Legacy

© Jake H.

CHAPTER 1

June 2, 2492

“…top stories of the morning. Contact has still not been reestablished with any of the colonies on Deimos, but reports from patrol cruisers along with a scan from the battleship Intrepid, have verified that the populace is alive and well. The Council of Kings will meet today in Britain to discuss various topics to include the colonization of several of Jupiter’s moons. In other news, it is expected that Simon Mendez will be approved by the Federated States of Brazil as their new King after the death of his uncle last week. This has been Crazy Eddie for WKLO news.” 

“Off,” came a strangely melodic voice from the large bed. To the casual observer, all that could be seen was a few strands of hair from beneath the satin sheets. 

The sounds of the morning news ceased abruptly and the sounds of chirping birds and hover cars invaded the room. A wall in the north recessed and scrolled upwards revealing an open window. The fresh smells of jasmine and honeysuckle wafted in, stirring the only occupant. A computerized voice then cheerfully spoke. “Good Morning Chasity, and Happy Birthday.”

“Good Morning computer, and thank you.” the young lady rose from her bed. Chasity Hudson stretched herself and pranced to her mirror. Despite tossing and turning all night, her lithe body looked in perfect shape, down to her flowing blonde hair not even being messed up, her slightly bronzed skin glowing with an almost inner light. “I think I will need my workout outfit today and that blue dress that dad bought me.”

The young lady walked into another room where the lights instantly came on and a panel opened to her left. Waiting inside were the outfits that had just been requested. Chasity glanced them over, picked out a pair of matching shoes and accessories. She shed her silken nightgown and stepped into the shower stall. Twin lights began to flash, requesting the type of shower she wanted: Water or Sonic. After a second’s deliberation, her decision was made.

“Both,” she mumbled as both buttons were pressed. She noticed the low hum of the sonic emitters as an alternating pattern of water began. Quickly shampooing her hair and washing herself, she pressed a series of buttons on the stall again. As the sonic emitters and the now perfumed water played across her body, Chasity casually addressed the computer.

“Computer, is my father or brother awake yet?”

“Your father has been awake for some time, and I am still attempting to wake your brother.”

“Typical.” She said as she turned the shower to dryer mode. A ceiling panel opened up, glowing a warm orange. Pressurized air came blasting down and in moments she was dry. Chasity stepped out and brushed her hair. She picked up her small case of makeup, but put it down again. Her best friend had told her that the makeup sometimes detracted from her natural beauty so she had stopped wearing any. She dressed quickly and grabbed her workout clothes and her portable computer and headed for the kitchen. 

Halfway there, she could already smell the food. Her father, a former platoon commander in the Marines, constantly drilled into her that breakfast was the most important meal of the day and he made sure that she always ate. When she entered the kitchen, her father turned from the replicator console, a warm smile draped his features. He walked over and gave his daughter a hug and a kiss. He towered over his daughter by almost nine inches, his crew cut hair accenting his height.

“Happy Birthday, Chasity.”

“Thanks Dad.”

The older man glanced away, as if unsure of his next words. “Are you going to see your mother today?” 

Chasity cringed slightly at her father’s question. Her mother had died giving birth to her 17 years ago today and seeing her meant going to the cemetery.  She had been a government Intel officer and had left a comfortable pension to her daughter, her husband, and her stepson ensuring that her family would never starve. Her father had never really recovered from her death, and had rarely taken another woman into his arms. “I’m gonna try. I only have the last three of my finals today. Hopefully they won’t take that long.”

“What do you have left?” he asked as he put two plates on the table.

She began eating the bacon, eggs, toast and grapefruit juice that her father brought her. Chasity smiled inwardly as she picked up the bacon. She had reprogrammed the replicator last night so that the bacon would not come out blackened. “I still have my physical conditioning test, astrophysics, and advanced placement.” 

Ben leaned against the counter, gulping a mug of coffee and a nibbling a BLT. “Well, I hope all goes well. If you do well, the government should send an offer within a few days.” It was standard procedure for the government to offer long-term employment to the nation’s brightest students, before the corporations got a chance to recruit them. 

“If the rumors are true, then I will be asked to go into research.” Chasity’s eyes grew distant for just a moment. Since she chose her major two years ago, she dreamed of leading the field in xenobiology. It wasn’t a popular science, due to the complexity. Plus the only alien life form that visited Earth in the last 400 years was the Green Lantern, and they only stopped by once a year or so. Other than that, all there was to study was the few samples of DNA remaining from the Kryptonians and other various aliens.

He chuckled. “You still determined to see what could be left in the bloodline, aren’t you?” 

Chasity grinned.  “Of course, Dad. We know that Superman was married and had at least one child. Logic dictates that there are living descendents and the genes are somewhere out there.”

            “Not necessarily. Any number of things could have wiped out a family or perhaps…” Ben trailed off, prompting his daughter to respond.

 “Come on, Dad. There wasn’t much that could hurt them. You know that. Plus, think of the possibilities if those genes could be isolated. It could bring about a whole new era of genetic engineering.”

Sighing, Ben Hudson just shook his head and returned to making breakfast. It was in that very moment that his son, Chasity’s half-brother, entered the room wearing one of his several lettermen’s jacket and denim pants. He was a star tight end for Parker High School and it showed: Large, muscular, and ruggedly handsome. He was very popular, never without a girl or two hanging off of his arms. He did have one drawback (and point of pride) though.  His sister was beautiful and spirited enough to be part of the ‘in’ crowd, but she was not known to ‘put out’. He had several friends that wanted her badly, and one that was completely obsessed. He never let that conversation be brought up, crushing it instantly.

“Hey, squirt! Happy Birthday,” he said as he ruffled up her hair. Heath knew she hated that, but it was all in fun. He plopped down at the table and put his feet up. His father strolled over and knocked them back down, giving him a ‘you-know-better’ look.

“Thanks Heath.” She picked up the video pad and began reading the local news. Heath on the other hand tore into his breakfast. Ben finished his breakfast and disappeared in his bedroom. He reemerged a few minutes later wearing a black jumpsuit with various insignia, carrying an equipment belt. He put on the belt and withdrew a pistol. Inserting a fresh battery pack, they all could hear the plasma weapon power up. He reholstered the weapon and donned his police badge.

“Level three trauma protection,” he said. Instantly there was an aura of white energy that grew to cover him and then fade away. “Bye kids. Have fun at school.”

“Take it easy, Pop.” Heath waved his father on and tore back into his meal. He turned and left, leaving the two teenagers alone.

Chasity glanced at the clock. It was 7:53 and they still had over an hour before they had to report to school. Absently she reached for the cup of juice on the table. She closed her fingers only to watch in confusion as her hand went right through the ceramic.

“Oh god…Heath, it’s happening again,” she said as she slowly moved her hand through the mug.

Heath stopped eating and looked at her hand. He had seen this several times before and it worried him. “It’s getting more frequent. Maybe, its time to tell Dad.”

“Tell him what? That I unconsciously phase through objects?” Chasity prevented herself from panicking by taking a deep breath and slowing her heart rate down.

He shrugged, not knowing what to say. “I thought that natural mutants were genetically altered before birth to weed out such abilities?”

“That’s the policy. The governments don’t want people like that running around anymore, too dangerous and uncontrollable.”

“Oh, but King Arthur’s knights are an exception to that rule. He is allowed to have a few meta-knights.”

“Do I look like I make system-wide policies?” Chasity moved her hand through the table, and then brought it back into view. “All I know is that this isn’t right.”

“Whatever is happening to you Chasity, I hope it doesn’t affect you like it did people in the Dark Times,” Heath sighed.

Chasity grimaced, remembering her history lessons. A fate such as that was an unpleasant one: great powers that drove you insane, and sometimes killed you. “I’ll be okay.”

The siblings sat in silence for a few more moments and eventually went back to their morning rituals when she was able to manifest herself in a solid form.

Heath finished his breakfast and returned the dishes to the replicator, depositing them in a slot marked ‘Recycle’. He turned and saw his sister still engrossed in the news and snuck up behind her to ruffle her hair again.

Just as he reached out, Chasity, with a blinding burst of speed, grabbed his wrist. Without turning or looking from her pad, she calmly spoke. “Please don’t do that. You know I hate that.”

Heath couldn’t care less what she was saying at the moment. The instant she grabbed him, he was in tremendous pain. “Let go of me! Let go!” he screamed as he sank to his knees. Turning to look at him, Chasity stared in amazement. She had never seen him in pain like this before. She let go and he cradled his wrist, resting against the far wall.

“Damn girl. How in hell did you do that? I haven’t seen anyone that strong since…” Suddenly, it came to him as they locked gazes. “Oh, no.”

“Heath, I didn’t mean to, I swear!” She offered her hand but he flinched back, unsure if she would hurt him or not. Finally, he accepted her hand, bracing himself for the worst. She practically threw him to his feet, proving that her newfound strength wasn’t a fluke. He steadied himself on his feet, still cradling his wrist.

“Chas…I know you’re smart and all, so I hope to hell you figure this out. Until you do, please be careful. You could very well kill someone without knowing your limits. Like what that guy on muscle enhancers did last year.”

Scared, but strangely curious about what was happening, she let her mind sift through the possibilities. A realization came to her as she gazed at her brother’s hands. His knuckles were scarred and his hands rough from his constant workouts and after school practices. She carefully looked hers over and they seemed to be absolutely unblemished.

“Heath, can you remember me ever getting hurt?”

Surprised at the question but unable to stop his recollection, Heath shook his head. “No. I can’t remember you ever being hurt, or injured or sick…” he turned his head in thought. “…well, no, that’s not true. Remember a few years back when Dad took us to the museum? You got really sick and weak there and we left early. I remember Dad carrying you out.”

Her premonition crushed, Chasity sighed, still confused. She looked back at the clock. 8:39 “We need to get going or we’ll be late. I’ll check the archives between classes and see what I can find out.”

OTHERVERSE

Several hours later, Chasity was taking her physical conditioning test. So far she had been very careful to suppress her strength but was able to relax. The last test was a mile run, and although she was athletic, for some reason she wasn’t very fast. The teacher lined up the girls and ran them in groups of twenty. Chasity found herself in the third group. While she was waiting for her turn, she pulled out her data pad and began sorting through the information she gathered from the archives.

“Hey Chasity!”

The young girl looked around, and then groaned inwardly. It was Bobby Wallace, the guy who was completely obsessed with her. “What do you want Bobby?”

The man walked up and sat next to her. Stretching his arms, he laid one across her shoulders. “Just getting comfortable with my girl.”

Being as careful as she could, Chasity grabbed his arm and took it from around herself. “I am NOT your girl, Bobby. And I never will be.”

“Aw, come on baby. It’s all good.” One of his hands crept up her leg, resting on her upper thigh. “Plus you don’t know what you’re missing.”

Chasity turned and looked him right in the eye. “You know, Bobby, you’re right.” She began to lean closer, her lips coming within inches of his. Suddenly he cried out, bringing everyone’s attention their direction. He was hopping around his hand held fast in one of hers as her expression of lust turned to one of disgust.

“Take a hint and get lost, creep.” Everyone began to laugh as he ran out, bawling like a small child. Soon everyone settled back down, and the test continued.

The runs went relatively slow with some of the girls barely passing at 9 minutes to a mile. Others were not so lucky and would have to try again at a later date. Still others that were part of the track and field team did excellent with one girl running a mile in just over 4 minutes.

It came time for Chasity’s group to run. She stepped down from her seat, and lined up with everybody else. She cleared her mind, blocking out all other thoughts other than intense concentration on the run. When the coach blew the whistle, she took off with the other girls.

Chasity never took her eyes off her path, and never looked in front of herself. She was in the outside lane most runners avoided. Her mind was completely clear as she only heard the sound of her heart beating. But after just a few moments, she could hear cheering and sounds of exasperation.  Then a faint voice pierced her head.

“Hudson!”

She looked up to see the coach in her path along with other students, blocking her path. With a feeling of defeat, Chasity slowed herself and stopped in front of the older woman.

“Yes coach. What did I do to get pulled from the run?”

Smiling, the coach put a hand on her shoulder. “Chasity, I didn’t pull you. You finished seven laps before we got your attention. And with speed like that, I want to offer you a place on the track team.”

“Seven laps? That’s almost another mile over. What was my time for just the mile?”

The coach glanced at her comp-pad and looked at another student who had been helping keep track of time. When she nodded verification, the coach gave her a thumbs-up. “Hudson, you just ran the mile in three minutes and thirty-seven seconds. You almost broke the world record.”

Instead of the expected triumph or pride, the coach watched as an expression of fear came over Chasity’s face. “C, coach…I…gotta go. I’m not feeling well.”

“Sure. You passed the test with flying colors anyway. Plus, it is the last day of school and your birthday. Get on outta here. I’ll see you next year, okay?”

Nodding, Chasity grabbed her bag and ran to the main office, signing herself out and getting her yearly grade summary. There were others simply staring and whispering. She could only make out the word ‘fast’, but it was enough. Word had already spread, and it was getting harder to control these ‘abilities’.

Racing home, she collapsed in her bed, terrified at what was happening to her. “God, please. Tell me what I am supposed to do.”

“WES….” 

Chasity opened her eyes and looked around. She had heard that echoing in her ears. “Who said that?”

“WEST…”

“West? What about the west? And where are you?”

“GO WEST TO…”

Chasity was clearly irritated now. “Go west to where you bastard?! Show yourself instead of acting like a complete blowhard!”

“GO WEST TO COLORADO…”

This time Chasity did not respond. She stumbled and fell back, falling on her butt. Colorado had been declared a forbidden territory to go to since the S.U.S.A. had been formed…under penalty of death. Not by the King or the government, but by the mystical creatures that reportedly attacked anything crossing certain boundaries. 

“W,why?”

Instantly she was answered.

“…TO LEARN…”

In the background, Chasity heard the front door to the house open and then close. A faint voice she recognized began calling her name, but it sounded so distant. She vaguely saw her brother smash through the door and rush to her side, and then all went dark.

OTHERVERSE

Chasity woke to hear voices around her. At first she could not make out who they were but soon recognized her father, brother and their family physician. She kept her eyes closed and listened to the conversation.

“Mr. Hudson, I swear to you she is absolutely fine. Her heartbeat is a bit accelerated and she…” The doctor never had a chance to finish the sentence.

“Look, Jerry. I can see that. But why in hell did she pass out and slept for three days?”

“Three days?” Chasity thought. “I was out for three days?”

“We can discuss the details in the next room. For now let’s give her time to rest.”

Nodding in agreement, the three men began walking to the door. Just as Heath was about to walk out, his father turned to him and held up a hand. “Stick in here just in case she wakes.”

“Sure, Pop.”

“If she does begin to stir, call me immediately.” And at that he closed the door, leaving the siblings alone. He had just settled down in the recliner when she spoke.

“Heath…don’t say a word.”

Shocked, he almost jumped out of the chair, before he came to her side and knelt down.

“Hey, Squirt. How ya feeling?”

Chasity shrugged. “I feel just fine. Do you mind telling me what happened?”

Heath glanced over his shoulder at the door. “Chas, I found you unconscious…and that’s how you have been since then.”

“Did you tell dad what has been going on?”

Shaking his head, Heath continued. “No, I haven’t told him…yet. But it was damn hard to keep it from the doctor. He had to use all of his strength to get a needle through your skin, gave up on the IV tube, and ruined a pair of scissors trying to cut a few strands of hair. I pretty much convinced him that it was just a fluke, but I cant keep lying forever.”

“I know. Is there any more?”

“I don’t know.” He picked up a video pad and handed it to her. “The doctor was finally able to take a blood sample. I managed to get a drop and had your computer analyze it. What it said freaked me out.”

Confused at his words, Chasity turned on the pad and looked at the data. Flashing in the bottom of the screen were the words: Sample does not concur with anything in database. She punched up the virtual DNA profile. “What in hell is this?”

“What?” he said as he glanced at the pad. 

She pointed to the double helix that made up DNA in all terrestrial life. She began tracing up the line and stopped at a large section. “Here. Take a look at this.”

“Umm…what am I looking at?”

“Heath…human DNA is made up of 4 basic chemicals: adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine.”

He had obviously slept through his genetics classes. “Ooookay. So what is the problem?”

She pointed down at the labels for each link in the chain. There, nestled in between the known chemicals were thousands of places that flashed ‘UNKNOWN’. His eyes went wide, but soon a grin spread across his features.

“Well, at least now you can say ‘But, I am different from other girls’ and mean it.” They giggled at the innuendo but got serious again. “What now?”

Her gaze settled at her window and she watched the sun descend. The echo of that overpowering voice still rang in her ears. “Something is calling me. I think I have to go.”

“Go where?”

Chasity shrugged, unable to explain what she had felt. “I don’t know. I just have to go. I will leave in a couple of days. Can you get me some cash?”

“The hell you are! You wake up after being unconscious for three days and you expect me to just let you waltz away? Fat chance, Chasity.”

“Don’t try to stop me, Heath,” she said with icy calm in her voice. “I don’t want to have to do this through you.”

Heath studied his sister carefully. When she got this way, nothing could change her mind. Finally, after a series of curses under his breath, Heath tossed up his hands in defeat. “Yeah, I have a few hundred laying around, will that do?”

“More than enough. And I will pay you back. I just need some supplies for the road and wouldn’t have enough to live on for as long as it takes.”

“All I have to say is: You had better know what you are doing.” 

The next day, after a lengthy discussion with her father explaining this was simply a trip for self-discovery, Chasity gathered what she felt she needed for a journey to the unknown. Shops abound in New Independence and she quickly found everything she needed. She paused only twice to contemplate her actions. Once, in front of the Royal Residence where the King of the S.U.S.A. had lived since the Dark Times. It was rumored to have been built by Alpha Flight and Superman as tribute to their second king, Lord Peter Parker. But other than some assistants, she knew the house was empty. Lord Knox was in Briton with Arthur. No decisions could be made without at least four of the seven council members agreeing to the proposal, and none at all without the kings of Europe, America, and Briton. 

The council had been the brainchild of a Lord of Latveria as a way to bring order back to the world in the Dark Times. Since then, the rulers of each nation met quarterly to guide the future of Earth and then the off-world colonies when they were founded. Besides Samuel Knox of the S.U.S.A., there was Michael Wayne of Latveria, Irving Salkind of Israel, the Shogun Toranaga of Japan, Stacia Bannen of Australia, Arthur Pendragon of Britain, and Brazil was appointing a new King today.

The second time she stopped was at an old stone monument. Even though it was now 492 years old, the inscription was still crisp, having been meticulously maintained for centuries. She slowly ran her fingers along the words ‘New Independence’. Her fingers skipped over the next line and fell on the newest addition to the monument. An enameled symbol and a date. The symbol was a red and yellow pentagram with a stylized ‘S’, and the date was “January 17, 2084. You will live in our hearts forever.” She stood wondering why she stopped here when a now-familiar voice echoed through her head.

“WEST…”

“I’m going, I’m going already.” Chasity whispered. She touched the monument one last time and hurried home to pack.

OTHERVERSE

Chasity awoke, and began to break down her campsite. Four days ago she had left New Independence and began making her way west. At first those going in that direction had given her rides, but soon the traffic became sparse and she began to walk. The first two days she had stayed at hotels along the interstates, but for the past two, she had to camp. It wasn’t something she had done since childhood, but that wasn’t on her mind.

More of these ‘powers’ had begun manifesting while others still grew stronger. She had tripped in a pothole in the old road and with an irritated glance, sliced into the road with some sort of ‘heat-vision’. With a bit of concentration, she was able to hear sounds in minute detail, even at several miles away. Probably the weirdest thing was the fact that while she was walking alone yesterday, she found herself hovering several feet above the ground. It took her a half-hour to relax and come back to Earth.

In minutes, Chasity had folded away her pup tent, rolled her sleeping bag back up and stowed them. She nibbled on a light breakfast of dried fruits and meats, and was back on the road again. The terrain was low, rolling hills. With a slight breeze and the sun on her back, Chasity felt good as she resumed her journey.  She had contemplated many times over if what she was doing was anywhere near sane, but there was still that voice that urged her onward. She had just begun to concentrate to see if another power would manifest when she came upon a large hill.

Sighing as she looked at the long winding uphill road, Chasity began to jog. She was now in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and soon would be closing on Colorado. Her mind wandered as she contemplated how she would cross the border, unsure if her life would be in danger. It was then she noticed the sign. She slowed and stood before it.

“Danger! This area is quarantined by order of The Wizard Argent. Trespassers will be dealt with accordingly.” Chasity whispered. “Great…do I go on?”

“YES…”

Sarcastically, Chasity looked into the sky. “Oh, thanks for telling me. Here I thought I had a dilemma.”

“YOU WILL BE SAFE…”

Shrugging at the final words, she stepped forward, and continued. She began to jog again, amazed how thick the foliage had gotten in just a few miles. Between the large trees and thick underbrush, she saw large wolves darting around, watching her. She had also heard a strange squawking somewhere in the distance but could not make out the source. The canopy extended over the road the further she walked, and glimpses of animals, both small and large, were more frequent.

Chasity kept running, bypassing the long deserted and now crumbling city of Denver, turning to the south slightly. She paused only to eat lunch and was soon back on the road. She entered a steep valley where the road was virtually disintegrated.  It was not quite an hour later when the mysterious voice called again.

“STOP…”

She stopped on a dime and looked around. Nothing. 

“What now?” she yelled out. “I know you didn’t bring me here to enjoy the scenery.”

“UP…”

“What do you mean up?!” Chasity called out. “What am I supposed to do, fly?”

Silence.

“Great, just great.” She muttered. “I am supposed to do something I don’t know how to control.”

Chasity began to calm herself, trying to muster the feeling she experienced yesterday when she had flown. Slowly she rose into the air. Just a few feet at first, but within seconds was nearly at the top of the ravine. It was then that she saw it. A small flame burned through the canopy of trees. With but little more than conscious thought she glided towards it.

She landed before a trio of monuments that were situated behind a large house. The house had seemingly been untouched by the encroaching forest and the passage of time. Chasity walked around the flame atop a small, marble obelisk. What she read on the opposite side made her gasp.

“In loving memory, Kal-El.” Chasity said as she moved her hand across the inscription. “Wow…this is…incredible.” Looking to her right, she moved towards the second, slightly taller monument. It was written in a language that she recognized as Kryptonian, but did not know enough about the language to read it. Again, she moved on the largest, but shortest of the monuments.

“Here within lies the Last Son of Krypton and His Wife. Zal-El and Katherine Pryde-El.” Chasity bent down and brushed the leaves from the upper portion. “My god!  This is their tomb!”

Turning finally to the house, Chasity carefully made her way to the door. Next to the handle was a small pad. It appeared to be an old style fingerprint scanner. Unconsciously, Chasity pressed her thumb against the plate. The light instantly changed from red to green and she heard the door unlock.

She opened the door and stepped inside, the lights coming on instantly. She was amazed at the crispness of the air and the lack of dust at what she saw. She was in a kitchen, advanced, but without a replicator. Suddenly, Chasity heard a voice coming from the next room. It was hushed but audible. Cautiously, she came around the corner, curious on the occupant.

Standing in what was a living room were five people. In the middle, a young man stood wearing a black and gray suit. To one side of him a couple who radiated a fantastic presence. On the other, was a regal man accompanied another woman, her arm around his waist. Chasity recognized him, her expression turning to awe as he spoke.

“Welcome home…daughter of ‘El’.”

OTHERVERSE

 Chasity could not believe her eyes. But nonetheless, she knelt to one knee and bowed her head. “Lord Ian, I am blessed by your presence.” She could hear a stifled laugh and then footsteps towards her.

“Chasity, stand up and quit that. Ian is no different than you.”

When the young woman stood, the blonde woman that was beside Ian now stood in front of her. She held herself as regally as Ian did, but had a comforting aura about her.

“May I ask a question my Lord?”

Ian stepped forward followed by the others present. “Chasity, be at ease. Just behave as normal. And yes, you may ask anything you wish.”

Nodding in compliance, Chasity looked around. “What is this place, why am I here, and why did you call me the daughter of El?”

The blonde woman turned and looked at the Wizard Argent. “Ian! I thought you were going to tell her what was going on?”

Ian shrugged. “It did not feel appropriate at the time. But now I will answer.” He motioned for her to sit as all the others did. When she complied, Ian took a deep breath and began.

“First of all, about this structure. This was the home of the heroes you call Superwoman, Rogue, Supergirl, Powergirl, Mon-El, She-Hulk, Superman, and Ariel.”

Chasity shook her head. “There is no way. This place would have disintegrated centuries ago.”

Kieran took a breath and smiled. “Actually you are partially correct. After maintaining this place for about 40 years after most of their departures, Superman began to replace all of the original materials with Kryptonian ones. The cloth, the glass, the machinery, the structure itself…all were replaced so they would not break down over time.”

“So this is where they lived?” Chasity took a slow glance around. “No wonder you quarantined the area. This is like a museum.”

“Actually I quarantined it because Zal asked me to. He didn’t want his tomb disturbed.” Ian paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “Second, you are here to learn to use your abilities, and to learn your heritage.”

“My heritage?”

“Yes, Chasity.”

She glanced away, beginning to understand. “You mean...I am…”

Ian smiled and nodded. “The only living descendant of Superman.”

There was a long silence all around. The five companions looked at each other then waited for Chasity to speak.

“What about my dad? And my brother?”

“They did not carry the bloodline. Your mother did.”

“But I have been told about mom. She didn’t have abilities such as these.”

“I can explain,” said the young man in black.

“Who are you?”

“You probably don’t know me, but my name is Matt Brody.”

“Paradox,” she whispered.

Matt was taken aback. A gentle smile caressed his face as he spoke. “I am impressed. There can’t be many who remember my true name.”

“I studied that portion of history carefully, sir. I was looking for clues to the final dispositions of Superman’s family and thought that maybe they had gone into hiding beside the remaining members of Alpha Flight.”

Nodding, Matt continued. “The five of us have been watching carefully, looking for any signs of their powers to return. Each generation exhibited increased intelligence, reflexes, and use of some of the senses that Kryptonians have. But you were different. For some reason when you were conceived, all of the dormant Kryptonian genes became active. They began to rapidly rewrite your DNA as part of the regeneration process.”

Taking over from the ageless man, Ian continued the story. “That is when we decided to place a block on your powers. It was meant to keep you and your mother alive. But apparently even my magic had its limits. After you were born, I renewed the spell and hoped it would be enough to keep not only you, but your adopted family safe.”

“Why was I denied this before? Did you not think I would have been mature enough to handle the truth before now?”

The dark haired woman with Kieran held up her hand to silence the men. “Chasity, one of the problems that Zal had, that Kara had, was the fact that they had always known who and what they were. It kinda gave them a detached view on their human sides. As for you, you grew up as a human being, and are now becoming what you will be forever. You will have the morals of mortal flesh. Just like I do.”

“What do you mean, like you?”

Anne grinned and glanced at her husband. “I was once a mortal. I lived in the Dark Times in a monastery where Kieran and I met and married.”

“Wow! You could write a book that would be invaluable to the historians.” Chasity exclaimed. She sighed and sat back, soaking all of this newfound knowledge in. She had definitely bitten off more than she could chew this time. Her thoughts racing, she discovered several holes in the answers. She looked back at Matt and took a deep breath.

“Mr. Brody, May I…” 

Matt held up a hand, making the young woman trail off. “Please Chasity, call me Matt.”

Chasity cleared her throat. “Then forgive me if I revert in the usage. We are trained to respect those who delivered us.”

“Delivered you?”

She nodded. “Those of you who banished Alexander Luthor and stopped the rampages of the Metahumans.”

Paradox smiled. “Chasity, let me explain a couple of things. First, yes we all went together and stopped the metas. But it was Zal who banished Luthor. And cleaned up the remaining metas that followed him. And I cleaned up the resulting mess after that.”

Chasity’s eyes went wide. “That’s not anywhere in the archives. Nobody knows what happened, just that it happened. It was assumed that you, Lord Ian, stripped the taint of the Artifact from the universe.”

Now it was Ian’s turn to look surprised. “I have been out of circulation too long. I didn’t realize my powers rivaled yours Matt.” Matt desperately tried to stop the sentence, but it was too late.

“Excuse me? Since when was there anyone more powerful than the Wizard Argent and the Sorcerer Supreme?”

Anne began to laugh as Kieran shriveled his nose at the comment. “I always disliked that title.”

Chasity held out her hands questioningly. “Please, someone explain that means.”

Okay, okay,” Matt sighed. “I didn’t feel there was a reason to tell you what I am.”

“You are just a meta who simply does not age, correct?”

He shook his head. “No young one. I am no such thing. I am the living consciousness of the universe. I was born to give a sense of right and wrong to the facets of reality. Everything that happens, I know. Everything that is, I am. But do not think of me as a god as others have. I first began to use my abilities to alter the course of good and evil. This I can no longer do.”

“Why not? If what you say is true, then you could make it so there are no more wars, no death, no disease, and no famine.”

“I could, but then where would life go? It could very well stagnate and the universe would die. I seek only to restore the balance of morals. When a great evil arises, then a great good must also arise. The scales always change, but order is dominant. That is why you are here.”

Chasity’s brow furled at the mention of ‘great evil’. “What great evil? Order is maintained throughout the solar system, and major crime is virtually wiped out. What could cause such an uprising?”

Ian’s eyes glowed with inner flame for a split second, and a data pad appeared in his hand. He handed the pad to the young Kryptonian. Chasity took it and turned it on. The screen flashed with yesterday’s news. Instantly Chasity’s face turned pale and she took a shaky breath. “It can’t be. Please tell me this isn’t true.”

Ian nodded his head in regretful acknowledgement. “It is true. Lex Luthor has escaped from the Phantom Zone.”

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

-- and may not be reprinted without permission. 

-- Otherverse and Dark Earth, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- are original creations of Dylan Clearbrook

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

-- are the 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, Michael Liebhart,

-- Jake H., Jason Froikin, Eldric, Jason G, or Andrew Shields and may not

-- be used without express permission of the respective author

-- Supergirl, Lar Gand and other DC characters are property of D.C. Comics

-- Rogue, Jennifer Walters and other Marvel characters are property of Marvel Comics

-- Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters, artwork, photos, and trademarks are

-- the property of Twentieth Century Fox, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and/or the

-- WB Television Network