As a cool spring breeze dragged invisible fingers lazily through the golden wheat fields, a dark haired woman made her way to the fence surrounding the farm. Wearing a red flannel shirt and blue jeans, she seemed perfectly at home in the country. The same could not be said for the boy working on the fence. He was attired in a basic white shirt and jeans as dark as his black hair and the scowl residing on his face.

"You left without eating breakfast this morning," the woman commented. "What's bothering you, Will?"

"What's bothering me?" Will repeated. He took the fence post he was holding in one hand and drove it into the ground as easily as one might push a pencil into a block of soft clay. "How about my being stuck on this stupid farm? I have all these powers and abilities, and yet I'm here, repairing fences!"

"I had a similar problem when I was expecting you," his mother explained. "When your powers started developing, your first kick in the womb nearly killed me. Your father flew me to the Fortress of Solitude where he had Kryptonian technology to heal my internal injuries. Afterwards, he put me in an isolation room to block all radiation and prevent your cells from absorbing any more and becoming stronger."

She turned and looked across the fields, watching the clouds slowly float by.

"I was in isolation for months," she continued. "After you were born, your father and I decided it would be best to raise you there for a time."

"Why?" Will inquired.

"Because it's difficult to enforce discipline on a child that has powers when I don't," she pointed out. "You needed to learn to obey the rules before you gained the powers of your father."

"You were stuck in a room like I'm stuck here, but you didn't have to give up the thing that made you special, the one thing you were good at," Will said hotly.

"Didn't I?" she questioned in return. Her voice remained calm, the ice to his fire. "I was used to being a world famous reporter. Every major story had my name, Lois Lane, tagged to it. That is what I had, and that is what I lost when I ended up stuck in that isolation chamber. Everything I had built my life around and made me what I was moved beyond my reach."

Lois turned back to face her son. "I know exactly how you feel."

"You're not in isolation now, so why are you here on the farm?" Will asked.

"My time away from the world forced me to reevaluate my priorities," Lois admitted. "I'd been so focused on work and making a name for myself, I never actually had anything more than that. Do you know there are people who work all their lives and then die almost immediately after they retire simply because they no longer have a reason to keep getting up in the morning?"

"You went back to being a reporter," Will reminded.

"I did," Lois confirmed. "But, it was only a job, not my life and reason for existence. My time in isolation had made me realize what really mattered in my life. Your father and I hoped your time on this farm might do the same for you."

Lois started back toward the farmhouse but paused to offer a final thought for Will to think upon.

"Your father started the Justice League," she explained. "Because despite all his speed and strength, even Superman couldn't do everything himself, and neither can you. You'll kill yourself trying. Find something of value beyond work and enjoy the times when you're not wearing a cape. It will give you a chance to unwind, and it will also let you remember what you're fighting to protect."

Lois started back toward the house but stopped and looked back when Will called after her.

"Thanks," he told her, favoring his mother with a hopeful smile.

"Anytime, son," Lois replied.

Will had much to think about and consider. He went back to work, driving in the posts for the new fence, but it was no longer a chore. When the last of the posts were in, and the barbed wire stretched between them, Will received another visitor.

"You do good work," said a strong voice from behind him.

"Thanks, Dad," Will said, turning around to find Superman settling to the ground, his billowing cape catching every drift of the wind to float majestically behind him.

"If you're finished here, I thought we might go somewhere," Superman suggested. "Are you interested?"

"Yes," Will said eagerly.

"Follow me," Superman instructed. He raised his hands above his head and shot straight upward with incredible speed.

Will bent his knees and launched himself along the same trajectory. Superman was going at a slower speed in order to allow his son to catch up, and the pair continued their ascent through the clouds and into the dark void of space. They changed direction and cruised in toward a massive space station in orbit.

Built years ago, the Watchtower had long been the headquarters for the Justice League. It was as legendary as many of the heroes who called it home. A spike of a tower ran straight through the center, its lowest point ending in a cluster of communication antennae. Around the spike were horizontal rings. The windows installed on the rings gave minute glimpses of science labs, living quarters, training areas, and command stations. Each ring had a different function, but they were all part of the greater whole, much like the Justice League itself.

Superman and Will entered one of the many airlocks and waited for the outer hull to be sealed and the pressure to equalize before they entered the main deck. The hallways were spacious, well-lighted, and covered in sheets of metal. Even where the metal lacked a mirror finished, it still reflected the light as if freshly cleaned.

"Bringing you child to work?" asked a gravelly voice. "Did I miss a memo?"

Superman and Will turned to face the man standing nearby. Even hunched over slightly with a cane, the white haired man still appeared muscular and imposing. The dark business suit he wore was immaculate. His blue eyes looked without wavering at Will.

"Relax, Bruce," Superman told him. "I'm not doing anything but giving a tour."

Brue turned away without saying anything else and walked down the corridor, vanishing into one of the many doorways available to him.

"I don't think he likes me," Will commented.

"If he didn't, you'd know it," Superman replied. "Ever since Bruce retired from being Batman, he's become the unofficial advisor to the Justice League. Many have worn the cape and cowl, but Bruce will always be Batman to me. He takes our security very seriously. Let me show you why."

Superman guided Will to the elevators and up onto the main observation deck. A tremendous window overlooked the Earth.

"Best view in the place, huh?" Will asked while taking it all in.

"Yes, it is," Superman confirmed. "I often come here to look at the Earth and think about its people. Many of them will live or die based on our actions or mistakes. It's a tremendous burden to bear, but the Justice League is willing to because we want to protect the innocent and help all people have a better world."

"I know," Will said in response. "Why are you showing me this?"

"One day, you'll have the opportunity to join us," Superman explained. "You will stand here not as a visitor, but as a fellow member of the League."

"Don't worry, Dad," Will promised. "I'll make you proud of me."

"Throughout your life, you've faced problems," Superman said gently. "Mastering your powers, balancing between your superhero persona and your secret identity, and many more challenges. You never tried to avoid your responsibilities or the punishment for your mistakes. And in every challenge put before you, you eventually overcame it, and it is for this reason most of all, I'm already proud of you."

Superman put his arm around Will's shoulders, and they stared out the window together in silence.