Chapter 12-Epilogue

Superman looked down from the Watchtower satellite at the world he swore to protect with every fiber of his being and sighed heavily at the fact that roughly 10 years had gone by since his fight with Doomsday. 10 years had come and gone since meeting Princess Diana of the Amazons with no memory of his life before getting it all back during his second fight with the monster that nearly killed him.

Hard to believe all things considering.

Another thing to consider was the fact that Lex Luthor had been busy using Clark's near death experience in cloning the surrogate son of the Earth with the blood taken from the battle with Doomsday and trying to bend the copy to his sadistic whims. Not that it had worked mind you, as the clone of Superman while having a sense of duty to the people, did not embrace the originals sense of not killing the criminals, and had made quite the mess. The clone destroyed the tanks containing his future brothers before directing his attack on Luthor, who tried to kill the clone with a kryptonite shard wrapped in lead in his skull, and was surprised to see it had been removed before hand after the clone figured out Luthor's ace in the hole.

Even now, Luthor had to walk with a cane due to the serious condition the fake Man of Steel left the billionaire business tycoon in, and it didn't help that the man was in prison for his actions. As for the clone of Superman, he along with the original had fought it out for the right to be one of the guardian of Metropolis, and it was only due to the training on Themyscira with Diana that the real Superman had been able to gain the advantage in taking down the clone by hitting the capsule from the kryptonite gun with his heat vision. The capsule had exploded with the poison substance being gas and consumed the clone's body before he fell to the ground dead.

The people were confused by all of this at first, as they didn't know how take this strange development, but when the truth got out, the overall city populous welcomed the real Superman back, and Clark felt it was good to be back. He was once more the symbol of light in their world, as Superman was always meant to be, and brought out the decency in the people like his Father on Krypton believed they possessed.

One of the more difficult aspects of returning however, was dealing with Lois Lane, who apparently was having seconds thoughts when she believed him to be dead, and wanted to restart their relationship again. But Clark couldn't do it, as he told Lois since she was the one that called it off, her voice yelling at him in their last fight, and her hand slapping him in the face that was the nail on the coffin that was their relationship.

In short, Clark told Lois that she couldn't undo her actions, and that there was nothing for them in terms of a romantic relationship. Something of Lois's own doing, which Clark saw the woman wanted to deny despite the obvious truth, and once more yelled at him for being difficult with her. Clark had told Lois that he was not the one being difficult and that he wasn't going to return to a relationship that had no foundation to grow on.

If that weren't enough, Lois went off on him again with that infamous Lane temper she inherited from her two star General of a Father Sam Lane, and was not a figure that thought highly of the Man of Steel. Clark remembered several business dinners he had where Lois had brought her Father when he was in town and the not so good General had expressed disdainful views on Superman along with every other super powered being in the United States not under the country's thumb. The General felt that if you were not born human and from this planet then you're a threat to the human race that should be destroyed if not controlled with the use of handlers.

Clark had to be discreet each time he had to leave since each time such a topic came up, the Last Son of Krypton had felt sick to his stomach, and lost his appetite to eat in the same room as the General. The only reason Clark ever tolerated Lois's Father from the beginning was because of Lois herself when their relationship first started out in being something great.

Now however, Lois had that same look on her face the General did when Superman was brought up, and it was clear the woman even now felt scorned by him. Lois tried to make Clark see things from her point of view, but the Man of Steel couldn't see it from Lois's view because her view was wrong, and the ace reporter just couldn't see that.

After that, the only time Clark ever saw Lois was at the Daily Planet in his mild manner news reporter persona, and even then it was only for five more years before retiring to become an author. Perry White had begged him, almost literally from the look of panic in the older man's eyes when Clark told him the news, and offered a bigger desk if he were to reconsider.

Sadly, Clark turned it down saying his life was taking a different turn away from the life of a reporter, and wished to achieve his dream of being a greater author. Perry respected his decision, even if it was painful in the Daily Planet Editor's mind, and wished Clark the best of luck in his work with the promise of a signed copy from the author when the book was first published.

Clark made sure Perry got the very first book with his personal signature included inside before all the others hit the shelves.

By that point, Clark in his superhero life had met up with some of more distinguished heroes of the world that he knew, and presented them with the idea of forming the Justice League. That by uniting together they could perform an even greater good to the world and beyond like the Green Lantern Corp. did throughout the Universe.

Hal Jordan, who was the Green Lantern patrolling this sector of the Galaxy for the Green Lantern Corp. thought it would be great, as his membership into the League would allow an alliance to be created between the two organizations, and also get around some red tape for this sector of the Galaxy the Earth was in. The Flash, who was surprised to be even involved in this was willing to give it a shot though Clark suspected one of the reasons why the wise cracking speedster wanted to join was to date various female superheroes that would join. Batman had been reluctant to embrace this idea, given the fact his desire to stick to the shadows of the world, and battling his own foes in Gotham with the help of his own surrogate family. However, the Dark Knight knew a noble cause when he saw it, and decided to be a part of the League if only officially being just a part-timer while a secretly key financial backer for the Watchtower space station. Another key addition was the recent arrival of the Martian Manhunter J'onn J'onzz, who had left his world on Mars to worn the world of a soon to be alien invasion by the White Martians, and prevent the Earth from becoming what his planet had at the invader's hands.

Fortunately, by this point in the Manhunter's arrival, the League was getting support from various superheroes eager to join with one such person being a Thanagarian by the name of Shayera Hol, and had experience in the ways of law enforcement on her planet. She was more then willing to join the Justice League to let her talents be put to use against the criminals in the world.

Then there was Diana.

Shortly, before the Amazon Princess's arrival into the world, the Justice League had been formed, and the White Martians had invaded the Earth. The timing of the invasion could not have happened at a poorer time for Clark, as it prevent him at the time from making the official offer to Diana of joining the Justice League, and be one of its key members. However, it was no doubt for the best in the end, as Diana was already busy with all of her Ambassador duties to the world, and the White Martians invading had delayed the mission sent to her by the Gods on Mount Olympus by all the damage they caused when it was over.

Fortunately, it didn't stop the two from meeting each other, as Diana had officially wished to speak with him, and the people believing that it was due to her Amazon heritage that she released to the public. Many speculated that Diana was interested in the Man of Steel because she was curious about him due to his abilities, as well as getting to know him better considering how men were questionable in the eyes of the Amazon people, and their history with the world in order to see if he was different from what they've known.

Unofficially, the two met in secret under their human disguises to avoid the press from learning of their relationship, and further fueling their speculation. It wasn't hard since Clark already had his disguise in being a mild mannered man and Diana simply did the same though in the Kryptonian's eyes the outfits she wore still showed she had quite the impressive figure.

"You seem distracted," said Diana in her Wonder Woman attire, as she walked up behind him, and wrapped her right arm around his waist.

"I am. I was actually just thinking about us. How we met. It's almost hard to imagine after 10 years that it feels like just yesterday, I crashed right on your island, and without any of my memories with your Amazon Sisters swords at the ready to strike me down the very second I looked at them wrong," said Clark, as he saw her smile at that, and put her head on his well muscled shoulder.

"I feel the same way. Do you remember when I told my Mother we were courting in this world a few years after I joined the League to be one of its key members on the Council? The face she made when I told her that we were lovers connected in every sense of the word even before you left the island?" said Diana, as her smile grew, and so did Clark's at the memory.

"How could I forget?! I could see the way your Mother looked at me when you made that little announcement in private when she came to visit via the Embassy. I thought she was going to draw her sword and take my head off if not something else for that," said Clark, as he heard Diana laugh, and wrapped her other hand around him.

"Your own Mother was more supportive of the idea of us being together," said Diana, as she knew Martha Kent was always proud of her son for doing what he did, and even more now in finding that "special someone" in his life he could share it with.

Eventually, the two Mothers had decided to meet each other in secret at the Kent farm to see what the other was like, and Diana was slightly surprised that Martha Kent was not intimated in the slightest by the Amazon Queen. Though if anyone was more surprised by Martha Kent's unbending strength, it was the Amazon Queen herself, and the fact that man Diana was courting had come from such a place like a simple farm.

As it turned out, the two had quite a few things in common, as neither had the ability to have natural born children, and had prayed to their own respected God(s) for a child to call their own. For Martha, to have Clark after the ability to conceive children had failed was a gift from the heavens, and loved the boy from the moment she laid eyes on him. The same could be said for Queen Hippolyta, as years of being Immortal had left her desiring the one thing above all else a woman of her status could want, and was granted life to a child she herself had molded from clay that she loved from the moment Diana stared into her with living blue eyes. Both had raised their children to work hard for everything they did, as Diana had worked the stables on the island to have her own horse, and Clark had done daily chores in the early morning to understand the principles behind a hard days work.

Of course, the paths the two superheroes walked when growing up were just as different due to their upbringings with Diana learning at an early age to fight like a warrior, and Clark using his powers to protect others when such abilities manifested themselves in his early teens. Both Martha and Jonathan had told Clark to not openly use his powers due to the outside world hunting him while Hippolyta only encouraged Diana to use hers since the island was protected by the Gods without fear of any attack on it from outsiders. Even if there were, Diana's abilities would give her the edge against the enemy, and that was what Hippolyta wanted to happen during her daughter's combat training.

Still, the two Mothers had come to respect each other in regards to raising their children, and felt some form of kinship between them in terms of being parents.

"Yeah. I think we have her to thank for getting your Mother's blessing in continuing this relationship too," said Clark, as he easily noticed how the Amazon Queen had softened her gaze slightly when looking at him, and told him that Diana had chosen well in being with the Man of Steel.

"Not that we would have needed her blessing," said Diana, as she knew that even if the Queen said no to the relationship, the two still would have defied her, and just kept going through with what they were doing.

"True. All the same I'm also very glad we have it, and I don't need to constantly look over my shoulder for the army of Amazons with magical weapons trying to kill me led by your Mother," said Clark, as he got a slap to his chest, but the warm chuckle from the Amazon Princess told him that Diana understood that he was joking at the last part, and was glad that there were no Amazons chasing them too.

"Your Mother is also hoping for Grandchildren soon," said Diana, as she had actually spoke to Clark's Mother last week in her Diana Prince disguise, and the elderly woman seemed to be half expecting the Amazon Princess to be pregnant by now.

"That tends to happen when someone my Mother's age attends the wedding of her son that took place roughly two years ago and fully expects the married pair to have a healthy relationship in the area of reproduction," said Clark, as he had been married to Diana for two years now give or take a few Months, and his Mother knew that their honeymoon had no doubt tested the strength of his bed when they were together.

"And it has been a very healthy relationship from my point of view. She'll be surprised to know that her prayers have finally been answered," said Diana, as she kissed Clark on the lips, and the Man of Steel returned it.

"We also have to tell your Mother the news too," said Clark, as he knew that would be an interesting moment in his life, and hoped it would be joyous.

"I know she'll be thrilled," said Diana, as she visited her Mother not that long ago, and Queen had asked when she should be expecting Grandchildren.

"Any word about Artemis?" said Clark, as he saw Diana's smile lessen slightly, and hated that such a sore subject being spoken after talking about something so great as children.

Still, it had to be done.

After Clark had left with Diana to see his Mother, the Bana Queen had been given all the names of all the Bana Amazons, who followed Artemis in her attempt to kill Clark during the battle with Doomsday, and Artemis herself had been brought before the Bana Queen to face punishment. The Bana Amazons with the exception of Artemis had accepted that what they had done was wrong and were surprised when told that the man they had tried to kill had asked they be shown mercy for their actions. Artemis however, was not so pleased by it, as she considered it a way to shame the Amazons by holding it over their heads, and eventually use it to force them once again into submission in the no too distant future. If anything, Artemis was proud of her actions, and did not care what punishment was handed down by the Bana Queen.

However, what Artemis did not expect was Queen Anahid would have her exiled from Themyscira, and only would the Bana Amazon be allowed back on the island should she feel repentant for her actions. Since then, Batman had been keeping tabs on Artemis's movements after Diana told Clark about it, and asked the Dark Knight to have his sources of information keep an eye on her. The last thing Clark wanted was for anything bad to happen to Artemis or the redheaded Amazon to go to the side that opposed the Justice League out of spite against Diana.

"Bruce told me my exiled Sister is somewhere in Europe. It's been rumored Artemis has hired herself out to be a mercenary like the Bana have done before they came back to Themyscira ages ago. She apparently only takes on female clients, who come to her with problems regarding men, and want said men removed from their lives," said Diana, as she felt hurt that Artemis would take such a path, and Clark held her closer when he saw her face reflecting it in the space station's window.

"Even if the woman is the bad one in the marriage or relationship?" said Clark, as he had known of women killing their husbands for life insurance money, the money that was left behind in Wills, and other aspects that the Man of Steel didn't want to think about.

"Unfortunately, Artemis believes all men in marriages are the enemy, and has no problem removing them from this world on behalf of the client who hires her," said Diana, as she let out a sigh, and felt comfort in Clark's arms.

"Don't worry Diana. One day, Artemis will see what she's doing is wrong, and rejoin your Amazon Sisters on Themyscira again one day," said Clark, as he wanted to be optimistic in regards to Artemis, but it was hard to do considering the Bana Amazon had such hate in her, and wasn't going to let it go anytime soon.

"I look forward to that day," said Diana letting out a sigh when Clark kissed her temple.

"I love you Diana Kent," said Clark into her hair so only she could hear it.

"And I love you Clark Kent," said Diana, as she kissed him now, and on the lips with their reflection showing on the window where the Earth rotated before them.

FIN

(A/N: YAY! I finished! I hope you liked it. JustBFree also took up this challenge too so read that one if you haven't already. Until next time...PEACE!!!)