Metropolis

Bridges to Superman Memorial

00:50

Aquaman and Mera ran faster the moment they saw Superman collapse. Mera slid down to her knees, Her hands cupped Clarks cheeks "SUPERMAN, SUPERMAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME!" "His injuries my god he truly did go to war during his fight" said Aquaman, Mera checked for a pulse and could feel a faint one, Her head went down to his chest as she listened carefully for a heartbeat "He is still breathing but his pulse is just about detectable" said Mera. The queen of Atlantis then slapped his cheeks lightly "Clark you need to get up, We can't win this without you, Diana needs you my friend, Don't you dare die you still need to have your future with her" "His powers are derived from the sun, All we need to do is lift him into space and throw him near it" said Aquaman "Yeah but we could make his injuries worse if we move him and Cyborg is the only one who can teleport him to the watchtower and right now he is in the middle of a fight and by the time he can get an opportunity to do it, Superman might be dead by then" said Mera "My love he will still die if he stays down here" Arthur replied "Then what the hell do we do Arthur, We can't move him and we can't let him stay here?" Mera asked "KAL!" Diana screamed.

Wonder Woman flew down and landed next to the three of them, Going down to her knee's she let go of her swords and repositioned herself into a sitting position, Lifting Kal's head ever so gently she brought it down slowly into her lap & cradled his head while tears fell down her cheeks and onto his face, Diana looked at him from head to toe "Gods his wounds are so severe, Please don't die, I have just got you back my love" she thought to herself "He is still breathing Diana and his pulse is still there but I don't know for how long" said Mera "IT WON'T BE LONG BECAUSE I WILL MAKE SURE OF IT THAT HE DIES!" the Amazon, The Atlantean & the Xebellian looked up, Their gazes locked onto Darkseid as their expressions turned to ones of rage "BUT FIRST I WILL KILL YOU THREE THEN HIM!" his eyes fired his omega beams.

Mera created a wall of water to protect them, Wonder Woman quickly crossed her bracelets bracing herself for Darkseid's attack while the King of Atlantis fired blasts of lightning from his quindent, The omega beams went through the wall of water and was now heading for Mera, Aquaman quickly stood in front of her and took the hit directly to his chest which made him yell out in pain and sent him crashing to the floor "ARTHUR!" Mera shouted "Fuck that hurt" said Aquaman, The blast had destroyed the top half of his gold & green armour "Are you alright" Mera asked "I'll be okay, The armour took the hit but in doing so it has destroyed half of it" Aquaman replied he slowly stood to his feet with Mera helping him up.

Aquaman took his now damaged armour off and dropped it to the ground revealing his muscular form that was covered in tattoo's, His torso bled in various places from his fight with Mera and his fight with the Parademon Brute, He started to move his arms around in order to loosen himself up "The last time I saw that trident it was Atlan that wielded it" said Darkseid "Yeah and from what I read in the archives when you and he fought it ended a draw but that was 30,000 years ago, This time I am going to make sure I the King of Atlantis walk away as the victor, After I am done smashing your goddamn fucking face in" Aquaman replied he handed his quindent to Mera "My Queen you keep a hold of this and use it to take down any Parademons that try to attack you" "Got it and please be careful Darling" Mera replied, Her left hand cupped his right cheek as she then kissed him slowly & passionately.

The two eventually parted away from each other as Arthur spoke "I can't wait to tell our little Arthur Jr at home, The story of when Daddy kicked Darkseid's ass" "I think he will enjoy that story a lot" Mera replied, The two of them smiled at each other he then looked down at Superman "Make sure he lives and Mera see if you can get Neol or Kahldur to bring me the Dead Kings sceptre" "Why do you need that?" she asked "I figured maybe in order to take down these monsters, We need monsters of our own".

The King of Atlantis and the Lord of Apokolips readied themselves for their fight, Aquaman launched himself at Darkseid and started to punch him in the face, Darkseid headbutted him and launched vicious right punches into Aquaman's torso he grabbed the King by the throat and threw him away with Aquaman being sent barrelling down a street at great velocity as Darkseid quickly flew after him.

Mera looked in every direction to make sure that there was no one coming to attack them but it was clear the other Parademons were occupied with everyone else which meant that maybe for these next few moments she could take a breather and have a talk with her best friend. Mera took off her crown & JL earpiece, Turning it off she sat down next to Wonder Woman and observed Diana caring for Kal she watched on as Diana's left arm was under Kal's neck and was holding his head while the back of her right hand was stroking his left cheek "I need you to wake up for me Beloved" Diana whispered "So you and he huh" said Mera.

Diana looked at her bewildered "I don't know what you mean" she replied "Well the way you two look at each other, The way you are caring for him right now, The worried and fearful expression on your face, Your scream and tears that came forth when you saw the state he was in. All that is not of a friend worrying for another friend, It is of a woman who is scared of losing the one she loves, A blind dolphin could see all that my friend besides he told us that you and he were together" "So you know" said Diana "Yes and I am so happy for you Diana, You and him belong together, I am so happy that your wish got granted" she went onto her knee's & wrapped her arms around Diana and hugged her "Thank you Mera, I am glad I have you as my best friend" "We are not just best friends, We are sisters" said Mera

The Queen sat back down "So care to tell me how it happened?" Mera asked "Well it started earlier today, We were all doing our own individual jobs, It was just me and Barry on the Watchtower, I was training as usual while Flash was on monitor duty, We then got a call from Hal and Shazam that a plane nearing Metropolis had lost it's engines and was about to crash so I teleported down to assist Shazam in trying to stop the plane, Both of us were trying to catch up to it when my Beloved here got to the plane first, He lifted it onto his shoulders and landed it down safely while me and the League watched in complete shock trying to figure out who this person was due to Beloved wearing his black coat over his armour and a neck warmer covering the bottom of his face...Once he had landed the plane he was then met by (me, Shazam, Batman & Green lantern), I approached him and thanked him for stopping the plane from crashing but he didn't respond and then flew away" "What he just left without saying a single word?" Mera asked "Yeah" Diana replied.

Mera laughed out loud at hearing what he had done as Diana laughed with her "I can't believe he did that, Then what happened?" she asked "He had left so he could officially end things with his ex Lois Lane and discovered that she had moved on which he was quite happy about & from what he told me they talked and officially ended their relationship on a peaceful note, While I and the JL reconvened in the watchtower trying to figure out who he was, The media had given him the name of black trench coat guy, It was only when Batman put up the picture of Beloved on the screen even with the neck warmer on his eyes seemed so familiar, I asked Victor to print me a photo of Beloved, I studied the picture carefully and in doing so my heart started to race hoping that it might just be him but I wanted to go see his mother to see if she thought it might be him as well" said Diana "You call him Beloved" said Mera "Yes Mera and he calls me his love" Diana replied "That is adorable, I am so happy that you two found each other" said Mera "Thank you again Mera for everything, For being so understanding, Being there for me at times when I screamed and cried from despair at losing Kal, For supporting me when I needed a sister" Diana replied "Hey no need to thank me, That is what sisters are for" Mera replied.

The Queen reached out & grabbed Superman's wrist "His pulse is improving and look a few of his wounds have nearly finished healing" "That's a good sign, All we need now is for him to wake up" Diana replied "What happened after he had spoken to Lois?" Mera asked "He went home to see his mother and show her that he was still alive and then I arrived 2 hours later, His mother opened the door to let me in, I walked in and was greeted by the sight of him and that beautiful smile of his, We then talked he told me how he woke up the day after he was buried and immediately headed for space, Even though he could hear the screams of despair from all around the world he couldn't stay, Kal said that he had to get away from Earth so it could experience what it would be like not having him there & also said that he needed to gain some peace of mind, He told me that spending a year in space was truly amazing and he is planning on taking another trip around the galaxy at some point in his life but when that day comes he is going to take me with him, He said that he couldn't take another trip around the galaxy without bringing the woman he loves with him" said Diana "Awwww that is so sweet, He really loves you" said Mera "I know and I love him so much" Diana replied "So what was it like kissing him?" Mera asked.

Diana's looked down at Kal and smiled "It was heavenly our first kiss was like we were linking our souls together as one it was passionate, intense & amazing all at the same time, Honestly Mera I never thought I would get this type of love again but I am so happy that I did get it from a man who loves me just as much as I love him and who is so caring & kind" she replied "I personally like a bit more swagger which I get from Arthur but I have to admit Superman's chest & shoulders are very impressive" the Queen eyed up his torso and arms "I have to agree with you on that one but not only that it's his eyes that get me Mera, So much soul, So much everything" said Diana "Are you two going to tell the League about yours and his love for each other or keep it secret?" Mera asked "We are going to tell the league but we plan to keep it secret from the public & reporters as well" said Diana "How is that going to be possible, His Clark Kent identity is dead as well" said Mera "In this country yes but not if he relocates to another country far away from this one and becomes Clark Kent where ever he chooses to live" "That is quite smart, Bruce & Oliver can also help cover his tracks so that no one figures out that he has faked his death" said Mera.

The queen then switched her earpiece back on and clicked a button on it "Hello Neol can you hear me" "Yes I can your Majesty, How is the war going over there" Neol replied "We're still putting up a good fight, Listen Arthur needs you to go to his weapons room and get the dead kings sceptre, Once you have it bring it to me, I am waiting on one of the bridges that is connected to the Superman memorial" "It will be done your Majesty" said Neol.

Krypton

Superman eyes opened gently as he looked up at the evening sky, The kryptonian slowly sat up and looked left, right & then straight and saw a red sun that was now aiming it's rays down onto a very large city, Kal stood up to get a better look of where he was "Where the hell am I" he thought to himself "Hello my beautiful baby boy" Superman turned around and was greeted by the sight of a woman who was 5 foot 6, Curled black hair that flowed down past her shoulders, Her eyes were the colour of brown and were currently filled with tears, Her face was beautiful and she was currently dressed in blue & black kryptonian robes.

Kal saw the white House of El symbol in the middle of it "House of El, Wait did she just call me her beautiful baby boy, That means" he thought to himself "Are you Lara Lor-Van, Wife of Jor-El and if so you are my biological Mother?" he asked "I am" she replied, Lara approached him and placed her hands on his cheeks "Hello my son" said Lara, Kal immediately started crying "Mom" he wrapped his arms around her as the two of them stood there and cried "My little boy it is good to see you again" "How is this even possible, Last time I checked I just collapsed after beating that large Parademon" Superman replied "You're still there Kal, This is a dream but it was my only way of getting to meet you again" "So is none of this real?" he asked "It is and it isn't, This dream is real but once we have talked you will wake up again on that bridge again in the arms of your Diana" Lara replied "Diana is she okay, Before I collapsed she was battling Darkseid" he asked "She is okay Kal but she isn't fighting Darkseid no more, Right now it is the King of Atlantis who is currently locked in battle with him while Diana is holding your unconscious body in her arms waiting for you to wake up" Lara replied.

Superman looked around the room "What is this place mom?" Kal asked "This is the House of El citadel, It was our home on Krypton" Lara replied "Wait you mean to say I am on Krypton right now?" asked Kal, Lara nodded her head in reply "This is incredible" said Kal he then separated from Lara and was now looking at the scripture around the ceiling & started to speak Kryptonian "The House of El means hope it has carried this meaning from it's very creation that within every person there is a potential for them to be a force for good" said Kal "Glad to see that you have learnt our language" said Lara "Well during my trip in space I took the time to learn about our people and our language but I bet you already knew that since you, Father & Dad have been watching me from the heavens" said Kal "We have Kal and we couldn't be more proud of you, Last year it pained us greatly to see you have so much inner turmoil due to that evil Lex Luthor trying to make it look like you were a threat to Earth but you made sure that the people of Earth could live by sacrificing your life and in doing so the House of El did what it was meant to do, Give hope to people" said Lara.

A lone tear ran down Kal's left cheek "Last year was hard Mother I felt so lost when people screamed (Murderer, Go back to your own planet, Death to the alien freak), I was mentally replying to them where do you want me to go, Krypton no longer exists and last time I checked Earth is my home and then when I finally had an opportunity to try and give my side of the story, Lex Luthor bomb detonated, Killing all those innocents yet they still blamed me, In doing so it made them hate me even more" he replied "I know Kal and I am sorry that you had to experience that, It hurt us a lot to see you so lost & confused but remember what Jor said to you they will stumble, They will fall" said Lara "But in time they will join you in the sun, In time you will help them accomplish wonders, I just didn't expect that stumble moment with humanity to be so hard but thank Rao I had mom to help me" said Kal.

Lara smiled as tears fell down her cheeks she approached Kal & interlocked her right hand with his left & reached out with her left hand to turn his face so he was looking at her "Your mother is a remarkable woman, I am so happy that you were found by her & Jonathan Kent, They are good people even though we lost you in doing so they were blessed with you, Jonathan told us that he & Martha struggled to conceive a child of their own and then their prayers were answered when you landed in the field opposite their house, She did an amazing job in raising you, I especially loved her feisty attitude when she told Zod to go to hell and when she reassured you that whatever these people are saying about you, They are wrong, You are not a threat and you didn't owe them a thing, You never did when you next see your mother tell her from me, Thank you so much for taking you in and raising you as her own and for being there for you through the good times and the bad" "I will Mother...Do you mind if I ask you something" said Kal "What is it?" Lara replied "What do you think about Diana".

The image of Diana's face came to Lara's mind "I like her she is good for you Kal, I am looking forward to watching yours and her relationship develop she is a true equal for you and I adore how she gave you strength when you were talking before she left for Themyscira but let me tell you now Kal that at some point you and Diana will argue it happens between couples, Me and Jor had our arguments about things but we worked through our problems together and in doing so it strengthened our bond and I have no doubt that the bond you have with her will come out stronger because of it and as long as you two keep to your promise of sharing your burdens with each other, You two should be okay, Don't hate me for what I am about to say Kal" said Lara "I could never hate you" Kal replied "Thank you for that but that Lois Lane woman I liked her originally but time passed and she started to really annoy me, To such a point I couldn't stand her being with you, The amount of times she got herself in danger just for you to rescue her, It annoyed me that your relationship with her wasn't one of equality but more of you being her own personal guard" said Lara "I thought she would have been my future but then Diana came into my life and everything changed at that very moment, The connection I felt with her was too strong to ignore" Kal replied "I know my beautiful boy and what a connection you and her have with each other, The love between you two is truly a beautiful sight but what I need you to do for me now is to go back to your Diana, She needs you Kal" a loud explosion was then heard "What was that?" asked Kal who went up to the window and saw Krypton imploding "It is the end of Krypton which mean the end of this dream my little boy" said Lara.

Kal turned around as Lara engulfed him in a hug he then wrapped his arms around his mother, Her palms cupped his cheeks as she brought his head down and kissed him on the forehead "Goodbye my brilliant little boy, I love you and I will be watching over you always" said Lara "Goodbye Mother I love you so much, I'm so glad that I got to finally meet you tell Father & Dad that I said hi" "Will do" Lara replied.

The two of them cried as Lara disappeared in front of him, Kal turned to the window and uttered one last word "Diana".

The fire from krypton's destruction then consumed him.

Metropolis

Superman Memorial

1:15 am