CRISIS REVISITED!

Chapter 3: To All Things an End

 

By

Jake H.

 

It was a dismal scene.  One that nobody in the room really wanted to accept. Some had to accept it as they were still quite injured from the encounter that killed their friends. Some cried others stood by in disbelief. But all mourned. This was a private ceremony before the public one tomorrow.

 

Solitare was propped against the wall, her legs still sore from when they were shattered, even with Artemis and Kierin’s help. Artemis herself was at Exodus’ side, comforting him. There was nothing that her healing powers could do for him, yet he was still as weak as a kitten. Marcus Cole, a.k.a. Frostfire, could not bear the emotions running in the room and sat nearby with his head in his hands.

 

Dwayne and Elizabeth of Legion stood to another side, their tears apparent. Paradox was not present, but when one is in a coma and cannot move, there is not much anyone can do. Sherri was also present standing next to someone who had seen much death in her life, including her own. Kara and Rogue stood nearby, trying their hardest not to cry. It was difficult since Karen was clinging tightly to her mother, sobbing slightly. Lord Ian also stood by, still wondering if things could have been different if he had arrived any sooner than he had.

 

Sara Pezzini was also here, paying her respects. Although she had known the deceased for the shortest amount of time, she still respected anyone who would give their life for hers. Peter and Amanda Parker, the King and Queen of the S.U.S.A. sat in one corner, still in shock of losing one that meant so much to him lately.

 

In the center of the room, Katherine Pryde knelt by the center of attention. She had been devastated by the event, and was staring at the solid lead casket, still in shock. The coffin was polished to a high sheen and was decorated with her tears and a perfectly carved symbol of the House of El. Inside laid her best friend, her partner, her fiancée. Someone who she had loved, dead at the hands of a most powerful enemy.

 

They all mourned the loss of the second Superman of this world, Zal-El. He had done nothing less than to give everything to ensure that humanity and society was given a second chance, this time at the cost of his own life. Every person in the room owed him their livelihood, and most their lives.

 

And so, frozen in this moment of time, we see those that have had some of the greatest impact on this ‘Otherverse’ mourning the loss of one of their own. But the story is far from over and has yet begun. The end started some five days ago, right after Crisis when the Twins came back to this dimension.

 

 

OTHERVERSE

 

 

It was a bright sunny day in the middle of spring and three Kryptonians were having a ball. Zal had indeed allowed the twins to shop until their hearts were content, which was much less than he would have ever guessed. Each girl had opted to just three outfits for the duration of their stay. That evening the girls had a blast as Zal took them back to Thief Neck Island where just months earlier they had been ambushed by Luthors crack troops.

 

Except this time Zal and all of Alpha Flight had escorted them. At what point he had done it, the girls would never know, but Zal had constructed a park-like setting on the island and set up a private beach. Most swam in the crystal blue waters while Sherri and Zal labored over a grill preparing dinner for the crowd. It was a time to relax and all enjoyed themselves.

 

Everyone got involved in a game of ‘no powers’ football, which ended up being more laughs than play. Brian, who could not suppress his abilities, had a hard time being stopped when the ball was handed off for him to run. Carrie had solved that problem time and time again by simply tackling him. After the first time Brian would run backwards attempting to get away from her while most everybody else just laughed.

 

People began winding down and retiring to the private huts. Zal, Kitty and the twins stayed up, figuring out what had to happen the next day. Kitty decided to take the team and try to establish relations with Doom and if time permitted, investigate what happened in Britain.

 

Zal remembered that there was still half the Kandorian population that would need to be relocated back to their satellite and got the girls to help out. At the conclusion of that conversation, Kitty retired to her hut, followed by Zal just a few minutes later, leaving the twins up but exhausted and soon they were fast asleep.

 

The next day, Karen and Carrie had their hands full trying to transport the Kandorians back to their city and setting up a continual power and water supply while Zal was trying to link his system at the Colorado Fortress. When he had installed the most important component, he turned on the power and watched as the holographic image came into view once again.

 

“Hello Jor-El. It is good to speak with you again.”

 

“Zal-El. I had worried that you had forgotten about me.” The holograph smiled and took the most solid form it could, stepping onto the floor. “This is an impressive place, nephew.”

 

“I did not build it. This is the handiwork of my sisters Kara and Rogue.”

 

Zal could see interest sparked in the hologram's eyes. “And where might they be?”

 

“In another dimension - where they will be staying for the most part. They are needed badly there.”

 

“What of this world?”

 

“It is left under my care, that of a wizard named Ian, and a group of metas of my acquaintance.”

 

“Very well then. I can see it is in good hands.”

 

“Thank you, Uncle.”

 

The hologram turned and looked at the doorway. Zal turned and looked that direction. “What is it?”

 

“There were two people that just moved in front of that doorway.”

 

Smiling, Zal called out. “Carrie, Karen! Come here please. I would like you to see something.”

 

“Okay! We’re almost finished with the solar emitters.” The two raced from the cavern and entered the main computer lab, freezing in their tracks when they saw the hologram.

 

“What? Who?” were the words from Carrie who looked at Zal and back to the hologram.

 

“Girls, I would like to introduce Jor-El, the father of this dimension’s Kal-El.”

 

“How did…how did you do this? You couldn’t have programmed someone you never met?” Karen asked as she eased her way to the hologram.

 

Jor-El bowed slightly. “Let me explain. Before I sent Kal-El here to Earth, I imprinted my mind onto my main computer crystal. I removed the ‘Crystal Mind’ and sent it with Kal to help guide him along his journey. It was programmed to activate the first time all of his powers manifested. Unlike you, he grew up here having limited access to his abilities.”

 

Karen continued the story, theorizing correctly what happened. “Kal had used you as a moral guide but quit asking when the Shard took hold of his mind. When the fortress was destroyed, Luthor had no clue that something like the Crystal Mind existed, so left it.” The young girl turned to Zal. “But you would know, so you went there and retrieved it.”

 

When Zal nodded, Karen was satisfied. She addressed the hologram again. “Then I would like to introduce myself. I would be the equivalent of your great-niece, Karen. Its good to meet you.”

 

After proper introductions, all got back to work. The Kandorians were successfully transported back to their city, and Zal had just finished putting the Crystal Mind in full control of the fortress computers and tested the link between it and New Independence. Satisfied, Zal gathered the girls and some other blood samples.

 

“Jor-El, I would like to make a change to your programming.”

 

“What is that?”

 

Zal began inserting the samples into a scanner. They were samples of DNA belonging to all members of his ‘family’ to include Jenny, Lar, and Kitty. “I would like entrance to the fortress denied to anyone who was not represented by those samples. Also include Lord Ian Patrick, and for emergency purposes only, the members of Alpha Flight. They will identify themselves if entrance is needed.” He was about to continue when Karen whispered in his ear.

 

Zal glanced sharply at his niece, and slowly pulled his eyes away, considering her words. Ultimately, he continued, agreeing with her wisdom. “Also, allow entrance to anyone in the future having the ‘El’ genes.”

 

“Your descendents?   And those of Kara, Rogue, and the women beside you?”

 

“Yes. And I want these commands unable to be overridden except by me. Override code: Beta Epsilon Continuity.”

 

“Uncle Zal, what about us?”

 

Zal sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry Carrie. I can’t do that just in case. Beside which, you have unlimited access anyway.” He glanced at Karen who also appeared a bit confused. “Girls, in 5 days, you will no longer live here.  That makes it my responsibility. What would happen if one of you was to override the system and Luthor gained access?”

 

Carrie thought it over, an expression of disgust of that situation apparent. “Okay, I get your point.”

 

Jor-El’s hologram flickered and solidified again. “The changes are made, Zal-El. Also there is a transmission from a person named Kierin looking for you.”

 

“Kierin?” Zal wondered why he would be trying to contact him. Perhaps Ian was too busy or out of range. “Go ahead and patch it through.”

 

The main screen roared to life, the static clearing to reveal Kierin. “Lord Kierin, what can I do for you?”

 

“Superman! Thank God I found you!” Kierin said with a tinge of panic.

 

“What’s the matter Kierin?!”

 

“Remember when Ian said Luthor was transferring a project to Washington?”

 

Zal nodded. “Yeah, I remember.”

 

“The complex has been completely destroyed. The ‘project’ awoke and did it.”

 

“Ok, not a problem. I’ll go take care of it.”

 

Kierin sighed and looked worried, an uncharacteristic expression for his features. “Zal…it’s Doomsday. Luthor somehow resurrected him.”

 

Not believing his ears, Zal took an uneasy step backwards, glancing at each of his nieces in turn. “W-where is it now?”

 

“Making its way through Montana. Ian left to investigate something happening in Central America with Celia and I can’t reach either of them.  I’m doing well to operate this damned technical equipment myself.  Thank the Maker Anne understands some of this.  The creature seems to be heading for Cedar Rapids.”

 

Steeling himself, Zal addressed the man on the screen. “I’m on my way. Superman out.” The screen went dark and without turning his head, spoke again. “Girls, you need to stay here. I will not have you involved in this.”

 

“Like hell, Zal!” Carrie spouted. “That thing killed Kal and you want us to stand by as it could possibly do the same to you? Fat chance!”

 

“Carrie…”

 

Karen took her uncle by the hand, getting his attention. “Don’t bother saying anything else. We are going with you.”

 

“Dammit girls, if your mother found out that you went she would skin me alive!”

 

“Don’t worry!   We won’t get involved unless it is absolutely necessary.”

 

Knowing there was no way he could convince either of them out of this action, Zal just shook his head.  “Women!”

 

“We heard that!” And with those words, the three Kryptonians flew off, knowing that they could very well be fighting for their lives very soon.

 

 

OTHERVERSE

 

 

The trail was not hard to pick up, especially not with eyes that could watch the electrons around an atom or into other galaxies with no problem. The swath of destruction was evident from Bremerton, Washington to Billings, Montana. And it was not 10 miles outside of Billings where the three young Kryptonians found the being they sought.

 

Zal landed in front of the beast, his hatred held in check until needed. The twins landed 30 meters behind their uncle, somewhat fearful of the creature they had never seen until now. The girls spread apart, careful not to take their eyes from this thing.

 

“Superman! At last we meet!” Doomsday roared in his gravelly voice.

 

“And at last I will stop you. There will be no mercy this time.” Zal said between gritted teeth. The girls had seen Zal so riled only one other time and only then because his family was in danger.

 

“Then die you shall!!!”Doomsday bellowed and lunged. Zal was expecting him to be a bit faster but it simply was not the case. He sidestepped the great beast and lashed out with his foot. Doomsday grunted with pain when the foot smashed into his chest, but ignored the blow and kept coming. He swung his great fist, jagged with bony protrusions, but was caught in mid swing. Zal grabbed its fist and twisted it into a painful arm lock. Going with his now off-balance momentum, he swung his leg over Doomsday’s arm, straddling his wrist that he was holding it with. In the same motion, he planted that foot and rapidly struck with her other.

 

Blinded by the speed and complexity of his motion, Doomsday never saw it coming. He was driven several meters underground and came to a rest, its blood flowing freely from its face. Zal dove into the hole. Unleashing his heat vision on the creature, he was satisfied when it began to yell out in pain. In his agony, Doomsday lashed out catching Zal and forcing him to the surface.

 

In the space of time that Zal was recovering, Karen and Carrie both lunged at the creature, their fear diminished by the fact that their uncle had been hit and knocked back. Karen flew into Doomsday’s stomach, doubling the creature over in a grunt of pain. Carrie on the other hand took a more direct approach and lashed out with her foot, impacting on its ear. Doomsday was knocked to the ground, blood pouring from the side of its head. Carrie kept advancing, but was stopped short of her mark when the creature brought both of its fists up, knocking the girl on the ground.

 

Doomsday picked up the fallen Kryptonian and held her up like a trophy. Carrie was struggling to free herself, but otherwise did not appear to be hurt. Zal had just risen to his feet and began to see red. “Put her down or so help me I will bury you in the abyss!”

 

     “Then come and get her, pup!”  The creature goaded.

 

Rapidly, the young Kryptonian dashed over and swung both arms, one aimed at its head, the other its throat. Doomsday dropped the young girl and was able to bring its arms up to defend itself with, but could not even see the kick to its back that sent it flying between the girls. Lying on the ground, it was too slow to recover and rolled over just in time to receive Superman’s knee embedded in its stomach.

 

“This is for Kara!” and he punched as hard as he could, snapping Doomsday’s head to one side. His next fist knocked the creatures head the other direction. “And that is for my nieces!”

 

“You will never…” another punch to its face, this time splitting the flesh beneath its eye. “…ever…” Zal turned on his heat vision again, this time concentrating on the center of its chest. “…hurt anybody…” Zal pounded down on the very spot he was concentrating on. “…EVER AGAIN!!!!” Doomsday’s ribcage shattered, sending blood spurting into the air.

 

Zal stood, grabbing Doomsday by the throat holding him face to face. “I have no clue how you returned, but it matters not.” His voice rising in crescendo, Zal began to pound on the beast again. “Because today, your reign of terror ends!”

 

Doomsday clamped on the hand that now held him airborne. Without waiting for the creature to make a comeback, Zal grabbed the beast’s ankle and forced its form backwards. Having his body twisted in an unbearable fashion, Doomsday screamed in pain as his leg was snapped in several places. Without hesitation, Zal brought the creature down on his knee, shattering his lower spinal column.

 

Superman dropped Doomsday in a heap on the ground and was about to unleash all of his emotions into a single, killing blow, when the beast’s eyes went wide and it rapidly faded from view.

 

“What in Rao’s name?”

 

“I don’t get it…he just disappeared.”

 

Karen looked around the grounds of the battle. “I believe that he was transported away. Look…even the blood is gone.”

 

Zal grimaced at the fact that he could face the creature again. “Luthor. Luthor was the one who did it. He wants to use him as a weapon against us.”

 

Carrie raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I did not appear to work. We kicked its butt!”

 

“Well, it couldn’t win all the time. The good guys have to every once in a while!” Zal then placed his hands on Carrie’s shoulders. “Carrie, do you understand just how scared I was when it had you?”

 

“But it didn’t hurt me…”

 

He took a deep breath, but paused. “The fact of the matter…”

 

“Was that it could have hurt us.” Karen finished his sentence.

 

Zal nodded his agreement. “Plus you said that you would not get involved unless I was losing.”

 

Carrie grinned. “Actually, Karen said that we would not get involved unless absolutely necessary. We both felt that it was pertinent that we got involved.”

 

“Why? You could tell it had not hurt me yet.”

 

Karen smiled innocently. “Well, you were covered it blood.”

 

Superman pondered her statement for a moment and then turned to the girl in white. “I was covered in its blood. Not mine”

 

Carrie could barely contain herself. “We couldn’t tell the difference.”

 

Zal’s jaw dropped and he was about to scold then until he realized they were pulling his chain. His expression instantly went to one of amused aggravation as the girls burst out laughing. “Rao help me, I’m gonna spank you both!”

 

Karen stuck out her tongue in a playful fashion. “Try it buster and we’ll get mom to spank you.”

 

Shaking his head, Zal just sighed. “Women.”

 

“We heard that!”

 

 

OTHERVERSE

 

 

Luthor, for one of the only times in his life, was dumbfounded. He had been watching the confrontation via a satellite camera. He had been confident that Doomsday would have at least fought Superman to a stalemate. Or even better, kill one of Kara’s daughters.

 

“What in hell just happened? That wasn’t even a match-up. It is almost like he…” Luthor paused, resting his elbows upon his desk. He closed his eyes in thought began breathing slower.

 

“Mercy, Kal-El and the one from that other dimension were both killed by the monster. So it seems to reason that it could kill another Kryptonian in the same way. Doesn’t it?”

 

“Yes, Mr. President. It sounds like it would.”

 

Lex strummed his fingers on his desk, replaying the images again, studying them closely. “Mercy, I want all of the data we have on both Kal-El’s and on this one. Also bring what data we have on Superwoman and Rogue, I will need to cross-reference what we know of these beings.”

 

Mercy immediately went for the door to the Oval Office, stopping as her hand began to open it. “Mr. Luthor, what happened to the monster?”

 

“I had one of the wizards in my employ keep an eye on it, just in case. He was to remove the creature back to a secure location in just such a situation.”

 

Mercy quickly brought the disks containing the data Lex had requested, and within hours, Lex was not pleased with his research staff. He called the supervisors to his private office for a conference.

 

“Gentlemen, I have discovered your mistakes on evaluating the powers of the Kryptonians on file. Why was such information kept hidden from me?”

 

The head supervisor glanced at his assistant. “Mr. President, when we are talking about such abilities that go beyond most of what we have catalogued, the minor differences would not make a difference.”

 

“Really?” Lex stood, picking up graphs from his desk. “The differences almost cost me a project I have worked on for 2 years!” Lex threw the papers at the head supervisor. “Explain the differences. Your job depends on it.”

 

Suddenly very nervous, the head supervisor began to gather the papers at his feet.

 

“Stop. You will do this from memory.”

 

Confused at the command, he stood, collecting his thoughts. “Umm. Well, for one starting with our original Superman, he was something like 1/8 or less powerful as the current one, and he is only half as strong as Superwoman. But the scale of weight was still measured in the gigaton range for all of them…”

 

Nodding, Lex motioned to him angrily, waving his arms in disgust as he paced the room. “Keep going.”

 

“As for speed, Superwoman is 4 times faster than the old Superman, and the new one is eight times faster than that.”

 

Lex stormed in front of the man. “That is critical information! It may not seem so to such a limited brain as yours, but it is.”

 

“But Mr. President, they will not exceed Mach 6 in the atmosphere due to the damage to the weather systems. And all can pierce the speed of light.”

 

Sitting down, finally calm again, Lex turned to the supervisor again. “You still don’t get it…what if I could fire 32 bullets into you before you could fire one? What are the odds of your survival?”

 

“Slim to none, Mr. President.”

 

Smiling, Lex sat back and pressed a button on his intercom. “Exactly.”

 

Before the assistant could react, he saw a man suddenly appear in front of his boss, his finger firmly embedded in the supervisor’s skull. The bloody digit was removed and the corpse fell to the ground. The man came to stand in front of the assistant, the fire in his being barely contained.

 

“Good, now that the problem is solved, I won’t be kept in the dark about such things again, will I Director?”

 

“N-no, Mr. President.”

 

“Excellent. Then I want full data on this man as soon as possible. He is another Kryptonian and we need to see where he ranks according to these charts, don’t we?”

 

“Yes, Mr. President. I…we will get right on it.”

 

 

OTHERVERSE

 

 

The next morning at New Independence, things had settled back down into a routine that had become somewhat familiar. Alpha Flight had gone out on patrols along the border, watching for any incursions. The twins busied themselves helping Lois and Lana build their newspaper presses and building, being grateful that they could see Lois again after such a long time.

 

Peter had pressed Zal into a planning session for organizing the other three settlements and finalizing the construction of the railroad linking them. General Raynor was also there; reviewing the plans for energy-based rifle designed to bring down unruly metas integrated into forces. The plans were advanced and the materials to make them were scarce, but given time, there would be enough to have one per company within two years. More importantly, with Lord Ian’s assistance, they would soon begin construction on facilities to produce non-polluting fuel cells to replace the fossil fuels they were currently using.

 

The encounter the previous day had been kept quiet for several reasons, the first was that Zal did not want to draw attention to himself. Second was the fact that he didn’t want to alarm Kitty on something that could have been emotionally troubling.

 

Currently, the King of the S.U.S.A., the General of her army and Superman all sat in the communications console set up in N.I. City Hall. They were monitoring Ariel as she gave specific places and problems with the work crews on the railroad. There had been some resistance around an armed camp in North Carolina that wanted nothing to do with either Peter or Lex. Nothing that the team said could convince them otherwise, so the tracks had to be diverted an additional 30 miles around their claimed territory.

 

It was an unfortunate setback, but the people there were making it on their own and claimed the property legitimately, so Peter decided to let them be. They had earlier in the day stopped by the Haven of Light Monastery, to offer assistance, but were politely turned down. Like Buddy, Peter had no desire to despoil such a rich community, but was disappointed by their reaction.

 

During a discussion of diplomacy about the Haven, a weak radio transmission came over the speakers.

 

“Is anyone there?” spoke a heavily accented voice. It was Arabic in its nature, but nobody present could place the exact region of its origin. Without hesitation, General Raynor grabbed the microphone.

 

“This is Jim Raynor with the Southern U.S. Army. Who is this and what can we do for you?”

 

“Mr. Raynor, I am Ahmed Guayas. I am the religious leader of my people. We are a small community in the Sinai Desert.”

 

Peter and Zal were listening, but glanced at each other and shrugged, neither knowing any details of the region.

 

“We are being overrun by these people of tremendous power. Daemons…killing everyone…they will not listen to reason. We did nothing. Please, in the name of Allah, help us!”

 

The General turned, his eyes asking Peter for instructions. When the King nodded, he turned back to the console. “Ahmed, we are sending a team in, no strings attached. They will help.”

 

“Oh, oh thank you. And please hurry!   They keep harassing us, torturing us…”

 

Peter placed a hand on Zal’s arm, walking away from the console. “What do you think? I’m sure Kitty can handle this, but it is almost halfway around the world.”

 

“Shouldn’t be a problem. They can get there faster than any military force we have available. As for the people, we both took an oath to protect the innocent.”

 

Peter grinned. “Come on, I didn’t take this job to neglect people. It’s just further away than we have ever gone that’s all. Can you contact Kitty and send them?”

 

“Sure.”

 

 

OTHERVERSE

 

 

Using a protective sphere conjured up by Sherri and dragged along by Legion, Alpha Flight covered the almost 8000 miles to the Sinai Desert in just over 4 hours. They kept in contact with New Independence, but their contact with those in need was sporadic at best. After some confusion of their destination, they landed at the coordinates calculated by their ‘godfather’.

 

The area was empty. It put them in an old military base long since abandoned. It was put here to help keep Egypt away from Israel back in the early 60’s. After the global collapse, the soldiers probably walked away, no longer caring about a holy war that had escalated with Israel eliminating most of their rivals with nuclear devices.

 

“Um, honey…” Kitty said into her communicator. “There is nothing here. No people, no tracks, no bodies, nothing.”

 

“Well, Kitty…we didn’t make this up. We got the call recorded.”

 

“Okay. We will have a look around and get back to you. Alpha Flight out.” Kitty turned off the transmitter and replaced it on Legion’s storage compartment. “Well guys, let’s find out who made that call. They couldn’t have gotten too far.”

 

As she was speaking, the team gathered around her and a holographic map. None of them saw the figure rise from the sands. “Indeed child. They have been here the entire time.”

 

Everybody whirled to face the newcomer, instinctually fanning out in case it was hostile.  He was a small, completely bald man dressed in gold and garments like an ancient Egyptian monarch. Taking the lead position, Ariel took a step forward. “Who are you and where are they?”

 

“ I am Omega. And the slaves you speak of are within me of course. I consumed their souls. They were but a morsel of a meal, but one nonetheless.”

 

Kitty was now clenching her fists in anger, barely containing the anger his words brought to her. “Then in the name of humanity, you are under arrest for mass murder.”

 

Omega smiled, bringing his hands into full view. “That would be marvelous. I like a meal that struggles.”

 

With no warning, a shimmering wave erupted from Omega’s body in all directions. Although it did not seem to affect anyone else, Artemis and Paradox were thrown to the ground, both curling up in fetal positions. Artemis screamed in pain, shaking all over, while Paradox was attempting to regain control over himself.

 

With a cry of anger, Kitty flew into the small man, fists cocked back, ready to strike. With blinding speed, Omega caught the young woman in the air by the throat. What happened next caused all to gasp in surprise. They could literally see the energy being siphoned off of Ariel, who apparently could not move.

 

“Kitty!!!” Brian yelled and charged, Solitare right behind him. Sherri wove a mystical symbol in the air, rising above the ground, sending bolts of pure magic into Kitty’s assailant.

 

Sensing the impending threat, Omega stopped his feeding and twisted, catching Exodus’ fist as he swung on the demi-god. Also at that very moment, the first of Sherri’s bolts struck him, but to no affect.

 

“So…Nabu finally established his power? Too bad, sorceress. Here is a gift.” With seemingly great ease, Omega threw Kitty’s unconscious body into Sherri. Though she had her shields up, the two women were catapulted onto the ground. The force of the blow knocked Sherri out, despite the protections she had.

 

Meanwhile, Omega had begun to feed on Exodus’ energy, and he cried out in pain, unable to break the smaller man’s grip. Solitare, attempting to help her friend grabbed onto the leech, and began trying to shut his powers down.

 

Instantly, Omega realized she was a threat.  With but a thought, Omega tossed her away.  He made a quick gesture, and she sailed through the air, several hundred feet up. Unfortunately, Legion had already begun his attack run.  He was the only one who could have caught her. She landed, trying to roll with the force of the impact, but was unsuccessful. Her legs shattered, sending the young redhead into shock. With all of her remaining strength, Rachel sent out a telepathic scream, hoping that it would reach its target.

 

Back at New Independence, Zal was still in conference with Peter and Jim, discussing the implementation of some of the ‘gifts’ Lord Ian had left just a couple of weeks earlier. Suddenly, Zal heard a voice in his mind. He recognized the summons from Rachel, a desperate cry. “Zal! Help us!” Without explanation to the leaders gathered in the room, Zal tore through the roof, almost instantly reaching his maximum speed. He exited the atmosphere, achieving ungodly speeds to reach his friends. He reentered just milliseconds later, dropping back into the atmosphere like a comet.

 

Meanwhile, Legion dove in determined to break the grasp of this monster from Brian. Repulsor blast after repulsor blast struck the demi-god, forcing him to stagger slightly. Brian was now completely limp in its hands, but the visible energy was still pouring off of him. “Let him go! Now!”

 

Omega pointed at the armored man with his free hand. “Do you think a skin of metal will stop me child? I am the god of Destruction! Nothing can stop me!”

 

“Yeah, right! Let’s test that!”

 

The demi-god tossed Brian to the side, leaving him a crumpled pile of flesh.  Legion charged, swinging and blasting. Omega made no attack at all, simply dodging and ducking the blows. At the precise time Legion was the most off balance, Omega struck.

 

“Metal man! Now you shall know death!” Omega plunged his fist into…and then through the armor, Withdrawing his hand, Syren and Frostfire saw blood spewing from the armor as it fell backwards onto the ground.

 

“NO!!! You bastard!” Syren screamed and unleashed the blast she had been holding back until now. The brilliant energy washed around Omega, and soon was joined by the intense heat from Frostfire.

 

Walking with effort, Omega made his way through the energy towards Sara, who redoubled her blasts, attempting to keep this monster away. It was to no avail. Omega swatted her with his massive strength, sending her flying. If it weren’t for the mystic armor she wore, Sara would have been killed instantly. She impacted against a prefabricated building, bouncing off its wall falling face first into the sands.

 

Turning to his last remaining opponent, the demi-god Arakis began to absorb the energy that this human was throwing against him. Marcus realizing that his power was being leeched away by this creature, decided to turn the tables against him.  He thrust his hands forwards to suck all heat out of him. Omega smiled - this child might be useful in the future, if ensorcelled properly he could be a wandering herald, sucking out the life of others by proxy, continuing to spread his power.  The demigod brought up his left hand and a ball of violet light flew out towards the meta.  Frostfire’s sixth sense was screaming at him as this approached. Before it broadsided him, he opened the mental link to his master, Lord Ian Patrick.

 

At his tower, Ian had just materialized into a spare workroom.  He was covered from head to foot in a thick black viscous liquid.  A blazing sword of white light was alight in his hand.  With a word he dismissed it.  “Kierin is definitely dealing with the next demon that decides to prowl this ball of dirt.  I don’t care if Queen Mab shows up in my bath demanding tribute and my head.  He is fluent in their language and can shapeshift into something they will at least stop and talk with!” He was just preparing to call Gerald when a flicker of fire danced into existence.  A mental link opened up from Marcus, but only two words made it through before it closed again: “Oh, shit.”   Upon reflex Ian made a passive touch to the youth’s mind.  The boy was conscious, and in some sort of conflict.  Alpha Flight must be in combat again. At that same moment ichor dripped into his eyes and burned like acid disrupting his concentration. 

 

Gerald walked through the door with a silver tray and bowl filled with water.  Seeing the puddle of fluids building around his master he said:  “I see you have returned from your vacation and brought presents.”

 

“Gerald. Please.  This stuff burns in spite of warding and I’m hoping it won’t cause lasting damage.  I would hate to sit around doing nothing while I regenerated my eyes….”  The bowl of Travel Water was placed beneath his hand and its magic began to clean and heal him.  Ian would contact Marcus in a little bit to check and see if everything was continuing all right.

 

Superman saw the energy blast strike Frostfire.  The young man fell backwards onto the sand completely immobile.  The violet light continued to shimmer around him.

 

Without another moment’s hesitation, he dove on the unsuspecting demi-god, driving each fist into the man’s small form. Zal landed blow after blow, forcing Omega back with each punch. Throwing his power behind a single uppercut, Zal sent the man to the ground surprised that any person had so much power.

 

Zal stood back, allowing Omega to rise. “A bit more of a challenge than you expected?” he taunted, goading him into attacking angrily, therefore poorly.

 

Omega's eyes sparkled as he felt the energy from this new opponent. “Yes… you will be a fine meal indeed.”

 

“Bring it on, little man.”

 

They latched onto each other pummeling away. Zal was getting the upper hand when Omega just stopped, trying to siphon the power off of this being. His eyes went wide, now knowing just what he was dealing with.

 

“No! It is impossible! No one can use Ra’s energy in this manner!”

 

Not caring what he said, Zal continued his assault. With a well-placed punch, he sent Omega back by several yards. Instantly, he lashed out with his heat vision. Knowing the damage it could cause; Omega tried to roll out of the way, but was still caught across the shoulder. Roaring in pain, Omega turned back to the Kryptonian.

 

“My turn!” Raising both hands, Omega used and amplified the fire that Marcus used against him. Zal threw up his arms in defense, but feeling no adverse effects, allowed the assault to continue. It didn’t take 20 seconds for Zal to begin glowing red hot, then as Omega increased his power, white-hot. Zal’s skin took on a near-transparent sheen, now being close to the heat of the surface of the sun.

 

“Wow. This guy is good. I am actually beginning to get hot.” Zal thought. “I think he is about tapped out, so let’s end this.”

 

Omega let up on his attack, satisfied on what his efforts had gotten him. Zal wasn’t impressed.

 

“Please. I have swum in the core of a star! Do you think that would hurt?”

 

Raising an eyebrow, Omega retorted. “Perhaps not. But this might.” Rapidly completing the intricate gestures, Omega unleashed the second prong of his attack.

 

Instantly, Superman was blasted with a magical cone of cold, enveloping him in its eerie, blue-white light. The agony was simply unbearable. Along with the damage the magic was doing, the ultrafast cooling of his body was causing untold destruction within Zal.

 

Paradox and Artemis awoke to a primal scream of pain. The sound was deafening, louder than human ears could bear. Thankfully, these two weren’t quite human. They both turned and saw the grisly scene. Their assailant, Omega, was standing over a kneeling Superman, bombarding him with a magical blast. They could see Zal’s skin begin to split, causing numerous wounds to bleed all over him.

 

The scream reached the hypersensitive ears of two half-Coluan / half-Kryptonian girls who instantly stopped in their tracks and looked at each other. Without another moment’s hesitation, they took off into the sky, following the familiar voice to its source.

 

In his tower, Ian finished his cleansing.  He tentatively contacted Marcus’ mind.  There was no conscious response.  Ian opened himself through the White Flame to the lad.  Compulsion poured in on him.  The desire to serve Omega to conform to His Will.  Unprepared for this mental assault, the Amberite struggled against the it.  He came to himself and realized that something was terribly wrong.  White flame danced about him as he summoned his items of power back to himself again.

 

“Kierin, something else has managed to break through into this world again.  Give Mab my condolences and find me.” Ian pathed.

 

Back in the desert, Omega released his spell, proud of the damage he had caused. But when the wounds began to heal, he quickly accessed the information gleaned from this man while they were in contact. A simple blue wave of radiation washed over the Kryptonian.

 

“Oh no, you don’t. One such as you will not live to stand up against me again! Time to die, offworlder!”

 

Unable to respond due to the pain of the magic, and now the Blue K bombarding him, Zal knew he could not last long. Even though his muscles screamed in agony at movement, he forced his hands together. Locking his forefingers and pinky fingers together, leaving his middle and ring fingers together and upright, Zal gave a silent prayer to Rao.

 

Paradox stumbled to his feet as fast as he could. He saw what Omega was doing and knew he had to be stopped. Not caring about his own life, he gathered his energy. Artemis began to yell, knowing very well what he was about to do would kill him. He glanced at her and back in time to see Zal collapse on his side, his hands still locked together.

 

Exerting every once of power he could muster, Paradox cried out. “Monster!”

 

Omega turned his head just in time to see the silvery energy strike him. Instead of it forcing him off of Superman, the energy tore through the man’s form, forming a gaping hole in his chest. Slowly particles of Omegas body began to break off, being carried away by the blast.

 

At that very moment, Ian appeared out of thin air and a moment later Kierin appeared to walk up through the ground. They both froze in their tracks, both in horror of the scene, and in the raw power this young man was now wielding. Landing right behind the wizard and the sorcerer, Karen and Carrie also froze in horror.

 

Finally, when there was nothing left of Omega’s body, Paradox let up his attack. He took a breath…and promptly fell to the ground.

 

“Oh, Great Maker, what just happened?” Ian whispered.

 

Reacting as soon as the shock was over, the two wizards and the two Kryptonians fanned out, trying to check for vitals. Ian went over to Paradox where Artemis was desperately trying to heal him.

 

“Dammit, Matt! Wake up! Please!” she cried, tears flowing down her face. Ian knelt by her side. With a word, he scanned the extraordinary man.

 

“Worry not, Hope. He is alive. In a coma, but he IS alive. There are others that need our help.”

 

Artemis wiped the tears away and rushed to Brian’s side, seeing if he was still alive. Ian on the other hand went to where Ariel and Fate had landed. Sherri was recovering, but Kitty had not awoken.

 

Kierin had gone to Solitare’s side, examining the damage. “It looks bad. Spiral fractures. Those are very hard to heal. But I should be able to weave a spell to begin the process” She began to explain what had happened when they all heard the Twins cry out.

 

“No! It can’t be!” Carrie yelled. “Don’t you dare die on us, Zal! It’s not your time!”

 

Artemis, Ian and Kierin ran over to the two girls. What they saw was an absolute bloody mess. Superman was lying on one side, his hands still locked. Ian bent down and scanned for signs of life within the Kryptonian. There was no breathing, no heartbeat, and no brain activity. Although there was a flicker of life force still remaining, it was hardly noticeable. For the second time in the history of this Otherverse, Superman was dead.

 

Ian took a deep breath, knowing what he would have to tell the twins, on top of Kitty when she awoke. Without a word, he turned and focused on a point in the horizon. Instantly, the portal reappeared.

 

“Girls, help me get everyone into the portal. We can care for them much easier at the Fortress’ medical labs.”

 

As fast as they could without causing further injury, the twins relocated the injured team. When everyone was inside, and been identified to the computer, Ian began his examinations.

 

 

OTHERVERSE

 

 

It took Ian hours to evaluate and examine what had happened to each and every person. Artemis and Kierin were able to heal Solitare’s legs, but the damage was so extensive, that Solitare was still limping around because of the pain. Ian had slowly disassembled Legions armor to get to the young man who wore it. There had been no hurry, for Derek had been killed.

 

Paradox showed no signs of recovery, and rested in a coma on one of the medical exam tables. Sherri had recovered almost completely, although she was still a bit shaken up by the encounter. Sara was the same. The Witchblade had protected her from the impact but it still cracked some of her ribs. With a simple spell, Kierin was able to mend the damaged bones.

 

Exodus was very much alive, but had been so severely drained, that Ian estimated he would not be able to even walk for weeks. As it stood, he did not even have the strength to lift his head from the bed. Even though he could try and restore the large man, it was possible that it would cause more damage than repair. Ian had also washed the taint of Omega from Frostfire, who was more than grateful to be released from the influence.

 

Ariel had been partially drained but would soon recover not only full use of her powers, but her health as well. But for the time being, Ian kept her sedated. He thought it best to delay the inevitable news that he would soon have to tell her.

 

There was little help for Superman. Ian kept an eye on the flicker of life that was there, but if he were to cultivate it may simply finish killing him. His features crisscrossed with wounds, some partially healed, others were much worse. Ian carefully bathed his body in red solar radiation and had Kierin magically heal the wounds. He wanted him to at least look at peace when Kara saw him. Despite mild efforts Ian could not move Zal’s hands or arms. They were locked tight in position.

 

Karen and Carrie had been crying most of the entire night, and eventually cried themselves to sleep, resting in their old room at the top of the mineshaft. One at a time, Sherri flew the survivors up to the suites, allowing them to rest in a comfortable bed. Kierin also retired for the evening, whisking himself back to the tower, leaving Ian alone with an awakening Katherine Pryde.

 

“Kitty? How are you feeling?”

 

She groaned slightly and opened her eyes. “Terrible. What hit me?”

 

“Well, what I can tell is this: That man that attacked you was a forgotten Egyptian demigod. I hate to say it, but he dismantled your team quite easily.”

 

Clearing her head of the cobwebs still there, she slowly gazed back at the Wizard Argent. “Who got hurt?”

 

“Most everybody did. Only Hope escaped injury.”

 

“How bad?”

 

Ian turned away, unable to bear her gaze. “Matt is in a coma, Rachel’s legs were shattered, Brian is weaker than a kitten, and Legion is dead.”

 

Kitty closed her eyes and bit her lip. “It’s my fault. I should have backed us off and evaluated the situation better.”

 

“Don’t beat up on yourself. You had no idea this could have happened.”

 

“Where is Zal? Does he know about this?”

 

“Zal joined the fight after you fell. He arrived in time to save most everyone’s life.”

 

Kitty smiled. “That’s Zal for ya. Give his life to help those he loves.” She sat back relaxing a bit. Ian had not moved. When she saw this, she slowly sat up again. “What? What’s wrong?”

 

“Katherine…” Ian almost could not say it. “Zal died fighting it. Or at least he mostly died. There is something left of his life-force, but too faint to act upon right now.”

 

Staring in disbelief, Kitty swung her legs off of the table and stood. Ian gestured the way and they both walked into the next lab. Kitty walked up beside the body and put her hands on his cheeks. She fell to he knees and sat there, oblivious to her surroundings.

 

“Kitty, it is possible I can revive him. I think that I could unlock what life there is and enhance it.

 

"You're saying that he not quite dead but not quite alive. How long are we supposed to wait for you to be sure, a week, a month, a year, longer? You might be able to go on like this, but I can't. If he were on a respirator with no real hope of survival, I would rather let him go to be free than keep him here and possibly in pain."

 

Seeing that she was heading for an emotional breakdown, Ian went over and tried to help her to her feet. She swatted his hands away.

 

“Leave me!” she whispered.

 

Ian left, looking back over his shoulder at the young woman. He knew how close the bond was between them, and knew it was not easily broken. She was a strong person, but this could very well tear her apart. He closed the lab door and left her alone.

 

 

OTHERVERSE

 

 

It was two days later when Kara finally contacted Ian. He was sitting in his tower nursing a sifter of brandy and contemplating what the future would bring.  Some how, he was not surprised when he felt the stirrings…the feather light touch he had long ago come to associate with a Trump communication attempt.

 

“Who?” He whispered softly, allowing the communication.

 

“Ian, it’s Kara.”

 

“Are you and Rogue ready to come through?”

 

“Not quite yet, we still have a something to do here.  But we need your help.”

 

“Indeed?”

 

In minutes, the study in which he had been sitting was empty.

 

 (authors note: See The DarkEarth / Alterverse Crossover: Continuum Chapter 3)

 

New Independence

 

Hours later, Ian seemingly stepped from nothingness into a deserted town square in New Independence. Ian had taken each woman’s hand, bringing her back into this dimension with him as he walked the shadows between Alterverse and Otherverse.

 

“Now that was…different.”  Rouge muttered, disengaging her hand and hugging herself around her shoulders.  Walking shadows for the first time, seeing multitudes of landscapes, of different people change before your very eyes as each step placed you, however briefly, in one of the many probabilities that exists between your probability of origin and your destination.

 

Ordinarily, Ian might have found amusement in her reactions.  Now, however, his attitude was subdued.  This was not at all the Ian they had left behind when they were transferred to their new Dark Earth.  And, though he had been unusually quiet, even for Ian, it was still not the same Ian that had greeted Kara and Babs as he had stepped, in one stride, from Otherverse to Alterverse via the Trump Kara carried in her Jacket pocket.

 

“This is New Independence.”  Kara looked around, frowning.  She had fully expected to arrive in or near Ian’s Tower in Texas. She turned to Ian waiting for an explanation.

 

“The twins are here.” Ian told her, his face utterly devoid of expression. “They are with your brother and Alpha Flight.”

 

“I thought they were supposed to spend their time here with you?”

 

 “They insisted they should go to New Independence. Shopping from what I remember.”

 

Kara and Rogue glanced at each other in amusement. “They get it from you, Rogue.” Kara said mockingly.

 

Rogues jaw dropped but the women began laughing.

 

Kara was the first to notice that Ian was not sharing their amusement.  Her laughter cut off and she studied the wizard closely, frustrated that now, as always, she was unable to read him at all.

 

“Ian, what’s wrong.”  She demanded finally.  “Where are the girls?”

 

“They are here, as I said.” He paused. “They are perfectly fine…physically and mentally that is.”

 

“W-What happened, Ian?”

 

Ian directed the two Kryptonians follow him as to sit with him. “Kara, a lot has happened since you left them here. First, they insisted on accompanying Zal when he battled a resurrected Doomsday.”

 

Rogue let out a slight cry. “Oh, by Rao! What happened?”

 

“Superman and your girls finally got some revenge for your family. They were practically unscathed and had come within 2 seconds of killing the monster. Then it disappeared. I have been attempting to track it ever since.”

 

“Wow. Sounds like a rout. I never imagined they could do that.”

 

Not wanting to comment further on the subject, Ian got to the bad news. “Kara, Rogue…something worse has happened.” He could see the sudden fear in their eyes. “Alpha Flight was attacked by a rogue demigod called Omega. Most of them were hospitalized, one was killed.”

 

“Ohmygod. What happened?”

 

“The details don’t matter. What does matter is that Zal came to their rescue and prevented any further loss of life…”

 

Kara looked confused. “What’s so wrong about that?”

 

Ian had stopped before an apartment complex that Kara recognized as the one Zal and Alpha Flight used.  He knocked lightly on the door and waited.  When Sherri Pennison answered the door, Kara was more than a little surprised more by the woman’s appearance than by her presence in her brother’s home.  Her hair was a tangled mess, her eyes red from crying, and the tracks of dried tears still visible on her face.

 

“Sherri?”  Kara instantly gathered the woman into her arms, remembering how, so long ago it now seemed, they had met the one time Kansas City Police Chief (See A World Without Heroes)

 

“Oh Kara!”  The woman nearly collapsed, tears welling up anew in her eyes.

 

“Sherri, what has happened?”  Kara asked softly.  When there was no instant answer, her tone grew harder. “Somebody better tell me something damned quick.”

 

Sherri pushed away from Kara and looked at Ian.

 

“You didn’t tell her?” She demanded.

 

“There was neither the time nor the opportunity.” Ian answered quietly. “The circumstances were not appropriate.”

 

“Well they best damned well be appropriate now.” Rogue stepped up, “Sherri, Ian told us about Derek.  What else is there?”

 

Sheri stood for a long moment, her mouth working, but no sound issuing forth.  Finally, she gave up and ushered them into the house.

 

Barely had they gotten through the door before two missiles seemingly launched from nowhere, attaching themselves to Kara and Rogue.

 

Fully alarmed now, Kara stroked Karen’s head, holding her tight while the girl, obviously exhausted from crying, began to softly cry once again.  In her arms, Rouge held Carrie, her condition much the same.  She pushed the girl back again, forcing her to look up at her.  She searched her face and then held her close again.

 

“Kara, they are feeding one another.”  She whispered.  Seeing Sherri’s look of puzzlement, she explained. “The girls have an empathic link.  They can feel what the other feels.  Sometimes it acts as an amplifier.” She looked over at Kara. “We need to find out what the hell’s going on and do it now.”

 

In moments, they had their answer.

 

Kara looked at the face of the body lying in the casket, tears streaming down her cheeks.  Without thinking, she pulled Karen close.  Through tear filled eyes, she glared across the casket at Ian.

 

“You knew, you bastard.  You knew and didn’t tell me!”

 

Rogue slumped nearby, her head resting on the casket, Sherri Pennison’s arm around her shoulder.

 

The body in the casket, covered from the shoulders down, was Zal!

“He was severely injured, and then exposed to Blue Kryptonite. He didn’t last long.” Ian ignored her anger as he explained. “I am truly sorry. He was a good friend to us all and a hero in every sense of the word.”  When neither woman responded, he continued.

 

“I placed him in a lead casket and moved everyone back here yesterday. We have already held the funeral for Derek and were waiting on your return to hold Zal’s. The private ceremony is tonight, the public ceremony and burial is tomorrow. We opted on a closed casket funeral to prevent souvenir seekers.”

 

Though she had known him for only a short time, Kara had surprised herself to come to see Zal as the young brother that, in this Probability, he truly was. Now, in a daze of sorrow and Rogue sat with close friends and family. All were mourning, Kitty most of all. She still would not speak, even to her sisters-in-law, but they understood. Ian also informed Kara and Rogue of what he detected within Zal’s body, but neither fully understood.

 

This was the scene and events that had happened until now, the ending of the private ceremony. Later that evening, Kara would explain to Sherri that they would be leaving again, this time on a semi-permanent basis. But they told her that they feel safe leaving the future of the world in her and Kitty’s hands. They all retired, preparing for the ceremony tomorrow.

 

 

OTHERVERSE

 

 

In the terms of numbers, the funeral was a complete success. Almost 93% of the population of New Independence showed up. Most came to grieve the loss, while others came to pay respects to the man who they owed their livelihoods. Rogue gave the poetic eulogy.

 

“Superman is a hero without equal. He was often my confidant and always my friend. Zal was a hero who, yes cared about himself, but seemed to care more for others. It is easy to dismiss the something special that made him a hero because he had powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. But a hero is not measured by what his power may be, but by the courage he shows in living, and the warmth he holds in his heart. Let his courage give us courage, Let his love give us love, and let his hope give us hope. Superman is a hero. He will not be forgotten.”

 

The proceedings went smoothly as each person was allowed to touch the casket. It was halfway over when a soldier ran up to Peter, frantically whispering something in his ear. Kara saw it and winced. Today was not the day to have some attack or takeover. She began walking towards the new king and caught up with him just as the soldier was leaving.

 

“What is all that about?”

 

Peter looked a bit pale as he faced the Kryptonian. “Kara, this funeral was open to all that wished to attend, correct?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Lex Luthor is at the north gates.  He is asking to pay his respects.”

 

“You’re kidding…” When Peter shook his head, Kara immediately turned and peered towards the gate with her x-ray vision. And there he was, exiting his limousine and being allowed entrance. “Why are you letting him in?”

 

“You just said yourself this was an open ceremony. He came in peace and I will not make an exception to that rule, not even for him.”

 

Irritated, Kara stalked back up to the platform and gathered everyone together and explained the situation. By the time she was finished, Lex was climbing the stairs to the podium. The population was staring, some in confusion, others in awe. He walked up to Kara and extended his hand.

 

“I am truly sorry for this loss. So for today, I let you mourn. Today we are not enemies.”

 

Shocked, but humbled by his words, Kara took his hand and shook it. “Fine, pay your respects and leave. This is not a place you should spend long periods of time in…unless it is behind bars.”

 

Lex held up his hands. “Fair enough. I will leave as soon as I am allowed to speak.”

 

“Then speak.”

 

Lex turned and walked up to the podium. Kara was about to stop him when Rogue stopped her.

 

“Might as well get him out of here peacefully. Let him speak and leave.”

 

Before Kara could respond, Lex began his speech.

 

“Ladies and Gentlemen. I came here today to pay my respects to your fallen hero. Even though we are enemies, he was a worthy opponent and did not deserve the death fate handed him.”

 

Then everything turned for the surreal.

 

“It was my destiny to kill every Kryptonian in the universe, and that thing that killed your hero had NO RIGHT to deny me that destiny! His life was mine to take!”

 

The assembled heroes could not believe what they were hearing. It was like a dream gone horribly wrong. There stood their greatest enemy, mourning Zal because he wanted the right to kill him.

 

“Their planet exploding did most of the work for me. I killed the people on Argo City,” he turned to look at Kara and Rogue. “And it is my destiny to have your lives and the lives of your children. Four billion down, four to go.”

 

“YOU SON-OF-A BITCH!!!” came a scream from the position of honor. It was Kitty. She raced across the stage, intending to dismember this heathen for dishonoring his memory. Kara and Rogue sprinted after her, catching Kitty right before she would have hit him.

 

Lex smiled and raised his cane in defiance. “I will be leaving now. Next time we meet, we are enemies again.” And quickly making his way through the crowd exited the same gates he entered from.

 

“Katherine, come on.” Kara said as she led her away. The rest of Alpha Flight, Rogue, Ian and the Twins also left, allowing Peter to handle the rest of the ceremony. They walked the short distance to the apartment Zal occupied. Most everyone was emotionally drained and sat there, staring at nothing.

 

Kara left the main party and sat alone the communications room Zal had built. It wasn’t long before Ian and Rogue joined her.

 

“Sitting here alone isn’t going to solve anything Kara.”

 

“I know. I just still have a hard time believing everything that has happened. For example, how did Paradox destroy this thing? He has never demonstrated such ability before.”

 

“I can partially answer that question.” Ian said. “Paradox, unlike anyone else in Alpha Flight, did not start as a biological being.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Paradox is not truly alive. I do not know what he is.  I detect that there is massive untapped potential within him.”

 

“Okay…then what about Doomsday? He should have given Zal at least a run for his money. He was, like in my home reality, able to kill Kal both there and here.”

 

“Again, I can explain. When this probability was first formed...it was formed in the image of your rewritten history. A history where Kal-El was the only survivor of Krypton. A Kal-El that was substantially less powerful after the Crisis than before it. The Doomsday of this dimension was an equal match for Kal-El here. But as we know, you two and Zal are much more than that."

 

Kara thought about the theory, and finding it sound, went on with her last question. “Okay. Lastly, how did Zal die so quickly once he was exposed to Kryptonite? It usually takes 15-20 minutes of exposure, not the 15 seconds that was described to me. And how in hell did Omega know about Blue K?”

 

“Well, as for the Blue K, my theory is that once he attempts to drain someone, he gets a copy of their memories and perhaps in a metahuman’s case, their powers. If that were the case, then as soon as they made contact, Zal and Omega would have been equally powerful.  That does not count Omega’s magic. As for why he died so quickly…” Ian was then interrupted.

 

“This is where I take over from Lord Ian. I saw his last moments.”

 

The trio turned and saw Artemis standing in the doorway. She entered and sat at a separate console. “Omega had heated him up to unearthly levels. This didn’t seem to bother Zal in the least, but then a ray of freezing cold hit him. I only assume that it was magical in origin, or it could not have done so much damage. When Omega stopped, Zal began to heal at his normal, rapid pace. That’s when Omega started the exposure to Blue K. Fifteen seconds later, is when Matt killed it.”

 

Kara motioned to Hope and looked at Ian. “See that’s what doesn’t make any sense. If the cold thing didn’t kill him outright, our healing factor would have healed the most grievous wounds first, therefore ensuring survival.”

 

“There were internal injuries.  Some that could threaten life functions over a period of a few minutes, but nothing immediately.” Ian interjected.

 

“Okay, which means the Blue K would have severely slowed the process of healing, threatening his survival. What happened to cause him to die so quickly?”

 

Ian shook his head. “There was nothing that seemed to alter his physical attributes to speed up the process…”

 

Artemis cocked her head to the side. “Maybe he knew what was happening. He did begin to pray right before he fell.”

 

“Pray?”

 

“Yeah. Let me show you.” Artemis carefully went through the motions to recreate the hand position that she saw Zal do.

 

Ian walked over, observing the process. “That’s correct. His hands are locked in such a pose.”

 

“Are locked?” Kara said, a faint memory trying to surface in her mind.

 

“Yes, I was unable to separate them with mild magic so I left him like that.”

 

Then it hit her. “YES! Ian, I love you!” Kara quickly jumped up and gave him a kiss.

 

Taken completely by surprise, Ian simply stood there in semi-shock. “What? What did I do?”

 

“Come on! This may not be over after all!”

 

 

 OTHERVERSE

 

 

An hour later, Alpha Flight, Kara, Rogue, and Ian were all gathered around Zal’s body. They had removed him from the casket and relocated him back to the Fortress. Kara began to look at what damage there was on his body. Kierin had apparently done an excellent job on healing the wounds, for other than minor hemorrhaging throughout his body it was in excellent condition.

 

     Kara was extremely excited as she buzzed around the examination table explaining what had happened. This had Kitty really confused as she was saying that he wasn’t really dead!

 

“Look, its complicated so keep up with me: When I was in my home dimension, my Superman and I developed a technique to slow the spread of Kryptonite radiation poisoning in our bodies. We could put ourselves in a state of perfect suspended animation. No bodily activities at all. In all cases, we were in essence, dead. Now I assume that Zal and his Kara developed the exact same technique. The only problem was the fact that you had to have another person experienced with the technique to get you out of the trance.”

 

Kitty slowly began to catch on. “He knew you would be coming back soon. You’re saying that he used this knowing only you could get him out of it?”

 

“It’s possible. It is the only logical explanation.”

 

Kitty took the Kryptonian’s hand. “Please Kara. Please do what you can for him.”

 

“Alright. Go to medical supplies and get me a bottle of polytetramontrazine.” On the looks she was getting from around the room, Kara explained. “It’s an extremely powerful stimulant. I will need it to get his system started again.” Kara immediately turned to Rogue. “Can you get the red solar lamps?”

 

After another half-hour of preparation, Kara was ready. She turned on the lamps and waited for a few moments. Soon his skin was pliable enough to insert a needle. She injected his system with 30 ccs of the drug, and then rapidly switched the filters to intense yellow solar lamps.

 

“Artemis…if you please.”

 

Hope came forward and began to concentrate and soon a rich glow surrounded the young Kryptonian’s body. Kara reached around on the back of his skull and began pressing nerve junctions in a specific order. Zal’s muscles instantly unlocked and his hands fell to his sides.

 

“Rogue, please grab his arms. There are sometimes very violent seizures upon reawakening.” Once her adopted sister complied, Kara pressed the last of the nerve junctions. Nothing happened. They stood ready for another minute…still nothing.

 

Everybody had about given up hope when suddenly Zal took a deep breath of air, and spasmed in pain.

 

“AAAGGHHHHH!!!!!!” he yelled out, making most cover their ears. “Oh, by Rao that hurts.”

 

In a sudden relief of emotions, Kitty flew over to Zal and embraced him. “Oh thank you, thank you. God you’re alive!”

 

“Of course I’m alive.” Zal said with apparent pain and stress in his voice.

 

“How do you feel, Zal?” Kara said as she came around the table.

 

Smiling weakly, Zal shrugged. “Like a Kandorian Muck Lizard is dancing in my head.”

 

He sat up looking around the room, specifically at the injuries still present amongst his friends. “I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner. We might have avoided this.”

 

Sherri came up to the Kryptonian, an expression of annoyance. “Zal, just do us a favor next time.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

Slapping him across the face, with no affect other than an attention grabber, she gave him a hug. “Next time you plan on dying, can you give us forewarning?”

 

“Sure Sherri,” he said, holding his cheek. “When I plan on dying, I will tell you all. Now, if you guys wouldn’t mind, someone wanna tell me what has happened around here?”

 

Everybody began to talk at once, some grateful for at least something of a happy ending, but all still mourned the loss of their friend. So far it had been a long and difficult road to rebuild this world, but again, the world’s mightiest heroes were on the job.

 

 The end of Crisis Revisited: Chapter 3

 

 

-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2002 by Jake H.

-- and may not be reprinted without permission.

-- The Continuum Worlds Concept is a joint creation of

-- Dylan Clearbrook and Eldric.  Otherverse, Dark Earth,

-- and Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes, as depicted in the

-- Continuum Worlds, are original creations of Dylan Clearbrook.

-- Alterverse and The Inheritors, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- are original creations of Eldric.

-- The Realm and Shadowverse, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- are original creations of John P. and Jason G respectively.

-- Some characters in Continuum Worlds stories are original creations

-- of Dylan Clearbrook, Eldric, Michael Liebhart, Jake H., Jason G.,

-- Andrew Shields, Kyle M., Brian, or Jason Froikin and may not

-- be used without express permission of the respective author.

-- All DC characters are property of D.C. Comics.

-- All Marvel characters are property of Marvel Comics.