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Be Not Echoes	By : Isabelle_Jennings Category: DC Verse Comics > Justice League Views: 3674 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: this story is non-profit, I don't own Justice League or any DC Comics characters

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
PART 7: LOVE AND LONGING
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--- LASHINA ---
Artemiz kneed her in the groin, Lashina answered with a head-butt, their attacks backed by god-energy. The dogs backed away from them. Artemiz tossed her to the ground and Lashina barely rolled out of the way, avoiding a kick to her side, she kicked Artemiz's feet out from under her and scrambled, up, tackling her opponent.
"Fuck! Lasha, stop this, you're mine, mine! Not hers!" Artemiz shouted at her, fury in her eyes, yes, but something more too, something that was recognizable to Lashina on a primal level. It made her hesitate a little, and Artemiz used the opening to elbow her in the face and use her leg to push her off.
Lashina saw red and attacked her with everything she had. "Trickster, liar! Fight me right!" She demanded, ramming her opponent into a work table, and through a windowsill. They fell to the ground many stories below and Artemiz just looked up at her, stunned, confused somehow. She hated that look, so she started punching her in the face over and over, and it felt good. Then she felt it, Artemiz buried her hand in her belly, the molecules and energy of her phasing into her jaggedly. She screamed and Artemiz kicked her off, tearing her hand out of her as she did.
She got to her feet, holding her belly, she was bleeding energy. She looked at her opponent who was getting to her feet, grim determination and some kind of... despair... in her eyes. Her hand was hurt, smoldering, and she was a little shaky on her feet.
"You are my wife, Lasha. And I love you above all, but if I must beat that truth back into your stubborn head, by the Source I swear I will." She pledged.
Lashina just looked into this woman's eyes. The things she was saying made no sense. She remembered Artemiz, of course she did; they were both Furies, like sisters, but they had never been lovers, had they? J'ann was her lover... J'ann... She remembered such passion, such fire with her. She closed her eyes and shook her head, opening them and staring into Artemiz's eyes again. "Lies. All lies. Creatures like you, like I used to be, we only know darkness, but... but I will fight to live in the light again. And if it means your death, then you die, sister. Your death, or mine." She willed the energy to stop bleeding from her and unfurled her lashes. "No more talk; to the death!"
She charged, but an explosion flashed in her path and knocked her back. She managed to land on her feet and looked to see a man she recognized standing on a wall nearby. "Kanto." She narrowed her eyes at him, wanting badly to fight and kill him, then looked at Artemiz who had recovered as well.
She quickly assessed her chances and decided on tactical retreat. She cracked her lashes together and made a flare blast that blew her attackers back, and she ran, though it disgusted her to the core to do it. She needed to find her way back to J'ann. She'd heard what Artemiz had promised, and she knew, she needed to be by her lover's side, to protect her! And to feel her touch again, in the light... She was going a little mad for the wanting of it.
It felt like she had been lost for so long somehow, and she just wanted to find what something inside of her told her that she needed. It confused her. It also drove her onward. But, to have her answers, to have her lover again, she needed something.
She needed a mother box.
--- ARTEMIZ ---
Artemiz got to her feet after Lashina's blast faded away and she could sense the world around her again. "Lasha?" She looked around frantically. "Where are you?!" She dropped to her knees and screamed, in rage; in fear, fury, longing. Her emotions were raw, and energy pulsed and blew off her. She got herself under control though, and looked at her brother, Kanto. The look in his eyes when their eyes met, it was genuine fear. He was afraid of her. A small part of her smiled, he'd never looked at her that way before. But then, she imagined she'd never looked on him the way she was now. Like she would rip him apart without any care. And she would. She was beyond caring or mercy right now. Lasha had been ripped from her, in the cruelest way possible, and oh how she'd make them -pay-. It didn't even really matter to her right then if it was someone who was completely uninvolved; she just wanted to hurt something, make it scream like she was still screaming inside. "You're going to do something for me, brother, and you're not going to waste my time arguing, are you?"
"Wouldn't dream of it, sister dear." He smiled a little to her, looking at her now with... fascination. Her teeth had sharpened, her eyes were animalistic, her hands were clawed and sharp. It was their family's hidden nature. It was why they were such good hunters. Also why they were something of the outcast. Lashina had loved her anyway. Loved the beast in her even. Taken her as her mate, and her status had risen from it. She was now one of the elite. Honored, feared; her sisters respected her. Her brother had advanced as well. Their family had been redeemed.
She reached out and grabbed her brother's forehead, ramming the mental impression of J'ann J'onzz into his mind, along with that of Kal El for good measure. "Make the mind-whore suffer, Kanto. Torture her, kill her friends, her lovers--be cruel, be thorough, drag it out... Kill any happiness or joy in her life... Do your worst; only do not kill her. I'll rip you apart with my bear hands you if you do; even if you are my brother. She's going to suffer for centuries... I'll make an art of it." She kissed his forehead and shoved him away from her. "Now go; my Lasha needs me now, as she never has." She turned away from him and flew up in the air and back to her and Lashina's home. She called her dogs and her harem to her, all of them, and bid them go and find her lover. Then she flew off into the heart of the city. Lashina, the way she was now, though she knew her less than she always had it seemed, she knew if she had been separated from her, her Lasha would do anything to find her again. And the mind-whore had stolen that, stolen her Lasha for herself; so it followed Lashina would seek a way to find the thieving slut who'd stolen her. For that, she'd need a mother box.
She also needed to find Lasha before their sisters found out. The shame she'd feel if they found out a bug, even a dragon-fly like the green witch, had... had hurt her so. And for Lasha it would be even worse. That was a humiliation she did not want her or her wife to suffer, especially not Lasha. This wasn't her fault after all... If it was anyone's, it was her own. Lasha was her wife; if she hadn't been able to keep her, Artemiz knew it was her own fault.
It was a sin she needed to wipe from her soul. She would find her wife, she would get her back, even if she had to beat and rape and bite and claw her way back into her heart. They were meant for each other, there was no other way for her.
--- KAL ---
She was alone in her room at her cousin Kara's. The sun was coming in through the windows still; it was about four in the afternoon. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in a white dress shirt not buttoned up all the way and some underwear and shorts she'd borrowed from her cousin. They were the same size. She had her arms wrapped over her chest and she was trying not to cry. Her emotions were a mess and she didn't know what to do with herself. She'd wanted to be alone though, so she'd gone to her room; after several hours with them she'd begged off her cousin and cousin-in-law's continued offers for company, saying she needed time alone to process things.
She felt trapped a little, and part scared, part frustrated. She got up and went to the full length mirror and just stood there looking at herself. She touched her hair, looking into her own eyes, trying to recognize herself, recognize -himself- she told herself. She was supposed to be a him. It was weird. In one way, this, how her body had changed, felt alien to her, but in another very deep way, it felt natural. Like she'd maybe... maybe always been like this. She brought one hand to her chest, and ran it slowly down to her sex. She bit her lip a little and couldn't help but think of her, of Artemiz. "I'm your pet, and I just want to... I just want to make you smile..." She spoke the words softly to the reflection, imagining it was Artemiz she was seeing. Tears fell and she started crying. She went over and sat on the floor against her bed, laying her head on her knees, her hands on her bare feet; she just let the tears come.
"Lois..." She spoke the name softly, after she didn't know how long. Her tears had stopped and she'd folded her arms together on her knees and laid her head on them like a pillow. Saying Lois's name, it did give her a good feeling. Lois, she preferred women, right? Well... maybe this was a good thing to have happened then, right? Maybe... maybe this was meant to be.
Her eyes watered up a little and, frustrated, she wiped the tears away. "Why is this so hard?" She asked softly. A part of her, a big part, just wanted someone to take charge of her, like Artemiz had. Thinking of Artemiz was at the same time repulsive and so alluring; it made her feel warm inside, but also ashamed. It was maddening--she wanted something. A big part of her just wanted Artemiz to come back for her; but if that was going to happen, it wasn't up to her. And, of course, rationally, she very much didn't want that to happen at all. She never wanted to see that woman, that... whatever she was, again. Rationally, she wished this never happened. But her heart? Her heart was telling her different. Her heart was telling her she was... that she was someone's abandoned pet, scared and alone, without even her collar.
It was exhausting, and she was angry at... something... which was even more tiring, so she decided... she decided she'd just go to bed early. So, she got up, took her clothes off, and got into bed, curling up in a ball. "I'm your pet, and I just want to... I just want to make you smile..." She spoke again softly to herself again. Finding both comfort and distress in saying the words, she let herself fall into a fitful sleep.
--- J'ANN ---
She'd gone home and gotten a change of clothes. Cat had been there with Lori and they'd asked what had happened; Cat clearly worried and sensing something wrong, but Lois had basically brushed her off and left as soon as she could. Now she was across town, unlocking the door to Erica's penthouse with the key Erica had given her; the house staff having been advised that she was welcome anytime as well. No one was there tonight though; Erica had given her maids the time off while she was away. So Lois just made her way to the main bedroom, took off her clothes, and climbed into bed; snuggling up by herself in the middle of the bed, comforted by Erica's lingering scent. She thought of everything that had happened.
Everything had just been too raw for her to share it with Cat right now. That was the first time she'd ever felt like that. Until now, she'd shared everything with Cat, and she felt guilty for not doing so now. She just couldn't though, not without making love with her. She wanted to do that so much that the temptation of being around her would just be too painful for her to bear right now.
And Clark. Clark was a woman now, which was an appealing thought (though she felt guilty a little for thinking it and wondered if that meant Lori might have been at least a little right about what she'd said before). And no doubt the female Clark would welcome her advances, but that would be... taking advantage. Clark, or Kal she supposed (she still thought of him as Clark though for some reason), wasn't in a state right now where it would be... fully consensual for her. She knew what Artemiz had done to her; or the broad strokes of it at least, if not the detail. And Lois had changed herself to be somewhat like Artemiz; she'd dampened those changes back some since, but she couldn't undo what she'd done to herself much more than that, not really. If she went to Clark right now, if she showed interest, made love to her, she was sure there would be no way... just no way that could be considered consensual on Clark's part; to a not-insignificant degree, it might even be considered rape. And the thought of doing that to her, it was just... well, it was repellant; she could hardly think of many things less appealing to her than the idea of doing that.
And then there was Lasha... Lashina. Strangely, she felt guilty for that. For making the woman love her, even for making herself love Lashina. For basically trampling over and stealing the love the two of them shared. True, she hadn't really been given a better choice (death, slavery, or running and leaving Clark to death or slavery were probably her only other options), but still that's how she felt. And more so because she still wanted Lasha for her own. Honestly, a part of her wanted to kill Artemiz so she could take her place and have Lasha to herself. Surely she'd be a better mate than Artemiz, right? A kinder one, at least.
She cried out in frustration. So many feelings, serious 'I want to spend the rest of my life with you' feelings, that she had for these different people, these different women. She couldn't have them all; it would be seriously messed up to even want that, and really, practically, she didn't want that. Maybe two, or three mates would be okay, theoretically, her night with Erica had softened her on that idea, but more? Fuck, she didn't even have one tonight. At this point, that's all she wanted, just one right now. That wasn't to be though, so she forced herself to sleep, to give her mind time to sort itself out away from the moray of conscious thoughts.
--- KAL ---
It was a little after two in the morning when she woke, sitting up in bed and loosely wrapping her arms around her legs. She knew she wouldn't be able to get herself to fall back asleep again. Strangely though, she was feeling a little better, a little more steady, a little more like her old self again. She thought of herself saying that thing about being Artemiz's pet last night and shivered a little. Both because she could hardly believe she'd said that and because part of her actually still very much wanted to be Artemiz's pet. That she felt herself better able to manage that part of herself now, was the real difference.
After sitting there a little while, then getting up and aimlessly walking around her room in the dark for a little, she decided she needed to get away somewhere so she could have some time to think. She went and got her borrowed underwear and put on a plain white dress shirt and some black jeans from her own clothes. While she was getting dressed, she thought of Lois and at once longed to talk with her, be kissing her, but at the same time she couldn't quite bring herself to face her either. "She's probably asleep by now anyway... Smallville." Using Lois's nickname for her made her smile.
She sighed and experimentally walked out onto her room's balcony. She was immediately greeted by the more intense sounds of the city. She looked at the plants and the table and chairs on the balcony then walked out under the night sky. She looked up and saw a nearly full moon in a clear sky. The temperature was cool to moderate, not that she really felt it the same as humans she imagined. There was a little of a breeze that felt nice on her face, in her longer hair. She touched her hair and realized she liked it this way. She walked up to the edge of the balcony and looked out over the city. The city was, as always, alive with life, even at this hour. Lights, cars, people--she looked at an office building and curiously saw that there were even a few people still at work. It made her feel less alone somehow, that she was by no means the only one awake at this hour. She put her hands on the railing and looked up at the sky again, at the moon.
"I could go up there." She spoke softly to the night. She had a few times actually, just to see, to experience it. Because she could. She didn't want to do that again now, but the idea that she could do it felt good. Looking out over the city, it felt peaceful, safe to her, even though she knew it wasn't always necessarily safe to others. It, the world itself, had always felt kind of safe to her. Not emotionally exactly, just essentially; essentially she'd always known, felt secure in the knowledge that nothing could really hurt her. Now she knew that something, some people, could really hurt her. Could so completely overwhelm her. Just Artemiz's presence, her power and energy; she was a goddess... or so Lois had indicated. A real deity as though from myth, and Kal could believe it too. Easily believe it was true. She shivered a little and wrapped her arms around herself. She looked out at the city again though, and thought: 'hey, Artemiz isn't here, neither is Lashina.' She was safe. She was free. For now at least. It was a good feeling. She made a choice and floated off into the air, flying up until she had an even better view. Then she looked over at that area of Old Gotham she'd been frequenting lately and smiled a little, flying off towards the comfort of the familiar.
Maybe her friend would even be waiting for her there.
She'd stopped a house robbery and prevented a rape. She'd... it had taken her a lot of effort not to kill the man who'd tried to rape that girl. The girl had been high on some kind of drug (her attacker had been too) and she was crying and incoherent after Kal had saved her. Kal had always hated scenes like that one, now she did even more, in a way that was a lot... more personal. How people could... could do something like that to one another... She just didn't understand it. It made her angry, and frustrated, and made her feel helpless all over again. She wanted to scream, or hit someone; Artemiz maybe, or... or kiss her... she had to admit to that too. What Artemiz had done to her, on one level it was the same as what that man had tried to do to that girl--to use power to take, but on another level... On another level, it was very different. Artemiz had actually made her -want- to be taken, want to... to be her pet... to make her smile... Those words just refused to leave her, didn't they? And how much of that was actually Artemiz and how much of it was really something inside herself that Artemiz has just... brought out? Thinking about it reasonably, it did make sense kind of; she was an orphan twice over, and knew there was a longing there. To belong, to be accepted; a part of instead of apart from. In other words, just to be... loved.
She'd taken the girl back home; the girl clinging to her like a lifeline. She'd stayed and helped the girl's father get her in bed. Luckily, Kal had been there before anything truly horrible had happened--she'd just been scared, had her shirt ripped, and had a cut on her arm; which her father had fixed up.
Her father, Brian Kincaid, was a nurse at the local hospital. Bisexual. He'd married the girl's mother, a fire fighter, and the mother had died in a fire. Right now, he was in a committed relationship with a doctor at his hospital, a man. It wasn't at the marriage stage yet, and he wasn't sure he or his daughter were ready for that yet. Kal spent some time talking with him. Brian told her how his daughter, Chelsea Marks (she'd kept her mother's surname), had been acting out more and more lately. He hoped it was because she was a teenager and not because he was a bad father or that his daughter just didn't like his new love interest. Which she seemed not to very much, as far as Brian could tell. Kal told him that what she thought what the girl needed most was to know she was loved and had a home where she really belonged. And she needed someone to really listen to her. Drug counseling probably wouldn't be a bad idea either. Not that, she acknowledged, she was any expert or anything. Brian took the somewhat shy advice well, she thought. And she had been shy around him because he'd been flirting with her... which made her feel confused, and also made her doubt how 'committed' his relationship with that doctor of his really was.
She excused herself and walked a few blocks to a coffee shop and got some green tea. She took it to go and wound up on the same rooftop Bruce had met her, well, she supposed it was yesterday now, and told her he'd figured out she was Clark Kent. She was sitting there a while later, tea gone, hands on the roof ledge, feet dangling over, like she were sitting by the edge of a pool, when she heard a barely noticeable, yet familiar sound and smiled. "Heard you that time, just barely." She spoke, without turning a round.
"Who are you?" Bruce's guarded voice asked.
"You know, I'm Clark Kent, right?" She answered softly. "Some changes may have been made since the last time we talked, but it's still me..."
Bruce cautiously went over to her and knelt by her. "Look at me. You're Clark, look me in the eyes and say it again."
She met his eyes with an attempt at a smile. "Bruce, it's me, okay? Something... happened to me yesterday."
"The Deerfield building." Bruce ventured, sitting down next to her. "I saw it on the news--heard the blast in my car actually." He told. "...You want to tell me how this happened?" He looked at her a little strangely.
"What?" She asked, not sure what to make of that look.
"Nothing, it's only... You're very beautiful." He told her. "It's strange, that's all."
Kal smiled. A real smile this time. "Yeah, it is. I appreciate the complement though." She replied a little shyly.
"...What happened to you, Clark?" Bruce asked.
"A, um... I fought, or tried to fight these two... They appeared from a tunnel in the air--this loud 'boom'; she had metal dogs whose teeth hurt me when they bit. She, a dark goddess... her name was Artemiz... she overpowered me, hit me through the roof, put... put a collar on me. It changed me... into a woman, and then she just... raped me. And I let her, because she just sort of... got inside me and made me want to do, to be, what she wanted me to be... If it wasn't for... I had help. I lost to her Bruce, -was- lost to her, completely. There was nothing I could do..." And she realized she was crying silently.
Bruce reached over and wiped her tears away gently. She smiled to him weakly. "I... I'm so sorry that happened to you, Clark." He tried to console her, his voice at once grave and comforting. "To think of... To think there are beings out there with power on that scale, to do something like that, even to someone like you." He looked off into the night.
"It's like you stood on the moon for the first time." Kal replied softly. "A... um, a shift in how you see things. Join the club." She offered a little ruefully, wiping at stray tears.
"You've stood on the moon, huh?" Bruce asked. "How was that?"
"Brighter than I expected, but... really beautiful." She answered.
They just sat there for a while, Kal reaching over to take Bruce's hand in hers. Surprisingly, he let her.
"Is this permanent, your change? Or do you know?" Bruce finally asked.
"No idea. Cousin Kara's probably working on a 'cure' or something." She told him. "I'm not sure I really care either way though. To be honest, I've had other things on my mind." She admitted.
"Mm. I can imagine you would." He replied. "If you... want to talk about it?" He offered.
Kal smiled. "Would you say we're friends, Bruce?" She asked, looking over to him.
"I... no. But, I'd say we're... working on it." He offered a little of a smile, seeming to let his guard down a little.
Kal nodded. "So, can we work on it tonight then? Because, um, honestly, I think I could really use a friend right now." She confided.
He smiled a little. "All right. I suppose we could do that."
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(to be continued)
- 6
- 7
- 8
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Be Not Echoes