GenLock

Assembling Justice: Pt. 1

I do not own GenLock, as it is the creation of

Gray Haddock and produced by Rooster Teeth.

Van-El is a product of and owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros

as are all other DC characters from the DC Multi-Verse.

Positive reviews are welcome.

Prologue

Assembling Justice: Pt. 1

Earth 12

Fortress of Solitude

The grunting sound of the man in a black cape and pointed cowl as he just managed to remove a portion of the creatures obtrusive barbs as they became disengaged from the body of the still stiff and unresponsive Kryptonian was all that was heard, while further inside the arctic cave-like structure, another sound of a woman in distress followed by tremors, flashes of light, and miniature explosions shook the inner body of the Alien Fortress belonging to none other than Kal-El of Krypton, otherwise known as Earths adopted son and Champion, Superman.

His home away from home had been invaded. Having been alerted to an intruder entering his personal sanctum without proper clearance via a device he had kept on his person at all times in the odd chance that the Fortress was ever discovered by outside individuals, he flew to and investigated the disturbance within his frozen sanctuary.

It was there that he had been set upon by a parasitic creature that then quickly latched itself to his chest before he could react, just as he was investigating a trail of viscous fluid trailing upon the flooring from an odd capsule that had been left in his hidden sanctum in full view within the main Hall, despite there being other various Kryptonian artifacts thereabout and the odd alien creatures rescued years earlier from an intergalactic collector known only as The Preserver, placed within a make shift reserve even deeper within the hallways of the Fortress's makeshift zoo.

Unknown to the Man of Steel, the person or intruder whom had been responsible for the thing now attached to its victims chest, was none other than Mongol, Overlord of War World.

He unlike a few of Supermans enemies, had managed to search out and locate the Last Son of Kryptons hidden home away from home, bypassing the outer and inner Security Measures put in place and waited for Supermans arrival, knowing that that and need to investigate said intrusion would be all too easy.

And he wasn't disappointed as the moment Kal-El had arrived to investigate, came upon and found an unsealed containment unit that had at one point kept something within contained. Said thing had then sprang forth from where it had dragged itself off to, searching out a viable live source in which to attach itself. Before he could utter a sound, his eyes glazed over as he was forced into a dreamworld. Said Dreamworld was a vision from deep within his heart that he knew could never be.

All thoughts and memories of the real world were suppressed by the creatures chemical secretions that prevented him from escaping the fantasy.

The creature was in actuality, an alien parasitic flora known as the Black Mercy. The plant-like creatures capabilities were of creating a near realistic dream of a persons perfect life by tapping into the pleasure centers of a persons brain, all the while keeping its victims totally paralyzed.

It also had the tendency to feed off of the psychic energy created by inducing what can only be described as the 'Dream State'.

After the last time they met, what with Mongol having been humiliated by Superman during their said last encounter, he had thought out ways to destroy the Kryptonian so that he may finally have his revenge and begin his campaign to take over Earth. But then, he happened upon another idea when the Black Mercy came to mind.

Of course, he didn't take into account that the Bat and Amazonian Princess would show up just after he had begun to take in Kal-El's secret home with an idea or two forming within his demented mind of how he could unleash his forces upon the world, all the while, Kal-El would be a prisoner within his own mind.

Of course, both heroes didn't take too kindly to one of their own being so easily subdued by such a thing, but it was the Batman who had surprised Mongol the least. The Batman wasn't known as the planets greatest Detective for nothing, what with keeping the Amazonian from outright attacking the Galactic Warlord for the moment as the need for information was key to freeing Superman.

Of course, as with all megalomaniacs, his pride having got in the way with how easy it was to overcome the Superman, that in his monologuing, he had let slip the one clue Batman needed in order to free his friend, and he didn't even realize it as the Amazon had taken the Batmans cue as the time to act was nigh and in doing so, took the initiative and begun her assault on the Alien Warlord.

Try as he might, Bruce knew he was no match against the brute strength of the Ruler of War World as Mongol who stood several inches taller than Superman and possessed maybe even more durability and strength than Clark as he was easily able to shrug him off while Diana was barely able to hold him off herself as Batman knew from the sounds of battle the reverberated throughout the Fortress followed by Diana's cries of pain, not even her Amazonian strength and skill could hold a match to Mongols power.

Despite earlier pointless attempts to study and even burn the creatures outer shell and appendages with a pointed laser, the Dark Knight in using what strength he had, despite being one of the most powerful humans due to his physical training and constant combat against enemies and training simulations with machines and allies such as Diana and others, was able to at least remove the creatures inner barbs from the Man of Steels chest, the things lengthy violet appendages was another matter. It would take what considerable willpower and considerable human strength he had to remove it completely even as he knew there was a good chance it could then attach itself to him, thus making him its next victim.

A small price to pay as Diana was in dire need of aid, and only Superman had the power and strength to take on the power mad alien despot.

As he pulls, he sees Supermans eyes begin to shift, the pupils began responding in a way he took as a good sign that his efforts in removing the plants mental illusions and influence was working. This was all the signs that he needed to keep pulling.

"Yes, that's it. Fight it, Clark. Fight it!"

Deep within the recesses of Supermans mind, a lone being, long having watched the Son of Jor-El and all of his accomplishments, his trials and tribulations, the many battles he's fought and won over the many years since he settled on Earth, watched still as Supermans mind and moral compass would be put to the test once more, a trial that would no doubt tear at the very heart of the Last Son of Krypton.

This trial would not be like the many that had come before, despite the many allies and enemies he's garnered over the years, the 'Watcher' observes as once more, the Super within the Man would face an even greater test than before as Kal-El, father and Husband, begins to notice that something is not quite as it seems with the world as he thinks he knows it.

With the constant tremors and the growing periods of which they occur, does his mind begin to unravel that not all is as it seems.

It's only as the translucent being continues to watch as the voice of the Batman finally manages to cut through the Black Mercy's illusion that Kal finally breaks through the the entrapment of his own mind.

"Dad!" his son calls out to him. The power of the Macroscope was once upon a time, an amazing piece of Kryptonian tech that could outclass even Earths telescopes not just by gazing upon the surface of the moon, but other worlds surfaces including its sister planet Argos and the burning surface of the red Sun Rao.

As Bruces voice aids him in waking from the 'False Reality', his head throbs as he fights to regain control over his own mind.

"Dad! You've got to look at th...!?" Van's voice calls to him yet again as the boy turns from Macroscope as he then looks towards his father and see's the pain and torment raging within him as he braces himself against the railing upon the roof of his Grandfathers Laboratory.

The hidden being waits to act as he watches the events play out within Kal-Els mind as they were meant to, knowing that the moment upon which he needed to act was quickly approaching.

As the father approaches the son who wore the standard clothing most Kryptonian children wore, a full blue body suit with a white robes held together by gold clasps connected via a gold chain below the boys collar bone, a gold crown-like ornament much like his father and Grandfather adorning his head, the son looks upon his father with great worry and dare he say, a hint of fear. Kal takes a knee before this...no, his child. Van-El, his son. Despite how he wishes otherwise, he knows he must tell him as it tears at his heart to even say the words, and that their time together is growing to a close.

As his fathers hands softly clasps his shoulders, Van gulps and asks, "What's...What's the matter? Why are you...?"

With trembling lips, Kal begins a somber farewell, "Van, when you were born, it was the happiest day of my life. When I saw your beautiful little face, your tiny little fingers squeezed my hand so tight, like you never wanted to let go."

His left hand slowly raises up as he cups his sons cheek, knowing that he may never get the chance again. "I've watched every step, every struggle. I've put,...Van.." he sighs emotionally as he looks up at the Red Sun for strength as it fills the skies with its radiant light, "Oh Rao help me..." he pleads as the tears finally begin to flow forth and down his own cheeks.

Van's eyes begin to well up with tears of his own as his father continues while looking upon him as if he knew that they would never see one another again.

"...but I don't think that you're real. I don't think that any of this is real."

"Don't say that Daddy." the child says as he jumps into his fathers arms, trying in vain to show that he was indeed real, even if his fathers mind was saying otherwise, burying his face into his fathers neck, his body beginning to tremble, not because of the planet, but because of the fear in which he feels himself at hearing his father speak to him in such a way, "Please, you're scaring me."

"No, no, no. I don't want to scare you Van. You are everything I ever wanted in a son. This..." he says as he takes a final look at how his life should have been had Krypton not been destroyed.

The tremors are getting worse, and the non-corporeal being, still hidden from both sight and sound, sets down beside the ailing father and son, his right hand ready to take hold of the boy by his left shoulder.

"...This is everything I ever wanted in a life, but I've got responsibilities Van. I...I have to go now.." his words barely coming out a whisper. Embracing his child once more, the planets core begins to overload.

Massive blasts of Kryptons crusts erupts, shooting liquid fire into the sky. Multiple ruptures begin to open all over the planet, the sound of thousands of Kryptonians cry out as Kal-El and Van-El, both atop of Jor-El's Lab, could only look upon one another with despair and sadness.

As the Macroscope crumbles before the failing roof, Kal-El gently lowers his sons head, only to kiss the top of his forehead. Already, Vans face is covered in tear tracks as like his father, he too is not ready to let go, nor does he want to.

"Daddy!?" Van-El whimpers.

Looking deep into his sons eyes, the words this would be father says not just before the child before him, but to the ghosts of his ancestors and the spirits of the people of Krypton itself, including the spirits of his parents, who will never be able to live as he did, but no doubt were watching from the veil of the Otherworld, "I promise you, I'll never forget."

Embracing Van one last time, he waits as the illusion of Kryptons destruction comes about. He did not have long to wait as his eyes come into focus, seeing his friend Bruce having taken the plant creature from his being, only to become its newest victim.

He would have stepped forward to remove it, but the familiar sound of Diana is heard crying out in pain. Enraged, feeling the fire of the emotional pain flowing through his mind, he does not hesitate to speed through the broken hole within the walls of his Fortress of Solitude with vengeance on his mind.

Elsewhere

As the boy began to cry out, a firm hand grasping his right shoulder stopped him. Opening his eyes since tightly shutting them, awaiting his and his fathers demise, it took him a moment as he then blinked a few times.

His eyes had to adjust as he rubbed the tears from his eyes, even since he now realized that his father was no longer there.

"Da...Dad?...Dad..." he looked around him, noticing the white void as he desperately looked around and seeing nothing but a white void all around. Closing his eyes and raising his his now closed fists midway he shouted, "DADDY?!"

Falling to both knees, his hands still curled and now resting upon the ground as he began to cry as his father last words came to mind and he wondered why would his father say such things.

"Van." a familiar voice spoke softly from beside him. The young Kryptonian wiped his eyes and looked up and to the side. Standing next to him in a familiar black body suit with red robes connected to silver clasps just below the collar bone, interconnected by a silver chain. His hair was white with the signs of aging upon his face.

But there was no mistaking it, this was Jor-El, father of Kal-El, and in turn, his Grandfather.

Sniffling, he slowly rises to his feet, "Gr...Grandpa."

As a soft and warming expression comes over the older mans face, Van cries out as he rushes to and embraces the man around the waist, "GRANDPA!?"

The man is startled for a moment before he sighs and like the form of his son just moments ago, he too takes a knee holds the boy within his arms, consoling him.

When the boy who was crying and trembling within his arms finally manages to calm himself as the release of emotions finally begins to settle, the elder El gently pulls the boy back as he raises his chin up with a finger so Van could look upon him.

"Are you alright, Van?" he asks.

Despite another row of sniffles and a hiccup, Van nods.

"Sigh, Van...", he begins only to pause as this is an awkward moment for him. "Van, what do you remember before this moment?"

"I-I...I remember father trying to tell me something. Something important. Then there were the...the massive tremors. Then seeing him grasping his head...almost as...he was in great pain and then saying that he thought I wasn't real, that none of Krypton or anything at the time was real." he then had a look of realization, "Kr- Krypton..."

"Is gone." came Jor-Els response, "He spoke the truth. As it is, none of it was real. Your father was beginning to awaken from a dreamworld, Van. Krypton was destroyed many years before when your father was just a babe, much younger than you are now."

"How...How is that possible?"

"Before I answer that, there is something more you should be made aware of. The first of which, I am not Jor-El."

"Not m-my Grandfather?"

"I have taken many names and many faces throughout the many eons on an untold many number of worlds throughout the Galaxy, nay the Omni-Verse. The most I have been known is 'The Presence'. Others have called me the 'Creator'. In taking Jor-El's form, my intent was to better ease you in the transition of the current situation. And when all is explained to you, an offer at a true life in another world awaits."

"So you're not my Grandfather?" Van asked with quivering lips, not wanting to accept that this was someone or something other than the elder Patriarch of his families house.

Extending a finger to the boys chin, he had him raise his head to look upon him, "I may not be Jor-El, but like him and your parents, I have watched every moment, every second of your life. Rao, who is one of my greatest creations has given his blessing for my being here and speaking with you."

"Rao...?"

"Yes, Rao. Believe it or not Van-El, Rao is one of my Angels in whom I am most proud of."

"An Angel?" the son of Kal whispers in awe.

The being known as 'The Presence' nodded. Extending an arm to his left, in the form of a wisp of smoke, a familiar plant floating in a tank of water took solid form. "This Van-El...is called the Black Mercy. A parasitic plant that when in physical contact with its intended victims, penetrates the hosts body via a set of barbs. It then forces them into an induced comatose state that allows them to envision a perfect world that they could only ever dream of. At the same time, it feeds off of the psychic energy created by inducing the 'Dream state'."

"Ugh!" Van scowls as he takes a step back.

"Quite." The Omnipotent being replies as he continues. "It was through your father being exposed to this creature, that you, or shall I say, the very idea of you came into being."

Before he continued, he turned back to the child, "The knowledge in my possession is not for the faint of heart. I ask of you Van-El, are you sure you want to know the truth? Once you start down this path of knowledge, there is no going back. All that there is to see, will remain with you until the very end."

"I-I" he gulped, a bead of sweat he had not known of before flowed from the left side of his head and down his face, "I must know." the attempt at confidence bleeding into his voices tone.

Despite this, the young Kryptonian was shaking inside, and still the curiosity was too much. He had to know. He needed to know. If he wasn't real, then how was it that he was here in the now, in the present. Cautiously, he raised his hand and then placed it in the hand belonging to the man who claimed to be his not-Grandfather, but would still look upon him as if he was.

So it was that the whiteness of the In-Between darkened and became a void made up of stars, constellations, planets, and suns. The boy was stunned speechless as the universe became boundless without end.

He recognized Krypton easily enough from an outside Point of View and watched as the planet zoomed towards him. He was aided in standing upright from behind as he was unused to this form of visual contact. So fast was it, that he clung to the arm of the being wearing his Grandfathers form with both of his own much smaller hands to keep himself steady and standing upright. And so it was that his fathers life played out as it truly happened according to the Omniscient being with him.

Both observed the attempt of overthrowing the High Council, the insurrection being led by Jax-Ur and Mala that was then thwarted by a much younger Jor-El and members of Kryptons Security and Intelligence Forces.

Then there was the scene from one of his Grandfathers many lectures than he knew when he claimed that Krypton was supposed to have been destroyed, only not. And yet, here he was watching a much different History than he knew play out just after Jax-Ur and Mala were sentenced to the Phantom Zone. A new battle would take place within the Council Chambers, a battle of words with his Grandfather on one side, failing in an attempt at saving Krypton by pleading with an ever prideful and foolish Council that refused to listen to one of their former members and recent heroes as he foretold the dangers surrounding Kryptons imminent destruction.

Of course, he knew that the Council would use underhanded tactics to threaten his Grandfather with imprisonment within the Phantom Zone should he continue along this line of thought.

He then observed as the scene changed as a newly born baby Kal-El, his would be father, was secretly placed within an experimental craft and sent to Earth as Krypton was beginning to die. Van had to look on in horror as the planet, just as Jor-El predicted imploded just as the craft carrying baby Kal-El shot out of the launch bay, leaving a trail of thick clouded vapor, only to blink out of existence via its FTL Drive, having had entered hyperspace upon its disappearance.

The image changed to the craft coming out of FTL and entering the Sol system wherein it would crash land in a corn field, only to be found by a human couple whom were passing by as the ship touched down in the now burned and scorched field.

Fascinated and touched at the spirit of Earths humans, he watched his father grow from a babe, into a man. Even being visited by beings from the future, only to forget them since their mission was now over as the threat was a bi-pedal machine he recognized as another version of Brainiac bent on his fathers destruction before he could one day become the champion the world would look to when they raised their eyes to the sky.

He watched as a young Kryptonian, raised as a farm boy, would grow into a strong and independent individual, having been raised within a moral background, would leave his adopted home when it was time and became a journalist when his discovery into who he really was had been completed, only to then step into his destiny, dawning a suit created by the 'Kents' and becoming a Superhero soon after, taking on the moniker of 'Superman'.

Years would quickly pass, enemies both human and alien came and challenged his father and testing the strength of his humanity, the conviction of his morals in which the Kents had instilled into him, only to lose in the end as his father, 'The Superman', stood tall and strong against threats to the world and its people, all the while calling one city in all the world known as Metropolis, his home.

The boy then took notice that out of all the women his father ever grew close to, only two ever bore a resemblance to his mother Loana in both looks and personality. There was the young woman named Lana Lang whom his father had carried a torch for when he was still growing into adulthood and shared his mothers looks, and then there was his partner in Journalism, a one Lois Lane. She shared both the voice and spirit that was spot on when it came to being like his mother.

Their combined personalities would make it seem the perfect symbiosis that was Loana El, wife of Kal and mother of Van.

Then came the emergence of other heroes, both new and tested when after several team-ups with a human dressed as..well he didn't know what the human was trying to pass himself off as until 'Jor' explained the intricacies of the various Earth creatures and what this man had become after training his mind and body to the perfect levels of human perfection. Donning a cape and cowl and becoming a Dark Knight of Vengeance, he learned to immediately fear this man upon learning of his past and the drive that made him into the man he was, as even his father had a healthy fear and yet just as much respect and admiration for the one called 'Batman'.

There were others, an immortal warrior woman whom was both a Princess and Champions of set of Earths many pantheon of Gods, watching over an island of women whom through the use of magic, hid from the world of men due to personal reasons.

Then came the return of a crimson Speedster called the Flash, followed by the Space Guardians of Oa and their emerald knights known as the Green Lanterns, the first of which was John Stewart.

Eventually they and others would unite as a team as Earths first line of Defense from their enemies from within the planet Earth, to their enemies from beyond Earths Sol System.

Then came the moment when it all came to a head when a foe his father had aided another in defeating and humiliating some time before, returned with Vengeance on his mind and heart, having found his fathers hidden Fortress on Earth. Placed upon the cold flooring was a lead lined container as explained by Jor-El as one of Earths elements that even Kryptonians under a yellow sun, could not see through. Having been alerted to a break-in within the Fortress, his father investigated and upon his arrival, discovered the containment unit.

Mongol took this time to activate the units release mechanism, thus unleashing the creature inside. The creature being the Black Mercy.

It was then that Van-El finally understood as it was explained to him by the one who he now knew was not his Jor-El. That he, Van-El, was nothing more than an illusion created by a plant thanks to a mad man from another world.

"It's all true. I'm not real." Van whispered as he curled his little hands into fists, the tears flowing freely due to his growing anguish at realizing the truth of it all.

He once more felt a hand rest upon his shoulder as he was pulled into the mans arms, "I'm sorry Van. I am so sorry."

An unknown amount of time passed before the man felt that Vans pain had subsided enough to or to a lesser degree.

The boy then pulled away from the man as he turned and took a few steps away as he forced himself to watch his fathers or rather the man who was supposed to be his father, life story continue. He watched this Kal-El continue the fight alongside the first and second Generation of Heroes and into the third, even aligning with the second incarnation of the Dark Knight when an alien starfish as before and much like the Black Mercy, had taken his fathers body over for several years, taking over his mind and body when it took everything the 2nd Batman had, to fight off the creatures influence and save Kal and his allies.

Eventually as time passed, Kals aging had progressed as he had to step down from active duty and his place within the League, only to become a Liason with the Legion. Years after the Legions rise with Kara's admittance following shortly thereafter when several members of the League journeyed from Earths past and into the future. Kara had decided to stay when the time came to return to the past, of which did not surprise the aged Kryptonian Elder as it had happened before many years in his past.

Kal had watched from the sidelines in secret as his friends returned to their own time in the past. Eventually, it all came to a head as the skies of the Earth turned red as if on fire when suddenly, as if bathed in white flames, the Earth was destroyed.

"Wha-What happened?" Van asked.

"The Multi-Verse happened, young Van."

"Multi-...?"

"Multi-Verse. Within the Infinite expanse of what we term as the Multi-Verse, your fathers Universe was designated as Universe DC-12. The collapse of it was the beginning of what became known as the Crisis of Infinite Earths as a Maltusian, one Mar Novu, a Scientist of Earth 1's ancient period, played with powers beyond his comprehension."

"His intentions, as Scientifically Theoretical as they were, Novu wished to prove his thesis correct. The playing with those very powers resulted in the creation of his Dark Brother, The Anti-Monitor. Mobius as he called himself, was the Evil Counterpart of Novu who would go on to call himself the exact opposite of his brother, The Monitor."

"Novu's findings along with the birth of his dark counterpart, would lead to disastrous consequences of Multi-Universal proportions resulting in the loss of Billions upon billions of souls being lost from various universes within the Multi-Verse."

"It took 6 chosen paragons or chosen champions, an usurper, and a new Spirit of Vengeance to stop him, and even more when he made one final assault on the Multi-Verse reborn when 3 Earths merged to form a new one called Earth 1. The battle was not an easy one, but in the end, the Heroes of a new unified world ended him, at the cost of an ally. But even with his death, Earth 12 could not be restored, only recycled as the Multi-Verse began to re-seed itself once more."

"So my father?" Van asked as he looked up and gave the Supreme Being a look of longing hope.

"I am sorry Van, even if Universe 12 is restored, the Kal-El that you observed from your own perspective, will not be the same man. And for that, I am sorry."

As the young Kryptonian began a new bout of tears, his head hanging low, a soft set of foot falls began to be taken notice as the Presence turned and smiled. A firm hand on the boys left shoulder had him raise his head and look up, "But, despite Universe 12's version of Kal-El as you knew him being gone, he was never truly gone. His spirit had endured."

Following the Presences line of sight, Van's eyes widened as a familiar set of blue colored boots approached. The boots matched the coloring of the blue Kryptonian body suit and brown jacket that was thrown over the top of the wearers rather large frame. A golden singlet band adorned his forehead with a bit of curled strands of hair or Kenny curl resting on the band.

His eyes matching the deepest shade of blue seen upon the oceans during the morning hours upon Rao's rise.

"D-Da...Dad?!"

Taking a knee, the visage of Kal-El of Krypton opened his arms invitingly, "It's me Van. I'm here."

"Daddy." the boy shouted as he left the side of the being whom wore Jor-El's form and ran into the other mans arms.

"It's really me, son. I promised you, I never forgot."

Some time passes

Father and son, long having been reunited took some time to acclimate to the current circumstances that brought them together. It was not an easy transition when Kal had explained much to Van in the idea that despite Kal having lived a long, rewarding life, it was now Vans turn. Eventually, the boy had come to terms that everything within his life that had transpired, even if it was a lie, something miraculous had come of it.

He'd been given life. A life in which he would be the master of his own fate.

The Presence knew that the time for Van to make his own destiny on a new Earth outside of the known universes was fast approaching. New heroes would need to emerge from what he had seen of this world, where man had begun playing 'God' with the souls of the people through the use of Nano Technology.

This 'Union' as it called itself, believing that Nano Robotics Technology would be the way to Heaven, was eliminating innocent souls in the idea that there was a physical heaven through the Technology that they had created.

Already, he could sense the dark malevolence hiding behind the programmed artificial intelligence within the microscopic machines, a darkness disguised as a shining beacon of light for all of humanity to embrace. It disgusted him greatly. And so, Van-El would be the first of the chosen to stop this threat. But he would not do it alone.

As it stood, the Greater Being was searching the Multi-Verse for other capable warriors to join the fight. But as he looked and vehemently disapproved of mans ideals on this world, he looked to and observed the opposing side. Especially when his gaze focused on two of the free worlds leaders, both the Military and its just as blind partner.

The intentions of ending the wrongness that was the Union was all well and good, but the actions taken by both Col. Raquel Marin and Marc Holcroft had left him disappointed.

Innocent blood had been spilled due to their choices to act without considering the long term ramifications of their actions. And now, more sacrifices were about to be made unless a third party were to step in.

"He is ready." the voice of Kal-El brought him out of his thoughts as his eyes had been focused on a glowing blue orb, an orb that represented the Earth of this new and unexplored universe on the cusp of self destruction.

"Is he now?" With an eye raised, the Presence turned to his right as a body stepped into his vision. Wearing a blue Kryptonian suit made from a polymer only found and used on Krypton, the suits boots were white as were the cape and family Shield adorning Van-Els chest.

The belt was white with a much smaller shield as a buckle. Inside of the shield itself outside of the symbol that resembled Earth's letter 'S', was a red background on both symbols.

Even though the colors were very much different from how Kal-Els suit had been during his days as Superman, it still held the same reverence that the House of El stood for. Hope. Hope and the ideal that every person born can be a force for good, no matter the race, creed, blood, and or species.

"He knows everything that our people were capable of while under the effects of a yellow sun. There is nothing more I can teach him. All that I was, all that I knew, is his now." the proud father stated as he placed a hand upon his son's left shoulder.

"It will have to suffice. Van-El, I am sending you to a time before war breaks out between the two factions. Take this time to study and learn about this world and its people. After much consideration, I have decided that you will not be alone."

"Oh?"

"Yes," the being known as the Presence stated. Before him was a web. But not just any web. Within the web was a multitude of images. Images that showed beings of great power.

One image within the web showed a young man who ran so fast that his body radiated with the power of lightning. As he was running, he was being chased by a being in black too horrendous to describe.

Another version of Kal-El tried to stop it, but the young Speedster just wouldn't let his friend continue the fight as he finally found his courage. In making a sacrificial play by building up just enough Speed Force energy and giving it all to the thing. As both disappeared in a flash of white light, only a crater with a lightning bolt was left before the blue and black clad Kryptonian.

Neither had watched as at the moment of the explosion of power, the Deity's right hand slightly raised as the sound of a 'snap' was heard.

In another flash of light, before the aged hero and his son, that same young man and speedster, bearing short blond hair, a red sweatshirt with a white lightning bolt with black trimmings, going from one side of his chest to his opposite torso. This he wore over a black, long sleeved shirt.

His pants were black, shoes being red, black, and white high tech running shoes, and red cuffs over both wrists.

To protect his eyes from the dust, debris, bugs, etc..., he wore a pair of red sports goggles with yellow lenses. An elastic band kept them from flying off when he ran.

As he appeared as if in a bolt of lightning, he did so in a crouch. Coming to his senses rather quickly, he began hyperventilating as he looked all around him until his eyes landed on someone whom he should recognize, but seemed different somehow. Older, more...mature.

"CK?!" he queries. "Wha...What's going on?"

"You know me?" the elder Kryptonian asks.

"Like duh, dude. We're like 'hermanos', man."

"Wally?"

"Uh, actually, it's Bart. Bart Allen, you know, best-est buds."

Walking up to the much older Clark, he then then takes a moment to study the man before him before his eyes widen and he pulls his goggles up a bit. "You're not my CK, are you?"

With a solemn sigh, Clark replies that he is not. "It's a bit complicated, Bart."

"He speaks the truth, young Speedster."

Before he could ask who the oddly suited teen beside his doppleganger friend is, the voice causes him to spin around as he sees the suited up, cane-less, fellow Speedster, only the suit was all wrong. For one, though it looked like Jay Garrick and sounded like him, the jacket was all wrong.

Instead of a 3 pronged lightning bolt with the bolt going from right ab to the left shoulder, this one had a double pronged symbol. Whereas his Jay Garrick looked haggard, this one looked much, much healthier.

His winged helmet, being the only familiar attire, was under the crook of his right arm.

"Jay?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Will everybody please quit being 'cryptic' and just tell me what the Hell is going on?"he demanded in a louder and very much pleading tone.

Taking the moment to show mercy towards the young Speedster, the being that bore a similar symbol compared to his version of Clark Kents in white and blue instead of the red and yellow, the now somewhat younger Kryptonian began explaining the situation as best as he could after having introduced himself and his father.

As introductions and explanations were underway, Kal-El came to stand beside whom he could make out as his adopted father Johnathan Kent.

"So uh...who's next?"

"Take a look, Mr. Kent" the deity said as he raised his hand once more towards the web themed window. Within, many men and women of great skill and abilities began to take form, most of whom he knew just by sight, but were not of his universe as all were very different physically from how he remembered them.

But as the images came, a coy smile began to take shape.

Ok, first part of this new story is up. Either tomorrow or the next day, going to begin working on removing most of the work I did on 'Brothers of Liberty' and use even better story telling to make it work for you and myself.

I've got an idea or two on whom else to recruit such as fallen warriors of the DC Multi-verse, heroes like Cyborg from Flashpoint, Connor Hawke, the Green Arrow from New Earth and more.

If you have an idea of whom else to add on, please, do share and I will look into their individual histories and most likely add them.

And remember, we who do this, do so because times are changing. Better outlets outside of the current events that are pulling us apart as humans, are very much needed, hence writing Fanfiction.

It's safer mentally and physically and can help us vent in order to relieve stress. So be sure to be kind to one another. And remember, Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go. Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha. I made a funny, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha.

Until next time.