Superman learns of his place and the Flash gets up to speed.

Main Story Twenty-Five

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Superman’s feet finally felt something solid when he gently alighted onto the steaming hot ground, almost immediately burning his soles when his feet were flat on the earth.

Well, not earth, exactly.

Apokolips was next to impossible to compare to the planet he had once called his home. While there were some volcanic landscapes back on Earth, this planet was nothing but a hellscape devoid of anything that would allow humans to live on its surface. Why anyone would choose to live here was unknown to him, but he suspected that survival and not true living was what was expected of those who had colonized it.

The molten surface he had landed on continued to pain him, but he could not help but remain still on it; his Goddess had commanded it of him, so held himself in place, the same unmoving smile plastered across his lips.

“Very good,” Amazing Grace complimented, extricating herself from his arms and landing on the ground a few feet in front of him. Her feet, while still close to the scorching flames, were on rocky terrain rather than upon the same surface as his. She expressed no outward emotion nor pain to the flames, having grown accustomed to living on this planet with all of its dangers over many years.

The two of them were still just as naked as they had been when they had left Earth, beginning their leisurely flight across the galaxy. Superman believed that the reason that they had delayed their arrival was so that she could have continued to enjoy his obedience for as long as she could. Without the need for oxygen and the capacity to always direct their trajectory in space, the two of them had mated repeatedly and even slumbered afterward without breaking course.

The kryptonite shard had not been a factor in it, having been left behind on Earth where it would not be of any harm to them. She had said something about having had another of her minions collect it from the apartment once they had vacated it. As a result, the Kryptonian had not been able to succumb to oblivion the way he had with her twice before when she had outlasted his stamina in bed. Something about it felt lost, but he never doubted her role as his new Goddess.

“Follow,” she beckoned, turning her back on him- flaunting her perfect rear to him- and walking further on through the rougher, rocky terrain.

“Yes,” he replied simply, getting his feet out of the flames. His nerves screamed when he took his first few steps, but, in the grand scheme of all the pains he had ever endured, some charred heels and toes were down among the least.

The two of them began their trek toward a sixty-feet-tall spire that poked directly out of the ground. The spire appeared to be made of whatever Apokolips’s counterpart to granite was, offering only a few bare exceptions for two glass windows near the top and a balcony perhaps forty feet high. Superman guessed that this was something akin to his Fortress of Solitude back in the Arctic regions, though perhaps this spire was not a secret on this planet.

After a few seconds, the burning sensation on his feet ceased, but the blisters did not heal like they normally would back on Earth. The wounds retained their places and protested every time he took a step with his feet. If his skin hadn’t already been cracked open by the fires, they might have been cut open by some of the rocks he had passed had he been careless enough to step on them.

He did not bleed on the rocks; despite the change in atmosphere, it would take more than mere walking to injure him enough to bleed through the burns. Already, he could feel his blisters closing up. Soon, they would be gone entirely.

Amazing Grace looked over her left shoulder at him as she walked, eyeing his face from behind the both auburn and deep red locks. Her eyes then lowered down when she noticed that his cock led the way for the rest of his body. She smirked, satisfied that he was still under her thumb.

It was nearly automatic after all of her psychic conditioning, that with every other thought in his head being about her and the sight of her ass jiggling as she walked in front of him… well, any other man would have been hard like him in this situation. All he knew was that it was better that he accept it, but the reasoning escaped him.

She stopped at the base of the spire, then levitated off the ground toward the balcony. Superman watched her fly, getting a glimpse of both of her holes from the ground before joining her in flight a second or two later.

Amazing Grace crested the stone railing of the balcony for touching the ground, then walked into the spire. There was a doorway for entry, but no door to prevent entry. Without any other obvious method of getting inside, only those who could fly could enter the spire. There were a fair few people who fit that bill on this planet, though, so perhaps something else protected this place.

Superman joined her inside the spire, finding a room surprisingly similar to one that might be found on Earth. It was furnished much like the bedroom Amazing Grace had used when posing as Siren; a wooden floor, a bed with many pillows and dark brown sheets, and a walk-in closet in the corner. Clearly, this setup had been made to welcome him to his new home.

The naked Goddess immediately stepped over to the walk-in closet, opening a wicker-framed door to access the contents inside. Superman followed her in, finding her putting on a set of violet robes, the same as the ones she had worn when he had first met her nearly a decade ago. It fashioned into a cloak that shaded her pallor so that she could appear more tan. After that, though, it only provided modesty in much the same way that paint prevented a wall from getting wet. Her one-piece seemed more low-cut than usual, and the cloth that draped down from her cleavage clung to her waist tighter than he remembered.

Aside from Amazing Grace and her clothes, he found a second set of clothes suspended in the air by a clip hanging from the ceiling, black in color and of a much larger size than hers. It appeared to be a second one-piece suit with a lot of fabric around the torso but less around the limbs.

“Put it on,” she ordered, now putting on her blue-black boots. “And make sure it looks good.”

“Yes,” he said, reaching up and unclipping the suit. It was heavier than it looked, instantly crumpling around his fingers and extending down to the floor. If anyone without enhanced strength had tried to take it, the suit might have crushed the offender.

Dressing himself also proved difficult. Although he had been accused of wearing one in the past, his old red and blue outfit had not in fact been a one-piece suit, and he had next to no experience putting one on himself. It seemed simple on paper; just step into the thing from the top, right? Unfortunately, the reality was not quite so plain.

“Ah, I forgot,” Amazing Grace announced, putting her hand on his shoulder from behind. She tugged on it, wheeling him around to face her. “Hold it up. This suit isn’t like the one you had before.”

He did as she wanted, lifting the suit up into the air by the shoulders. His smaller two fingers each slipped through a designed hole on either shoulder blade. Come to think of it, there were plenty of holes down each sleeve.

“Pull on the straps. Slip your hands inside and spread your arms out.” She returned back to putting on her boots, bending down and swinging her arm out in an exaggerated motion to grab one of them.

She yelped an equally exaggerated “Whoops!” when her hand “accidentally” brushed against his erection. If he had had the capacity, he might have complained; not that she had touched him, but that she was putting her clothes on in a bedroom in which they had just arrived.

It has been too long since you last saw Siren. Too long since you saw her gorgeous face, since you got a look at her sexy body.

Despite the distracting contact, Superman complied, lifting the heavy garments by the straps. Digging his fingers inside and lugging it by his wrists, he spread his arms out wide, bringing the suit into his chest.

The fabric melded with his skin, somehow stretching around his back automatically to form his clothing. He felt no strange pulling or tightness within the below-room-temperature clothing; the suit fit him perfectly both as if it had been tailored for him yesterday and as if he had been wearing it for years.

Around all of his limbs, there were two black lines on both the front and back. His arm sleeves held five circular strips of the alien fabric that revealed much of his biceps and elbows but withheld his wrists and shoulders. He did not see any gloves, but for some reason, his hands felt like they had more gripping strength than they did a moment ago.

His legs were equipped very similarly to his arms, though the five rings around each appendage began down at the knee, leaving parts of his shins and calves exposed before forming into smooth socks at the ankles. Looking down to inspect them, he noticed that the rings were thicker than those around his arms, feeling tighter than others. Perhaps the constrictions were strategic, as he also felt stronger down below.

Across his body, there were no other openings save for the collar that had a slight divot underneath his chin. Several white and brick red lines ran along his base- mostly around his waist, down his sides and around his neck- to frame his appearance. It felt remarkably similar to the outfit he had made famous around his chest and ribs.

Yet, unlike his trademark “S” symbol in the center framed by a diamond of yellow and red, he saw a new symbol: a white fist of deep red lines. The thumb was on bottom, indicating that the fist was raised high into the air in some manner of victory. The size of the hand across his chest appeared to be of the same size as his former coat of arms, so those who recognized his face would next be drawn to the symbol of his new allegiance.

He suspected that that was the point.

“You like?” Amazing Grace asked rhetorically. She had finished putting on her own clothes, but she was faced away from him rather than toward him. “I had this made just for you. It comes with a few advantages.”

Without turning to face him, she angled her left arm back and reached out for his erection. It was barely disguised by his pants, but the moment her hand grabbed it, the fabric around it retreated to lay his cock bare. Superman gasped, electrified by the unexpected skin-on-soft-skin contact. What uncanny clothing, somehow smart enough to know when she wanted to grab him. Had he no control over his own clothing?

“Perhaps we can… experiment,” his Goddess whispered, squeezing him gently, “with it later.” Mercifully, she released him. The fabric did not adjust to cover up his member, unhelpfully leaving him exposed. “But if you want to do something to hide it, you’ll have to either take off the suit and put it back on or…” She lowered her hooded head. “You could let it out.”

Remember the taste of her breasts. You must remember that you need her, and you cannot live without her. A phantom sweet nectar spilled across his taste buds. The hypnotic aspects of his thoughts- now made clear to him from Amazing Grace’s boasting during their travels- only served to further stimulate him. In fact, he was so close he could-

Explode. Right there in the walk-in closet. His sperm shot out of his body in a gaudy stream that more resembled a geyser than a hose. It shot right past Amazing Grace’s right hip, missing her by inches as it splattered against the wall. Whether it was the result of good fortune or a building material that deceptively looked too much like wood, none of it splashed off the wall onto either of them.

Superman’s breath finally came back in heaves once he finished, the last few drops falling from the end of his rod to the floor below. Despite the falter in his lungs, he still bore the same, unyielding smile on his lips. It never left his face: not during his climax, not during her taunting, not during their fucking…

She is the one- the only one- to tame you, as she has done twice now. You must remember how she can make you cum like no one else can.

His erection refused to abate.

Amazing Grace looked over her shoulder, her head remaining bowed. Her eyes were hidden in the shadow of her hood, but the smirk across her lips was as clear as day. “Hmm, what a shame,” she mocked, clearly having expected this exact turn of events. “I seem to have forgotten how to take your suit off. Oh, well. Maybe I’ll remember after I bring you before my master.”

——

A few incoherent moans escaped his mouth, still weighed down by the scratchiness of his throat. He squirmed, feeling only aches and pains as he came back into his being. He instantly regretted eating whatever it was that had made him feel this way.

Barry squirmed again, finding himself weighed down as well. His body was heated, sweat all over his body as he lay beneath sheets that had probably been drenched several times over. His head also remained covered, large sheets placed upon his forehead and over his eyes. He felt that the ones over his eyes were more heavily pressed against him, almost as if they were-

Bandages? he thought. I’m not in the hospital, am I?

No, an intruding voice replied. This is not a hospital.

“Huh?” Barry wheezed, his throat bothering him as he tried to sound out his confusion. “Maxima?”

Yes. Try not to speak.

You think this is the first time someone’s asked me to keep my mouth shut? Barry thought back to her.

Of course not, Maxima returned, her “voice” sounding amused rather than worried. He surmised that they were not in danger, but there was an air of exhaustion to her conversing.

Am I in the medbay? he asked.

Yes, she answered. I spoke with you in your dreams two days ago. It’s perfectly natural for you to feel some confusion when you first wake up. Most people don’t remember specifics about having conversations in their dreams.

“Two days?” the Flash instinctively echoed aloud, his voice still stalled and scratchy. What was wrong with his throat?

Yes, two days. A lot has happened since then. Try not to speak.

I had a hot date, Barry complained. I’m not fast enough to go back in time like when I was younger.

We all have to make sacrifices. Someone- Maxima, most likely- placed two hands on top of his bandaged head and began to dig under the folds. What’s the last thing you remember?

Ugh, it’s all a blur. He coughed when he tried to laugh for effect. It sounded like he needed a hefty serving of cough syrup. I bet a whole bunch of other guys have said the same thing about me.

The fingernails attacking at the seams of the bandages found the crease and began unwrapping. There must have been a lot of bandaging, since the weight upon his forehead only got marginally lighter once she had a good grip on it.

There was an attack on the Watchtower, Barry recalled. J’onn got caught in the flames and I was there. Did I get burned too?

No, the Almeracian queen answered. It took her a moment before she resumed, her tone sounding ****. I believe you saved us all when you lowered the temperature on the Watchtower.

The Flash laugh-coughed again. Just another day at the office. You can all thank me with a nice fruit basket. Maybe some cough syrup as a dressing.

Unfortunately, our funding is a little dry at the moment.

Funding? Just tell Bruce to suck it up and spend some of his fort-

Bruce. The last time he had seen him, he had been clinging to the ceiling with the aid of a crumbling pipe that had barely supported his weight. Then he had charged directly at him, fallen through the air with him. That was the last thing he remembered.

That son of a bitch, Barry suddenly thought, angered that his friend had hurt him. He clenched his fists and prepared to charge right for him, wherever he was. It was all Bruce’s fault he had missed his date with Caitlin. I’ll kill him!

Yes, Maxima interjected, reading his rapidly-congealing thoughts. A lot of us had the same reaction.

Give me five minutes alone in a room with him, he simmered. Then I might start thinking more positively.

Quit squirming, she ordered, nearly shoving his head back down against the pillow beneath him. I’m almost done.

Barry bit his lip, trying to quell his anger. He did, but only after a few moments of very pointed exhales. Sorry, he apologized, settling back down and letting her continue. But seriously, please let me get a few minutes with him; I’ve got a new punchline that’s a real killer.

Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to track him down. Our tracking systems weren’t active when he left the station and we haven’t been able to locate him in Gotham.

Flash groaned, inwardly rolling his eyes without being totally sure that he was doing that underneath his lids and bandages. He got away? he complained. I spent two days in bed for nothing?

It really could have been worse, Maxima returned, an edge of irritation creeping into her voice. Tuck your chin.

He complied, lifting his scalp from off the pillow and leaning his head forward. The royal Almeracian continued her unwrapping, pulling on the lead from behind his head. The final two twists of the bandage unraveled, letting the air settle back onto his brow.

The air tickled his damp eyelids, brushing beneath his lashes like a breeze. He very nearly convinced himself that someone had opened a window to let in some wind to circulate the room after it had been left stuffy for years before deciding that no one on the ship would be stupid enough to voluntarily open a window to the vacuum of space.

He opened his eyes, but the layer of light above him was far too overbearing for him to see anything. He shut them quickly with a tortured whine, fearing that he might have permanently blinded himself by opening his eyes if he hadn’t already been that way. Withdrawing his arms from under the bedsheets, he plastered his palms against his cheeks, trying to block out the world above.

I should’ve stayed in bed this morning.

“You’re in bed,” Maxima reminded, using her mouth to speak this time.

“I meant as a sick day,” he responded in a guttural voice, surprised that he could claim ownership over a tone that sounded like it came from a feral raccoon hopped up on some garbage variety cocaine.

“Try not to speak. Can you open your eyes?”

I just did, he said, opening his fingers so that she could see his sealed lids.

“Sorry, I missed it.” He could hear her discard the heavy bandages on some nearby table. “Can you open them again for just a second?”

He grumbled, but obeyed. Keeping his fingers in place, Barry opened his eyelids a crack, trying to let his vision adjust to the totality of the brightness in the room.

It wasn’t totally white this time; he could vaguely make out shapes and hues. Specifically, he thought he could see a flip of red hair on top of a forest green top standing right where Maxima would be to his left. He tried to make out more about her appearance, but his eyes began to water and he was **** to shut his eyes.

“Okay, thank you,” Maxima offered. “Your irises are a little brighter than usual, but that should be only temporary.”

It hurts, he griped.

“Again, it will just be temporary,” she promised. “Cyborg made you some goggles that will help with your sight until it’s fully healed.”

Cyborg’s awake? he checked. Or, I mean, online?

“Yes,” she affirmed. “He took the news about as well as you did.” She paused. “Well, actually, I wasn’t there for it, but I imagine that he did.”

Can I see those goggles? Barry requested. I think better when I can see who I’m thinking to.

“Sure, just a moment.” Her presence over him retreated, her footsteps light as she moved away from him. He heard some slight metallic squeaking accompanying her

Did you forget it in the bathroom?

No, Maxima returned, the words sounding subdued, I’m just disposing of the bandages. I don’t want to contaminate anyone else in the medbay.

The Flash set his jaw, a shiver running down his spine. One of the last things he remembered before chasing after Bruce was the news that Stargirl and Katana had been killed in the attack. What if that tally had gone up as they had sifted through the wreckage, or if Batman had decided to kill them?

Who else is in here? he asked. Diana? Fire? J’onn?

Diana and Fire are both fine, the queen-turned-medic assured. I’m afraid J’onn is still unresponsive, but he doesn’t seem to be in any danger. Almost everyone else who was injured has already recovered, and most of those still in here should be out of here before long.

Most? he checked.

She returned to his side, the soft clicking and squealing of metal- probably from a rolling cart of some sort- giving away her location. “Well, hopefully J’onn will wake up, but…”

“What happened?” Barry grunted, moving his palms out of the way of his lips. His voice still felt foreign to him, but he hoped she could feel the concern behind his scratchy tones.

Maxima inhaled sharply, then sighed. “It’s Dr. Fate. He woke up for a minute or two after Diana did, but he’s gone comatose again.”

“Did he say-”

“Try not to speak,” Maxima reminded forcefully, punctuating her directive with a tiny bit of psychic **** against his chin. “And yes, he said something. He kept screaming about something else coming, something about a Masterplan being broken.”

Broken? What else is coming?

“He didn’t say,” she informed. “He wasn’t even fully conscious when he started yelling, kind of like he was talking in his sleep, only I couldn’t reach out to him.” A pair of softer yet closer clicks sounded out right above him. “Ready for the goggles?”

Grunting, Flash titled his chin up and removed his hands- slowly- from his face. While his eyelids provided minimal protection from the brightness, they also allowed him to feel the shadow of the goggles as it overtook his diluted vision.

A light weight settled on top of his face, resting atop his cheekbones and brow. They felt no different than the goggles he normally wore to protect his eyes from the wind when he approached higher velocities in a run. A rubbery strap came down over his forehead, sending a tingle through his skull that quickly abated when he lifted his head. Maxima helpfully adjusted the fabric and lifted it over his scalp. Once there, he took possession of the rein, slipping it down to his ears’ level.

He opened his eyes to total blackness. It was an improvement, however small, to not feel like he was at the surface of the sun when opening his eyes. Feeling like he was at the center of nothingness just narrowly beat that out for him.

Uh, Maxima? Barry coughed, quickly trying to stifle any further hacks and wheezes. Can you still hear me?

“One second,” she said, her hands fumbling around the top of the goggles. “I’m just looking for the right button.”

She must have found it, as the total blackness lifted. Slowly, reality faded back in, the speed- if it could even be called that- of the transition letting his eyes adjust to the incoming light. It made it seem like the light was creeping toward him rather than grabbing him from behind and giving him a swift punch to the spine.

As the world came into view, he could see a very haggard Maxima standing over him, eyes partially sunk into her cheeks and red hair unkempt around her shoulders. Her suit was wrinkled in several dozen places, particularly around her elbows and sides. While Barry might have been stuck in a medically-induced coma for the past two days, she looked like she hadn’t slept in that whole time.

“Jeez,” Barry rasped, unable to stop himself from vocalizing his reaction. Having his sight returned to him apparently also loosened his tongue, though that probably didn’t matter when he didn’t have the option of keeping his thoughts to himself.

She snorted, withdrawing from his bedside a pace or two. “Thanks,” the queen of Almerac muttered. “But I’m seeing someone. If we can ever get him back.”

What?

“Like I said, a lot has happened since you went under,” Maxima said, sighing. She looked a little unsteady on her feet. “Diana said she was going to find answers, but she hasn’t come back yet. Victor is putting all of his efforts into hunting down Ivy, and everyone else is sitting around worried that we’re on the brink of another invasion from Apokolips now that Kal-El has turned.”

“What?!?” Barry exclaimed, again unable to resist despite the pain that his scratchy voice inflicted upon the inside of his throat. “What the hell does that mean?”

Maxima glared at him, her upper lip curling into a sneer befitting of the highest of royals. “I said don’t speak!” she all but shouted, a stronger punctual psychic push crashing against his jaw.

He flinched back against the pillow, the goggles on his face slipping slightly higher up his face but not interrupting his view of her fury. He didn’t look around to see if other Leaguers had taken notice; something told him that breaking his gaze with her eyes would make her even angrier.

Her expression softened. “Sorry,” she whispered, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. “I’ve been walking around this room for most of the last few days. A lot has happened outside.”

What happened to Superman? Barry pressed, ignoring the telekinetic **** she had just impressed upon him. What invasion from Apokolips?

She sighed, looking hurt. Barry knew that she had been pursuing a relationship with Superman for years, even though the Kryptonian had never expressed his interest. Even recently during his rather public display of marital deficiency on national television, he had not revealed any affections for Maxima. At least, not to the best of his knowledge.

“Shortly after everything quieted down here, we caught news of Kal-El leaving the planet with Amazing Grace,” she informed. “We don’t know how she got on planet without any of us knowing, but somehow she managed to… to…” She sighed again. “Well, when they left together, they weren’t wearing any clothes. Cyborg thinks she managed to put him under her spell by exploiting his marriage with Lois.”

Goddamn, he sent back. We couldn’t stop them?

“No,” she said, solemn in voice and defeated in posture. “We were too busy trying to track down Poison Ivy that we didn’t know about this until it was too late.”

Jeez, Batman and Superman are both gone, Barry tried. Next you’ll tell me that Hal is gone too.

Something about the hesitation in Maxima’s figure told him that he’d hit something else with his joke.

You’re kidding, Barry groaned, narrowing his eyes behind the goggles. I’m still dreaming, right? This is just a nightmare.

“It was Star Sapphire,” Maxima reported, ignoring his faux rationalizations. “I spoke to him just before he was captured; I didn’t react fast enough.” She shuddered. “I should’ve known, I should’ve…”

She cut off, visibly struggling to suppress a sob. Flash wanted to get an explanation, but he wasn’t going to pry. From what he could tell, she had had it worse than him since the attack. All the wounded she had cared after and the constant care they could have needed… it was a lot to put on just one medic. He hoped that Cyborg or one of the other Leaguers had offered her at least some help.

Overcoming her inner turmoil, Maxima settled. “Whatever happens to Hal is on me,” she said quietly. “We haven’t been able to track them down either. They can breathe in space and she doesn’t have any known destinations off-planet. We’ve asked the Corps if they can help, but they haven’t had any luck either.”

Barry groaned again, shuffling under his blankets to free his arms. Whoever had tucked him in had stuffed him in bed a little too tight. Even Superman might have had trouble freeing himself.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked, her shoulders drooping as her momentary crisis subsided.

I’m going down to Gotham, he insisted, finally managing to liberate his right arm. He noticed for the first time that his sleeve had been withdrawn and he could see a small, red wrap around his bicep. He guessed that she had just pulled an IV out of his arm shortly before waking him, so she must have been the one to tuck him in bed so tight. I can cover more ground than anyone else. With his newly disentangled limb, he gripped the bedsheet and ripped it off his body. And I’ve got a score to settle.

“No, you’re not on duty.” Maxima folded her arms but made no motion- physical or telekinetic- to keep him from getting up.

Screw on duty! He swung his legs to the opposite side of his bed from the royal. You just said Darkseid might be coming any moment.

I don’t care! she shouted, using her telepathy to relay her assertion rather than raising her voice to amplify their argument to the other Leaguers nearby. You’re on leave for two days.

You expect me to just sit here? Flash demanded. It took more effort than he wanted to show to climb out of bed and steady himself on his feet. Fortunately, his back was turned so she couldn’t see his facial muscles scrunching. That’s not my style. You should know that by now.

He swore that he could feel her shaking her head behind him. “Fine. Run to the elevator and back,” she urged suddenly.

Barry snorted, stretching his legs. His knees were a little stiff and he wasn’t wearing shoes, but running fifty feet? Piece of cake.

He made it only two steps before he stopped, both **** and tearing up as he barely managed to keep himself upright. Barry quickly threw his right hand up to his forehead, applying a wide pinch to his brow just above the goggles. His eyes closed as if he had opened them without the protective lenses he now wore to shield direct exposure to the light. His damaged throat also protested, feeling like he had swallowed some very large solid too big to slide down his esophagus.

Flash bent forward, resisting the urge to gag. He hadn’t even had the opportunity to run to the point where he would need to breathe in through his mouth. What had happened? He had had sore throats in the past and never had this kind of reaction.

Suspicion entered his mind as he slowly turned to face Maxima. Could she see how his eyes had narrowed behind his goggles?

She grimaced. “Don’t blame me for that. Cyborg warned that there’s still trace amounts in your eyes and throat; talking and blurring out of focus will only aggravate your injuries.”

You could have told me that, Flash grumbled, lowering his raised hand to his neck to massage it. Or you could have just let me sleep until I was healed.

Maxima shrugged. “If you want to go back under, I’ll give you another sedative. I just need you to have a meal first.”

He settled, breathing out deeply through his nose. Did you prepare me a nice steak? Or maybe a giant turkey? I was… He paused. I was supposed to go on a date two days ago. Shit.

“As many mothers on your planet would say, you’re a grown man,” Maxima reminded. “I’m sure you can cook your own food. Cafeteria wasn’t too damaged, and I’m sure there is probably some of that stuff down there.”

She probably thinks I stood her up. The hand massaging his neck probed his goggles. They hadn’t been displaced by his blur nor his reaction. Cyborg had done well in making them, fitting so snugly without irritating his skin. I need to go find her.

“So now you want to stay awake?” the Almeracian checked, folding her arms.

But how am I supposed to tell her if I can’t speak? Barry asked, ignoring her comment. Not everyone can read minds like you.

“I understand that humans text each other nowadays,” Maxima offered, rolling her eyes and uncrossing her arms. She chuckled briefly. “I’d bet some of us would be happier if you switched to texting over talking permanently, but that’s up to you.”

How about the goggles? Do they look like anything a normal person would wear?

“Eh,” came her noncommittal reply. “If she was willing to go on a date with you, she probably isn’t looking for normal. You can take them off if you’re in a dark room, so long as you don’t lose them.”

Well, I’m glad one of us is feeling better, Flash noted, hoping he could convey a breathy tone without actually breathing to speak. He cleared his throat, enduring the annoying scratchiness. I think I’ll try to get that meal back on planet. Hope she doesn’t want to kill me. He felt at his costume’s two side pockets. They were both empty.

“Oh, right. Cyborg did take your phone.”

Why?

“Security checks,” she explained. “All electronics on the Watchtower were at risk of being controlled by Bruce. Cyborg made sure that wouldn’t happen.”

Great, Barry commented. Can I have it back?

“I don’t have it,” Maxima exclaimed, her eyebrows raising in unison with her hands. They leveled out after a moment and drifted slowly out in front of her hips. “It’s probably still with him.”

You… brought my goggles, he blubbered internally.

“It’ll be good for you to take a walk,” she justified. “Get some fresh recycled air.”

Flash grumbled lowly, feeling a small vibration from his throat that soon echoed in his ears. I don’t walk very often. He rolled his sleeve back down to his wrist and slipped the sewn glove back onto his hand.

“Now’s a good time to practice.” She swiped a hand over her eyes and trailed it back through her hair. “So I take it you’re going back down to Earth?”

“Probably,” he croaked.

She glared at him, fixing her stare with a constricted lip. “Try not to-”

Speak, I get it, Barry interrupted, knowing it worked because she stopped speaking herself. Do you know what laryngitis is?

“Sure,” Maxima replied, her expression softened into a flat stare rather than an outright hostile scowl. “It’s typically a viral infection in the larynx that develops in connection with other throat problems brought on by trauma or-”

Yeah, that’s great, he interrupted again. Is it contagious?

“Sure,” the queen of Almerac answered. “So I wouldn’t tell her you’ve got it on a date and hope for a happy ending.”

Anything else I can tell her I have, then?

“Hm. Try mild epiglottitis.”

Am I supposed to know how to spell that?

“It’s just swelling of the glands around your trachea. You might want to clear your throat after every few minutes or so to sell it.”

How does that explain the goggles?

Maxima shrugged. “Tell her you were in an accident.”

I don’t own a car, Barry complained.

“Look, I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Maxima disarmed, turning to inspect J’onn’s figure. “If not, maybe Cyborg can give you a few ideas. You can find him upstairs in the map room.”

She looked disturbed, her nose crinkling as she suddenly tuned him out of existence and began walking over to the Martian’s bedside. What’s wrong? he asked, forgetting about his problems momentarily.

Maxima placed her hands on him, one on his far shoulder and over his near eye. “I thought I just heard him shout.”

Shout? Flash repeated. I didn’t hear anything.

She concentrated closing her eyes and leaning her head down toward her patient. J’onn’s face didn’t seem any different that it had when Flash had first looked upon him, though he couldn’t see all of it with Maxima’s hand in the way.

Maxima?

After a moment, she exhaled, withdrawing from the other Justice Leaguer. “Nothing,” she finally said. “I must be… hearing things.”

What did you hear? he pressed.

“It’s nothing,” she insisted, standing up straight and facing him again. “Go get yourself something to eat.”

Maxima… Barry did his best to convey his skepticism without a voice.

“Go,” she repeated. “Call that woman if you want. I need to speak with Diana when she gets back, so I’ll probably be here until then if you change your mind.”

He narrowed his eyes, but didn’t press any further. Normally, he might have found her guile concerning, but the reminder of Caitlin left him feeling only concern over what she’d say when he texted her.

Nodding his head, Flash turned and left, heading for the elevator out of the medbay.

——

“Impressive,” came a rumbling comment, sounding out before either of their feet hit the ground.

Amazing Grace landed first, her long robe brushing against the cracked stone beneath her. Superman soon followed, not having a cape of his own to rustle with the soft yet sharp winds of the planet. Not having the cap had actually proven to be a bit of a boon for his flight, as the unpredictable shifts in the air- while not often powerful- hadn’t offered as much resistance as they had on the few other occasions he had visited this planet.

“My master,” she loudly addressed, curtsying as she spoke. “I have returned.”

Superman gazed upon her master, finding him seated on a large, gray stone throne that looked just as cracked as the ground beneath them. The imposing, domineering figure easily eclipsed his own height despite being seated. His plated armor of indigo and black inspired fear around the universe, having been described as a symbol of destruction and conquest as much as the image of the wearer’s eyes and omega beams.

Darkseid sported a dark grin. The being’s eyes were often thought to be red, but few ever got close enough to see that he did in fact have pupils separated by a ring of softer red. Both were white, and they were both distinct in the way they scanned Superman’s appearance in his new uniform. His triumphant smirk widened when his eyes found the exposed erection.

“I have brought the Kryptonian,” Amazing Grace announced, raising herself up from her bow. “As promised, he is under complete control.” She turned her head to the right, her eyes still hidden by the shadow of her hood but her curled lips in full view. “Kneel.”

“Yes,” Superman replied. He hastily dropped his left knee to the stone, making a few additional small cracks in the surface. After setting his weight onto that knee and his opposite foot, he rested both hands on his right leg and bent his head down.

His cockhead also brushed against the ground, trailing a few droplets of precum. The shifting gusts of wind hadn’t felt pleasant- feeling more like prickly scratches than gentle strokes- but their repeated, multidirectional pressures had kept him stimulated nearly as much as the mere presence of his Goddess.

“You have done well,” Darkseid commended, his gravelly tone carrying around the area. Perhaps a yell from the ruler of the planet could have rung out all around it. “Bringing him to his knees is truly extraordinary.”

“Thank you, my lord,” she said, curtsying again. “He will be your servant until his dying breath, the same as I.” She looked at Superman. “Right?”

You will serve me, and whoever I tell you to serve. “Yes.”

“I have heard such promises before,” Darkseid said, leaning back in his throne and looking thoughtful. “I require proof.”

“My master?” Amazing Grace asked, clearly taken aback by the sudden demand.

“The last time I heard that, he proved disloyal. He was reminded of his ties to Earth and attacked me.”

You will leave the Justice League, her whispers repeated. And you will join me in causing its destruction!

“I assure you, my lord, that he will do no such thing. He has renounced all of his ties, including those to his wife.”

Superman’s head was still bent down so he couldn’t see if the mention of his wife had affected Darkseid’s expression. His own hadn’t changed. The skin-stretching smile remained unmoving.

“I must see proof, or I cannot be certain,” Darkseid insisted, leaning forward in his throne. “Look at me, my son.”

Not hearing the presence of anyone else, Superman decided that Darkseid must have spoken those words to him. He raised his head, peering upon the rough, uneven face of the God of Tyranny. Only the Kryptonian still bore a smile on his face, the mouth of the being hidden behind the metal gauntlet of his right hand. Deep in thought, his eyes seemed to be boring through him further than his own X-ray vision could.

A gust of wind shifted his cockhead an inch to the right. It caught itself there, scraping the stone where it had once been.

It has been too long since you last saw Siren.

The involuntary motion seemed to give the being an idea. “You must have used his desires against him. Very clever.”

“Thank you, my master,” Amazing Grace said, sounding eager. Perhaps she had anticipated the conversation going this way.

“As proof, I must see him act on his desires,” he decided. “Prove that his greatest desire is to serve here, now and forever.”

“As you wish, my master,” she assented, reaching up to lower her hood as she curtsied one final time.

When she lifted her head, she turned to face Superman on his knees, drawing his attention away from Darkseid with a simple gesture of her hand. Now that he could see her eyes again, he could see them narrowed in conjunction with her tight-lipped smile to form an arrogant sneer. He had seen her boastful through much of their journey, but this look was new for her; the opportunity to please her master gave her much more satisfaction than being pleased by her new pet.

“Until I tell you to stop,” Amazing Grace said, “you will act on your greatest desire. Your innermost, deepest, most excruciating desire.” She spread her arms so that her carpals faced him at her hip level about a foot each from her torso. “Go.”

His greatest desire? While she had done a lot to coax his itches, it had been days since she had even pretended to care about what he wanted. Now she gave him free rein to express his desires and manifest them in full only to demonstrate how they led him neatly into her palm. Could he even define what it was he wanted?

Only Siren needs you, and she needs you to be there when she wants a fun night in bed. You need her more than she needs you, and you need to see her more and more.

He expelled his concealed breath.

You must remember how she can make you cum like no one else can.

Faster than a human eye could track, Superman was upon her, his exposed cock squished between their waists. Amazing Grace gasped in surprise, a tinge of something akin to relief returning to the air in her exhale. She leaned back before his arms wrapped around her shoulders and side, letting him take full possession of her body.

He took full advantage, compressing his permanent smile as best as he could to kiss her full on her plump lips. His Kryptonian tongue burst out of his mouth and into hers, colliding and merging with her extremity. Moans echoed through both of their windpipes, the minimal free space between them bouncing the sounds around their teeth.

His Goddess eagerly moved the cloth between their loins out of the way of his approaching cock. Superman slammed his member against her, the tip skimming the outer layer of her genitalia before ricocheting off and getting squeezed between their waists again amidst his imprecise thrust. The pressure against his still leaking cock increased when she lifted one leg and hooked it around his left hip.

Undeterred by his momentary failure, Superman withdrew from his frontal **** on her mouth and visually targeted her folds for his next thrust. Without warning, he speared into her, his entire shaft entering her in one fluid motion.

She gasped again, her eyes expanding into almost full spheres before her expression softened into a satisfied aura. Amazing Grace regained her strength and- quicker than he would have expected for someone who had just been impaled- lifted her plant leg up and also slipped it around his waist to lock with her other one.

The Man of Steel caught her weight, easily supporting it with one hand keeping her steady at the small of her back and one hand cupping her rear. His hands moved in unison with his hips, controlling the pace of their motions with hard thrusts. Her cape tickled the exposed portions of his arms, trailing down nearly to the ground. The servant of Darkseid moaned with each and every lunge, while the servant of the servant grunted behind his smiling lips.

Amazing Grace tossed her hair back over her head, then lifted her chin up to meet his. She kissed him deeply, this time forwarding her tongue to invade his mouth. Upon his next thrust, her tongue stiffened, slapping up against the roof of his mouth as she flinched. She recovered, but not in time for him to push the battle back past her lips. The two of them eagerly resumed their war as he thrusted into her again.

His cock had started leaking precum back at Amazing Grace’s spire, but he had probably doubled the amount of fluids he had leaked since then in just that one minute. He felt himself coming close to the edge, a particularly hard thrust making him shudder while on his feet.

His Goddess pressed her advantage, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck and kicking her feet into the back of his knees. The blow didn’t hurt, but it did floor him, sending him tumbling to the cracked stone on his back. She managed to get her legs out from underneath him before impact, which was fortunate; he had been told by another Justice Leaguer in the past that having him land on a person’s legs was akin to getting flattened by a horse.

Her arms still being wrapped around his head **** her ample chest into his face. While they remained covered by her clothing, her breasts still provided the both of them a lot of cushion. The Kyrptonian savored the smothering for the brief period before she lifted herself up.

“Are you ready to serve here for the rest of your life?” Amazing Grace asked, grabbing his hands and guiding them to her hips. “Are you ready to crush the people you once called friends?”

“Yes,” he replied, his voice hoarse but still monotone.

She bounced on top of him, both her folds and her ass slamming into his balls. Superman’s hands helped her lift back up as he hastily stretched out his legs to prevent any further uncomfortable contact. Then next time she came back down, her slim, smooth torso meshed with the knuckles of his thumbs and forefingers.

“Are you ready to cum, servant of Darkseid?” she shouted.

She is the one- the only one- to tame you, as she has done twice now.

“Yes.” That was who he was.

She slammed down upon him once more, drawing another grunt in the process. He was there, he was ready, he was willing, he was-

The Kryptonian’s breath escaped him as he hit his limit and smashed right through it. His lips parted as much as his smile would allow to try to inhale, but he found no ability to intake air. The only thing coming in or out of his mouth was the sound of croaking.

Much more came from his cock, his seed shooting deep inside of her and splashing against her cervix. His muscles tightened, creating a hard surface for the leaking fluids to quickly roll down his member and back down to his groin. Amazing Grace sensed his orgasm during her next bounce, causing her to lean down over his chest and continue rocking her hips to coax out all of his remaining sperm.

He finally came to an end and found himself able to breathe again. Superman found it somehow a bit easier to breathe this time as compared to his previous climax back in her secluded spire. Perhaps he was getting used to the new challenges of cumming on this planet without being able to voluntarily part his lips wider than his tongue. Only when she opened his mouth for him was he able to breathe more naturally, and even then, there was usually an extra tongue in the way.

“Very good,” Amazing Grace commented. “Now stop.”

His control over his breathing returned. “Yes.”

His Goddess placed a hand over the fist on his chest, using it to peel herself off his member and to stand up straight. She quickly reset the cloth to cover herself before turning and bowing to Darkseid. “My master,” she addressed.

“You have done well,” Darkseid rumbled. Superman looked over in the being’s direction- the first time he had looked at him in several minutes- finding him in much the same position in his throne that he had been when he had last seen him. “I congratulate you on your good fortune.”

“Thank you, my master,” she said, rising from her bow.

“As a gift, I will allow you to keep him as a lover until I need him for the invasion,” the being decided. “Perhaps in time, he may become more than just a simpleton and decide to enjoy this life on his own.”

Amazing Grace’s smile widened nearly as much as Superman’s permanent fixture at news of her reward. “Thank you, my master,” she repeated.