The World's Greatest Superheroes..... IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME
JLA #14 - March, Year 2	by Curt Fernlund

Part 3: Time After Time!

JLA Watchtower:
09:07- Lunar Cycle

"He was suddenly just there."

Diana- Princess of Thymscira and unofficial ambassador to the World of Man seemed reflective as she poured steaming water through the filmy gauze and fragile leaves draped over her tiny, porcelain cup. She sighed contentedly as the vapors drifted up to envelop her senses, the calming qualities of the tea imported from her homeland already relaxing her. It was one of the few pleasures that she still retained from the life she had left behind. She turned back to the others, sipping at the scalding liquid, savoring the taste and aroma before time leeched the soothing qualities from the drink.

"I was not expecting his aid, of course, but I welcomed it. At least at first." Diana strolled back across the vast expanse of the Justice League's informal meeting room. There was a conference table, but it was a simpler design than in the official room, surrounded with generic- though comfortably reinforced- chairs and without all of the futuristic trappings provided by Martian technology and Wayne Foundation riches. There was a kitchenette in one corner of the room with a small stove and refrigerator as well as a microwave oven. There was a computer console; a slave-node tied to the JLA network and linked with all of the world's law enforcement agencies, both Meta and normal. There was a monitor array, and a stereo system and a simple globe reflecting the world in dark browns and gold. It was comfortable, and chosen for meetings that were deemed less... imperative than the regular gatherings of the League.

She took her seat, setting the hot cup down on a coaster as she cast her gaze at the others seated about the table-

Wally West, the Flash was glancing at her legs with a smile as he usually did. His accelerated body left him a victim of sorts to his more base instincts. He required abnormal amounts of food to replenish his rapidly diminishing energies, thus the heaping bowl of pasta set before him--enough to feed a family of ten. His mind was quick, but all too often his mouth was quicker, and his libido was constantly surging. If she listened closely she would hear his heart hammering in his chest, his lungs pumping furiously to meet the needs for breath. Energy crackled about him with the slightest movement, and she knew that it took all of his willpower just to sit still at a speed that she and the others could comprehend. He always looked at her legs, but he was a friend, gentle and harmless.

Kyle Rayner, the latest in a long line of Green Lanterns charged with defending the sector of space that included the planet Earth, was watching her longingly as well. Diana knew however that where the Flash looked at her with a harmless fantastical lust, Kyle was seeing his own girlfriend in her form. Donna Troy, the Titan Troia was the Green Lantern's love and teammate as well as Diana's 'sister'.

J'onn J'onzz, the Manhunter from Mars sat quietly in his chair, contemplating the monitor array as the individual scenes flickered and changed. He was intent on whatever he was doing, and Diana knew that it was important, at least to him. His great green brow was furrowed in concentration, and she knew that his vast mind was busily sifting through all of the information that was coming into it, from the monitors, the room about him, and the mental world as well. He was intent, a look of grim determination on his usually bland face- a look second only to one that the Batman might sport in a lighter moment. Diana had the barest inkling of what the Martian was about, but knew that he would inform them all when he was ready and informed himself.

The last of her gathered friends was present only partially. She glanced at the small trap door set in the wall where an almost detached ear poked out of the opening to the pneumatic tube system incorporated into the Watchtower to give the Atom better access within the facility- quivering and rotating from side to side like a radar dishm which it resembled. Plastic Man was still on monitor duty at J'onn's request, and in a way Diana was relieved. He was a strange one, and in all the years that she had been in Man's World she had still not grown accustomed to some things; the Plastic Man's humor at the forefront. Like Wally and Kyle she knew that Eel O'Brian meant no harm in the things that he said and did. Still, there were so many things that she did not understand related to his odd demeanor and personality. She had no doubts about his abilities or courage, and she trusted the man with her life, as she did with all of her comrades in the League. Still, she was glad that he was, at the moment, seen but not heard.

The only members of the core group that were missing were the Batman, Aquaman and Superman. Batman of course had deferred attending, stressing that more important matters required his attention in Gotham City. It was expected as he hardly joined in on the informal gatherings, and no one had taken offence at his brisk dismissal. Superman however had always seemed to enjoy meeting with his friends unless there was truly some emergency that kept him away. Oddly, he had not even answered the latest summons. It was he that they were all gathered to discuss, though Diana was not sure exactly why. She continued-

"I had ensnared six of the eight terrorists in the bonds of my magical lasso, and was mentally expanding the length of the cord in order to bind the final two villains. The pair- a man and a woman- were both swathed in dynamite. The woman had a semi-automatic weapon trained on me, and the man held a remote device, a plunger that would have blown up the Mexican capitol building if he eased the pressure off of the button. The situation was a bit tense, but I was not worried. I have faith in my abilities, and the speed of Mercury is one of my gifts. Still, I hesitated, hoping to talk them into surrender rather than forcing them into submission. I was contemplating my options with the wisdom of Athena when He arrived.

"There was a rumbling explosion, and I saw dust drifting down from overhead. Fast as I am, when I glanced up into the rotunda of the building all that I saw was a violet streak of blurred colors. I followed the path of the blur as best as I could, and when my eyes focused again he was there. He had the man in one hand, dangling unconscious by the collar of his shirt, and the remote device in the other. The woman was unconscious on the stairs, the hand that had held the gun smoldering about the twisted, melted metal. The dynamite they had worn was stacked neatly off to one side I saw, and when I looked to him again he was holding the explosive device that had been hidden in the building until then. He smiled, and then blew a 'kiss' at the bomb and it was instantly encased in a thick block of ice. The man and woman were on the ground suddenly, bound and gagged back to back. The remote was a molten blob of metal on the marble floor beneath him."

"Did he say anything?" the Flash asked as he twirled long strands of pasta about a fork. Diana smelled garlic wafting off of the dish and had to turn away as Wally stuffed his mouth at a revolting speed. She sipped at her
tea-

"Don't worry, Wonder Woman. I have this under control." Diana quoted what he had said; noting the condescension that had been in his voice, as though she needed his help. He had seemed almost arrogant, now that she had the time to think back on the brief encounter.

"I stared at him in disbelief," she went on, "incredulous that he had not only appeared on scene, but had taken over as well. Granted, I was relieved that the situation was defused, but I did not understand why he had felt it necessary to take a hand.

"At any rate, before I could even say anything he was gone again, a brisk wind stirring in his wake. He had taken the bomb with him, and I am almost embarrassed to say that I did not even see him depart."

The Flash nodded, beginning on a second bowl of pasta with only the slightest restraint. He tried to speak, but Green Lantern cut him off-

"We had a similar experience down in Argentina. Wally and me had the situation well in hand- at least I thought we did. Between the two of us we had repaired the dam, at least to the point where the professionals could step in and make lasting repairs. We were helping out the people in the area, trying to get them back to their homes and convince them that the danger was past.

"We saw that purple streak, just like you did, Di. I glanced at Wally as we had seen it often enough to know that Superman was on the scene. We both figured that he was just coming to help out, y'know. Wally and I had fixed the dam-"

"Yah!" Wally West swallowed, taking a drink of water as he devoured a loaf of garlic bread. "I shored up the dam with debris from around the area and Kyle welded it all into place with his ring. The danger was over. There wasn't any reason for Superman to come and 'fix' what we did, but he did."

"I saw bursts of red," Kyle continued, "his heat vision for sure. He was touching up our repairs, almost at a speed like the Flash."

"Yah!" Wally interrupted again. "I could barely follow what he was doing. Me! The fastest man alive!"

"He added to the reinforcement, then we saw the blur as he raced back and forth along the dam, smoothing everything out. This all took just a few seconds mind you. He was going faster than I could follow-"

"Me too!" Wally added, washing his bowls at the sink in the kitchenette as he waited impatiently for another batch of pasta to heat in the microwave. "He was going faster than I had ever seen him, or anyone this side of Barry. He wasn't with the Speed Force either. I'd know. It was weird-"

"Then he was gone." Kyle sipped at a cup of coffee as he looked at each of his friends in turn. Diana could see that he was confused, perhaps as confused as she was.

"The dam was spotless. Wally ran a quick survey of what Superman did, checking out the repairs that we all had made. There wasn't a crack left. Superman had made the dam like it was brand new. I'm not too embarrassed to say that I was feeling a little inadequate by then-"

"Impotent I think is a little closer to how I felt. I did my best," Wally said, taking the freshly heated bowl of rigatoni from the microwave, "and so did Kyle. We both did! And Superman came along and did us better, without even a 'please' or 'may I'. It was embarrassing-"

"But the people were saved, and the disaster averted?" J'onn J'onzz asked, finally turning his attention to the conversation. Both Flash and Green Lantern nodded, though somewhat grudgingly. "Then I do not see the problem in his attendance."

"The problem, J'onn," Diana offered, "is that we are a team. As such, Superman, Batman, any of us should first let the others know that they are becoming involved if they wish to help in any situation. Had I been in the middle of negotiations with the terrorists, or already implementing the plan I had formulated there might have been disastrous consequences."

"His speed would seem to have negated any actions you were planning, Diana." J'onn J'onzz glanced back at the monitors, his dark gaze seeking any sign of the Man of Steel anywhere in the world. Oddly, the state of world affairs seemed remarkably calm at that moment.

"Let's talk about that speed, shall we?"

Everyone but J'onzz jumped as the Batman stalked into the conference room. They had not heard his arrival at the Watchtower, so absorbed in their discussion were they, nor had they even heard him at the doorway. They watched as the Batman approached, flipping his cape aside and taking a seat.

"Thanks to J'onn, I've heard your recounts of encounters with Superman, and I took the time to hear what Plastic Man had to say after I arrived." He said that last in a way that made the others feel that perhaps they should have done the same. Too many times they took their pliable teammate for granted, feeling as others did that he was more mascot than comrade.

"Let me tell you about mine..."

Part 4: A Tick of the Clock

Metropolis:
5:34 a.m. EST

Superman hovered high over the streets of Metropolis. He was high enough that the air was thin and crisp, though he felt no ill effects. The cold did not affect him, and he could hold his breath for a long, long time.

He faced the east, waiting patiently as the world spun by beneath him. He had been busy the last few hours, but he was not tired in the least. Not in the way that others felt fatigue at any rate. There was only the slightest discomfort; a miniscule waning of his strength that was expected after flying to the four corners of the globe in so short a time. His eyes ached slightly from using his heat vision so much, and he noted that his response time was off by a fraction of a second. He wondered for a moment if maybe he was sick, but quickly dismissed the thought as absurd as the first rays of the sun crested the horizon.

Superman raised his arms wide and forward as he basked in the glow of the yellow sun. At the altitude that he hovered, the restoring radiations of the star, Sol, were not corrupted or tainted by the pollution trapped in the lower atmospheres that surrounded the planet that he called home. He loved the Earth, but humanity had so raped the world that there were times when he felt that the planet was on a collision course with disaster, not unlike Krypton decades before. He bowed his head, almost in prayer as he absorbed the life-giving energies that the sun provided his unique form, apologizing to the world for his slack in keeping her safe.

His body crackled as he bathed in the glow of the sun's rays. He did not feel the warmth he was so high, but he felt the heat of her fires coursing through his veins, his very being. He felt his strength returning, blossoming like a flower in the dawn. The aching in his eyes soon vanished, and he felt the slightest exhaustion wash away.

Movement caught his eye and he turned. There was another here, far above the world, drawing closer on the beat of mighty gray wings. His skin was chalk white, shining in the first rays of the new day. He wore armor glistening in the sunlight, gold and bronze carved with runes. He was beautiful, his slightest movement poetry made flesh as he soared, drawing closer, riding the chill winds.

"Who are you?" Superman asked, raising a hand in the newcomer's direction, beckoning him to stop. His voice was soft, barely heard in the thin atmosphere but still the winged man swooped, drawing to a halt just a few yards from the Kryptonian. His mighty wings beat slowly, holding him in
place-

"I am Zauriel!" the winged man said. His voice was like the ringing of a thousand crystal chimes. "I am of the Eagle Host of Heaven, come to judge the world of man!"

The Man of Steel seemed to consider this for a moment, then smiled-

"You'll find them wanting, but full of potential. I'm Superman!" He extended a hand, flowing closer on the wind, but the winged man ignored it-

"I Know. The Superman! The great and powerful Son! The protector! Your deeds are sung in the Silver City. Hallowed be thy name..."

Superman noted the sarcasm in that last, but ignored it. The winged man studied him for a time, and the Man of Steel let him, enjoying the sun, reveling in the new day, the cleansing, and refreshing rays of light and hope. He did not seem a threat, just an alien like himself, lost and seeking-

"You are not of this world!"

Superman blinked, glancing at the other. "That's right! I'm from Krypton, but I grew up here on-"

"That is not what I meant. You do not belong here. You are not of this Earth!"

"I've lived here almost my entire life," Superman said in his defense. The winged man fluttered closer, and the Man of Steel saw his wide, blank eyes start to glow a swirling, pulsing gold. He was being scanned, he knew, not unlike when he employed his own X-Ray Vision. The Kryptonian's skin tingled under the other's scrutiny-

Zauriel gave the Man of Tomorrow a final glance then turned his attention towards the far horizon. He seemed to be listening to something, but Superman could not hear, even straining his senses to their limits.

"There is unrest. I am called..."

Superman watched as the winged man arched up and away, finally swooping towards the surface of the planet at amazing speeds. He had not seemed a threat, and had seemed actually more curious than anything. Superman had not deemed him a danger- yet- but he would watch the winged man from the Eagle Host. He would inform the JLA eventually, if the man got out of hand. Aliens were always a potential problem. Kal-El turned back to the slowly rising sun, the winged man swiftly forgotten for the moment, placed in the back corners of his mind as he faced the brilliance.

He reveled in the feeling, relishing the energy as it made him whole again. He would need all of the energies that the sun could share in the days to come. He would need all of his strength to bring his plans to fruition. It would be hard, and there would be those that felt he was wrong, but in the end he would make them see the light. That same light that he had seen only recently. It was all so clear to him now that he wondered why he had not seen it before. He had been blinded somehow; blinded by trivial things like the League and trying to live amongst them. Blinded by the constant distractions of Luthor and Brainiac and all the others. He would deal with them first, and once they were all out of the way he would move on to more important matters.

Yes, it would be hard. He was not god after all.

But he was Superman!

Much Later...

Hot, arid winds blew across the blasted, barren land. A fat bloated sun cast its unblinking red gaze down on a world long devastated by the machinations of the peoples that had once lived on its surface but had since departed. The world was desolate now, save for the deserts and their shifting sands. The seas had long since dried; the mountains had crumbled to dust. The stars were falling from the sky.

The single structure remained as it always had, just out of sight and mind. Those that had come before; the architects of Olympus, the writers and artists of Domdaniel, the troubadours of Avalon had built it. It had been built to last, the citadel that would withstand the ravages of time- and it had. It had outlived its creators, endlessly standing, a testament to knowledge and genius.

A crystal glittered in its highest tower, an amethyst, broken...

A spark of green smoldered in a twisted courtyard, a fading ember smothered by the blowing sands...

A specter of a man sat on a throne staring into the shadows of a past...

Destiny had brought him here, the last, endless man. His brothers were gone. His sisters too, all but one and she waited just out of sight, a heartbeat away. Let her wait! She had time to kill.

Nothing but time...

The man in the tattered purple robes shifted uncomfortably on the hard golden throne, staring at the flickering images of shadows that he had caught. Shadows that he had set into motion eons past. They were a minor part of the grand schemes, but a part nonetheless and he would see them through to fruition. He smiled, watching the shadows dance at his slightest whim; the boy, the man, all of the pieces scattered throughout the vast puzzle. Threads in the tapestry! Passages in his book...

The raggedy frail man rubbed at his scarred, scabrous wrist, leaning forward as a ghostly form flitted through his visions. It glowed, shining like a star among the shadows- a beautiful, silver light.

Zauriel... was all that he said, barely a whisper though there was no one there to hear.

He shrugged, leaning back into the gilded throne, settling a decayed hand to scratching his chin in contemplation. He had to consider. Remember. He might even refer to the Book for the first time in ages.

He was certain that the final judgement had come later.

Much later...

NEXT ISSUE: Be here when Superman and the JLA pay a visit to Lex Luthor...

If I Could Turn Back Time continues...