NOTE: This was written as my first ever dedication story to a friend of mine! Weeee! And it’s my first Superman only story ever. Well, there’s cameos, but this is a Superman-class story.

Legalities: Superman, and other characters are property of DC Comics and the WB. I’m NOT being paid!

Summary: Taking place after the 2-parter, and most recent episodes of the “Superman Adventures”. Just my interpretation on what could possibly happen.

Last of the Greatness<BR>

By: Carmen Wayne

Dedicated to: Mallory/Lissette (Even though you’ll always be Meow-Meow to me!)

Clark Kent let out a ragged sigh as he sat on the couch of Jonathon and Martha Kent’s home. Kara Kent sat across the room, her arm in a sling, gazing out the window. Each time he tried to make eye contact with her, she’d give him a patronizing glare, but then quickly would look away.

Martha walked out with lemonade and cookies and sat them on the table. She looked between the two, but decided to say nothing. After Clark made sure she was gone, he stood and walked to Kara.

“Kara… Will you hear me out?”

“You just tried to kill me and every other person on the planet Clark, but that’s okay. We forgive you,” she mumbled sarcastically.

“Haven’t you listened to anything I told you?! Darkseid put me into mind control!”

“You’re the Man of Steel, Clark!” she yelled, standing. Even though she was 5’2’’ and he was 6’2’, she still wasn’t afraid of him. “You should be able to fight those things! Or did you even bother to try?”

She shoved past him and went for the stairs. He followed her, hurt at that.

“Of course I tried! Kara!” He grabbed her by the good arm and turned her to him. “Kara, I tried when I started realizing things… I can’t *expect* you to understand, but can YOU at least try?!”

She pulled from him roughly and continued on her way.

“No, Clark. No, I can’t. I’m so tired of trying!” she screamed, opening her bedroom door. “Sometimes, no matter the circumstance, there are things that can’t be forgiven right away. Especially with someone like you. We’ve all been so patient! But, no more. I think it’s time you start re-evaluating who you are, and what your purpose is… Before you lose everyone’s trust. Including Lois and Jimmy.”

She entered her room and shut the door. Clark sighed and looked down. In his heart, he knew she was right, but he didn’t know how to rectify the problem. After a few moments, Clark shook his head and walked away quickly.

Toweling her hair, Lois Lane walked out of her bathroom into the main room of her apartment. She sat down and began to load up her laptop. Across from her on a table was a picture Clark hated SO much. It was of Bruce Wayne and her when they were going out. She gazed at it a moment and sighed.

“Why is it all the men in my life are either evil, oblivious, taken, from Kansas or like to dress up as giant bats?” she asked herself. There was a knock at her door. “Coming!” she called, getting up. She rushed to the door and opened it. “Clark?”

Clark entered her apartment and began to pace around.

“I can’t take this, Lois! I can’t! It’s so hard!”

“Take *what*, Smallville?” she asked.

“Everything! Everyone is mad at me!”

“Why? Clark, are you on some type of medication I should know about?”

“No! Urg, Lois! NO! Lois, there’s something I want to tell you,” he said, taking her hands.

“Uhm… Okay?”

“I’m--…” He paused, hearing a loud explosion in the distance. “I’m going to go get something to eat, take-out. Want something?”

“Uhhhh, no… Clark, are you okay?”

“Fine! Gotta go! Bye!”

He pushed past her and ran out of the apartment. Lois blinked, and then shook her head, going to shut the door.

Meanwhile, Clark ran down the hall at super speed, changing into Superman. He ran up a flight of stairs, onto the roof and flew into the air. He shot off for the fire that had been caused. At first, he stayed back to see if they could handle it. But then he realized the blaze was too much, so he shot down and landed on the pavement. Those who saw him, backed off quickly, afraid. He took notice to that, but turned his attentions to the fire.

“Get clear!” he ordered.

Everyone hurried away. He put his arms straight on both sides and got ready to clap them together. Taking in a deep breath and with all his strength, he clapped together. The force of the air he caused to pick up knocked the flames right out like a candle. People were silent, staring.

‘My God,’ he thought. ‘They’re still waiting for me to explode and slaughter them all…’

“Superman! Superman!” Jimmy Olsen called, running up with his camera. “Hey, Big Guy! I got some pictures of that!” Superman just looked at the ground sadly. “Hey… Listen, Superman… You’ll win them back. Lois and I will help you, you know that. Maybe you should call in some favors, though… You know?”

Superman thought that over and then looked at Jimmy.

“Favors?”

“Yeah, of some other influential people who still like ya!”

Superman rubbed the back of his neck. Slowly, he nodded.

“I think that’s a good idea, Jimmy. I’ll see you around.”

With a swoop, he was gone. Jimmy smirked and ran to get to the Planet.

Batman growled as Nightwing towed in the crashed Batmobile with… the Batboat. Nightwing stopped the boat and got off, going to him.

“Care to explain what happened?” Nightwing asked.

“Robin wanted to drive. I was stupid enough to let him.”

“Ah… Out of all the freaks I know, Tim is the only person I know that could land the Batmobile into the Mayor’s pool.”

“Master Batman!” Alfred Pennyworth called, exiting from the elevator that led to the upper part of the cave.

“Yes, Alfred?” Batman asked.

“You have a… rather disturbed visitor here.”

“Who--?”

“Bruce… Batman,” Superman said from behind them.

Nightwing and Batman turned to him. Nightwing grinned.

“It’s the Man of Steel!”

“Nightwing, Alfred. Go,” Batman ordered. Nightwing mumbled something and followed Alfred for the elevator. Once they were gone, Batman looked Superman over suspiciously. “What do you want, Clark?”

“Don’t look at me that way, Bruce.”

“What way?” Batman asked dully.

“Like you think I’m guilty as well!”

Batman turned and went for the elevator slowly.

“I’m sure you did everything you could… Once you realized what was happening.”

“And I’m sure you would have done better in a similar situation, sure Bruce.”

“I didn’t say that. Besides, it wouldn’t happen to me. I don’t know everything that happened, but obviously you were under some kind of mind control--“

“Granny Goodness had this machine, Bruce… It wipes your memories away and makes you believe anything. By the time I broke free from the hold, it was far too late to stop what was happening!”

Batman said nothing. He stared straight ahead of him, his back to Superman. Superman looked away, ashamed. It was bad enough that the entire city of Metropolis was untrusting of him, but now Batman as well--which was worse. The last time he had talked with the Flash, they had discussed their first encounters with Batman and came to a conclusion: Though mortal, Batman could single handedly cause the destruction and downfall of the USA, if he ever chose to. And to have his respect was one of the highest honors one could have. And now, Superman didn’t have that respect…

Batman turned to Superman, gripping his cape with one hand.

“When I heard on the news that there was a state of emergency, I had hoped you, and maybe the Flash as well, along with others, would be on it. Imagine my surprise when I heard *you* were the cause of that emergency. I remember thinking that maybe it was Bizarro, but no… It *was* you. Was it a conspiracy you had going with Supergirl? No. She was fighting to stop you. When they took you out with that Kryptonite blast, I was glad that they got you… But Kara didn’t deserve it.”

“…No… She really didn’t,” Superman said.

His eyes were focused on the ground. He knew he was in for the lecture and debate of his life, right there with Batman.

“They used to call us the World’s Finest,” Batman said. “Now, I’m the World’s Finest. I kept wondering if I should contact you, defend you or persecute you. What you did was *wrong* and could have been prevented. But no, you’re arrogant. Too arrogant to realize when you shouldn’t bust into a situation. I thought we worked on that. Not to go in with “both fists swinging”? Whatever happened to that?”

“The ship! I didn’t *know*!”

“You didn’t know… You KNEW what Darkseid was capable of! You KNEW what he could and would do to you! You KNEW that he’d do something to destroy your LIFE! What you did was wrong! You should have gotten Kara!”

“Then the world would be in ruins by now!”

“No. Because I would have stopped both of you.”

“You really think you could have?”

“The difference between you and me, Clark? *I* would have died *trying*.”

“Just because you’re a mental case in a Halloween costume doesn’t mean you’re better!”

“The world started off as mortals. Powerless mortals, Clark. Not superhumans. And you know what? We’re going to be the ones who finish it. Not you, not the Flash, not the Green Lantern or Aquaman. It’ll be people like me. People like Tim and Jim Gordon. You all think you’re gods. You’re just super powered ants. Mortals are the ones holding the magnifying glass.”

“Oh, right. I forgot, all powerful mortals… We protect you, and you disown us!”

“When it comes to our planet’s safety, YES! This is OUR world, not yours! We rule it, not you. Get used to that fact.”

“You’re not a mortal god either, Bruce.”

“I’m well near it.” That stopped Superman dead. His eyes widened as Batman continued. “I have no powers above a mortal’s. All that I have comes at the hands of money and years of training. I stand here as Bruce Wayne, a billionaire playboy with a charity that helps people and has more influence then what he knows to do with; and I stand here as the Batman. An essence of evil, directed towards evil. Nineteen years of training leads me up to this. Your life has now hit what I’ve been experiencing for much over half my life. Maybe this will come as a good learning experience.”

Superman sighed.

“Batman… I came to ask a favor.”

“I know. You want help winning back the public’s favor.”

“Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, with help of Clark Kent, are doing what they can… But if a dark superhero or bright billionaire also… Who am I kidding? I’m resulting to favors now.”

He turned away and shook his head. After a pause, he went to fly into the air, but a heavy hand rested on his shoulder. He looked at it, and then behind him to Batman.

“Clark… When I had heard about your takeover attempt… I almost pulled my spare Kryptonite that I have to go after you. But I didn’t.”

Superman looked away and sighed, as Batman removed his hand from his shoulder.

“Why?” Superman asked.

“Because I had faith you’d come through.”

“But you realized the result…”

“Yes. Whether I had stopped you, or Lex Luthor, the damage had been done, in fact. It’s going to take a very, *very* long time to rectify this. Even with pushes from famous reporters, vigilantes and billionaires… I’ll help you. But only when the opportunity fits me.”

Superman spun to thank him, but his jaw dropped to see he had vanished. He smiled slightly.

“Thanks, Batman,” he whispered.

“Johnnnn Jacob Jingleheimer Schmitt! Thaaaat’s my name toooo!” Jimmy sang as he walked past Lois’s desk.

Lois leaned on her desk, staring at her computer screen. She forced her eyes to stay open with her fingers.

“Must… keep… reading…” she choked out.

Clark walked up behind her, holding a mug of coffee.

“Er, Lois? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Just trying to read this three hundred page document to find a phrase that I need to use for a report.”

“Well, how about I look for you while you go get some coffee? You looked totally tired!”

“Yeah… Okay…” she said.

She got up and walked off. He watched her a moment, and then sat down. He scrolled down reading through everything quickly. Then, he stopped as Lois walked back up.

“Here you go!” he said, pointing.

She looked at the screen, and then to him.

“You amaze me, Kent. I’m serious! Now get outta my chair.” She pushed him off as he stood and sat. “Thanks, Shorty.”

“Any time, Lois… Hey, uh… Lois. I was wondering something…” He sat on the edge of her desk and looked at her. “Well, I’ve been wanting to ask you this for a long time…”

“Yeah?”

“Would you like to, I don’t know, go to dinner sometime?”

Lois raised an eyebrow, and then started laughing.

“Oh, man! You had me there for a second! I thought you were serious!”

Clark stood and walked for his desk.

“About as serious as you and Superman having a real relationship,” he responded.

Lois looked like she had been stabbed from that. She went to comment on it when something caught her eye.

“Kara!” she said happily, standing.

The brown haired, glasses wearing Kara smiled weakly and waved to her.

“Hi, Lois. How are you?” she asked.

She walked up to her and they hugged.

“As good as can be expected… Hey, what’s wrong with your cousin, anyway?” Lois whispered. “And what happened to your arm?”

Clark heard that, and Kara knew he heard it. Especially when several bad words flew from his mouth that only she could hear.

“Soccer. And, he’s a manic-depressive,” she whispered back.

Clark broke his pencil at that.

“Really?” Lois asked.

“Yeah. He’s on meds too.” Clark mumbled something really bad that Kara could hear and she grinned. “Oh yeah. And he’s madly in love with you.”

Clark, who had been holding his coffee mug, growled as he accidentally broke it.

“Very funny, kid,” Lois said louder, standing straight. “See you around, kid!”

She walked off. Kara waved and then went to Clark, who was trying to clean himself off. She sat down and stared at him blankly. After he was done cleaning as much as possible, he glared at her.

“’Manic-depressive’?” he asked.

“First thing to come to mind!” she smiled. “So, when are you going to tell her?”

“I’m not,” he responded.

“How come?! She’s totally into you, Clark.”

“She’s into Superman, not me.”

“You obviously don’t know how to read women.”

“What?!”

“Okay… Look at her,” Kara said, pointing to Lois. Clark followed her finger to where Lois was talking to Parry White. “She puts up with your jokes, loves the competition you give her and she makes fun of you. Believe it or not, those tactics are not so different compared to when you were in first grade and trying to tell a girl you liked her. Or vice-versa. You get so *annoyed* with the person, but it’s because you DON’T understand him or her, and you WANT to.”

“You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Actually, I do.”

“Why are you here? Did you “zoom” here?”

“I had to,” she said, turning serious. “It’s just gotten on the news.” She pointed to a TV. “Brainiac is here. He’s kidnapped Ma and Pa, and Gotham reporter Summer Gleeson. He’s calling for Superman and Supergirl.”

“You’re not going,” he said, standing.

“I don’t think you have a choice, Clark. He called for both of us. If we don’t deliver, he might kill them.”

Clark just shook his head. He didn’t like it, but he knew she was right. Taking her by the good arm, he pulled her away quickly.

“You need something like the batsignal.”

“Why? No I don’t!”

“Yeah, you do. That way I don’t need to keep coming to inform you about this stuff. It’s bad enough I have to go to your stupid Fortress of Solitude all the time.”

“I thought you like it there!”

“I like the *stuff*, but the surroundings are dorky!”

Superman shook his head as he and Supergirl flew at super-speeds for California, where Brainiac was supposed to be holding Jonathon and Martha Kent.

“Your problem is you expect way too much from life. It’s the simplest things in life that are the best.”

“Yeah, yeah. Wait!” she cried, grabbing his arm and stopping him as they hovered over LA. “We’re here… He’s over-ridden the Lex Corp. tower here.”

“Luthor has domain here too?”

“A tiny one. He keeps his businesses towards the East with STAR Labs and Wayne Tech Enterprises.”

“You’re quite smart, you know that?”

“No. I just get really, really BORED!” she yelled in his ear.

“Ow. So, lead the way--What is that?”

He pointed towards a red streak waving through the streets. Supergirl shot down in a red, white and blue streak and began to match speeds with the cause.

“Wally?!” she exclaimed, smiling.

“Supergirl!” the Flash laughed. “Wassup?”

“You here for the reason I think you are?!” she asked.

“I think so! I heard Big Blues ‘rents were kidnapped. I didn’t know Little Blue was gonna be with him!”

“You still TRUST him?!”

“With all my heart! So, where is he?” They both skidded to a stop, Supergirl taking up concrete with her boots. The Flash laughed. “Whoa, can we say ‘super strength, guys don’t touch her!’?!” he joked.

“Hahaha! Well, Kal-El’s up there,” she said, pointing.

“I don’t see him,” he said, looking.

“Right--where?! He’s not there?!”

Superman glided into the lobby of the LexCorp. Building uneasily, ready for everything and anything Brainiac could throw at him. And yet, half of his mind was elsewhere…

********************

--I repeat, Superman has been spotted with take-over troops from the planet reported as being called Apokolyps. Though many plans are going in to helping stop this menace, as you can see, it’ll take a lot to stop the Man of Steel.--

Wally West stood and walked to a window of his apartment.

“My… God…” he whispered. “How do you stop the Man of Steel…?”

--Army officials say that they are devising a way with industrialist Lex Luthor to stop the ambitions of Superman.--

Kyle Rayner watched from his stool. His paintbrush was in his hand and a can of purple in the other as he sat before a large canvas. But his eyes were on the TV screen across his loft as the reporter droned on about what was happening in Metropolis. Kyle’s eyes couldn’t have grown wider, and his jaw was about to fall off.

“Superman’s gone off the deep end?”

--Public opinion is starting to wave entirely on all metahumans that exist in our world. Are they here to protect us? Or are they here to use us and enslave us?--

Arthur Curry sighed and shook his head. He looked away, unbelieving. His blonde locks waved slightly in the water as he watched the Atlantean television.

“Unbelievable, Superman… I held you in such regards…”

--Wait! Wait! There’s Supergirl! What’s this…? She’s just delivered a hard blow to Superman!--

“What?!”

Wally rushed to the TV and gripped it tightly.

“Oh my God! What’s going on?!”

--And it appears Superman is disagreeing with her on something!--

--But rumor was she was HELPING him on his quest to use us and then take us over--

Kyle dropped his art materials and walked closer to the TV, awe-struck.

“If she’s FIGHTING him, then that must mean--“

“--he’s under mind control!” Diana Prince gasped within her government office.

She watched as the two began to fight. But then, the screen filled in green light. It was so bright on camera, she had to shield her eyes. As it faded, she looked back.

--Superman and Supergirl are down!--

That echoed through the large home laboratory, catching everyone’s attentions that were within.

“My God!!” John Irons gasped. “Those fools! Can’t they REALIZE?! If she was fighting him--?!”

“--then something was wrong!!” Barbara Gordon screamed. “SHE DIDN’T DESERVE THAT!!”

--Government officials are rushing over to get the still bodies of the two super-humans.--

“ARGH!!!”

Glass and sparks went everywhere as Barbara slammed her phone into the screen. She hunched over and began to sob uncontrollably.

“No…” Wally whispered, dropping to his knees. “They… no…”

“She of all people didn’t deserve to die,” Kyle said. He sat on his coffee table in front of his TV and shook his head. “She was fighting him…”

“Why didn’t they open their eyes?” Arthur whispered. “Of course something was wrong if they were fighting each other…”

“Superman would NEVER intentionally hurt the world!” John sighed.

Bruce Wayne turned off the television and shook his head. He turned to those who worked on his level of the Wayne Enterprises building. They had all stopped to watch the events unfold. He sighed.

“God help us all if we should ever have to live in a world without Superman.”

********************

‘Perhaps I should quit. The world would be so better off… But not before I save Ma and Pa.’

“GAH!”

A bolt of electricity hit him right on the ‘S’ and knocked him to the ground. He was still weakened from his showdown with Darkseid, but now he needed to put everything he had in fighting Brainiac.

“Kal-El. I knew you would come. But I requested Kara Zor-El as well.”

Brainiac slid out of the shadows at the end of the lobby. His robotic gaze was fixed on Superman tightly.

“I told her… To take a break!” He glided into the air, using all his strength. “Release your hostages!”

A roaring sound was heard and a cage of yellow lasers appeared overhead of them. As Superman looked up, he saw Summer Gleeson and his parents hanging in a cage with a slowly fraying cable. He tried to go for them through the lasers, but the lasers were too strong and knocked him back to the ground.

“I hope you do take notes, Miss Gleeson,” Brainiac said. “This is important.”

“You let them go!!!” Superman ordered.

He shot over and slammed into Brainiac full-force. Brainiac went back and hit the wall. Just as he did, the entire building began to seal up completely with metal plates over every opening.

“Now it is just you, me and them near death, Kal-El,” Brainiac said as he stood.

Superman went for him again.

Supergirl kicked one of the metal plates. She screamed as she lit up in blue electricity. Falling back, the Green Lantern caught her.

“Supergirl, are you okay?” he asked.

“Just a little… Sparked…” she coughed.

People took pictures of what they were seeing. Steel flew overhead with Lois Lane and he came down next to Supergirl and the Lantern. A growing crowd of civilians were crowding and reporters in the front, along with officials of law enforcement. The Flash shot up, Aquaman behind him, running quickly.

“What is this?” Supergirl asked, standing. “A superhero convention?”

“We’re here to help clear you guys,” Lois said. She hugged her tightly. “And we *will* clear you.”

They all turned as they heard a struggle start within the building. The plate they stood near dented heavily and sparks flew, making them all back off.

“Our audience needs some cover if we’re going to try to get in there!” Steel said.

The Green Lantern flew into the air and held his ring out.

‘Uhh… A cover! Like a blanket, only the size… Of the city!’ he thought.

The ring projected it out obediently and he grinned.

“Yes!” He looked down. “Your show!!”

“I’ll see if I can’t SUCK those plates off!” the Flash grinned. “Come on, Supergirl!”

He started running laps around the building. She smirked slightly and followed him.

Brainiac punched Superman away from him. Superman fell back into a desk. It shattered everywhere, but all he could do is look at the wire, which was more than halfway frayed.

‘If I keep fighting him…’ he thought. ‘They’ll die for sure…’

He shot up just away from Brainiac’s clutches. He grabbed onto the hard beams, pain searing through him. Gritting his teeth, he began to try to separate the bars.

“Foolish position, Kal-El,” he heard Brainiac drone below him.

Pain went up his back as well. Obviously from Brainiac’s lasers, but he continued to struggle with the bars.

The Flash and Supergirl skidded to a stop and sighed.

“It’d help if we had more help!!” the Flash exclaimed.

“Will I do?” a woman called from above.

People went nuts when they looked up. Floating there was Wonder Woman. The normal guy heroes (not Aquaman) smirked, looking her over. She glided down by the Flash.

“I think you’ll do!” the Flash smirked.

“All right. Aquaman. Start forcing water to recede through the ground, weakening the foundation. Flash, Supergirl, continue your laps.” In the sound of a minor sonic boom, they were gone. “Steel, follow me!”

She leapt into the air and went for the top of the building. Steel nodded and followed.

“Lucky dude,” the Green Lantern sighed.

‘Pain. Keeps you informed you’re alive… Or nearing death. I am beginning to understand how Bruce does this all the time. It’s been so long since I’ve had pain and an adrenaline rush at once. No. Pain, an adrenaline rush, and a goal. That’s what Batman has all the time. That’s what I have right now… It almost feels good. Almost… addictive…’

Superman had managed to force the laser bars away more from each other. But not enough to get through. His insides were beginning to tear, it felt, from what was happening. But he knew they’d be dead the moment that cage hit the bars, and they were what mattered to him.

Brainiac would have smiled if he were capable. The famous son of Jor-El was weakening before his very eyes, and in a time of emotional weakness and a fall of his popularity.

Superman could hear the attempts of his on-and-off partners as they tried to get inside to help him.

‘God knows I need that help… But the moment they get in here, Brainiac’s going to pull another trick that’ll killed thousands of innocents… Have… to get through!’

Superman groaned in agony as he fought the lasers and tried to get through. Suddenly, the lasers snapped back enough for him to fly through. He tried, but Brainiac ripped him back down.

“Your tries are useless, Kal-El.”

“SHUT UP!”

He slammed a fist packing all his strength into Brainiac’s chest and shot through the hole. Brainiac flew backwards and hit a plate. That impact, plus the suction Supergirl and the Flash caused made it fly open, Brainiac going with. Brainiac stood and went to shoot the Flash with a laser.

“What the--?!” he started.

“It’s Brainiac!” Supergirl announced. She glided into the air, and then shot down, slamming into him. “I can’t hold--ARGH!!!”

She arched back when Brainiac grabbed her foot and began to electrocute her. The Green Lantern let the green cover disappear over the city and shot down.

‘A snake! But ten feet long… And a boa!’ he ordered mentally.

A green snake projected from his ring and it wrapped around Brainiac. Supergirl fell away, unconscious. Aquaman ran to her side, along with Lois.

“Supergirl?” he asked gently. He tapped her face gently. “You okay?”

The Flash went to go inside, but couldn’t help but hear the bystanders.

“Did you SEE that?! Supergirl saved the Flash! At the risk of her own life!”

“Maybe we were wrong!”

“I hope people SEE this in Metropolis!”

“Over the whole world!”

The Flash laughed and shot inside.

“Big Blue! You in here, Amigo?”

“Flash! Up here!” Superman grunted.

In his weakened state, he was barely able to hold the cage up from the resealed lasers. The Flash’s eyes widened.

“Hang on, Big Guy! I’m gonna see if I can’t vibrate through the lasers at their frequency!”

“No, you can’t!” Superman said. “It’s alien, you’ve never had to deal with a frequency like that! You’d have to have to touch it in a test, and it’ll burn your hand off completely!”

“Then what do I do?!”

“Brainiac’s belt! It-it’s a control!”

Superman suddenly fell onto the lasers, but managed to hold up the cage. The Flash yelped and ran out to where Brainiac was being held.

“Big Blue says it’s a control on his belt!”

“Easier said than done, Wal!” the Lantern said. “The only two who know how to work it is Superman and Supergirl! And you know where those two are at.”

He gestured down to the unconscious Supergirl.

“Wait! Batman might!” the Flash said. “Batboy knows everything!”

“I do not SEE Batman here, now do you?” Aquaman asked, still holding Supergirl. “And I do not know his ‘cell’ number.”

“None of us do but Big Blue and Little Blue,” the Lantern said.

“Great… Oh! Idea! All right! Be right back!”

The Flash shot away. After steadying themselves from the suction, Lois and Aquaman looked to Supergirl once more.

“Aquaman. You don’t have any “ocean remedies” for this, do you?” Lois asked.

“No, I don’t Lois. At least not close enough.”

Batman and Batgirl glided up to the GCPD roof, Robin in a slow path behind them.

“Just when it was getting good on the news, someone has to start trouble,” Robin sighed.

“I’m shocked you came, Batgirl,” Batman said, reeling in his rope. “Since Supergirl is there.”

“Yeah… Well, I’m just shocked someone ISN’T watching that! It’s huge! The world’s heroes in one spot just to help clear Superman and Supergirl.”

Batman looked over the building top as the batsignal went off.

“Commissioner?”

“It’s me, Too-Tall,” the Flash said.

He walked out into view. Batman walked closer.

“Flash… Wally. What are you doing here? I saw you in LA.”

“You sneaked around and figured out who I was? I’m hurt! Anyway… Yeah, well we needed your help. Any possible way you can show your face at our little “Superman Support Rally”? Public support would go WAY up on account of you being there.”

“This was a SOCIAL call,” Batman stated rather than questioned. “I don’t have TIME for this.”

He turned to leave when the Flash shot in front of him.

“No, that’s not all. We’re in REAL jam. Superman is like attached to wires while he’s holding the Kents and Summer Gleeson up so they don’t killed. Brainiac is on the ground, uncooperative and Supergirl’s unconscious. The control to the lasers is on his belt… We *need* you… Superman needs you.”

Batman remained still a moment. He was pondering through all the possibilities. He slowly turned to the Flash.

“There are three buttons on the front of his belt. Pressing them in certain orders activates certain things. Typically he programs it left to right in a lower triangle. And always the sets are in triangular threes… Go, and you save him.”

The Flash watched him turn to leave and was awe-struck. But, then again, he remembered that glory didn’t matter to Batman. Doing what was right, however, was. The same went for the Flash. He smiled and electricity began to flow through him.

“See ya later, Batz! You *too*, Batbabe! Gimme a call sometime, hottie!”

He was off again. Robin nearly fell off the roof, but Batgirl caught him. She looked at Batman, surprised at the two-second offer. He just shrugged his shoulders.

“Superman, let me lift you through the lasers!” Wonder Woman offered.

She floated just below him as the lasers were starting to tear at his skin. He shook his head, unable to talk anymore. He knew she wasn’t as invincible to certain elements as he. Even though they were comparatively equals, that was one thing that did make them different. And even though the damage would be less-so on her compared to the Flash, he still couldn’t risk it.

Outside… Things had begun to get quite worse.

The Green Lantern was unconscious and laying under rubble. Lois Lane had retreated into an alley with Supergirl, who was still out cold. People scrambled everywhere, making it impossible for Steel to do anything to the rampant Brainiac without hurting anyone. Aquaman knelt down and touched the ground. He closed his eyes slowly.

‘Creatures of the ocean… Turtles and whales, all who are large, your king needs you!’

“You are FOOLISH to oppose me,” Brainiac said to Steel. “We are both so much the same. We both surround and fight by means of mechanics. You would make a perfect foot soldier to me.”

Steel spun the hammer of his defensively.

“We may have computers and technology in common, but the similarities stop THERE. I would NEVER serve a monster like you.”

“Suit yourself.”

Cords shot from Brainiac and went for Steel, who began to knock them away the best he could.

Over at the alley, the Flash shot up to Lois.

“I got the way to break the lasers.”

“Good! Then, do it!”

“Yes, MA’AM!”

He shot forward.

The lasers faded suddenly and Superman fell into Wonder Woman. She caught him and the cage just barely. She fell to the tiles on her knees. Setting both down, she separated the bars and helped all three out. Summer ran to an opening to get somewhere where she could write. Jonathon and Martha ran to Superman, who was panting as Wonder Woman half-held him.

This was the first time Superman met Wonder Woman. He really wished it could have been under different circumstances. But all the same, he was glad she was there to catch him and the cage.

For Wonder Woman, she was amazed on how he held up to that torture. She didn’t know why the old couple was there, but she slowly began to catch on as they gently talked to him to see if he was all right. The love she detected from them could have been no less than parental.

‘How sweet. He’s lucky to have a mother AND father that care,’ she smiled to herself.

“Sir, Ma’am… If you do not mind,” she said aloud. “May I leave him with you please as I go make sure the others are all right?”

“Yes, of course,” Martha said. Wonder Woman laid him in their arms and hurried outside. When she was gone, they looked to Superman. “Clark…?” Martha whispered.

“I’m… okay, Ma… Just gotta… get my second wind.”

“You’re a good boy, Clark,” Jonathon said. “Very good boy.”

“Thanks… Pa…”

A white and red go-go boot accidentally kicked a silver and purple arm as Wonder Woman stepped outside. She bent down and picked it up. After observing it, she walked to the conscious Green Lantern.

“Mind filling me in on what happened?”

“Hey, I just woke-up. I dunno. Ask Fleet-feet,” he said, pointing to the Flash.

“Flash!” she called.

“Yeah?” he asked. He walked up to her and winked. “Wassup, Amazon babe?”

She whacked him upside the head with the arm and sighed.

“Fill me in, will ya?”

“Well, I’m twenty two years old and--“

“Not *that*!”

“Oh, you mean Brainiac. Well, I had run to Gotham City to ask Batman for help. He gave me the way he thought I could shut down the lasers. I came back and ran in on command of Lois Lane. Steel was putting up a good fight as the ground was starting to shake from Aquaman’s fishies tunneling through down below. Well, I pressed the way Batman told me too… And he kinda exploded. Good thing I’m extra swift!” Then his face fell. “How’s Big Blue?”

For the first time in this entire event, she hadn’t seen him show real emotion for anyone but Superman and Supergirl. Another one she began to respect.

“Weakened, but alive,” she responded.

“How long was I out?” Supergirl moaned.

They turned to see Lois helping her over to them.

“You missed the whole battle,” Steel said.

He joined them with Aquaman and the Lantern. Supergirl kicked the ground dizzily. People had started to rejoin as they noticed the fighting had stopped.

“Well, I served no point!” she sighed.

“Actually, people saw what you did for me,” the Flash said gently, resting a hand on her shoulder. “They were talking about it… I think they’re starting to realize…”

“Superman!” Lois exclaimed.

They turned to see Superman exit the building with Jonathon and Martha. His clothes were ripped and burned, and his skin was scorched. The Flash ran a circle around them and stopped in front of him.

“Yo, Big Blue! Wassup, homey?”

“Hey, Flash,” he said.

He limped past and observed the crowd that stood virtually silent. No one really knew what was happening within the building when he started fighting Brainiac. For all they knew, he had a disagreement on a plan with him. Summer Gleeson ran up with a camera crew she… “stole” from the LA local news.

“Superman! Superman!” she called. He stopped and looked to her. She skidded up and held the microphone between them. “Thank you very much for saving my life. For the public, would you mind explaining what exactly happened?”

“I think you can do that, Miss Gleeson. Right now, I have to take a break,” he said with a slight smile.

“Of course!”

She turned to the camera and began to tell the story. Superman walked to Supergirl and gently hugged her.

“You’re still here?” he asked.

“I’ll always be at your side, Superman,” she smiled.

Superman looked at the group that helped him and smiled. Then, he looked to Lois. Their eyes locked and couldn’t even move. He was surprised that she came. Then again, he was surprised at the endless support she showed him…

“Ready to go home, Lois?” he asked.

“I’ve never been more ready,” she said gently.

A hand rested on his shoulder from behind. Following the nails, the silver cuff all the way up to Wonder Woman’s eyes, he raised an eyebrow. She leaned in closer and whispered:

“I’ll assure your parents get home, Clark Kent.”

At first he was surprised she caught on, but then smiled gratefully.

“Thank you,” he whispered back. He turned to Lois and picked her up gently. “Lets go, hmm?”

He flew up and away. The Flash crossed his arms. He looked at Supergirl.

“Batgirl IS single, right?”

“What?!”

A Week Later:

Lois Lane stretched and laid back on her bed. She had just gotten done interviewing N’Sync, and was exhausted because they wanted her to go to Six Flags with them. She hadn’t seen Clark Kent since before the whole LA Superman thing. She wasn’t concerned though. She knew he had a habit of going to Kansas to visit his parents.

‘He