Trinity

Upon realising that this was the work of Eris, Diana had returned to Gotham with Bruce, depositing him at his manor so he could change into something more appropriate, she went to find Menalippe. Aside from being the Amazon High Priestess, Menalippe was the best healer among them. She returned with Menalippe to the hospital in Metropolis where Lois and the rest of the inflicted Daily Planet news team were currently being treated.

Leaving Menalippe to confer with the initially sceptical physicians, Diana was about to go in search of Kal when the front lobby of Metropolis General Hospital was disrupted by the snapping of light bulbs and gasps and cries of surprised onlookers.

“Is that him?”

“I thought he didn’t exist!”

“I thought Gotham was making him up!”

Diana was accustomed to engendering such reactions since her arrival into the Patriarch’s World but Bruce’s appearance at the hospital engendered even more shock. People stared open mouth as he swept past, a dark god dragging a black cape that seemed to suck all the light out of a room. So different to Kal, she thought as he approached her, yet no less awe-inspiring. People tended to swarm around Kal but with Bruce, they withdrew as if he were a force of nature to be viewed from minimum safe distance. Superman engendered hope and courage, Batman only struck fear into people’s hearts.

Then again, she supposed that was rather the point, wasn’t it?

“I am surprised to see you here,” Diana declared as he came to a pause, looking over his shoulder at the people staring at them in surprise. “I am told you prefer the shadows.”

“I do,” Bruce said abruptly, not pausing to greet her but expecting Diana to follow, “however, the situation is escalating and we need to deal with it fast. We don’t have time for the niceties.”

“I agree,” Diana nodded falling into stride with him as they entered a staircase “these attacks upon all of us only show the war god’s determination to distract us. Although this attack upon Miss Lane and her companions puzzles me, I would have imagined a more direct assault upon Kal since he is the strongest of us.”

“Strongest perhaps,” Bruce said quietly as they reached the top, “but also the most vulnerable.”

“I do not understand,” she threw a sidelong glance at him, her brow furrowing in concern and wanting a clearer answer when they arrived on the floor where Lois and the Daily Planet news room were being kept.

The nurse behind the desk stared open mouthed at them.

“Lois Lane.” The Batman said simply.

“Uh…uh….Ward C.” She stuttered after a moment, eyes still wide.

Bruce didn’t wait for any further information, suspecting he would only be greeted with gibberish and gestured at Diana to follow him. He had memorized the internal layout of the hospital anyway. Doctors, orderlies, other patients, all stepped aside for the colourful duo, the personification of dark and light moving through the hall in cloaks of black and bracelets of gold. Diana wanted to ask Bruce what he meant by that statement when they reached the doors to Ward C and paused.

Bruce did not enter the room but he nodded ahead, directing Diana to look. When she saw what he intended her to witness, then only did Diana understand why Kal was the most vulnerable among them.

Because he had the most to lose.


**********

They let him see her after they had finished their examination, when she was nestled comfortably in her bed, one of a dozen in the same ward. He supposed if he pushed the point, he could have gotten her a private room but Clark Kent knew his Lois, she would want to be like everyone else. The poison, so ironically, introduced by an apple, was ravaging all their bodies, Perry, Cat, Steve, Jimmy and Lois. So there he stood beside her bed, while the others continued to be fussed over by doctors who did not have the slightest clue how to help.

He was still in the suit, an odd sight of colour in a place that was drab and sterile white. No one dared approach. Even Superman deserved privacy.

Clark Kent stared at Lois’ face deathly pale from the poison had tainted her body and never weaker in his entire existence. He reached through the rails of her bed to clasp her unmoving hand, squeezing it gently, discovering that seeing her so frail could do him more harm than a kryptonite bullet.

“Lois,” he pleaded softly, “you need to wake up. I can’t do this without you.”

And it was true, he couldn’t.

Alien threats, kryptonian villains and meteor freaks, none of it seemed as daunting of going through life without her. All his life Clark had searched for her, not realising he didn’t have far to look, he just needed to open his eyes to realise what was always there. He thought about her fears about Diana and wondered how she didn’t know it was absurd. Didn’t Lois know that once she won his heart, there could never be anyone else?

Where Lana had wanted to be his equal, Lois had just wanted him.

How could she not how much he cherished the simple joy of looking into her eyes and knowing she saw him, not Kal-El from Krypton, not some superhuman capable of outrunning a bullet but just him, Clark Kent. Her Smallville.

She had entered his life as an annoyance and somehow become his friend until one day, almost unconsciously, she had become his reason for being. Clark never knew how it happened. All he knew was that the strength of her character had made him a better man and the love she gave was the acceptance he always wanted.

Five years ago, Clark had walked away from Lois and almost destroyed himself. Neither of them could accept the loss and though she was wounded by his absence, her love redeemed them both when he returned. All her fears about Diana and she never saw how precious that second chance was to him. Superman could fight a thousand battles but if all he had with Lois Lane was one lifetime, he could live on that forever.

“I will find a way to help you,” he squeezed her hand again and leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on her lips. “I promise.”

**********

Diana watched the exchange in wonder.

Kal’s emotions were naked on his face. She knew the concept of love between men and women but she had not seen it expressed so clearly until this moment. On Themiscyra, the Amazon view of men and women were understandably biased after her sisters’ treatment by the likes of Heracles and his brutal companions. However, since coming to the Patriarch’s World and interacting with men, Diana at last saw the original plan intended by the gods when creating the two genders.

“He loves her.” Diana spoke, her voice filled with awe and fascination, as if she were seeing something miraculous and beautiful unfold.

Bruce cast a sidelong glance at her, “yes, he does.”

“You knew?” She glanced at him briefly before resuming her observation of Kal and Miss Lane.

“Yes,” Bruce nodded, “if they want to hurt him, she’s the most effective way.”

“It is beneath our enemies to attack in such a way,” Diana declared hotly, “She is an innocent in all this.”

“There are no innocents in war Princess,” Bruce said firmly. “You know that.”

Diana nodded grimly, “I do. If it is within Menalippe’s power to help Miss Lane, she will.” Diana turned to Bruce and said firmly. “And if I have to storm Ares’ Acropolis to find a cure, I will do so. They will not be parted.”

Beneath the cowl, he raised a brow. “I had no idea you were such a romantic Princess.”

“You do not know everything about me…Batman,” she stopped herself from calling him Bruce. This business of identities was annoying but seeing how Kal’s love for Lois Lane had made her a target for his enemies, she could well understand it.

Sensing a little dig at his expense, Bruce knew they were well past arguing about that in light of what they were facing now. “That is true,” he agreed. “I could have handled things better.”

Neither of them had addressed the discovery of his identity following their departure from the Daily Planet. However, it seemed a trivial matter in the face of what was happening around them. People were dying and the world was tumbling towards Ares’ deadly endgame. After that, her bruised feelings and his rather conflicted emotions seemed unimportant against the greater scheme of things

She turned and looked at him, remarking with a faint smile. “The truth exists between us now,” Diana found herself saying. “Let’s us build on that and not the mistakes made earlier. He,” Diana glanced towards Kal, “needs us now.”

“Right,” Bruce said simply, adding nothing further to her comment but everything she said would be filed away for consideration later. They would need to talk but as she said, this was not the time.

Aware that Clark would hear him, the Batman spoke quietly “Superman, we need you.”

************

On the rooftop of the hospital a few minutes later, Clark joined Bruce and Diana who were waiting for him. He left Lois reluctantly but knew that the best way to help her was to find Eris and he could only do that if he helped Diana against the threat of Ares. He didn’t know if these gods were really what Diana said they were, omnipotent beings playing dice with their lives but he was done being anyone’s pawn.

“How is Lois?” Bruce asked.

“You don’t know?” Clark retorted snidely.

Bruce didn’t take offence at his friend’s anger, knowing the place it was stemming from. “I didn’t have time to find out. I left Gotham almost soon after I returned. What is her condition?”

Bruce didn’t ask if Lois was all right or not, clearly Clark’s biting response indicated she was far from that.

Clark felt slightly ashamed at his unseemly comment and forced himself to say the words he couldn’t bring himself to utter. “She’s in a coma. They all are. Its some form of encephalitis the doctors never seen before. It’s attacking their neural functions. If they don’t find some way to stop it, Lois and the others will have days at most.”

Turning to Diana, he demanded vehemently, “do you have any idea what kind of poison this Eris was using? Those apples were supposed to be a gift from your mother. Is there anything she knows about any of this?” He hadn’t meant to sound so harsh but watching helplessly while Lois’ life was in danger was not something he could endure with any kind of calm.

“Superman...” Bruce stepped between them, “this isn’t Diana’s fault.”

“I know that!” Clark snapped and then let out a breath. “I know,” he said in a calmer voice. “I’m sorry Diana.”

Diana would have spoken up for herself but found it interesting that Bruce had chosen to speak on her behalf after being so disagreeable in his ‘Batman’ persona.’ His manner towards her had softened and though he sounded just as abrupt as he often did, Diana noticed he was more relaxed around her as well. Curious.

“I am sorry for what has been done to Miss Lane, Kal,” Diana apologised sincerely, “I brought Menalippe here so she can provide aid your friends. She is our finest healer, you could not entrust Lois to anyone better and if she cannot help, I will lead the charge to Eris herself, to save Miss Lane. I promise you Kal.”

“Thank you Diana,” Clark nodded, grateful for that bit of assurance. Furthermore, he wasn’t quite brave enough to contradict the determined expression on her face. He had no doubt that Diana was good as her word, her actions until now had proven nothing but that.

“So Ares came after all of us tonight?” He asked running his finger’s through his hair, shifting his thoughts away from worries about Lois to their situation. “He must be worried about us interfering with his plans to tip his hand like that.”

“I think so and he wasn’t afraid of being seen either,” Bruce wasted no time getting back to business now that Clark had made the move himself. “The Decay creature at the museum and what he sent after Diana and 1 were very public. A real life Cyclops and gorgon is bound to make people sit up and notice.”

“No kidding,” Clark replied automatically. “The footage of Diana’s fight with the Cyclops was all over WGBS news and he know our secret identities as well?”

“I’m afraid so,” Bruce agreed unhappily, chaffing on that most of all, “Euryale knew exactly who I was. I imagine targeting Lois and the Daily Planet was similarly strategic.”

“So it is was a secret that Kal and Miss Lane were lovers?” Diana asked, looking to the two men for confirmation.

Startled by her pronouncement, Clark stuttered a response. “Well no…not exactly, I mean we haven’t sort been forward about that sort of thing,” Clark noted Bruce trying not to look bemused. Bruce always seemed to find it entertaining when Clark was stumbling over his Midwestern propriety. Composing himself, Clark answered after a moment. “Its generally known that I care for Lois but this attack wasn’t just on her, it was also on the other people at the Daily Planet, people I care for and…” he paused abruptly, trying to decide if he should say more to Diana because do to so would be exposing his identity.

Could he trust Diana?

Clark’s instincts said yes. With the same gut feeling that told him he could trust Bruce, Clark wondered if he could take a leap of faith to trust Diana. Since he met her, they had shared a kinship, not just in power but also in their same idealistic belief that good existed in all people. Sometimes, Diana appeared as if she could have been grown in the Kent household. They were so like alike it was almost comforting. Furthermore, Bruce didn’t seem at all upset that Diana knew his secret, although with Bruce it was hard to say what the man really thought. Of course, Clark had suspicions about the true extent of Bruce’s feelings towards the Amazon Princess but that was a discussion for another time.

Right now, he had a decision to make.

Throwing a sidelong glance at Bruce, who made no effort to offer him guidance, perhaps wishing this decision to be Clark’s and Clark’s alone, he resumed speaking. “People, I care for and work with everyday.” He concluded.

“You are employed at the Daily Planet?” Diana exclaimed, aware that Kal often had to leave her to attend to other errands. She assumed it was because of Superman’s obligations to the Patriarch’s world not because he had another existence, far removed from that of planetary saviour.

“That’s right,” Clark nodded. “My name is Clark Kent, investigative journalist at the Daily Planet.”

“Lois Lane’s side kick,” Batman retorted.

“Partner, ” Clark corrected, throwing the cowled avenger a scathing look.

Another man with a secret, Diana frowned unhappily. “Do none of you speak the truth?” Diana exclaimed. “First, he is Bruce Wayne and now you are Clark Kent? I thought your name was Kal!” She complained imperiously.

“It is Kal,” Clark corrected her quickly, “that’s my Kryptonian name. Its necessary for me to have a private life Diana,” he explained and wondered if Bruce had bothered to do the same. Knowing Bruce, probably not. “Just as it is for Bruce. We have people in our lives who are vulnerable to the enemies we make as Superman and Batman. It is not done to deceive but to protect ourselves and our loved ones.”

Diana guessed as much before he explained but it was still no less frustrating. “Seeing how Eris used Miss Lane and your friends at the Daily Planet to harm you, I cannot fault your reasoning…Kal, Clark…what do you wish to be called?” She asked, irritated by the whole concept, even more so because there was a good reason for it.

Surprising himself, Clark replied, “I’d like you to call me Kal, Diana. For some reason, it doesn’t sound odd when you say it.”

There was real affection and trust as he said those words and Diana felt her anger lessen somewhat. He was giving her his trust, believing she was a person of honour and that meant something to Diana. She had not discovered the truth about him accidentally. What she knew now, was given to her freely. His faith in her made Diana feel privileged and she knew she would never betray it.

“Thank you Kal, I am honoured and I thank you for your trust. Your secret is safe with me. You have my word as an Amazon that I will never compromise it.”

“I know Diana,” Clark answered, always feeling good whenever he could be himself around the people he cared about without needing to lie.

Almost a second thought in her head and with certainly felt with less affection, she glanced at Bruce and added, “As is yours.” She said begrudgingly.

Not about to get into another debate about trust, particularly when they had bigger concerns on their mind, Bruce ignored the comment and moved past their personal issues to their immediate situation. “I think we need to take a more direct approach in dealing with this war god Diana. You said the Harmonia’s talisman is needed to find Ares, is that right?”

“Yes,” Diana nodded, forgetting her conflicted emotions about the man behind the cowl for now. “The talisman is vital to finding out his plans.”

“What is the exact wording of this prophecy?”

“You mean the original text?” Clark asked, trying to see what Bruce was getting at.

“There is not text,” she replied, wondering where he was going with this. “Menalippe received the prophecy in her dreams. The gods spoke to her through the realm of Morpheus. They said that….” She paused to remember the words spoken by the High Priestess in her telling of the prophecy to Diana before they left Themiscyra.

“To stand at the precipice of Days End, Harmonia’s half must be joined as one.” She recited.

”Okay,” Bruce took in her words. “I think I can work with that.”

“You can with that?” Clark stared at him with astonishment, wondering what hat trick Bruce was about to carry out with such vague information.

“I think so,” the Batman nodded. “We need a mirror.”

*************

“I do not understand what we are doing?” Diana asked a few minutes later when they were gathered in an empty hospital room, facing a cabinet mirror. “I thought we required both pieces of the talisman for it to take us to Ares.”

“I think we still do,” Bruce replied, holding the object in his gauntlet and examining it once more. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt about prophecies, the wording is specific. Harmonia’s half, must be joined as one.”

“That means both pieces,” Clark pointed out.

“Maybe,” Bruce replied unconvinced, “but I’m curious as to why it was broken up and its origins masked. Maybe the pieces apart can’t do bring us to Ares but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some kind of mystical power here.”

“I think you’re reaching,” Superman said sceptically.

“Perhaps he is,” Diana considered his words and voiced the reservations she had not spoken before now, “there is wisdom in what he says. I have questioned how a face-to-face battle with the war god can save the Patriarch’s World. For all my strength, I cannot face him in combat and win. If I am to thwart him, it must be by some other means than battle. For all our efforts, his plan has not been made clear to us at all. We know he is moving in the Patriarch’s World but what he intends to do here is a mystery.”

“Exactly,” Bruce retorted, “we need answers and we don’t have a lot of time. My gut tells us we’re running out of it, fast.”

With Lois lying comatose somewhere, Clark tended to agree. Things were coming to ahead and they needed to take a chance, no matter how outlandish it might seem. “Alright, I’m with you. What do we do?” Superman asked.

Bruce Wayne, aka Batman sucked in his breath and held the one-half of Harmonia’s talisman against the mirror before pressing the ancient amulet against the reflective surface and replying, “We take a trip through the looking glass, Alice.”

As soon as it made contact, a sudden reddish glow illuminated both pieces of talisman as the image in the mirror and the object Bruce was holding became for a brief instance, whole. The fluorescent lights died and suddenly, they were all bathed in darkness. The comfortable temperature of the room was replaced by the cold, Bruce found familiar in caves and other dark places, hidden away from the sun. He could hear the wind wailing around them and gravel under his boots.

”Bruce, Kal,” Diana’s voice cut through the momentary disorientation. “Stay close to me, whatever you do!”

They were standing on a narrow ledge of rock, no more than a meter wide across but it moved through the cavern like curling walkway, spiralling in places, like the coils of a serpent. What light there was came from sputters of sulphur and ash that coughed into the air at irregular junctures on the walkway, like pustules on flesh.

“Where are we?” Clark asked, trying to see what lay beyond their immediate location, to get some idea of where they were. It unsettled him when his enhanced vision he could not penetrate the blackness beyond the walkway.

”This is what my people have spent two thousand years guarding,” Diana explained. “When Heracles and his men violated my mother and sisters, the Amazons in their fury retaliated by slaughtering every last man who had harmed them. For this sin of cold-blooded murder, the Amazons were forced to pay penance by guarding Doom’s Door.”

“Doom’s Door?” Bruce blurted out, having done his reading on mythology since meeting Diana and being enlisted into the fight to prevent the End of Days. “That’s where we are?”

Hell, he cursed under his breath.

“What the hell is Doom’s Door?” Clark barked, his patience snapped at last.

“Tartarus,” Diana answered. “The Underworld where all evil is imprisoned.”