to a violent takeover.

Yes he regretted that some would die but better some than all. After all he did it for the long term good of Krypton and in the end he was right. Look at Krypton now. It reached out across the stars bringing all the benefits of its knowledge to those not so fortunate to possess them. It brought order to a chaotic universe. His leadership had achieved this and the skill and leadership of those underneath him whom he had appointed. Those like his son Kal-El who before now had been an excellent soldier and leader. He had obviously been corrupted by this Wonder Woman whom he had been keeping in his quarters. Zod had allowed her to stay there until the time of her execution. It made little difference really as long as Kal-El put her to death when the moment came. The moment being now.

"Now the sentence of the Justice League will be carried out with all of you to bear witness to the fate of those foolish enough to reject the greatness of the Krypton," he announces. "My son Kal-El will start with the decapitation of the one known as Wonder Woman. Kal-El."

Zod observes Kal-El straightens up like he is at attention.

"Carry out the sentence," he commands.

Zod watches his son raise the sword back ready to strike. Good. It seems Kal-El is going to obey him. The alternative if he refused was unpleasant but if necessary Zod would order the destruction of the human race. Then he can see that Kal-El is hesitating or having second thoughts. Unacceptable. Zod steps forward.

"Kal-El," he hisses in anger and disappointment. "Remember what will happen if you don't do this," he reminds his son.

"Yes General," Kal-El chimes in obedience. Better Zod thinks to himself before he catches his son utter some declaration of love for the woman. Yes Zod will definitely have to take Kal-El back to Krypton. He needs a severe re-education on what is expected of a Kryptonian especially his own son. Kal-El swings the sword...over the head of the woman!!??!!

Before Zod can move an inch or react in any way Kal-El has swung all the way round and Zod registers the sensation of the blade slicing through his neck. The last thing he sees is Kal-El looking at him with steely blue eyes full of hate, anger and...surprise?

* * *

Kal-El can't let Diana die no matter what so he listens to his heart, summons all the hatred and anger that he has been storing up for the last few days in regards to his father and swings around 180 degrees and slices through his father's neck. He blinks in shock and surprise as his father's head comes away from his body. Despite the decision he had made it is still a surprise to him that he actually did it. Both fall to the ground and blood begins to ooze out, spreading out across the stage leaving one question screaming through Kal-El's mind. What has he just done!!??!!

So in shock is Kal-El that he barely notices the chaos that suddenly erupts around him. Kryptonian weapons are suddenly going off in all directions. Next thing he knows is that he is being shoved to the ground. He is surprised by who it is. "Kara?"

After dealing with Ursa Kara pushes her cousin to the ground before he gets caught in the crossfire. Kara had made sure to equip all her extra troops with weapons specifically designed to kill fellow Kryptonians. They emit a beam of intense red solar energy stripping the target of their abilities and then the energy discharge of the weapon does the rest. They are actually her own creation. She has many times over the years ended up doing Zod's dirty work in killing those Kryptonians he considered enemies that had managed to flee Krypton and will Kryptonians aren't east to kill with all their abilities. Hence the red solar light. The signal she sent was a pre-agreed one she had swiftly arranged over night to let her troops know to carry out what she had instructed them too if Kal did the unthinkable. Kara knew they would obey her. Kara has been in command long enough and they have been through so much together that their loyalty to her outweighs their loyalty to General Zod and to the Empire.

Kara turns her immediate attention back to her cousin. "You are just stupid beyond belief! Do you know that?!" she almost screams at him.

Kal-El narrows his eyes in anger at her tone of voice as he gets over the shock of what he has done. He is a soldier after all and he knows how to make himself focus on the here and now. "Don't start Kara," he warns her. He looks around and sees Diana on the ground flat in front of him. "Diana!" he shouts as he moves next to her keeping low. He lifts her head up and sees she is alright so he breaks the bonds that are holding her.

Once free Diana throws her arms around Kal's neck and squeezes for all she is worth. She can't believe he did that for her.

"Enough already!" Kara shouts annoyed. "If you haven't worked it out Kal those weapons could kill us if we are caught in the crossfire."

Kal-El looks around. Kara's soldiers are fighting those loyal to Ursa and Zod and getting caught in the crossfire are all the innocent people who had come to watch the execution. Rao there must be dozens of humans dead at the very least if not many, many more.

He ducks lower and makes sure Diana does too. "What about the Kandorian ships in orbit?" Kal-El asks his cousin.

"Ooh good point," Kara says like she had forgotten about them which she hadn't really. The signal she sent was for her ships as well for them to destroy Zod's ship and his escorts. She activates her communicator. "Zara," she says addressing her lieutenant. "Report!"

The sounds of explosions can be heard in the background. "We have managed to destroy two of the ships before they could react," Zara reports. Another explosion goes off.

"Zara!" Kara shouts with real concern.

"We're having problems penetrating the other two's shields," she reports. "They are a new design we weren't aware of."

Kara looks at her cousin with concern. Kal-El acts instantly and activates his communicator. "Captain Kond-Ah. Respond," he orders.

"Kond-Ah here," is the reply. "Commander. The Kandorian Elite ships have fired on General Zod's cruiser and the escorts," he reports.

"I know. I want you to aid them in their attack."

"Commander?" Kond-Ah asks in surprise.

"That is an order Captain," Kal-El says with commanding authority before he adds in a softer tone. "Please Kond. If our friendship means anything then do as I ask."

Kond takes a few seconds to think on it before answering. "As you wish Commander. Kond-Ah out." Kond-Ah turns to his weapons lieutenant. "Power up the weapons immediately and target the Argosian ships," he orders. He turns to his communications officer. "Order the other ship captains to do the same," he tells him. He isn't sure how many will obey. Most of them will be as shocked as he is right now. He had been watching the broadcast of the execution and saw Kal kill Zod. He could barely believe his own eyes when he saw it.

He pushes such thoughts to the back of his mind as he turns his attention to the battle raging in orbit. The Kandorian ships had the element of surprise but now that the other ships have their shields powered up the battle wasn't going so well. Even though it was 3 against 2.

A Kandorian ship explodes. 2 against 2 now and Kond also noticed the red light the Kandorian ships were bathing the Argosian ones in but wasn't sure what it was for. It did, though, remind him of the red glow of the Kryptonian sun.

"Weapons powered up," his lieutenant informs him.

"Fire!" Kond-Ah orders.

As his ship fires Kond is pleasantly surprised to see the majority of the rest of the fleet open fire too. With such overwhelming fire-power the Argosian ships' shields soon collapse and the ships explode in two huge fireballs. It was over in one sense. In another it was only just beginning. "Inform Commander Kal-El that the ships are destroyed and the get me Lieutenant Asha Del-Nar on the surface," he orders.

"Yes sir," the communications officer pipes in obedience.

"And connect it to my communicator using encryption protocol Kond 34G," he instructs.

"Yes Captain," the communication officer responds.

"I'll be in my quarters," he informs his lieutenant mostly so he will take over. Kond-Ah then turns and heads off the bridge because the conversation he is about to have with Asha is definitely one that needs to be in private.

Back on the planet surface Kal-El receives the news of the destruction of the Argosian ships with relief. He turns his attention to Kara. "Thank you," he tells his cousin.

Kara shrugs. "Don't mention it. I had a feeling you were going to do something like this."

"Why did you assist?" Diana asks Kara because to Diana it made little sense from what she knew of the Kryptonian woman.

"Because Kal is family," Kara replies simply.

Diana stares at Kara briefly wondering if perhaps she has misjudged her slightly. Loyalty like that was not an attribute Diana thought Kal's cousin possessed.

After awhile the shooting stops and the 3 of them get to their feet. Kara dusts herself down while Kal-El checks Diana over. "Are you ok?" he asks her.

Diana takes a moment to assess herself. "I believe so."

Kal-El throws his arms around her in relief. "Thank Rao. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you."

Diana wraps her arms around him and places her hands on his back and soothingly rubs up and down. "Me neither but I'm fine and you're fine..."

"And Zod is dead," Kara not so helpfully reminds everyone.

Kal-El lets out a sigh, releases Diana and looks at what he has done. He looks at his father's headless body lying in Zod's own blood. He can still barely believe he did that. He listened to his heart and forgot all about the consequences of his actions. Now he has to deal with them.

"Lor will not rest until we're dead now. You know that," Kara says interrupting her cousin's musings and basically airing one of the consequences he now faces.

"I know," he confirms for her that he is aware of how his brother will react.

"Diana!"

Kal-El turns his head to see Hal Jordan walking over to them holding his hand over a wound on his left arm.

Diana moves quickly over to Hal. "Hal! You're hurt!"

"It's just a flesh wound," Hal says dismissively. He had been grazed during the fire fight by an energy beam. "Some of our friends weren't so lucky," he tells Diana.

Diana looks along the stage and sees immediately 3 of her friends in the League lying still quite obviously dead. She makes her way over to them. Michael Holt, Mari Jiwe McCabe and John Henry Irons also known as Mr Terrific, Vixen and Steel but above all they were her friends. Diana closes her eyes and utters a silent prayer for their souls as well as one for all the innocent people who were caught in the crossfire. A brief summary of the scene she had made had showed it obvious that the death toll was going to be quite high.

Once done she turn back to Hal. "The others?" she asks.

"Saved although one or two are like me. A little bit worse for wear."

"Saved?" Diana asks with great puzzlement. "Saved by who?"

Hal indicates with his head for her to look behind her. Diana turns round and bursts into a smile. "Flash! J'onn!" she shouts before she leaps down from the stage to greet them. She had wondered what had happened to them after hearing of Gotham's destruction. She knew that is where they must have gone after the base in Metropolis was overrun. "How did you survive?" she asks her friends.

"Luckily old Bats built his cave to survive anything," Flash explains in his own way.

"I never even noticed you," she admits although to be fair she was trying to keep her head down and not get killed.

Flash grins. "Fastest man in the universe princess."

"Oh it's the universe now is it?" Diana queries with humour in her tone. Gods if Wally's ego wasn't big enough already he wants to up his claim from the fastest man on Earth.

"Sure is," Flash confirms for her. "I'm faster than your boyfriend there."

Diana's face colours "How did...um I'm sure not boyfriend is the correct term Flash."

"No?" he queries sceptically. "So the two of you didn't declare your love for each other just before he was about to cut you head off?"

"Well no. We did but I'm still not sure boyfriend is the right term and you heard that?" she asks in some surprise.

"Kinda hard to miss from our front row position," Flash tells her.

"You were here the whole time?"

J'onn answers that one. "Hidden in the crowd. We were just waiting for the right moment."

"Yeah," Flash says in confirmation. "We just didn't expect that your boyfriend or partner or whatever you are calling him. We didn't expect him to be the one to provide it."

"Where are the others?" she asks.

"In a building on the edge of the park," J'onn says as he points in its direction. He and Flash had moved them there as it was the closest enclosed space. Frankly J'onn was amazed they managed to do it. They had survived Gotham's destruction and then had heard all about the public execution that was taking place so they came disguised as part of the crowd and like Flash said they waited for the right moment. As the Kryptonians set about killing each other that seemed to be the right moment and he and Flash then moved with all the speed they possessed to rescue their friends. Unfortunately some of them were caught in the crossfire before they could save them along with many of the innocent people who had showed up to witness the execution. J'onn would mourn greatly for all their losses later when there was time but luck seemed to be with them in one sense. He and Flash at least managed to rescue most of their friends.

Diana can see Kal and Kara in discussion with another Kryptonian. "I'll check up on them later. I...we need to know what will happen now with Kal's brother. He might send a fleet here after him and maybe us too," she explains from what she assumes Kara meant when she said Lor would not stop until they are dead and well Lor may harbour a wish for vengeance on the people of Earth as well. She can't rule it out. She makes her way back over to Kal and Kara and catches the end of the conversation.

"All enemy soldiers killed commander," the soldier informs the two commanders.

Kara nods in approval. "Good. Well done. Return to the ships, carry out repairs and let us get ready to leave this little pit of a planet."

"Yes commander," the soldier chimes in obedience before leaving swiftly.

"Leave?" Diana asks with slight confusion. She had never considered that option.

Kal turns to face Diana while Kara leaves him to it. "Yes we must leave," he tells her. "As soon as Lor hears about this he will send every ship loyal to him after us and Earth will almost certainly be destroyed in the crossfire. The only way we can ensure that the inhabitants of Earth are safe is to leave as soon as we can," he explains. Lor will inevitably hear about it. He has spies everywhere. That is what he and Kara were discussing. That and what to do now. They hadn't gotten far in that discussion since neither he nor Kara were sure what to do now. They both realised that Lor will come after them and staying here where he knows where they are is probably not the best idea. So they must leave to save themselves and to protect Earth. It occurs to Kal-El that Lor will probably fixate on him since he was the one that carried out the act of killing their father so the best way to protect Earth is to leave. Lor will send his fleets to wherever Kal-El is. Also he has already allowed so much death and destruction to befall this planet that is home to the woman he loves so the best way for him to prevent anymore is simply to leave. Whereto he hadn't worked out exactly yet but since it will take a few days to remove the bases on the surface he has a little time to think on that.

Gods! Leave. He is going to leave. He is going to leave her! Diana rebukes herself silently. She is letting her emotions run away with her. What he is saying makes perfect logical sense despite the fact it will break her heart that he is leaving her. In response to his declaration she can only come up with the rather bland statement "If you think that is best."

"It is." Kal-El places his hands on Diana's arms and rubs them gently. "You should pack."

"Pack?" she queries not sure what Kal means.

"Of course," Kal-El says like he is saying the obvious. "You should bring whatever you need to my ship."

Understanding dawns in Diana's consciousness. "You want me to go with you."

"Yes," he says expectantly. It is blindingly obvious to him that she must come with him. He can't see any future without her in it.

Diana shakes her head and says words that breaks both her and Kal's hearts. "I'm sorry Kal. I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?!"

"My place is here," she explains. "Helping my world to recover."

"But...but I thought you loved me."

Gods the pain in his voice is killing her. "I do love you Kal but you can't seriously expect me to leave after millions of people have died and a major city has been essentially wiped from the face of the planet. This planet is my home and it will need hope. Hope that I and the League can bring."

Diana turns away and tries to wipe away the tears that are filling her eyes. Gods help her. She does love him but she can't leave no matter how much she may want to be with Kal. She turns back to face him and can see the pain and anguish in his face all too clearly. She rushes forward and kisses him passionately, deeply and for what she believes will be the last time. This is the most heart wrenching decision she has ever had to make but there is no other option. Earth needs her right now. Their lips part. She touches his lips with her fingers to stop him saying anything. Prolonging this will only make it harder. Tears run down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she sobs out before she turns her back to him, takes to skies and flies into the distance leaving behind one Kryptonian with tears streaming from his cerulean blue eyes and down his cheeks. One Kryptonian whose heart she just shattered into pieces.

* * *

_Author's Note: Like I wrote in the last chapter the course of true love never runs smooth and with this ending that is an understatement. Wonder how this will end up? I guess I better go and write how it will end up I suppose. Thanks to all those who wrote reviews._


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Diana flies east, away from Metropolis, without looking back. Tears sting her eyes and her heart aches but she can't go back no matter how much she may want to. It'll only end up causing her more pain. It will only cause Kal more pain. She has made the only decision she could. The only problem is that if she made the right choice why does it hurt so much?

Diana can't remember the last time, if ever, she has felt this bad. Her heart just aches and aches and it won't seem to stop. She doesn't know what to do now. She only knows that she needs the comfort only 2 certain people can bring her. She needs her mother. She needs her sister. She needs her family. She needs to go home.

Hippolyta sits at her desk and looks over some application from the Senate to make some minor change to the law and she can't help but feel that it is meaningless trivial rubbish. The world outside Themyscira's shores has been invaded by beings who resemble demi-gods if Donna is to be believed and all she and her fellow Amazons seem to do is sit here in the belief that they are safe in the presumed knowledge that they are hidden and protected by the Gods. Hippolyta's personal view is that they are part of the world whether they like it or not and what effects those beyond Themyscira's shores will effect them too. Maybe not immediately but eventually. It is why she has fought so hard to try and maintain a link to the outside world and why she thought it important for Diana to continue and try to teach the people's of the world how to live in peace. Unfortunately it has been the Senate's policy for some time now to slowly lessen those very links with the outside world in preparation for a complete withdrawal. May within the Senate feel that Diana has failed in her mission and that Man's world is spiralling downwards to its own self-destruction and if they aren't careful Themyscira will be sucked down with it. An alien invasion hasn't changed their mind any. If anything it has only reinforced and hardened this isolationist attitude that many Amazons possess. Part of her wants to scream at them for their short-sightedness but if she did that they would simply accuse of her of letting her concerns over Diana get in the way of seeing logic which is not true. Hippolyta just isn't sure they are as safe as they think they are.

Of course Hippolyta is concerned about her daughter. She had been so concerned that she had been prepared to go out into the world and retrieve Diana herself. Alien demi-gods be damned but Donna had persuaded Hippolyta to let her do it and did she?

No she did not. Worse Donna 'borrowed' Hippolyta's sword to give to Diana and let her stay out there to battle these aliens alone. Upon Donna's return she and her daughter exchanged a few cross words. Hippolyta had barely spoken to her youngest daughter since then.

Hippolyta tosses the document in her hand down. She can't concentrate on such things right now. She stands up and heads to her window which looks out onto the palace courtyard below but she looks upward into the sky. She silently prayed for her daughter's safe return as she had done often since Diana's message about the invasion. Unfortunately the Gods had been unusually quiet and not answered her prayers. It is then she notices a spot in the sky. A spot that gets bigger as it approaches. It takes on a human shape. A familiar human shape. Oh thank the Gods!

Hippolyta rushes from her office past the guards who doing their duty follow their Queen. Hippolyta reaches the courtyard in record time just as Diana lands. Hippolyta barely has time to absorb her daughter's appearance before Diana is flinging her arms around Hippolyta.

Hippolyta quickly realises that her daughter is crying . Her natural mothering instincts kick in and she pulls her daughter tightly into her arms and attempts to comfort and soothe her. What has caused this Hippolyta can learn later. All that matters right now is that her daughter has suffered some sort of trauma and she needs her mother.

It is some time before Diana's sobbing eases. Hippolyta pulls back and for the first time looks into her daughter's face with its red blood-shot eyes. She tries to judge what has happened to her. Apart from being upset there is something else about Diana that is different but Hippolyta can't quite place it but right here in the middle of the courtyard is not the place to find out. She silently guides Diana inside to her own private quarters. On the way they pass Donna.

Donna was just walking the halls in sullen silence. She and her mother had had a major falling out over her decision to leave Diana in Man's World and not force her to come home. Like anyone can force her sister to do anything. Not even the Gods themselves could force her sister to do something she did not believe in. On top of that her mother was furious that Donna had taken her sword and given it to Diana. Better that than nothing Donna had told her mother. Not surprisingly her mother did not take that comment well. It ended with Donna completely blowing her top and accusing her mother of...well she would rather not dwell on it. Lets just say it was less than complimentary. Bottom line is that after their argument she and her mother had not really been talking to each other.

Well anyway she is walking the halls when she spots her mother and sister and from what she can tell Diana looks...devastated. She rushes over. "Diana! What's happened? Are you ok?" she says rapidly but all she gets from Diana is a look which plainly shows deep emotional pain all too evident in her gaze.

Without any more words all 3 head to Hippolyta's private quarters. Hippolyta guides her daughter to a divan where Diana curls her legs under her and retreats into a ball. Hippolyta bends down and brushes some of Diana's dark curls away from her face. "Diana?" she says gently hoping to get Diana to respond. She doesn't. Just stares blankly ahead.

Hippolyta stands up straight and wonders what to do.

"Mother," Donna says. "Could you leave us?" she requests.

Hippolyta looks at Donna with a mixture of puzzlement, surprise and a little bit of anger at her daughter's attempt to shoo her away.

Donna looks at her mother pleadingly. "Please," she says hoping to silently get across her feeling that she can get through to Diana better if their mother leaves them.

Hippolyta looks at Donna, then at Diana curled up, tears threatening to fall every moment and then back at Donna. "You have an hour," Hippolyta tells Donna.

"Thank you," Donna tells her mother.

Hippolyta bends down and gives Diana a small kiss of love on her forehead and then heads off leaving the two sisters alone.

Donna takes a moment before speaking. "So. Here we are. All alone." Diana says nothing. "You know the last time I saw you like this was because I broke that toy horse of yours when we were children. You cried for hours and didn't talk to me for a month. After 4 weeks of silence I decided that I had to make you talk to me so I bugged you endlessly for days until you eventually relented. We talked. We made up and everything was ok. Remember that?"

Silence. For several minutes. Donna thinks what next to say to try and get Diana to open up when a croaky whispery voice breaks the silence. "I hit you."

Donna leans down. "What?" she asks since the voice was so quiet she didn't quite catch what was said.

"I said I hit you," Diana repeats. "We didn't just talk and make up. I hit you, we fought and then we made up."

Donna grins as she remembers it. Yep that as exactly what happened. "Ah. Good times," she says a little wistfully. "Remember how long mother grounded us for for fighting."

"I believe that technically you are still grounded," Diana jests as she sits up. It is a rather feeble attempt at humour but it is better than nothing. She can't believe though how emotional she was upon her arrival. She just saw her mother and she couldn't hold it in. She knows that there are going to be stories flying all around about the crying princess but at the moment Diana couldn't care less about any gossip that may fly around.

Donna moves and sits down next to her sister. "So are you going to tell me what happened? Last time we talked you were about to storm this military base."

"Storm is not the exact phrase I would use," Diana points out to her sister. There was no storming. There was infiltrating but that was where it all began.

"So what happened?" Donna asks.

Diana takes a breath. She needs to tell someone. She knows she does and she isn't sure her mother would react as well as Donna to what she has to say and, maybe she thinks to herself, she might find it easier to tell Donna than her mother considering how raw her emotions are at this precise moment.

Donna sits quietly as she listens to her sister spill everything. What happened at the base including the death of the Kryptonian woman and then how the Kryptonians stormed the League's underground hideout to arrest everyone in response.

Donna interrupts her sister. "They caught you?" she says in surprise because her sister was perhaps the best fighter she had ever seen.

Diana closes her eyes at the memory that comes back. "I was just about to leave when I heard screaming," she explains.

"Who was screaming?" Donna asks.

"Oliver," Diana answers. "It was Oliver. They were his death screams."

"Oliver's dead?"

Diana nods. "And Dinah," she sadly and regretfully tells Donna.

A needle of pain strikes Donna's heart hard. She was closer to Dinah than Oliver but to hear that they are both dead brings her great sorrow. "What happened?"

Diana takes another deep breath and tells her sister how she found Oliver and Dinah and of her meeting with Kara.

"Fun?" Donna says repeating what Diana told her that Kara said when explaining why she killed Oliver and Dinah.

Diana isn't sure what to say exactly to explain that buts he gives it a try. "Kara...she is...I'm not sure how to describe her but there was an insanity lurking behind her eyes that I have rarely seen. I think she has seen and done terrible things and it has had a lasting impact on her psyche."

"Okay," Donna says slowly while mentally noting that she will probably try to avoid any meeting with this Kara. "So what happened next? I'm guessing you fought her."

Diana nods in confirmation. "I did." She pauses for a moment. "I lost."

"What?!" Donna says in...well total shock really. Like she thought earlier her sister is one of the best fighters ever. "How?"

Diana shrugs one shoulder almost lazily. "She was stronger and faster," she answers simply.

"Strength and speed are not everything," Donna argues using what both she and Diana had been taught as they were growing up since they themselves are stronger and faster than their amazon sisters. However to make sure that neither of them grew too arrogant or complacent their teachers took great pleasure in knocking both her and Diana on their bottoms many times.

"True," Diana says in agreement with her sister, "but Kara is a most skilled warrior." Diana then reluctantly admits how her fight with Kara ended. "She nearly killed me."

Cold fear and shock freezes Donna's heart. She throws her arms around Diana. "I almost lost you," she whispers with fear all too evident in her voice.

Diana gently pats her sister on her back. "It's fine Donna. I survived. Well I was saved I guess I should say."

Donna pulls back. "Saved?"

"By Kal."

"Kal?"

"The Kryptonian commander. You know that one I told you I dreamt about," she reminds Donna.

"Oh yes. I remember. Before you explain why he did that I have one question."

Diana has an ominous feeling about the way Donna said that but asks her sister to go ahead anyway.

"Is he as hot in real life as in the picture you drew?" Donna asks with a cheeky grin plastered across her face.

Diana rolls her eyes. Only her sister would ask a question like that.

"Well is he?" Diana asks impatient for the answer.

"I suppose so," Diana answers though she isn't sure she is the best judge of what qualifies for the definition of 'hot'.

Donna tries to read her sister. "You're holding out on me," she decides of her sister.

Diana takes yet another breath. "Donna can we just get on with this. It is not exactly easy this for me."

Remembering how upset Diana was Donna takes her sister's remarks as a small chastisement and refocuses her energies. "Sorry," Donna apologises. "Continue."

Diana does move on explaining how Kal had her injuries treated and of how they discovered that they had both been having dreams about the other and that is why he saved her so he could get answers as to why he was dreaming about her. Donna raises an interested eyebrow at that but says nothing more while Diana continues her story of how she and Kal discovered that their dreams came from Kal's God for some mysterious purpose that Diana hasn't worked out yet or maybe has just been too upset to even try. Beyond that she simply mentions how she and Kal spent many hours talking and learning about each other.

Donna interrupts once more. "Alone in his quarters?"

"What?"

Donna clarifies. "You and he were alone in his quarters you said."

Diana's mind flashes to what she and Kal did in those quarters alone and without her permission her face twitches into a new expression. Probably utter satisfaction. She quickly shoves the images aside, puts her 'poker' face back on and responds to her sister. "Um, we were. I was under guard as a prisoner."

Donna notes the slight hesitation and stares at her sister with more interest. It takes her a few moments to decipher the look she caught on Diana's face. "OH. MY. GODS!"

"Donna," Diana begins to say to stop her jumping to conclusions.

"You slept with him!"

Too late. "Shh," Diana implores her sister while she looks at the door and prays that her mother isn't eavesdropping on the two of them. Since Hippolyta doesn't come barging in Diana takes it that their mother isn't there and says a silent thanks to her Gods.

"Was it good?" Donna asks as her next question due to her being unable to restrain her curiosity.

"Donna I am not discussing that with you," Diana says in her most authoritative voice.

"Why not? It is important as to why you're here isn't it?"

Sometimes it still surprises Diana how intuitive her sister is. "Yes it is important," she admits. "I..." she hesitates for a moment wondering if she should tell Donna before deciding she needs to tell someone. "It was beyond description Donna. I've never known pleasure like it."

Donna can see a twinkle in her sister's eyes that she had never seen before and can tell she is thinking back on 'it'. Unfortunately and as much as Donna would like to get more details(she definitely will get them later) their mother only gave her an hour so Donna knows she must move the conversation on. "Why?"

Diana's brow crinkles into a frown. "Why what?"

"Why did you sleep with him? I mean I thought they were evil conquerors."

Diana shakes her head and feels the need to correct her sister. "Not evil Donna. Misguided."

"And you got this from talking with 'Kal'?"

Diana nods. "We talked about everything. Our upbringing, our cultures and I could see that underneath Kal's exterior was a good person struggling to get out. It would take too long to explain everything in detail but Kal had been raised to believe certain things and I showed him the error of those beliefs."

Donna looks at her sister with new admiration. Wow. She talked round the leader of an occupying army bent on galactic domination. That is no small achievement. Of course that still leaves her original question. "Why did you sleep with him?"

Diana sighs, gathers her courage and looks her sister in the eye. "Because."

"Because?"

"Because I love him."

Ok now that Donna had not expected her sister to say.

Diana looks away from Donna and at the suddenly much more interesting floor. She speaks in a soft voice. "It just happened Donna. I can't explain how. We talked. I found he was kind, gentle, he even had a sense of humour albeit a poor one. I knew I was attracted to him and then it was more than that. I...I can't explain it better Donna. I wish I could."

Donna places her hand on Diana's shoulder supportively. "Hey that's alright. I think you just stumbled on the definition of love as in it is something that can never be really explained. Tell me this though. Does he love you back?"

"Yes," Diana answers without hesitation.

"How can you be so sure?" Donna asks curiously at how swift and sure Diana's response was.

"Because."

Donna rolls her eyes. Again with the because. "Because?"

Diana once more raises her eyes to meet her sister's. "Because he killed his father to save me."

Donna's eyebrows rise markedly. "Ok. I'm going to need more than that."

Diana thought she would so with another deep breath she tells the part she hadn't gotten to yet. How she found out that Kal was the adopted son of the leader of Kryptonian race. How said leader showed up and ordered her execution along with the rest of the League and at the public execution how Kal killed Zod to save her.

Donna listens respectfully quiet and thanking every God she can think of that her sister is safe and sound. If she knew that Diana was going to be put to death she would never have left her in the outside world. "So I'll thank Kal later for saving your life but I don't get it. If he killed this Zod and all his loyal troops are dead why are you here?"

"Because I couldn't stay," Diana answers. "It would hurt too much."

"What would hurt too much?" Donna asks with some puzzlement.

Diana gets to her feet and walks around to the other side of the room with her back to Donna. "Kal...Kal is leaving Donna. I should have known he would have to but it never occurred to me. I couldn't stay there and watch him leave knowing I would never see him again so I kissed him goodbye and flew here. Better to get it over with now than prolong the pain."

Donna stands up and wraps her arms around Diana from behind. "You don't mean that."

Diana closes her eyes as tears threaten to fall once more. "It was for the best," she says sounding more like she is trying to convince herself than Donna.

Donna holds in what would have been a sigh of pure exasperation at her sister. At her older, supposedly wiser sister but when it came to matters concerning Diana's own heart she had never seemed very wise at all. "Diana. It is ok to be upset," Donna tells her sister.

For a few moments Diana simply stands there unmoving. "It's not fair," she whispers.

"I know."

"I love him."

"I know."

"But we can't be together. He will leave and I will stay."

"I know."

Diana finally turns around to face her sister, pain etched across her face. Donna can only conclude from Diana's expression that whatever love her sister is feeling must run very deep. A stray tear runs down Diana's face which she wipes away. "I think I need to be alone for awhile," she decides.

"You sure?" Donna asks with sisterly concern.

Diana nods. "I need to gather myself back together Donna. The world out there. There is so much to do. There is...some things happened I haven't told you yet. Lots of people died and I have to help."

Donna isn't sure she can take anymore revelations but she asks anyway. "What happened?"

"General Zod...he destroyed Gotham."

"What do you mean he destroyed Gotham?"

"He wiped it from the face of the planet Donna."

"Gods," Donna utters in horror.

"I just...I just need to pull myself together enough to go help with the rebuild. The Kryptonians will be be gone in a few days. I will stay here that long."

"So you don't have to see him right?"

Diana nods.

Donna lets out a sigh. "Fine but I think the Senate will need to know about what has happened. Not the personal stuff obviously but they're still debating whether to withdraw from the World Assembly and cut all links to the outside world and I think if you tell them what has happened they be willing to lend aid. Maybe even rethink this whole withdraw idea."

Diana debated it for a good few seconds. Donna's words made sense and if she was going to help she couldn't afford to have the Senate order her back home because they had decided to have nothing more to do with the world. On the plus side she could bring them what the good news about Lex Luthor's demise. She knows that the Senate had hated him with a passion. Of course so had she. Yes Donna is correct. She needs to pull herself together and inform the Senate of what has transpired. "You make a good point Donna."

"Of course I do," Donna replies making the effort to sound offended that anything to the contrary could be suggested.

It is at this point that their mother reappears in the doorway. Guess their hour was up and from the expression on Hippolyta's face it is obvious she wants the story now. Diana looks at Donna with a silent plea. Donna gets the message. She makes her way over to their mother. "Mother. You better sit down," Donna tells her.

Hippolyta does so. "I take it this is a long story."

"There's that and I think it will be better if you do because there are some parts of this you aren't going to like," Donna informs her mother. Mostly the part where Diana slept with a near demi-god alien because while their mother has become more open minded that Themyscira takes its rightful place amongst the nations of the world she has not entirely lost her mistrust in men and certainly has not softened her stance that her daughters should have nothing to do with them in a personal relationship capacity.

Hippolyta's face remains steadfastly neutral but inside she is wondering just what has happened that she won't like.

Diana comes to stand next to her sister. Donna begins. That was what the silent plea was about. That she tell their mother the story that Diana told her. "Ok I'll start from the part you already know. What happened after I left Diana in Metropolis. It goes like this..."

Diana soon leaves her sister to it so she can be by herself liked she wanted. As she does so she silently promises to make this up to Donna some day. She just isn't ready to retell the story all over again so soon. Especially to her mother. Her pain and emotions are too raw. She flies off to a secluded beach where she knows no-one will find her and sits herself down. As she does so Diana can't stop her thoughts straying back to Kal and what they shared together. Funny she only met him because they were trying to find a way to drive the Kryptonians away and in a way she succeeded. They are leaving. The invasion of Earth is over. They will take their ships and their troops and leave. Kal will leave. He will leave and take a piece of her heart with him because for however long she lives from this day to her last she knows that her heart will never be whole again. That a part of it will always belong to him.

Diana can guess how her mother will take the revelation of her relationship with Kal. That is to say not well. Since she is in no rush and is not feeling up to an argument with her mother Diana makes no effort to return to the palace in any hurry. When she feels up to it she will go back and she and her mother will talk.

Several hours go by and the sun sets. It is dark now and Diana has simply sat there and thought over everything that has happened to her over the last few weeks. This is the first time she has really tried to absorb everything that has happened to her. This is the first opportunity she has really had away from any distractions. Not that she considers what she and Kal shared a distraction. It was wonderful. She can close her eyes and it is almost as if she can still feel him. The way his skin moved against hers. The feel of his body next to hers. The feel of him moving within her so deeply as they made love and so much more besides. The way he would hold her afterwards. The way he would gently stroke her skin and speak to her softly. She could never understand what he was saying as he would slip into his native language but she has a pretty good guess what he was saying.

Diana looks up at the stars. She wonders briefly if a few of those pin pricks of light were actually the Kryptonian ships in orbit where he, no doubt, was by now. Getting ready to leave. Once more unbidden tears threaten to fall. She can't remember ever crying this much. Then again she can't remember ever hurting this much. The ache in her heart just won't stop. Gods. She really is in love. She can remember her friends in the League talking about past relationships where they were hurt by it ending and they would describe it as almost physically hurting. Diana had never really understood that. Not until right now.

Diana closes her eyes takes a deep breath into her lungs. She'll find a way to live with it. She has little choice but to find a way.

"Diana!"

Her eyes fly open at the sound of that voice and out to sea floating a few feet above the waves, making sure he does not touch Themyscira, her keen eyes spot J'onn. Diana gets to her feet and floats out over to him. "J'onn. What are you doing here?" she asks with some puzzlement.

"I'm sorry Diana. I know this is not a good time," J'onn says with great sympathy. It had not needed a telepath to figure out why she left suddenly the way she had. Although that helps.

"It's alright," Diana tells J'onn. "If it is important you know I'll be there. So what is it?"

"We need you to come back. You're the only one he'll see."

"The only one who will see?"

"Commander Kal-El."

Diana's heart froze. No. Absolutely not. "I'm sorry J'onn," she begins to say meaning that is the one thing she won't do.

J'onn looks at her sadly. He wishes he didn't have to do this. "If there was any other way Diana I wouldn't be asking but he won't see anyone but you and we need his help."

"What for?" Diana asks.

J'onn answers in four words. "To find Lois Lane."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Kal-El watches Diana fly off into the distance and though he could catch her if he wanted to he finds himself rooted to the spot as his heart feels like it has just had a dagger stuck in it. He barely notices the tears that are streaming down both his cheeks. She left him. After all they shared she upped and left him and it all leaves one question he has no means of answering. Why?

"Kal?" Kara gently inquiries at the sight of her distraught cousin. She had observed the whole thing and is left with only one thought. That being what an idiot that Diana is. If she had Kal wanting her that way she would never run from it.

Kal-El draws in a very shaky breath as he tries to get the torrent of emotions he is feeling under control. Trying and failing. "Take charge," he tells Kara. He then takes off with so much force he nearly knocks Kara over. She manages to keep her feet and simply stands there and watches him fly off into the sky. Stands there next to the small crater he has made in the grassy surface upon which they had been standing.

Of course they were not the only ones watching. J'onn, Wally and Hal were too. "What was that about?" Wally asks oblivious.

J'onn watches Kal-El fly off sadly. He had picked up Diana's feelings easily when she flew off. They were loud to the point that they were almost deafening and Kal-El's feelings were equally powerful. It was because neither had ever experienced such powerful emotions before J'onn realised. For all Diana had experienced she had never been in love before. Not like what he felt from her when she was here. The same was true of Kal-El although in his case J'onn got the impression he was not use to a whole array of feelings that had been threatening to overwhelm him.

J'onn's attention shifts to the scarred blonde woman who has now turned her attention to him.

"Interesting," Kara remarks. "I had heard that Martians were extinct."

"Almost," J'onn answers.

Kara cocks her head slightly. "I could change that but I have more important business to take care of. So you and your League can take this as your lucky day." Kara then gives all 3 a smile before she turns round and marches off to perform her duties which will be overseeing the withdrawal from this mudball. Frankly she will be glad to see the back of it.

"I like her," Wally comments which gets him a hit across the back of the head from Hal. "Think she would go out with me?" he asks while rubbing his head.

"Wally. She would eat you alive," Hal tells the scarlet speedster.

Wally looks at J'onn for his opinion.

"I must agree with Hal Flash," J'onn informs Wally. While Kara's mind had been close to impenetrable he had been able to sense the underlying instability of her personality. She was a very dangerous person who should not be crossed.

Wally lets out a sigh. "Well if you think so but it's a shame. She was kinda hot and you know I dug the scar."

Hal rolls his eyes and mutters under his breath. Wally it seems would never change. Hal turns in the direction of the building J'onn had said their friends were. "Come on lover-boy. I would like to see how our friends are doing."

Wally shrugs and in a red blur is streaking past Hal. J'onn decides to walk beside Hal. "What about you now?" he asks. "What about your ring?"

Hal lets out a sad sigh. "It is probably destroyed."

"I didn't think that was even possible," J'onn remarks knowing how durable those rings were.

"Not normally, no, but if you haven't noticed Kryptonians are a long way from normal in terms of their power."

J'onn had indeed noticed. It was a curious universe that allowed beings to evolve of such power that even Diana's Gods had not dared show themselves during this whole episode. "What will you do now?" J'onn asks his friend.

"Wait until Kyle comes back," Hal replies mentioning the other Green Lantern of this sector Kyle Rayner. "Once he does he can take me to Oa and I'll report to the Guardians about everything that has happened."

J'onn nods in understanding. They soon reach the building and enter its lobby where their friends are sitting, standing or laying down if they were injured in the crossfire. Hal takes it all in and wonders where they go from here.

"We rebuild," J'onn answers picking up on Hal's thoughts.

Hal looks at him puzzled for a moment. "I was thinking out-loud there wasn't I?"

"You were," J'onn confirms for him.

Hal turns back to the assembled mass and notes who he doesn't see. "Where's Bruce?" he asks. He then catches the unmistakable glow of J'onn's eyes which indicates he is using his telepathy.

"He is moving away across town," J'onn answers.

"How? He didn't look in very good shape to be doing anything."

J'onn has to agree. Bruce had not looked in good shape when J'onn had rescued him but J'onn had learned that Bruce's will was formidable to the point that Bruce could seem to do what many would have said were impossible tasks for him to perform.

"We better go find him," Hal decides.

J'onn looks at Hal still holding his injured arm. "After you have had your injuries seen to," he tells Hal.

Hal starts to protest. "But..."

J'onn silences Hal with a stern look.

"Fine," Hal concedes, "but I am going with you when we do go after Bruce."

"Very well," J'onn says in agreement while he himself goes to get some medical supplies to patch Hal up with.

Later, once Hal's arm is bandaged up J'onn flies the two of them to where J'onn senses Bruce leaving Wally charged with looking after the others. Hal wasn't entirely convinced that was the best idea they had ever had. They land on the rooftop of a block of apartments. "Isn't this where Lois lives?" Hal queries.

J'onn nods. "Yes."

Ok now Hal understood why Bruce had taken off in the way he had. So he could check up on Lois. Hal would have done the same if he had a significant other at the moment which he, very sadly, doesn't. On top of that he has the added sadness that he needed a lift to get here because he no longer has his ring. Wasting no more time on such thoughts he and J'onn head down to Lois' apartment. Hal knock on the door. No answer. "Bruce," he says, speaking through the door. Still no answer so Hal tries the knob. It is unlocked so he simply pushes the door open.

The sight that greets him is an apartment that looks like it has been thoroughly ransacked with furniture tipped over and clothes and rubbish littering the floor.

"He is in the bedroom," J'onn reports so the two of them make their way there. Inside the bedroom they find Bruce sitting on the bed staring at the wall.

"Bruce?" Hal queries trying to get his attention.

Bruce doesn't look at them. "She was taken," he says simply in a solemn tone.

"You sure?"

"She isn't here," he answers like that explains the conclusion that she was taken. Then Bruce considers that he might need to say more. "She is not at work either. No-one has seen her for days."

Bruce had always considered himself a strong person mentally. He had learned how to discipline his mind from the finest teachers of the art he could find but after his rescue he had had the overwhelming need to see Lois. The torture hadn't broken him. At least not as far as he believes. He was willing to accept his death. As he waited on that stage for his turn he had been prepared for what awaited him and then suddenly he was saved and he had a future again. A future with Lois in it maybe. She had become an important aspect of his life. He hadn't realised how much before until she was taken...

His thoughts trail off as he remembers back to his 'interrogation' and that woman had brought a lock of Lois' hair to try and use her to make him talk. "Kara," he mutters.

"What?" Hal asks.

"Kara," Bruce repeats. "She has Lois."

"How do you know that?" Hal asks of Bruce.

Bruce finally turns his head to look at Hal and with his one remaining eye glares a look right into the Green Lantern. A look that says I am not going to explain how I know but I do and I am right.

"If she does that will make things difficult. I mean what can we do. It isn't like we just march up to her and demand she tells us where Lois is," Hal points out.

* * *

"Where is she?!" Bruce demands to know after they had returned to the park to find Kara still there and Bruce had just marched right up to her.

Kara puts one of her little crazy smiles. "Oh hello Brucie." She then punches him in the shoulder with just enough force to make even Bruce visibly wince. "Where is who?" she asks with fake naivety.

Bruce was using all his self-discipline not to strike out at the blond haired witch. Not that it would do any good of course. He knew better than most how powerful she was. "You know who," he replies with forced calm in his tone of voice.

Kara shakes her head. "Sorry. I have no comprehension as to whom or what you are on about," she says with perfect politeness and formality. She is having so much fun stringing them along. She moves on. "Now as intellectually stimulating as this little conversation has been I was just about to return to my ship so I will say my farewells." Kara then smirks at her next thought. "Brucie darling. I hope you remember our time together with as much fondness as I will." Before any can reply or stop her she then zooms off into the sky and out of sight.

Hal and J'onn watch her go both knowing what Bruce has said was correct. Kara did have Lois but what they were going to do about it was a whole other issue.

"Maybe we could try and talk to Kal-El about it," Hal suggests after some thought.

"Will that do any good?" J'onn asks with serious doubts.

"Maybe," Hal answers. "I don't think he knows what his cousin has done."

"How can you be so sure?" J'onn asks.

"I know Kal-El. He is a man of honour and abducting and holding a woman for no reason is not something he would condone."

Bruce listens on in silence but with a slight hope that Hal is correct about Kal-El. "If that is true then we have to get to see him," Bruce decides.

"Easier said than done," Hal remarks. He thinks on it for a few moments until an idea comes to him. "Ok there are still some troops on Earth. We could try going through one of them but they must be ones under Kal-El's direct command otherwise his cousin may hear of it."

"That sounds like our best option," J'onn comments.

After that was agreed there was only one place they could think of to go. Back to the base they had attempted to infiltrate. The operation that set many of the subsequent events in motion.

* * *

Asha Del-Nar looks at her 3 visitors with a kind of morbid curiosity. A human, a Green Lantern and from what she had heard the green skinned life-form is a Martian. She was in the process of removing all the base equipment in preparation to leave this planet when her guards had told her of the 3 former prisoners wishing to speak to whomever was in charge. That person being herself. It was the same curiosity with which she looks at them that had made her agree to meet them. So here they are in what could be called her office. "I am Asha Del-Nar, commander of this base," she says introducing herself. "What brings you here?" she asks bluntly.

Hal is the one to answer having the most experience with dealing with Kryptonians. "We wish to request a meeting with Commander Kal-El."

Asha has to suppress the urge to laugh. "That would be impossible. He is far too busy at the moment." Not to mention from what she hears refusing to speak to anyone.

"It is an urgent matter," J'onn says hoping that will make a difference.

Asha against her better judgement asks a question back. "What matter?"

"We will only discuss that with Kal-El," Hal informs her.

"In that case this conversation is over," Asha tells them. "Guards!" she shouts and they enter the room.

"Wait!" Hal shouts.

Asha raises her hand and her guards stop their advance.

"We'll tell you," Hal concedes. He takes a breath and tells her what they believe about Kara and Lois.

Asha listens on in polite silence. When the Green Lantern has finished talking she speaks. "Why should I care about a single human?"

"Have you not done enough damage?" Hal asks her back. "I mean millions are dead and this woman could be suffering god knows what. I know of the stories of Kara Zor-El. You probably know them to be true. Does anyone deserve what she does to them."

That strikes a chord with Asha. Yes she knows all about Kara Zor-El. She doubts there is a Kryptonian alive who doesn't. She just wishes Kara had been killed along with Zod. Asha had watched the broadcast and she was shocked when Zod died. Shocked and elated. The bastard deserved that and so much worse. She had long wished of a Krypton restored to the way it had been when her father was alive and sat on the ruling council. Kara Zor-El would continue to be an obstacle to that unless...

If Kara does have this woman and is abusing her. Asha has served under Kal-El long enough to guess how he would react. This is actually perfect. A chance to get rid of Kara Zor-El. One problem though is that she can't get them to see Kal-El. She doesn't have that kind of authority but there is someone she can send them to. "The best I can do is arrange a meeting with Kond-Ah, Kal-El's second-in-command," she informs them. "You'll have to persuade him to arrange a meeting with Kal-El."

Well it wasn't quite what they wanted but it was a start.

* * *

"Asha!" Kond complains loudly over the communication link after she had told him about the 3 guests she currently had waiting outside her office.

"What?" she asks back innocently. "This is perfect Kond. If what they say is true Kal-El will probably kill Kara too when he finds out."

Kond lets out a loud, long sigh. If Zod's death hadn't caused enough chaos Asha wants to add Kara Zor-El's without thinking about the consequences. More precisely how the rest of the Kandorian Guard would react to such an act. "It is not that simple Asha."

"Why not?"

"Many reasons. The top one being Kal has locked himself in his quarters and refuses to see or speak to anyone."

"I had heard a rumour about that," Asha admits.

Kond shakes his head wondering just how such news spreads about so quickly.

"So what do we do now?" she asks.

"Nothing. Tell your guests that Kal-El refuses to meet with them and then later we will discuss again about your impulsiveness. Restoring Krypton is something that will take time and patience Asha assuming we survive the backlash that will soon fall upon us like a great wave once news of what Kal has done reaches back to Krypton."

"You're too negative Kond. This is our opportunity and we should grab hold of it. Did you tell the others?"

"I sent them the message we discussed earlier. I have received no reply as yet but it is too soon."

Truthfully Asha knew that but she just wanted to ask. In her opinion Zod's death was the perfect moment for those who thought like she and Kond did to rise up against the bloodline of Zod and overthrow the shackles of its tyranny. Once the others hear of what has transpired she is sure they will agree with her but she knows that will take time and they will have to arrange a meeting which will take even more time. Patience. Kond is correct. She needs to learn patience. "Will you let me know when you hear anything?" she asks Kond.

"Yes Asha. Now I have to get back to covering Kal's duties. Get rid of your guests and finish the removal of all equipment from the base as quickly as possible," Kond tells her.

"Yes sir!" she replies with a little cheeky tone before she cuts the link. She stands up from her chair and heads for the door. She waves her hand over the sensor and the crystals slide open to find her 3 guests looking at her with identical and to her odd expressions. "I am afraid I must inform you that Commander Kal-El will not meet with you," she says in a formal reply.

Bruce is the one to respond. "I see. What if we could find someone he would talk to?"

Asha's face takes on a puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"

Bruce has many skills. One of them is reading people. When Hal mentioned Kara's name despite how subtle it was Bruce had noticed the expression on Asha Del-Nar's face. The look of hatred and loathing and he is sure she can be...persuaded to help them if they can offer a way to get rid of Kara. "What if we could find someone Commander Kal-El would meet with," Bruce repeats.

Asha's eyes narrow as she scrutinises the man whose boldness she found...amusing.

J'onn takes a step forward. "We overheard your conversation," he explains deciding that they should be honest. "We know that Kal-El will not meet anyone and we know why and we also know the one person he probably will see."

Hal's one thought is that since when did they know? He doesn't know why Kal-El isn't seeing anyone. He wonders if J'onn is bluffing or if he telepathically picked up something earlier in the park.

"The question is," Bruce interjects, "is that if we can find this person can you get them up to the ship?"

Asha uncharacteristically finds herself biting her lower lip in pensive thought. Kond said to drop it, not quite in those words but she got the gist of his meaning but she doesn't want to drop it. Restoring Krypton to her means getting rid of people like Kara Zor-El and frankly the sooner the better. She decides to make them an offer even if it means going behind Kond's back. "Here is what I can do. By sunset tomorrow this base will be gone and so will I. You have that long to bring this person here and I'll get them up to the ship. Deal?"

Bruce, J'onn and Hal share a brief look before Bruce responds. "Deal."

Outside the base the 3 reconvene. "Ok can I ask what is going on and who is this person Kal-El will see?" Hal asks still not completely clear on what is going on but knowing better than to say anything back in the base.

"The person he will see is Diana," Bruce answers.

"You are making a big assumption Bruce," J'onn says warily.

"Am I? Why? Because she flew off breaking Kal-El's heart."

"How do you know that?" Hal asks. By that point Bruce was long gone.

Bruce gives Hal a glare with his one eye which is frankly scarier than it was when he had both. "Logical assumption. She never came to look for me and I know Diana would have otherwise. I heard about Kal-El not meeting anyone. I know they had a sexual relationship up on the ship. The only conclusion one can draw is that she flew off in the belief that she was sparing them greater pain later when the Kryptonians leave." At least he knows that is what Diana would think but she is very wrong in this case. Now or later it will hurt all the same.

"Even if you are correct Bruce," Hal says sceptically because in his head it seems a big if, "we don't know where Diana is."

"Don't we? I would think it is rather obvious where she flew off to," Bruce replies in that annoying all knowing tone of his. Hal would think everything Bruce has been through would have knock that attitude out of him but of course Bruce never lets anyone see his feelings so Hal truthfully doesn't really know what Bruce's real feelings are.

"So where is she?" Hal asks.

"Home."

After the 3 had returned to civilisation it was clear only one of them was actually capable of going to Themyscira and find Diana and that was J'onn. The time taken to realise Lois was gone, to reach the base and to finally decide that they needed Diana meant it was night-time by the time J'onn nears Themyscira's shores. Diana's psychic signature is easy enough for him to pick up since he is very familiar with it and he locates her sitting on the beach. He hovers a few feet off shore and calls out her anme. She floats over to him and he explains to her that he needs her help.

"What do you mean J'onn?" Diana asks in reference to his comment about needing to find Lois. "What has happened to Lois?"

"She is missing," J'onn informs Diana. "And we suspect the one called Kara Zor-El has her."

Diana lets out a low growl. That woman. That infernal woman! Just when she thought she had seen a glimmer of hope that there goodness within Kara when she sided with Kal Diana learns about this.

"We only suspect Diana," J'onn reiterates at the sight of Diana's reaction. He knows an irate Diana when he sees one.

Diana struggles to hold her temper back. "What is it you need me to do?" she asks.

"Well if we assume Kara has Lois then there is really only one person we can turn to for help," he explains.

"Kal."

"Yes," J'onn replies. He then goes onto explain how they learned that he is apparently refusing to see anyone and how they believe that he will see her.

Diana closes her eyes for a moment while she gathers herself. This is exactly what she wanted to avoid. Now she will have to go through another heart wrenching goodbye but if Kara does indeed have Lois then there is only thing Diana can do. The only correct thing to do and that is go see Kal. First things first though. She has to tell her mother that she is leaving again and she can already picture her mother's reaction. Hera give her strength.

* * *

Kal-El lies on his bed clutching at the pillow that Diana had slept on. He could still detect her scent on it. Her wondrous enchanting scent. He had not yet been able to find words to describe it or anything he knew of to compare it to. There is no woman he had ever met he could compare her to. He can still feel her almost. Her soft, silken skin against his. The way it felt as they made love. To be buried so deep inside her that he lost the sense of where he began or ended and where she did. Then afterwards he would hold her in his arms, gently run his hands over her skin and whisper softly spoken words of his affection to her.

Oh Rao. Why did she leave? Kal-El doesn't understand. Surely they could have worked something out. If only she had stayed and talked to him. At least then he wouldn't be as confused, wouldn't be feeling the way he is right now. He is having trouble knowing exactly what he is feeling. Feelings are a new concept to him but at the moment the closest comparison he can make is that it feels he has been physically wounded. There is pain. A seeping, constant ache that seems to have filled every cell of his body. Tears periodically have come and gone. They go for as long as he can block his mind of what he and Diana shared but that never lasts very long. All too quickly his traitorous mind seems to conjure up the images again and he has been lying here doing this...for how long now?

How long has he been lying here?

Kal-El isn't sure. Several hours at least he thinks. Probably longer. People had come to see him, Kond mostly. Kal-El had told them in no uncertain terms to leave him alone. In fact he thinks he threatened to send someone, he can't remember who, to the infirmary if they did not leave. He knows he shouldn't be doing this. Lying here and doing nothing. After his actions in killing his father he should be being visible. His troops are no doubt in shock and he should be out there, his presence, giving them reassurance about the future but how can he do that when he has no reassurance about the future.

He has no idea what to do now. He is lost, directionless, without purpose. If only Diana was here he thinks to himself. At least then he wouldn't be as alone as he is now. It is then his hearing hears the door to his quarters slide open. He doesn't even bother to look to see who it is and also he thought he locked that. "Go away," he tells whoever it is in no uncertain terms.

"Kal?" a soft,melodic, slightly accented but very familiar female voice queries.

At the sound of that voice Kal-El shoots up to a sitting position. "Diana!" He takes a moment to appreciate her appearance. She is still in a Kryptonian uniform which somehow looks amazing on her. At the sight of her he decides there is only one thing for him to do.

It had taken every ounce of courage Diana possessed to enter this room. Even more not to rush over and take Kal into her arms at the sight of him huddled on the bed, obviously in pain and crying but she needs to be strong. She is doing this to find Lois. She is not doing this to indulge her own selfish...her thoughts are cut off by Kal who in an instant has her pinned up against the wall with his mouth claiming hers in a hot, passionate, hungry, desperate kiss full of wanton desire and Diana can't do anything but kiss him back in the same fashion.

As Diana loses herself in Kal's taste, smell and feel though she can't help but think one thing. That thing being she is sure she has forgotten something but as Kal grinds up against her and she wraps her legs around his waist in response Diana reaches one conclusion. That being if she can't remember it then it obviously can't have been very important. As she strips Kal of his uniform and once more takes in the toned, muscled plains of his torso her thought is only reinforced.

Yep. Definitely can't have been _that_ important.

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry it has been awhile since my last update but my dear old friend writer's block had returned to haunt me once more. A big thank you to all those that wrote reviews._


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Diana soon finds herself being carried over to the bed and slowly lowered down on top of the sheets. Kal breaks away from kissing her for a second. Enough time for the fog of lust to clear from her mind for her to remember how she ended up here. J'onn had come to her and told her about Lois. Diana had gone to see her mother to tell her that she needed to leave again. Her mother did not take that well but after Diana had explained that it was important to her personally that Lois be found (because she really did consider Lois a friend) her mother had reluctantly, very reluctantly, acquiesced to her wish to leave.

After that she followed J'onn back to the base they had infiltrated what felt like a lifetime ago where they met the base commander who had Diana teleported up to Kal's ship using the League's own teleporter she might add. She found herself outside Kal's door which opened for her. Diana isn't sure how that was arranged. She found Kal on the bed. He kissed her passionately and that brings her back to the here and now where Kal has leaned down once more in the attempt to kiss her breathless and succeeding quite spectacularly she might mention.

_'REMEMBER LOIS!' _her mind screams at her causing Diana to snap back at why she is here. She places her hands on Kal's chest and tries to push him off. "Kal...mmm...wait....mmm...we need to talk."

Kal-El almost growls in annoyance. He wants her. He wants her so badly it is like he is possessed but he has enough self-control and awareness to see that she wants to stop. He very reluctantly breaks away from her succulent lips. "What is it Diana?" he asks no doubt sounding a little bit whiny but he doesn't care.

Diana blows out a breath and tries not to lose herself in Kal's lust filled, literally fiery eyes. "We need to talk," she restates.

Kal-El's brow furrows into a frown but he rolls himself off Diana, off the bed and stands on his feet. "I guess we do," he admits to himself as much as Diana. He had been a bit impetuous there he realises and that they have issues to talk about.

Diana too gets off the bed and back to her feet but she makes sure it is the other side of the bed so it is between them placing some distance between the two of them. "Kal..." she begins to say before she is cut off.

"Why did you leave me?"

Diana turns her head away to avoid his gaze. "Because we would have to have parted ways eventually and I didn't want to prolong it," she tries to explain.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would we have to have parted?"

"Because Earth is my home and I can't leave it and you can't stay. Tell me what part of that is incorrect."

Kal-El opens his mouth to state his disagreement with her position but finds that no words come out because he can't argue with her really. The only premise he could possibly argue on is that why must she stay on Earth but she already made her point. This planet is her home. If their positions were reversed would he leave behind all he knew even for someone he loved. Actually he isn't sure but there is also another issue that he is aware of that Diana isn't. That being having to face the full wrath of his brother. Once Lor learns of this he will send everything at his disposal in an attempt to kill Kal-El. Truth be told Kal-El reckons there is actually only a very slim chance of him surviving and therefore Diana would be safer staying. He lets out a loud sigh. "You are correct," he says in a very sad recognition of the position.

Diana's face softens at his tone and she makes her way round the bed to him. She takes his hands into her own. "I love you Kal. I do. Perhaps I shouldn't have run off like that. I don't know. I was acting on instinct but regardless the reasons behind it all stay the same. As much as this pains me to say it we aren't going to live happily ever after."

"What?" he asks at her strange turn of phrase.

"Happily ever after...it's from fairy tales," she explains. That is not clearing it up for Kal-El at all so Diana tries again. "They are works of fiction for children that usually have a happy ending where the main character or characters find love and live happily for the rest of their lives."

"I see," he answers. What a strange culture these humans have though he thinks to himself. He certainly never got told stories like that growing up. Kal-El moves on. "So if you are not here to be with me why are you here?" he asks her.

"It's about a friend. I think you had her arrested. Her name is Lois. Lois Lane. She is missing."

Yes Kal-El remembers her. It is hard to forget things when you possess an eidetic memory. "What does her disappearance have to do with me?" he asks.

"We think your cousin abducted her."

Kal-El looks at her doubtfully. "What makes you think Kara abducted her?"

Diana tells Kal what J'onn told her Bruce told him about what she said when she was interrogating, and Diana uses that word very loosely, Bruce and the lock of hair.

Kal-El thinks furiously for a few moments. Kara wouldn't have done this would she. Diana wouldn't lie to him he thinks so she at least believes what she is saying to be true. He needs to be sure and there is a way he can do that. He pries himself gently from her grasp and retrieves his shirt and puts it back on. He then holds out his hand to her. "Come with me," he requests of her. Diana takes his hand as he leads her out of his quarters. Diana allows Kal to lead her on since she herself has no way of knowing where they are going. She never did quite work out the layout of this ship. They eventually reach a large open room which even she can tell must be some sort of command centre.

"Commander on the bridge!" someone shouts out and everyone in the room suddenly snaps to attention.

A man as large as Kal with dark skin walks up to them. He salutes with a clenched fist over his heart. "Commander."

Kal-El returns the salute. "Captain."

The man's gaze falls upon Diana.

"This is Diana. Princess of Themyscira," Kal-El says introducing her. "Diana this Captain Kond-Ah, my second-in-command."

Diana acknowledges him with a slight bow of her head which Kond returns. He had for all the time she was prisoner never seen her in the flesh. He could easily see what it was Kal found attractive in her and it was beyond her mere physical beauty. There was an aura that radiated from her that meant you could not ignore her even if you wanted to. Of course her being here was a surprise to him. Almost as much as Kal being here. Kond had been starting to think that nothing short of a supernova was going to be able to get Kal out of his quarters.

Kal-El moves over to a interface and starts tapping on the controls. Diana stands next to him. "What are you doing?" she asks him.

"Did you ever wonder how we found you?" he asks her.

Diana can only answer that in one way. "Yes."

"We placed a transmitter inside Lois Lane's body so we could follow her. She led us to Bruce Wayne and he led us to the facility where we found you."

Diana takes a moment to absorb that. That was clever. Not very honourable but still clever. It is something she could see Bruce doing if he had been in that position. "You can use it to find her?" Diana queries.

Kal-El frowns. "Maybe but they are designed to only work for short periods of time." After some searching he lets out a frustrated breath. "No the signal's gone," he tells her.

Diana's hopes for finding Lois drop.

Kal-El thinks on it for a moment. The ship should have automatically logged the location of the transmitter until it went off-line. He can look up the records which he proceeds to do which soon gives him the last time and location of the transmitter. The location being here in orbit but before he goes off and accuses Kara he needs to be sure so he pulls the sensor records to see which ship was in that position at that time. It only takes a few moments before it pops up. It was Kara's ship. Time it seems he has a talk with his cousin amongst a few other actions he might take. Kal-El turns around. "Kond you have command. I need to go see Commander Zor-El and talk to her in person," he informs his second-in-command.

Kond bows his head slightly in acknowledgement as Kal-El swiftly departs with Diana following him. Kond wasn't sure what was going on exactly but from the serious, not to mention cold, hard expression on Kal's face right there he can be sure of one thing. Commander Kara Zor-El is in serious trouble.

* * *

Kara sits in her quarters and watches her pet sleep indicated by the slow gradual rise and fall of her pet's chest . Many might find her action odd but Kara had come to realise the limitations that her pet suffered from. So weak. So fragile. So easily broken or at the moment so easily tired out. Kara knew that her pet needed a break and she had grown quite fond of this one hence why she was here watching her. Unfortunately she didn't think this one had much life left in her truthfully. Humans were so fragile compared to her and even being gentle by her standards meant Kara had been quite hard on her pet. Oh well. That's life Kara supposes. You're born, live for awhile and then die. She traces the scar on her face with her finger as evidence of how close she herself had come to death.

She lazily shrugs a shoulder. Kara was never one to dwell on anything beyond making her father suffer one day for everything he did to her. Not her many battle scars or the fate of her previous pets or this one either. Soon her pet will barely merit any consideration at all and now they are leaving this planet in a day or so she can concentrate more on getting what she wants out of her cousin. A lazy smile forms on Kara's face at that thought.

"Having fun are we?"

Kara's head whip round to her doorway to find Kal standing there with that annoying Diana person standing alongside him. Kara remains calm and collected as she gets to her feet. "Kal. What a nice surprise. What brings you here?"

"Confirming what I feared you had done but hoped you hadn't."

"Huh?" Kara asks rather perplexed before she realises that her cousin isn't looking at her but at the occupant of her bed. "Oh right her. What about her?"

"You abducted her!" Diana says accusingly.

Kara snorts rudely. "Tell me something I don't know princess."

Diana moves forward to...she doesn't know what but something violent and unpleasant but before she can Kal raises his arm to block her path. "Diana. Don't," he says calmly.

"Why not?" Diana asks bluntly.

"Yes Kal why not?" Kara says mockingly.

"Kara you are on extremely unstable terrain," Kal-El warns her. He was doing his best to keep his temper in line. It took only a customary glance to see how badly Lois Lane had been abused but at the back of his mind was a couple of thoughts. One they are on Kara's ship surrounded by her loyal troops and second Kara was a formidably dangerous foe if she chose to be. It was why he blocked Diana from trying to get at Kara.

"Am I?" Kara asks sounding remarkably confident, almost cocky. "I don't think so. I mean what are you going to do about it?"

Diana ends up speaking before Kal can. "For what you have done? You should be put to death." After all Diana had remembered Kal's words about what he said he would do if anyone under his command was caught committing rape and it wasn't hard to see that is what had happened to Lois and Diana was surprising herself at how much in control she was managing to keep her temper.

Kara strides across the room until she in directly in front of her cousin and his guest. "You're right Diana. I should be put to death but I won't be. In fact if you want Lois Lane back Kal will have to give me exactly what I want."

Diana was flabbergasted at the nerve of her making demands like that. Oh Diana cannot wait until Kara gets what is coming to her. "Kal doesn't have to do anything except have you arrested," Diana spits out in fury.

Kara chuckles. "Oh dear. You are such a simple dimwitted life-form aren't you. You have no idea what is going on do you. What Kal saving your life will bring down upon us."

"You mean with Kal's brother?"

"Oh look. It does have a brain," Kara says insultingly. "Yes of course that is what I mean."

Diana looks at Kal and can see his jaw has locked tight like he knows exactly what Kara is on about and isn't happy about it at all. Unfortunately since Diana's knowledge of the political situation of Krypton is limited it has left her a little in the dark.

Kara notices Diana's silence. "Ah I see I will have to explain and for your benefit I'll use simple words. Lor will hunt us down with every ship in the fleet. Now even if you discount the ones needed to maintain the security of the Empire's borders that leaves us outnumbered by...ooh about 10 to 1. So bottom line is this. If Kal wants to survive he needs me and my troops who are sworn to obey only me."

A smug smile forms on Kara's face and Diana immediately wants to slap it right off but instead waits for Kal to rebuke the little witch. Waits for a rebuke that doesn't come. "Kal?" she queries.

Kal-El takes a breath having listened to every word. "What do you want?" he asks his cousin.

Kara grins widely. She knew Kal would get it.

Diana looks at Kal and than at Kara and then back to Kal. "Kal. What are you doing?"

Kara is the one to answer the question. "What he has to if he wants Lois Lane released and that is make a deal with me."

"Kal?" Diana asks wanting him to confirm it.

Kal-El turns his head and looks at her very sadly. "I'm sorry Diana but Kara is correct. I need her." He turns his attention back to Kara and repeats his question. "What do you want?"

Kara answers it in a single word. "You."

* * *

Kal-El watches Diana pace up and down the corridor outside Kara's quarters while he thinks over Kara's offer. The anger emanating from Diana is almost palpable. As she passes by he tries to grab her arm. "Diana," he starts to say but she shrugs him off and continues walking by. "You have to speak to me sometime," he tells her.

Diana stops and glares at him. "How can you just stand there?!" she demands to know.

"I'm thinking," he answers.

Diana's face contorts to almost pure rage. "Thinking!" she screams. "How can you even consider doing what that...that," she hesitates to use the word woman because Kara is not a woman. She is a monster of a person. "What that person suggested."

"Give me an alternative," he asks of her.

"What?"

"Give me an alternative," he repeats. "Give me another option," he requests.

"Arrest her. Put her on trial. Punish her."

Kal-El shakes his head. "I can't."

"Why not?!"

"I need her," he repeats his words from earlier.

"You do not need her," Diana says in no uncertain terms.

Oh how Kal-El wishes Diana was correct. Unfortunately he is not that lucky. "But I do," he contradicts her before he elaborates. "What she said was true. We are outnumbered. I need her troops."

"Her troops? When they find out what she has done..."

"Will still obey her without question. Kara has had years to place only those who are loyal to her inside the Kandorian Guard and when I say loyal Diana I mean fanatically so. If I execute Kara they will seek revenge upon me and all those they deem supported me. If I take Lois Lane away from Kara by force she will turn on me or worse go and join my brother. If I refuse to agree with her deal then simply Lois Lane will remain here until she dies. The only choice I have is to give her what she wants."

"I don't believe that," Diana says defiantly.

Kal-El sighs. "Diana if it was just me then my decision would be different but it is not just me. When my troops obeyed my orders to destroy the Argosian ship they chose to side with me against the Empire. Their lives are my responsibility now and I have to do whatever it takes to ensure their survival even if that includes making a distasteful deal with Kara."

"Distasteful!" Diana says in horror. "She wants to sleep with you!"

Kal-El rubs his temples trying to assuage the impending headache. While Kara's offer did not involve sleeping of any kind he understands the euphemism. Yes that was Kara's offer. Lois Lane in exchange for one night of sharing a bed with him and what he means by that is she wants to have sexual intercourse with him. For what reason Kal-El is at a loss to explain but it had been her less than implicit goal since she got here to get him into bed. "Give me another option," he asks of her once more. "Give me an option that won't make it even less likely that my troops will survive what is to come and I'll take it. Otherwise I will have no choice but to give Kara what she wants."

Diana is steaming mad. She has been from the moment Kara made her 'offer'. She mentally snorts. Offer? More like extortion. Blackmail. That is what it is. Kara knows she has Kal over a barrel and is making full use of it and what is worse is Diana can't think of another option. Kal had managed to point out that any option she suggested is unusable under the current circumstances and it is all because he sacrificed everything in killing Zod to save her.

"I can live with it," Kal-El says interrupting Diana's thoughts.

"What?" she asks him.

"I can go through with it and not hate myself afterwards. I can live with it."

Diana looks at him sceptically. She isn't sure she could if she was in his position.

"I can," he says once more and Diana wonders if he is trying to convince her or himself or both of them. "What I can't live with Diana is that if I do this and you end up hating me afterwards."

"There has to be another way," she argues.

"There isn't." Rao he wishes there was. Doesn't she know he would rather do almost anything rather than this...this act he knows will hurt her.

Diana takes in the almost pitiful look on Kal's face and can see how much he hates even contemplating doing this and her anger wanes. She then throws herself at him and wraps her arms around him tightly. She was never really angry at him. It is Kara she is angry at. Diana can feel Kal wrap his arms around her and that warm, comforting feeling she gets from being in his arms returns. Diana rests her head against his shoulder.

Kal-El presses his face into Diana's hair and takes in her unique scent. "I love you," he whispers.

"I know," she whispers back. "I love you too."

"I don't want to do this," he tells her.

"I know. I understand. I do. It is just..."

Kal-El pulls back so he can see Diana's face. "Just?"

"I can't stand it. The thought of you and her..." she trails off. Diana can't even say the words.

"It is not exactly something I want to think about either Diana but..."

"But?"

"So many people died because I stood by and did nothing," he says in reference to the destruction of Gotham. "I know saving Lois Lane won't make up for it but at least I will know I acted to at least save one."

"I don't know what to say," Diana says in response to that.

"Just promise me one thing," he requests.

"Anything."

"Promise me that after I have done this I can look in your eyes and not see hate."

Diana presses her lips to his in a quick kiss. "Never. I'll never hate you but as for your cousin..."

Kal-El nods in understanding. "Yes. She is not exactly my favourite person either," he jokes lamely.

Diana smiles lopsidedly. His attempt at humour wasn't bad just completely inappropriate at this precise moment. "Are you sure you can do this?" she asks wondering just how he will be able to bring himself to do it.

Kal-El lets out a long, sad sigh. "I'll think of a way," he tells her. He has to or Kara won't consider the deal honoured. He takes Diana's hand into his own and squeezes it gently. "We better get this over with," he decides.

Diana pushes all her pain, anger, and bitterness at Kara down to the pit of her stomach. She knows she has to behave here and not let out her temper as she is so tempted to do. She is doing this to help Lois and she has to always keep that thought at the forefront of her mind. With that mindset she squeezes Kal's hand back in a gesture of reassurance and they head for Kara's door.

When it opens they find Kara lying next to the still sleeping Lois on the bed. She waves at them. "Hello there!" she says insanely cheerfully. "I guess you have made your decision then."

Kal-El looks at Kara gravely. "Yes."

"What?" she asks wanting him to repeat it.

"Yes Kara. I agree to your terms on one condition."

Kara mocks pout. "I'm not so sure about that."

Kal-El continues as he sets out his condition. "Release Lois first."

Kara puts on an exaggerated show of thinking about it. "I'll agree to that on a condition of my own."

Kal-El is pretty sure he won't like it but what can he do. Kara has the advantage in this situation and worse she knows it. "What condition?"

"Swear. You swear on our House that you will uphold our bargain," Kara answers knowing that if Kal-El swears that he will not and, considering his sense of honour, cannot break his word.

Kal-El shuts his eyes as he thinks on it for another moment. Again what choice does he have. He opens his eyes and glares at Kara with as much intensity as he can manage. "Very well. I give you my word as a Son of the House of El that I will honour our agreement."

"That you spend a whole night with me?" Kara asks wanting him to clarify it.

"Yes."

"In my bed? Where you will spend hours bringing me to the heights of sexual ecstasy?" she continues. The smirk on Kara's face as she speaks shows that she is really enjoying herself.

"You are really pushing it Kara," he grinds out from between his teeth as he is getting increasingly annoyed at her antics.

"I didn't get an answer there," she points out to him still with that incredibly annoying smirk on her face.

Kal-El has to restrain the urge he has to hit Kara before he answers. "Yes Kara."

Kara claps her hands together. "Excellent!" She then turns to her pet, gives her one last kiss before breaking the chains that hold her. "Here take her," she tells her cousin sounding almost bored really.

Kal-El turns to Diana. "Diana will you please take her?" he asks sensing it might be better that she do it.

Diana swallows her rage as she advances into the room. As she does so she never lets up her gaze being fixed on Kara who still has that damn annoying smirk of smug superiority. Oh how Diana wishes she could slap it off but as she told herself before she came in here this is about Lois and not Kara although Diana secretly swears that one of these days she will see that Kara gets what she deserves. Diana sits on the bed and brushes some hair off of Lois' face which only exposes more signs of her abuse in the shape of bruises and a black eye. "Lois," she speaks gently and Lois' eyes flutter open, look around wildly before focusing on Diana.

"Diana?" Lois queries, her voice painfully small.

Diana nods. "Yes. Everything is going to be fine. I'm here to take you home. Ok?"

Lois swallows and gives a nod. She isn't sure this is real. Her mind has started to play tricks on her but on the chance this is real she is going to go along with it.

Diana carefully, tenderly lifts Lois off the bed. She feels incredibly fragile to Diana right at this moment. This is something that is going to take Lois a long time to recover from and right here, right now Diana decides she is going to help Lois every step of the way. Diana notices that Lois leans into her, her arms around Diana's neck, hanging on as if her life depended on it. Diana moves towards the door and to Kal who has taken his communicator bracelet off. He then snaps it round Diana's wrist.

"I have instructed them to transport you straight to the infirmary on my ship," he informs her. "If there is something else you need ask Kond and tell him I told you that he is to give you anything you want."

Diana nods in understanding. "Thank you," she tells him gratefully.

Kal-El lets out a breath. "I'm not sure I deserve it but thanks for saying it." He then taps on the communicator and speaks into it "Engage transport," he orders and Diana and Lois vanish in the shimmering beam and then into nothing. Now that they are gone he can focus all his attentions on his cousin who has laid herself back down on the bed in what he guesses is suppose to be a sultry, seductive pose.

"Close the door will you," she instructs him in a low, husky voice.

Kal-El feels queasy but does as she says. He did give his word after all and he will honour it as much as it will repulse him. Once the door is closed Kara pats down the space next to her signalling that she wants him to lie down next to her. In response Kal-El folds his arms across his chest defiantly.

"Kal," Kara warns him. "You swore."

"Yes I did," he confirms for her. "But I never swore to simply blindly do what you want. Besides deep down we all know Kara that you love a challenge."

The corners of Kara's lips curve upward into a smile. Oh yes. She definitely loves a challenge. She flips herself on to her hands and knees and begins to prowl across the bed like a predator waiting for its moment to strike. She has been waiting for this from the moment she saw her cousin in the flesh for the first time since they were children. He had been small and skinny back then but dear Rao has he grown into a man and it has been ages since Kara has been with anything that would qualify as a real man. With a lustful growl she leaps off the bed at her cousin only to find herself caught and then slammed into the wall hard. "Yes!" she shouts with perverse pleasure in response to the sharp pain.

"Is this what you really want Kara?" Kal-El asks her as he pins her against the wall.

Kara looks at her cousin with darkening, lust filled eyes. "Yes," she says in response without any hesitation. "Oh Rao yes. Give it to me Kal. Give me everything you've got," she almost begs of him.

Kal-El then kisses her hard but cold. There is no warmth or feeling behind it. He is going to cut himself off from those. Those are only for Diana and he will not taint what he and Diana shared by bringing any of his feelings into this. This isn't about feelings of love or lust. No. This is a duty that he has to perform and as a soldier Kal-El will do his duty to the best of his ability.

* * *

Hours later Kal-El pulls his shirt back over his head covering up the numerous scratches and bruises he has. Kara likes sex rough and he was going to feel this for awhile but he had done what he swore he would do. Mission accomplished. He doesn't even bother to look at Kara lying on the bed. In fact he has his back to her. There is no more reason to look at her. It isn't like there is anything else for him to see that he hasn't already in the last few hours.

Kara lies on her bed stretching her weary and sore muscles. Rao that was good as she knew it would be. Her cousin certainly doesn't lack in any department it seems. It was rough and violent and the just the way she likes it. She definitely has to hand it to Kal. She can't remember the last time anyone made her scream with pleasure the way he made her scream. Kara can close her eyes and recall exactly the way it felt as Kal pounded into her so hard, so violent...and it made her release all the more intense. Rao she could do with feeling that again right now. Unfortunately a deal is a deal and she has had her one night.

"Kara."

Kara's eyes pop open at the sound of her cousin's voice. He is now standing in the doorway with his back to her about to leave. "Yes Kal," she responds.

"One day there will be a final reckoning where we will all be judged and punished for our sins," he says rather cryptically.

"And what does this have to do with me?" she asks naively.

Kal-El turns his head to look at her and Kara is taken aback by the sheer cold hardness in his blue eyes. "When that day comes Kara I promise you this; I will be there to see you meet your fate." Without any further words Kal-El then departs swiftly.

Kara watches the door slide closed as she thinks over Kal's words. She thinks, shrugs her shoulders and gets to her feet. What does she care about what may or may not happen. What is important right now is what she has gotten from her cousin. She moves to the table in the corner of her room, slides open a drawer and pulls out a cylindrical device about as long as her hand. She places it to her neck and injects the substance within into her bloodstream. She had in fact be doing this regularly ever since she thought up what she wanted from her cousin along with the issue that she isn't getting any younger.

Kara moves to her full length mirror and takes in her appearance. She turns to the side so she can take in her profile. She imagines what she will look like in a few months from now. As she does so a smile comes to her face. Kal will be mad at first for her deception but when he learns of what she has done she knows he will be as thrilled as she will be. With the act or several acts they performed in the last few hours Kara has ensured that their bloodline will continue. She has ensured that there will be another generation of Els.

Kara then heads off for a shower with a skip in her step and a single thought in her mind. That thought being that she will make a great mother.

* * *

_Author's Note: I have been thinking for awhile what would happen when Kal found out what Kara had been up to and it occurred to me that Kara would not simply meekly accept her fate. If they are going to survive Kal needs Kara and she knows it allowing her to have him over a barrel. I think I have said before that there would slightly dark themes that required this story to have a M rating. I also have said that not everything would run smoothly or that Kal and Diana would automatically have a happy ever after. I also know that views and laws on sexual relationships between cousins vary from country to country but in this context Kara has no concept of right and wrong to start with so it matters little to her whether it is proper or not. However I thought it best not to describe what happened in too much graphic detail. I think that is better left for only what occurs between Diana and Kal signifying the specialness of that relationship in my view. Thank you to all those who wrote reviews._


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Diana sits next to the bed upon which Lois sleeps. She had fallen unconscious again shortly after Diana brought her here. The medics here had been very efficient Diana will have to admit. They treated her wounds, her physical ones at any rate, and now you could barely see the bruises. Kryptonian medical technology was very impressive. Currently Lois was on supplements to deal with her being dehydrated and malnourished. The mental scars were the ones that were going to take a very long time to heal if they ever do. Sometimes they don't. Diana had seen it in her sisters. Some of them, even thousands of years after Heracles and his men committed their acts of rape and torture, in some of her sisters you could still see the pain in their eyes. Some were still bitter and angry although that was more in the Bana tribe than in her own. Amazons believed in forgiveness. Even her mother had eventually managed to find it in her heart to forgive Heracles.

Maybe...maybe Diana could take Lois back to Themyscira with her once this is over. No-one knows better how to help than her fellow Amazons.

With Lois still asleep Diana's thoughts start to wander onto other subjects. She actually wonders what the time is and how long Kal has been...

She shakes her head. It makes her sick to the pit of her stomach even thinking about it.

"Diana?"

Diana's gaze turns to Lois who has woken up. "Yes Lois."

"Is that really you?" Lois asks still unsure as to quite what is real.

"Yes Lois. It is," Diana says with gentle assurance.

"You not going to ask me how I am?" she asks with some confusion.

"No," Diana says softly.

Lois lets out a sad laugh. "Wow. It must be bad then."

Diana gives Lois a small sympathetic smile. There is little point in asking Lois how she is because Diana can work out it is plainly bad. "You should rest Lois. There is plenty of time later when you're ready to talk."

Lois nods. "I...is she...I won't be seeing her again will I?"

Diana shakes her head. "No. She has released you."

Lois turns her head to look at her arm. The mark is still there. The one her mistress burnt into her arm.

Diana observes Lois looking at it. "The doctors recommended you recover a bit before they remove the mark," she informs Lois.

Lois nods in vague understanding before lying her head back down.

"What is it by the way?"

"A branding mark that indicated that I belonged to her."

Diana shuts her eyes and pushes down that gnawing rage that is rolling around in her stomach. Kara has a lot to answer for and hopefully one day soon she will.

"Is she dead?" Lois asks in reference to Kara.

Diana's eyes pop open. "No."

"Why not?" Lois asks plainly.

Diana takes a deep breath. "It's complicated Lois."

Lois snorts derisively. "Of course it is."

"She...Kara...she is too powerful a person. She commands hundreds of troops."

"So how did you get her to release me then?"

"Kal made a deal with her."

"Kal?"

"Kal-El. The Commander. You met him when he questioned you."

Lois racks her brain for a few seconds while the memory resurfaces. Everything is a little muddled up. "He has cerulean blue eyes."

"Yes," Diana confirms for Lois.

"What deal?" Lois asks inquisitively.

"It is probably better you don't know the details," Diana decides. "Lets just say she wanted something from him in exchange for your freedom."

Lois frowns slightly. She doesn't like being left out of the loop. "What have I missed? What has happened to everyone? To Earth?" she asks Diana.

"You should probably rest," Diana recommends.

"Yeah right and what? Relive in my dreams in full technicolour detail what that woman did to me. Forgive me if I want to skip that." Lois looks at Diana with a pleading gaze. "Please Diana. Distract me. Give me something else to think about."

Diana takes Lois' hand into hers and gives it a gentle squeeze. She takes a breath. "Ok. Do you want to start with Bruce?"

Lois nods.

"I should warn you that Kara tortured him."

A strangled sound, almost a cross between a sob and a cry of pain escapes Lois' lips.

"Lois?" Diana asks with concern.

Lois takes a moment to gather her self-control back. "Is he ok?"

"He's alive," Diana answers from what J'onn told her.

"I'm hearing a but coming," Lois foresees.

"He has lost an eye."

This time there is no stopping the sob that comes from Lois. This time all her emotional barriers collapse in an instant and in an instant Diana is there holding Lois in her arms as the emotions of everything she has been through break out. Tears flow endlessly as Lois just continues to sob all the harder.

"It's alright," Diana whispers softly. "Let it out."

* * *

As Kal-El flies through the nothingness of space from Kara's ship back to his own it gives him time to think. Think on everything he just did. He has this sudden urge to go shower and scrub himself as hard as he can in an attempt to wash off the stain of the act he just committed. He had done his best to shut off his emotions while he was with Kara but now he was alone with only his thoughts they were rushing back with avengence.

There was disgust aplenty but he doesn't think he hates himself. He had told Diana he could live with it and not hate himself and he is fairly certain that is true. He is more concerned with what he will see in Diana's eyes when he sees her next. Will she hate him? Will she even be able to look at him?

_'Have faith Kal-El. Have belief that the love you share is greater than any force that might try to drive you apart.'_

_'Rao?' _Kal-El thinks loudly but gets no reply. Oh great. That is all he gets? After everything he has been through he gets two sentences. Diana was right. Gods do love to be cryptic. Well right now he needs less cryptic and more straight forwardness.

Kal-El nears the bay on his ship. He guess he'll get his answer soon enough but first he is definitely going to have that shower he is craving. He may not be able to remove the awful feeling he currently has but at least he should be able to get Kara's scent off of him and also he is burning this uniform.

* * *

After Lois had spent herself crying in Diana's arms she fell to sleep once more and once Diana was satisfied that Lois wouldn't be awake for awhile since she wanted to be there when she did Diana heads off to Kal's quarters or more correctly is shown where to go. She has decided she could use a shower and maybe sneak in a nap. She could use a rest.

As she nears Kal's quarters her thoughts slip onto what now. She had come to find Lois. She had found Lois. So Diana guesses that just leaves heart wrenching goodbye number two that she has to go through with Kal. Gods help her although they haven't been very helpful lately but there is nothing else to be done. Nothing has changed.

The door slides open for her and Diana walks in just as Kal walks out of the shower. Walks out completely naked. Merciful Minerva. This is the last thing she needs. If it wasn't difficult enough she now how to deal with how her body reacts to this sight. She can already feel heat pooling in her stomach. Then she takes a second look at him and notices the various scratches and bruises in varying stages of healing. Then a new emotion hits her hard. Anger. A primitive, instinctual anger that any woman dared to mark what was clearly hers. While that kind of primitive emotion does not control Diana it seems like everyone else despite how she came into being those ancient primal instincts are within her. It is then Kal finally notices her.

"Diana?!" Kal-El exclaims a little bit surprised to see her. He had been so caught up in his own thoughts, mostly on how he deals with what he had done with Kara he hadn't really been paying attention to anything else at all. "What are you doing here?" he asks her quickly.

Diana snaps out of her seething anger. "I...Lois is asleep and I need a shower and a rest and I thought I could do so here," she tries to explain. "If that is alright?" she quickly adds.

"Of course," Kal-El assures her.

Diana tries to smile and fails. She just cannot look away from those marks on his body.

Kal-El can see Diana looking at him and quickly grabs the sheet off the bed and ties it around his waist. "I didn't want you to see me like this."

Diana takes a step towards him. "Like what?"

Kal-El gestures at the marks. "Like this. I know you were upset. There was no reason to make it worse. I mean they will be gone in an hour or two."

Diana takes more steps towards him saying nothing until they are only inches apart. She reaches up with her hand and gently trails five faint parallel lines obviously made by fingernails across his chest. Kal inhales deeply and shudders under her touch.

"Did I hurt you?" she asks.

Kal-El closes his eyes and shakes his head. "No," he assures her but it is the way he assures her that Diana finds interesting. His voice has this husky, breathless quality to it.

"Kal. Open you eyes," she commands gently.

Kal-El hesitates. Up to this point he has tried to avoid looking at her directly in the eyes in case...in case he sees what he fears the most. That despite everything she said she can't forgive him. That she will hate him.

"Kal. Please," she pleads and she says it so softly that he can't refuse. Summoning his courage Kal-El opens his eyes and finds himself staring into her blue ones. He searches them and tries to judge what she is thinking.

Diana can see Kal staring into her with his piercing cerulean blue eyes. That stare alone is a breathtaking experience. She is trying to sort through her myriad of emotions. Trying to push aside the transitory and focus on the true permanent ones that lie underneath. If she pushes aside her reflexive impulses and her disgust at what she knows Kal has been up to the question is does she still feel the same about him.

With about a minute's thought Diana's heart tells her the answer. A second later she is plundering his mouth with a searing kiss as her hands tangle themselves in his hair. Kal responds and they kiss each other deeply, hungrily.

They break apart for air and Diana voices the answer her heart gave her. "I love you Kal."

Kal-El feels like the weight of a world has suddenly lifted off his shoulders. He knows her words to be true as she can see it reflected in her eyes. "I love you too," he responds in kind. Their lips then crash together once more and despite what he just went through with Kara he, to his very pleasant surprise, finds his body has the energy to respond to Diana's advances.

In one quick motion Diana soon finds herself pinned down on the bed as fire burns through her veins. Seems like she won't have time for that shower and she is definitely not going to get any rest but know what, right now she doesn't care.

* * *

Kal-El is awoken by what he recognises as his communicator going off. He opens his eyes to find a mass of black hair spread across his chest. He briefly brushes some of it aside so he can see Diana's face and what he sees bring a smile to his face. Diana blissfully asleep is an incredible sight. In the relaxation of sleep when all the tensions have faded away completely it is then you can truly see and admire the youthfulness of her features. Truthfully when she is awake you don't notice. Her eyes have this incredible age and wisdom embedded within them that masks how young she looks.

His communicator goes off again and with a reluctant sigh he leans over to the table beside his bed and picks it up. "Kal-El here," he responds.

"Kal it is Kond," is the reply.

"Kond? Is everything alright?"

"What!" he says sounding strangely surprised. "Yes," Kond says trying to regather his thoughts. "Yes everything is fine. It is just I need to speak to you in private. It is important."

Kal-El's brow furrows slightly. This is rather odd behaviour from his old friend but if it is important he will go. "Alright. Give me 30 minutes and I'll meet you in the conference room," he tells Kond.

"30 minutes," Kond repeats. "That'll be fine. Kond-Ah out."

The connection ends and Kal-El wonders what this is about and he may be mistaken but he is sure Kond actually sounded nervous at the end there. Now what can Kond have done that would make him sound nervous. Kal-El is not sure he has ever seen Kond be nervous about anything even when they were about to go into battle.

Well he better get up as much as he doesn't want to. "Diana," he says softly trying to wake her.

Diana stirs slightly. "Just a little longer mother," she mumbles in her sleep.

Kal-El can't stop himself smiling again at how adorable Diana looks. He strokes her cheek gently. "Diana," he says again louder and this time her eyes flutter open.

It takes Diana a second to remember where she is before the memory of what transpired before she fell asleep hits her. She lifts her head up to find Kal looking at her with gentle admiration. "Morning," she says.

"Morning," Kal-El says back.

"How long were we asleep?" she asks.

Kal-El looks at the chronometer on his table. "Only a few hours."

Diana stretches out her limbs. "I need to get back to Lois," she informs Kal.

Kal nods in understanding. "Yes and I have a meeting with Kond-Ah."

Diana notes that news as she rolls herself off Kal and slides off of the bed. She gathers her clothes and starts to put them back on. "I'll need to take Lois back to Earth soon," she tells him.

By now Kal-El is getting dressed as well. "I meet Kond in under one half of your hours so I will meet with him first and then I will arrange that."

"Thank you," Diana tells him. Of course what she isn't telling him that once she goes back to Earth that is it. She is gone from his life and he is gone from hers.

"Am I going to get a proper goodbye this time?" Kal-El asks her.

Diana stops for a moment and takes a deep breath before turning around to face him properly. "You know?"

"That once you leave with Lois you won't be back? Yes it is rather obvious but this time I want us to have a proper farewell."

Diana summons up her courage. She has thought about it. How she left him last time. It may not have been the best way. "Alright," she concedes. "A proper farewell. I promise."

That is good enough for Kal-El.

* * *

At the agreed time Kal-El enters the conference room where he finds not only Kond-Ah but Asha Del Nar as well and suddenly he has this feeling that something big is about to be dropped on him.

A few minutes into the conversation he finds that he is correct. "Let me clear this up," he requests of the two of them. "You two who I have always assumed were loyal soldiers of the Empire are actually members of a terrorist organisation."

At that comment Asha's face darkens considerably. "Hey!" she protests with real vigour and anger. "We are not terrorists! We are a liberation movement!"

Kond places his hand on Asha's arm to calm her down. "Kal I know this is a shock."

"That is an understatement," he points out to Kond.

"I know this is a shock," Kond repeats, "but the KLM have been gaining support and members for years and I don't mean to be disrespectful but it was General Zod who labelled us terrorists and when you killed him you proved that you no longer followed his way of thinking."

Kal-El wanders to the other side of the room. His best friend is a member of the KLM. The Kryptonian Liberation Movement as they liked to call themselves were an organisation his late father had outlawed. Their main goal was the restoration of Krypton to the way it was before Zod's take over. Inevitably in Zod's eyes that made them a threat to be crushed which in all these years he hadn't actually managed to achieve but back to the here and now. It seems both Kond and Asha are members of the KLM. Kal-El can barely believe it and more than that he can't believe he never realised it before as pertains to Kond. Of course why should he have? Kond had always performed his duty without question. "So why are you telling me this now?" he asks them.

Kond and Asha share a brief look before Kond answers. "After Zod's death we sent a message to the other prominent members of our movement. This morning I got a reply from them."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"The others feel that in the wake of Zod's death that the time is right for those who want to restore Krypton to rise up against the House of Zod and those that support it."

"You want to start another civil war," Kal-El summarises.

"Only if they refuse to see the inevitable," Asha argues though weakly as in she knows it is unlikely that those currently in power will simply give it up without a fight.

Kal-El shakes his head. "You have no idea do you. You have no idea at all what will happen next."

"Kal," Kond starts to say before Kal cuts him off.

"My brother will not rest until we are all dead. You want to overthrow him and my mother and all those allied to the House of Zod and I guarantee there will be war. Lor would rather see everything turned to ash before he gives any of you anything."

"Well maybe you should have thought of that before you killed Zod," Asha bluntly points out.

"Asha," Kond says warningly.

"No Kond she is right. I should have thought of it," Kal-El sadly admits. "But that is the source of all of this. I didn't think. I just acted."

Now that Kal has raised it Kond decides he can now ask about what transpired with Zod. "Why Kal? Why did you kill him?"

"Does it matter?"

"I think it does."

"It will probably make no sense."

"Let me be the judge of that."

Kal-El decides to tell them. "Alright but you may be disappointed. It was not in the name of your great movement. Frankly I couldn't care less about it but if you must know I did it for love."

It takes Kond a minute to work out what Kal is talking about. "You did it for her."

"I told you it would make no sense."

Asha's gaze shifts between Kond and Kal-El. "What are you two on about? Her? Her who?"

"The woman you helped get transported aboard Asha," Kond explains to her.

"I don't understand," Asha says.

"Because you have never been in love," Kal tells her.

"Of course not. Emotions are something to be controlled," Asha replies almost quoting a mantra.

"And that is why I have no care for your movement," Kal-El informs them. "You wish to return Krypton to the way it was before Zod. The way it was before was of a species stuck in traditions that hadn't changed for millennia. The way it was before was of a species spiralling towards its own extinction and not doing anything about it. The old council would have rather seen our race die off than admit that the way we lived our lives needed to be changed."

"Your father Jor-El sat on that council," Asha hits back almost angrily at the way Kal-El is tarnishing everything she believes in.

"True but I have read up on my parents. I know that my father argued for years about introducing reforms and that for years no-one listened to him. Not until it was too late. Not until Zod had already begun his uprising and when that started he made the choice to side with the council."

"You think he made a mistake?" Asha asks of Kal-El. "That he should of joined Zod."

Kal-El shakes his head. "No. I no longer believe in the ways of Zod but what has been done cannot be undone. There is no going back to what we were before." It is not only a description that applies to the Kryptonian race but to Kal-El himself. Diana has changed him and he can't go back to who he was before and the Kryptonian race can't go back to what they were before Zod's rise to power.

Asha shakes her head in disbelief. She turns to Kond. "Can you believe this?"

Kond is deep in thought. Kal-El's words are interesting. "Actually I think he has a point."

"What?!" Asha exclaims.

Kond ignores Asha's histrionics and speaks to Kal. "Kal when we asked for this meeting it was to invite you to join us but as I said I think you have a point. Our aim has been to turn Krypton back to the way it was before but I think I agree with you that what has transpired in the 30 years since Zod took over cannot be undone."

"Kond!" Asha protests unable to believe what she is hearing. That Kond is daring to question what she has spent almost her whole life hoping to achieve and what she thought he believed in as well.

"Silence Asha," Kond commands before he turns back to Kal while Asha silently fumes. "As I was saying we were going to ask you to join but I think that we should arrange a meeting with the other where I will make another proposal."

"What proposal?" Kal-El asks and the answer he gets is one that is forever going to change everything.

* * *

_Author's Note: You may sense I am trying to tie up the loose ends which is exactly what I am doing. I had hinted at in earlier chapters that Kond and Asha were a part of something and here I gave it a name and a purpose. In the next chapter Kal and Diana will say their final farewells and Kara will reveal to Kal the truth of his impending fatherhood. Wonder how he'll deal with that huh?_

_Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. I always appreciate them._


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Diana had returned to the infirmary to find that Lois was looking a lot better and sounding a little cheerier too but at the edges in her eyes and in her voice it was still easy to recognise the trauma she has undergone.

"So what happened to you?" Lois asks Diana. She needs a distraction so getting Diana to talk about something else is what she wants right now.

"I was captured too," Diana tells her.

"Really?" Lois asks with genuine surprise.

Diana nods. "Yes," she says without revealing that it was Kara that captured her.

"Are you still a prisoner?" Lois asks.

This time Diana shakes her head. "No. A lot has happened but in short Kal released us all."

"That was nice of him."

"Yes it was."

Lois eyes Diana carefully. There is something about the way she says this Kal's name that has caught her attention. There is a sort of...Lois isn't sure...longing maybe. There is certainly feeling there. Lois wonders how that came about. "I thought they were a bunch of fascists but if 'Kal' released us I guess that was misjudged."

"It can be too easy to paint everyone with the same brush," Diana tells Lois.

"I guess so."

"People are never simple Lois as I think you know. These Kryptonians have their complexities just like everyone else. Some are cruel, some are kind, some are all the shades in between."

"You sound like someone who did a lot more than simply be a prisoner," Lois remarks.

"It's complicated Lois and a long story," Diana says not particularly wanting to retell it to Lois as she had already told it to her sister

"I'm not going anywhere," Lois points out.

Diana rubs her temple. "We talked."

"Talked?"

"Kal and I and once you start talking to him you soon find out that underneath all that military training he is a kind, intelligent and compassionate man."

"Is that so?" Lois asks while feeling sure that Diana is still holding back.

"Yes Lois. That is so. You can ask Hal once we get back to Earth."

"Maybe I will. Speaking of Earth when do I get out of here and get to go home?"

"I need to speak to Kal about that but I want to make a suggestion to you Lois."

"What suggestion?"

"That you come back to Themyscira with me."

"Why?" Lois asks puzzled.

"Because my sisters have been through what you have."

Instantly Lois puts the walls up. "No."

"Lois please," Diana pleads with her.

"No," Lois repeats stubbornly.

"Lois I know you want to be strong but it is not weakness to admit to the feelings Kara caused. We can help you heal."

Lois laughs despite how inappropriate that might seem at this moment. "Has your mother ever healed from what was done to her?"

"My mother eventually forgave Heracles," Diana answers.

"Now that isn't avoiding the question or anything."

"Forgiveness is the final stage of healing," Diana elaborates. She then takes Lois' hand into her own. "Lois I can't nor would I ever attempt to make you do anything against your will but please at least think about my offer."

Lois thinks on it for a few moments and decides she needs to think on it. "Alright I'll think about it," she concedes. "But I make no promises," she hastily adds.

"I understand."

It is then Kal enters the room and at the sight of that Diana's entire face lights up. Something which Lois notices but decides to stay silent about for now.

"Is this an inopportune moment?" Kal-El asks.

Diana looks at Lois for the answer.

"Go on. I'll be fine," Lois tells Diana. "Although can you ask when they will remove this damn mark on my arm," she says in reference to the symbol Kara burned into her arm.

Diana releases Lois' hand and gets to her feet. She then finds herself being escorted outside into the corridor by Kal. "Kal what is it?"

"I need some advice," he tells her.

"About?" Diana inquiries.

Kal-El takes a breath and tells her about his meeting with Kond-Ah and Asha Del Nar.

"So what is it you need my advice about?" she asks him.

"They want me to become the leader of their liberation movement," he says repeating what Kond's proposal was. That he become leader of the KLM and lead them against the forces that his brother and mother will no doubt soon reign against them.

"And this is a problem?" Diana asks a little bit perplexed.

"Diana when I killed my father it wasn't to lead some revolution against my family's rule. I did it to save you."

"I understand that but answer me this; weren't you starting to decide that the way your family ruled was not the best way?"

"Well yes."

"Also weren't you looking for ways to best ensure the safety of those under your command?"

"Yes I was."

"And how many are part of this liberation movement?"

"I do not know exactly."

"More than you have now?"

"Certainly."

"So what is the problem?"

"For starters I do not entirely agree with their philosophy."

"If you become their leader can't you change their philosophy?"

"I do not think it will work like that. Also up to a few weeks ago I would have considered them traitors and put them to death. In fact I have done that to several people."

"Do you still consider them traitors?"

Kal-El pauses. He hadn't actually thought about it. When Kond and Asha told them what they were did he consider them traitors? After a second's thought he answers. "No," and then he qualifies it, "but I'm no longer in a position to judge."

Diana shakes her head. He is trying to come up with excuses to avoid taking this. Now true she isn't that familiar with how Kryptonian society works but she can recognise an opportunity when one is presented like this one is being to Kal. "You are unbelievably dense," she says as an insult.

"Of course I am."

"What?" Diana asks completely confused by his answer.

"Dense."

"I'm not following."

"I am dense. My body has a dense molecular structure," he explains.

"That is not what I meant," Diana tells him.

"What did you mean?"

"I meant that you are being stupid."

"You insulted me!" he says with some surprise.

"Only to make a point," she explains.

"What point?"

"That things have changed. The situation you are in has changed and in front of you is an opportunity to bring change about. Change for the better."

"You think that I can bring that kind of change about?" he asks her sceptically.

"No. I don't think that. I know that," she says with certainty in his abilities.

"So I should agree to this meeting they want me to have?" he asks her.

"What meeting?" she asks back since he had never mentioned anything about a meeting before.

"Kond wants me to meet their current leadership and persuade them to follow me," he answers.

"Kal," Diana begins to say. "I can't make that decision for you. This is about the future of your race but if are asking for my opinion."

"I am."

"Then opportunities for change, real change, come along rarely. When presented with one you should embrace it because it may never come again in your lifetime."

Kal-El listens to her words and is suddenly struck by a thought. "That is why you are staying on Earth." It is not just because it is her home although that is a large part of it it is because she thinks that there a possibility for real change on Earth.

Diana is caught a little off-guard by Kal's remark. She hadn't expected that. Is that why she is staying on Earth? She has to admit that if she thinks about it then there is a real opportunity for change. Luthor is dead. Gotham's destruction will bring people together in that way only humans seem to be brought together in the face of tragedy. It seems Kal is right. There is a real opportunity for change. The change that she has sought to bring about in the first place. Her mission as Champion. "I never thought of that," she finally admits.

"I think you did even if it was only on a subconscious level."

Diana isn't sure of that but she will take the compliment as is. "So what will you do?"

"Agree to the meeting," he answers simply. What else can he do? This is the future of the entire Kryptonian race they are talking about here but he will be wanting a few concessions from them as to their aims. "What will you do?" he asks her back.

"Organise a meeting. Reform the Justice League but this time it will be the way it was meant to be and not what we allowed others to twist it into," she answers.

Kal reaches up and touches her cheek gently. "I think we are nearing that goodbye," he says sadly.

Diana places her hand on his cheek. "I know but not yet. Lois wants that mark removed from her arm first."

Kal nods in understanding. "I'll talk to the physician about it," he promises her.

* * *

Later Lois wakes up from being sedated. She tilts her head to peer at her arm and sees that the mark is gone.

"How are you feeling?"

Lois looks around and can see Kal-El standing a short distance away. "Better," she answers. "Where's Diana?" she asks.

"She said something about needing to go to the bathroom," he tells Lois.

"Ah."

Kal-El steps closer to the bed Lois is lying in. "I need to apologise to you."

"No you don't," Lois tells him.

"Yes I do," he insists. "I..." he pauses for a moment. "I have come to realise that I have not always made the best decisions as regards to my life and I did not see to what depths my cousin would sink."

"Your cousin is seriously messed up," Lois observes acidly.

"Yes she is," Kal-El says in agreement. "One day she will receive the punishment she deserves. We all do in the end."

"I didn't take your species to be religious," Lois comments at what are obvious religious overtones.

"You would be surprised at how religious that even those species that are technologically centuries ahead of your own can be. Even for all our technology, our embracing of logic above emotion, the belief in our creator is still strong."

"I'm not very religious myself," Lois admits.

"Not everyone is," Kal-El muses. "However I hope that whatever deity you believe in will give you the strength to recover from what I allowed to happen to you."

"Thank you," Lois says softly.

"For what?"

"Being honest."

"You deserve at least that."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes."

"You come from another planet correct?"

"To be accurate I come from a planet in another galaxy but you are basically correct yes."

"Ok then. Based on that how come you look like humans?"

Kal-El smiles slightly. "My species is millions of years older than the human race. It is you that look like Kryptonians."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"It is complicated. There are in fact several species that share our appearance. If you wish I could brief you on the theory of parallel evolution of disparate species across the 28 known galaxies."

"I think I'll pass," Lois decides.

"As you wish."

"So when do I get to go home?" Lois asks Kal-El.

"Any time you wish. Your injuries are healed although you should rest for several more days," Kal-El answers passing on what the physicians had told him.

Lois nods. "Good. That's good."

Looking on at the end of this conversation is Diana upon her return. She moves over to the bed. "So you can go home now?"

Lois looks up as Diana is behind her head. "Yep. Although clothes would be nice," she points out as she is currently wearing nothing under the bed sheets.

"I'll see to that," Kal-El offers. As he goes by Diana she touches his arm gently and gives him a smile as a gesture of thanks. Diana follows him until he disappears from sight.

"You're sleeping with him aren't you," Lois suddenly guesses.

"What!" Diana nearly chokes out.

"Deny it," Lois challenges of Diana.

Of course Diana can't deny it. "How?" she asks simply.

"Oh small things I noticed. I am a journalist you know and I'm good at reading people. There was just this way your voice would alter when you said his name and the way your eyes would light up at the same time. Then there was that little scene when he just left now. When you looked at each other. Even I can recognise love when I see it."

"I didn't want to burden you further," Diana tells Lois as to why she didn't mention it earlier on the assumption that would be Lois' next question.

"I appreciate that. I do although you are still avoiding asking me the obvious question."

"How are you?" Diana guesses.

"That's the one," Lois says with false cheerfulness.

"Do you want me to ask it?"

Lois takes a moment to think on it. She is physically feeling better but as for emotionally. She hasn't even started to deal with it. She is doing her classic avoidance of analysing her feelings. She is a master at it. Eventually she replies "No because I don't know how I am."

Diana looks at Lois with great sympathy.

"Does your offer still stand?" Lois asks.

"To take you to Themyscira?"

"Yes."

"Of course," Diana assures Lois. It is an open ended offer as far as Diana is concerned.

"Then I think I will go but I want to see Bruce first. He deserves to be told in person where am I going."

"That is not a problem."

Kal-El returns with a Kryptonian uniform for Lois to wear and hands it over. Considering her sense of modesty he swiftly leaves once again.

"You should go after him," Lois tells Diana.

"What?"

"You need to say your goodbyes I think."

Diana is slightly surprised. She had never taken Lois as that intuitive a person.

"Go on," Lois tells her once more. "I can manage to dress myself."

Diana hesitates for a moment before she departs the room. This is the moment she has been dreading and it seems at last it is here. Hera give her strength.

Once Diana is gone Lois looks at the uniform and shakes her head at it. These Kryptonians are severely fashion challenged but it isn't like she has a lot of choice. Choice. That is something that Kara took away from her but Lois has always considered herself strong. Yes there were moments of despair when she thought about simply ending her life and ending her suffering but that would mean Kara had won. No Lois will take her right to choose back starting with her choosing to go to Themyscira with Diana. As much as she loves Bruce and she does love Bruce she needs time amongst people who have gone through what she has gone through. Time to figure out if she can get back to the person she was before all this began. One thing for certain though is that she will survive and like her father always said 'what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger' and Lois is determined that in the end she will be a stronger person for it.

Meanwhile Diana finds Kal simply standing out in the corridor.

"This is it," he states.

"Yes."

Kal-El swallows hard. He hadn't really thought of what to say at this moment since he wasn't sure what he would feel. "I don't know what to say," he admits to her.

"Me neither," she admits in return.

"I love you," he says since that seems like a good start.

"I love you too."

Kal-El is silent for a moment before he moves over and virtually crushes Diana to his body. "I will never forget you for as long as I live."

Diana takes a moment to memorise the feel of Kal against her. "I will never forget you either."

"You changed me. Changed me for the better," he confesses.

"I think you changed me too," Diana is now the one who confesses.

Kal-El pulls back and looks at her with a slightly perplexed expression. "I did?"

Diana nods, takes his hand and places it over her heart. "What you have made me feel, your love, will live inside me forever. It is not something I have experienced before so therefore I am forever changed." Diana isn't a hundred percent sure in what way that change will come out as it is too soon but she just feels different inside herself. Love it seems is truly transformational. A random thought enters her head that maybe she could ask Aphrodite about that. If anyone would know it would be the Goddess of Love.

"Well you have brought forth a whole range of emotions I have never felt before."

"Yes and how does it feel?" she asks him.

"Wonderful and frightening all at the same time. I do fear that they may overwhelm me at times."

Diana strokes his cheek reassuringly in a way that says she understands but has faith in his ability to cope. "Emotions can be overwhelming but properly focussed they can be a useful too."

"I think I understand but I can also understand why my people felt the need to control them as well."

"And that is what will make you a great leader in what is to come. The ability to see and understand all sides so that you can use what they have in common to keep people united."

"I wish I shared your belief. This is not what I wanted. I don't think I ever really wanted to lead. I just fell into it somehow."

"Truly great leaders never seek power. They have power thrust upon them by others who see their greatness."

Kal-El looks at her sceptically. "Now you are simply making that up."

"I assure you I am not, she insists.

Kal-El moves to brush some of her hair back. "Since I don't want our last words to be in anger I will take you at your word."

"Wise decision," she says ever so teasingly.

Kal-El observes the way her lips curve into a little teasing smile before he claims them one last time in a long, gentle searching kiss. Upon its ending Kal-El takes his bracelet off his arm once more and hands it over to her. "They will transport you down to Metropolis when you press here," he shows her a point on the bracelet to touch.

Diana nods. "Thank you but isn't this yours?"

"Keep it," he tells her. "You can consider it a souvenir."

Diana looks at the crystal bracelet. It is really quite beautiful for something so functional. She then looks back up to see tears have filled Kal's eyes.

"Goodbye Diana," he says with his voice breaking full of emotion.

"Goodbye Kal-El," Diana says, her voice the same and her eyes too now filling with tears.

"Go now. Please," he asks of her not sure how much longer he can stand to drag this out.

Diana nods, turns quickly and heads back into the room where Lois is while she wipes a tear from her cheek.

Kal-El too wipes a tear from his cheek. A few seconds later he catches the flash of light that signals a transporter beam. That is it. She is gone from his life but the love she brought him will forever remain in his heart.

* * *

A few weeks later Kal-El is walking along a corridor. He had just finished a meeting with the leadership of the KLM and to his pleasant surprise they acquiesced to his terms. Those terms being that this was not about restoring the old pre-Zod Krypton but was about creating a new Krypton where everyone would be treated as equals. That had not happened under Zod's regime nor the regime of the Old Council either. Under that system you were born into a certain Guild like workers or the military or what you could call the ruling elite and then that was all you could ever be for the rest of your life.

He had spent the last few weeks, that was how long it took to arrange this meeting, thinking about what kind of Krypton he wanted...no that they needed to create. They needed a creative, dynamic Krypton where ideas from whomever they came from had an equal chance of becoming reality. Essentially he has taken on-board the basics of the reforms his father Jor-El had been proposing before the civil war that brought Zod to power. To use a human term he wished to democratise Kryptonian society.

On a personal level the last few weeks had been difficult. Diana's departure had left a hollowness and pain inside him that was at times difficult to cope with. On the other hand if he used the love she left inside him he found that he believed that he did possess the strength required to achieve the aims he now believed in. He also hoped that that strength would help him with the difficult task he must perform right at this moment. Right at this moment he is heading to a destination where he will confront a problem that he had had to leave unresolved. It was a problem that had been raised with him in the meeting he had had with the KLM leadership. He reaches the door which slides open and he sees the problem standing in the middle of the room. "Hello Kara," he says coolly.

Kara had just finished changing her clothes after a combat practice session. She has to keep her skills sharp and now Kal was here. She knew why. "The meeting was a success then. They accepted you as their leader."

Kal-El noted that the way she said that was a statement. Not a question like she knew what the outcome was even when he hadn't told her. "Yes. How do you know that?"

Kara gives Kal a look like he had just insulted her intelligence. "Why else would you be here?"

Kal-El can tell Kara is trying to play some sort of game here and he has to be careful. "Why am I here Kara?" he asks wanting her to explain.

"You're here because you think that you don't need me anymore but you are quite mistaken."

"Am I?"

"Yes you are. What do these people control? A third of the fleet at most?"

Kal-El is surprised that Kara knows that. In fact he was surprised when Kond and Asha revealed to him just how much of the Kryptonian fleet the KLM had managed to manoeuvre themselves into control of. He had no idea they had managed to grow that powerful right under Zod's and Lor's noses. In fact Kond thinks that when it is known by all Kryptonians that he is leading this...this well he can only call it a revolution. That when it is known that perhaps up to half the fleet might join them. Of course that leaves half the fleet that won't join them and that they will have to fight. This brings him to why he is here. He had agreed to Kara's deal because he had had no choice as he saw it but now he does. He no longer needs her to help keep his troops safe. Also the others in the KLM expressed legitimate concerns about Kara. Many would be unhappy if she remained.

Kara continues. "You still need me," she says assuredly. "After all name me any troops that are better than mine."

Well Kal-El will concede that Kara does indeed have a point there. Kandorian Guard troops are excellent. They are also vicious and bloodthirsty and will have no place in the new Krypton he is hoping to create. "We'll manage," he informs her.

Kara smiles amused. "Maybe but you still won't kill me. That's why you're here isn't it. To kill me."

Kal-El nods in confirmation. Yes he is here to punish her for her crimes and it must be him that does it. He even brought a sword to carry out the act and to make it beautifully ironic it was Diana's sword. During the chaos that had followed his killing of his father somehow he had ended up with it still in his possession. By the time he had realised that he still had it they were days away from Earth and beyond being able to go back. He had to reach the location of the meeting on time and that left no time to go back. One day he intends to return to Earth so he he can return it to Diana.

Kara walks calmly over to the doorway where her cousin stands until they are only inches apart. She holds her arms out to the side. "Kill me then," she dares him. "But know that doing so will end another life apart from my own."

"What do you mean?" he asks her in some confusion.

Kara reaches for the hand that is not holding the sword. She takes it and places it on her stomach. "If you kill me you will also kill our child that is growing within me."

Kal-El's eyes widen as that revelation sinks in. Oh Rao. That was what it was all about. She was using him to father a child. Anger boils up inside him and in a swift motion he takes his hand away from her stomach and backhands her across the face as hard as he can. Kara is knocked to the ground where she spits up some blood. He reaches down and grabs her by the throat and picks her up. "Kara if this is some deception to spare your life I swear I will find the slowest, most painful way possible to kill you," he says with real genuine anger and malice.

"Crystal," Kara chokes out.

"What?" he asks loosening his grip slightly.

She nods her head in the direction of her table. "Data crystal with my medical scans," she says. "Or you could just look yourself," she points out in reference to their enhanced vision that they still possessed since they were not in the range of influence of a red sun.

Kal-El releases her, goes to the table and picks the crystal up. If this is a deception she is going through an awful lot of effort. He will double check this of course but assuming she is telling the truth he has to ask a question. "How?"

Kara wipes the blood away from her lip that her cousin split open when he struck her. "How? As in how did I manage it when you take those contraception shots?"

Kal-El nods. Yes that is what he means. All Kryptonians, male and female, take these injections of a contraception that ensures no unwanted offspring.

"Simple really. I had a neutralising agent slipped into your meals while I took certain drugs that increased my fertility."

Kal-El guesses that he should be shocked that she drugged him but he isn't. Not anymore. He doubts there is anything left that Kara could do that would shock him anymore. Well he isn't staying here. He can barely stand to look at his cousin lately let alone spend time in her company. He heads for the door but stops when he reaches the threshold. "Nothing has changed Kara," he informs her. "One day you will face your final reckoning."

"If you say so," a deliberately pause, "dad," she says purposely using the colloquialism.

Kal-El says nothing more and simply leaves so he can check for sure whether he is about to become a father. Only once he is certain will he start to deal with how he feels about it. He heads off back to his ship to review the data in private and he does so while not realising the other possible consequence of what Kara has done to him in her attempt to procreate.

Kara watches the door slide closed feeling immensely chuffed with herself. This is going better than she dreamed. Kal's reaction was within what the parameters she had calculated as to what he would do once she told him. Her lip stings a bit but it will be healed shortly so overall Kara can say everything is going as she planned more or less. She will also admit that with the unexpected help of the KLM they actually stand a chance of surviving this and that her child has a chance of surviving long enough to become an adult. Kara must admit that the thought that she will soon be a mother is very exciting. She can barely wait until her and Kal's baby is born and then she can teach their child to become just like her. After all a genetic scan had already determined her baby's gender. She briefly wonders if she should have told Kal that they are going to have a daughter. After a moment she shrugs her shoulders and thinks to herself 'Nah. Why ruin the surprise'.

* * *

Diana wakes up in her old bed in the palace on Themyscira. She is visiting Lois to see how she is getting on. Lois is currently residing on the Isle of Healing. This was of course more of a spiritual healing rather than physical. The Kryptonians had done an excellent job in treating Lois' physical wounds. It was slow but Diana believed Lois was getting better slowly. When she had explained to her mother what had happened to her mother had welcomed Lois to stay for as long as it took.

The last few weeks since Kal-El left had been difficult personally for Diana. On top of the aching pain and emptiness of being separated from him she had had to deal with her mother's reaction to the fact she had taken Kal-El as a lover. To say her mother had been shocked and unhappy would be understatements but Diana explained how it had come about and that Kal-El was not like Heracles at all. She told her mother that Kal was a gentle kind person and of what he had said what he would do to someone who did what Heracles did. Her mother softened a little though Diana could tell that she was still unhappy.

Since the Kryptonians left Diana has been busy helping with the aftermath of Gotham's destruction and reforming the Justice League. Bruce had thrown himself into those tasks with vigour despite her feeling he needed time to recover from his experiences but Bruce always did things the way he thought was best. Despite Kal leaving she has found that his love has given her a renewed strength and belief in her mission. She even stood before the Senate and made what was probably her best and most passionate speech about the need for Themyscira not to cut itself off from the world and that in fact this was the perfect moment to engage more vigorously than ever. That they could help reshape the world because one thing was for certain and that was that the Kryptonian invasion had changed things permanently and that there was no going back to the way things were before. What has been done can't be undone.

Well she better get ready for the day ahead. It is at this moment just when she is about to get out of bed that the most horrid and strange sensation hits her stomach. 'Not again!' she thinks to herself as she rushes to her bathroom. She had been feeling sick in the morning for days. She makes it to her sink just as she throws up.

"Diana!" Donna's voice echoes into the bathroom. "Are you here?!"

Diana is just getting her breath back when Donna appears in the doorway.

"Diana? Are you ill?" Donna asks with a mixture of surprise, since she has never seen Diana sick, and worry for her health if she really is sick.

Diana reaches for a cloth and wipes her face. Gods she had not been wanting anyone to find out this way and certainly not yet. Not until she was sure at any rate. "Donna," Diana begins to say. "I need you to promise something."

"What?" Donna asks.

"That you won't tell anyone what I am about to tell you until I am sure. Not even Mother."

Now Donna is starting to get really concerned. "Diana," she begins to say but her sister cuts her off.

"Promise me!" Diana insists.

"Ok I promise. Now what is it?"

Diana takes a breath. "Donna."

Donna takes a step closer to her sister. "Yes," she says encouragingly for Diana to continue.

Diana then speaks words which leave Donna completely stunned and for once in her life speechless. "I think I'm pregnant."

* * *

_Author's Note: So this is the penultimate chapter and it was about including Diana and Kal's parting of the ways that had to come, Kal finding out what Kara had done and the little consequence of her neutralising the contraception Kal was on. It occurred to me that if she did that then that would leave Diana at risk of ending up with her own little bun-in-the-oven._

_Thanks to all those who wrote reviews. Next up I will write an epilogue just to wrap everything up._


	26. Epilogue Part 1: Krypton

Epilogue Part 1: Krypton

**5 years later.**

It had been a long struggle permeated with numerous bloody battles. Like Kal-El had thought his adopted brother and mother were going to fight to the bitter end and that end was approaching rapidly. At this very moment he is aboard his ship meeting his lieutenants as they discuss the strategy for the final assault on Krypton. Kond-Ah was still with him in body at least. Ever since he lost his bonded one, Asha Del Nar, in battle Kal-El had noticed that on occasion Kond would have this haunted, wistful look that was the true reflection of the wound Asha's death had inflicted on Kond's spirit.

Kal-El can't fathom completely what Kond-Ah feels although he has some idea. While Diana may not be dead or at least he hopes not he still feels the pain of the separation even 5 years on. Kal-El has no idea what her health is. He has not been to Earth since he left it. The war against his family had taken up his every living moment.

"Father! Father!" a small blond haired girl with blue eyes shouts as she runs into the conference room.

Well almost every living moment. He did always find time for her. Kal-El smiles brightly and bends down as the girl runs into his arms. Kal-El holds her tightly to himself. Of all the marvellous things in all creation this is the one he loves the most. His daughter.

"Lana Kal-El!" a shrill voice shouts soon followed by its source. That would be his daughter's mother. His cousin Kara Zor-El and it was Kara that chose the name Lana.

Back when he learned how Kara had tricked him into fathering her child he had spent the time before his daughter was born unsure how to feel exactly. He had a lot of hate for Kara and he wondered if that hate would effect how he would feel about their child. However, when he first held his daughter and she looked at him with these blue eyes that were so full of innocence and wonder Kal-El found that he couldn't help but love Lana. She was blood of his blood and as for Kara...well for his daughter's sake he had learned to be civil to his cousin. He suppose he could have killed Kara after she gave birth but by then they were in the midst of the war against the forces of his brother and mother and it occurred to him that weakening his own forces probably wasn't a good idea so he dismissed the idea and concentrated on winning the war.

Kara stomps in with this look that resembled a stormy sky. Dark and foreboding. "Lana!" Kara shouts angrily at her daughter. "You're are not suppose to be here."

Kal-El looks at his daughter who has this terrified expression on her face. He strokes some of her blond hair back. "It's alright Kara," he tells his cousin. "We were just about done anyway."

"That is no excuse," Kara insists.

Kal-El lets out a sigh. "She is a child Kara," he says as way of explanation.

"You are always making excuses for her," she says accusatory.

"And you are always too hard on her," he hits back. He looks into his daughter's blue eyes. "That's why you're here aren't you. Your mother was being mean again wasn't she."

Lana looks back at her mother's darkened expression and then at her father's kind face trying to decide what to say that will get her in the least amount of trouble. In the end she decides to not say anything but to simply hug her father as tightly as possible. Lana always feels safe in her father's arms.

Kal-El takes a moment to savour the feel of his daughter in his arms before he gives her a quick kiss on the top of the head. With her still in arms he turns back to his meeting. Since they are almost finished he does not mind Lana staying for the last few minutes. He'll even tolerate Kara's presence. She no longer gets invited to these meetings not after she...well it wasn't pleasant. There was stabbing and blood and the permanent paralysis of a very skilled leader and of someone who Kal-El had come to call friend.

Kara, on the other hand, rolls her eyes at the sight. Kal was determined, it seemed, to spoil their daughter. He was far too soft on her. At this rate Kara would never turn Lana into a warrior like her. After all that was the whole reason she wanted a daughter in the first place so she could mould Lana in her own image. She even went through the whole torturous process of carrying the baby to term inside her instead of using the more common method of a birthing matrix. The birthing matrix was essentially an artificial womb and was the preferred method of procreation as it avoided the whole painful act of child birth but there were still a few who still had offspring in the more 'traditional' way like Kara had decided to in the end. Of course having her daughter that way ensured Kal wouldn't do something impulsive in his anger like trying to kill her and by the time she gave birth, which by the way was just about the most horrendous, painful experience Kara had ever had to endure, Kal had calmed down to the point that he wouldn't try and kill her even after she had had their daughter. Kara folds her arms across her chest and waits for this meeting to end. Kal had banned her from them after she had stabbed someone who had disrespected her. He completely overreacted. It wasn't like she killed the person and she could have if she had wanted to.

The meeting ends soon after and the others depart to return to their ships and make the final preparations for the assault on the defences around Krypton. Above the table in the centre of the room the holographic image of Krypton remains. Kal-El places his daughter down on the table.

"Father?" Lana queries.

"Yes Lana."

"What planet is that?" she asks at the image of the white world.

"That is our home Lana. That is Krypton," he informs her since of course she has never set foot in it. Once this war is over Kal-El will have to remedy that and show his daughter all of Krypton's wonders. He watches with fatherly pride as Lana closely studies the image of their homeworld no doubt absorbing every detail instantly.

"You're still indulging her," Kara remarks with a critical tone.

Kal-El turns his head to gaze at Kara who has not changed all that much at all in the last 5 years. Even without the abilities of a yellow sun Kryptonians are still quite long lived. 200 years is not uncommon and Kara is only about perhaps a quarter of the way through her natural life. He takes a breath. "Kara we are not having this argument again," he tells her in no uncertain terms. They have had it many times before over whether he indulges their daughter and whether Kara is too strict with her.

"Fine," Kara sulks. "We won't have this argument again but we will have this discussion again."

Kal-El fixes Kara a gaze that says 'not right now they are certainly not'.

"Once the war is over," Kara amends.

Kal-El releases his gaze. Better and speaking of the war. "Are you ready?"

Kara is insulted. "Of course I'm ready."

"Good."

Kara takes a breath. Her cousin was infuriating at times. She steps forward towards the table. "How long has it been?" she asks Kal as in how long has it been since he stepped foot on Krypton.

"A long time," he answers vaguely. In fact it has been 8 years since he last set foot upon the ground of home.

"Well we attack tomorrow and then you'll get to see it again," Kara reminds him.

"Assuming there is anything left afterwards," he cautions. He had once remarked before this all began how Lor would see everything burnt to ash before he would yield and Kal-El still believes that.

"You overestimate them," Kara says dismissively in relation to Lor-Zod and Faora. After all when they started this campaign against the rule of House of Zod they were outnumbered and out-gunned and yet here they are on the eve of the final battle and now they are the ones with superior forces due to a combination of defections and losses that had been inflicted on their enemy.

Kal-El says nothing back. That would simply repeat an argument he and Kara have had before. Instead he focusses on the most important reason he is doing this and that is to create a Krypton fit for his daughter to live on. In a wider sense it is for a better Krypton for all their children. He picks Lana up once more. "Come on my little ray of sunshine," he says using his nickname for her. "Time for the day's last meal."

On that issue Kara would agree. "Yes. It is important you eat properly if you are going to grow up to be a warrior."

Kal-El shakes his head. While he has no problem with Lana being taught to fight, it only makes sense considering, what he is unhappy with is the way Kara goes about training her. Kara seems to want to suck out all the joy of being a child. He knew her childhood had been unhappy and frankly so was his which is exactly why he doesn't want Lana raised like that.

That night Kal-El places his daughter down in bed and makes sure she is securely in place. Tomorrow would be the final battle but tonight his only concern if his daughter.

"Father?" Lana queries.

Kal-El brushes some of her hair back. "Yes Lana."

"Can I have a story?" she requests of him. She finds that her father telling her stories helps her sleep.

"Certainly. What do you want to hear about?"

"Tell me...tell me about Earth again," she decides. She likes her father's stories about the planet Earth.

Kal-El smiles a small smile. "Lets see here. Earth. Well it starts with a beautiful princess..."

* * *

The next day Kal-El is overseeing the battle in orbit of Krypton. With his brother's forces forced back to simply surrounding the planet there were no more clever strategies that were going to outmanoeuvre the enemy. Those remaining were fanatics who would fight to the end. They would not surrender. No this was a battle of annihilation. Either Kal-El and his forces destroyed the defenders or they destroyed them. There was no other option. At least Lana was safe. She was on a support ship on the edge of the system with a trusted friend.

The whole ship rocks as a blast hits the shields.

"Shields holding," the tactical officer informs him.

Kal-El looks at the display in front of him that shows the position of all the ships taking part. So far it was going as he predicted. He needed to break up the defender's formation. He activates his communicator.

"Commander Kara Zor-El here," is the response on the other end.

"Kara. Proceed as we discussed," he orders.

"As you command General Kal-El," she chimes in obedience. Kara may be mentally unstable but when it comes to the time of battle she is nothing but a professional. Also she and her troops will carry out orders that leave only the slimiest chance of survival and they do so with relish not apprehension.

Kal-El never wanted to be a general he would mention if anyone asked him. He simply ended up with the rank as soon as he agreed to take command of this endeavour. He watches as the Kandorian ships make what would be considered by anyone else a suicidal attack on the defensive lines of the opposing forces. Suicidal that is for anyone but Kara. He had seen her survive worse odds than this without a scratch although in truth he has no idea how she manages to pull it off.

"Order Cruiser groups Pah and Tho to give cover fire to the Kandorian Guard," he tells his communications officer.

"Yes General," is the automatic response.

Kal-El watches on and silently prays for Kara to succeed because if he can't break up the enemy's formation this is going to be a long and extremely bloody battle. He waits and waits and waits and then he sees what he is looking for. Kara has managed to punch a hole through the line. Quickly he orders another two cruiser groups in to widen the breach with another two on standby if what he hopes happens.

With him Kond-Ah looks on too. "They're breaking," he comments.

Maybe but Kal-El is not falling for it if it is a deception. He will continue as planned. "Have attack groups Mah and On proceed as planned," he orders.

"Yes General," the communications officer chimes once more.

The display shifts to the opposite side of Krypton as the attack groups Kal-El had kept in reserve exit hyperspace. He is going to pull the defenders already in trouble apart in 2 directions. Once they have engaged the defenders it is time for the assault. He straightens himself up. "Commander Kond-Ah," he says addressing his friend.

"Yes General," he says in response.

"Give the order."

Kond bows in respectful thanks for Kal giving him the honour. He addresses the fleet. "All ships proceed to final attack positions. It is time. Time to retake our homeworld. For Krypton!"

"For Krypton!" all the personnel on the bridge shout. It had become a rallying call over these past 5 years.

Kal-El can feel the ship accelerate. Here they go.

* * *

3 days later Kal-El stands in the centre of the Council chambers. Defeating the fleet in orbit had taken only hours. Securing the entire planet was a process that was still being undertaken. There was fighting still going on in several cities but they had secured the capital, Kandor. When Kal-El killed Zod all those years ago he wondered if he would ever see the splendour that was Kandor again.

His time to take in these chambers soon comes to an end as he hears the marching of soldiers approaching and one very irate voice demanding that she is released at once. Kal-El stands, facing the doorway as a brown haired middle aged woman is lead in and brought to a halt a few feet from him. "Hello Mother."

Faora, wife of Zod, moves forward and slaps Kal-El across the face. "How dare you!" she screams at him. "You are no son of mine!"

Kal-El does not react to the slap. He expected it truthfully. "I am not here to debate semantics with you Mother," Kal-El informs her calmly. "Now where is my brother hiding?"

Faora looks at him scornfully. "You cannot expect me to reveal anything you ungrateful bastard."

"Tsk Mother. Language," Kal-El rebukes her.

"We took you in, raised you and this is how you repay us. Betrayal and murder," she seethes with rage.

Kal-El does not rise to her accusations. "Your way would only lead to the ultimate ruination of Krypton."

"Ruination!" She can barely believe what she is hearing. "Our way led us to our rightful place as the most dominant species in the known universe."

"Again I am not here to debate with you Mother. Now where is Lor-Zod?"

Faora crosses her arms across her chest defiantly. "I will tell you nothing."

"No I didn't think you would," Kal-El admits honestly before he and the troops around Faora step back.

She watches them with suspicion. "What are you doing Kal-El?"

Kal-El says nothing as two spinning rings suddenly descend from above and surround Faora in a forcefield. "I am not going to kill you," he tells her. "I am going to inflict upon you what you inflicted upon my parents. Enjoy the Phantom Zone Faora Hu-Ul," he says deliberately no longer calling her mother.

Faora faces darkens and twits into pure hate. "I swear Kal-El that you will pay for this. Even if it takes an eternity you will pay!"

Kal-El speaks up. "Brainiac," he says addressing the Kryptonian central computer.

"Yes General Kal-El," the disembodied voice answers.

"Activate the Phantom Zone projector."

"As you command General," Brainiac responds obediently as one of the first things Kal-El had done was to have Brainiac reprogrammed so it would obey him.

A beam of energy strikes from above, hitting Faora and in a flash of light tears apart her body and transforms it into a non-corporeal state and then sends it to the Phantom Zone leaving only an empty space where a person had been before.

Kal-El stares at the empty space for a few moments before he leaves this place. He has no time no waste. He still has to find his brother. There is no telling what Lor might do in his desperation.

* * *

Elsewhere, in Argo City to be precise, Zor-El is quickly packing a few things in his home before he flees. KLM troops were in the city and it was only a matter of time until...

"Hello Father."

Zor-El freezes instantly at that voice. He swallows hard. He turns to face the doorway. "Hello Kara."

Kara walks into the main living area and looks around. She had been waiting for this moment for over 40 years. She takes in the opulent luxury her father had gained by allying himself with General Zod while she has been fighting in the worse places this universe has to offer struggling to survive sometimes. "I see life has been good to you," she remarks.

Zor-El slowly shifts round the room away from Kara and towards the alcove where he keeps a weapon hidden. "Well you know how it goes," he comments trying to keep the conversation going.

Kara laughs. "Oh please father. Do not insult my intelligence. I know what you are trying to do."

Zor-El stops and looks at her. "Kara. I don't know what you are thinking but everything I did was for your own good," he tries to explain desperately.

"My own good," she repeats scarcely able to believe he would say that. "What part father? The beatings. The part where you had me dragged off to join the military simply because you wanted rid of me? Tell me father which part?"

"You want to kill me Kara for what you think I did to you? Is that it?" he asks of her. "Then go ahead and kill me!" he demands hoping to throw her off balance.

Kara lets out a dark laugh. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. Do you really think I'll just kill you and deprive myself the pleasure of making you suffer? I don't think so." Kara takes her energy weapon from its place on her waist and tosses it away. She the grabs a sword off the wall and throws it at her father who catches it. She then draws her own sword. "We will settle this like true Kryptonians father."

Zor-El hesitates for a second. He hasn't fought with a sword for years.

"It is your only chance to get out of this room alive," Kara informs him.

Zor-El reluctantly raises his sword and prepares to defend himself.

"Excellent!" Kara says with sudden insane cheerfulness. "Lets go."

* * *

Meanwhile Kal-El is making his way through the network of tunnels that once constituted a mine. The minerals that were once mined here had long be exhausted in the original uprising that had brought Zod to power. This was where he had had a lead as to where he could find Lor-Zod and the fact that they had had to fight their way in past his brother's personal bodyguards seemed to confirm that lead. Right now Kal-El had hundreds of troops fanning out throughout the tunnel network in the attempt to find Lor which wasn't easy as the many of the lights for the mine no longer worked so it was very dark.

"Hello my brother!" a voice echoes through the tunnels obviously through some sort of communication system.

Kal-El calls out. "Lor! Is that you?!"

"My brother the traitor. My brother the murderer."

Kal-El is concerned by the almost crazy edginess that taints Lor's voice. Lor wasn't the most sane person to start with and Kal-El fears that this war might have pushed him completely over the edge. "Lor!" Kal-El calls out again. "It doesn't have to end in violence! We can resolve this peacefully!"

An insane cackle is the response. "Oh no my brother. There is another way this can end. In fire!"

Kal-El gets a very uneasy feeling with the way Lor says that.

"Follow the tunnel you are in to the end," Lor commands. "And then we'll finish this in person and oh feel free to bring your little toy soldiers. They can't stop the cleansing that is to come anyway."

Kal-El and the squad with him march quickly down the tunnel until they come to a chasm. Kal-El briefly looks over the edge and cannot see the bottom of it.

"It goes all the way down to the planet core."

Kal-El looks up and his troops point their weapons at the figure on the other side of the chasm. A figure who looks remarkably like a younger version of his father. "Lor."

"Kal-El," Lor says back with total unconcern to all the weapons being pointed at him. "I would advise your troops to lower their weapons if I was you Kal-El."

"Why is that?"

Lor reaches for something behind his back and pulls out a controller of some kind. He presses something and lights come on filling the area with light and illuminating a crystal object that reminds Kal-El of a much larger version of the explosive projectiles they have on their ships.

"Because if you don't I will drop that device into the planet's core where it will trigger a chain reaction of all the radioactive elements in the core which will cause..."

"the complete destruction of the planet," Kal-El finishes in true horror at what Lor is thinking of doing.

"Very good Kal-El," Lor says with false praise.

"Lower your weapons," Kal-El orders of his troops which they obey.

"Excellent. Now we can talk," Lor informs Kal-El.

"About what?"

"Oh I don't know. Pick something because you see when we stop talking I will press the button and end this once and for all so your only chance is to keep me talking."

Kal-El needs time to figure out how to get at Lor although he doesn't see how right now as the chasm is far too wide to jump across. He just needs to think of something to say. "How have you been since we last saw each other?" he asks despite how strange a question that sounds right now.

Lor chuckles. "Interesting topic to start with. Let me see. If you mean health wise couldn't be better. Have been busy obviously trying to think of ways to assassinate you."

"Yes I know. I caught them and then had your assassins put to death," Kal-El replies. What he won't say is how close one or two of them actually came to killing him.

"I thought as much and tell me Kal-El how did that feel? Hmm. To put your fellow Kryptonians to death, to have their blood on your hands? Did it feel like when you killed our father?"

"I did what I had to," Kal-El answers.

"Ah I see. You did what you had to."

"Just as you have done no doubt," Kal-El says in reference to who knows how many Kryptonians that were considered enemies of the regime.

"Excellent point Kal-El. Excellent and yes you are quite correct I have killed many but there is a difference between you and I."

"And what is that?" Kal-El asks and then thinks that he shouldn't have.

"The difference is Kal-El that you have a line you would never cross whereas I..." Lor trails off as a truly terrifyingly sinister smile comes to his face. Kal-El looks on in horror as Lor moves to press the button which will kill them all. "Lor! NO!"

What happens next seem to happen in slow motion as Lor's finger moves towards the button and just as it looks like all is lost Kond-Ah appears from nowhere and slams into Lor knocking the controller from his hand. Kal-El can only look on helplessly as the two men struggle with each other and Kond is too near Lor to risk trying to shoot Lor.

Kond-Ah had simply been doing his duty and searching the tunnels when he came across Lor and Kal having a discussion and he overheard what Lor was planning to do. Madness is the only explanation so when Lor moved to drop the device Kond made his move and now he finds himself locked in a struggle trying to get the upper hand on the not unskilled son of Zod. A fact reinforced when Lor slams his knee into Kond's midsection and then there is a sharp blow to the back of his head and he drops to the floor.

Kond's vision blurs as he sees Lor move to get the controller. A red blast hits Lor and he stumbles but continues to move forward. Kond turns his head and sees Kal is the one holding the weapon.

"Lor. Stop!" Kal-El warns his adopted brother. When Lor doesn't Kal-El fires another shot and Lor falls to the ground but continues to crawl forward towards the controller. "Lor!" Kal-El pleads for his brother to stop.

Lor lets out a pained laugh as he nears the controller. "You know you have to kill me Kal-El. I won't stop for as long as I draw breath."

"Then you will breath your last."

Lor looks up to see Kond-Ah standing over him with a sword drawn. Lor actually smiles. "You may kill me but the dream of Zod will never die."

Once upon a time Kond might have shown pity to the pathetic, injured figure lying before him. Before he lost his beloved Asha he certainly would have but since he lost her he finds himself a little short on pity and mercy. With a single precise blow Kond stabs the sword into the back of Lor's neck and with a simple motion detaches the head from the body.

On the other side of the chasm Kal-El looks on feeling sad. Not for Lor. He had never really wanted to kill him if it could be avoided but for his friend Kond. Since Asha died Kond had been so much less than he had been before. Kal-El lets out a breath and looks up at the device that Lor planned to use to kill them all. He points at it. "I want that disabled and then destroyed," he commands.

"Yes General," is the well practised response from his troops.

* * *

Later with Lor dealt with and his device disabled Kal-El goes in search of Kara. He finds her in the home of her father sitting on a chair next to the corpse of her father. "Kara?" he queries.

For the first time in hours Kara averts her gaze from the body of her father to her cousin. She had been trying to work out how to feel about the fact her bastard of a father was dead and that she had killed him. She had long thought she would be...well happy but strangely she feels numb, empty, hollow.

"Kara," Kal-El says again. "Are you alright?" he asks her.

Kara takes a breath in preparation to reply but again nothing is really coming to her.

Getting no response Kal-El tries a different track. "Everything is progressing on schedule. We now control about 95% of the planet."

Kara cocks her head to one side as she absorbs that for a moment.

Kal-El moves closer to his cousin and looks down his uncle's body with the lifeless eyes staring upward. The body is a mess like Kara had stabbed it repeatedly in a furious rage. Kal-El nudges the body with his foot for no reason he can think of because Zor-El is certainly dead.

"He's dead," Kara says reassuring Kal-El's thought having finally decided to say something.

Kal-El turns his attention to Kara and now he is closer he can see a cut on her face and a few on her body.

Kara meanwhile is looking round the room. "This wasn't where I grew up you know. My father got rid of that house shortly after my mother died. I hated him for that. I hated him because it seemed like he was trying to get rid of everything that reminded him of her," she tells Kal.

Kal-El places his hand on Kara's shoulder. "He is dead Kara. He now faces Rao's judgement. Let it go."

"I guess you're correct. You did say something a long time ago about how we all must face our final reckoning."

Kal-El smiles sadly. "Yes I did."

Kara springs to her feet. "Well I brought him his and you know what Kal?"

Kal-El shakes his head. He does not know.

"I am going to have this place demolished. There won't be one molecule left of it by the time I am done because I am going to erase everything my father touched. Everything he tainted. By the time I am done it will be like Zor-El never existed."

The rage and anger Kara is spewing is almost palpable. It is that part of Kara Kal-El fears may one day be turned on their daughter.

"Lets get out of here," Kara decides having had enough of this place and she starts to leave.

Kal-El nods and bends down to pick up Kara's bloody sword from where she must have dropped it. "Kara," Kal-El says to get her attention.

Kara stops and turns to see what her cousin wants now. As soon as she is facing him the next thing she knows is searing pain as Kal drives her sword through her. It is a weird feeling and the only thing she can think of to say in a surprised tone is "Kal?" as she can't quite believe that he has actually just done what he has done.

Kal-El closes his eyes at the sound of shock and surprise in Kara's voice but this had to be done. A new Krypton cannot have people like Kara in it. He releases his grip on the sword, places his hands on Kara's back and lower her to the floor. It is only then he opens his eyes to look at her. "I'm sorry Kara. I am so sorry," he tells her even if he isn't sure what he is apologising for but it is the only think he can think of to say.

Kara coughs up some blood. "You surprised me," she admits honestly. She had always suspected that at the back of his mind he thought about doing this but had believed that the daughter they shared and the feelings attached to her overrode that impulse.

Kal-El stokes a loose strand of her blond hair off her face. "We all must face our final reckoning Kara," he repeats the words he said so long ago as the only justification he can give for this act.

"Even you?" Kara queries.

One corner of Kal-El's lips curve up slightly. "Even me," he assures her. He has no allusion that one day he too will face the punishment he deserves for all the crimes he has committed including this one but again it had to be done or at least that is what he is telling himself right now.

Kara takes in a laboured breath. "Promise...promise me that you'll take care of Lana."

"I promise."

"I do love her Kal."

"I know." At least he knows that she loves Lana in what passes for love in Kara's head.

Kara can feel the life fading from her. She feels tired and her eyelids heavy. "Kal," she says at barely a whisper.

Kal-El moves his head closer to her lips so he can hear her.

"I love you."

Pain squeezes Kal-El's heart at what he knows to be Kara's genuine feelings. "I love you too," he tells her and he does in a strange, inexplicable way. "And I forgive you," he adds as the last words Kara will hear in this world.

A small smile comes to Kara's lips before she can no longer fight the darkness. Her eyes close and she takes her final breath.

Kal-El can feel Kara go limp in his arms. He closes his eyes once more as tears well up in them. Taking a moment he composes himself. He opens his eyes, bends down and places a kiss on Kara's forehead. "May Rao forgive you and grant you the peace in death that was denied you in life," he says as a prayer.

Kal-El then simply sits down next to Kara's body and wonders if anyone will pray for his forgiveness when his final reckoning comes along.

"General."

Kal-El looks up and standing in the doorway is Kond-Ah. "Commander," he says as a way to acknowledge Kond's presence.

Kond moves into the room and stands next to Kara's body. "What happened here if I may enquire?"

Kal-El gets to his feet. "Commander Zor-El decided to unilaterally deliver judgement onto her father but in his last breath he managed to kill her as well."

A customary glance of the scene by even someone with no expertise could see that that explanation made no sense and was not corroborated by any of the evidence in the room but Kond-Ah knew what the official story of this would be and that was what Kal just said it to be. "My condolences to you and your daughter," he says as part of the act.

"Thank you," Kal-El says back.

"Does this mean we proceed?" Kond asks.

"Yes," Kal-El replies simply.

Kond activates his communicator. "To all troops this is Commander Kond-Ah. Operation Kandor is to commence immediately. Repeat operation Kandor is to commence immediately."

Operation Kandor was the secret codename to the plan Kal-El and Kond-Ah had concocted long ago to deal with the elements in their alliance that had no place in Krypton's future. Neither of them wanted to kill more of their fellow Kryptonians. Countless thousands had already died in this war but there was no alternative. They were simply too many to round up and imprison and for this to work it had to be sudden and swift so as the two of them stand here above the planet the Kandorian Guard ships are being destroyed and on the ground wherever they are the troops loyal to the KLM were turning on their Kandorian Guard allies.

Kal-El takes another moment, he is taking quite a few lately, to absorb another act of death and violence he has had to commit. That and how he is going to explain to his daughter that her mother is dead. Moment over he gives a command "Let us leave this place."

Kond gives a nod in obedience and then the two of them leave without once looking back.

* * *

"Mother's gone?" Lana queries of her father at his choice of words to explain Kara's death.

"She is with Rao now," Kal-El tells his daughter. Now that the planet was mostly secured and the Kandorian Guard eliminated she was with him on the surface in the palace that was the base of his father's rule. Currently they are in what were the private quarters that he himself grew up in sitting next to each other.

"You killed her."

Kal-El looks at Lana in pure astonishment. It wasn't a question or query. She said it as a statement of fact. "Lana. I..." he trails off unsure whether to confess or lie. Either option will probably end up badly. He has this sudden vision of Lana one day doing to him what he did to Kara. Maybe that would be his rightful punishment. Well if that is to be his fate one day the least he can do is face it with one less stain on his soul of lying to his own daughter. "Yes Lana. I did."

"Why?"

Still no anger. Just another question. Kal-El tries to explain. "Long ago your mother committed crimes that were punishable by death but I couldn't kill her."

"Why?"

"Because if I killed her I would have killed you too. Then the war started and I needed her but in the end there comes a time when we all must face judgement for our crimes and for your mother that time had arrived." Kal-El reaches for one of Lana's hand and is relived that she doesn't instant pull away when he takes it. "You are innocent of your mother's crimes Lana and I love you with all that I possess."

Lana now simply looks at him with her blue eyes. Kal-El has no idea if she is even able to comprehend any of this but she had to know the truth even if she will end up hating him for it. The current silence is torture but Kal-El has nothing more to say. It is in his 4 year old daughter's hand now.

The minutes tick by until suddenly Lana moves on to her father's lap and wraps her arms around his neck. Kal-El wraps his arms around his daughter and hold her as tightly as possible.

"She was mean to me," Lana whispers.

"I know."

"She hit me."

"I know," Kal-El says with great sadness and pain and anger and a whole myriad of other emotions that reflect his inability to prevent that.

"Yet I will miss her," Lana says unsure that is what she should be feeling.

"I will miss her too," Kal-El tells his daughter and he never thought he would eve say those words once upon a time.

"I forgive you father," she whispers.

Tears fill Kal-El's eyes at her words and he hugs her even tighter.

"I love you father," Lana then adds and her father responds with the only words he can.

"I love you too my little ray of sunshine."

* * *

The next day.

"Father what is this place?" Lana asks as she finds herself being carried in her father's arms into a large circular room.

"This is Council chambers where Krypton's leaders would meet," Kal-El informs her. He then adds "We're here because I want you to meet a couple of people."

Lana cocks her head in a quizzical manner. The expression on her face almost makes Kal-El laugh. She is just far too adorable for her own good. He plants a kiss on her cheek before placing her down on a chair of the inner most ring. "Brainiac," Kal-El says in a raised voice. "Report," he commands.

"Requested biological signatures located and locked General," Brainiac reports back.

"Then proceed," Kal-El orders.

Lana watches on curiously as a beam of blinding light illuminates the chamber. It then vanishes and when the spots before her eyes clear she finds two people, a man and a woman, lying in the centre of the chamber. Her father moves over to them.

Kal-El bends down as he waits for the two people he has freed from the Phantom Zone to reacquire their senses. It takes a moment to readjust from being the formless wraiths they were in the Zone to having physical bodies once more. Eventually their eyes focus on him and Kal-El can't even begin to stop the smile that comes to his lips. His voice almost trembles with emotion as he speaks to them the first words they must have heard in over 30 years. "Mother. Father."

It is his mother Lara who first realises who he is. "Kal-El!" The joy in her voice at seeing her son again is all too evident. She moves quickly and places her arms around her son in a hug of surprising strength.

Kal-El simply takes a moment to enjoy the feel of being held in his mother's arms. By the time his mother releases him he can see tears in her eyes.

Lara places her hands on her son's cheeks as she looks him over. He was grown up now. A man but his blue eyes were unmistakable so he could recognise him easily. He looked like Jor-El so she could say that he has grown up into a most handsome man. She had had a terrible fear of his fate when as a baby he had been wrenched away from her and she had spent so many years as a phantom having terrible visions of what had become of her son at the hands of Zod.

"Kal-El." It is Jor-El speaking.

Kal-El turns to look at his father. "Father."

Jor-El's emotions at the sight of his now grown up son were threatening to overwhelm him but equally he was a scientist with a enquiring mind and an eye for the details around him and it had not escaped his notice that Kal-El was wearing a military uniform and had the insignia of a general. "Where is Zod?" is his first question.

"Dead," Kal-El answers simply.

"How?" Jor-El asks.

"I killed him," is Kal-El's once more simple response. He can then see his father is about to ask another question but Kal-El cuts him off. "There will be time for explanations later but first I have someone for you to meet." Kal-El turns his head to look behind him. "Lana. Come here."

Jor-El and Lara both then notice the little blond girl hopping down from a chair and making her way over to them. Kal-El then places his arms around her and both notice the pride and love in his eyes as he looks at the girl. "Mother. Father," Kal-El begins to say addressing them. "I want you to meet my daughter Lana Kal-El. Lana these are your grandparents Jor-El and Lara. Say hello."

"Hello," Lana says sweetly.

Lara is just overwhelmed. First she is reunited with her son and now she learns she is a grandmother to this beautiful little girl who now that she looks at her reminds her of her niece Kara. "Hello," Lara says back. She reaches over and strokes the girl's cheek. "Oh Kal-El she is lovely," Lara tells her son.

Kal-El smiles at Lana with fatherly pride. "I know. She is my little ray of sunshine." Introductions over Kal-El then helps his parents back to their feet before leading them back to the palace where they can bathe and change clothes. Once he has made sure they are fed he tells them the long story of the last 35 years since they were imprisoned.

"Empire," Jor-El repeats unhappily. "Krypton has an Empire." In truth he was not surprised by what Kal-El has told him. He always knew Zod had no limits on his ambitions but now not only must they rebuild Krypton they have an Empire to oversee.

"Well it is more of a Commonwealth now," Kal-El informs his father. He further explains that as he waged the war against Faora and Lor that inevitably meant removing the governors they had placed to run the conquered worlds. Kal-El and the other leaders of the KLM, who he will introduce to his father later, had determined that they had no wish to remain the occupiers of these worlds so they were granted their independence. However Krypton had also made the enemy out of many a hostile empire surrounding the edges of the Kryptonian Empire so for their own mutual protection the majority of the newly independent world decided that they remain allied together until such time as a new regime on Krypton could be established.

While Jor-El was proud of his son for his actions they had not reached as to an explanation of how one raised by Zod would turn against him.

"Did Zod have you join the military?" Lara asks her son.

Kal-El shakes his head. "No. It was my choice."

"Why?" Jor-El asks.

"Growing up amongst the political manoeuvring and machinations of Zod's allies was not easy nor did it lead to a happy childhood," Kal-El explains to his parents. "When I was old enough I chose to get away from it and the most obvious choice was to join the military. I know or at least I think I know that that is something of which you would not approve but I was the son of Zod and it left me with few options."

Lara reaches over since Kal-El is sitting across from them and places her hand on his knee. "It is alright Kal-El. We understand."

"I am not sure you do. As a soldier in the military I fought in many campaigns. As commander I personally conquered many worlds in the name of Zod. I also know those are things for which I must eventually face judgement over."

It is never easy to learn that your son has blood on his hands and this is true of Jor-El and Lara at this very moment but both are proud that he has seen the wrongness of his actions and is willing to accept whatever judgement he may face.

"What changed?" Jor-El asks. "Obviously something changed that had you revolt against Zod."

Kal-El nods. "Indeed. Something changed. I changed or I was changed by someone I met." Kal-El can see the puzzled expressions on his parents' faces. "I will explain. It all began when Zod sent me to conquer a planet its natives call Earth..."

* * *

"Unacceptable!" Tyr-Van one of the leaders of the KLM shouts quite loudly and very emphatically. Upon his father's advice Kal-El had freed the entire old council that Zod had imprisoned since they were the last legitimate ruling authority and since then they and him and the other leaders of the KLM had been trying to hammer out a new constitution on how Krypton will be governed in the future. Unfortunately the problem with the old council is that they have been trapped in a place where time does not exist and therefore have no comprehension of how much everything has changed. This had led to them proposing a new government basically along the lines of the old one.

Kal-El places his hand on Tyr's shoulder to calm him. "Tyr," he says calmly despite the fact Kal-El is as frustrated as Tyr is. Tyr walks away to allow himself to calm down while Kal-El decides it is time for some blunt speaking. "Your proposals are unacceptable," he says repeating Tyr's objections but in a calmer, more determined voice.

Del-Nar father of Asha Del-Nar stands. "As are yours," he tells Kal-El in return. He had insisted on participating in this despite his grief at learning that his daughter had died while he was imprisoned.

Kal-Ek shakes his head. "You are under the mistaken impression that this is a negotiation. It is not," he tells them in no uncertain terms.

"Then what is it? Del-Nar asks of Kal-El in a condescending manner like he is not taking seriously what Kal-El is saying.

"You are in no position to negotiate," Kal-El informs them. "Your Houses were dissolved. You have no power except what we give you. We did not fight this war to restore the old order. It was to establish a new Krypton where every individual is treated equally. Anything less than that will be unacceptable to those that have fought and died so that you may be free. So here is the situation; you accept our terms or we will simply replace you."

Del-Nar sits down and Kal-El can see from the grim expression on their faces that his words have struck true to them just how much things have altered. "I will give you some time to think about it," he tells them before he turns before he and the rest of the KLM file out.

* * *

Later aboard Kal-El's ship in orbit over Krypton. "You were unnecessarily harsh," Jor-El tells his son in relation to what was his ultimatum to the Council.

"They were being stubborn and obtuse and blind and ,dear Rao father, I cannot for the life of me understand how you managed to serve with them for so many years."

A strange little smile comes to Jor-El's lips. He had felt many times as Kal-El is feeling right now.

"They must see what has been done cannot be undone and that we cannot go back to the way things were before," Kal-El says in blind hope more than realistic belief.

Jor-El stares out the transparent viewer on the bridge at Krypton. He had not actually seen Krypton this way himself for many years even before his imprisonment and he had almost forgotten how magnificent Krypton appeared.

"I thought you would be with them," Kal-El admits. "Trying to make them see sense."

"I tried for many years and never succeeded," Jor-El has to admit with a little wounded pride. "No they must see it for themselves but I am curious though how your constitution resembles many of my proposed reforms."

"Really?" Kal-El says with mock surprise before adding "I will admit they were the basis of it."

"I am glad someone saw the sense in them."

"It is easy to see the sense in something when it is the only correct way to proceed forward."

"If only the council had had your wisdom before Zod's rise to power then none of this may have happened," Jor-El remarks.

"Perhaps," Kal-El says in response as an admission that his father's word may be true. Both then stand in silence for a few minutes. "Where's mother?" Kal-El asks changing subjects since neither he nor his father, he thinks, really wish to dwell on what might have been.

"Spending time with her granddaughter. She feels she has 4 lost years to make up for."

"I see."

"Kal-El Lana's mother," Jor-El begins to say before Kal-El cuts him off.

"Is dead. Leave it there," Kal-El warns him off. He had not told them and had no intention of telling them anything beyond that Kara was Lana's mother. They did not need to know how it came about or what Kara's final fate was and his part in it.

"Very well," Jor-El agrees reluctantly. It had been a shock to learn that Kara, his own niece, was Lana's mother but when he and Lara tried to learn more of how it happened Kal-El had stubbornly refused to say anything more and he can see that his son is not going to speak further of it.

* * *

"What did they say?" Kal-El asks his father as he comes out of the room where the council members had been meeting.

"They have agreed to your terms," Jor-El informs him. "But they want to add a few conditions."

"Conditions?" Kal-El asks sceptically. He doesn't see how he can get the others to agree to any conditions.

Jor-El clears his throat in such a way that Kal-El can see that his father does not like what he is about to say and that Kal-El won't like it either. "They are unhappy at the way you plan to try Zod's allies. They feel it constitutes nothing but a show trial." Zod's allies had been captured and were being held until a trial could be set up.

"Do they? Well I expect I can persuade the others to make reasonable changes." Kal-El emphasises the word reasonable. "Anything else?"

"There are a few questionable acts on your part they are equally unhappy with," Jor-El informs his son.

"Is that a fact?" Kal-El says with no real surprise. He himself was unhappy with some of the things he had done but they had to be done for the greater good which is exactly what he tells his father.

Jor-El steps forward and places his hand on his son's shoulder because this next part is the most difficult thing Jor-El may have been ever asked to do. "Kal-El they feel that if you remain head of the Kryptonian military," which Kal-El de facto is, "that you will be a figure that symbolises division instead of unity."

Kal-El looks at his father, confusion clear in his eyes. "How do they mean?"

"Kal-El you killed Zod and it is impossible to imprison every single Kryptonian who supported Zod. You must know that there were thousands, perhaps millions that did."

Well of course Kal-El knew that. He just hadn't worked out exactly how to deal with it yet.

Jor-El continues. "The council believe, and I have to reluctantly admit I agree, that your continued presence in such a role will only act as a reminder of the war that has torn our society apart and increase the likelihood that there may be an attempt at a counter coup."

Kal-El wishes to argue but he can see the logic in that argument so he offers a compromise. "I can resign, retire or whatever they wish to call it. I have no wish to cause further death. Father I took no pleasure in this war, in killing my fellow Kryptonians." Kal-El needs his father to know and believe that last part.

"I believe you. However there are some on the council who wish to put you on trial for what they perceive as war crimes."

Kal-El lets out a bitter laugh. "I free them and they wish to put me on trail. Are you certain they have not left their minds behind in the Phantom Zone?" He shakes his head in sheer disbelief. "Did you mention to them that any attempt to put me on trial will lead to a revolt amongst those who believe in what I have done?"

"I did."

"And?" Kal-El asks wishing to know what the council members decided.

"They asked me to put a proposition to you and my son it is the most difficult task I may have ever had to perform."

"What proposition?"

Jor-El takes a moment to gather up the strength to speak. This was an awful task he was performing but he had sadly agreed with the council members and as it was his son he himself volunteered to deliver the proposition even if it means he may never see his son again. He looks directly in Kal-El's eyes. "They want you to accept...voluntary exile."

* * *

_Author's Note: Tying everything up I realised was going to require two possibly quite long chapters. One that ties up the Kryptonian part of the story and then another, the next chapter, that ties up everything back on Earth and Kal and Diana's relationship. So as you can see I tied up Kara's fate and in the end I decided for what she had done she had to die but also that in the end Kal forgives her but he cannot spare her as she has no place in the new Krypton he is trying to build. That he must do this for the greater good. The road to hell being paved with good intentions and all that. Of course being back on Krypton allowed me to bring in his parents Jor-El and Lara and have them be reunited at least for a little while. Now I wonder where Kal-El will go if he accepts exile?_

_Next up back to Earth to catch up with Diana and her child where she gets a couple of surprise visitors. Gee I wonder who that could be. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews._

_PS: If you are wondering why I chose Lana as the name for Kal-El and Kara's daughter it is because I named checked a few people from the canon who are important in Clark Kent's younger life in my story like Martha and Jonathan Kent but have no place in this story since Kal-El was never sent to Earth. Since I never managed it with Lana before I thought I would go a roundabout way of name checking her. _


	27. Epilogue Part 2: Earth

Epilogue Part 2: Earth

Diana closes her eyes as his lips caress her skin. It seems like an eternity since the last time she had felt his touch. His strong yet gentle hands glide across her skin searching for those places where she is most sensitive and always they find them with unerring accuracy and speed. His lips touch her neck and she cranes her neck back to give him better access. Her hands wrap themselves in his curly black hair and she can see in her mind his cerulean blue eyes filled with fire looking at her in the admiration only he is permitted to see. "Oh Kal!" she can't help but let out in a breathy moan.

She can feel him smile against her skin before he starts to bounce them up and down...

Wait a minute!

Bounce?

"Mama! Mama!"

Diana's eyes flutter open to the sight of a mass of black curly hair and piercing cerulean blue eyes, like the ones she was just dreaming about, energetically bouncing on her bed. Eyes and hair that in this case belong to a ball of hyperactive energy otherwise known as her son. "Kai?" she queries.

Kai short for Kairos which in Greek implied a right or opportune moment; when something special happened and Diana can say without hesitation or doubt that her son is something special. It could also describe the instant the Kryptonians arrived on Earth and by doing so changed everything. Before they came the world had been spiralling downward but after the Kryptonians everything changed. The nations of the world banded together and started to work for the whole world's common good. Now not that everything is perfect because it is not. No there is still plenty of hate, greed and evil in the world for her and the Justice League to be kept busy but at least there is hope for a better future now where before there had been none.

"Time to get up Mama!" Kai informs her with the enthusiasm only a child can possibly possess.

Diana sits up. It must be after sunrise and she doesn't even need to see out to know that. Since she had had her son she had learned that his biology seemed to be in tune with the cycles of the sun. She then looks at her son with his blue eyes full of wonder and innocence. Even now as he heads towards his 5th birthday he still looks at her exactly the same way he did when he was born. Diana had not known that Kai would be a boy until after the birth. Not because she didn't want to know but because no medical equipment that existed on Earth at the time could fully penetrate her dense skin to get a high enough resolution image of her then unborn child to be able to determine the sex.

She reaches out to smooth some of her son's hair down. "Did you sleep well?" she asks him.

Kai nods vigorously. "Yes Mama! I dreamt I was flying!" he says with much enthusiasm. Kai often wished he could fly like his mother.

Diana smiles at her son's enthusiasm. He was just so adorable that no-one could help but love him. Kai couldn't actually fly yet and for that Diana had no explanation and since she knew next to nothing of Kryptonian biology she had no idea when or even if Kai would ever possess the gift of flight. He was already superstrong, a fact emphasised when shortly after he became 4 he developed a fascination for cars or more precisely lifting them clean over his head and she is not referring to toy ones. "Come on then," she tells him. "Time for breakfast."

An enormous grin breaks out on Kai's face. He loved breakfast, and lunch and dinner and well food in general. It was something that had not escaped Diana's attention that Kai ate more already than some human adults did and she had no idea where he put it all because he was a little bit on the skinny side if anything. In the next instant Kai is almost a blur as he speeds off. Did she mention that he has superspeed too. Of course that could be where all that food goes.

Diana does not hurry as she gets out of bed and moves over to the chair across her bedroom to pick up her robe. She does not hurry because Kai will be back in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. _Whoosh!_

He's back.

"Come on Mama!" he pleads impatiently.

Diana ties her robe closed, turns to face her son and places her hands on her hips and tries to look stern. In response Kai looks at her with those soft blue eyes doing his best...what did Donna call it? Oh yes his best puppy dog eyes expression. One of these days she is convinced that won't work on her but unfortunately today is not that day. However she has to set a few limits upon him. She points at him. "No running Kai. We've talked about this before. How you could hurt someone if you run into them."

Kai nods. Yes his mother had pointed out to him many times that compared to him and her and his father, who he has never met but his mother has told Kai all about him, that compared to them other people are fragile and that he could hurt them if he wasn't careful and he of course did not wish to hurt anyone. "Yes Mama," he says apologetically.

With a nod of her head Diana offers her hand to Kai who takes it and hand in hand they walk to breakfast along the marble corridors of the palace on Themyscira past the occasional guard who even now Diana notices can't help but let their gaze slip to the little boy walking beside her. Upon his birth and discovery of the fact she had given birth to a male child Diana had had many fears about what would happen next. When the Bana, who unlike her sisters aren't immortal, have male children they are simply returned to their fathers in the outside world. Diana's worry was that the Senate would look upon that as the way to deal with a male child. After all they hadn't been exactly thrilled to discover that Diana was with child in the first place but if they exiled her son then Diana had made the decision that she would leave to.

The decision was surprisingly simple for her to make despite it meaning exile from her own home but from the second she first laid eyes upon Kai, first held him in her hands, the first time he gazed at her with his cerulean blue eyes that reminded her of his father, Kai's eyes were just as expressive as Kal's, she knew that no force, be it mortal or divine, would separate her from her son. Diana told her mother this in no uncertain terms. She told the Senate this in no uncertain terms too and in the end they relented, albeit very reluctantly, to permit Kai to remain on Themyscira.

They reach the dinning area.

"Grandma!" Kai shouts merrily at the sight of his grandmother already at the table.

Hippolyta can't stop the smile that smile that comes to her face at the sight of her grandson. Now she will admit that she wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of a grandson at first. The thought of a male child running about Themyscira was not one she was happy to contemplate but when Diana said that if Kai was banished then she was leaving Hippolyta could see she meant it. When Diana stubbornly sets her mind to something no-one and no force in this universe will shift her from her course so the child stayed and slowly over time Hippolyta found herself spending more and more time around Diana's son. She learned, and she will openly admit this, she learned what she had forgotten in her hatred of men that they don't start out like that. It is the events of their life that shape them. Kai was so pure and innocent, so full of the joy of life that at some point Hippolyta realised that she loved her grandson and that it did not matter that he was male.

Hippolyta shifts in her seat to face Kai as he breaks from his mother's grasp and runs at her. Hippolyta opens her arms, Kai runs into them and she lets out an audible 'oof' at the force he hits her with. He was just like Diana in that regard because Diana did the same thing before she worked out quite how strong she was.

Diana gives a little shake of her head. One of these days Kai will remember to be gentler. She walks over to her mother and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Morning Mother," she greets her.

"Morning Diana," Hippolyta greets her back.

Diana bends down and extricates Kai from her mother's hug and plants him down in a chair just as Donna arrives for breakfast. It was very common for them to eat together as a family. Diana found it nice.

"So what are your plans for the day?" Donna asks her sister about midway through breakfast.

"Meetings," Diana answers simply. "Lots of meetings." That is what she gets for agreeing to become ambassador again. Obviously when she was pregnant she had to relinquish the role to Donna but once Kai was about 2 Diana felt she could find the time to return to her old role which she did much to Donna's relief Diana thinks. Diana thinks Donna was finding it all rather tedious which it can be if Diana was to be honest.

A little later Diana stands in front of the portal which will transport her to the embassy in Washington but first she has to say goodbye to a certain blue eyed mischievous boy who is currently holding his grandmother's hand.. She bends down and kisses him on the cheek. "I have to go to work now. You be good for grandma," she instructs him.

"Yes mama," Kai responds far too easily.

Diana's eyes narrow. Oh she is so onto his game. "Kai I mean it," she says sternly. "You are still in trouble for the last time."

"But mama!" Kai protests.

Diana arches an eyebrow which all it takes to silence her son. Last time he had decided to be mischievous he vanished without trace. They eventually found him in the armoury but not until after her son had decided to become an artist by bending all the various weapons into funny shapes. That took some explaining and then apologising to the chief weapons maker. "Now do you promise to behave?" Diana asks of her son.

Kai bows his head slightly as the floor becomes a lot more interesting. "Yes mama," he replies quietly.

Diana ruffles his hair. "Good boy." Diana moves to give her mother a kiss as well. "I'll be back for him this evening," she tells her mother.

"Don't worry Diana. I'm sure he'll be fine. After all I can remember more than one occasion where you misbehaved as well."

"Mother!" Diana protests.

"Diana," Hippolyta says calmly asking her daughter to try and contradict her.

Diana thinks over her answer. "It was all Donna's doing."

Hippolyta can't help a small laugh. "Of course it was," she says insincerely.

With a shake of her head Diana turns round and enters the portal. Hippolyta looks down at her grandson who is looking back at her with his expressive blue eyes. He already has a look that can make women's hearts melt. Hippolyta can see how Diana fell in love with Kai's father.

* * *

It had been a fairly ordinary day for Diana really. Meet with honoured representatives from other nations, make a few representations as in regards for her charities and right now she is laying the beat down on another wannabe super-villain with a preposterous name. It always helped to relieve her stresses beating up on those who still wish to cause harm. After all it isn't like she is getting any...other way to relieve her stresses. Her fist connects with wannabe's face and he drops to the floor unconscious and she definitely was not thinking about her sex life or lack thereof during that. She managed to go for centuries before without even thinking about sexual intercourse. Of course that was before she actually knew just how wonderful it could feel.

Diana blows out a breath as she ties up her opponent whose name she can't quite remember right now. It was something like Dr Evil or Professor Terror or something lame like that. Frankly normally she wouldn't bother but she was in the area and needed the workout. A gust of wind announces the arrival of the Flash.

"You couldn't save any for me?" Flash asks as he looks around at the destroyed robots Diana had worked her way through before she had gotten to the so-called mastermind.

Diana shrugs. "Sorry Flash. Too slow."

Flash frowns under his red hood but at the slight quirk of Diana's lips can see she was teasing him. "Funny Diana."

Diana's lips curve into a full-blown smirk just before her communicator goes off.

"Watchtower to Wonder Woman."

That would be Bruce who since he lost his eye during the Kryptonian invasion had reverted to a almost permanent monitoring position. Diana activates her communicator. "Wonder Woman here."

"Diana are you done?" Bruce asks.

"Almost. I just have to hand this man over to the authorities," she responds.

"Have Flash do it. I need you up here now!"

The urgency in Bruce's voice catches her attention. "Why? What is going on?" she asks.

"Just get up here," Bruce repeats. "We have a visitor. Watchtower out."

The signal is cut off abruptly. Visitor? Now what is this about Diana wonders. She does as Bruce not so gently asked her to and has Flash wrap things up here and has herself teleported up to the Watchtower to be greeted by J'onn. "J'onn what is going on?"

J'onn signals for her to walk with him which she does. "We detected a ship exiting hyperspace a few hours ago," J'onn informs her. "The occupants have requested asylum."

"Well that is interesting J'onn but I don't see why that is so urgent that Bruce demands that I come up here," Diana says not hiding her puzzlement.

By now they have reached the room where the visitors are. J'onn gestures at the glass window of the room. "Look for yourself."

Diana turns her head to look and freezes instantly in shock. "Kal," she whispers and at the sound of her voice she can see Kal turn his head and look right at her or is that right through her. Oh whatever it is it is making her heart beat so ferociously that she is certain that it is about to burst out of her chest and that is at the mere sight of him. She hasn't even gotten into the same room as him yet. Hera she hasn't even begun to ask the fairly obvious question about the blond girl sitting on his lap. In the next moment Diana is rushing to the door which slides open and she steps in.

Kal-El can feel his heart racing. He had heard her voice. That voice he had dreamed of hearing speak his name for so many years and now she is standing there looking as perfect and beautiful as he remembers in this outfit of red and gold with a short blue skirt with representations of stars in white. He gets to his feet with Lana in his arms. "Hello Diana."

Diana swears she almost passes out at the sound of his voice. She has dreamt of that voice. Dreamt of it whispering words of affection into her ear. He looks as she remembers. She wonders if time has any effect on him at all although as she looks closely at his face his eyes seem to be slightly duller than she remembers like they have lost their spark of innocence that she can remember that he use to possess. She can remember thinking that it was a blessing that he still retained it despite being a soldier. She wonders what things have happened to him since they parted company. "Kal," she says simply.

Kal-El smiles as she says his name but he has an introduction to make. "Lana," he says addressing his daughter. "Say hello to Diana."

Lana looks from her father to the tall woman with dark hair and kind blue eyes and greets her with the words her father asked her to speak in the strange language of this world. "Hello Diana."

"Diana this is Lana. My daughter."

Daughter!!! Diana had not allowed her mind to reach that most obvious conclusion of who the girl was but now that she had she wasn't sure how she should feel. Angry at the fact that Kal must have found another woman? Happy that he did just that and that he wasn't alone? Oh Hera help her! She will have to tell him about Kai.

Kal-El can see that this is a little bit of a shock for Diana and he can understand why that would be. He answers what is most likely to be the next question. "Kara was her mother."

Diana's eyes widen at that revelation and then something that has slightly bothered her for all these years finally makes sense. "Is that why she..." Diana doesn't say it but what she means is 'Is that why Kara blackmailed Kal into sleeping with her?'.

Kal-El nods. "Yes. Kara wanted a daughter and she decided that I was the best source of genetic material to father one."

"Was?" Diana asks at his use of the past tense.

"Kara is dead," Kal-El explains simply.

Diana steps in to the room and sits herself down across from Kal and his daughter. This is a lot to take in. She notices Kal sit back down as well. "I tried to keep track of you through Hal but there was a limit to what he could find out," she tells him.

Kal nods in understanding. "Yes. The Guardians decided not to intervene in what was by definition an internal issue of the Kryptonian Empire."

"The war...is it over?"

"It is."

"Did you win?"

"It wasn't about winning Diana. It was about creating a new Krypton but if you mean were my forces victorious over those of my adopted brother and mother then yes we won."

Lana looks on as her father converses with the woman in the strange language. He had only taught her a few phrases so most of the conversation she could not understand.

"Why are you here?" Diana asks him. "And why are you asking for asylum?"

"Because I have no where else to go Diana. I've been exiled."

* * *

"_They want you to accept...voluntary exile."_

Voluntary exile. That was the offer his father had passed on from the council. In the end Kal-El thought about it long and hard and decided that if his banishment, voluntary as it was, would help heal Krypton then he would agree to it. So he resigned from the military and left Kond in charge. He gave a speech broadcast over all of Krypton explaining how his love of his planet and his wish to see it reunited precipitated his resignation and he asked that all those who fought on either side to lay aside their differences and work together in peace to renew Krypton.

Afterwards he returned to his quarters aboard his ship and gathered a few of his possessions and of course Lana's as well since she would come with him. He had promised Kara that he would look after Lana and he would not break his word. He placed everything he wished to take with him in a bag and left what had been his home for many years for the last time.

He makes his way to the bay where his parents were waiting for him with Lana and stores the personal belongings alongside everything that he has already stored aboard. There is also no-one else here. He does not want any big formal farewell. He has already endured that when he resigned. Kal-El just wants a few last words with his parents alone and without fuss.

"Kal-El. Are you sure you this is what you want?" his mother asks him. Lara had just barely started to reforge the bonds with her son that had been severed upon her banishment to the Phantom Zone and now he was leaving and she knew she may never see him again.

"This is the only way mother."

"But exile to an uninhabited planet?" Kara just couldn't accept that that was the right thing for her son and her granddaughter.

Kal-El smiles knowingly. "That is not where I am going."

Lara looks at him quizzically and then she looks at her husband and can tell something from his expression. "You knew!" she accuses Jor-El.

Jor-El places his hands on Lara's shoulders. "It was safer this way," he tries to explain.

"What way? What is going on?" Lara demands to know from her husband and her son.

Kal-El explains what it is he and his father agreed to tell the council about his exile. "I lied to the council when I told them where I was going. There will be some who will wish to seek revenge upon me wherever I go. Some who will never forgive me for the actions I have undertaken so I lied. Anyone that comes after me will find nothing but an empty rock." Kal-El can told the council that had chosen exile on an uninhabited planet where there was no chance of interacting with someone he might have made an enemy of during all the years he served Zod. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a data crystal. "This hold the co-ordinates of where I am really going." He holds it out for his mother to take.

Lara takes the crystal. "Where are you going?"

"To Earth."

Lara stares at her son. She remembers all that he told her about his visit to that planet and how one particular individual he met had changed him. It is then that she truly understands why he chose that world. It is because of the woman. Diana. "Will Lana be safe there?" Lara asks with obvious concern about her granddaughter's well-being.

"Earth's yellow sun will make her strong. Virtually invulnerable. I can't think of any other way to make her safer."

Lara steps forward and places her arms around her son. "Take care of yourself Kal-El," she says her voice full of emotion.

Kal-El wraps his arms gently around his mother. "You too mother."

"I am so proud of you," Lara tells her son her voice now almost choked up. "I love you my only son."

Kal-El has to swallow the lump that has formed in his throat. He had never considered just how much he missed his biological mother until he was reunited with her and now he will have to leave her again. "I love you too Mother."

Lara soon steps away from her son and moves into her husband's arms as Jor-El hold her as she fight to hold back the emotions. "I too am proud of you Kal-El," Jor-El tells him. "Be safe my son."

"Goodbye Father," Kal-El says to him with great sadness. He then bends down and picks up Lana. "Time to go my little ray of sunshine. Say farewell to your grandparents."

Lana is not entirely sure of what is happening beyond that her father has said to her that they have to go away for awhile but she does as her father requests. "Farewell grandmother, grandfather."

That makes Lara sob openly in Jor-El's arms and Kal-El sees it is best if they leave swiftly. He turns and heads into the small 2-man craft and sits Lana down in the seat next to his. He then pilots the ship out of the bay. There is then an incoming communication. Kal-El activates the display. "General Kond-Ah," he says as way of greeting his friend who is now in command.

"Kal-El. It has been an honour serving with you," Kond says as a show of the deep respect he has for his friend.

"The honour was mine," Kal-El assures him. "Protect our planet and our people," he says as a last request.

"You have my word," Kond assures him. "Farewell...and may Rao look over you, both of you."

"You too."

Kond gives Kal-El one final salute. "Farewell my friend."

Kal-El gives Kond a small but sad smile. "Goodbye," he says quietly and with a command he sends the ship into hyperspace. Once the co-ordinates are set for Earth Kal-El sets about readying the stasis chamber. Due to this ship's relatively slow maximum speed Earth was a journey of many months. Once ready he lays down with Lana next to him and activates the chamber and allows sleep to consume him.

When they were near Earth the ship awoke them as instructed and a few hours after that they exited hyperspace in earth orbit where Kal-El was contacted by the Justice League, told to come aboard and that is how he finds himself where he currently is.

* * *

"Exile?" Diana queries of him.

Kal-El explains it all. How the council thought it best for the unity of the Kryptonian people that he accept exile and that he chose to come here.

"But why here?" Diana asks.

"As I said before Diana I have nowhere else to go and..."

"And?"

Kal-El looks at her in the eyes with great intensity. "I missed you."

Diana knows that he means to say more than that. It was unspoken but she is certain he also means that he still loves her. She lays her hand on the table and in response Kal-El takes it and squeezes it gently. "I missed you too," Diana says ever so softly.

Outside the room, coming down the corridor is one Hal Jordan who having heard what was going on had rushed up here as soon as he could. He stops next to J'onn and looks in on Diana and Kal-El holding hands and a little blond girl looking on with idol curiosity would be Hal's opinion of her expression. "Whose the girl?" Hal asks.

"His daughter," J'onn answers.

Well that is a revelation Hal never knew. "Where's Bruce?" he asks since he thought Bruce would be here observing everything.

"Organising an emergency meeting of the League to discuss what we do," J'onn explains.

"What we do?" Hal repeats perplexed that that even has to be discussed. "Is there a choice? We can't just send him away you know."

"Can't we?" J'onn asks bluntly.

"J'onn do you know how many species out there hate Kryptonians. Do you have any notion of what will happen to him once they find out he was exiled."

J'onn has a fairly good idea actually. "He is not the most popular person on this world either," J'onn reminds Hal. Lots of people had reason to hate Kal-El. Lots of relatives of people who died during the invasion.

"We can find somewhere remote and obscure for him to live," Hal suggests. "I'm guessing he would not refuse that if he has a daughter to care for."

Hal's suggestion has merit J'onn will admit but still it will require a full meeting of the League to discuss it.

* * *

Diana sits at her place at the conference table as she listens in on this meeting and she manages to do so while her mind is occupied with thoughts of Kal and his daughter. As Zatanna pointed out often women are great at multi-tasking. Back to Kal for the moment and being in the same room as him again had left her with that tingling warm sensation she hadn't felt she he left.

"He should be put on trial!"

That gets Diana's attention back to the meeting. Now who said that? Before she can work it out Hal speaks. "And exactly what prison is capable of holding him hmm? Oh wait I know..not a single one," Hal says rebutting that suggestion as derisively as he can.

"He is responsible for the deaths of millions. He needs to pay!"

This time Diana catches who it is who made the suggestion. It is Bruce's former protégé Dick Grayson now known as Nightwing which makes sense. He had been very angry at the Kryptonians due to the fact his girlfriend Barbara Gordon was killed when Gotham was destroyed. Diana doesn't think that even all these years later that Dick has fully comes to term with his grief. Well she needs to correct something. "He didn't order the destruction of Gotham. That was General Zod and he is dead."

Nightwing shoots her a glare. "And you're opinion is skewed by your feelings," he accuses her. "If you were thinking with your head and not your libido you would be the first to agree with me."

Diana's eyes narrow dangerously. Grief or no grief no-one dares accuse her of that. She abruptly stands up. "You want to repeat that!" she challenges Nightwing.

Nightwing stands up but before he can say anything Bruce cuts him off. "Dick. Sit down."

Dick whips his head round in surprise to look at Bruce sitting there calm and composed. "I thought you would be on my side. Gotham was your home and you loved Barbara too"

Bruce does not rise to Dick's anger. "Yes I did but getting into a fight with someone who can take you apart in under a minute is not good strategy."

A minute! Diana could take everyone in this room apart in a minute let alone Dick. She feels seriously insulted here.

Bruce meanwhile is staring Dick down. Getting into a fight with Diana would not resolve anything. It would just get Dick in the infirmary. He had seen and felt Diana's temper so he knew what he was talking about. It takes a good few minutes but eventually Dick sits himself back down.

Flash raises his hand. "Can I say something. Look sure Kal-El led the invasion but he also saved us all in the end when he killed that Zod guy. He is no angel I grant you but tell me who in this room is. Can anyone in this room say they haven't done something disreputable or do I have to mention what we did when Luthor was in charge." Wally is referring to the fact they did a lot of dirty work for Luthor. Rounding up meta-humans to be shipped off god knows where. Even 5 years and many senate committee investigations later they still did not have all the answers.

"Wally is correct," J'onn says in agreement. "We ourselves have committed acts that could have been seen as crimes in better times. We cannot claim the moral authority to be his judges. Besides he has already been judged by his own people. They exiled him which is why he is here."

Ray Palmer aka the Atom speaks and asks the very pertinent question. "So what do we do with him and his daughter?"

* * *

Kal-El looks around the bedroom he is in. It is so very different to back home.

"Will this be ok for you?"

Kal-El turns to face Diana. "Yes thank you."

Diana is glad. The League meeting had ended with no real decision in the end but to think it over a lot more and have another meeting which left the question of what to do with Kal-El and his daughter in the meantime. Diana volunteered to take care of it which had resulted in Dick making some very disparaging comment about her 'taking care' of Kal for which she almost slapped Dick into next week until Hal caught her hand. Anyway after that she had brought Kal and Lana to the embassy in Washington. Technically it was Thermysciran territory so she could protect him assuming she could persuade her mother to offer Kal protection. That was one of the many things she had to do along with telling Kal about Kai. Diana hadn't quite worked out how to do that yet and no appropriate moment had arisen to tell him either.

Kal-El steps closer to Diana. He had overheard the whole meeting they had had about him and had heard some who wanted to punish him further for his crimes and some who were willing to be more forgiving to him. He had also heard the slanderous remark one individual made to Diana about her not thinking clearly where he was concerned and how she had reacted. "I am not getting you into trouble with your team-mates for this am I?" he asks with some concern.

"What makes you think that?" Diana asks him.

Kal-El looks a little sheepish. "I don't know if I ever mentioned it to you but Kryptonians have enhanced auditory abilities. I heard the entire meeting."

Diana blinks. No he had not mentioned that but she really shouldn't be surprised she supposes. There did seem very little that Kryptonians can't do. "It's nothing I can't handle," Diana assures him in response to his concerns. "We tend to have disagreements every so often. It is part of being human."

Kal-El places his hand on Diana's exposed arm and she gets shivers from his touch. "Thank you," he says his voice dropping to a husky baritone.

All Diana can do is stare into his blue eyes. Those eyes she has dreamed about for so long. Her gaze drifts down to his lips. Oh she remembers those lips and what they were capable of doing. Their heads draw closer together until their lips are only millimetres apart. She can feel his breath, smell his unique scent. Just one second more...

"Father! Father!"

Kal-El almost jumps back. He had been so caught up in the feel of Diana against his hand, her exotic scent consuming his senses...well he almost lost all sense of reason there and nearly picked her up and threw her on the bed. One second more and he would have but his daughter's shouts have ended that. He had left her in her own room next door to his. Lana bursts into room shoving the door far too hard and the inevitable happens as she shatters it.

Lana looks in horror at what she has done. She doesn't even know how she did it. She then looks at her father and awaits his wrath.

Kal-El lets out a sigh. He isn't mad at her really. She doesn't know her own strength. He moves over and bends down. "Lana," he says to get her attentions.

"Father...I apologise. I don't know how I did that but I never meant to," she explains very upset.

Kal-El strokes her hair. "It's alright.," he reassures her. "I should have told you. On this planet you and I are much stronger Lana and you will have to be gentle when you handle objects and people. Can you do that? Be gentle? Be more careful?"

Lana nods her head. "Yes father. I shall be more careful."

Kal-El gives her a kiss on the forehead. "Good girl." He stands back up and turns to face Diana. "I apologise for the door. She is not use to how much stronger she is on this world."

"It is fine," Diana tells him having only been able to watch Kal talk with his daughter in his natural language and not know what was being said. It is fine. She is not upset or angry. After all when she was little she destroyed a lot of stuff before she understood just how strong she was. Moving on and with the mood broken she better get on and see her mother. "I have some duties to attend to so I must ask you not to leave the private quarters area until I return."

"I understand," Kal-El assures her. Until recently he knew all about having duties to tend to.

Diana nods her head. "I hopefully won't be long." With that said Diana heads out of the room but on her way past she gives Lana a reassuring touch to her cheek to tell her that Diana is not mad at her.

Lana watches Diana leave before she looks up at her father. "I like her father."

Kal-El looks down at his daughter with a large smile. "I like her too."

* * *

Diana exits the portal on Themyscira and heads to the palace to find her mother. She is crossing the courtyard when she hears a familiar cry.

"Diana!"

Diana stops to see her sister coming towards her.

"Diana? What are you doing here? Is everything alright?" Donna asks at the surprise sight of her sister several hours too early.

Where does Diana even begin. "Yes Donna everything is alright..mostly. I mean it was just a normal day. Meetings, the odd supervillain, annoying Wally. Then he shows up out of the blue with a daughter I might add and I don't know what to say or feel or anything except that he still makes my heart race and my body heat up and if Lana hadn't interrupted us I would probably have thrown down on that bed and we would be making love and..."

Donna cuts Diana off with wild gestures of her hands. Her sister is actually babbling and Donna isn't quite following what Diana is on about. "Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Hold up there. Slow down and start again. Now who showed up out of the blue?"

Diana looks at her sister strangely. Didn't she say already. "Kal."

Donna's eyes widen as Diana's babble now makes sense. "He's back?!"

"Yes."

"On Earth."

"Yes."

"And he has a daughter?"

"Yes."

"Right and what was that about you almost throwing him down on a bed?"

Diana can see that annoying grin Donna is about to form. The one that says tell me everything in explicit detail because I'm nosy. "Donna not now!" Diana tells her off.

Donna is very disappointed. She wanted details. "Oh alright but what is he doing back?"

Diana tells her and Donna listens carefully.

"He's been exiled and he wants asylum here, on Earth?" she asks wanting clarification.

"Yes."

"Did you tell him?"

"No not yet."

"Diana," Donna admonishes. "He is the father. You have to tell him."

"I know Donna!" she says in a little outburst. "Alright I know but the right moment just hasn't come along yet and I need to see mother first."

"What for?"

"To ask her to grant Kal protection so he can stay at the embassy," Diana explains very matter of factly.

"Right. I see. One question though. Are you nuts?! Mother will have a stroke when she finds out he is back. Do you remember what she threatened to do to him if he ever came back when she found out you were pregnant?"

Of course Diana does but her mother was just in shock and was lashing out. Diana is sure her mother didn't mean what she threatened to do. Well at least most of it. Some of it Diana was certain wasn't even physically possible.

"Mama!"

Diana's head turns round to see Kai run at her and away from his minders. He leaps into the air and Diana has to catch him at head height before she pulls him into a hug. "Kai," she says with all the love she has for him.

Kai looks at his mother from her arms. "Why are you back early Mama?" he asks.

"I need to see your grandmother about something," Diana tells him. "Now before I go do that have you been good?"

"Yes Mama," Kai assures her. He even has his absolutely innocent, wouldn't hurt a fly look to back that assertion up.

Diana can't help but sigh. Kai is just far too adorable for his own good. Just like his father.

* * *

"What!" Hippolyta exclaims quite loudly actually upon hearing the news that Diana has brought her. She was merely sitting at her desk doing some work when Diana arrived.

Diana winches slightly at her mother's reaction. "Mother. Please remain calm," she pleads of Hippolyta.

"Where is he?!" Hippolyta demands to know.

"Now Mother please before you overreact..."

Hippolyta fixes her daughter a glare of disbelief. Overreact! How can she overreact when that man who managed to do what Hippolyta thought impossible, that being getting Diana pregnant, how can she possibly overreact. There is no way to overreact in response to that man who seduced her beloved daughter so he could lure her into bed, impregnate her with his seed and then conveniently fly off into the universe never to be heard from again. "Where is he Diana?" Hippolyta repeats with the seriousness necessary to inform that Diana refusing to answer is not an option.

Diana's stance hardens. "No mother I am not telling you until you swear not to harm him."

"Diana he violated you!" Hippolyta accuses.

"Oh he did no such thing Mother. We made love. How many times do I have to say that? Besides you don't hold what you believe happened against Kai."

"He is an innocent child Diana. Even my heart is not so hardened that I would hate my own grandson but Kai's father is another issue completely."

Diana lets out a sigh of annoyance. 5 damn years she has been having this argument with her mother and she is tired of it. "Mother for the last time Kal did not seduce me for the purpose of getting me pregnant. We fell in love and I allowed him...ALLOWED HIM," she feels it necessary to repeat and emphasise that, "to make love to me and for Hera's sake don't make me repeat the fact I would be dead if not for him."

Hippolyta sits in silence as she contemplates that. Diana continues. "Now I will tell you where he is. I will tell you anything you want to know once you swear you will not harm him."

Hippolyta looks up at her daughter and can she her face set in that stubborn expression that says that this is her final position. Take it or leave it.

Hippolyta closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. She can feel a headache coming on. She looks up once more, lets out a sigh and replies "Very well. I swear I won't harm him."

Diana nods in acknowledgement. "Good. In that case he is at the embassy."

"Oh Diana," Hippolyta begins to say disapprovingly but is cut off by Diana raising her hand signalling her mother to stop.

"I wasn't done. He is at the embassy and so is his daughter."

Yep Hippolyta can definitely say she has that headache now.

"And I want to you to grant them the protection of Themyscira," Diana adds as an encore.

Did Hippolyta say headache? She meant migraine. She signals at the chair across from her. "Diana please sit and tell me the whole story," she requests of her daughter. She deserves at least that before she makes whatever decision she is about to make.

Diana sits herself down and tells her mother about her being called up to the Watchtower to find Kal there with his daughter and him explaining his exile and his request for asylum on Earth. "It would just be temporary protection," Diana tells her mother. "Until the League decide what we do."

"Diana if the other governments find out about this they will not be pleased."

"I know that but what are they going to do. I mean Kal is invulnerable. I doubt an entire army could succeed in capturing him let alone hold him anywhere. If it helps I will take personal responsibility for him."

"Diana that may help me in an official capacity but as your mother...if he does anything then you will face the punishment for his actions."

"I am aware of that mother but he won't do anything. I know him. Who he is deep inside. He may have been a soldier but in reality it was the last thing he ever wanted to be. Besides he is homeless now on a planet of strangers. Why would he do anything?"

Hippolyta can't answer that as she doesn't know him. All she has to go on is her daughter's belief in 'Kal'. It is a strong belief to have lasted 5 long years and there is only one explanation for it and that is that Diana is still in love with him. It leaves Hippolyta facing a very difficult choice. Putting her motherly concerns aside what is the right one?

* * *

Kal-El sits in the living area at the embassy next to Lana. One of the staff had put on the...television they called it and found some broadcasts designed for children. Having never seen anything like it Lana is obviously engrossed although Kal-El has to wonder how much of it she is understanding since she can't speak more than a few phrases of the language as of yet. Oh well maybe this is a means for her to learn more of it.

Meanwhile Diana and company are returning via the portal to be greeted by her assistant Julia.

"Julia," Diana greets her. "How are they?"

"Fine. Watching television actually which seems odd for two aliens but what do I know. You probably know more about them than me."

A lot more Diana could say but won't. Even Julia did not know all the details of what happened between her and Kal. Julia walks with Diana as they head through the embassy.

"He is gorgeous," Julia just has to say and he is. Diana describing him, seeing the images from 5 years ago is one thing but to be in his presence was something else entirely.

"Yes I suppose," Diana says downplaying it.

As they near the living area Diana leaves her companion with Julia for a moment as she needs to speak to Kal first. She enters the living area to the sight of Kal and his daughter watching the television. She then has a vision of her sitting there two with the addition of a little blue eyed boy and finds that she likes that vision but that can come later. "Kal," she says to get his attention.

Kal-El gets to his feet. "Diana."

"I spoke to my mother about granting you and Lana protection," she informs him.

"You didn't have to do that," he tells her modestly.

"No but for now it would probably be safer."

Kal-El nods in acceptance of her concerns. "Did your mother agree?" he asks her.

"Yes but only until the League reaches a final decision and only on the condition that I take personal responsibility for ensuring your behaviour."

"I understand," Kal-El tells her and he does. He himself has seen similar circumstances to this.

Diana takes a breath. "There is also something else I need to tell you."

Kal-El is caught by Diana's nervous tone. "You can tell me anything," he assures her.

Diana manages a small but nervous smile. "Kai!" she yells. "Come in here please."

Kal-El looks on with some confusion. He had been restraining from using his enhanced abilities out of respect so he wasn't sure who Diana was yelling for. It is then that a small boy enters, holding another woman's hand, looking a little shy. Kal-El blinks repeatedly to make sure he isn't dreaming because the boy...he looks...he looks like the one from the dream Rao had shown him long ago. A dream where Diana and he had a son. The woman brings the boy to Diana who picks him up.

"Kal," Diana begins, "This is my son Kairos. Kai this is Kal-El. He is your father."

Kai cocks his head quizzically. His mother had told him many stories of his father and now here he was apparently. "Is he really my father?" Kai asks his mother.

"Yes he is," she confirms for him. "Say hello Kai," she encourages him.

Kai turns his head to look at the man. "Hello."

Kal-El can feel the corner of his lips start to curve upward. "Hello," he says back. He then moves to pick Lana up. They might as well do the introductions now. He slips into Kryptonian. "Lana. This is your brother," he tells her.

Lana's face screws up with a puzzled frown as she looks from her father to the boy in the woman's arms. Brother? She has never even considered that she had a sibling.

Meanwhile Diana has to explain to Kai who the girl is. "Kai this is your sister."

Now Kai is the one with a puzzled expression. "Sister?" he queries.

"Like how your aunt Donna is my sister," Diana explains to her son.

"Oh," he says. "Hello," he says to Lana.

Lana says nothing back and Kal-El feels the need to explain it. "You'll have to forgive her. She does not speak much of your language yet. "Lana," he says addressing his daughter in Kryptonian. "Say hello to your brother like I taught you."

Lana gives her father one more quick look of puzzlement before she turns her head to look at the boy once more. "Hello," she says formally.

Greetings over the two children are placed next to each other on the couch while their parents step out of the room so explanations can be given.

"I know I should have told you sooner," Diana says apologetically. "I just didn't know how."

How is a very good question Kal-El thinks to himself. How did this happen?

Diana continues. "A few weeks after you left I started feeling ill, particularly in the mornings."

Kal-El looks at her with no clue what she means. Diana picks up on it.

"Human women suffer from nausea in the mornings when they are pregnant," she explains to him.

Kal-El is caught up.

"I didn't know how it happened or why it happened. It shouldn't have been possible for me to become pregnant but when I realised I was I accepted it as the miracle it was. I love Kai like no one else in this world."

Kal-El lets out a sigh. "It was Kara."

"What?"

"You becoming pregnant." He shakes his head. "I should have realised it was a possibility. Normally Kryptonians take a contraceptive to prevent unplanned offspring but Kara wanted a child so she had been sneaking a neutralising agent into my food. By the time she told me weeks had gone by and I was preoccupied with the looming war against my mother and brother so I," and it shames him to admit this, "never even considered that I might have gotten you pregnant and for that I apologise Diana."

"I believe you and I understand but that is not what I meant."

Kal-El looks at her with renewed confusion.

"I was not born. I was brought to life by the Gods. Before then I was merely a lump of clay. I do not undergo the reproductive cycles that human women do. That is why I consider Kai a miracle because as far as I know he is impossible."

Kal-El does not know what to say in response to that. His knowledge of human reproduction is limited so he cannot provide an explanation to Diana but does it really matter? He has a son. That is all that matters. He turns to look back inside the room at his now 2 children sitting watching the broadcasts. "What is he like?" he asks Diana.

Diana lets out a breath. "He is a wonder yet at he has moments where he can be mischievous. He is still in trouble for the last time he decided to do that. He is generally good and well-behaved though."

Kal-El looks at Diana. "Can he...does he have my abilities?"

"He is strong and fast but he may have gotten them from me. I have seen no evidence of the other abilities I have seen you demonstrate. We tried to analyse his genetic code but to be truthful we had no idea where to even begin to understand the half he inherited from you. We don't even understand entirely how mine works so Kai is a bit of a mystery but he is healthy and happy."

Kal-El is pleased that his son is healthy. Mixing the codes of two different species can be a little bit unpredictable. The other Kryptonian abilities may emerge later when the boy is older. He runs his hand through his hair. This is a lot to absorb. "We really need to talk don't we."

Diana manages a small smile. "Yes. About many things."

Before either of them can start they are interrupted by the sound of laughing from the two children. Kal-El and Diana re-enter the room to see Lana and Kai almost in hysterics.

"I don't think Lana understands what they are saying."

"Sometimes you don't need to," Diana tells him. Especially since they are watching one of those classic Wily E. Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons where there is no talking. Humour, Diana thinks, is one of those universal constants.

* * *

That night Kal-El watches as Diana tucks his son into bed. His son. He can still barely believe it. Oh he may be a father to a daughter but it is being bonded to Diana he has long dreamed of. Having children with Diana that has been that fondest wish he dare not whisper out-loud because he never knew if they would ever be reunited.

Diana kisses the boy on the head before she turns round to find Kal-El standing there. "How's Lana?" she asks since Kal was placing her in bed last time Diana saw him.

"Asleep," he tells her.

Diana starts to walk towards him. "Good. That is good." She steps outside the room and closes the door leaving her and Kal standing alone in the corridor. With having two children around there had been no time for them to talk but now that there are alone and he is so close...she bites her lower lip. Those feelings, those long buried feelings that have been in hibernation for 5 years are wide awake and trying to break out.

"I just remembered. I have something for you," Kal says suddenly and in the blink of an eye he is gone and the next second he is back with something in his hand.

"My sword!" Diana says in delight. Well her mother's sword technically and had Diana heard all about how disappointed her mother was in her at losing it.

Kal-El smiles sheepishly. "After I left I found it in my quarters," he explains as she holds it out for her.

Diana takes it in her hand. It was a truly magnificence piece of workmanship even by Hephaestus' standards with its perfect balance allowing the handler to perform a wide range of techniques. "Thank you," she tells him. She looks up in his eyes, those slightly duller eyes as he smiles a smile that doesn't quite show his dimples. What had happened to him?

"War is harsh," he says as if he is reading her mind. "And I had to commit many terrible acts. It weighs down your soul."

Diana has to try and comfort him so she reaches up and places her hand on his cheek. "It's alright," she assures him.

"Is it?" he asks rhetorically. "I killed her you know."

"Killed who?"

"Kara. In cold blood. Her and all her troops."

Diana is shocked. "Why?"

"Because I had to. Because there was no other way. Kara and all those that followed her had no place in the New Krypton so I removed them. It is as simple as that." Kal-El can see that he has shocked Diana. "I have no doubt of the price I will pay for my crimes Diana and I will accept my fate when it comes."

Diana stares at him trying to get a reading on him.

"Well I believe I shall retire too. It is probably best we discuss matters like this when we are rested. Goodnight Diana."

Diana then simply watches Kal turn around and head to his room.

Later Kal lies in his bed thinking. She had to know. She had to know what he had done. What kind of man he had become. She deserves that much and much more. She is still as pure and untainted as he remembered her whereas he had let blackness taint his soul. He can't ask her to restart their relationship so instead he will simply tell her what he has done and leave the choice up to her.

His musings are interrupted by the sound of the door opening. The new door that was fitted after Lana broke the other one. Before he gets a chance to look and see who it is a body slips under the sheets next to him. A female one. He rolls over. "Diana?"

Diana presses her lips to his. She had been lying in bed, unable to sleep, as she thought over Kal's revelation that he killed Kara. Now Kara was not Diana's favourite person by a long way and after what she did to Lois all those years ago Diana would not have shed a tear had Kara been executed back then but it was just the cold starkness with which Kal said he killed her that shocked her. She laid in bed and thought and thought until she realised that she had to make a decision about whether what Kal said changed her feelings about him. Since she is here kissing him in the way she had dreamed about for years you can take her answer as no.

"Diana...mmm....wait...mmm...stop." Diana breaks off the kiss and Kal can see her passion filled blue eyes glaring at him in the dark. "What are you doing?" he asks with a strange naivety.

Diana smiles and runs her hand through his hair. She leans forward and brings her mouth to his ear and whispers "I forgive you."

"You don't even know what I've done."

"We all do questionable things. Myself included but in the end what matters is that I know you. I know what kind of man you are. I know that you feel guilt and remorse deep inside even if you don't express it and you know what else I know?"

"No."

"I know that I still love you as much as I did the day you left." Diana pulls back and she can see tears have actually formed in Kal's eyes.

"I love you too."

Then in the next moment he has grabbed her with that forceful strength she secretly fantasises that someone would use on her, rolls her under him and starts kissing her with hunger and passion. Gods has she missed this and just like her dream this morning his lips move to caress her neck. "Oh Kal!" she lets out in a breathy moan.

Kal-El has to stop for a minute. He has been wishing to hear Diana's voice like this for so long. He has been wishing to hold her against him. To feel her skin against his. He is already painfully aroused.

Diana reaches round to the back so she can caress the nape of Kal's neck. She has not forgotten how sensitive he is there. In response he closes his eyes, he whole body shudders and he lets out a moan which makes Diana smile. When he reopens them she can see his eyes clearly glowing in the darkened room. A clear sign of his arousal.

Kal-El kisses Diana with all the passion he can summon. For 5 long years he has denied himself the touch of any other woman and he is determined to make up for it. He resumes his exploration of Diana's body down her neck and chest. He can remember perfectly each and everyone of Diana's most sensitive areas. He moves onto her breasts and captures one of her nipples between his lips.

Diana tangles her fingers in his hair. Oh Gods! She had almost forgotten what it felt like to have Kal work his magic on her. She can feel the warmth start to spread through her body. She can hear herself begin to whimper and moan at the wondrous torture.

Kal-El takes a moment to move down to her stomach. He feathers kisses over the place he knew had once held his son. To the untrained eye Diana may not appear any different. Her stomach was certainly as flat and toned as he remembered but as his hands move to her hips he is certain they possess just that little extra bit of curviness. His hands move towards her core. Diana lets out a gasp as his fingers delve inside and slowly, deliberately, meticulous massage that most sensitive of areas.

Diana squeezes her eyes shut as Kal strokes her, bringing her closer and closer until the sight of lights exploding behind her eyes finally greets her as she cries out in delight as her climax hits her. Kal moves to lightly kiss her neck and her face and finally her mouth as she lies boneless in the afterglow. It was all she remembered and more but it is still missing the final encore.

Finding her strength she rolls Kal over onto his back and straddles him. She places her hands on his muscular chest and revels for a moment in the strength she feels under her fingers. She brings her head down and kisses Kal in the same way he had kissed her earlier; with all the passion she can muster. Not wanting to waste time she straightens up and is soon sliding down as she takes Kal within her. Both of them moaning in bliss at a feeling both have missed for so long.

Diana begins to move and she can feels Kal's hands slowly trail their way over her abdomen in the way she knew from before yet it still affects her like it is the first time.

Kal-El watches Diana move above him. Move with grace and poise that was beyond his ability to ascribe words to. It is all he can do not to succumb to the release his body so desperately wants but he won't allow it until Diana has reached hers. He meets each of her thrusts with ones of his own and fire pours through his veins.

Time passes and the bed creaks worryingly under the strain but Kal and Diana are so caught up in each other that neither notice it. She can feel it building within her as intense as she can ever remember it being. That fire inside her that begs to be let out and she knows Kal feels it too. Then without warning it strikes and suddenly she can no longer fight gravity as she is consumed by the inferno within. She falls down and kisses Kal so her scream of ecstasy is muffled. No need to wake the children up and try to explain this.

As Diana kisses her cry into his mouth Kal-El is crying his into hers. He had let go at virtually the same moment as Diana and it was just as intense and overwhelming as he remembered it as the fire flows through his veins as he empties himself into Diana in as a long and intense climax as he can ever remember experiencing. It was a good thing Diana kissed him or he is certain his cries would have woken up everyone in the building. The burning sensation in his veins finally fades and he feels Diana collapse on top on him. Kal-El wraps his arms around her and holds her fiercely, protectively. "I love you Diana."

"I love you too Kal." Diana then takes another moment to let her body come down off its high. She can feel him gently stroke her back in the afterglow. She can remember him doing that back on his ship all those years ago too and it brings forth a smile to her face. Diana catches her breath. "What happened to you after you left?" she asks him.

Kal-El tells her. He tells her everything as they lie there in the dark upon a bed whose legs have broken yet neither of them have really noticed. Diana simply lies next to Kal and listens. Not judging. Just listening.

Eventually Diana falls asleep. Kal-El stays awake and tries to work out how he feels. His heart feels lighter he realises. Somehow telling Diana has lessen his burden. Not completely. There are so many things that weigh on him. So much he feels guilt for having to do and he probably always will but if Diana is still willing to remain with him then he can find a way to live with it.

Having a sudden urge he gets up and heads for the balcony that his room has. He looks out at the city around him. One so different to the cities he knows on Krypton yet with all the lights twinkling in the darkness Kal-El will admit it has its own certain beauty. He turns to look at Diana half-covered by a sheet and a sudden feeling of deja-vu hits him. Once Rao had shown him a dream of a possible future and in it he stood on a balcony on Kandor and Diana lay in a bed looking exactly as she does now.

"The scenery may change Kal-El but the story remains the same."

Kal-El turns his head to the side and standing there is what may look like his father but he knows is not. "Rao?"

The man smiles. "Is it not just as I showed you."

Kal-El frowns slightly. "I don't remember having a daughter in that dream," Kal-El points out.

"Ah yes. The daughter. As I told you Kal-El what I showed you was a possible future. You must allow room for variation to account for free will. All beings possess it. You. Diana. Kara. She altered events in a way I did not foresee but are you saying you are unhappy at Lana's existence. Do you wish that she never was?"

Kal-El shakes his head. "No," he says vigorously. "I love her."

"Then what are you complaining about?"

"Nothing I suppose."

"Well now I must go." Rao starts to walk away.

"Wait," Kal-El stops him. "What about Krypton?" he asks Rao. "You showed me a vision of its destruction," he reminds his deity.

"Oh yes. So I did but the architect of that was slain by your hands Kal-El."

"Lor," Kal-El says sadly at who Rao is referring to.

Rao places his hand on Kal-El's shoulder. "I have asked much of you. Perhaps too much but Krypton's redemption could only come through you and thanks to you Krypton is moving back to the path of peace and to the exploration and gathering of knowledge and wisdom. It will not be restored in a day but thanks to you Kal-El Krypton and the Kryptonian race will be reborn."

Kal-El was glad of that but sad at the same time. "Will I ever see Krypton again? Will my children ever walk upon its surface and see its wonders?"

"They may do. The future is never set in stone Kal-El. The journey I asked you to go is at an end. It is time for you to start your own and if that journey leads you back to Krypton that choice is yours and yours alone." Rao turns to leave but stops before he does. "Oh one more thing Kal-El. Your cousin is at peace." Rao leaves but does not vanish instantly. Instead he soars up into the night sky until he fades from even Kal-El's vision.

Kal-El looks at the direction where Rao flew for a few minutes. At least Kara is at peace. He is glad of that but where does that leave him. What is his 'journey' now? Apart from returning to Earth he had really no idea what he would do with his life. As he told Diana he came here because he had nowhere else to go.

Well maybe he should try to rest and think in the morning when his mind is fresher. He returns to the bed and slips under the sheets next to Diana. As he wraps his arms her she responds by cuddling into him. He shuts his eyes and allows his mind to fall into sleep. As he does so he dreams. He dreams of himself helping others, of saving the people of this world from those that would threaten them. He sees himself soaring through the sky. He sees himself dressed not in the black uniform of the military but in a suit of red and blue with his family shield on his chest resplendent in red and gold and as he flies he sees a crimson red cape fluttering behind.

The End.

* * *

_Author's Note: Well this chapter ended up being much longer than I expected but it included everything I wanted to add. A very big thank you to all those who wrote reviews and to everyone else thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it._


End file.

DC Elseworlds, Drama, Romance