Chapter 19: Chapter 19 - Wonder
(Several Miles North of Licata, Sicily - Fascist Italy, Europe - Near midnight, 9th July 1943)
The P-47 Thunderbolt jolted again in the warm midnight Mediterranean air, causing Captain Steve Trevor to curse slightly as he tried to keep his craft steady and smooth. In truth, the aircraft wasn't suited for the mission or the flight they were on but it had been the only thing he had been allocated and when orders came he worked with what he had. A knock on the cockpit window caused him to look to his left to see the helmeted and goggled appearance of Soldier Boy. The man was lightly holding onto the wing of the craft with his left arm which bore his overly large shield, propped up on one knee so he could tap the cockpit, his positioning causing the increased wind resistance.
The superhero's face was one of pure disappointment as he gave a hand signal that they were running behind, and by his demeanour, he was clearly blaming Steve for the delay. The pilot just looked at his own watch and saw that they were only behind schedule by 5 minutes and were fast approaching their destination. Steve relayed the information via his own set of handle signals, finding it slightly hard due to Soldier Boys' positioning made keeping the plane steady nearly impossible. However, instead of giving a thumbs up or doing anything remotely sensible the Super Soldier just shook his head at him and then pushed off of the wing of the aircraft.
"SON OF A BITCH!" Steve cursed loudly, as he felt the plane nearly spiral out of control as the superhero dropped into enemy territory, it took all of his skill to stay level.
Internally he was starting to regret taking the assignment to 'drop', for want of a better word, part of the Avenging Squad into enemy territory. Although, as he thought about it, in truth he hadn't really volunteered, his commanders saw him as expendable and the whole Avenging Squad as a sideshow, but it was his real chance to see combat. They had been running missions for just about under a year now, and he couldn't blame the brass for their views. These Superhumans were powerful and regular troops stood no chance against them, but they could also be undisciplined, arrogant and egotistical. Soldier Boy was a prime example of that, in fact in Steve's eyes he was the very essence of what was wrong with the supes.
Tap, Tap, Tap.
The taping to his right brought a smile to his face as he looked over to see the completely other end of the Superhuman spectrum, and the one that sold him that they could help end the war. Wonder Woman in all her glory was lying flat on the other wing doing a much better job of keeping the plane stable. She was stunning with raven locks flowing freely as the wind blew them behind her and her angelic face was glowing as she smiled at him. Her red, blue, and gold costume hung to her figure perfectly accentuating every one of her curves and although Steve had stated it's impractical for stealth missions or actual combat, even he admitted she looked good in it.
His thoughts about her looks were quickly pushed to one side as she left up her hand and gave her own signals to say that she was going to follow Soldier Boy, most likely to make sure the idiot didn't get himself killed. She turned around preparing to let go but paused for a moment before she turned back to Steve in the cockpit, her eyes slightly hidden by the aviation goggles she was wearing to protect from the wind but he could tell they twinkled with mirth.
She lifted one hand to her lips and blew him a kiss and he guessed a wink, as she managed to yell over the engine and wind.
"See ya Flyboy! I'll be back soon, stay out of trouble till then!"
Wonder Woman disappeared with that, letting go of the aircraft and slipping gently away into the night to land in enemy territory. Steve felt his heart flutter at her departure and worry seeped into him as it did every time he saw her leave. He knew it was made worse by the irrational decision his heart had made to feel both vice-like tight and light as a feather whenever she was around, which in turn had led to their ill-advised night together in Cairo. He knew he was being foolish and that this whole romance was doomed and had no future, a man like him even under the best of circumstances would never have a chance with a woman like Diana.
In fact, he knew that loving her wouldn't end well. In the heat of war, it could be overlooked but back home, especially back where he was from, it would be the death of him.
(Edina, Minnesota - Super Duper House - Early Morning 4th February 2020)
Diana smiled at the memory as she set down a tray of snacks in front of her charges and turned the TV on to the channel that Bobby liked, making sure the volume was a little louder than usual. Her team wasn't happy at being sat out of the meeting and wanted to help but they trusted her enough not to push the issue. She quickly looked over to Joy who was dressed in her own Vought Costume as her 'sidekick' Ladyfold and received a subtle nod from her right-hand woman.
Diana returned the nod before retreating back to the kitchen taking one last look at her team, her friends, and her protectees before closing the door tight behind her. Diana then looked at an entirely different team, not one made of unique teens and young people she had recused from Vought abuses but one forged by the realities of the world she had saved hers from so far. Her eyes flicked from Clark before scanning the rest of the team that he had brought with him, she took note of Starlight and the famous Lois Lane. However, her eyes fixed on the two men she had seen on the news, Marvin T. Milk and Hugh Campbell Jr among the most wanted men in the country.
"Well this is complete shit," Diana sighed as she moved over to the stove lifting it with one hand into the air to get to the spot where she hid her cigarettes and lighter, "Total bullshit. You turn up with wanted men asking about Liberty, yeah, not how I saw this day going. And look, you've got me smoking again,"
Diana tucked her long raven hair back behind one of her ears as put the stove back down and then took out a cigarette from a packet that looked about 5 years old and lifted an old heavy lighter with a United States Army Air Forces logo to light it. The woman pulled the smoke into her lungs for a moment before her face suddenly twisted in disgust, she removed the clearly stale and foul-tasting cigarette quickly. She looked around trying to find a place to put it out but saw nowhere in her clean, organised kitchen she wanted to mark or risk smelling of smoke around her young teammates.
"Fuckin things have gone off, typical" Diana sighed as he casually put the cigarette out in the palm of her hand, throwing the stale packet to the side but holding onto the lighter. "Don't suppose any of you have any on you?"
"You know smoking leads to cancer right?" Clark replied whilst everyone quickly shook their heads at her question, fixing her with a slightly disparaging look
"I'm 101 years old, I've held raw plutonium, survived being buried in volcanic ash and breathed in a dozen different nerve agents." Diana just replied with a small smirk as she leaned against the kitchen counter and looked at the strange group in front of her. "So I'm not overly concerned about cigarettes and cancer."
"101? Wow, you look….oh shit!" Annie moved forward trying to ease the slight tension in the room only to stop as relation dawned on her as she looked at Diana, "Your Wonder Woman."
"Oh fuckin great. Of course, she's a fan" Diana sighed, really feeling like she needed a cigarette now that it was clear that the universe hated her.
"Wait Wonder Woman, that WW2 Supe the one on all those posters selling war bonds, vintage comics and stuff?" Hughie asked looking between MM, Clark and Diana, his knowledge of early Supes straining, "Wait I thought she disappeared in the 50s? You're her?"
"I'm not Wonder Woman, my name is Diana Prince, I'm a semi-retired Superheroine called Auntie Sis. I can't help you," Diana, cut in, her tone clear and decisive as she gave a pointed look to the guests in her house. "I look after this house, the surrounding suburbs, and a team of very special young people that the rest of the world doesn't care about. Sorry."
Diana made her apology giving a little sigh before moving off of the counter and heading towards the door not bothering to look at Clark. She could feel him looking at her and although she knew he was a good kid and one of the few Supes she would let near her team, she had no intention of being dragged into whatever this was. She had done the whole saving the world routine, standing up for what was right and that had only ended up costing her everything she cared for and landing squarely in a position where Vought had leverage over her.
"You were, once," Clark's voice stopped her as she reached the door that led to the living room, she could hear the TV on the other side, "Before all of this, you were Wonder Woman, one of the greatest heroes ever. And I am sorry but we need answers and you are the only one who knows enough to help that we can trust."
"Tell you what?!" Diana spun around her frustration building as she felt her hand turn into a fist by her side while the other gestured to Annie. "Miss America already spilled the beans on Vought's biggest secret, 'Supes are made!', 'It's all drugs in babies!', yeah I know it was you. So I don't know what else I could tell you that you think could help,"
"Who's Liberty?" MM spoke up and drew the attention of the room to the man who also placed Raynor's file on the kitchen table in the middle of the room, "You recognised the name and, by the way you reacted, you know something."
"It's not my problem, I don't have to deal with her or any of that anymore, I just protect my kids," Diana's voice went dark as she looked at the file and felt the smiling hooded figure of Liberty staring up at her. "So I would very much like for you to leave,"
"Diana, we need your help," Clark replied calmly, and moved forward. Diana just grimaced at him.
"I said get out" She gestured to the door her tone making it clear that she wasn't messing around, Clark could hear her elevated heart rate and could see her muscles tensing.
"Look lady, we just want answers and then will go," MM tried to intervene and back up Clark but as he moved in closer to Diana, her grimace deepened and she turned on MM with body language that was not at all friendly.
"Hey, we just want to help okay? Vought is up to something we are just trying to stop it," Annie's plea came as she moved in between MM and one of her childhood icons.
The whole scene became incredibly tense as Diana's knuckles went white by her side, her mind racing with worry as she knew where this can of worms could lead, and she needed to protect her team. Annie for her part was starting to feel a lump forming in her stomach as she looked impossibly at first and possibly the greatest heroine ever who looked like she was about to kick her ass to throw her out. Clark and MM had a similar reaction; they had both moved to intervene but stopped short of doing anything as they didn't want to cause an actual fight. The look on both of their faces made it clear they were not happy with how this had gone,
"Deal with her?" Hughie's voice caused everyone to pause, as they looked at the man who had just ignored the fight about to break out in front of him. His face was pensive.
"What?" Diana asked, confusion on her face as she looked at Hughie glancing at Clark who didn't respond.
"You said 'I don't have to deal with her or any of that anymore', she's still alive, isn't she? That's why, or at least that's part of it. " Hughie asked his mind racing as he looked at the Liberty poster and then back at Diana his eyes narrowing as he saw a flicker of a grimace at his statement "I'm right but it's only a small part, you're not afraid of Liberty, but something isn't there, something about what you know?"
Diana's eyes narrowed, and the room fell silent. She kept looking at Hughie with an unblinking gaze that made him want to melt. However, he was not sure how he managed to just keep her gaze it wasn't the steely gaze Clark could do or the "fuck you, and fuck off" glare Butcher had perfected and he was sure it wasn't intimidating but he managed to keep it. Just as he felt himself about to gulp and blink, he felt relief race through him as Diana blinked first releasing a deep sigh and moving back over towards the counter she had left her cigarettes at.
"And I thought you were just here for emotional support," Daina smirked out as she rubbed her eyes, feeling a headache coming on before looking up at Clark. "He's smarter than he looks, but I still can't help you. I don't know anything that will help with whatever this is."
"Diana, I know about V," Clark sighed, his face falling into a seriousness that caused the superheroine to pause and look at him with narrowed questioning eyes. "And I need to know where it comes from? And what is so important about Liberty that the deputy director of the CIA was looking into her?"
"They make it in labs, there's one in that big tower you work in," Diana replied, her tone was almost believable that this was all she knew but Clark could hear a slight tremble in her voice. "And I don't know why Liberty is… WAS important."
"I know what V is, I know what it is made from," Clark said firmly, sharing a knowing glance with both Annie and Lois, which didn't go unnoticed by MM nor did he miss Diana's eyes widening. "I need to know where they are keeping it."
"...How do you know about that?" Diana gulped her voice going quiet as she looked at the door where her team was oblivious to the dangerous conversation happening. "How do you know about…..it?"
"Because I'm one of them," Clark said, his voice was unwavering in its honesty and clear in its stubble meaning.
The statement caused Diana to step back in shock as she looked Clark up and down for a few moments as she processed what she had just heard. Hughie and MM for their part just shared a look both very confused at the conversation, with the former being very curious and suspicious at whatever secret was being discussed.
"Well…Shit. I always wondered what the thing in the pod looked like. I always thought it was going to be something blue, with a tail and tentacles." Diana sighed defiantly, deciding that she needed a smoke at her earliest opportunity, before looking Clark in the eyes. "Turns out it was a lot more human. Look, sport, I honestly don't know a lot, and I'm not…..I'm not the person I used to be, I'm not Wonder Woman anymore"
"Why?" The question caused everyone to turn to Lois who was seated at the kitchen table, the question having slipped out, she might have been better at concealing it than Annie but Diana sighed as she saw another fan. "I'm sorry I know this is all important… but I always kind of thought you were…..made up. You know to sell stuff to housewives and war bonds to lecherous men in the 40s, but you're real and…and here…..How?"
"...Do you know who Steve Trevor was?" Diana asked as she moved away from the group over to a small cabinet in the kitchen that held some photos.
"Yeah, he was the love interest of Wonder Woman in the old WW2 comic books," Lois answered as she glanced at Clark whilst Diana stood in front of the cabinet, her eyes staring at something tucked in the back of the photos. "He was a pilot and secret agent, tall blonde with a square jaw right?"
"Yeah, that was the comic book version, blonde-haired and blue-eyed American dreamboat," Diana chuckled without joy as she turned back to the group, laying an old photo on the kitchen table. "What a load of shit. That was my Steve Trevor."
The group glanced at the photo of Steve Trevor, he was standing next to his plane, wearing a WW2 uniform, a wide grin on his face and his arm around Diana who looked identical to the one in front of him. However, it was very clear what Daina meant by the Vought Comic version of Steve Trevor being a load of shit, the American in the photo was very clearly African American. The real Steve Trevor had dark skin, hazel-brown eyes, and short curly hair cut into a crew cut, he was also slim with a light frame and had a round face framed by a thick moustache.
"Vought created the white spy version to crush the rumours, apparently a white woman and black man didn't play well with audiences," Diana smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest again, not a hint of joy on her face. "Steve and I, we didn't care what people thought or said, we were the real thing, I loved him more than you can imagine."
"What happened?" Hughie asked looking from the smiling youthful version of Diana in her shining Wonder Woman persona to the more tired and exhausted Diana dressed in the awful Auntie Sis costume
"That bitch Liberty happened," Diana snarled as the memory entered her head, they left a foul taste "After the war, me and Trevor went back stateside, he was from Alabama and I didn't have anyone left in New York so we settled there. We got married, in secret of course and tried to live our life."
"Why in secret?" Hughie asked, he would be first to admit his knowledge of the 20th century was mostly limited to Supes, basic WW2 knowledge and Billy Joel.
"It was illegal is why," MM answered his eyes on Diana as he had a feeling he knew where this was going. "In Alabama in the 40s for a black man and a white woman to be seen together was basically a crime, and to be married, well that was lynching territory"
"Yeah, which is what happened. I was still Wonder Woman, Vought poster girl and all that, so to put money on the table I started doing movies in Hollywood" Diana spat out an audible click was heard as her hands became fists. "I begged Steve to move to LA with me, but he wouldn't, couldn't, he had family there and a community that looked to him. So I divided my time flying back and forth, it worked for a while, no one knew who I was and Steve had his work with the NAACP to keep him busy. We were together most of the time, we were happy. It was December 1949 when I came back to find Steve hanging from the tree at the end of the street, beaten to a pulp with a sign around his neck."
Diana went quiet as her breathing became heavy as she felt her heart becoming a stone in her chest again and fire burning in her chest. She could taste the cold December air still in her mouth, feel the slick red blood on Steve's body and she could still hear her scream as she clung to him. She could also remember with cold satisfaction what she had down next, although if she was honest it had never removed the pain.
"I found the people who did it, the fucking monsters were having themselves a little party in a field that Saturday night. Patting themselves on the back, praising the lord that they kept the inferior coloured race in its place." The glint that appeared in Diana's eye sent a shiver down Hughie's spine; it was a look that he had seen cross Butcher's face at times but never to the sheer degree he was seeing. "I killed them all, every last one of them, ripped them apart and beat them so badly that even their mothers couldn't recognise them."
There was a long silence as the room exchanged glances. No one was really sure how to react to Diana's declaration of brutal revenge killing over 70 years ago. It was Clark who finally spoke up, "I am so sorry that happened to you… and I need to know, how does Liberty fit into this?"
"That fucking bitch knew, she even had photos, how I don't know maybe the fucking racist piece of shit was there, it was certainly her kind of crowd. She showed them to Vought and they gave me a choice: play the role they wanted for a bit and then disappear, or go to jail. Fucking Libtery and Soldier Boy were more than ready to help with the latter" Diana sighed releasing her fists as she felt disgust replace the rage in her chest like it always did when it reached this part of the story "You see that group of assholes I killed, included 3 sheriffs, a district Attorney, 2 congressmen sons and the brother-in-law of the Governor. I was ready to fight it, to say fuck Vought all of it but…..there was also…..also, Lyta to consider."
"Lyta was your daughter wasn't she?" Lois asked, already knowing the answer, her hand going to her stomach.
Diana nodded a delicate smile gracing her face as she remembered her daughter, "Hippolyta Trevor, our little Lyta. My parents were Greek immigrants and Steve always liked the old stories, so he wanted her to have a strong name. She was perfect, so smart, so beautiful but….. she couldn't walk, her muscles were… I learned later that for those given strong doses of V their children can develop problems and issues. I couldn't leave her, couldn't risk it. Can you imagine a mixed-race little girl with no parents in the 50s? I didn't have a choice."
"I understand," Clark spoke softly, causing Diana to look at him. She sometimes hated how he always seemed so compassionate and honest all the time, it made it impossible to stay focused on anger and fear. "I know this is difficult, but I need to know about V and why Raynor was looking into Liberty?"
"Because that bitch is back," Diana sighed, moving over to the door to the living room, she opened it slightly and spoke to Joy quickly, who passed her a newspaper from the room that Diana threw down next to the picture of Liberty. "Your hashtag trendy, Portland tweeting, Girls Get It Done, the newest addition to the Seven, is fucking Liberty. She's the same person."
Everyone's eyes widened as they looked at the photo and the revelation that Diana had just dropped on them. MM and Lois shared a look as both of them started to try and place this new piece of information into what they already knew, but the look they both shared was clear both were confused.
Annie and Hughie shared a look as well which was more of mutual concern as both had renewed worry for the other's safety. Clark however just filed the information away knowing he needed more to connect it to everything else going on, his eyes stayed fixed on Diana.
"You mentioned a pod? What do you know about it? Is Stormfront connected to it? And do you know where it is?" Clark asked, his voice tense as he felt his heart in his throat, anxiety gripping for the first time in years. "Please, I need to know,"
"I saw it in 1941 during Freddy Vought's Compound V trials, the fucker had defected to America early in the year and brought it with him. Apparently, he figured out Germany wasn't going to win the war in 1941 so he hopped out before everyone else got wise to get the best deal possible" Diana sighed as she recounted what she knew eyeing MM briefly as she tailored her answer to leave out the more exotic parts of the pods story. "It was just over 7 feet in length, made out of this metal I had never seen before and I know it's where he got the first juice he shot up the original team with. Me, Ben, Jay, Teddy, fuckin' Crimson Countess I, and the other two."
"Wait, defected? I thought Frederick Vought was a German immigrant who founded Vought-America in the late 30s to fight Nazism and protect his adopted country?" Hughie asked, remembering the biography of the Vought founder that he had learnt when reading up on the country.
"What? Hell no! Freddy Vought was a full-fledged card-carrying Nazi, his name wasn't even Frederick Vought. The government made that shit up to help set him up with a new life as part of the deal"
Diana scoffed more than a little surprised that the group hadn't even learned that much about the enemy they were fighting. Her eyes flicked to Clark who just stood unmoving but it was clear by the look in his eye that he hadn't missed the fact she had jumped on the chance to avoid talking about the pod. She swallowed the lump in her throat before jumping back into talking to Hughie and the others gathered in the room.
"He was Jonas Vogelmann until he defected, he brought his family over after the war, even had a hellspawn nephew named after himself. Probably thought it was some sick joke to hide his extended family under a Jewish name. Freddywas a true believer too, blonde-hair blue eyes Aryan supremacy crap the whole 9-yards, he only defected because Germany didn't have the resources to let him carry out his experiments successfully."
"Mother fuckers," MM smirked shaking his head at the news and crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back, "Can't say I'm fucking surprised, actually explains a lot of Vought's BS over the years. Motherfucker, LL you think Stormfront might have popped Raynor for getting too close?"
"Fuck, I don't know, wouldn't put it past her, especially knowing that we know all this and it would make sense," Lois sighed, trying to tie the threads together in her head but her reporter instinct screamed at her she was missing something. "Is there anything else about Liberty, Stormfront, whatever the Bitch is calling herself that you can tell us?"
"She and Frederick were close, like sleeping together close, I actually think she might have been his wife," Diana said as her face scrunched up as she tried to recall the details and gossip from 70 years ago. "Or mistress at least, I know he was married with a daughter and no one ever met either of them, and he was certainly sleeping with Liberty. I don't know for certain, but Frederick, despite being a racist asshole, didn't seem to cheat, he hated weakness and saw infidelity as moral weakness.
"His wife? Fuck," Annie's felt that this was getting more and more confusing instead of clear and was starting to wonder what really was happening with Vought and Supes, this was beyond just corporate greed.
"Yeah, however, you've been handling her, be more careful, especially you," Diana nodded at MM her protective instincts kicking in as she addressed the group "And anyone else you've got that isn't 100% white. I always got the feeling she was as much if not more of a believer than Freddy was. The way she used to look at people was a type of evil I thought we'd buried in the ashes of Berlin. Be fucking careful with her."
"Could Diana and I have the room please?" Clark's voice sounded out clearly across the room; he wasn't looking at anyone but was standing with his arms crossed staring at the floor.
The rest of the room looked at each other uncertain of what to do due to the sudden coldness coming off of Clark and the sheer emotionlessness radiating off of him. Annie was the first to stand her brain correctly guessing what Clark needed the room for and the questions he was going to press. She gestured to Hughie who just glanced at Clark and followed suit, heading to the door that he held open for Annie. MM didn't move his suspicions had already been piqued by talk of the pod and he hadn't missed the fact that Diana had taken every opportunity to change the subject when Clark brought it up.
"MM, please, I'll let you know when it's something to worry about," Lois' calm professional voice is what moved him in the end.
He clearly didn't want to go, his whole demeanour screamed it but he trusted Lois enough to give her the benefit of the doubt on this. He just eyed the two supes in the room, his gaze lingering on Clark for longer as the man stayed completely still as he waited for the room to clear. Lois herself looked at Clark as she left the room, her eyes lingering on the man before closing the door and leaving the two Supes to talk whilst they mingled with the other occupants of the house.
"You know, ever since I met you I knew, I just knew you were different from the other Supes, there was just something about you. I never thought it would be this" Diana sighed as she picked up the photo of Steve Trevor that she gently and lovingly placed back in the cabinet. "Ever since you crashed into that Planet Vought 10 years ago and came out covered in burger meat, juices and buns stuck to you. I knew one day you were going to show up on my doorstep and make my life complicated."
"Please don't talk about that, my mother still uses the 'hamburger incident' to embarrass me," Clark chuckled at the memory of one of his less-than-heroic moments before lifting his head up to look at Diana. "I need to know about that pod and where it is."
"I don't know where it is, that's the truth. God this is all so weird" Diana raised a hand to stop Clark from cutting her off. Her honesty stayed with him for a moment as she took a deep breath and looked to the door that led to her team. "You know what Vought will do to them if they find out I told you half of what I just did, let alone this? I can take care of myself, but…You know they won't survive, that's why I made the team to protect them."
"Vought won't find out I promise, and if they do I will protect them, you have my word," Clark moved forward drawing Diana's eye back to him, causing her to nod as radiated security and confidence. "What do you know about the pod? And do you have any idea where it is or how I could find out?"
"I don't know much, I know Frederick Vought or someone he knew found it in the Arctic in the early 20s. They were there on some kind of research expedition and a freak meteor struck a few miles away," Diana's voice was quiet and low as she glanced at the door again taking a deep breath as she steadied her nerves. "They decided it was worth a look and found a 7-foot long oval-shaped pod with markings on it, that weren't earthly in origin, made of metal no one could identify. Took them a decade to get the thing opened and whatever was in it advanced Frederick Vought's understanding of genetics by decades."
"The person inside the pod didn't wake up or anything?" Clark asked, his heart hammering in his chest as he felt himself closer than ever to possibly ending the crushing weight of being the last of his kind.
"I don't think so, honestly I don't know. All I know is that when Vought got to America he somehow brought the pod with him and he used it to make the first serums of V." Diana looked at Clark and felt her heart go out to the man, the look on his face told her he was desperate to find it "I only knew about it by accident Freddy talked about it when he thought I was unconscious after the first series of injections, honestly I was pretty out of it. I only saw it once when Freddy's benefactor forced him to move it somewhere after me, Ben and the others survived the trials, 1 in 50 survived, and he called it a success."
"What benefactor? You mean the US government had the pod moved?" Clark looked at her his eyes widened, his mind racing through everyone he knew that he could talk to in Government and every lead he could follow to find the pod.
"No, not the Government, they were like investors from what I understood. They gave him equipment and volunteers but they didn't want to know anything, they just wanted the product Superheroes to defend America." Diana remarked her barrow furrowing as she thought about the Compound V trails and her volunteering for it for the first time in years. "No, Frederick had someone with a lot of money and influence backing him up. I know they were the ones who arranged to get him out of Germany with the pod and arranged the deal with the government."
"Do you know who they were?" Clark asked, feeling his heart sinking as his brain failed to summon any candidates for the mysterious benefactor
"Sorry, I knew they existed by context and gossip I picked up, I never met them know one did. I don't even think Frederick met them" Diana sighed as she hated that this was all she could tell her friend, she cast a glance to her side as another memory came to her. "I did hear them once it was after the injection, I was practising my super hearing and I heard Freddy and him arguing. Like really going at it."
"What were they talking about?" Clark pressed on, needing to know as much as possible hoping for the slimmest lead that could give him a path to a potential survivor of his home world.
"I think it was about the pod, Frederick wanted to keep it there, but his benefactor was adamant they move it. He had this authoritative voice and this analytical way of speaking, like a General" Diana closed her eyes as she tried to recall the hazy memory that she in truth had put out of her mind long ago. "I don't remember what they said but it sounded like the benefactor was more concerned about the pod than the trails or anything else…..he sounded almost desperate."
"And you have no idea where the pod is now?" Clark felt the lump in his throat sink to the bottom of his stomach as frustration started to build in him, he was so close and yet nowhere.
"I don't but…." Diana spoke, pausing herself briefly as she took a deep breath and glanced at the door again before she continued. "But if you need a lead. I think Stormfront might know where it is"
"Stormfront?" Clark glanced at Diana with narrowed eyes before looking at the picture of the woman on the front cover of the newspaper.
"That pod was the most important thing to Frederick Vought and even if I am wrong about her being his wife, she worshipped the man." Diana moved forward her finger tapping the picture that Clark's eyes were fixed on "If she's still around, and still waving the Vought banner, I would put good money that she's still involved in making Supes and means she knows where that pod is."
"Thank you," Clark gave her nod as he felt a weight shift back to his chest pressing down on him as he thought about what to do next.
"You're welcome," Diana whispered as she looked at the alien in front of her, he seemed so human, so normal and didn't help she had known Clark for years which just served to make him more normal. "What are you going to do?"
"Find the pod, and from there just keep people safe," Clark smiled at Diana, but his usual charming smile seemed to lack its usual friendliness. "You know the usual
"I wasn't just talking about the pod," Diana just gave her own sad smile to Clark's deflated one, "You know everyone in our 'community' is talking about you and Homelander, rumours are flying and people are feeling the tension building. One even said you came to blows…. Is it true?"
"Sort of, he was trying to kill a friend of mine" Clark's eyes were on the floor again, and his voice fell, "What's the community saying?"
"People are scared, honestly, they don't know what to think." Diana looked away from Clark feeling the lump forming in her throat as she recalled what she heard from others and what Joy picked up from her friends "Mostly they are picking sides. You or Homelander. A few think you two are going to work it out. Most though think it's going to come to a head soon…..in a very definitive way"
"And?" Clark looked up from the floor to Diana, his face one of slight trepidation "Where are people coming down?"
Diana released a sharp breath as she shifted under his gaze. "Nearly all of it's falling Homelander's way, he's been the leader of the Supe scene for decades, everyone idolises him and people like what he stands for,"
"That being they can do whatever they want and keep the good times rolling?" Clark guessed, feeling not at all surprised he could put the list of halfway-decent supes together on half a piece of paper and still have room left.
"Yeah, whereas people see you as either out of touch, old-fashioned or…just a wet blanket, people love you, Clark. But most Supes ain't people." Diana sighed as she delivered her all too accurate assessment of the Supe scene "The few who would back you are either your personal friends, like Alex or Annie or the young idealistic lot…and even then, they ain't exactly running up to stand next to you."
"What about you?" Clark looked at the heroine, his tone was clear and she knew what he was asking.
"I, I…I need to protect my kids, Clark." Diana replied hesitantly, not at all liking the urge and voice sounding in the back of her head, in a voice that sounded a lot like Steve.
"That's what I asking you to do, you know when I find that pod it's going to start everything," Clark stood up squaring his shoulders as he looked Diana in the eye "I'm willing to do it alone but I could use your help…So what will it be Wonder Woman?"
Diana opened her mouth but before she could give an answer, the door swung open as Bobby appeared with a smile on his face as he basically jumped into the room. The room shook a little as his large frame wobbled, he was clearly ecstatic, a large smile plastered on his face as he smiled at Clark.
"CLARK! CLARK! YOUR THAT PRETTY LADY YOU WORK WITH IS ON TV!" Bobby announced he moved forward and looked ready to drag him into the other room
"Bobby," Diana's firm motherly voice was accompanied by a sigh as she looked at her charge, "Remember what we said a closed door means and about knocking?"
"OH SORRY! SO SORRY! I FORGOT!" Bobby turned into a large tomato as he went red with embarrassment for the second time that day and quickly ran out of the room swinging the door shut behind him.
"No that's not…." Diana released a chuckle as she let another sigh, she loved Bobby but he never remembered any of her tips or instructions, she moved towards the door to talk to him before he started knocking. "Bobby, what is i- RACHEL!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Rachel, apologised as she phased through the door, stopping for a moment as her foot got stuck in it, causing her to pull it through causing the door to break. "I just wanted….wanted….to, um, uh, ask! That's it, ask, how to explain something to Bobby?"
"Explain what?" Clark asked, causing Rachel to look at him with a wide smile.
"Maeve and Homelander on TV, she's apparently a, um…les…..lib….." Rachel trailed off as she tried to recall the word Homelander had used.
"A lesbian?" Diana asked, with a raised eyebrow, hoping she had pieced the word together right.
"Yeah that!" Rachel smiled as she looked between Diana and Clark, "So how do I explain that one, Joy said to ask you.
The two superheroes looked at each other, before Diana just gave a grin and patted Clark on the shoulder, before walking into the other room. "This one is all yours Space boy, all yours"
(Kent Family Farm, Smallville - Kansas - Very early Morning 4th February 2020)
Butcher felt the rich firm earth beneath his hand as he crouched down to look at the house his wife was being kept in. He had left Frenchie and the Female to do whatever it was they did when they were alone as he decided he was done with letting Supes control his life. Lois' steel boy toy could go fuck himself, he was getting his wife back and it looked like it was going to be much easier than he thought.
Even though he hated everything Supes touched and had been to enough Supe's homes that he knew they were always hiding shit somewhere, he had to admit the place looked nice. In fact, it came pretty close to what he had wanted as a young lad growing up in the hot, cramped, shithole council estates of the East End of London. Wide open spaces, fresh air, a sense of tranquility when you were outside, no constant stream of people outside and everything just felt ... .nice.
As he edged toward the house, keeping low so as not to be spotted in case someone was up at this ungodly hour, he steeled himself for what was coming next. 'Get in. Grab Becca. Leave the kid. Run and never look back.' Looking around only intensified his desire to do so, any small qualms he had of leaving the kid had already been crushed, he couldn't give two shits for the Supe freak and anyway this place looked nice enough to grow up. He leaned around the truck he was hiding behind to assess the best approach towards the farmhouse that held his wife.
'That fucking farmboy Supe naïve prick, he can raise the rape bab-'
CLICK!
Butcher's mind froze as he heard the familiar sound of a gun being cocked, a bolt-action centerfire rifle if he wasn't mistaken as he felt a presence behind him. He went still and raised his hands whilst still crouching as he felt the barrel being pressed in between his shoulders. He suppressed a grimace as the person clearly had an idea of what they were doing, and he could do anything at the moment. If they had pressed it against his head he might have been able to grab it or at least make a move but the barrel was positioned just right so that making a play for it or moving would likely result in a round to the chest or torso at least.
"Howdy, friend. Now I don't know who the hell you are or what you think you're doing. But ain't no good has ever come from a man sneaking around outside a house in the early morning." Martha's calm voice was accompanied by her pressing the barrel harder into Butcher's back "Now you best tell me what you're up to before this old hair-trigger goes off."
Butcher just sighed, knowing that he was never going to live down the fact that an old slightly overweight frail lady had somehow got the drop on him. However, his embarrassment and concern at the situation were mostly mollified by the fact he knew who was pointing the gun at his back. It was the great spandex-wearing and Lois fuckboy idiot's mother, Martha Kent, he remembered the name from the file he had created on Clark, so his concern at being shot in the back had dropped to zero.
"Look I'm not with Vought nor am I some nutjob," Billy spoke calmly not wanting to spook the woman who was likely terrified as this was likely her first time pointing a gun at someone. "Now, we both know you're not going to shoot me. I'm going to stand up so that we can ta- FUCK!"
BANG!
Butcher went stiff, stopping his attempt at getting back on two feet and immediately went back to his knees, his hands raised up as he heard the bolt click as Martha readied the next round. He blinked hard as tried to stop the ringing in his right ear from where Martha had fired a round next to his head; he could feel the rifle barrel pressed back into between his shoulder blades. He suddenly found himself more than a little impressed by the woman holding him captive, she had been quick to subdue him, she was fast on the reload and made it very clear she would shoot him.
"MARTHA!" Butcher froze again as he heard Becca's voice shouting from Kent's front porch. She was blocked from his view by the tractor but he could picture her in his mind. "MARTHA!"
"I'm fine! It's just a fox trying to get in the hen house! I just scared it off! Just go back inside!" Martha shouted back, pressing the gun into Butcher's back waiting till Becca went back inside before speaking again to Butcher. "I ain't my blessed boy. I'm an old Kansas farm girl who's been handling guns since she could walk and shot enough living things that I have no trouble putting a round in you. Now, these nice people are under the Kent family's protection so you've got 30 seconds to tell me who are, what you want and why you have a handgun tucked in your trousers before put a round in ya"
"Easy, my name is William Butcher, and Becca's my wife. I'm just here to see her and the gun is for protection," Butcher spoke as honestly as he could, his hands raised as he tried to think of a way out of this if it went wrong. "Please, I need to see her."
There was a moment of silence as he felt the hot barrel stay firmly pressed into his back as the gun-toting farmer's wife stared at the back of his head. Butcher just leaned forward his hand digging into the dirt as his mind formed an idea that if she didn't believe, he would roll forward, cast the dirt in her eyes and then take the gun, sure he would take a round but if he moved fast enough it should be manageable enough.
"What colour are Becca's eyes?" Martha asked not moving yet her eyes narrowing at the man
"Blue, tinged with hazel" Billy replied immediately as the image of his wife's face appeared before him.
"How does she take her coffee?" Martha pressed her voice, still cynical and clearly not yet trusting the man in front of her.
"She doesn't drink coffee, finds it's far too bitter, she drinks tea, that herbal blend shite," Butcher replied, his voice taking a light tone as he felt his heart skip a beat remembering his wife's ticks. "She also smokes when she's stressed, snores when she sleeps on her side, hates anything with onions in it and always tucks her laces into her shoes when she puts them away."
"BECCA! Can you come out here, please!... My boy told you not to come," Martha finally removed the gun from his back taking a few steps back to keep distance between them. "I told him you would come regardless…. my Jonathan would have, wouldn't have mattered who told you to."
"Yeah, well we are all idiots when it comes to love….even your boy," Billy stood up slowly as he turned around to face Martha Kent who still had her old heavy bolt-action rifle pointed in his general direction, which he just nodded at. "And you are one tough old bird,"
"Well send half a lifetime waiting for some scary men to show up to take your boy away and the other half fearing some idiot to come round here to use you against him you learn quick how to handle things," Martha replied her eyes still on the man who matched Billy Butcher's appearance from the news and her son's description of the man, but still kept herself ready in case it was a trick. "Lucky it wasn't my husband, he would have shot ya, he clipped one of those religious nutjobs once that came here trying to take Clark thinking he was the messiah or something."
"How did your boy react to that?" Billy asked, relaxing a little as he got the sense Martha believed him now.
"Clark never knew, never knew a tenth of the things we did to keep him safe. And not one I regret," Martha replied, her grip tightening on the gun as she looked Billy up and down. "And I will protect that boy, so don't do anything stupid, and I'll be waiting inside."
"Billy?" The voice caused whatever Billy was about to say to freeze in his throat as he turned around to look at his wife at long last.
"Hi love," He managed to eke out before he felt Becca barrel into him and the two began to tightly embrace.
"Are you okay?" Butcher managed to finally catch his breath as he took in the fact that his wife was in front of him alive "Did he hurt you?
"No. No, Homelander's done nothing since he showed up, Clark saw to that" Becca replied with her eyes taking in her husband her eyes lingering on his new beard "I'm okay, I'm fine."
"I thought you were dead. I stopped looking. I shouldn't have stopped." Butcher took her face in his hands as he stared into her eyes, "I am so, so fucking sorry,"
"I couldn't call anybody. I can't imagine what it must've done to you." Becca took her husband's face in her hands feeling his warmth again, the warmth she thought she lost forever "I'm sorry. I'm the one who's so fucking sorry."
"No, you've done nothing wrong." Butcher smiled at her stroking her face as he breathed every ounce of herself in "Look at you. My girl."
"Always." Becca leaned in for a kiss and the two embraced once more as the world seemed to melt away.
Butcher wasn't sure how long passed, as the two of them quickly moved things along her hands running over his chest having missed the feel of him under her hands. Whilst, he took every chance to savour every moment as his hands rang across her back and took in everything they could. He couldn't really follow what happened next, they kept going both missing the feel of each other and ended up in the nearby barn amongst the hay bails. He soon found himself putting his trousers back on as his wife fished her bra out from some hay a great smile on her face.
"Once you grab the kid we can start making tracks, north or south you pick," Butcher smiled at his wife as his mind began thinking of the next steps and when he could unload the kid without Becca getting wise. "I've got things I can set up both in Canada or South America, places no one will find us."
"I 'm-I'm not leaving." Becca replied the excitement and joy from a few moments ago quickly leaving her "I can't Ryan needs me and this is the best place for him,"
"What are you talking about? Of course, you are. Grab the kid and let's go." Butcher replied the smile he gave her was almost believable but Becca could see it in his eyes.
"You don't really want Ryan to come with us." She replied, her voice becoming firm as she looked at him.
"Of course I do. I said I'd take him, didn't I?" Butcher smiled at her as he moved to try and embrace her but stopped when she backed away.
"And I want to believe you. I really do," Becca just crossed her arms over her chest feeling suddenly cold as she looked at her husband
"Then believe me." Butcher asked, his voice wavering as he looked at her his trying to sound sincere "Now come on, we've got to get a shift on.
"Listen, if the three of us leave, you're gonna find a way to get rid of him. I know it." Becca took a deep breath as she just stared into her husband's loving eyes and saw the glint of the darkness lurking there. "It won't be in an obvious way, and it won't be right away,but you will.
"No, Becca, no." Butcher swallowed as he felt his heart sinking in his chest.
"Billy, I know you. I know you better than anybody," Becca steeled herself as she looked at the man she loved and what she saw staring back was killing her "And I see it in your face right now. I can't risk it, not my son."
"They are not gonna let him go. None of them," Butcher felt anger rising in his chest as he started to fail to control that darkness that dwelled deep within and the voice that whispered wanting to see the world burn. "You and me, Becca, you and me, we've got a chance. Babe, it's Ryan they care about, not us.
"Yeah, and then what?" Becca's question hung in the air as Butcher failed to come up with a response just looking at his wife as Becca's voice got hard and cold "Ryan gets abandoned by the one person he loves just when he finds out his life is a lie? Leave him without a mother, right? Then we have Homelander all over again, then there's two fucking assholes in this world."
"We could disappear, all right?" Butcher moved forward reaching out to his wife but stopped as she raised a hand and backed away. His voice was imploring her now as he felt hope leave him "Just start again, start a new family."
"I have a son!" Becca yelled back gesturing to where the house lay just beyond the barn.
"He's a fucking Supe freak!" Butcher roared anger taking over him, it left him as he saw Becca back away terrifed of him, he felt his heart break all over again as he tried to fix it "Fuck. I'm... Listen, I...I'm sorry, I d… I didn't mean that. Becca. Becca, please…come with me."
"You were wrong about me, do you know that?" Becca whispered before raising her head to look her husband straight in the eye, as she turned her heart to steel to get through this, "You put me on this pedestal, and the truth is, I never knew how to save you. You were always one bad day away from pounding someone to death in a parking lot."
"That's not true." Butcher whispered. He knew it wasn't true. She had saved him, made him a better man, a far better man than the one he had been when he had met her.
"Billy…." She whispered his name gently before breathing deep closing her eyes so she could say the next words without looking at her husband's distraught face "He raped me, and when I found out I was pregnant, I went to Vought. I didn't come to you. I didn't come to you because I was scared, 'cause I knew that you'd chase after him and you would seek revenge and it wouldn't be good for anybody."
"I love you." Butcher's last desperate plea was made with every ounce of his being he had left, every ounce the soul he had torn apart in his quest for vengeance.
"I love you." Becca felt tears in her eyes as she opened them to look at the man who loved her, who worshipped her. "But the hate that you carry and the warpath that you're on, it started so long before me. I can't. I can't risk it, not around my son"
"Becs, I'm not leaving without you." Butcher responded, staring at his wife, his hands tightening into fists as he felt anger wash over him.
"You have to go, please." Becca's voice wavered but she steeled herself, reached into her pocket and felt the watch Clark had given her. "We will work this out, all of it, but not like this, not when you're like this, please go."
"You are coming with me" Butcher moved forward, he would drag her if he had to but stopped as Becca brought out a watch and held it up. "What's that?"
"A signal for Clark, I swear I will use it, and he'll make you leave." Becca threatened she hoped she looked serious because inside she felt terrified and was holding her breath. "Please, Billy we will sort this out but you need to leave, just for now"
Billy just stood unmoving as he looked at his wife, his mind and heart was tearing itself apart, as he didn't know what to do. This was his Becca, the woman that had saved him, brought him back from the abyss, the woman he loved more than life itself. He could drag her, he could get to her before she could press the watch and take her away, but she wouldn't stay, he knew that, she would run back to ... to the kid first chance she got. Becca never abandoned the things she loved, that's why he loved her, that's why they worked, but he wasn't it anymore….he wasn't the thing she loved more than anything else…..the kid was.
"I, I, I…." Butcher started to try to convey everything that was in his head but just trailed off as he felt the fight leave him, he just backed away from her heading into the shadows of the barn. "…I love you,"
With that Butcher, her sweet William, disappeared from her sight, he vanished into the darkness of the barn just as the sun truly broke free from the bonds of dusk and illuminated the barn. The shadows that had swallowed him as if he had been a mere figment of her dreams were banished and revealed the now bare barn. She raised a hand to her mouth as she felt the sadness and grief wash over her, she stayed there for a few moments until she could compose herself and left the barn.
"You alright love?" Becca jumped as Martha's voice sounded out next to her as she left the barn, the older woman was seated on a chair next to the barn door rifle laid across her lap, she stood up as Becca spotted her. "Sorry didn't mean to startle ya, I just making sure you were all right,"
"…..I'm not, I'm really not," Becca admitted, taking a deep breath to keep the tears away.
"I know, dear. I know." Martha patted her on the back as she started to lead Becca back to the house. "But you are doing the right thing. He just can't see that."
"Am I? Doing the right thing?" Becca asked uncertainty in her voice, as she glanced back at the barn.
"Is Ryan safe?" Martha asked, Becca gave a nod in response, her heart raising back into her chest as she looked at Martha's kind understanding eyes, "And does this keep him safe?"
"Yes," Becca admitted with a whisper she loved Billy with all her heart but Ryan wasn't safe around right now ... .maybe never if she was honest with herself.
"Then take it from a woman who's raised a boy with amazing abilities that both astonish and terrify you." Martha smiled at Becca placing a comforting arm around her as they reached the steps to the house front porch. "All you can do is try…..everything else is second to that."
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