Son of Cadmus

Chapter 22

The entity of life drifted down through a clear blue sky. Bright golden sunlight outlined its body in a golden glow. As it came closer to the street majestic bird song became lost in the honk of car horns and the shouts of vendors.

Its feet touched down in the center of the pool before the Hall of justice, making the water ripple.

It walked across the water, each footstep causing a ripple in the liquid surface. The dark lantern swung from its left hand. Nekron's emaciated face pressed up against the glass inside the lantern, his mouth open in a soundless scream.

Stepping out of the water, the entity of life walked up the white concrete stairs. The glass doors at the top of the stairs opened up before it.

It glided across the marble floor. Its gaze locked forward. The metal doors at the end of the hall hissed open. Cool air wafted past them, wrapping around the statues lining either side of the hall.

The moment it stepped into the room beyond the door, the entire justice league turned. Their bodies tense.

Superman stepped forward, his back straight his head held high. His blue eyes locked on the newcomer, and his hands swinging loosely at his sides. He stopped a foot away from the newcomer, his long cape pooling around his ankles, the echo of his red boots dying away.

He crossed his arms over the large red S on his chest. "Who are you?"

The entity of life set down the lantern, sending it gliding across the floor with a shove of its foot. The moment it touched the toes of Superman's red boot the entity glowed. A bright light filled the room, causing all the members of the justice league but those with otherworldly powers to shield their eyes.

When the light faded, Connor and Donna stood where the entity of life was. Both stared forward. Each clasping the others hand tightly.

Superman took a step forward, his eyes raking over Connor's form. The former teenager now looked strikingly similar to the man of steel when he was in his twenties. Streaks of black decorated his pale blonde hair. A white spandex suit clung to his broadened muscular frame. Silver wristbands flashed in the light along with a matching silver S on his chest.

"Connor is that…"

The man of steel was cut off when a white and red blur shot past him. Power girl a.k.a. Galatea skidded to a stop before her son. "Connor, are you alright?"

Connor's head tilted to the side. "I am fine mother," he glanced at Donna smiling at the blonde streaks in her hair, "in fact I am better than fine."

"What does that mean?" Batman asked striding forward, his eyes narrowed behind his cowl.

"It means," Donna said, her eyes glancing over each person in the room, "that Connor and I merged together to stop Nekron."

Connor picked up from there. "We now know each other better than anyone else. During the merger, we experienced each other's lives as if we were the one living them."

Releasing Connor's hand, Donna stepped farther into the room. "Not only that, but during the merger we also gained a greater connection to every living being in our universe and beyond."

Batman's hands drifted to his yellow utility belt. He idly fingered one of the pockets. "It sounds like you've become an even greater threat than you were before."

The now twenty-year-old woman crossed her arms behind her back and inclined her head ever so slightly. "One could look at it that way yes."

Wonder woman took a step forward, her eyes taking in Donna's skintight white spandex uniform that now hugged mature curves.

After taking in the silver embroidered white boots adorning her feet, the Amazon's eyes locked onto the overlapping silver W over her expanded chest. "One could see it that way, but you're not a threat are you?"

Raising her hand, Donna fingered a silver earring in the shape of the sun while glancing back at Connor. "No, we have just received a higher calling than protecting the earth."

Rising from his formfitting chair, John Stuart strode past the large computer on his left. Ignoring the bright light shining into his eyes from the large windows on his right, he stopped beside Batman. "And what is this greater calling?"

"Keeping the balance between life and death throughout the universe," Connor said stepping up beside Donna.

Shiera snorted from beside her son at a table in the center of the room. "I would say that's greater than protecting the earth."

"So would I," said a female voice with a British accent.

The justice league turned. A teenage girl leaned against the large computer in the center of the room. Her coal black eyes glanced at everybody. She pushed off the computer her pale white arms swinging at her sides as she swayed forward. Her black high heels clicked on the floor as she closed the distance between her and the group of superheroes.

"Who are you?" Batman asked a Batarang balanced between his fingers.

The British girl turned, the tips of her dark hair brushing her shoulders. Her red lips turned upwards in a smile. She inhaled, the nostrils of her petite nose flaring.

She stepped forward.

Unwittingly, every man's eyes went to the shapely legs squeezed into a pair of formfitting elastic pants.

The sweet scent of lilies followed her as she moved. Reminding everyone in the room of someone they had lost in the past. Images of rainy or sunny days standing beside a graveside as Amazing Grace was sung filled their minds

She ran a slender hand down Batman's cheek. "I remember you, Thomas and Martha Wayne's boy. So sad for what happened to them in that alley."

She shook her head, regret glimmering in her eyes. "I wish I could've let your mother stay a little longer, maybe that would've helped you solve some of these issues you have. Unfortunately, her body was too badly damaged. I had to take her."

Batman jerked backwards, raising his Batarang. "Who are you?"

Connor and Donna took a step forward bowing their heads. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Death," Connor said.

"But we have to ask," Donna continued, "Why are you here?"

Death turned away from the dark Knight. Her black eyes locked on to the Ebony colored lantern in the middle of the room. "I'm here," she said walking across the room, "to punish one of my underlings for getting too big for his station."

Picking up the black lantern, Death stared into the glass.

For the first time since he had been imprisoned, Nekron drew back from the glass hiding himself deeper in his prison.

Death chuckled, a soft melodious sound that sent shivers down everyone's spine. "You can't hide from me little death. This is the second time you've tried to rise above your station, and this time there will be punishment."

Turning back to the justice league, Death's dark eyes scanned the room. They locked on to Eve Eden and Richard Swift hiding in one corner. She glided forward, her high heels barely touching the floor. For a long moment, she stared at the two shadow users.

"You two will do."

She thrust the lantern forward. Tendrils of purple energy exploded from the glass facing, wrapping around the two within a moment.

The recessed lighting in the ceiling of the Hall of justice flickered before going out, casting the room in semidarkness. The only light came from the large square segmented windows making up one side of the room and the purple cocoon now encasing the two shadow users.

The Flash cleared his throat. "Um, what did you do?"

Lowering the lantern, Death turned to face the justice league. "I made Eve Eden and Richard Swift like them." She gestured to Connor and Donna.

Galatea step forward worry leaking into her voice. "What do you mean? What are Connor and Donna?"

A light smile twitched Death's lips. "Thanks to the manipulations of Captain Atom and the Fates this world's Donna and Connor were destined from birth to become the new life entity to stop Nekron from completing his goal." She glanced at Donna and Connor. "Thank you for that by the way. That would've been a real mess to clean up."

She looked back at the purple cocoon. "I did something similar. I split the power of Nekron between Eve Eden and Richard Swift making them the new Nekron, the new embodiment of death throughout the universe."

"How do you know they can be trusted with that kind of power?" The dark Knight asked as the lights flickered back on.

"I don't, so I'll watch them for a while, but I honestly don't see any problems. As long as they have each other both will be fine, and now neither one can die."

She looked at Connor and Donna. "Well except by the hands of those two, but I don't think they're planning to kill Richard or Eve, are you?"

Connor shook his head. "No, this actually makes our job easier. Captain Atom and the Fates told us that we would be responsible for keeping the balance by making sure that no one violated the laws of nature."

Donna picked up where Connor left off. "With those two as the new death entities we can work together keeping the balance between life and death, and easing each other's burdens."

Death nodded, "As it should be."

The purple cocoon shattered, Eve Eden stepped out of it, a long floor length black gown pooling around her feet hiding most of her pale body. The cross cut into the center of the dress showed off quite a bit of cleavage, but Eve didn't seem to mind.

Her red irises surveyed the room, letting everyone get a good look at the glowing bright purple pupil. She stepped forward, high hills hidden beneath her dress clicking on the floor. Bracelets of silver bones glittered on her wrist.

She stopped before Death her wavy black hair falling down her back, hiding the X cut into the back of her dress. "What happened to us?" She asked in a whisper, "I feel the death throughout the universe."

"I have made you the new entities of death as punishment for freeing Nekron."

"Will we still be able to be together?" Richard asked walking forward to stand beside Eve. He was still dressed in his 18th-century suit, but he too had red eyes with a glowing bright purple pupil. A cane made of silver human femur bones and topped with a miniature skull was clutched in his right hand.

Reaching forward, Death straightened Richard's bowtie. "Of course, I wouldn't have split the power between you if you weren't meant to be together."

"However," she held up the lantern. "Before we go our separate ways I would like to give you entities of the universal spectrum a warning." She reached through the glass of the lantern, causing it to ripple like water. Drawing her hand back, she pulled the shrunken spirit of Nekron, which was now the size of a slug out of the lantern.

Popping it into her mouth, Death swallowed.

Everyone in the room stared at her, unable to believe she had just eaten one of the most powerful entities in the universe.

Flashing them a smile of perfect white teeth, Death started walking, fading away with each step. "Let that be a lesson to you on what happens if you don't behave yourselves."

Epilogue

Supergirl and Power Girl stood on the observation deck of the newly created watchtower. Their arms were folded behind their backs and their light blue eyes locked on to the darkness of space.

Power girl took a lung full of recirculated air and let it out, causing her impressive chest to rise and fall. "It's hard to believe it's been four years since Connor and Donna left earth."

A light smirk twisted Supergirl's pale pink lips. "It would be more believable if we kryptonians aged at a regular rate."

Power Girl snorted. "True enough." She glanced at her Gene donor/sister. "Do you think they're okay?"

"Definitely, I mean after all," she gestured around her, "we had to build this second watchtower because of the heroes they inspired."

Power Girl inclined her head. "You're right. I just wish they would come home. Four years is a long time to not see your son."

Supergirl slipped a hand onto Power Girl's shoulder and gently turned her to face her. "Then let's tell him that. Our boy is connected to all life in the universe. Through that connection we should be able to reach out to him and tell him that his mother's want him home."

"You know what?" Power Girl began, a smile spreading across her red lips, "You're right. It's time our boy came home."

–XX –

Nightwing soared through the air, the blue fire roaring out of his jet boots echoing in his ears. The salty pungent smell of his sweat filled his helmet. He looked through its glowing blue eyeholes. Glowing green numbers filled them, showing him the speed and weight of the eighteen-wheeler below.

"I'm coming your way. The truck's going one hundred miles an hour with a load of over three thousand pounds."

"I'm on it," Artemis's voice said in his ear.

Harley Quinn poked her head out of the truck window, her pale blonde pigtails flowing behind her in the wind.

Artemis stepped in front of the big rig. She ground her dark green boots into the asphalt. Her fingerless dark green gloves squeaked as she clenched her hands. Thrusting her hands forward, tendrils of air exploded from her palms.

They snaked under the car, grabbing each tire with enough force to freeze them in place.

The sound of squealing tires echoed off the tall buildings lining either side of the street. Pale smoke filled the air. The scent of burning tires wafted into storefronts, sending the people inside running out coughing.

The truck lurched forward, its trailer flying upwards.

With a sonic boom, Nightwing shot around the trailer. Bending his legs, the eighteen-year-old superhero angled his boots to give him some leverage. Angling his shoulder into the trailer, over two thousand pounds of metal slammed into him, the weight driving him through the air.

Red lights began to blink inside his helmet, showing him that he exceeded the armor strength limits. With a thought than spiderlike arms rose out of the lower back and shoulders of his armor. Rearing back, they stabbed into the trailer, adding a screech of metal to the cacophony of noise.

Slamming his hands into the trailer, Nightwing pushed hard. "Release safety protocols and divert all power to the boosters."

Flames the size of wooden barrels exploded from the boots.

Nightwing's body lurched forward, driving the trailer down. It slammed into the ground. Its tires exploded off its frame going in all directions.

Walls of air came down in front of storefronts, deflecting the rubber missiles away.

Nightwing floated to the ground his shoulders slumped forward.

The costume teen touched down. His chest heaving as he leaned against the destroyed trailer catching his breath.

Artemis sauntered towards him.

Harley opened the door ready to hop out and run for it.

Artemis raised her hand. Air flew from Harley's lungs. The pale woman grabbed her throat struggling to breathe. Within moments, she was on the ground unconscious.

Releasing the air, Artemis continued forward as Harleys chest began to rise and fall.

"You okay?"

Nightwing's mask split open like a clamshell, revealing his sweaty face with dark hair matted to his forehead. "I'm fine."

"Good," Artemis leaned forward planting her lips on Nightwing's.

Nightwing's eyes widened for a moment. He then slipped his arms around her, pulling her close. He deepened the kiss.

The sound of sirens pulling up broke them apart.

"What was that?" Nightwing asked a little breathless.

"I got tired of waiting for you to make a move. Now, take me out to dinner."

"There's a good restaurant off of Lexington and forth, race you there?"

In answer Artemis shot into the air, a tornado of wind spinning around her legs, her long blonde hair flying behind her like a parade ribbon.

As his helmet closed over his head, Nightwing smirked. A burst of blue fire from his jet boots launched him into the air.

–XX –

On the other side of Metropolis, an apartment building burned, casting black smoke into the sky.

A woman rose out of the water of a nearby lake, droplets sliding down her white hair. Her sea green eyes locked onto the building a she raised her slender tan arms. Jets of water shot out of the lake, bending in an L shape about five feet out of the water.

Moving her dainty fingers, her pointed nails flashing in the light, the young girl guided the water into the windows of the building. Steam gushed out of the windows as the fire was doused, but the scent of charred wood still hung heavy in the air.

Turning her body the white haired teen glanced over her shoulder. "Alright War Hawk you're up."

Rex tucked his wings behind him and dived downward. He smashed through a charred window, sending glass spreading across blackened carpet.

The smell of charred things filled his nose and the sound of creaking wood breaking off and falling to the ground a floor below filled his ears.

Ignoring the screams of the woman inside the room, he wrapped his muscular arms around her and her son pulling them against his broad chest.

Hovering in the middle of the room, his gray wings creating a small wind around him, the Thanagarian hybrid stretched out his senses.

Tendrils of green energy wafted off his body. They reached throughout the apartment grabbing anyone hiding in the room and wrapping them in a translucent bright green bubble.

When he sensed no more life signs in that part of the building he shot out the window, broken glass raining down to the streets below. Translucent green bubbles flying out the window behind him, connected to his body by glowing green chains.

"Alright, Flash you're up. Get the rest of them out the building's coming down."

The Flash a.k.a. Wally West hunched forward bending his knees. In the blink of an eye he was gone, blue lightning trailing behind him. He zoomed up the building disappearing inside apartments then reappearing with people in his arms.

In moments, the building was covered in red blurs. Families began to appear outside the building, first in fives than in tens. Pretty soon almost a hundred people surrounded the building.

Finally, the Flash skidded to a stop. He hunched over, his hands on his knees. Breath exploded out of his mouth and blue lightning danced around his body. Regaining his breath, he stood up straight. "Everybody stand clear, the buildings coming down."

No sooner had The Flash finish speaking the building crumbled to the ground. The sound of bricks hitting the ground and glass breaking reverberated through the air.

Leaning back on his heels, The Flash looked at the crumpled building. "Too bad we couldn't save the building, but I'm glad we got all the people out."

"Can I quote you on that?"

The Flash turned.

A woman with tan skin, short dark hair, and dark gray eyes stood beside him. A pin and paper in her hands. Flash's eyes scanned her body taking in her pink sweatshirt with the white MU embroidered on it. His eyes moved to her knee-high jeans and gray tennis shoes with red laces.

Shaking his head, he stared into her dark gray eyes. "You can quote me on that. If you let me take you out to dinner, miss?"

"Linda Park," the woman said offering her hand.

Slowly, The Flash gently took her hand. Her jasmine scented perfume tickled his nose. "Well Linda, do we have a deal."

Stowing her pen and notepad in the pocket of her sweatshirt, Linda wrapped her arm around the Flash's. "I know this great little Italian place about a block from here."

She glanced up and down his red spandex suit. "However, I think you might be overdressed."

Concentrating, Wally's red spandex transformed into a red T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans with red and white sneakers adorning his feet. He looked at her a white domino mask covering his twinkling eyes.

"Lead the way."

Linda raised an eyebrow, but pulled him down the street.

Rex watched Wally walk away with the reporter. "I don't know how he does it?"

The girl from the lake tucked a strand of white hair behind her ear. "Some girls like confident guys."

Rex glanced at her, admiring the dark green one piece bathing suit accentuating her curves. "So Aqua girl," she glanced at him, "I mean Aurora. Would you like to get a bite to eat?"

Water flowed up her body, forming into the shape of an elegant floor length gown. With a gesture it solidified becoming a gown that was dark green in color. A string of pearls adorned her wrists and neck and black pearls glinted in her ears.

Rex stared at her suddenly feeling very underdressed.

Water rose underneath her, bringing her to the same height as Rex. Wrapping a tan arm through his she looked up at him her pale white ponytail hanging over one shoulder. "We can go anywhere that doesn't serve seafood. I get enough of that at home."

Nodding dumbly, the Thanagarian hybrid wrapped his arm around her waist. With the beat of his mighty gray wings, Rex and his new date shot into the air.

–XX –

Lois Lane Kent sat on the back porch of the newly painted white Kent farm house her hands resting over her protruding belly. Her long brown hair floated behind her in the wind as she watched the golden stocks littering the cornfield sway back and forth.

Suddenly, a red, blue, and black blur zoomed by the house, causing the dark blue shutters to slam against the white siding.

Rising to her feet, Lois planted her hands on her hips. "John Lane Kent, you slow down right now!"

A four-year-old boy blurred into existence before her, sending papers on a nearby table flying. His dark hair was plastered to the back of his head, but his light blue eyes locked on to his mother with a brilliant sparkle that only children have. "Sorry mom."

Air escaping past her lips, Lois knelt down and placed her hands on her son's shoulders. "It's okay John," she said softly brushing down his dark hair. "You just have to be careful when you use your powers. We don't want anyone to see you, now do we?"

"No mom."

Leaning forward the pregnant mother placed a kiss on her son's forehead. "Good boy, now let's get you washed up for dinner."

Climbing to her feet, the famous reporter inhaled sharply, grabbing her stomach with a wince.

"Mom, are you okay?"

Lois flashed her son an uncomfortable smile. "I'm fine. Little Lucy just wanted to play soccer with my bladder."

John glared at his mother's stomach, "Lucy, you shouldn't play soccer with mommy's bladder." He scolded shaking his finger at her protruding belly.

Rich female laughter echoed from the porch, causing Superman to smile as he drifted down to the ground, his long cape swaying behind him in the wind.

–XX –

Donna and Connor floated above the earth.

Donna's long white gown flowed around her in the vacuum of space.

Connor straightened his dark brown blazer and smoothed out his white T-shirt before shoving his hands deep into his jeans pockets. "You ready to go home?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little nervous about how everyone will react." Her eyes drifted down to the bundle cradled in her arms, a tuft of dirty blonde hair poking out from beneath the pure white blanket.

Donna raised a hand, brushing back the blanket, revealing a small chubby tan face.

A pair of innocent light blue eyes blinked open and a gummy smile spread across the baby's chubby cheeks.

Donna ran her hand down the baby's cheek. The silver diamond ring adorning it flashed in the light of the nearby stars. "How are you this morning my little Alec?" She cooed.

Connor shook his head while running a hand through his dirty blonde hair. The golden ring adorning his hand shone in the light of the rising sun. "I'm still not sure about naming our son Achilles."

"It's a fine name for a great and noble warrior."

"Yeah, but it's a little outdated."

"Well let's go see what the others have to say." With that the female entity of life dropped into the earth's atmosphere, her son's squeals of delight filling his father's ears, making him smile.

With a shake of his head, Connor dropped after them. He may not know what the future holds, but as long as he has his family by his side he could take on anything.

The End

Author Note – To all of you who have followed this story to the end I have a question. Do you think I could write professionally?