Chapter Eight:

Sanctuary

After he'd set down the 747 down at the McNally Farm and left its occupants to the tender mercies of local authorities, Clark headed back to the Luthor Mansion. Despite his anger at what Valerie had done to the plane, Clark wasn't ready to write her off although he would be re-evaluating how he'd approach her. It was clear that Valerie couldn't be reasoned with but he was not the kid he'd been when they'd first met. These days, Superman had resources that Clark Kent didn't and he firmly believed that there was help to be found for Valerie.

Dr. Emil Hamilton who worked for Oliver Queen was an authority on the 'Meteor Generation' and then some. Emil often aided Clark and Oliver when they'd encountered something they couldn't understand and helped them to navigate the science of the threat involved to bring a bloodless end to many confrontations. Clark hoped that Emil would be able apply that formidable intellect to helping Valerie. However, first, he had to find her.

Arriving at the Luthor Mansion, a quick survey of the area told Clark that the trio was nowhere to be seen. With the technology at their disposal, they could be anywhere. However, he sensed they weren't gone. They wanted the ship and its occupant. Lex knew about one but not another and if he knew the billionaire at all, Lex would be spiriting Lana their child as far away from here as possible. Whatever else difference Clark had with Lex, even with the man's impaired memory, Clark did not underestimate Lex's love for Lana. He'd seen what the man was willing to do to win Lana's heart and knew with certainty that Lex would keep her and Laura safe.

Upon realising that there was nothing to be found at the Luthor Mansion, Clark returned to the farm, aware that he probably owed Lois an explanation for his abrupt departure.

Dawn had broken over the horizon when he flew back to the farm and found Lois sitting at the kitchen table, in her pyjamas watching the news, nursing a cup of coffee in her hands. After changing out of the suit into his everyday clothing, he head down the stairs, taking a moment to check on Kara and his mother. He found Martha asleep on Kara's bed, with the young girl lying against her breast fast asleep, clinging to his mother like he had as a child. Smiling to himself because he knew Kara was in good hands, Clark continued down the stairs to join Lois down stairs.

".....Flight 217...Lowell County, Kansas...." the television continued to drone when Clark reached the kitchen.

"Smallville!" Lois jumped to her feet and met him halfway with a hug. Logically, Lois knew there wasn't much that could hurt Clark but she still worried about him, especially when the news report indicated he'd been wrestling with a 747. “Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he smiled; enjoying her body pressed against his and took the opportunity to steal a tender kiss. "Not scratch, which is more than I can say for those poor people," he indicated the television set.

"What happened?" She asked tugging him by the hand to the table when she'd disengaged herself from his embrace.

Clark stiffened, remembering Valerie and said sedately to Lois, "Lois sit down."

His tone immediately put her on guard. "What is it?" She insisted.

Clark didn't answer immediately, getting himself a cup of coffee first before sitting down at the table. Lois sat across him and waited, her posture ramrod straight as if bracing herself for the terrible news he was about to inflict on her.

"I saw Valerie."

Lois knew immediately which Valerie.

It took a few seconds for it to sink in and then she blinked, letting a flood of images sweep over her like a tidal wave. Lois remembered the girl she had found in that diner on the edge of Metropolis six years ago. Frightened and on the run from the DeSaad Corporation who had been responsible for her formidable sonic cry, Lois had brought Valerie into their lives without realising the danger she posed to Clark. DeSaad, the corporate face of an alien power, had discovered Clark’s secret and became determined to acquire a Kryptonian. Seeking to neutralise Clark for easier handling, DeSaad had stripped Clark of all his powers. Fortunately, it had only been a temporary loss but Lois had blamed herself for them ever getting that close to him.

With Bruce's help, they'd barely managed to escape the affair in one piece but despite their defeat of DeSaad, they'd failed to save Valerie. She'd been taken away into an alien dimension, beyond their reach. It was easy to forget that she'd ever existed. There had been so many things that had come and gone since those days. People had come and gone, lives that changed irrevocably and Valerie became one of those names that were forgotten with time.

"Where?"

"At the mansion," Clark explained, reading the flickers in Lois' eyes. Of all of them, it was Lois who had taken Valerie's loss the hardest. Lois had an even harder time with surrender than him. Clark was aware Lois harboured guilt at not only being unable to help Valerie but what had happened to him because of it. "She was there with two other women, aliens I'm sure. They were trying to get the location of Kara's ship."

"And Valerie?" Lois asked impatiently, "did she recognise you?"

"No," Clark shook his head, remembering the plane. "I doubt it. I tried to reach her but they were threatening Laura and Lana, I had to get them out of there."

"Oh god," her hand flew to her mouth, remembering Lana’s little girl with her love of Pingu the Penguin, pink doughnuts and all things Barney. "Are they..."

"They're fine," Clark assured her, "I got to Smallville Medical but knowing Lex, he's probably got them heading out of town by now."

"Good," Lois said with relief. "What did they want with the ship?"

Clark didn't speak but his gaze shifted to the ceiling.

Lois caught on quickly. "Oh hell," she exclaimed. "We've got to get here out of here. She won't be safe."

"Valerie doesn't remember us," Clark said quickly but then he remembered Valerie’s uncertainty. He couldn't be sure that he hadn't inadvertently unlocked any memories and if those memories came back, would they lead her here?

"Not just here Clark," Lois reminded. She might remember Bruce and Wayne Manor as well.

He'd intended to take Kara to the Fortress for a while but Lois reminder indicated that Bruce could be vulnerable too. While he had no doubt Batman could take care of himself but after last night's news, Bruce had a young boy under his care.

"I'll go see him," Clark said standing up, "tell my mom what's happening. I won't be long."

*******

The morning had been a busy one for Bruce. All it had taken to have Dick's stay at the Manor extended was a call to the Mayor. The Wayne Foundation had granted a great many favours since his return to Gotham and this morning, Bruce had called in one of those markers. He didn't want Dick being shunted to any foster home one day after his parents' death. The call to the Mayor had been followed by a call to a friendly judge and it was done. Dick had been placed in his temporary for the time being. And if the boy wanted it, Bruce would make the situation permanent.

What surprised Bruce most about this as he sat at the table in the large kitchen at the Manor, nursing his coffee was organic this all felt to him. At no point did Bruce have any halting thoughts as to the impact this would have on his current existence. There had only been one other time that he took such a personal leap of faith against his carefully constructed lifestyle; and that was when he had met Chloe. When he'd met her, he'd just returned to Gotham, the shape of the Bat had yet to become fully realised in his thoughts. She'd smiled her breezy warm smile, shining light into his darkened soul and he was lost. Even now, with Diana, nothing could compare to how she'd made him feel, how much hers he wanted to be.

The intensity of his concern for Dick achieved that level of epiphany and he knew he’d reached some kind of watershed moment. For the first time, the road ahead was unclear because he knew that even if Dick chose to remain indefinitely, he’d have to make adjustments to his current lifestyle. As it was, he hadn’t been able to review the crime scene because leaving the manor last night would have been unconscionable.

The boy had slept through the night but Bruce had checked on him, cracking the door open wide enough to hear the soft, tearful whimpers into a tear stained pillow. It kept Bruce bound to the promise he had made to be there for Dick when he was needed

“He’s still asleep Master Bruce,” Alfred announced when he entered the kitchen, carrying the morning paper.

“Good,” Bruce nodded, “he slept through but I doubt it was a restful sleep. Let him stay in bed for as long as he needs.”

Alfred nodded and went about the business of making breakfast, not bothering to ask Bruce whether he wanted it or not because it was a foregone conclusion that he did.

“I’ve spoken to the Mayor,” Bruce said tentatively, “Dick can stay here with us for a little while longer. There’s no need to rush him to foster care.”

“Very good Master Bruce,” Alfred returned smoothly, “and should we be investigating the neighbourhood to see where the good schools are?”

Bruce gaze lifted to meet the older man’s, “very droll, Alfred.”

“You know he won’t be able to stay at the Circus,” Bruce pointed out, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his tone. “He’s a minor without any family.”

“As opposed to staying at a mansion with a playboy billionaire who isn’t family either,” Alfred remarked.

“He needs us,” Bruce retorted with defiance.

“I do not doubt that Master Bruce,” Alfred broken two eggs into a mixing bowl, “but don’t you think you should ask the boy what he wants before you start knitting things?”

Bruce scowled at Alfred.

He supposed that he was getting ahead of himself. He was rarely impulsive and almost never led with his heart and yet Bruce recognised that his emotions were somewhat clouded in this instance. He could be singularly minded when he set his mind to a purpose and it was certainly the case where Dick Grayson was concerned. However, Bruce couldn’t help himself. He saw the anguish in Dick’s eyes that was so much like his own wounds that night. Bruce wanted to protect the boy, wanted to spare Dick the pain he knew coming. However, Alfred was right.

He had to let Dick decide for himself whether he wanted Bruce’s help.

Letting his gaze stray towards the large double hung window that presented a picturesque view of the forested west of the estate, Bruce saw the leafy canopy shudder abruptly. Startled birds erupted from the trees, escaping into the sky with their wings flapping frantically as if something had suddenly appeared to give them cause to flee. Eyes narrowing, Bruce straightened up and waited.

It took less than ten seconds before the doorbell to the Manor’s front doors was buzzing shrilly through the kitchen.

Like the birds, the ringing of the doorbell took Alfred by surprise. The manor had a security system in place equal to none that ensured that no one could simply waltz to the front door and ring the bell without warning. Bruce had installed the safeguards to ensure that no one could approach the gates without notice. The butler tore his attention away from the eggs he was preparing to stare at Bruce, puzzled by his lack of concern by this breach.

“Master Bruce?" Alfred finally asked.

"You better make an extra omelette,” Bruce said knowingly, “We’re having company."

*******

Twenty minutes later, Clark and Bruce were shrouded in the dim light of the cave, enjoying the breakfast of omelettes which Alfred had insisted the new arrival partake. They’d move down to the cave because Bruce suspected that Clark’s visit was not social and with Dick in the house, any conversation related to their activities as Superman and Batman needed to be handled discreetly.

“And you’re sure its Valerie?” Bruce asked once Clark had updated him on what was happening in Smallville. Clark left nothing out, from the appearance of the Kryptonian ship and the young girl in it, to the attack at the Luthor Mansion and finally the revelation that Valerie Beaudry had come home.

“It’s her,” Clark said firmly, his jaw taut with certainty, “Right down to the sonic cry. Except now, it’s stronger and more disciplined. She’s had training.”

“She was under their influence for six years,” Bruce remarked frowning because even after all this time, who ‘they’ were, was still a mystery. “Michael Canto did say she was being taken somewhere she would be appreciated. I guess we now know how.”

“She’s a weapon who doesn’t remember who she is,” Clark declared, still stunned that she had been willing to bring down a plane to avoid him rekindling those memories. “And she’s terrified of finding out. She was willing to kill all those people just to get away from me.”

“We have no idea what kind of conditioning she was subjected to,” Bruce reminded not about to condemn Valerie though he filed away her actions for consideration later. He remembered what he’d seen at DeSaad’s laboratories years ago, the mutated bodies encased in tanks for Michael Canto’s master to have his answer to the Anti-Life Equation. “She might not be able to help her response.”

“I know,” Clark admitted that begrudgingly, “but now I’m afraid that if I have awakened some of her memories and not all of them, she could remember the farm in Smallville and this place,” he swept a quick glance at the cave and the manor above it. “Bruce you could be vulnerable.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Bruce said unconcerned at present, “it’s the girl you need to worry about. You know what Canto wanted. If they can’t use you, they will try to get to her.”

“I know,” Clark nodded having come to the same conclusion earlier, “I thought I’d warn you and then get back to Smallville. We’ll keep her at the fortress for a while. I don’t think she’s in any state to deal with the big city at the moment.”

“Clark, is that the best place for her right now?” Bruce asked. Dick’s situation had parallels with Clark’s cousin Kara. Both had lost their families in an instant and were dealing with the shock of that.

“I don’t have a choice,” Clark sighed, unhappy about the idea himself. “Her powers are still manifesting. She could do a lot of damage if she doesn’t get it under control. I need the freedom and the privacy to show her how.”

Bruce considered the situation and found that turning his intellect to Clark’s problem allowed him to take his mind off Dick and what came next with the boy. He understood Clark’s frustration. His best friend wanted to help Kara’s transition to life on Earth by giving her some stability around people who would care and support her. Unfortunately the knowledge of the ship’s existence and arrival of Valerie with her alien companions meant Kara was in real danger of discovery. She needed to be somewhere safe so he and Clark could deal with this situation. It had to be somewhere completely unassailable, isolated and yet not cold like the fortress or dank like the cave. Somewhere she could restore her wounded spirit…

“Themiscyra,” it rolled off the tip of his tongue before he had even completed the thought. “You send her to Themiscyra.”

Clark was in mid swallow when Bruce spoke and he stopped short, taken back by the suggestion.
His first instinct was to say no but then he thought about it seriously.

The Amazons had managed to stay hidden from the Patriarch’s World for three thousand years. It was safe to say they could conceal Kara for a few weeks until the danger had passed. His concern, however, was about leaving her alone with strangers so soon after arriving on Earth. Other than Martha and Lois, Kara knew no one else. Then it occurred to him that Martha could probably go with her and wondered if Diana would feel about that. His instincts told him that Diana would not have issue with it but still it was an imposition.

“I couldn’t ask Diana to do that,” Clark replied even if his refusal was somewhat half-hearted and Bruce would probably spot it. “Besides she’s not even in the country is she?”

“I’ll ask her,” Bruce said. “She’s given me a way to contact her.”

“Well I guess you would,” Clark said after a moment. “Being your girlfriend, I guess she would give you her phone number.” He couldn’t help but tease Bruce a little, aware of how uncomfortable the man was about admitting he was in a relationship.

“Very funny,” the Batman said making a face at him. “Do want my help?” Bruce grumbled.

“Okay, okay,” Clark chuckled and then sobered up when he recalled Kara wasn’t the only one in danger here. “How is the boy, Dick?” Clark had seen the news and understood immediately why Bruce had stepped in to help young Dick Grayson.

“Yes,” Bruce nodded and then added quietly, “Broken, just broken.”

“You’ve done a good thing Bruce,” Clark offered kindly, “you can help him.”

And maybe, Clark thought silently, he can help you too.

******

The prospect of spending a few weeks away at an isolated Amazonian island while intriguing, did not immediately appeal to Martha Kent. She’d just gotten back to the farm after years away and was looking forward to spending some time here before being spirited away to parts unknown. Of course, she understood the situation. The appearance of an old enemy who could find their way to the farm and put Kara in danger was nothing to take lightly so she understood they had to leave until Clark resolved the situation. Still, she wished it were otherwise.

Martha had slept in which was unusual for her since she was accustomed to getting up early after spending years as a farmer’s wife. Even the time in Washington had not altered this habit. However, last night was not the norm. She’d spent of the night holding Kara, letting the girl cling to her like a child, crying herself to sleep. Martha had drifted off herself, stroking Kara’s hair, trying to soothe the troubles out of Kara’s anxious psyche.

The poor thing had good reason to fear, Martha thought. The girl had so many obstacles ahead of her; a new life on an alien planet, powers that had only just begun to awakened and of course, the prospect of living a double life the same as Clark. All this coupled with the still raw loss of her family and her people, it was no wonder Kara was still so fragile. Martha wanted to protect her from all that and keep her safe.

Packing a small bag, Lois had told her that packing for Themiscyra was like taking a trip to the tropics. Lois was one of the few reporters who were allowed to go to the island when the Amazons first revealed themselves to the world and she assured Martha that it was the safest place Kara could be. While Martha had never met Diana or ‘Wonder Woman’ as the press had labelled the Princess, she knew that Clark trusted her implicitly and so Martha did as well.

Kara was still asleep and Martha knew she’d have to wake the girl up soon. Martha wanted her to sleep as much as possible. She knew she had grown attached to the child but she couldn’t help it, Martha had always wanted a house full of children. While Fate had denied her that, she saw no reason to complain. Clark was her son in every way that mattered and it had taken all of hers and Jonathan’s energy to raise him. Perhaps it was even for the best that he was an only child. Still, Martha had still sometimes fantasied about having a daughter, a girl with Jonathan’s blond hair and even though he wasn’t hers biologically, Clark’s blue eyes.

Fate had a very odd sense of humour as it appeared she might have been granted that very same wish.

“Mrs Kent,” Lois tapped lightly on the doorframe to her bedroom before peering in, “do you want me to wake Kara?” Lois asked.

“You better let me,” Martha answered, finding it amusing that even now, Lois called her Mrs Kent. “She’ll need some more clothes. Did Clark say when he’d be coming to get us?” Martha asked, wondering if there was time to go into town and do some shopping.

“I’m not sure,” Lois replied, “he said Bruce was getting in touch with Diana and that it could take a little time. Still, I think you’d have time if you want to run to town and get her some things…like underwear and stuff. The Amazons are big on togas but not that much on lingerie.” Lois said making a face.

“I think I might do that,” Martha laughed, “you don’t mind babysitting for a bit?”

“Sure, I’ll put on MTV and get her started on being a real American teenager.” The reporter said with her usual flippancy.

“Oh God no,” Martha exclaimed, an expression of mock horror on her face as Lois joined her laughter.

However, the moment was cut short by the sudden shattering of glass downstairs.

“What the hell?” Lois exchanged a quick glance with Martha before she was hurrying down the hall.

Lois had no sooner made it half way down the stairs when she saw the front door swung wide open, the fragments on the floor revealed how intruders had smashed through a glass pane to gain entry. Slowing her pace, she rounded the corner to stop short at sight of a woman standing in the middle of the living room, surveying the place. Lois didn’t need Clark’s description to know who it was. She knew right of way who she was looking at.

“Valerie!” Lois exclaimed and the Swan turned to her sharply.

Despite the danger that Clark had warned her off, Lois’ first impulse upon seeing Valerie was to throw her arms around the woman and hug her. “Valerie, it’s so good to see you.”

“ENOUGH!” This loud bark came from behind her and suddenly Lois heard the cracking sound of a whip, coiling around her neck and yanking her backwards sharply, away from Valerie.

The Swan shook off her discomfiture at the warm greeting given to her by this stranger who seemed genuinely happy to see her. In fact the only emotion that she was comfortable with right now, was the knowledge that she had led them to the right place. With Grace’s help, they’d been able to use their technology to conduct a rapid search of the area, in particular the dwellings. When the Swan saw the yellow farmhouse and the landscape surrounding it, she knew immediately that this was where the Kryptonian lived.

Determined that there would be no further lapses from the Swan, Lashina acted quickly, pulling back the whip and hurling the female towards a sideboard. Her impact against it was hard and she brought down all the shelves and its contents upon her when she landed against the floor. Objects shattered and shelves clattered over her body. Mad Harriet wasted no time, jumping on her in her disorientated state.

Lois saw stars and looked up to see feral looking woman astride her, her hands brandishing sharp blades along every finger, preparing to strike. She could feel the sticky warmth of blood running down her temple.

“Mad Harriet says you don’t talk to the Swan,” the woman warned with a vicious sneer on her face.

Forcing away her disorientation by several hasty blinks, Lois’ hand sought for a weapon while she responded to her attacker. “Does Freddy Krueger know Mad Harriet stole his look?” Lois hissed before smashing a carved book end into the side of Harriet’s face and then twisted sharply to throw the woman off her.

Rolling onto her feet, Lois prepared for a fight and heard another snap of the whip. This time, it hit her across the arm and she uttered a cry of pain, feeling flesh tear. Blood soiled the sleeve of her shirt as Lashina tore open the fleshy part of her upper arm.

“While I always enjoy seeing Harriet get beaten by the locals, I’m afraid I can’t indulge you,” Lashina retorted, drawing her arm back to strike Lois again when suddenly she was thrown forward by the powerful blast of a shotgun.

Lashina hit the floor, face first in front of Lois’ feet, her back smoking as Martha stood behind her, gun in hand. While her body armour had protected Lashina from the worst of the blast, the impact from the double barrelled weapon was still formidable enough to drive the female Fury to her knees.

“Lois, are you alright?” Martha asked, lowering the weapon as she saw the blood on Lois’ arm.

However, no sooner than she had asked the question, Mad Harriet, recovered from Lois’ attack, launched herself at Martha. She slammed into Martha, forcing the gun to fall away from her hand and gave her no quarter she struck hard and fast, her sharp blades slashing across Martha’s chest. Blood splattered across the floor as Lois gaped in horror as grievous wounds were inflicted on Martha.

“MARTHA!” Lois nearly screamed and scrambled forward only to be halted abruptly when Lashina sprang to her feet. The warrior threw a powerful forward kick at the approaching human that landed square in the middle of Lois’ stomach, throwing her back again.

“SWAN!” Lashina ordered, “Check the house! See who else is here!”

The Swan nodded, once again finding herself at a disadvantage because the inside of the house was also opening up doors within her mind. The images were coming faster now, almost everything seemed familiar and yet the emotional connection to the person named Valerie was elusive. Leaving the Lashina and Mad Harriet to deal with the two women in the living room, the Swan ignored the one called Lois and started towards the stairs when she heard the footsteps of someone running down it instead.

“What’s happening?” Kara demanded as she came down to investigate the commotion.

“Now who is this?” Lashina asked looking at the girl and saw the woman beneath Harriet display nothing less than panic. “Do you recognise her Swan?”

“No,” the Swan shook her head. The place and even the woman who hugged her was familiar but not this child. This girl was a stranger to her in every sense of the word.

Martha could feel her flesh stinging with agony and the smell of her own blood made her want to gag but nothing terrified her more than the idea of these monsters getting their hands on Kara.

“KARA RUN!” Martha managed to scream and prompted Mad Harriet into slashing at her again. More blood splattered across Mad Harriet’s armour.

“NO! MRS KENT!!!” Kara screamed in horror and ran towards Martha instead of fleeing as ordered. “PLEASE DON’T HURT HER!” Kara cried pushing past the Swan and skidding to the floor next to Martha, squealing further upon seeing the crisscrossed wounds across the older woman’s torso.

The fury inside Kara was beyond description. All she could think of was that Martha was kind to her, had made the awful noise go away by telling her she was family, that’s she’d never be alone. Martha who held her last night like Alura had held her when she was scared. Seeing Martha hurt like this brought up a rage in Kara that she had known before. She turn her enraged glare at the person who had done this to Martha and knew only that she wanted them to pay.

“LEAVE HER ALONE!” Kara bellowed and then her fury became something no one expected.

Lois was struggling to get up when she saw Kara’s heat vision manifest itself for the first time. Two beams of crimson energy poured out of the girl’s eyes and struck Mad Harriet in the sternum, flinging her off Martha’s like she was fly. Harriet uttered a screeching cry as she hit the polished floorboards, the front of her armour burning. Harriet continued to scream as she rolled on the floor, frantically trying to beat out off the flames.

With a flash of realisation, Lashina exclaimed with excitement and triumph, “The girl’s Kryptonian! Darkseid will want her!”

“No!” Lois jumped on Lashina’s back, knowing what this revelation meant. Taking advantage of Lashina’s distraction at the prospect of taking Kara as her prize, she wrapped her arms around Lashina’s head in an arm lock and shouted at Kara, “RUN KARA! RUN!”

Kara was screaming too because she knew something was coming out of her eyes but had no idea how to stop it. The beams of energy were cutting through everything in sight, burning a trail across the walls. “What’s happening?” She screamed out hysterically. “I can’t stop it!”

“I’ll stop it child,” the Swan retorted, producing the seldom used laser weapon from her belt and firing it at the terrified girl. It struck Kara at point blank rage with enough power to stun the girl. The Kryptonian teenager spasmed violently, the shock of the energy blast disrupting her heat vision. She was still shaking, spidery webs of energy moving across her body when the Swan moved in to claim her.

“No!” Martha cried out in anguish despite her pain. “Don’t do this, she’s just a baby!”

“Everyone was a baby,” the Swan said coldly, “and then we grow up.”

“Not today,” a new voice spoke and the Swan felt a hand clamping hard over her shoulder.

She was spun around just in time for a fist to connect with her jaw. The power of it lifted the Swan off her feet, sending her through the air, then the wall and out of the Kent house.

“Another one to join the party!” Mad Harriet declared in that insane voice of hers and sprung towards the new arrival, having extinguished the flames to her armour. She did not have the chance to make contact as she was swatted out of the house through a window, with one powerful backhanded blow. Harriet flew past Martha’s rose bushes and crashed out of sight in the distance.

“Diana!” Lois exclaimed, letting go of Lashina to run to Martha and Kara’s side. “Thank God you’re here.”

Diana did not speak, offering Lois a nod of acknowledgement because she was still in her mind, engaged in battle. Her jaw tightened at the harm brought to Kal’s mother and she cursed that she had not have arrived sooner. When Bruce had contacted her at Themiscyra, Diana had used the Sandals of Hermes to make the crossing into the Patriarch’s World understanding that the matter was urgent. Upon arriving here and discovering what was unfolding, she realised that she had come just in time to prevent further disaster.

Glaring at the remaining adversary, Diana spoke through clench teeth, “You will answer for what you have done here.” Diana strode towards Lashina, ready for combat.

Lashina knew this was the time to make a strategic withdrawal.

She did not know who this new arrival was but she was convinced that if this warrior was an ally of the Kryptonian and she was here, then he would not be far behind. Lashina was unashamed to admit she stood no chance against either of them. Activating the teleportation device on her belt, she returned Diana’s icy stare with a look of defiance.

“This is not over, the girl will belong to Darkseid.”

And with that, she vanished.

TO BE CONTINUED