It has been described by some as a dead, dark world. Though dark was perhaps an apt description, Apokolips was far from dead!
The surface, dotted here and there by gouts of flame and plumes of smoke from raging volcanoes, was hidden from space by a single, black cloud of smoke that stretched to cover the entire world.
Yet beneath the noxious fumes and corrosive atmosphere, deep beneath the lifeless, poisonous surface, vast arrays of tunnels and caverns crowded the underground of this world.
The gloomy, forbidding planet teemed with life. Life with but a single purpose! That purpose being whatever its single, ruthless master deemed it to be!
Deep within the bowels of the hostile world, at doors that would open into the throne room, a chamber as harsh and as frightening as the rest of the world, DeSaad paused and took a deep breath.
For an instant, the scrawny man wrung his hands as he went over, in his mind, the messages he had to deliver. There was no bad news. If there had been any, he would not have hesitated to have some one else deliver the news. Indeed, he had done so the previous wake period, ordering some wretch to report the failure of a mission the Master had demanded. The Master was known for taking his anger out on the bearers of bad news.
Calming his nerves, he nodded to the two parademons that acted as guardians and waited while they swung the great doors open. Then, eyes on the floor before his feet, he began the long trek through the entrance hall, past columns and statuettes depicting horrors that no sane man could see without suffering intense mental distress, past the preserved carcasses of past enemies, past the cringing forms of slaves and generals alike. None of these bothered DeSaad in the slightest. Indeed, he had quite willingly helped to decorate the hall in years past. Before HE had come along!
Raising his eyes ever so slightly, DeSaad stifled a grimace. It would not do to allow the Master to see the disgust, anger, and envy that swept through his mind and soul at the sight of the man that stood at the Master’s right hand…a place of honor that had been his alone for so long!
Completely at odds with his surroundings, the man wore a floor length, hooded robe of the brightest yellow; it’s only decoration being a large black starburst over the right breast.
The hood was always pulled up, casting his face in shadows, though one could see, if one looked close enough, the deep red skin of the man’s lower face.
The man’s hands, when not folded in the sleeves of his robe, were always covered in thin gloves of the same yellow colored material. With the exception of the middle finger of the right hand, they were otherwise unadorned. On that finger rested a black ring in to which a large, glowing yellow stone had been set.
DeSaad approached the great throne slowly, finally stopping a measured distance away and prostrating himself on the floor, awaiting recognition and permission to speak.
The Master sat upon the throne, his glowing red eyes flashing as he gazed off into seeming nothingness.
DeSaad waited with outward patience, yet inside he seethed. For years he had stood at the Master’s right hand, watching as others came forward, prostrating themselves, awaiting the pleasure of the Master. There they had waited until the master acknowledged them. Some few would occasionally tire of waiting and move to leave…those would not get far before those terrible Omega Beams flashed from the Master’s eyes, sending the poor unfortunate into oblivion. Others had been so fearful they had starved to death, waiting.
The hooded man bent and whispered into the Master’s ear and then stood straight again as the Master turned his deadly gaze upon the prostrated DeSaad.
“Rise, DeSaad. Rise and Report!” Darkseid commanded, his gravelly voice booming through the chamber.
DeSaad did as ordered, climbing to his feet, careful to keep his face down. It was only then that he noticed the scorch marks on the floor beneath him. Most probably all that remained of the messenger he had sent earlier with the news of the only failure thus far in the current operations.
“The interlopers have been transferred to holding cells, Sire.” DeSaad reported. “As you commanded, they were examined. They are indeed either Kryptonian or Daxamite. We have not, as yet, been able to determine which. We have been able to determine that there are some very minor genetic differences between two of the interlopers and the third interloper.”
“Excellent.” Darkseid stood. “And have you discovered how they arrived here?”
“No, Sire.” DeSaad shook his head. “It was obvious that a portal of some sort was used to deposit them within your throne room, Sire. But other than that, we have not been able to discover any residual energy that might explain it. Clothing samples, however, confirm that all three are from the third world in the Sol System. Though there are admittedly some discrepancies.”
The great Lord considered for a moment and then nodded.
“Very well, DeSaad.” His gravelly voice boomed out. When DeSaad did not immediately withdrawal he spoke again. “There is something else, DeSaad?”
“Yes Sire. Granny Goodness wishes to know when the prisoners are to be given to her for untraining.”
“They are not.” Darkseid’s eyes flashed. “These are beyond her abilities. The prisoners are to be kept away from all other prisoners. They are to be treated well. They will be…useful…in the future. When their usefulness is at an end, so shall they…end!”
“Yes, Sire.”
“How do the preparations go, DeSaad?” This came not from Darkseid, but from the hooded man.
For a brief instant DeSaad rejoiced, hoping that his Master would now destroy this impertinent interloper. That hope was dashed as Darkseid glanced towards the man and then back to him.
“Answer, DeSaad, or must you be persuaded?” he commanded.
DeSaad paled and stumbled over his words in his haste to comply.
“A-All go-goes well, Sire.” He gulped. “The Khunds were a bit difficult to persuade and the creature Mongul was hesitant to join with your magnificent forces…but they have been…persuaded. With the Khunds and the Warworld, we now have seven complete battle fleets ready to be deployed.” He swallowed as he continued “Minus, of course, the strike fleet that was deployed to destroy the Princess Koriand’r and her fleet.”
“Why were the Khunds…difficult?” Darkseid demanded.
“Mordru, Sire.”
“Mordru.” Those within earshot quailed at the hatred in that voice. “The damnable wizard has not been seen for seventeen years.”
“Your pardon, Sire.” DeSaad almost whispered. “Were you absent for so long and returned, would you not expect things to be as you left them?”
For that, Darkseid had no answer.
“Very good, DeSaad.” He said after a moment. “You may depart unless there is anything else?”
“Nothing else, Sire. Thank you, Sire.” DeSaad nearly fell over his own feet in his haste to retreat from the throne chamber. Yet even as he reached the doors, he was stopped in his tracks by that rough, deep voice.
“DeSaad!” Darkseid turned his gaze fully on the Slave that had, in the past, aided him in gaining mastery over Apokolips. “You shall leave the prisoners to me, DeSaad. I shall deal with them from now on! You are not to…indulge in your pleasures. Do you understand, DeSaad?”
“Yes, Sire.” DeSaad could not hide the disappointment in his voice.
Another man, another master, might have consoled him, might have promised him something at a later time. Darkseid did neither. He merely expected his orders to be obeyed. Everyone on Apokolips knew what disobedience would bring.
As the great doors swung closed behind DeSaad, Darkseid turned his attention to his companion.
“Does he speak the truth?” He demanded. “Do our preparations go well?”
“As well as can be expected, Lord Darkseid.” The hooded man answered. “The failure of the attack on Princess Koriand’r was a set-back, but nothing that cannot be overcome.”
“It is of no importance, in any case.” Darkseid responded. He turned to look down at the generals of his forces that still stood ready for his commands. “Princess Koriand’r is no longer a threat to us. Nor was she ever truly a threat. She could merely have alerted our enemies before we are ready to strike. And now…even if they are alerted, they will have no time to prepare for the arrival of my fleets!”
“Lord Darkseid.” The hooded man stepped down off the dais upon he had stood beside Darkseid's throne so that he could face the Master of Apokolips. “I must remind you that my people have gone to a great effort to get you the information you need. We were the ones that showed you the technology to hide your world…indeed several worlds…from the Green Lanterns and the Guardians. We were the ones that aided you in finally destroying new Genesis before we gave you the means to pull Apokolips out of its own space and time to come here. You cannot ignore our warnings now! You must…”
Darkseid’s eyes flashed and the hooded man stopped, cringing, as the Omega Beams shot forth. The beams swept the room, covering the cowering generals and helpless slaves alike, banishing them all into non-existence. Only when he and the hooded man remained in the room did Darkseid allow the beams to subside.
“Take care of how you speak to me!” The words were not shouted, yet fear raced through the hooded man’s body as he realized how close he had come to crossing the one line he must not cross. Indeed, he had gone so far that Darkseid had been forced to annihilate those that had witnessed his outburst. “I am Darkseid, Master of Apokolips…Master of the Universe! I MUST do nothing unless I deem it so!”
“Of…of course, Lord Darkseid!” The hooded man bowed his head. “Forgive me. I simply worry at times.”
Darkseid was silent for a moment and then he nodded again, as if in answer to some inner voice.
“I have decided.” He turned his gaze fully on the hooded man. “You will find new commanders for the fleets, then I will give them their commands. You will have six of the fleets paint their ships yellow. These fleets will then begin the assault upon Oa. If The Great Battery is…compromised…as you say…then it should be sufficient. The seventh fleet, with the Warworld, I shall lead myself…To Earth!”
The hooded man clinched his fists within the folds of his sleeves. He could never understand this…Monster’s…fixation with such a backward planet! He had been able to curb his thoughts on the matter so far, but now he felt it imperative to speak up. Earth had long ago ceased to be a source of worries.
“Lord Darkseid, do you not think it would be wiser to leave such an insignificant world to perish on its own and use the Warworld and the Khunds against the Green Lanterns? Once we have taken Oa, and the Great Battery, there will be nothing to stand in your way. You can use the energy to…” he trailed off as once again Darkseid swung his gaze in his direction.
“Insignificant.” The stony face was, the hooded man believed, incapable of smiling, yet the effect he now saw was the equivalent. Darkseid pointed one finger at the floor. “You heard DeSaad’s report on those three females that appeared in my throne room, Qwardian. MY THRONE ROOM. Without warning! You heard the analysis. They come from the third world in the Sol System. Earth, Qwardian. They came from Earth. And do not think I do not have my own resources, Qwardian. My spies on that world tell me that at least two more like them are still on that insignificant little world.”
“Lord Darkseid, I hardly see that this changes…”
“Do NOT presume to believe that Darkseid is without wisdom, little man!” This time Darkseid voice did raise and the hooded man quaked beneath his robe. “Do you not understand the significance of this? Those three females are either Kryptonians or Daxamite! Does that not concern you? It should, Little man. Because here, in this reality, neither should exist. The last Kryptonian died seventeen earth years ago! So tell me, Qwardian, if neither Kryptonians or Daxamites can exist in this reality…WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?”
The hooded man made no reply, nor did Darkseid wait for one. In large strides, the Master of Apokolips, Lord of the New Gods, exited the throne room.
“I do not know where they came from, Vile One.” The hooded man thought to himself, knowing better than to speak his thoughts aloud. He pulled back his hood, revealing his hate filled, red face and dark hair. “But I shall find out. This I swear! As I swear to learn more of this new…Sentinel!”
Darkseid was not the trusting sort. Not that it mattered, for neither was Sinestro.
Upon entering the quarters Darkseid had assigned him, the first thing the outlaw Korugarian did was to allow the yellow energy from his ring to play around the room, blanketing any and all spy devices.
That accomplished, the allowed the yellow energy to form a bubble around himself as an extra precaution. Now, nothing he said or did would be detectable from the outside. Nor would any energy signals be detected. That was the primary concern.
Bubble in place, Sinestro removed a small compact unit from his belt and opened it.
At first glance it would look like nothing more than a hand held communication device, capable of transmitting sight and sound.
At the moment the tiny screen was blank…a condition that did not last long.
Such a unit as this required a tremendous power source. Had such a source been included with the unit, it would have been the size of a small desk.
Such a power source was not needed however. Not when there was another so readily available.
Sinestro funneled energy directly into the unit and smiled thinly as it came to life.
He waited patiently for a moment and then nodded as the small screen brightened and then cleared, showing a craggily, tanned face.
“Report.” The face ordered with out preamble.
“Things go as planned with Darkseid. And he still believes I am from Qward. He has no clue that I and those that are with me come from an alternate timeline.” Sinestro responded in a precise, clear voice. “There have been…complications, however.”
“Complications? Explain.”
“Our translation to this reality was…intercepted.” Sinestro hesitated. “Or rather, our translation intercepted another. I was able to detect a slight temporal anomaly, which might indicate that the other originated sometime in the near future. I was also able to determine that the other translation signal originated outside the Multiverse.”
“Is that all?”
“No.” Sinestro shook his head. “I was not able to determine the origin of the other translation…not the identity of the individual being translated. But our translation pulled whoever it was into this reality and this time with us.”
He paused and shook his head.
“And that is not the only complication.” He admitted. He recounted his experience with the new Sentinel upon his arrival and, before his listener could react with disbelief, launched straight into a description of the three females that had appeared unexpectedly in Darkseid’s throne room.
“Everything Darkseid’s people have been able to discover points to them being Kryptonian.” He finished, effectively stopping the other’s questions concerning the Sentinel.
“Kryptonian? Impossible!” The other finally exploded.
“Yes?” Though he did not let it show, Sinestro was enjoying the other’s sudden discomfort. “Behold a likeness of those even now held in Darkseid’s dungeons!”
He used his energy to form a small hologram, making sure that it was visible to the other…and making sure the markings on the uniforms worn when they were captured were displayed.
“NO!” The other sputtered. “It cannot be!”
“I assure you it is.” Sinestro cut in. “And I can also assure you that not one of the three are the so called Powergirl of Target-2.” He paused and pressed on. “I was under the impression that this reality was targeted first because it had no Kryptonians or Sentinels. Yet from what Darkseid’s spies tell him…there are two more Kryptonians on the planet Earth in the Sol System. The same world that your Kal-El called home!”
“Kal-El is dead!” the other hissed. “I saw his body myself.” The other visibly calmed himself. “And yet, those that you have there indeed wear the symbol of the House of El.” He paused. “Sinestro, you must discover the identity of these…Kryptonians. And you must discover where they came from. They cannot be allowed to interfere with our plans. The Oans and the Green Lantern Corps must fall. Do you understand?”
“I understand.” Sinestro nodded. ‘More than you realized you pompous oaf.’ This last was thought, not spoken. Aloud he added: “And this new Sentinel? I assure you, it was not the Sentinel of MV-2, as those of this reality call the Target – 2 timeline. And this timeline was selected as Target 1 specifically because it had neither Powergirl nor Sentinel!”
There was a pause and then a heavy sigh.
“Sinestro…discover what you can. Until we have gotten to the bottom of this, we cannot proceed. I will have to take…counsel on how to proceed.”
Sinestro suppressed a smile. If there was one thing the other hated, it was admitting that he had to answer to others. Worse still was having to admit it, however subtly, to one he thought an inferior.
“I am afraid it is not quite that simple.” Sinestro put on a look of feigned concern. “Darkseid will not wait for anyone. He plans to move soon…”
“Then let him move!” The other all but bellowed. He then looked out at Sinestro…somewhat hopefully. “Have you discovered….” He trailed off as Sinestro shook his head.
“Nothing. No trace. It is as if Mordru simply vanished from existence seventeen years ago.”
“Very well.” The other straightened and once again assumed an arrogant attitude. “Darkseid will have to move alone…and die alone…if he will not wait. You are not to inform him of our true nature. Do you understand?” When Sinestro nodded wordlessly the other smiled. “Good. We will expect to hear from you soon concerning the girls and the new Sentinel, Sinestro. We will be able to give you your orders then on how to proceed. Zod out!”
Sinestro grimaced as the picture faded. Arrogant Buffoon! Soon…soon that despicable Kryptonian would learn the truth of things…and then Sinestro would be the one to gloat.
Until then…Sinestro sighed. He would do as General Zod ordered…not because the asinine zelok (a particularly unsavory animal on Korugar, quite similar to a Terran skunk – only deadlier.) ordered it, but because it was the sensible thing to do….
But first…Sinestro lifted his ring to his lips and began to speak softly. He had another, far more important, report to deliver.
Kira, the girl known in Alterverse as Supergirl, was irritated.
One moment she was enjoying a rare quiet…sunny day. The next moment, an arm reaches out of thin air and grabs her!
After that, things were a bit hazy. She remembered being pulled, or sucked, into something she could not see. But once inside, it was like a giant tube snaking into the sky and into space…and beyond.
She had been partially conscience conscious of the fact that she was not alone…and then everything had gone black.
When she awakened, it was in a cell with beams of energy, mere inches apart, shooting from the ceiling over the doorway, as well as from the sides, creating a criss-cross effect.
“Repulsar beams.” Karen determined after examining them closely. “They won’t hurt you, but they will push you away.”
She had soundly chewed both girls out for their lack of caution already…there was no need to go over it all again. A change from her recent past. Then she would have continued to harp on the subject. But she had grown since then. Partially thanks to Kara Zor-El and partially thanks to her own mother. And partially thanks to herself.
No, she was not like she was in the oh-so-recent past. But then, in times past, she had not been in this kind of predicament…with two teenage girls looking to her for guidance.
Of course it had not started that way.
The first to recover, Kira had enough time to examine her cellmates before they began to stir.
Two blonde girls, twins apparently, with features that reminded Kira strongly of the Multiverse Kara Zor-El she had so recently met…and learned so much from in such a short time. From there it was no stretch to come to the conclusion that these girls must be Carrie and Karen…Kara’s daughters.
She tried to recall all that Kara had said about the girls and the two things that stood out were their extremely high intelligence and their inability to control the emotional feedback each received from the empathetic bond they shared. Correction…three things. Kara had also mentioned…with a sigh…that both girls needed to develop a little more common sense to match their inquisitiveness.
And with that memory…she knew where that hand out of nowhere had come from. But how had they all ended up in this cell?
Out of curiosity, Kira attempted to use her x-ray vision to get a lay out of the cell area…nothing. A few quick tests confirmed that she was powerless. Where ever they were, they were under the influence of a red sun!
Kira shook her head and tried not to allow the irritation she was feeling overwhelm her.
She had examined the cell from top to bottom after examining the girls (they were, like her, completely naked. Whoever had tossed them in this cell had also stripped them of their uniforms) and found absolutely nothing.
Of course, that did not stop the girls from trying after they had awakened and learned of their predicament.
When Carrie began to bitch, Kira figured it was enough. It was time to get it over and done with if they were ever going to have a chance to escape.
She had planted herself firmly in front of the bitching twin and quite clearly told her to shut up.
She had pitched her voice and tone in such a way to antagonize rather than cajole. She didn’t want the girls to calm down…she wanted them angry…as angry as she could possibly make them. Only then would she be able to do what she knew would have to be done. And better now than in the middle of an escape!
So she pushed. And pushed. Hitting all of Carrie’s buttons and, confirming that Karen was picking up on and amplifying the irritation, began on her as well!
It did not take as long as she thought it might and was almost caught by surprise when Carrie took the first swing!
Almost. Had she been surprised, she would have been hurt, for Carrie pulled no punches, lashing out in a classic Koh-Re move.
Fortunately for Kira, it was a move guided by anger, not thought.
As the foot came at her, Kira sidestepped easily, catching the foot and pulling, sending Carrie pin-wheeling into the now furious Karen.
Back and forth it went as Kira easily avoided every strike by the enraged teens and in turn sent them tumbling the length and breadth of the cell again and again.
It had gone on longer than Kira had anticipated…and by the time the girls lay in a heap on the floor, unable to continue, she was well and truly winded.
“Anger.” She had told them, huffing and puffing. “You can use it or it can use you. If you are going to let it use you, then you are going to have to figure out how to get out of here on your own…because I will be damned if I let your anger and inability to act rationally get me killed!” She had grasped them both by the chins and forced them to look at her. “I know about the link, girls. But I am not going to cut you any slack because of it. You are both intelligent girls! You know about the link and you know what it does. If you prefer to be children and not try to do something about it, then that is up to you…but I am not going to let your childish death wish get me killed as well!” She stood straight, her hands on her hips as she looked down on them. “You have known about this link for some time. Kara was wrong in letting it go for this long with out making you do something about it…but then…it is not Kara’s problem…it’s yours! But now…because all our lives may depend on you being able to think and act rationally, even when angry, it’s my problem too! So what are you going to do about it?”
Both girls had been sullen for some time after that…but watching them, Kira knew that her words were sinking in. For perhaps the first time, they were truly becoming aware of the real drawbacks to the link they had relied on since coming to know each other.
Now Kira lay back on one of the cots, looking up at the rainbow of colors that danced upon the ceiling, reflections from a piece of metal that Carrie was twirling in her hands.
Metal? Reflection? Kira sat up and looked first at Carrie and then at Karen. Karen, noticing her sudden movement looked up and then looked where the older girl was looking. Then she looked back and Kira, both of them beginning to smile.
“What are you grinning about?” Carrie grumbled.
“It’s not big enough.” Karen ignored her and stopped smiling as she thought about it.
“Size isn’t important.” Kira answered. She pointed a finger at Carrie. “Don’t even go there!”
“Whaa?”
“Where did you get that?” Kira demanded. The three of them had awoken stark naked. There was absolutely no way Carrie could have hidden it away.
“Under this bunk.” Carrie sat up, handing the shiny piece of metal to Kira.
“Look,” Kira nodded beyond the beams to a control panel. The back of the panel faced them, so they could not see the controls directly. Yet behind the console was a wall of shiny metal. “These beams are light. They repel solid objects, but they will reflect off a shiny, or mirrored surface and pass right through a transparent surface. What would happen if we reflected a beam off that wall…?”
MV1-10
DeSaad was restless.
He had left the throne room and then, after being summoned back, had aided the Hooded-man in picking out new commanders for the fleets. And now he found himself in his own area. The confinement sector. It was here that he spent most of his time. Perfecting methods of torture. Not that they needed perfecting of course. It was just a quirk of his nature. Torturing others, hearing their screams, their cries for mercy…even death, excited him like no woman ever could.
And here were three prime candidates…and he had been ordered…Ordered…to leave them be!
“Good evening, DeSaad!”
DeSaad spun as he entered the confinement control room. It was the hooded man.
“What are you doing here?” He snarled. He had no fear of letting this…this upstart know how he felt when he was not under Darkseid’s gaze. “You do not belong here.”
“Ah but I do, DeSaad.” The hooded man stepped closer. “Lord Darkseid has asked me to question the prisoners. But I am afraid that I am going to have to report to him that I was unable to fulfill his request.”
“They are in there!” “DeSaad motioned angrily towards a door that led to the cell block that held the three special prisoners. “Do what you will.”
“I am afraid that is quite impossible, DeSaad.” The hooded-man actually seemed to chuckle. “You see, they are not in there! Or did you move them to another cell?”
DeSaad’s eyes grew wide and he dove for the main control panel, bringing up the observation equipment. Mobile cameras, called Eyes, sprang to life and zipped down the corridors of the cell block. Twice DeSaad slowed the Eyes, growing paler, as they passed over the bodies of guards. All, he noted, had been stripped of their weapons and three had been stripped of their armor. When the Eyes finally reached the cell he was looking for, DeSaad felt his knees grow weak. The cell was empty!
“I do wonder what Lord Darkseid will have to say about this, DeSaad.” The hooded-man was clearly enjoying himself. “Farewell…for now. Oh, and DeSaad, you might want to clean that up before Lord Darkseid gets here.”
DeSaad looked in the direction Sinestro pointed and cringed. There, against the far wall and partially hidden by sub control panel, were the bodies of four more guards.
Dark Earth
“..not much different from Koh-Re.” Carrie panted as she, Kira, and Karen jogged down a darkened corridor.
She had been impressed by Kira’s fighting style. The older girl had accounted for three guards for every one that she and Karen had handled!
“You handled yourself pretty well.” Kira noted, her eyes traveling up the corridor, trying to see, by sheer will, any dangers that might lie in wait. “See what you can accomplish when you use your anger rather than letting it use you?”
“We’re not much past beginners.” Karen put in. “Our mothers taught us what they could, but they weren’t masters by a long shot.”
“Has Kara had any training?” Kira asked.
“A bit. She’s better than our mothers…but that just means she took further training after the cloning.” Carrie supplied.
They had broken out of the cell and, after taking out the first pair of guards, and discovering from them where the exit was, made their way to the main control room, taking out any other guards they met along the way.
Kira had made the girls don the armor they had taken from the dead guards after which she had shoved an energy rifle into their hands.
“Figure them out!” She had commanded. “We don’t have a lot of time!”
That much Kira already knew. If there were anyone smarter than these two, she had yet to meet them. And she knew that she would have to take advantage of every resource they had to stay alive.
The girls had taken perhaps a full minute each to go over the weapons, at which time they had hurriedly explained their use to her. That would save time from bumbling around later. If they had to use the weapons, then they would not have time to wonder which buttons to push.
Once in the control room, Kira had taken out the first two guards before the other two were even aware something was amiss. By that time Kira and Carrie were already on them! Karen, seeing the other two had things under control, had headed for the nearest computer station, already punching keys and studying data.
“I’ve knocked out the alarm system and gotten a full schematic of the Detention Sector.” She told the other two when they joined her. “I’ve also got a map to get us out of here.” She had looked up then. “We want to stay underground. The surface of this world is poisonous.” She paused. “And we are circling a Red sun. I’ve looked at star charts for this area…but nothing seems familiar!”
Kira had clenched her fists at the news. If they had no clue where they were, then they would have no clue as to which direction to take even if they were to find a way off the planet.
MV1-10
The animals phased into being in the middle of a crowded corridor, causing instant confusion and terror. A soldier, braver or more foolhardy than most, had yanked his side arm from its holster and taken a quick shot, his beam missing entirely and slicing through a hapless slave beyond.
There was no hesitation. The giant feline leapt, its front paws grasping the soldier while its rear claws dug in and slashed downward, opening the soldier from sternum to pelvis.
The feline had then bounded down the corridor, the canine right behind. Once away from the crowd, the pair stopped and seemed to confer with each other. After the briefest of pauses, during which the feline took a few licks to clean the blood from her paws, the animals split up. With the grace only a feline could display, one slunk into the shadows of a darkened corridor. The other, stood silent for a moment as its form shifted, melted, changed. In an instant, where a Giant Dire Wolf had stood, a Kryptonian Skrall now bared its fangs and cut loose with a roar guaranteed to attract attention!
MV1-10
“A Skrall!”
Sinestro was silent as Darkseid raged. Despite himself, he was impressed. When news of the animal’s appearance and description had reached him, Darkseid had instantly been able to recognize it. Now he turned his dangerously glowing eyes on Sinestro.
“Do you still believe Earth to be insignificant, Qwardian?” He demanded. “Three Kryptonians and now a Kryptonian animal!”
“So you know for sure that they are Kryptonians, Lord Darkseid?” Sinestro ventured.
“Yes.” Darkseid turned his gaze aside and Sinestro breathed a silent sigh of relief. “The guards were instructed to leave a piece of metal laced with lead in the room. They obviously suffered no ill effects.” Slaves cringed as the Master ground his teeth. “No, they showed no ill effects, yet they used the metal to escape. If they had not killed those responsible for putting something reflective in that cell I would kill them myself…slowly!”
That Sinestro did not doubt, not after seeing the punishment Darkseid had dealt to DeSaad. He wondered, privately, how long the scientist/executioner/torturer would survive under the…gentle...ministrations of the Furies. He had met the former leader of the Furies once and she had scared the hell out of him. It was said the new leader was even worse. For a brief moment, Sinestro wondered what had become of Barda.
Darkseid’s head snapped up and he swung his gaze around, causing officials and slaves alike to quake.
“It is tracking the girls!” He proclaimed. He pointed a finger at a group of guards. “Focus your search where ever that animal heads! Do not engage it…we will let it lead us to our escaped prisoners!”
MV1-10
“Hold up!” Kira hissed, tossing an arm out, preventing Carrie from passing her by. With a little nudge she had both girls pressed against the tunnel wall behind her.
The trio had been making their way down corridor after corridor, following the schematic that Karen had obtained.
They had stayed far from the main thoroughfares, opting for the lesser traveled maintenance corridors and service tunnels.
Kira had set the pace, moving as quickly as she dared and as fast as she could push the twins. For their part, the twins had struggled to keep up. The unfamiliar weight of the confiscated armor (surprisingly neither had batted an eye at donning the armor, despite the blood stains left by their previous owners) and the heavy plasma rifles in their hands were taking their toll on the girls, yet neither had complained. They knew as well as Kira that they were in a life and death situation!
While either of them might be an even match for Kira with their powers, better, most probably, having grown up learning to use them while Kira had learned to use her own fairly recently, comparatively speaking (and not taking into account Kira’s training), without them, Kira was clearly the superior, having trained on Daxam. She had more muscle (which logically translated into more strength when powered), greater stamina, and greater alertness.
That alertness had just come into play. As they neared a cross corridor, she had heard approaching voices. Now, pressed against the wall, mere inches from the corner, they waited. The sound of a door sliding open and then closed and the voices suddenly cutting off caused all three to breathe sighs of relief.
“That must be the service entrance into the science labs!” Karen whispered, consulting the schematic.
“We’re looking for the armory.” Kira reminded her. They might not get off this planet, but Kira was bound and determined to do as much damage as she possibly could before they took her down.
For once, Carrie showed restraint. She had felt something in her link with Karen.
“Kira, wait a minute.” She placed a hand on Kira’s arm and then looked at her ‘sister’ “What are you thinking?”
“We might find something we can use in there.” Karen replied, thoughtfully. “Something that can help us get out, information on what they might be up to, and possibly something that we can sabotage.”
“Now that I can swallow.” Kira grinned.
MV1-10
As if three escapees wandering around were not enough, now there was an alert to be on the look out for a wild beast roaming the corridors. Despite reports that the beast had been last sighted far from here, traveling in the opposite direction.
The centurion called his detail to a halt long enough to switch guards at a corridor junction.
His squad had the dubious honor of patrolling and guarding the service corridors rather than taking part in the active hunting of either the animals or escapees.
Assigned all the corridors and intersections within this particular grid, the centurion had to split his thirty-man squad, setting at least 12 guards and keeping the remainder to walk patrols. He accomplished this by setting the guards on one round and then replacing them as they came back around again. This prevented a guard from becoming lax standing in one position too long.
Guards switched, the Centurion resumed the patrol, grumbling to himself as they neared the next guard post.
His men saw it before he did. Muttering in the ranks drew his attention, first to them with a scowl and a promise of punishment for displaying such a lack of discipline, and then to the mess strewn across the corridor intersection ahead.
Punishment forgotten, the Centurion bounded ahead, his clawed talons griping his plasma rifle tightly. The mess had been the guard he had left at this position on the last round! Large bloody prints on the stone floor left no doubt in the minds of the men or the Centurion as to the cause of death!
The Centurion hesitated. By regulation, he should call this in and wait for his superiors to call the shots…most likely sending in a more senior officer to take command and hunt down the beast. Yet what if he and his men were to find and destroy this beast first? He bent to the ground and studied the prints. Just one animal! The reports said they were together. The fact that they had, indeed, split up was probably something he should report in any case.
“It is heading towards the science lab.” He mused. Straightening, he grinned and ordered his men after the beast. He would not call it in! They would catch it and destroy it and he would get a promotion out of it. Perhaps Lord Darkseid himself would reward him!
MV1-10
Boring!
The guard manning the service entrance of the Science Labs cursed his luck. Others got to participate in the great conflict Lord Darkseid was about to embark on. Still others had the honor of tracking down three escaped prisoners and a wild animal. And he was stuck here…guarding scientists!
From his vantage point, he could see the guard standing before the main entrance into the labs. The only other exit. It was not an ideal situation, for the safety of the scientists, but logical when considering containment should accidents occur. Between the two entrances; a short wide corridor dotted with doorways leading to the various labs.
Behind him, the service door slid open and he sighed turning to demand…he had a brief glance of yellow hair before the slim hand shot out, the fingers extended, to slide so easily into the gap between the bottom portion of his face-plate and his torso armor, striking the throat, crushing the larynx, and withdrawing in a split second.
Even as Kira was dropping her strike hand, her other was bringing up the plasma rifle, triggering a shot at the guard across the corridor at the main entrance.
Carrie and Karen ducked into the room corridor behind her, their rifles at ready. For an instant there was silence and then, just as the girls were beginning to wonder if it could possibly be that easy, more guards poured from the various labs.
With a foot, Kira knocked over the guard table and the three knelt, using the slim protection to give them time to make their shots count.
Carrie was shaking her head even as she fired. Both she and Karen were right handed, yet it seemed that Kira was ambidextrous, able to use either hand equally as well.
Kira fired shot after shot and then trained her weapon on the main entrance as the doors began to slide open.
“Kira!” Karen blurted, looking across the chambers to see the huge white feline that suddenly filled the other entrance. She had noticed Kira taking aim! “Hold your fire! That’s a friend!”
“Pantha!” She then sent, reaching out to touch the animal telepathically. “Where did you come from?”
“A friend?” Kira gave Karen a skeptical look and then glanced at Carrie. “What is that?” She whispered, between shots. There were fewer of those now.
“That’s Pantha!” Carrie whispered back. “Karen’s Companion. Don’t call her a pet.”
“I would never call something that looked like THAT a pet!” Kira responded.
“If Pantha’s here, then Fang must be close by!” Carrie continued.
“Fang?” Kira looked at the girl. “Let me guess…your companion?”
“Yep.” Carrie nodded. “Though most of the time he’s a wolf.”
“Most of…forget it.” Kira shook her head. “How did they get here?”
“They tracked us.” Karen answered this one. She looked at Carrie. “Pantha says Fang is drawing attention away from this area.”
“They talk?” Kira looked back at the animal…just in time to see her remove a foolish guards head with a single swipe of her paw.
“In a manner of speaking.” Carrie flung her rifle up and fired a shot, causing a guard to duck back into one of the chambers. “Pantha can make Karen understand her. And I can communicate in the same way with Fang. It’s hard to explain.”
‘Then don’t.” Kira shook her head. “I’ll take your word for it.” She looked over the area, noting that no more guards were poking their heads out. “Karen, see if your friend can sniff out any more guards. Carrie, can you seal these doors? We don’t want anyone surprising us if we can help it.”
Karen communicated Kira’s request and Pantha slid easily from chamber to chamber, stalking as if she owned every square inch of ground she walked upon. None of the workers or scientists disputed her. Occasionally a quick scream, followed by a gurgling, choking sound would reach the girls, letting them know that Pantha had found a guard.
“HEY!” Kira turned at Carrie’s yell, just in time to see the main entrance slide shut behind a fleeing back.
“Damn.” She looked at Carrie. “Get that door locked.”
“The back one is secure.” Carrie reported. She had removed a wall plating next to the door and, using tools scrounged from one of the chambers, had effectively jammed the door shut. She now moved to the main door and repeated the procedure.
Kira looked around and frowned. Karen was nowhere in sight. With a sigh, she began looking around. When she found Karen, busily rifling through papers and computer files in one of the chambers, she bit her lip to refrain from chewing the younger girl out. Her own instructors would have chewed her ass off if she had wandered off alone like that! But then, she didn’t have a few hundred pounds of feline acting like a protective mother, either!
“What have you got?” She asked, instead, hoping her voice gave away none of her irritation.
“I’m not sure….” Karen started and then stopped, looking at Pantha. Suddenly she turned red with embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Kira. I’m just not used to this sort of thing. Common sense should have told me to stick with you two, though.”
Kira was astonished. How had the girl known…unless…she shot a glance at the feline.
“No.” Karen laughed, “She can’t read your mind, if that is what you are thinking. But she can smell you and can sense your tenseness…and gave a good guess as to what was bugging you. If it is any consolation…she agreed with you and wondered why you weren’t griping at me!”
Before Kira could make an answer, the cat bounded out of the chamber and began herding the workers and scientists into a single area. Carrie, looking back over her shoulder, entered the chamber and joined her sister.
“Where’s she going now?” Kira demanded.
“She’s going to go frighten the scientists.” Karen smiled as she pulled up another screen of information. “We could go through this stuff for years. Pantha is going to convince them to talk to us.”
“And just how is she going to do that?”
Karen turned a little bleak.
“She’s going to make them think that who ever doesn’t talk to us will be her second meal.”
“Her second?”
Before Karen could answer the sounds of growling and crunching, followed instantly by the sounds of retching reached them. Kira knew she was turning green.
“That is not a nice kitty.” She murmured.
“Strictly speaking, she isn’t a kitty at all.” Karen did her best to tune the sounds out by studying the screen and talking. “She’s a cross between an evolved Kryptonian Skrall and a Terran Wolf.”
“A what?” Kira looked at Karen. “Perhaps you haven’t noticed but that is a damned big cat out there munching on dead guards! Cat, not wolf.”
“It’s the truth, Kira.” Carrie put in. “But they are a bit more than that.. You see, when the Shard devolved Krypto, their sire, they…”
“Waitaminute!” Kira now turned to Carrie. “That…thing…is one of Krypto’s…pups?”
“Yep. The Shard affected him, but the Kandorians sorta fixed him. Then Ian had him breed with one of his special wolves….”
“Ian? Lord Ian? The one that came and got Kara and Rogue and later then Barbara Gordon from Alterverse?”
“That’s him. Anyway, the short of it is that they can change shape! They can be a wolf, a Skrall, or a cat.”
“We didn’t know they could teleport too!” Karen added. “From what I gathered from Pantha, they tracked us to every stop we made. They even went to a few places we hadn’t been…taking short cuts, Pantha called it.”
“They were in Alterverse?”
“Yep.” Karen answered and then looked up. “And before you ask, I already did. No, they can’t teleport us out of here. They can only teleport themselves and a few small items.” She shook her head and pushed away from the computer terminal. “This is going to take too long!” She looked at Kira. “Carrie and I are going to have to split up and search these chambers. Why don’t you see if you can help Pantha persuade some of those scientists to talk?”
Which was, Kira mused, a polite way of saying that this was their area of expertise and that she was in the way. And it was true, she admitted to herself. She had been there when Kara had told Alan about her daughters. And if even half of it was more than just motherly exaggeration, then these girls were two of the smartest people in their universe! Correction…they had the potential to be two of the smartest people in their universe. They still had, according to Kara, a lot to learn.
“Right!” She hefted the rifle and smiled. “The barbarian will go scare the hell out of the natives while you two whiz kids see what you can cook up!” She started for the door.
“Kira, you forgot something!” She spun and reacted as Carrie tossed something at her. An extremely ugly double headed axe! Obviously a museum piece…but why had it been here? “No Barbarian is complete without an axe!”
Kira laughed, wagged the axe at Carrie and walked out the door. Carrie followed her out and went immediately to the next chamber.
“Great!” Kira looked at the gathered scientists with disgust. For their part, the scientist huddled together, trying hard to ignore the huge white feline with a bloody muzzle stalking off to the side, Eyeing them hungrily. “Not a damn one speaks English or any other language I know!”
“They must have a translator of some type around here.” Karen called out from the chamber she was picking over. “See if you can get one of them to understand that!
“And just how….”Kira stopped and smiled. She approached one and made signals she knew he had to understand, when he shook his head she stepped back. “Pantha!”
The cat stopped pacing and moved to her side, causing the scientists to cower. She pointed to the one she had spoken to.
“That one, Pantha.”
The cat started forward slowly, her red eyes locked on the terrified scientist. The scientist gibbered something at her and she shook her head, shrugging.
With a moan the scientist ran from the room into one of the chambers. Kira followed, motioning for Pantha to keep an eye on the others.
The scientist was rummaging through a cabinet, coming out, finally with a small device. He made a few adjustments, made some sounds, and then some more adjustments.
“Can you understand me?”
“The question is, “Kira gave a deadly smile. “can you understand me?”
MV1-10
“A Boom Tube?” Kira held up two small devices in her hands. “And what the hell is a Mother Box?”
The four, herself, Carrie, Karen, and the scientist, were gathered in one chamber.
“The boom tube will open a…a doorway to any destination, once the proper coordinates have been entered in.” The scientist glanced toward the doorway as the shadow of Pantha passed. “They are useless now, though.”
“Why?” Kira demanded. The scientist shrugged.
“Not know. For seventeen years now they not work right.”
Both Carrie and Karen looked at each other. Though Kira did not understand the significance of the time, it was clear the twins did.
“Boom Tubes work.” The scientist clarified. “But sometimes not like should. Sometime end up in universe like this one…but not this one.”
Kira looked at the girls and sighed, making a snap decision. She tossed the boom tube device to Carrie.
“Set the coordinates.” She ordered. “We’ll have to chance it.” She turned to Karen. “You get something to write a note to Kara.” Kira thought for a moment “Tell her where we are and what we are trying. Give it to Pantha and send her on her way. Oh, send whatever other information you think might help them.” She turned back to the scientist. “You…back with the others. Leave the translator!”
MV1-10
“All set.” Carrie announced as Karen re entered the chamber. She had sent Pantha off with the note and a few items that would give them some indication as to what was going on, ordering her to return to the fortress and to take Fang, where ever he was, with her. Kira gave the area one last look around and gripped her rifle to her chest.
“Go for it.” She ordered. Then she and the twins watched in amazement as the mechanism activated, showing instantly how it had gotten the name boom-tube. A circular opening appeared in mid-air, stretching off into the distance.
MV1-10
The Centurion smiled as the tech backed gave him a signal. With a nod of his head he ordered the tech to open the door.
As the door slid open he rushed in, flowed by his squad, stopping in open-mouthed shock as the last images of a boom tube faded away, leaving a corridor filled with terrified scientists.
MV1-10
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Kira demanded, her tone making it clear that she was extremely dubious.
The three girls had stepped out of the boom tube in to an artic blast. Thankfully they felt the cold only briefly before the rays from the golden sun above re energized them.
“This is not the Antarctic!” Carrie exclaimed, realizing something was not as it should have been.
“Well, then what is that?” Kira demanded, staring, like the others, at a complex that jutted from the artic ice. A dome that covered a fortress…but not their fortress!
Using x-ray vision, Kira examined the structure.
“It’s a museum!” She told them. “A shrine to Kal El before he was corrupted by the Shard…hey, is that the shard you two mentioned when you were telling me about Krypto?”
The Twins looked at each other, understanding dawning.
“Otherverse!”
“I must have set the controls wrong!” Carrie moaned, “The numbers popped into my head and I just…”
“You did the right thing.” Karen told her, trying to block the wash of embarrassment that flowed from her twin. “We both have the Otherverse Co-ordinates memorized. And we haven’t had time to determine the co-ordinates for Multiverse.”
She straightened and looked up at Kira.
“This is not a bad thing, Uncle Zal is here and the Colorado Fortress. We built a Probability Gate in the lower levels.” She told her.
“Uncle Zal?” Kira shook her head. “If you had an uncle here, do you think he would still be alive?”
Both girls looked at her in confusion.
“Girls, according to a plaque in that Museum, Kal El, this worlds first Superman, died…” She trailed off and focused her x-ray and telescopic visions again. “ and I quote ‘at the hands of a monster named Doomsday in the later portion of the 20th century. It is perhaps that meeting, between an insane Kryptonian and a monster that saved the world from utter destruction. It would be several years later, just before the beginning of the 21st century, that Superwoman…”
Kira broke off and looked at the twins.
“It goes on to talk about the arrival of Kara, Rogue, Jenny, Lar, and you two. It then describes the appearance of Kara’s brother, the one that would become the new Superman and would cleanse the stain on the House of El left by the first. Girls, according to that plaque, all of that took place over four hundred years ago. This is the 25th century!”
After a moment of stunned silence, Carrie squared her shoulders.
“We still have to get to the Colorado Fortress.” She said.
“Haven’t you heard what Kira was saying?” Karen demanded, exasperated. “Zal is dead and gone! And we were there when he reprogrammed the Fortress. He did not program it to allow us entrance. He even explained why!”
“Zal was a computer genius,” Carrie smiled. “But he didn’t know every thing, and I know I never showed him all the little tricks we, Kara and Rogue built into that place! So let’s go!”
Carrie leapt into the air, streaking south!
“Does she know what she is doing?” Kira asked, watching the other girl fly off.
“I don’t think so.” Karen sighed. “But she might have the right general idea. It might not be good to stand around holding rifles and wearing armor…we’re beginning to attract attention.” She pointed to where a group of officials, possibly police officers, had been approaching but now stopped to point up at the quickly dwindling figure in the sky.
With a sigh and a shrug, Kira and Karen launched in to the air, racing after the already distant Carrie.
-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2003 by Dylan Clearbrook
-- and may not be reprinted without permission.
-- The Continuum Worlds Concept is a joint creation of
-- Dylan Clearbrook and
-- and Supergirl’s Multiverse, 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
-- The Realm and The Web of Shadows, 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,
-- 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.