History Lesson

Both Martian Manhunter and Superman were struggling under the weight of Sora's pressure. Even though the celestial being had left, they gasped and wheezed in order to get air. The green skinned hero was very close to falling unconscious.

It was a bit different for the kryptonian. On top of being stuck to the steel floor, a nasty grey aura was wafting from his body. He could feel something inside him screaming to get away. Something wanted out.

"Superman! We must…remedy this…and secure the survival of the Justice League…" Jon croaked through the pressure.

"...He's much stronger…than I thought! I should've been faster…You should've shown me what you saw! That woman would already be back home if it wasn't for you." Clark growled.

"That's..all…you gathered from this?! You've nothing else to say?!"

"Hmph. I said he was dangerous. I was wrong. He's more than dangerous."

"By the gods…you are clueless! Why would you…poke a sleeping dragon? Now…we both have to deal with the consequences!"

It was at this moment that Flash returned. He watched as they kept bickering without knowing what to do. There wasn't anything he really COULD do. Before the conversation could get anywhere, Sora had reappeared.

The celestial being immediately released the pressure on Jon. Finally able to breathe smoothly, the martian sat up…only to realize the light human had returned. His face grew solemn. His brain didn't even register when Sora quickly grabbed his face and lifted him into the air.

"You saw." He hummed quietly.

His fingers dug into the martian's skull like a hydraulic press. Once the pain registered, the alien hero began to flail. His hands grabbed the young Lockhart's wrist.

"AAAAHHHH! Sora, wait!"

Jon tried to go transparent but the divine light inside him grew radiant, inflicting burns on his organs. The pain brought him back to normal. Sora tilted his head to the side. The grip grew tighter.

"You won't escape me. You must've been sneaking around the manor quite a bit. A trespasser and a mind raper. You shall die here." The light human declared.

"AAAAAHH! I won't tell anyone else! I didn't show Superman! Nobody will know of what I saw. This is my promise to you!" Martian Manhunter exclaimed with panic.

Was the celestial being supposed to care? The fuck did a promise mean for shit? He had to die. Sora's fingers slowly dug deeper. If he squeezed any harder, Martian Manhunter's head would pop like a melon. Blood was starting to leak from the hero's ears.

"Wait!" Flash placed a hand on Sora's shoulder.

".................."

"He's telling the truth. We were trying to escape Superman earlier." The speedster revealed. Sora raised an eyebrow.

"...Hmm. You are lucky I trust Flash. Martian…if you come near my home again…you'll be erased."

With those words, he slammed Jon into the ground. The blow caused him to grunt in pain. Just because he would live didn't mean there would be no consequences.

"...Which hand did you touch her with?" Sora asked quietly.

"............................."

It was just a question. The way it was asked however, caused the martian to flinch. He didn't answer but the sudden twitch of his left hand was enough. Jon's body was unconsciously defending itself. A bad reaction in this case.

The young Lockhart stomped on the man's hand, causing it to shatter. He even twisted his heel to make sure it was beyond repair. A strong light followed, burning the hand until it was blackened.

Martian Manhunter squealed in pain. That wasn't the end though. A foot crashed into his stomach, sending the alien hero into the wall. He bounced off of it like a basketball before falling back to the ground.

Sora would kick him a few more times as Jon curled into the fetal position. Each kick fractured a bone. One kick hit his temple which made everything go black. He'd fallen unconscious. This all happened right beside the kryptonian. He knew he was next…and it would be much worse.

"Flash…take him away. And don't return. I better not see you again today." The celestial being commented.

"R-Roger." Flash grabbed Martian Manhunter and sped away. He was gone.

That just left Superman. The pressure disappeared, allowing him to stand. He looked at Sora with a solemn gaze. It still had defiance in it.

"Finally my turn?" The kryptonian spoke sarcastically.

"...Yes." Sora answered. He wasn't feeling the humor.

"You think you can just punish me like I'm some child? Get a grip!" Clark growled.

At this moment, his eyes turned black. The aragami made its presence known. Sora's expression didn't change at all.

"...I'll be annihilating your race pretty soon. Why couldn't you just wait until then?"

"Annihilate my race? Kekeke! Champion…You will fail like all the others."

"Others? There were other champions before me?"

"Hmph. Did you grow arrogant since you were chosen? You're just that man's attack dog. Nothing more, nothing less." The aragami spoke.

Sora didn't react at all. Was this horrid creature talking about God? It could be true that he was only using the celestial being to commit genocide. And so what? Was it supposed to hurt the young Lockhart's feelings? What a joke.

"...So be it."

He waved his hand, causing a pillar of light to engulf the kryptonian. Horrid screams resounded as a dark fetus jumped out of Superman's mouth. It would die anyway, turning to ash.

The symbol of hope found his mind once again. He thought of all the previous events in the last few years with a wry smile. He then looked up to see an eerie Sora. There was no change in his expression. No compassion. It didn't seem to matter that Superman had been possessed.

"Is it too late to say that you were right? That I didn't know my actions were being influenced? That I didn't know why I was so fixated on you?" The kryptonian asked.

Sora tilted his head. His body was still emitting a radiance unlike any other. Nothing had changed. The fury was still as cold and calculated as before. The big ring of light floating behind his back started to rotate.

"Are you…trying to apologize? Is that what this is?" He muttered softly.

"And if I said I was?" Superman responded.

"...Then I'd tell you…to either fight and try to survive, or take my punishment and die. Which will it be?"

The kryptonian's face paled. He knew that he was in for a lot of pain. But he was the symbol of hope. He would fight even in the bleakest of situations. Getting into a battle stance, he mentally said his farewells to his loved ones. Sora gave a slight smile for the first time in this entire situation.

"Good. It wouldn't be fun if you didn't fight back. Come."

Superman willed every particle in his body to move as one. He dashed in front of Sora with a speed faster than he'd ever moved before. His arm reeled back…and he put his entire life into his fist. Everyone he knew flashed into his mind as he threw this punch. With eyes glowing red, he gave everything he had.

"AAAAHHHHHHH-" Before his punch even connected, a spartan kick landed on his chest.

DING

His body crashed through each and every steel wall in the Watchtower before beaming into space. His sternum had shattered. The celestial being immediately caught up to the kryptonian, grabbing his face and accelerating.

Instantly, they found themselves in a different solar system. A different galaxy as well. It was unknown how far they'd just traveled. Sora used his momentum and threw Clark toward a solid planet. It was only a bit of strength…His body shot toward the planet like a laser.

BOOOM

He crashed into the planet with incredible force. It was such a strong landing that the world was knocked out of orbit. The light human followed right after, landing directly on Superman's stomach.

"Urgh!"

Blood poured out his mouth like a broken faucet. His ribs all cracked at once. The crater grew even wider, his body now under the planet's crust. Dirt and soil covered his face. Suddenly, a red light came from beneath the dirt.

Before the optical blast could even shoot forward, Sora had already grabbed the kryptonian's leg and slammed him face first into the ground. The red lasers were released, only going down into the planet's crust.

The celestial being stepped on the back of his head, wondering how long Clark would survive this. A few more minutes? Seconds?

"You brought this on yourself…though it does make me happy that you try to fight back. If you can survive long enough for my anger to quell, I may just let you live. If not…then I'll make a visit to that reporter from the Daily Planet. Lois wasn't it?"

"Grrrrr!" Clark's body shook as he tried to stand.

Sora only stomped harder which resulted in an even larger crater. He wanted to rile the man up. To make him fight harder.

"You looked into my identity. It's only natural I do the same, right? Martha…what a sweet sounding name. Unfortunately, I don't know the names of my parents." He commented slowly. It was obvious what he meant.

"GRAAAAAHHHHHH!"

BOOOM

Superman exploded the ground beneath them, escaping Sora's foothold. Anger could be seen in his eyes. Two massive lasers shot toward the light human. It was futile. The lazy man raised a single hand, catching them in his palm. With his other hand in his pocket, he crushed it like glass.

"That's better, but you'll have to…" Sora appeared above the kryptonian while upside down. His leg came hurtling down mid flip. "...try harder."

DING

His body went straight through the ground. Straight to the planet's core. This world was now doomed to explode…but there was still time. Sora grabbed Clark's collar and brought him back to the surface.

"Tch. Don't sleep. Wake up." Sora growled.

Superman had fallen unconscious. Did the celestial being give him permission to sleep? Hell no. Sora's hand straightened and he slowly dug into the man's side. Slowly.

A disgusting noise sounded as Sora's hand broke through the skin. Lots of blood spurted out and splashed onto the ground. The light humanoid's hand slowly dug deeper, ready to pull out some organs. It was then that Superman woke up.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" He cried in pain.

His eyes had grown watery. Powerful blows crashed into the young Lockhart's face. One after the other, unceasingly. Shockwaves went through the atmosphere…but it was futile. They did nothing. Sora pulled out his bloodied hand and made a fist. A single blow to the stomach.

BOOOOM

"Kuffghh!"

If one looked behind Superman, they'd see something sticking out of his back. It hadn't broken through the skin though. Sora finally released the man, who leaned his head on the celestial being's shoulder. His body was trembling.

The young Lockhart stepped out of the way, causing the kryptonian to fall to the ground while holding his stomach. Volumes of blood were vomited from his mouth. It made a disgusting sound.

Sora was releasing every negative emotion in his body. From not being able to punish those that treated Alice as a plague, and now taking revenge for her kidnapping…all of it was being focused onto the symbol of hope.

Crouching beside Superman, he patted his head. The kryptonian was in so much pain that tears were streaming down his face. He wasn't crying. No. This was an unconscious reaction of the body. Many of his bones were broken, there was a hole in his side, and some of his organs had just been blown to paste. Death wasn't far.

"Breathe, Clark. Breathe. I need you to focus." Sora hummed quietly.

If the members of the Justice League were able to see what expression Clark was making, they would be brought to tears. This was Superman. The hero who did his best to make the world a better place. It was a terrible stroke of luck that an aragami had brought this fate upon him.

Sora…wasn't satisfied. Not yet. He used Clark's cape to wipe off his bloody hand. There wasn't a point in fully cleaning himself since it would just get dirty again. Kal El, the son of Krypton, looked at the celestial being's emotionless face before turning back to the ground.

"............................"

"You aren't moving anymore. Is the sunlight not enough? Should I bring you closer?" Sora wondered out loud.

He had yet to release Superman's cape. After taking a step, they vanished. Barely a second had passed before they arrived at the sun. Sora glanced at the kryptonian who was still holding his stomach. His wounds were healing.

Visible to the naked eye, the hole in his side closed. The many broken bones were reconnecting. But that was enough. When Clark opened his eyes again…he was already far from the sun.

'Come. Let's travel the universe.' Sora transmitted.

In the next second, they were in another galaxy. This solar system happened to have a red sun. The kryptonian's face grew fearful once he noticed. They were already floating above another planet, this one populated with sentient life. A futuristic kingdom could be seen.

'This looks like a pleasant world. I wonder if the planet is safe. Are there nutrients in the soil? Hmm…go check for me.' Sora transmitted.

Still holding his cape, the celestial being threw him at the planet. Many civilians with orange-ish skin and green eyes looked up to see a shooting star. It landed in the outskirts of a city, many miles away from a parade of vehicles.

BOOOM

A huge shockwave was emitted, knocking the distant vehicles over. Multiple figures crawled out of their vehicle and shielded a single one. A royal woman soon crawled out of the protected vehicle. Her green eyes were wide as she looked at the massive crater that appeared in the distance.

Sora appeared right above the crater while floating in midair. By this point, Superman's outfit had become rags. His entire chest was also free from its confines.

"How does the soil taste? Is it rich with nutrients?" Sora called out.

Superman didn't move. He drunkenly gazed at the sky in pain and despair. It was hard to fight when you knew nothing would change. His barely healed body was broken once again. He'd never witnessed such sheer power. Being thrown from planet to planet…how overwhelming was that?!

One of his ribs had punctured his lungs. He couldn't really speak much. It was already hard to breathe. AGAIN. He just wanted it to be over. Was he going to die here? How much longer…

"CLARK! You are the symbol of hope! GET UP!" Sora roared.

The kryptonian grit his teeth and struggled to stand. No human could survive with a punctured lung. A kryptonian under a red sun? Chances were slim…but better. He made it to his feet.

Superman floated up toward the light god in human skin, ready to throw a punch in order to satisfy him. A weak blow connected with Sora's chin. It sent a breeze through the area, but that was it. After throwing out an attack…Clark knew he had to receive one.

Sora lazily raised his leg. It was very slow. The kryptonian took a breath and raised his arms to block. Primal fear adorned his expression. Terror was etched on his face. That leg resembled death to him…The celestial being's foot swept across.

DING

His body beamed into a mountain range and altered the entire landscape. The naturally crafted environment had become flat. As Sora caught up to Superman, he heard the most beautiful thing. It caused his emotionless face to relax. A loving smile adorned his lips.

"Fufufufu!" Alice giggled.

She'd been watching the entire time. The celestial being took a breath. He looked at the broken and bloodied hero who lay on the ground. Limbs were pointing in the wrong directions. Regardless, her giggles continued.

'Are you feeling better? Is my lovely princess feeling better?' He playfully transmitted to the skyrealm.

"Fufufu! That was so funny! The way he looked at your leg and went wooosh! Fufufufu!" She exclaimed while covering her sweet lips.

A long time went by as he floated silently. Clark eventually opened his exhausted eyes and saw the young Lockhart gazing at the horizon with a relaxing smile. Was his anger quelled? Was it over? Sora's expression grew flat when they locked eyes.

He again landed on Superman's stomach, sending him further into the ground. Sora glanced at Clark's chest and got an idea. This would finish it.

"Kal El. You've only survived because I let you. It was all to help me enjoy this for longer…but I'm growing bored. I've broken your bones twice…so let's switch it up. If you can stay conscious through this, then it's over."

"Over? It's over?" That was the only thing he'd heard. Everything else sounded like gibberish. He smiled slightly, thinking that he could relax. Sora pulled him up by his hair.

"It's not over. Stay conscious…then it will be over. Don't pass out…Do it for Martha…Do it for Lois." He said. Those words brought Clark out of his grogginess. The finish line…determination grew in his eyes.

Sora's eyes grew with even more energy as he observed the kryptonian's chest. He'd seen the 's' symbol many times. He had it memorized. Just like that, two beams of light shot out of his eyes. He was carving the symbol into Clark's chest.

ZZZZZZT

"AAAH-kufghk…Hnnnnnng!" With a punctured lung, the hero couldn't scream. He could only groan and flail around.

After about 30 minutes, it was done. There were many times where he'd almost passed out. But he didn't. Kal El fought tooth and nail for every second of consciousness. He'd done it. It was over.

"...Good job, Clark. You've done it. Rest well. I will allow you to die on a much more spectacular battlefield."

Those words felt like the ambrosia of the gods to Superman. It felt as if he'd been granted mercy. A second chance at life. Only a relieved smile was his response. His mind finally relaxed. His consciousness slipped, and he was out of commission. Kal El, son of Krypton, would not awake for a long time.