Lex Luthor stood at the peak of his office suite, gazing down at the traffic and congestion below. He had been one of the first to come out of the bunkers, using his keen business acumen to begin to rebuild his beloved city. Now, two years later, the marks of the planet-wide devastation were still everywhere, but basic services were returning to some of the cities and basic industries were beginning to resurface across the world.
He considered the horrors of the last fifteen years, the fact that there were threats that even he could not defeat, or even hope to face. He felt quite chastened by that admission.
He had been forced to learn from his earlier mistakes. Mercy Graves and his children with her were taken from him when the Phantom Zone prisoners collapsed their compound. And too many valuable employees bearing too much valuable knowledge had been taken from him far too early. Too much of value in his life had been destroyed by the Zoners.
He had to admit that he was partially at fault. He had failed to see the value in Superman and his family.
Superman had increased the value of Metropolis economically by the example he set and by the confidence his presence gave the city. And Lex had benefitted from that value without understanding it. Instead, Lex’s ego forced him to compete with the Man of Steel instead of finding ways to pursue complimentary goals.
So, instead of creating more value for himself, Lex had reduced the value of Metropolis each time he went to war with the House of El. And his failure to come to the aid of Superman, to help him defeat the Phantom Zone villains, had destroyed value across the planet.
And he understood that value was far more than just economic. Too much bloodshed, even for Lex Luthor. In his youth, Lex might not have given it a second thought. But he was now middle-aged and had outlived his own children. And even Lex Luthor would not live forever.
Then, after fifteen years of battle, the Phantom Zoners had vanished, apparently defeated. Lex had heard the rumors; Buddy Raines and the Rebels claimed that they, in partnership with Jimmy Olsen and a ‘Project Alex’, had shut down the Zoners permanently and sent them back into the Phantom Zone. But Jimmy Olsen had dropped out of sight and no one had any recollection of what ‘Project Alex’ was supposed to have looked like. The only evidence of her existence was a printed playing card featuring Woodsy the Owl and a Sculpture of an Amazon Woman.
Lex had no doubt that ‘Project Alex’ had been a powerful, brilliant Kryptonian who wanted nothing to do with battling him or anyone else. She could not have been a clone; no one could have taught her to maneuver so adroitly or so expertly. And Buddy Raines stated that he believed her to be much older than her physical appearance.
Had she actually moved on? Lex doubted it…he would wager she would be close to Jimmy Olsen, if anyone could find Jimmy Olsen. There would also be the Fortress of Solitude…the Phantom Zoners had never controlled it, but he would not bet against ‘Project Alex.’
Lex cursed the poor communications outside Metropolis. In earlier days, he had spies across the nation, providing immediate intelligence at any time. No more. Once the Zoners disappeared, Lex endured tremendous challenges even ascertaining the state of the world, much less the fate of rivals such as Bruce Wayne. But even now, he was working to reestablish those communications networks. He needed to know which of his allies and adversaries were still out there. Of course, the fate of some had been more obvious than others.
Superman’s ally, the Batman, had disappeared early on, as had most of his Rogue’s gallery. Then the Joker made the mistake of taking on one of the Zoners. That was when Lex realized the Joker was truly insane. He had died under a heat vision onslaught by Faora Hu-Ul. One throttled laugh later, the Joker was nothing but ashes.
Lex would take his news of the world wherever he could find it…while the great television networks had not been re-established, some stations shared news, as the Alliance Press shared the written news with local papers.
He turned to watch an occasional series, ‘On the Road with Ellen Starr.’ When he first heard about her from one of his staff, he had watched just to see what latest bimbo had caught their attention. To his surprise, the ‘bimbo’ traveled to the hot spots of the world, reporting on disasters that always had the potential to become far worse than they were. Her reporting was extremely insightful…enough so that world leaders would be fools not to take notice when the little bimbo made her reports.
Watching her series and reading her columns, Lex had to admire her objectivity; she was both brilliant and fully aware of her own biases. She mixed her own observations with those of her cameraman, Mark Joseph, presenting information that Lex always found useful.
This particular piece discussed a brush war in Europe. A horrendous storm had flooded both enemy camps the night before, causing enough damage that the two sides would not be able to fight for weeks. In the meantime, Ellen presented her view of the whole sorry affair…and a reasonable compromise that would benefit both sides.
They might not take it, but they would be fools not to. And now they were being watched by the international community.
One yappy woman with nothing but a microphone…Lex could not help but be impressed.
He could hear his staff calling him. He had a business to run…but he would make sure to watch the next time her show came on.
Buddy Raines stepped out on to the parade ground, watching his troops execute maneuvers. His troops…were they really his anymore?
Once the Phantom Zone Prisoners were dispatched, his fame sky-rocketed. Since Jimmy Olsen and ‘Project Alex’ had dropped out of sight, he and his troops had been the only available heroes left for the world to fete for the triumph.
Buddy had quickly become sick of the adulation. He became more frustrated by the constant stream of volunteers who wanted to join his outfit. His organization had been built to hold territory from outsiders. But the influx of new troops had caused his organization to grow large enough that it could not be managed.
And there was the issue of how to deal with the new United States of North America government. With no central government remaining, the peoples of the former United States and Canada had banded together to form a new government. Fortunately, that form of government was increasingly friendly to Buddy’s ideals.
He stepped away from the reviewing stand, walking back towards his office. A television played in the background…Ellen Starr interviewing someone…
“We’re speaking with Mr. Bruce Wayne today. Targeted by the Zoners, Mr. Wayne had been forced underground for the duration. But now he’s back, rebuilding Gotham…”
Buddy gazed once more at the sculpture of Hippolyta. He missed the Amazon Queen, but he wondered just how long she would have remained interested in him. Still, they were both warriors. Did this world have a Themyscira?
He turned back to the television.
“Mr. Wayne, do you believe that the Batman could someday return to Gotham?” Ellen had asked in an off-handed manner. But Bruce Wayne seemed taken aback by the question.
“Hasn’t the time for vigilantes come to an end?” Bruce Wayne countered. “Shouldn’t we leave things in the hands of the police departments that are trying to re-establish themselves? No, Ms. Starr, I think the time of the vigilante is over.”
In Buddy’s eyes, something was off about the man’s expression. But the interviewer disturbed him, too, and he did not know why.
“This is a dangerous world, Mr. Wayne,” Ellen rebutted. “Those like the Batman may be needed more than ever.”
“The Batman is not the House of El, Ms. Starr,” Bruce Wayne continued, “and, whoever he is, he is now seventeen years older.”
“But the Batman’s greatest asset was always his mind…” Ellen smiled at the aging tycoon.
Whatever…Not one of her better interviews…Buddy turned back to his papers
“Thanks Ms. Jefferson,” the boy said as he took the sandwich the woman had offered. Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson ran a very small grocery in Fawcett City. Billy had been one of too many people to come looking for food, but unlike most, he wouldn’t take any without working for it.
The Jeffersons had lost their own son, Lionel, to the uninterrupted 15 year war that had plagued this world. Louise was not without a heart, so she had offered Billy work. And Billy worked so hard, they asked him back, day after day.
Louise knew she couldn’t help everyone, but anyone she could help, she would. She asked Billy about his family, whether he was going to school. His answers were vague enough that she understood he was homeless and without a family. Despite the fact that Billy was white and they weren’t, Louise decided he was good people.
Billy didn’t know it, but Louise planned to pull a fast one on her husband. The store had a room in the basement that could be cleared out…this was going to be a cold winter and Louise wasn’t going to let Billy freeze to death…wasn’t sure how he’d avoided it so far.
“Hmm,” Ellen Starr pondered the computer displays in the Fortress of Solitude.
“Something interesting?” Jimmy Olsen stepped over to look at her research.
“Just going through some of Clark’s files,” Ellen leaned back in her chair. “He and Lex Luthor could not see eye to eye on anything. One too many Alpha Males?”
“That might have been part of it,” Jimmy agreed. “Clark was down on Corporate Greed…maybe a little too focused on it. But Lex was no hero…anything to grow his power…murder, theft, illegal advantage. He would have killed Clark if he had had the opportunity. I have to wonder if he is seeing things in a different light these days…he’s lost children to the Zoners, not to mention his paramour. Brilliant man—but totally focused on power. I mean…did he really have to play super villain?”
“I can see why Clark would have been more consistently on the side of angels in that rivalry,” Ellen commented, “not that I hadn’t already suspected it. I hope Lex Luthor has changed.”
Jimmy nodded, stepping away.
“Jim?” Ellen caught his attention, “I’ve read Clark’s other reports, but I’d like your perceptions of Clark’s allies.”
“Well,” Jimmy stepped back towards her, leaning on the console beside her, “you know more about the Batman than I do. He lost Selina, Damien, and Dick Grayson to the Zoners. I don’t know what would be able to entice him back to the cowl after that. He hasn’t lost his detective skills. He recognized me, I know it.”
“He did,” Ellen agreed. “Fortunately he didn’t call us on it, even when I started asking questions about the Batman. We were all walking a fine line on that interview.”
“Very true,” Jimmy nodded before pointing at the screen once more. “Adam Strange just bounced between here and Rann…a ray gun and a jet pack. Not a real heavy here. Haven’t seen him lately. Mr. Magic was a fairly capable sorcerer…just too slow for the Zoners. The Flash was fast enough, but not against all of the Zoners at once. Rex Tyler had some powers I think were drug-induced. Super strength and all that. Starman was a scientist with gravity-related powers—his gravity rod was a very powerful weapon. Pity he didn’t have time to use it against the Zoners.”
“I see in the files that they didn’t let him get close enough to use it,” Ellen commented. “Heat vision’s a bitch, especially when you’re on the receiving end.”
Jimmy gazed at her oddly as she sighed.
“Regrets?” He prompted.
“Not really,” she explained. “I have a new appreciation for my Clark. I never quite understood just what it meant to be Superman, to be the one with the responsibility for the power. Of course, in our world, he was the first—he set the standard. He felt that as the inheritor of one of the Great Houses of Krypton, he had a duty to the people of the world…to protect them and guide them.”
“But you don’t have the same responsibility,” Jimmy prodded. “His cousin Kara might have, but you are born of Earth.”
Ellen did not reply, drawing into herself, trying to remember something, something important that just would not come to her.
It involved Mordru and Kara Zor-L and the death of Kal-L. But what?
Billy Batson made his way through the streets of Fawcett City, winding through to his little hideaway.
“Billy…”
He thought he heard his name called. Stepping towards it, he headed east, away from his destination, towards the abandoned subway.
“Billy…”
He heard it more strongly now, tempting him. There was only so far he could go before he would not be able to see. Carefully, he picked his way through the rubble.
“No Wonder Woman, either,” Ellen shrugged as she muttered to herself. “No Paradise Island…or are they just hiding from me? Maybe I should drop Buddy in the middle of the Mediterranean just to see what happens.” She chuckled to herself, but reconsidered. One Hippolyta had already found him irresistible. Why not two?
“Hey Honey,” Jimmy called. “I’ve been thinking about your coming out party…you’re going to have to go public sometime.”
“No, I don’t.” She turned around in her chair to face him. “Really? A Supersuit?”
“The servitors helped me, once I designed it,” Jimmy grinned. Different from Superman’s, the entire costume was red, with blue gloves and boots. The familiar Pentagram displayed on her chest. A line of blue ran from the lower sides of the bottom of the pentagram down to her boots. The same line ran up the back of her costume. A yellow belt hugged the hips, not the waist. It was capped with a dark blue cape with the Pentagram on the back at the same height as the front.
She examined it at length, pondering. She walked towards it, testing the fabric, nodding approval.
“Courtesy of the Zoners,” Jimmy grinned. “Most invulnerable fabric I could find.”
She nodded, thoughtfully.
“It’s a good start…” She stepped back towards her seat, sitting down, while continuing to gaze at the costume. “Not quite sure how to accessorize it. Besides, what would I call myself? Super-reincarnated-old-broad-in-a-Zoner’s-body?”
Jimmy laughed, reaching to touch her brandy-colored hair.
“How about Brandy? Not super-wuzzit, or the Great Blue whoozitz…just Brandy,” Jimmy grinned. “I won’t say your hair is your most outstanding feature,” he winked at her chest, “but it’s certainly something unforgettable about you.”
“Unforgettable enough that I have to dye it to be Ellen Starr,” she shrugged. “Still, a good secret identity has its value. Wouldn’t you say so, Mr. Mark Joseph?”
“Have to admit,” Jimmy sat in the chair beside hers, “I never thought Jimmy Olsen would have such fame that I’d want to hide from it.”
“Welcome to the hero business, Jim.” Ellen gazed at the costume once more. “I just need to make a few changes…”
Billy followed the tunnel. Before it became entirely dark, he saw another glowing light ahead, providing just enough light to see. He heard his name called once more. Following the light, he stepped into a cavern, finding an old man standing before him, wearing clothing that appeared to come from the times of early Greece or Rome. It covered the old man, except for his head and hands. Ghostly torches burned in the cavern, providing the only light.
“Welcome, Billy Batson,” the Wizard greeted the boy. “I am the great Wizard Shazam. I have awaited your coming. Yours is a very special destiny.”
The malevolence watched the wizard with great interest. It had turned the Wizard’s last Champion and sensed opportunity with this new one. Even if the boy was incorruptible, his inexperience with the lightning would prove his undoing.
Captain Marvel listened as the wizard explained.
“…taking a chance with you that must be taken. My previous champion turned evil, using the great power to destroy a civilization. He imprisoned me here. I have been unable to act until now.”
“What freed you?” Captain Marvel asked the ancient wizard.
“Something freed the Rock of Eternity,” the Wizard explained, “just two years ago, days before your world was liberated. I woke from my long sleep, only to discover what had transpired in my absence. For instance, did you know that this is one of three identical worlds? I cannot contact the others, but I know they are there. In some way, they are less malevolent than this world, but they are all troubled.”
“Holy Moley,” Captain Marvel exclaimed.
“Remember,” the wizard emphasized, “You are not Superman…no one ever could be. But you can make a difference to this world. Just call my name and power will be yours.”
Billy settled in to his little bungalow, pulling his blankets around him. In the past few hours, he had flown through the sky, lifted heavy debris, and even ended a battle between two gangs. The wisdom of Solomon guided his every action.
He had the power to make the world a better place, and he would. As he dreamed of the things he would do, sleep finally overtook him.
“This is Ellen Starr, pleased for the opportunity to interview Captain Marvel,” Ellen held a microphone to Fawcett City’s popular new hero. “How do you see your responsibilities to Fawcett City?”
“Well, gee, Ms. Starr, I can do a lot of good things with my power. I can help a lot of good people…
“Will you be attending the Superman Memorial Service next week?” As Ellen interviewed Captain Marvel, Lex Luthor watched his television, puffing on his cigar.
“Well, Ms. Starr,” Captain Marvel replied, “I really want to go. I am not good at writing speeches and stuff, but Superman was a really good guy and he deserves to be remembered.”
Lex watched Captain Marvel with amusement. The good Captain seemed just a little too innocent. Still, Lex would ensure an invitation reached the hero. The more publicity, the better for Lex Luthor’s city. And if the hero was not overly attached to Fawcett City, perhaps he would not be averse to moving to Metropolis. Lex would have to find a way to sweeten the pot.
He pondered whether Captain Marvel could have been the mysterious Project Alex. Marvel could conceivably have had the power, but something about the man seemed so…wrong.
He wondered how Ellen had gotten the interview. He suspected that Marvel had asked for her, because she was known to be fair. And she had been very careful with her questions…just the interviewer for a hero who did not understand the Press.
Bruce Wayne stared at the invitation one more time. Lex Luthor’s courier awaited his decision. Would he attend the Superman Memorial Service in Metropolis? The new memorial was close to complete. While Lex would participate, he would not be one of the featured speakers. And Bruce wanted to remember his friends…Clark, Lois, and Laney, just as he wanted his own family to be remembered.
He knew Lex saw it as a shot in the arm for the finances of Metropolis and Lex was his financial rival. But at times, LexCorp was his business partner as well, working to rebuild this troubled world.
“It’s just a memorial service, Ellen,” Jimmy stood beside her in the Press area. Ellen would not be broadcasting live, but she would be taking notes and ‘Mark Joseph’ would be practicing his craft.
“Jim,” she whispered, “it would be more of a proper memorial service if you were on that stage. You were Lucy’s husband. But this is your show…I just want to support you.”
“I don’t want to be on that stage,” Jimmy rebutted.
“I understand, Jim, I really do,” Ellen confirmed. “I wouldn’t either. I have enough feeling of dread as it is. Something doesn’t smell right. But at least Captain Marvel will be here.”
“Yeah,” Jimmy snickered, “he could make the super-villains stand in a corner for ten minutes and promise to be good for the rest of the day.”
Billy Batson stepped through the crowds in Metropolis. He enjoyed seeing the sights without the attention Captain Marvel would attract. He had begun to look for someplace with privacy, so that he could change to Captain Marvel. With these crowds, that was hard to find.
As he darted through the crowds, he did not realize that he was being followed by a much larger man, a minor sorcerer of ill repute.
Bruce Wayne prepared to step out on the stage at the new Memorial. An elegant structure of black granite with the famous Pentagram stood at the front. Behind the memorial stood the entrance to the underground exhibit honoring the Man of Steel, his family, and his friends. While the main exhibit discussed the life of Superman, it also identified those who had been with him, including Lucy Lane Olsen. He wondered why Jimmy Olsen had not come. Olsen still might be out in the crowd, with Ellen Starr, posing as Mark Joseph. He was also certain that both of them knew his double identity, even though Ellen carefully skirted any direct reference to it.
She was far more than she seemed…too many coincidences. Too smart. He knew their paths would cross again. He could only hope they would be on the same side.
Lex guided Bruce onto the stage, careful not to touch him. While they were no longer obvious enemies, they were not friends.
At last, Billy found an alley where he could change into Captain Marvel, to begin his formal duties.
“Shazam!” He screamed. But before the lightning could strike him, he was pushed to the ground. Billy realized to his horror that someone else had taken his lightning, his power. And he had no hope of recovering either without help from the Wizard, all the way back in Fawcett City.
“Superman stood for the idea that everyone had a right to be,” Bruce spoke forcefully, “and that no one had a right to be an absolute tyrant,” he gazed quickly at Lex, who pointedly ignored him.
“But then again,” Bruce heard a booming voice behind him. He turned to see a large man in a black variant of Captain Marvel’s costume proclaim, “Superman is gone and he’s not coming back. Neither is Captain Marvel. So you better get used to worshiping Commander Marvel. And Bruce Wayne is going to be the first example of what happens when you don’t.”
Commander Marvel lunged for the tycoon.
Jimmy did not have to look to know that Ellen Starr was no longer standing beside him. He prepared his camera, focusing on the tyrant. Commander Marvel had made a fatal mistake; he had picked the wrong victim, the one person on the stage that Ellen would defend without hesitation. A huge hand began to reach for Bruce Wayne, a hand that never landed. A powerful burst of wind blasted Commander Marvel, forcing him back from Bruce and freezing him in place from the neck down.
“All the people of Metropolis wanted,” the crowd heard the voice of a young woman, “was to honor and remember Kal-El, a true hero who wanted nothing more than to keep them safe.”
Commander Marvel flexed his muscles, shattering the ice that surrounded him.
“So now Metropolis has Ice Girl to protect them?” Commander Marvel taunted his unseen assailant.
“Hardly,” she laughed, apparently amused. “If you’re feeling too cold, I’ll warm you up a little bit.”
Commander Marvel screamed as twin lasers fired down at him, super heating the air around him, but causing him no direct harm.
“Come down here where I can see you!” Commander Marvel commanded. “Now!”
“I have to admit that I was looking forward to seeing Captain Marvel,” the woman’s voice added, “he strives to serve the heroic ideals. Pity I can’t say the same for you.”
“Show yourself!” Commander Marvel yelled. As he gazed at the crowd, he could see that they all seemed to be pointing at him. He raged at the crowd. “What are you looking at?”
But the crowd ignored him, gazing behind him, speaking almost randomly.
“Someone took out the Zoners and it wasn’t him!”
“I think that’s Project Alex…Wow!”
Slowly, Commander Marvel turned, gazing into the sky behind him. He saw an orange-haired woman floating in the air, wearing a distaff version of Superman’s costume, with a red skirt and red gloves. As she gazed back at him, her expression showed no anxiety, only distain.
“Let’s get this over with,” Ellen spoke with pointed resignation. “The sooner we’re done, the sooner Mr. Wayne can speak.”
“Die, you brandy-haired fool!” Commander Marvel flew into the air, charging towards her.
And then the crowd felt the shock wave as she moved more quickly than he, striking him with a double-fisted uppercut. He flew backwards out of the city at just under the speed of sound. And then she was gone.
Jimmy focused his camera on Bruce Wayne, capturing the industrialist’s expressions; he knew he would never be able to publish the pictures, but Ellen would need to see the reactions. He focused his camera into the crowd, taking more images, listening to the chatter.
“Lanie Kent?”
“How? We know Superman’s daughter is dead…”
“Have they really come back to us?”
“Is that what put away the Zoners?”
“Oh, please, please, please, let them come back to us!”
The hopeful look in even Lex Luthor’s eyes surprised Jimmy. Bruce Wayne’s expression was much more guarded, but then Clark had been his friend.
Then Bruce spotted Jimmy with his camera. As Bruce gazed at Jimmy, Bruce’s eyes widened as he realized that Jimmy showed no signs of anxiety and Ellen Starr was nowhere in sight. Bruce nodded towards Jimmy, visibly relaxed.
Commander Marvel crashed into the ground, denting the surface.
“Stay down and I won’t have to hurt you,” Ellen ordered as she landed. Commander Marvel gazed up at her, spotting the symbol of the House of El on her chest.
“Oh, I’ll be happy to stay down, Miss Brandy-Colored-Hair…” He growled with a dangerous tone in his voice.”
“Brandy is fine, thank you,” Ellen braced for his next move. Would he attack at super speed?.
“Shazam!” He yelled. “Shazam! Shazam! Shazam!”
She felt the lightning ripping into her, stealing her power. The pain tore through her: raw, intense pain that she had never felt before. She stumbled, falling.
“Die, Brandy-Hair,” he picked her up, yelling “Shazam” repeatedly. Through the pain-induced dull fog of her mind, she understood what was happening. The spell that Kent Nelson had used to put her together was unraveling. As the lightning hit her repeatedly, she felt herself floating up, leaving the body of Faora Hu-Ul in his hands, ravaged by the lightning.
“You can only keep the power that is yours by right, and none of this is yours!” Commander Marvel yelled.
How had he known?
But, Ellen struggled to recall, what was hers by right? Everything seemed to go into slow motion as memories fired and she recalled the day of her Kryptonian wedding vows with Kal-L, which followed well after her earthly church wedding to Clark Kent.
“I Kal-L take thee, Lois,” the beginning of their Kryptonian wedding vows. Those vows had been brutal. On Krypton, a woman left her House and became part of her husband’s house. In return, she shared her husband’s life, his estate. There was no divorce on that world. It had no real implication on Earth, but it meant that under the law of Krypton, she was his heir and the protector of his estate. So, what had she inherited?
The scene changed. She was back in Mordru’s castle, witnessing the execution of her husband, Kal-L. “What happened to the power?” Mordru yelled. “I killed Kal-L and his only Kryptonian heir, Kara Zor-L, is not here. Kal-L had enough power to take on the Anti-monitor and win. What happened to all that power?”
Now it all made sense. Kal-L had a power boost before he returned from the Dawn of Time. How else could he have defeated the Anti-Monitor? Mordru had wanted that power, but had miscast the spell.
Kent knew…Kent Nelson knew what had happened. Lois, not Kara, was the rightful inheritor of that power. But her aging body could not contain it.
That was the brilliance of Kent’s spell. Faora Hu-Ul’s body had only been a band-aid. And now it was disintegrating under the full force of the lightning.
As Ellen finally understood her inheritance and her right to it, her willpower exerted itself through the pain. While Kal-L was not quite as powerful as an Earth-One Kryptonian, the Earth-2 Kryptonians had been different in other ways. They retained much of their power on Krypton. They only had Green K to deal with and magic had to be much more intense to affect them. And that was the power she had inherited by right of her marriage and Mordru’s miscast spell.
Now she understood why she had been able to change her facial features as she shifted between Ellen Starr and Brandy—one of Kal-L’s lesser known abilities, which he used to alter his appearance to Clark Kent.
She concentrated, pulling herself back together, feeling her power flow back into her. Below her, Commander Marvel seemed to be yelling again at the disintegrating corpse of Faora Hu-Ul.
“Ssssssshhhhhhaaaaazzzzaaaammmm!” Slow motion, Ellen understood, because of her far greater super-speed. She used that speed, snatching Commander Marvel and holding him up to the lightning.
To her horror, the lightning he called began to disintegrate him. He vanished from her hands at the same time the ashes of Faora Hu-Ul below her blew away in the breeze.
But then she heard the lightning strike once more in Metropolis. To her relief, telescopic vision revealed the return of Captain Marvel.
Ellen steeled herself for what had to happen next. She had no desire to announce her presence; today was for remembering the family of the House of El that had been snuffed out so many years ago.
But there was no help for it, really. Her hand had been forced and an unsolved mystery would do this world more harm than good. She flew back towards the museum, floating in the air above the stage, taking care to provide Jimmy an opportunity to take pictures from the best angles.
The crowd below immediately began to chatter.
“Wow! Nobody ugly in the House of El, is there?”
“…too many miracles…she’s been here a while.”
“Project Alex?”
“Why haven’t we found her before now?”
“…because we were too afraid we’d find something else.” To Ellen’s surprise, those last words came from Lex Luthor. Bruce Wayne’s look of astonishment told Ellen that it was time to land. Rage crossed Bruce’s features; Ellen knew there were limits to even the Batman’s sense of self control. Lex Luthor had been earnest, but Bruce Wayne had no reason to believe him.
Ellen landed on the stage, apologizing for the confusion and inquiring about Bruce Wayne’s health, giving him a chance to regain his bearings, before she began an impromptu explanation to the crowd.
“I am so sorry; the last thing I wanted to do was to interrupt this remembrance. This was to be a day to remember Superman and his loved ones,” Ellen spoke to the crowd, including a chastened Captain Marvel. “But instead, we bear witness to his dream and our common determination to keep that dream alive…”
“I knew her first as ‘Project Alex,” Buddy Raines confirmed to the Press. “She was a big part of the takedown of the Zoners. I don’t know her well, but I know she isn’t stupid.”
So, Lex Luthor considered as he walked back to his office, the rumors were correct. This ‘Brandy’ is the mysterious ‘Project Alex.’ Definitely not Clark Kent…she seemed reluctant to even appear in public. I still know nothing about her history or her intentions. World domination does not appear to be on the menu, fortunately.
He stepped into his office, closing the door behind him. He stepped towards the glass in the windows. Seeing Brandy’s reflection in the window, he realized he was not alone.
“I let myself in,” Ellen announced, “I hope you don’t mind.”
He gazed around, noting that she had taken care to break nothing.
“No,” he lied as he watched her carefully. “Excellent work at the ceremony, by the way. Good recovery.”
“I wish it had not been necessary to reveal myself,” Ellen exclaimed. “I would have preferred not to be seen. But avoiding that situation would have been too costly.”
“How so?” Lex questioned, genuinely curious.
“Removing you and Mr. Wayne from the board would have been counter to my interests,” Ellen explained. “This Earth is a low-technology world in a very bad neighborhood. And it makes enemies easily. So, just to survive, it must evolve technologically, psychologically, and socially. And to do that, commerce must thrive once more. Only commerce can light the fire that will rebuild this world.”
“So far,” Lex admitted, “I have not heard anything with which I disagree.”
“I would hope not,” Ellen assured, as she stepped back to look at the keepsakes on Lex Luthor’s wall. “You, Mr. Wayne, and others ignite and harness the world economies, which brings value to one and all. In the natural evolution of business, some businesses succeed and others fail. That’s the nature of the beast.”
“Too true,” Lex waited for the other shoe to fall.
“My goal is the survival of the planet,” Ellen informed, turning towards him. “My job is to defend Earth against things that go bump in the night, and hopefully to set an example. It is not to regulate business, or even to become involved with the financial sector, unless business begins to do truly unconscionable things, things that cannot be ignored.”
“And those would be?” Lex prompted.
“I think you know better than I,” Ellen rebutted. “But every time we come into conflict, we destroy value for the city of Metropolis, and indeed, the world as a whole. Our battles destroy people, real estate, and industrial capacity. We shrink the pie of economic power.”
“What do you suggest?” Lex prodded as he waited for her to continue.
“Be the businessman and scientist you were born to be,” Ellen offered, “and work with me when it is time to fight what goes bump in the night. There is enough of a challenge for all of us—no one of us can manage everything. And when one of us uncovers something in the sphere of the other, we discuss it in private and try to negotiate a resolution. Otherwise, we set Earth up for the next set of Phantom Zone Escapees.”
“There is value in what you say,” Lex nodded. “I will consider your offer.”
“I hoped you would,” Ellen replied. “And now, if you don’t mind, I’ll let myself out.”
And then she was gone. Lex gazed around his office, realizing to his relief that she had taken great care to break nothing.
He would slow-roll his decision, but he would eventually agree to her offer. There was just too much value in it.
Bruce Wayne returned to what had been Wayne Manor. He stopped at the graveyard, surprised to see fresh flowers on the graves. Smelling the flowers, he realized they had been Selina’s favorites. He thought of his lost loved ones, remembering the vengeance of the Bat and his life as Batman. He remembered the cost to his wife, his son, his ward, and so many others. All of them targets because of the Batman. And the Batman had outlived them all.
He had burned the Batman’s costume, or at least one of them, and turned his back on the Bat. Now, in middle age, he had intended to move forward only as Bruce Wayne.
The time for super heroics was long since over…really…he had tried so hard to convince himself of that.
He sat down on the bench, remembering his family once more. He regretted that there were no tombstones for Barbara Gordon or Alfred Pennyworth. He could not bring himself to install them, because he still had an irrational hope that they might have survived, even though he knew better. . He had thought he had found a way out of Gotham for them, but the route he picked for them was just too dangerous and it had collapsed in on them. So many years later, he still could not bring himself to disturb the collapsed tunnel to exhume their bodies.
“A penny for your thoughts, Mr. Wayne,” he gazed up to see Ellen Starr and her cameraman, the poorly disguised Jimmy Olsen. He said nothing. Allowing him his silence, Ellen sat down beside him.
“On the world where I was born,” Ellen explained, “in that universe, Bruce and Selina Wayne had a daughter named Helena, whom I helped to raise. My husband was a mere reporter; few people understood why the great and powerful Bruce Wayne would have the time of day for Clark and Lois Kent.”
Bruce gazed at her with suspicion.
“The Lois Lane who cared about my son is long dead,” he announced. “Just as dead as my parents and the rest of my family.”
“She is,” Ellen agreed, “and I honor her memory. Mr. Wayne, I know all about loss. I am the sole survivor of my universe, gifted with my Clark Kent’s power. I am still new to this world, which is why I was so hesitant to reveal myself.”
“Project Alex,” he shrugged. “Your secret is certainly out, now.”
“Not what I have revealed to you,” she replied flatly.
“You certainly know how to use your powers,” Bruce protested. “You don’t need my approval.”
“I’ve had them before,” Ellen acknowledged, “and I spent a lifetime with a man who knew how and when to use them. I am a bit older than I look.”
“Mr. Wayne,” Jimmy stood behind Ellen with his hands on her shoulders, “I have spent the last two years with Ellen, explaining the planet to her. She is at least what she seems.”
The former Batman did not respond, turning away.
“Mr. Wayne,” Ellen expressed, “we can verbally joust all day. But the simple point of the matter is that the genie is out of the bottle. There is no turning back, no going back to a world without superheroes and super villains.”
“Captain Marvel was ignorable enough before today,” Bruce retorted. “Because of his inherent limitations, he has presented no active threat. He has been true enough to his ideals.”
“But Commander Marvel was a threat in the same league as the Zoners,” Ellen argued, “even if he was little more than a super-powered thug. And I represent your worst nightmare,” Ellen warned. “I could rule the world if I had any such desire, likely killing off any opposition before it could get off the ground. And if I choose to disappear again, how long until the next Commander Marvel decides to strike?”
“You wouldn’t…” Bruce protested weakly, beginning to understand Ellen’s true intent. The woman was a brilliant pragmatist…Was he capable of sharing her vision?
“Without the Zoners to keep them suppressed, the next generation of heroes and potential villains is rising.” Ellen explained what Bruce knew too well. “Captain and Commander Marvel are only the obvious examples. Do we turn our backs on them and hope they make good decisions on their own? Or do we work together to guide them?”
He gazed at her with his classic Batman glare while his mind raced. She did not respond, simply relaxing and waiting for the words she knew he had to speak. Would he ignore the problem, or would he be part of the solution? Further debate could only be for show; she had anticipated and outthought him every step of the way. And they truly did share the same goals.
Slowly, he nodded.
“Buddy Raines was right,” Bruce grudgingly admitted, “you’re not stupid. And what you say has merit. Where would you suggest we begin?”
“The two of us have an appointment with the Shazam Wizard later this evening,” she informed succinctly, “we have to understand what happened to the lightning. But until then, we can help you with the Batcave. In the meantime, there is an errand I would suggest you might want to run.”
“You are extremely presumptuous,” Bruce charged, shaking his head with a slight smile. “I can see the Lois Lane in you.”
“The House of the Bat will never stop protecting Gotham, especially not now,” she countered. “And with the Zoners gone, wearing the cowl is no longer a guaranteed death sentence. It’s really time for the Batman to return.”
He gazed at her, not wishing to compliment her inescapable logic.
“Besides,” she added, “the next generation of Gotham’s defenders needs to be trained. I strongly suggest you start with this address.” She handed him a card with an address in a neighboring city.
“And why am I going on this errand?” Bruce challenged in his best Batman voice.
Ellen chuckled.
“Trust me,” she teased, “if you don’t consider this trip worthwhile, I’ll take my happy little dialogue out of here and leave you to your brooding.”
He glared at her, and then gazed at the card, nodding assent.
“There is an old saying,” Ellen recalled, “the House of the Bat watches over the House of El. Perhaps the House of El is simply showing its appreciation.”
He peered at her suspiciously.
“Little Mary Sunshine,” he pretended to grumble as he stepped back towards his Jeep.
He wondered what surprise she had in mind for him. A random thought entered his mind; she had not been born into the House of El, she had earned the right to wear that symbol. And for this world, that would make all the difference.
“Yuck,” Jimmy complained as they surveyed the damage to the Batcave. “They sure bombed this place to Kingdom Come.” The inside of the cave had been breached in several places. Jimmy could see damaged hardware, crushed computer consoles, the once proud Batmobile covered in rubble.
“Give me ten minutes before you come any closer,” Ellen requested as Jimmy stepped back. He watched the ceiling girders move, being welded back into place, reinforced steel plates welded to the girders where the ceiling had been breached, and added braces throughout the cave. “There, that reinforces it. Now, let’s clean up the debris,” she flashed through the cave. He heard a quick yelp, followed by an incinerating blast of heat vision.
“Green K!” She called. “Sorry about that!”
“Nice of him to warn us,” Jimmy retorted.
“I would consider it a test,” Ellen flashed by. “But then, the container was shattered by the cave-ins.” She moved over to the small power plant that powered the cave—geothermal power. “Good—no real damage. Shutting off all the power feeds until I get the power up. Then we do this one circuit at a time.”
Bruce held the card in his hand as he stopped to park his Jeep. Gasper City…twenty miles south of Gotham. Just far enough to drop out of sight. Instincts on hyper-alert, he walked towards the building. A small detective agency, specializing in finding the lost. Idly, he wondered if they would be expecting him. The blinds were drawn, but he could hear the start of an argument inside.
“Yes, you found them, but you didn’t have to beat them up!” A female voice, about forty, raged: a voice far too familiar to the Batman.
“Ricky, your mother is correct,” an older male with a British accent, “now we shall have to worry about retaliation.”
“My Dad would never have let their violence go unanswered,” a voice sounding very much like a young Dick Grayson retorted.
Alfred? Barbara? And Dick’s son? Bruce felt his heart race.
“You’re not your Dad,” Barbara retorted. “And he had to answer to the Batman!”
“The Goddamn Batman!” Ricky yelled, “who cares about the Goddamn Batman?”
“I do,” Alfred retorted, “after your father was killed, he had the presence of mind to have us smuggled out of the city. We barely escaped, but we did make it.”
“If the Batman cares so much about us, why doesn’t he show his face?” Ricky demanded.
At those words, Bruce slammed the door open.
“In the past day,” he roared to a stunned audience, “I’ve had to deal with Lex Luthor, a mad counterpart to Captain Marvel, and a mouthy Kryptonian on my doorstep. Now, I’m faced with a palace revolt!”
“Who in the hell do you think you are?” Ricky charged towards him, keen on defending Barbara and Alfred.
Bruce grabbed him, easily lifting him off the ground.
“I’m the Goddamn Batman.”
Loaded down, the Jeep traveled a bit more slowly on the road back to Gotham. Barbara sat in front with Bruce, while Alfred and Ricky occupied the back.
“For so long, we heard nothing from you,” Barbara protested to Bruce as they drove.
“I didn’t know where you were,” Bruce countered, “that was for your protection. And when I tried to track you down later, the trail had run cold.”
“So how did you find us?”
“Mama Krypton came calling.”
“A stinking cave?” Ricky protested. “Why are we driving into a stinking cave?”
“This is the Batcave,” Barbara explained as they maneuvered around debris in the roadway.
“Our first job has to be to bring this place on-line,” Bruce added, “then we have to get ourselves and the equipment back into working order.”
“Wow!” Ricky called from the back as the cave expanded around them and they drove into the main complex, “I’ve never seen anything like this!”
Bruce gazed into the cave, expecting to see chaos, but seeing something else. Most of the damage had been repaired; the power plant was back on line, lighting the facility. His monitoring systems were powered and the debris had been cleared from his working areas. A flash of red and blue above them coincided with more lights turning on. And the Batmobile, while not fully repaired, was clear of the debris. Several Batcycles stood to one side, their electronics charging. The Batcopter was free of debris, but obviously still in need of substantial repair.
Bruce stopped the engine, motioning his passengers to disembark.
“That did it,” they heard a man’s voice as Jimmy Olsen stepped back towards the console.
“Good,” flash of red and blue became a Brandy-haired woman, floating down to join him. “Ah, good, Mr. Wayne has returned.”
“She flew…” Ricky’s eyes opened wide as Ellen and Jimmy approached. “She’s the woman on the television…Brandy.”
“You weren’t kidding,” Barbara commented to Bruce as they moved towards Ellen and Jimmy.
“I’m the Batman,” Bruce intoned, “I never kid.”
“And your parents are dead,” Barbara intoned. “Yeah, I got that. So are mine.”
“I really don’t know what happened.” The Shazam Wizard sat in his chair in his cave, addressing the Batman as Brandy and Captain Marvel watched. “I know it was hijacked, which was unusual enough. But it was stolen by something both malevolent and very powerful. It was certainly determined to cover its tracks.”
“Then it could happen again,” Bruce challenged, “anytime Captain Marvel calls the lightning.”
“I will be on the lookout for that,” the Wizard promised. “I have another concern as well; I am also uncertain of the fate of my previous champion, Teth Adam. He should be deceased, but I do not know for sure.”
“Is there anyone else who can invoke the lightning?” Brandy asked.
“Only a close genetic relative of Captain Marvel,” the Wizard offered, “someone that shares most of his genes.”
“I had a sister,” Captain Marvel revealed, “but she died with my parents, in Egypt. As far as I know, I don’t have any other close relatives.”
“Still,” Bruce observed, “it’s something we need to keep an eye out for.”
“Yes,” the Wizard admitted.
The pressure off, Captain Marvel had become Billy Batson once more. Traveling back to his hide-away, he settled in for the night. After a while, he unwrapped the last of the sandwich Louise Jefferson had made for him. Chewing happily on it, he did not notice that he was no longer alone. But then, Ellen had been intent on being quiet.
The smell of chocolate chip cookies attracted his attention, enticing him to turn towards the smell.
“You,” Billy reacted as he saw her, “you’re that Brandy lady that saved Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor.”
“The very same one,” she sat down in front of him, offering to share the plate of cookies. “Have some. I baked them myself. The Fortress of Solitude has a wonderful kitchen.”
“Thank you,” Billy took a cookie, munching on it happily, “it’s real good.”
“Have some more,” she offered as he gazed at her. He took another cookie, munching quietly before gazing back at her, suspiciously.
“You know who I am,” he concluded as he reached for a third cookie.
“Telescopic vision comes with the body, I’m afraid,” she smiled sincerely. “Hard not to be interested when lightning strikes on a clear day.”
“So now that you know, what are you going to do?”
“Let you know you’ve got a friend,” Ellen offered. “And if you need help or advice on how to manage those powers, I’ll be here for you. And if you’d like a more stable home, we’ll find a place for you.”
“You’re not going to try to take my power away from me?”
“Billy, you’re one of us,” Ellen assured him. “We are the protectors of this world. You were chosen to wield your powers. My concern is that you have the best chance possible to grow into those powers. If you need us, it’s our responsibility to be there for you.” She chuckled as he reached for another cookie, “you’re a growing boy, after all.”
Back at the Batcave, Ellen sat at a small table overlooking the main floor of the Batcave. She held a small cup of coffee in one hand, sipping it slowly. Jimmy had obtained a copy of the Daily Planet, to which he had sold his pictures of her. Now she finally had a chance to take a look at his work.
Her picture was the front page. No story, simply the picture. And her expression was as complex as her emotions had been.
The photograph was simply haunting…she had entrusted herself to the best photographer in the business and he earned that trust. She gazed at the picture once more, before reading through the accompanying stories, which summarized the fight with Commander Marvel and the speeches at the monument.
She had not wanted to announce her presence at the memorial, but what was done, was done. She folded the paper as she heard Barbara Gordon approach.
“Hell of a day,” Barbara stepped up to her, joining her at the small table.
“It’s been a rough thirty-six hours,” Ellen admitted, “kind of a hard start.”
“Kind of?” Barbara chuckled. “Still, I’m glad you came through for Bruce. He’ll never admit it, but he’s very pleased that you think so much of him. He wants what you do: to protect this world without ruling it. And I’m glad he’ll be here for Ricky. I know Bruce is going give me a ‘what were you thinking’ lecture about Ricky’s conception. And, frankly, at the time I wasn’t. But I did love Dick in my way.”
They looked below where Bruce and Ricky appeared to be arguing about something. Alfred seemed to be content, puttering, while offering words of wisdom to Jimmy, who chuckled.
“I know,” Barbara admitted, “that I was a fool to stay away so long, but I feared for my son.” She sighed, “but now I realize that I am a member of the House of the Bat, just as much as Bruce is. My son’s destiny is inescapable; he was born into that House through both parents.”
“I understand,” Ellen empathized, “and he’ll do a lot of good over the course of his life. I can see that in him.”
“Gotham is still a dark city and it needs its Guardians,” Barbara related. “After I lose a few pounds,” she patted her tummy and rear end, “I’ll become BatWoman and Ricky will become Robin, or something similar. Bruce will help him focus that tremendous drive.”
“I am glad you were able to come back together,” Ellen offered. “Bruce seems happier with family…not that he’d admit that, either.” Ellen turned as she heard something through the cave wall, gazing through the ceiling of the cave. “Hmmm, the chocolate chip cookies are about to pay off. We’re about to have a visitor.”
A rush of wind flashed through the Batcave. Mystic lightning fired, leaving Billy Batson standing in front of Bruce Wayne.
“Bat Marvel,” Ellen pondered, “that’s just so wrong.”
Barbara chuckled at the absurdity, reaching for Ellen’s hand.
“Welcome to the family, Kid,” she intoned, “this is going to be good!”
End—House of the Bat