Unlimited Universe: The Death of Superman

    "Clarrrrrrk?" Clark had finished bailing the hay early and was taking a rare moment to lay back on a couple of the bales and enjoy the warmth of the sun before Ma called him in for lunch.

"Lunch is almost ready, come in and wash up." He smiled. Even though his rest was interrupted, he loved these trips to the farm. The simplicity of the work and being around his family and friends helped center him and clear his head.

Here there were no wars. Here, he didn't have to worry about the choices of whom he saved and whom he didn't. Here he didn't have to worry about how to defeat giant robots nor stopping meteors, There were no sabotaged train tracks he had to repair before a train was derailed by them, no bank robberies, no murders, no terrible villains bent on world domination.

This place was a quiet, peaceful haven. Here, he didn't have to worry, here he could just be himself. Here, didn't have to be a "superhero," here he could just be...

"Superman?" The name jolted him awake.

He had been pushing himself the last few weeks, helping the front line move into Germany. After the last couple of weeks of brutal and intense fighting, he'd had his fill of death. Since then he had been trying to defeat Axis forces without killing them. He wasn't always successful and the deeper they went into German territory the more the effort to hold back seemed to tax him. No matter how tired he had been before, he had never just passed out from exhaustion like this.

It took him a moment to recognize who was speaking to him.

"...okay? You don't have to fight this war alone, soldier." A man clad in a familiar red, white and blue painted chainmail top was leaning over him, offering his hand.

"Thanks, Cap. I was just... resting my eyes." He took the hand up proffered by Captain Steve Rogers, the man the US government had dubbed "Captain America". "I heard about the fight your crew had in France. Some sort of dragon or something?"

Cap snorted as Clark stretched the weariness from his muscles. "I wish it had been that easy." He looked around to make sure the two were alone before lowering his voice then continuing. "Have you ever heard of a group called 'Hydra'?"

"I've heard the name in passing. They're something like Hilter's occult research group or something, right?"

"They used to be, but over the last two years they've expanded their scope and intel indicates they've done so by finding some way to create super-powered beings. Clark, they're on their way to creating a super army."

Any exhaustion Clark still had was pushed aside. Steve Rogers had his full attention now.

"The group we fought were part of Hydra. It was made up of a guy calling himself "Master Man", an Atlantean named 'Attuma' and a guy I think may have been an actual vampire. They all had powers."

"An Atlantean? I saw Arthur months ago, I thought he and Namor had their people sitting this out?"

"Apparently this one wasn't. Namor didn't want to talk much about him. I got the feeling there was history there. Regardless, somehow he had been given powers as well, he was almost as strong as Namor, that Master Man guy was nearly as strong as Diana."

"What about the vampire?"

Steve stared at Clark for a moment. "Not all of us can not kill and still survive this war, Clark. It was him or me. After what happened to Jim..."

Clark looked away first, his gaze aimed out over the German countryside. He understood. It had been years since anything had even come close to hurting him. As long as he didn't wear himself out, he had the luxury of not having to take the life of every enemy he faced. He considered those without powers who still fought to be far braver than himself. But there was something Steve had said...