Chapter Text
Chapter 14
(Night, S.T.A.R. Labs hangar)
"Hold on, you not only took down Oliver's three arrows with only one of yours, but you shattered the tips of two of them while you were at it?" Diggle asked Ollie in utter disbelief, as they, Oliver, Sara, Barry, Clark, Conner, and Kara were the only ones left in the hangar.
"I sure did," Ollie answered with a smirk.
"Wow, even Ra's would be impressed with that level of aim," Sara said in amazement.
"I guess if anyone could beat Oliver at archery, it's Oliver himself," Barry remarked in amusement.
"I'm still the best archer there is on this Earth," Oliver stated.
"Nice loophole, but I'll do you one better," Ollie countered. "I'm the best archer there is in the Multiverse."
"Good comeback," Kara complimented with a grin.
"At least you guys balance each other out with your skills," Barry said, looking at Oliver first and then Ollie. "You're the better fighter, and you're the better archer."
"You have no idea how much I enjoyed rubbing my super-archery skills in his face," Ollie said, drawing chuckles from everyone except Oliver, who simply rolled his eyes. Turning to Oliver, he added, "No hard feelings, man. You may be a rough-around-the-edges Grumpy Pants, but you're a great guy and an even better hero."
"The same could be said about you," Oliver returned the compliment. "Although you can try to be a little more serious sometimes."
"And you should try being a little more laid back," Ollie countered. "Doesn't hurt to lighten up every once in a while." He extended his hand. "Bygones?"
"Bygones," Oliver agreed with a nod, as he and Ollie shook hands.
Barry looked at Clark, Kara, and Ollie. "You guys ready to see if Cisco's gadgets work?"
"Ready," Kara answered, before making eye contact with everyone. "And remember, if you guys ever need me, I'm just a call away."
"Same here," Oliver said.
"You know that goes both ways," Clark added.
Kara nodded and pressed the button on her extrapolator device, causing a breach to open in front of her. She then walked through it and the breach closed a moment later.
"Well, her inter-dimensional-jumping device apparently works," Ollie noted.
"We should start heading back right now too," Clark said.
"You're right," Ollie agreed. "It's been, what, almost two days since we left? Wouldn't wanna keep the wifies waiting any longer for their hubbies."
"I'm gonna ask you one more time, Conner," Clark said, turning to the younger Kryptonian. "Are you sure you wanna stay behind on this Earth and join Sara's time-traveling team?"
Much to their understandable surprise, Conner had revealed to Clark and Ollie that, while he had been chatting with Sara and some of the other Legends during the victory party, they told him about their various time-traveling missions. Suddenly intrigued, Conner had asked the three if it was okay if he could join their team. As the Legends' team leader, Sara had almost immediately agreed, telling Conner "We could actually use someone like you on our team", after which Conner had run his sudden decision not to return home by Clark and Ollie. Sure, Conner was going to miss the two of them, as well as Chloe, Lois, his and Clark's adoptive mother Martha, and the other Justice League members, but he was determined to forge a path of his own, one that didn't involve staying in Clark's shadow for the rest of his life, and what better way to do so than starting a new life in another universe helping a team of other do-gooders, even if they were flawed, protect the timeline.
"I'm positive, Clark," Conner nodded.
"This is a big decision you're making," Clark pointed out, realizing the young man he was proud to call his little brother was sincere about his decision. "You know that."
"I know," Conner said. "But it's one I'm happy to make." He paused for a moment. "Don't get me wrong, being a member of the Justice League these past few years was all well and good, but there was always this part of me that felt like I was always gonna remain in your shadow. And now, with this time-traveling thing on another Earth, I feel like I could try out something new. You know, forge a destiny of my own."
"I'm glad you found something you're really interested in," Clark said. "I'm happy for you."
"But you're gonna miss me," Conner noted, picking up on the obvious traces of sadness in Clark's voice. "Don't worry, Clark, there's no way I could become a stranger to you or the rest of our family."
"Not only will the League miss Superboy, but the world will too since it's now gonna be down one Kryptonian superhero," Ollie stated.
"Well, our universe will still have heroes like you, Clark, Bart, Tess, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Cyborg, Aquaman, Black Canary, and even the Wonder Twins to protect it," Conner pointed out. "Besides, it's not like I can never come back and visit all of you guys."
"That's true," Barry said. "Just remember, whenever you feel like returning to your Earth, don't hesitate to come by S.T.A.R. Labs. I or Cisco can easily arrange that for you."
"Got it," Conner said. He threw his arms around Clark in a warm hug. "Goodbye, Clark."
"Goodbye, Conner," Clark said. "And good luck."
"You too," Conner said. "Don't forget to tell everyone else that I'm okay."
"Of course we will, buddy," Ollie said, as Conner hugged him too.
Clark turned to Sara. "You look after him and make sure he stays safe. Conner may be bulletproof, but he's not invincible."
"Don't worry, I will," Sara promised. "Just like he'll look after me and the rest of our team." She turned to Ollie with a smile and gave him a hug. "Do me a favor and tell your Black Canary her sister from another Earth said hello."
"Will do, Sara," Ollie nodded. "Dinah would be interested in the fact that she has a sister in another universe."
"Just knowing there are other versions of Dinah Laurel Lance who are still alive across the Multiverse will help me sleep a little better from now on," Sara said.
Clark turned to Ollie, holding up the extrapolator. "Let's see if this thing takes us home." He pressed the button on the extrapolator and a breach opened in front of them.
Clark and Ollie jumped into the breach, disappearing to the other side as it closed behind them.
Diggle turned to Oliver. "I still can't believe that was you."
"He wasn't exactly me, John," Oliver pointed out. "The other Oliver may have the same name and a similar backstory which also involves being stranded on an island prior to becoming an emerald-clad vigilante with superior archery skills, but we're as much two different people as you and I are."
"One thing I noticed about the other Ollie is that his attitude is somewhat reminiscent of the way you were prior to the Gambit," Sara commented.
"You could definitely say that," Oliver agreed.
"Speaking of which, do you ever think about what it would be like if the two of us never got on that boat?" Sara asked.
"I don't know if I have to think about it," Oliver answered. "I mean, maybe the Dominators showed us what our lives would have been like."
"I know it was a prison, but in a way..." Sara said.
"In a way, it was a gift," Oliver finished. He and Sara threw their arms around each other in a hug.
"Stay out of trouble," Sara said, patting Oliver's chest.
"Yeah," Oliver said.
Sara walked away from Oliver and approached Barry. "Listen, Barry, about yesterday. I was out of line when I said a few things to you that I shouldn't have. The truth is, until very recently, I was willing to do whatever it took to get my sister back. I tried to kill the past version of the man responsible for her death. It was hypocritical of me to judge you for Flashpoint, especially when my actions weren't any better than yours. For that, I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted," Barry told her. "We all make mistakes. What matters is whether or not we learn not to repeat those mistakes and move forward."
"Right," Sara nodded, as she and Barry smiled at each other. "You stay out of trouble too."
"With the lives we have, that won't be easy," Barry said.
"Come on, Conner, let's get you settled in and prepared for the exciting adventures that awaits you," Sara said.
Conner shook hands with Barry, Oliver, and Diggle before leaving with Sara.
"There they go," Diggle said. "Off to their spaceship, time-traveling as if it's totally normal."
Oliver cleared his throat. "Well, John, it's like you said. Normal sort of went out the window when this one arrived."
Diggle turned to Barry, extending his hand. "I may never understand you, man, but you're one of the best men I know."
"Thanks, Dig," Barry replied, as they shook hands. "So, will you forgive me for what I did?"
"Barry, it's like I keep telling this guy," Diggle said, indicating Oliver. "You have to forgive yourself."
"Yeah," Barry said.
Diggle patted Barry's shoulder. "Good luck." He headed off, leaving Barry and Oliver as the last two standing in the hangar.
"Well, we ought to do this more often," Barry suggested. "Get together, I mean."
"I don't know if the world could take it," Oliver said.
"I meant, like, without the world being threatened," Barry said.
"If the world wasn't being threatened, what would we do?" Oliver asked.
Barry shrugged his shoulders, then he and Oliver headed off as well.
(Waverider)
Conner and Sara were standing opposite the rest of the Legends as everyone was gathered in the bridge. "Everybody, this is Conner Kent, whom all of you have already met and know as Superboy," Sara announced. "He will be joining our team from now on."
"Nice," Ray said, with a smile. "It's gonna come in handy having someone with abilities like yours around."
"So we have an alien on our team now? Great," Mick grumbled, after taking a sip of his beer.
"Be nice, Mick," Amaya said, firmly.
"I am half-human, by the way," Conner reminded Mick.
Sara turned to Conner. "Just ignore most of the stuff he says."
"Welcome to the Legends, Superboy," Nate said.
"Ray, Nate, you two are in charge of showing our new team member around and helping him get settled in," Sara instructed.
With that, everyone started going their separate ways. Conner followed Ray and Nate as the two of them prepared to show him around the Waverider.
Earth-21
(Watchtower Building, Ollie and Chloe's apartment a level below the Justice League's headquarters)
Ollie walked into his home and closed the door behind him. He headed into a dimly lit bedroom, where his and Chloe's four-year-old son, Roy Sullivan-Queen, was sound asleep in a bed.
"Hey there, kiddo," Ollie said softly with a smile, relieved to set eyes on his son again after having spent over a day and a half in a different universe. "I want you to know that Daddy missed you every moment he was away."
He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on Roy's forehead. He then adjusted Roy's blue Superman blanket, covering his body to make him more comfortable.
"Good night, buddy," Ollie said, before leaving the room.
As he headed towards his and Chloe's room, he stopped at the sight of her standing in the doorway, a look of both relief and happiness on her face.
"Well, it's great to see you made it back from your parallel universe adventure unscathed," Chloe said.
"Chloe," Ollie gushed. He walked towards her and, without saying another word, pulled her into a passionate kiss, which she immediately returned while wrapping her arms around his neck. Letting each other go after several seconds, Ollie stared affectionately into his wife's green eyes. "You have no idea how much I missed you."
"I missed you just as much, honey," Chloe replied, staring into her husband's brown eyes with equal affection. "This time more than usual, considering you were literally in a whole other plane of existence."
"This goes without saying of course, but the thought of coming home to you and Roy is what motivated me to not get killed during our stay on that other Earth," Ollie said.
"Care to share with your lovely wife everything that's happened while you, Clark, and Conner were away?" Chloe asked, curious. "All Tess told me and Lois was that you three were going to deal with a threat in another universe, but nothing beyond that."
"Here's an idea, sweetheart," Ollie said. "How about I tell you all about it while you join me in the shower?"
(Several minutes later)
"All right, Mr. Queen, I'm waiting," Chloe said, she and Ollie in the shower as the steaming hot water rained down on their naked bodies.
"For starters, remember our unexpected visitor Barry Allen?" Ollie asked, standing behind his wife as he scrubbed her hair with his hands.
"You mean that other Flash we met last year? Of course I remember him," Chloe said. "Kinda hard to forget that particular episode of our ongoing superhero adventures that would probably make one hell of a TV series if we were fictional characters in a fictional setting."
"Well, Barry and his friend named Cisco showed up upstairs in our base telling us they need our help," Ollie explained.
"I take it whatever happened on the other side must've been pretty grim for Barry to seek the help of superheroes from a different universe," Chloe said.
"Grim might be the understatement of the century," Ollie commented. "I'm talking a full-on alien invasion here."
"An alien invasion?" Chloe repeated, intrigued. "I don't suppose you're gonna tell me next that the extraterrestrial culprits were evil Kryptonians."
"Actually, the E.T.'s we were up against are called Dominators," Ollie said. "Unlike Kryptonians, they looked like the zombies from the movie World War Z, only even less human-looking. Their evil plan was to wipe out all the meta-humans on that Earth since they considered anyone with special abilities to be a threat, but Clark destroyed the bomb in space before it could claim any lives."
"Clark, always being the one saving the day, isn't he?" Chloe said, with a proud smile. "I'm glad I got my husband back in one piece."
"As always," Ollie added, as he was finished washing his wife's hair. "There, your hair is just like new."
"Now it's my turn to wash your hair," Chloe said.
"Sure thing, hon, no one does it better than you," Ollie told her, as he and his wife switched positions in the shower and Chloe started washing his hair after lathering her hands with shampoo.
Ollie went on to tell his wife more about his experiences on the other Earth, including meeting his stern, no-nonsense counterpart and the two of them comparing their fighting and archery skills, which Chloe was amused by. He also told her about Conner's decision to stay behind and join a team of time-travelers led by the sister of Dinah's deceased counterpart, much to Chloe's surprise.
(Clark and Lois' apartment)
Clark entered his and Lois' apartment. Almost immediately, he saw her sitting on the couch typing an article on her laptop. Lois was wearing nothing but a blue T-shirt containing a Superman logo on the chest. She widened her eyes at the sight of her husband.
"Smallville, you're back!" Lois gushed in a mix of surprise, relief, and happiness. She wasted no time setting her laptop aside, leaping off the couch, rushing to Clark, and throwing her arms around his neck in an embrace.
Clark wrapped his own arms around Lois' waist and the 'Clois couple', as Chloe had dubbed them, engaged in a very passionate lip-lock that lasted for a good ten seconds before they stopped kissing and stared directly into each other's eyes.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss my favorite intergalactic super-stud while he was away in a parallel universe for the last day and a half, but the thought of knowing you'd pull through like you always do is what kept me from seriously worrying," Lois said, with a smile. "I'm glad to have you back, honey."
"I'm glad to be back, especially with you," Clark replied, grinning happily as it felt great to once again have the woman he loved more than life itself and would do anything for back in his arms. Plus, he could hear her heartbeat again, the most beautiful sound ever, the one thing he focused his super-hearing on twenty-four-seven so that he would always know where Lois was no matter how far from her he was in the world, which was how he had managed to save her in the nick of time from certain death countless times. As they let each other go, Clark asked, "How were things here in Metropolis during my absence?"
"Other than that pyro-bitch Volcana showing up and causing a little trouble, nothing too newsworthy," Lois answered. "Tess, Diana, and Impulse quickly extinguished her activities before she could do too much fire damage."
"Bart hasn't been Impulse in years, Lois," Clark reminded her. "In case you've forgotten, he's The Flash."
"Of course I haven't forgot, Smallville," Lois said. "But given Bart's impulsiveness and child-like nature, his original nickname fits him way more than the current one. Last I checked, isn't that the reason Ollie and the others in the JL gang called him Impulse in the first place?"
"Bart may still have his moments of immaturity every now and then, but he's definitely come a long way in the last twelve years we've known him," Clark stated. "But enough about Bart for now." He spun around for a moment, causing Lois' dark brown hair to briefly fly up. A moment later, he was back in his Superman suit. "Anyway, Ms. Lane, why don't I take you for trip in the sky and I'll tell you everything you should know about what I've been through these last couple of days?"
"Deal, Superman," Lois grinned eagerly. "Just let me get dressed and then we're good to go."
After Lois had thrown on some jeans, a purple leather jacket, and dark brown boots, Clark held her bridal style as he took off across the star-covered night sky, soaring high above the proud city of Metropolis.
"Okay, Smallville, you can spill the beans now," Lois said.
"Remember that other Flash who showed up eight months ago right before Doomsday escaped and wreaked havoc on Metropolis a second time?" Clark asked.
"The one you said was from a parallel Earth?" Lois said
"That one," Clark nodded. "After Conner and I stopped the bank robbery yesterday, I received a signal from Oliver's watch. Conner and I headed to Watchtower, where we encountered that version of The Flash and a friend of his. They needed our help because their Earth was being threatened by an alien species known as the Dominators."
"The 'Dominators'?" Lois scoffed. "Seriously? What the hell kind of alien race would name themselves that? Sounds boastful."
"They're certainly not the friendly variety of aliens," Clark said. "Oliver, Conner, and I traveled to the other Earth and helped the heroes there deal with the Dominators. Once they were defeated, only Oliver and I returned home, while Conner decided to stay behind and join this team of time-travelers who dedicate themselves to protecting the timeline."
"Wait, Conner didn't come back with you and Ollie?" Lois asked in surprise. "He stayed there on what I should probably call 'Earth-3'? You know, since 'Earth-2' would be the universe where that evil, murderous, Luthor version of you came from and 'Earth-1' would be our universe. I suppose I can't blame the kid since it's obvious he's been feeling pretty lonely since Stargirl was murdered in cold blood by General Slade Wilson's little spawn."
"He made his decision, Lois, and I could tell from Conner's voice that he really wanted to join that team," Clark said. "Who am I to stop him from doing what he wanted? Maybe this is what he was meant for all along. I can take care of the farm myself since he's no longer gonna be living there."
"Well, let's hope his new parallel Earth playmates treat the new kid on the block fairly," Lois said, with a note of concern for the young man she'd come to think of as a little brother. "Because if they don't, then they should know that this Earth's Lois Lane and Clark Kent will not hesitate to dimension-hop over there and give each of them missing teeth or a bloody nose."
"I'm sure Conner will be fine," Clark said, chuckling at his wife's remark. "And it's not like we can't ever visit him to see how he's doing and vice versa." He pulled out the extrapolator device and showed it to Lois.
"What's that?" she asked.
"It's an inter-dimensional extrapolator," Clark explained. "We can use it to contact the other world's Flash and his team if we ever need their help with anything or even return to that Earth. But for the time being, the only Earth I'm interested in being on is the one where I get to spend some quality time with you."
"Not a bad plan, Smallville," Lois remarked.
Clark paused in the air, he and Lois hovering approximately six thousand feet above the ground as she held onto his neck. Due to the many 'flight trips' that her husband had taken her on ever since he fully mastered his flying ability over five years ago, Lois had long ago gotten used to being so high up in the air without being inside an aircraft. As they engaged in another deep lip-lock, a shooting star appeared across the night sky, possibly as a symbolization of the passionate love Clark Kent and Lois Lane felt for one another.
Nine years in the future
(Stryker's Island Penitentiary, 2025)
Alexander 'Lex' Luthor was in his cell, sitting on the bed while reading a book when he heard a whooshing sound accompanied by a gust of wind. Turning to the bars, Lex saw a mostly yellow and black humanoid figure with bright red glowing eyes standing on the other side of them. The figure's body appeared to be vibrating as Lex wondered if the figure was a meta-human, an alien, or even a ghost of some sort.
"Lex Luthor," the figure called out in a deep, distorted voice resembling that of a demon straight out of Hell itself.
Closing the book and setting it down, Lex stood up and inched towards the cell door. It was no surprise to him that the figure knew his name. After all, who hadn't heard of Lex Luthor, founder and owner of LexCorp and former President of the United States? After a lot of hard work and much arm-twisting, he had been elected in 2020 and served in office until he had been impeached in 2023 after Superman and the other so-called 'heroes' exposed his crimes and true intentions to the public, leading to Lex's fall from grace that had resulted in him spending the last two years locked in a maximum security prison with no hope of escaping, at least not yet.
"Who or what the hell are you?" Lex demanded, more out of curiosity than wariness. If the billionaire was the least bit intimidated by the yellow figure, he didn't show it.
"A friend," the yellow figure answered in that same demonic voice. "I have a proposition for you, Lex. You might want to take a few steps back."
Not taking his eyes off the mysterious yellow figure, Lex stepped back a few feet and watched with widened eyes as the figure effortlessly walked through the bars. A moment later, the bright red glow in the figure's eyes disappeared as its body stopped vibrating. Now Lex could see it was clearly a man in a yellow and black leather suit containing a round black emblem with a red lightning bolt on the chest.
"You're a speedster," Lex said in realization.
"Correct," the yellow-clad man confirmed in what Lex figured was his normal voice. "Now let me properly introduce myself." He pulled off his cowl, revealing the face of a middle-aged handsome man with blonde hair. "My name is Eobard Thawne. Where I come from, some call me the Reverse-Flash."
"Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash? Can't say I've had the pleasure," Lex said.
"You don't know me, but I know all about the man you are," Thawne said. "Or the man you were, former President Lex Luthor, greatest enemy of Superman."
"Hold it right there!"
Thawne turned around and saw a prison guard on the other side pointing a gun. In a streak of red lightning, Thawne sped through the cell and phased his hand through the guard's chest, killing him. After watching the guard's body drop to the floor in front of him, Thawne sped right back into Lex's cell.
"Now where was I?" he continued. "Oh, do you believe in second chances, Lex? I am offering you the opportunity to reverse the misfortunes Superman and his Justice League brought upon you. With my help, you can have everything you've ever wanted."
"Really?" Lex asked, skeptical and hopeful at the same time. "In my experience, Mr. Thawne, nothing comes without a price. What's the catch and why should I trust you?"
"The catch is, you help me and few others I've gathered take down a team of time-travelers dedicated to putting a stop to our objective," Thawne explained. "One member who recently joined the Legends, as they're calling themselves, is one of yours from this Earth. The half-human, half-Kryptonian known as..."
"Superboy," Lex finished, as he remembered Superman's half-Kryptonian protégé who hadn't been seen in years.
"Yes," Thawne confirmed. "Superboy joined the Legends almost nine years ago on your end, which is why he disappeared back in 2016. As for your second question, this isn't about trust. What matters is we will be working towards a mutual goal – reshaping reality to our liking, literally."
"And how exactly do you plan on accomplishing that?" Lex asked, still not sure whether or not he trusted Thawne.
"Come with me and I'll tell you everything you need to know about our mission," Thawne promised.
Lex thought about it for a few moments. On one hand, he didn't trust Thawne. On the other hand, Thawne was apparently not only his ticket out of prison, but his opportunity to reverse the damage Superman and the other 'heroes' had done to his life.
Looking Thawne firmly in the eyes, Lex said, "All right, I'll bite. If there's the slightest chance that what you're promising is true, I'll work with you." He extended his hand and Thawne shook it. "But let's get one thing straight. This isn't the beginning of a friendship nor do I trust you. This is strictly business." With a smug smile, Lex added, "And if Superboy will be one of our problems as you claimed, I'm gonna need to grab a few things first and foremost."
"Of course," Thawne said in understanding, before grabbing Lex and speeding out of the prison in a streak of red lightning.
Vanishing Point
A flash of red lightning, accompanied by a whoosh, appeared out of nowhere as the Reverse-Flash and a figure garbed in a green and purple suit of armor with a bright reddish-orange light on the chest appeared in the former's base of operations.
"Where did you run off to this time, Eobard?" Damien Darhk asked in a clearly annoyed tone.
Thawne pulled off his cowl, while the head of the green and purple armor retracted, revealing Lex inside it.
"So these are your friends," Lex said to Thawne.
"Partners," Thawne corrected.
"Who is this?" Malcolm Merlyn demanded, looking at the bald man in armor warily.
"Malcolm, Damien, I'd like you two to meet Lex Luthor, a billionaire and former President of the United States where he comes from," Thawne said. "Lex, this is Malcolm Merlyn and Damien Darhk."
"It's my understanding that either of you have not heard of me, considering that, according to Thawne, there isn't a version of me who exists on your Earth," Lex said, as he stepped forward towards Malcolm and Damien.
"What do you mean our Earth?" Damien asked.
"He means the Multiverse, Damien, which is just as real as time travel," Thawne clarified. "I pulled Lex from his Earth of origin in the year 2025 and brought him here to help us obtain the Spear of Destiny. He also provided us with the means to take down the Legends' newest and most powerful member."
"With this," Lex added, holding out a lead box and opening it to reveal a chunky green rock inside.
Damien looked at it curiously. "A rock?"
"How exactly is that fancy green rock gonna help us take down Superboy?" Malcolm wondered.
"This little rock holds much more value than you two assume," Thawne pointed out.
"It's called Kryptonite," Lex explained. "A radioactive mineral that is extremely poisonous to Superboy, Superman, and any other Kryptonian who is powered by our yellow sun. All you have to do is simply put it within close proximity to Superboy and you have the immediate upper hand."
"Wonderful," Damien said, impressed. "So Superboy isn't as invincible as he seems."
"Every man has a weakness, no matter how superhuman he may be," Lex stated, as he closed the lead box. "Mr. Thawne has offered me the chance at a clean slate. A chance to undo all the misfortunes brought upon my life due to the so-called 'heroes' of my Earth. What better way to start anew than having the ability to reshape reality as you see fit at your disposal?" With another smug smile, he added, "Once we get our hands on this artifact, I'm going to be the hero of the story for a change."
"Welcome to the team, Mr. Luthor," Damien said, already starting to like Lex.
That wraps up this fic, though the series is far from over. So, Superboy has joined the Legends, while Smallville Lex Luthor has been recruited into the Arrowverse's Legion of Doom by the Reverse-Flash. Therefore, both Conner and Lex will participate on opposing sides in the remainder of DC's Legends of Tomorrow Season 2.
Those who have watched the Smallville series finale remember in the flash-forward that Lex was elected President in 2018. Here, I changed it to 2020 so that the election years could line up with real life. Also, even though this story takes place in November 2016, Clark and Lois are already married here, as opposed to canon where they didn't officially get married until 2018.