Multiverse Earth 1

Chapter 11

(MVE1-11)

The Twins #5

Part 3: A Little Detour

A Multiverse/Alterverse/Otherverse Crossover

 

© Dylan Clearbrook

(Note: this story runs concurrently with MV1-9 through MV1-12.)

 

Fortress of Solitude, Colorado, N. America
25th Century, Otherverse

“Much better!”

Kira looked up as the twins came out of what they said were their old rooms.  They had discarded the armor they had been wearing and were now dressed in similar costumes, both of which would have been considered highly indecent on her Earth…in her own time.  Carrie, dressed in differing shades of blue, with a short red cape, the big red S splashed across her front. Karen, in the same style, but with white and blue instead of merely different shades.  Both were one piece costumes that covered the upper body completely, yet ended in shorts that would have made Daisy Duke jealous.  The outfits were completed with thigh high boots and red fingerless gloves.

Both girls stopped and eyed Kira speculatively.

“Kara might have left something…”  Karen began

“Her old outfit!” Carrie cut in.  “Remember?  The one I borrowed before we got these?”

“We left that in the old world…remember?”  Karen countered.

“No, I think Mom brought it with her, but it didn’t make it when we went to MV1!”  Carrie vanished and reappeared almost instantly.  In her hands she held a red, blue, and yellow bundle that she thrust at Kira.  “Here, try this.  At least it’ll be better than that armor!”

Kira retired to one of the rooms the twins had used to change and to think.

She and Karen had followed Carrie all the way to the Colorado fortress without mishap, flying at dangerously high speeds to avoid detection (and, if detected anyway, to avoid interception.)  They had no clue as to the current state of affairs in Otherverse and they did not want to cause problems.

Yet, instead of landing as soon as they reached their destination, Carrie had stopped, hovering in mid air as she looked over the area.

“Nothing has changed!”  She breathed, looking at Kira and Karen with bewilderment.  “This place looks exactly as it did the day we left.  You would think there would be some sign of the passage of time.”

“Who knows what kind of protection Zal and Ian put over the place?” Karen had mused. “But now that we are here, how did you plan on getting in?”

“You forgot!” Carrie had practically giggled.  Then, to answer her sister, she dove straight down.  Not to the apparent entrance to the Fortress, but into the lake which boarded the western portion of the sprawling complex. Water fountained up as the teen sliced into the calm lake.

“Duh!”  Karen slapped her forehead with the heel of her hand.  “C’mon!”

With out waiting for a response, Karen grabbed Kira’s hand and pulled, diving at super speed behind Carrie!  Kira, caught off guard, was able to make only the barest sound of surprise before they hit they water.

Down they went. Into the deeper part of the lake until it seemed they would slam into the muddy bottom.  Kira could only gurgle in surprise when they passed through the apparent bottom and entered a darkened, collapsing corridor that could never have been created naturally.

Through the rubble, pausing every so often to clear the way, the trio swam eastward, finally beginning to angle up and emerge into a dark, dank, chamber. A dull, glowing stone near one wall gave off the faintest of light.

“Whew!” Carrie wrinkled her nose as she looked around. “However or whoever preserved the rest of the Fortress obviously never found our little tunnel.”

She made her way through the rotting vegetation and debris from the crumbling ceiling and stood before what appeared to be a pure rock wall.

“Lead.”  Karen explained.  “Thin but enough to prevent anyone with X-ray vision from finding our little secret bolt hole.”

Carrie searched along the wall for a moment and then touched three spots and stepped back.

Long unused motors attempted to spring to life…and failed.  The wall seemed to crack and open outward a fraction of an inch before grinding to a halt.

“Okay, we do this the hard way!”  Carrie scowled.  Reaching forward, she forced her fingernails into the new crack and pulled. Her muscles bunched as, with a shriek of tearing metal, the wall split and fell apart, revealing a…bedroom.

“My room!”  Carrie had exclaimed.

The girls had entered and began going through their things, looking for changes of clothes, unaware that, simply by stepping foot into the fortress, they had set off a silent alarm!

New Independence, N. America (SUSA)
25th Century, Otherverse

“Three metas?” Chasity asked, her tone indicating her skepticism.

“That’s what the reports from the Council said.”  Kal confirmed.  “Three metas appeared out of nowhere near the Arctic Fortress Museum.  They were wearing some type of battle armor.  Witnesses say they took off, flying, southward before the local authorities could detain them for questioning.”  He shook his head.  “The reports don’t make sense, though.  A strange, cylindrical tube of light appeared and out step three obviously female figures, wearing ill-fitting armor, their facial features and hair color obscured by helmets.  They gave every appearance of being lost, as if they had not appeared where they meant to appear, before taking off.”

“That doesn’t sound like anyone LexCorps may have sent.”  Chasity shook her hair.

She had gotten the same information from the council at the same time Kal had, but let him talk, knowing he was simply trying to make sense of it all.

Though it had come from the Council, it had been Lord Knox, the North American King, that had commed them personally since he was, technically, their Liege Lord.

There had been no reports on any of the news networks about any sightings of metas.  This was, Chasity had learned, not surprising.  Though the Council frowned on censorship, they practiced it to a degree.  They were, rightly so, determined not to make the same mistake made in ages past by allowing the press full reign.  Reporters were, for the most part, able to report on anything they wished, so long as they reported nothing but the truth and made no attempt to sway public opinion in any direction.  For the most part.  The Council had made it clear, however, that it would not hesitate to have the press gagged in the interest of World security.  Of course such measures could only be ordered from the highest levels.  Local, minor nobility did not, by Council decree, have the authority to censor what the networks reported.  It was, by the Council’s reasoning, a way to insure honesty among the nobles.

Of course, none of this was going through Chasity’s mind.  Instead, she was concerned about LexCorps.  It had, she realized, become almost an obsession with her.

Deimos was under the total control of a madman that had been a thorn in the side of Kryptonians centuries ago and now he was back to be a thorn once again.

And it irritated Chasity to no end to realize that, as much as she might desire to rid the universe of this…this immortal monster…she couldn’t do it.  Even together, she and Kal could not hope to take the battle to Lex Luthor and win.

Even though he was vastly more experienced than she, had seen more and done more than she could even dream, Kal was not experienced enough to take on the madman that had, in a very real sense, brought about the downfall and eventual death of this world’s original Superman, had come close to killing Zal and the other Kryptonians, and nearly enslaved a world despite the power arrayed against him!

A sense of dread had grown within her from the first instant that she realized that, alone, even with the power of the Council behind them, she and Kal would not be enough to win against Lex Luthor!

“Uh, oh!”  Kal paused in mid air, causing Chasity to swerve slightly to avoid running him over.

“Hey, signal next time!”  She scolded as she came to a hover and turned towards him.

“Our problems just got bigger.”  Kal told her. “I am getting a comm. from the Council!  A LexCorps Battle cruiser has been spotted moving away from Earth!”

“Moving away?”  Chasity frowned in confusion and then the confusion cleared.  “They must’ve dropped something!”

“The Council thinks they may have inserted a meta battle group.  They haven’t any clue yet as to where.”  Kal shook his head. “But that is only part of it!”  He looked at Chasity and she could see the fire of anger in his eyes. “Alarms are going off at the Fortress…someone has broken in!”

 

Fortress of Solitude, Colorado, N. America
25th Century, Otherverse

Kira admired herself in the full length mirror that backed the entrance door to what, from what the twins said, had once been Carrie’s room.

She held in her hand the last piece of the outfit that Carrie had given her, twirling it on her fingers.  A red headband with Kryptonian writing and emblems proclaiming the wearer to be a member of the House of El.

The outfit itself was much different than the one piece jumpsuit she had been used to.  A long sleeved medium blue top/leotard with the big red S emblazoned across the front and, like the girls outfits, spreading up and over the shoulders where it seemed to merge into a wide red cape that flowed down over her back.  It was, she noticed at once, much shorter than the cape she was used to wearing.  A short red, rippled skirt covered the lower portion of the leotard (something she thought the twins should have themselves!), and a pair of knee high red boots completed the outfit.

No, it was not what she was used to but, she had to admit, she rather liked it.

With a smile she pulled on the head band and fluffed her hair around it appropriately.

“WOW!”

Kira smiled at the Karen’s reaction as she rejoined them in the hallway outside the room.  Both twins were looking at her with obvious astonishment.

“Now THAT is Supergirl!”  Carrie laughed.

“Okay girls.” Kira laughed with her. “What now?  This is your old turf—you lead the way!”

“We might have a bit of a problem with that.”  Karen sobered instantly, causing Kira to shoot her a glance. “I have tried to access the computer but it seems this entire section of the Fortress has been sealed off.”  She pointed down the hall where a large metal door ended the hall. “That door was NOT there when we were here.”  Her hand took in the remaining hall. “This was our living section.  That was Kara and Rogue’s room.  That belonged to Lar and Aunt Jenny.  Uncle Zal’s room and the guest rooms were further up…on the other side of that door!”

“And the only way to get to where we need to go is through that door.”  Carrie finished.

“Okay.”  Kira frowned, unable to see what the problem was. “So we take down the door.”

“Not that easy.” Carrie shook her head.  “While you were changing Karen and I tried. That door is made of that Kryptonian metal that Zal developed.  Super strong.  And on top of that, there seems to be a magical barrier over it.  We are not going through that door any time soon.”

“Can we go through the floor?”

“I wouldn’t suggest it.”  Karen sighed.  “We built defenses into this place that were meant to stop intruders stronger than a Kryptonian.  And who knows what Zal added after we were gone.  Since Zal removed us from the access list, there’s no way we could shut off those defenses.  We try breaking through and…” She spread her hands, leaving the rest of her sentence unspoken but inferred.

“We need to find a way to come in through the main entrance.”  Carrie concluded.  “Which means we will have to find some one that has access.”

“After five hundred years?”  Kira exclaimed.  “What are we supposed to do, go to the nearest settlement and ask where we might find any descendants of the 21st century Superman?”

“We could try to locate the Kandorian enclave that we left here.” Karen mused.  “Or we could go to see Ian.”

Kandorian?”  Kira’s eyebrows rose.  “Kandor…as in the city of Kandor?  Of Krypton? You’ve mentioned them once before.  You mean you know of a city of Kryptonians that survived the destruction of Krypton?

“As a matter of fact, yes.”  Carrie answered in a distracted manner.  “Shrunk to an inch or two…but still alive.”

Kira shook her head…She was bound and determined she was going to learn all she could of her new…extended…family before she went back home.  But for now…

“Whatever we are going to do, let’s get to it.”  She took control. “We aren’t getting anything accomplished standing here so let’s head back outside and see what we can come up with.”

So saying, she lead the way back through Carrie’s room and into the fetid cavern on the other side and back through the underwater tunnel into the lake.

She broke through the surface of the lake and soared upward…

“GOTCHA!”

Kira felt strong arms grasp her around her upper body…arms that were jerked free almost instantly.

“HEY!”

Kira whirled in time to see Carrie and Karen on either side of a young blonde girl, hauling her up and away by her arms.  She watched, amazed, as the girl then seemed to phase right through their hands, dropping down and soaring up behind them.

The twins spun and Kira smiled as they faced their opponent yet lengthened the distance between themselves. This would force the girl to choose one or the other if she wanted to press the attack.

Pressing the attack, however, seemed to be the furthest thing from the girl’s mind.  She hovered in mid air, her mouth open in obvious shock, as she stared at Carrie and Karen.  It was only then that she noticed that the girl wore a variation of the outfits she and the twins wore.  It was her guess that this girl, whoever she was, was the Supergirl of this time period.

The twins, however, seemed to have no interest in being rational.  Perhaps it was the strain of having been held captive, their flight to freedom and then the shock of seeing their old home…centuries later…the girls were spoiling for a fight and here was a ready-made excuse.

Their faces grim, the girls started to circle and began to close in.  Somehow she had to diffuse them.  Her face grew bleak as the answer came to her.

“Karen!  Carrie!  Enough!”

Both girls froze and spun, looking at her in pure shock.  She had, as well as she could, mimicked Kara’s voice and tone.  Well enough, obviously, to startle the twins.

The twins, she noticed, were not the only ones startled.  The girl, whose attention had been riveted to the girls, now turned to her.  And if her jaw could have dropped in further, it would have.  With a sinking feeling, Kira knew what the girl was thinking! 

It had all been there on that plaque she had read in the Arctic Fortress.  Though Zal and his compatriots had been the ones to finally pull this world out of the darkness it had fallen into…it had been appearance of Kara, Rogue, Jenny, Lar, and the Twins that had given this world its first glimmer of hope! They had been the ones to start the world on its first, tottering steps towards recovery.

And dressed as she was…and in the company of the twins, who seemed to listen to her, it was easy to see who this girl thought she was.

“Great Rao!”

Kira and the Twins spun at the male voice and Kira gaped at…Superboy?

“It is you!”  The boy was looking at the twins and then his eyes traveled to her and his eyes grew bigger.  “Kara?”

Kira was amused that this young man could confuse her with the obviously older woman.  Amusement faded slightly as she tried to decide whether she had been insulted.

“Kal?”  Both girls hovered closer to her.  “Kal El?”

MV1 / Otherverse

“I can’t believe it!”

The girl Kal had introduced as Chasity was still in awe at meeting people that were, to her, legends.  She had been a bit disappointed to learn that Kira was not Kara after all but another Supergirl from another reality.

And Kira puzzled over that.  When Kal El (she smiled, thinking that this was what her little brother would look like in years to come) had named her, Carrie had stopped her from explaining that she was not the Kira he was thinking of.

After the brief introductions, Kal had led them all back to the fortress, this time through the front door.

“You realize we’ll have to block off that tunnel now.”  He told the girls.

“I don’t think we’ll be needing it again.”  Karen had laughed. “It hadn’t been used before so that’s a sign that we won’t be needing it between our time and this time.”

“I don’t understand why you just didn’t come in the regular way.”  Kal shook his head.

“Zal removed us from the access list.”  Carrie began to explain but Kal cut her off.

“Try it!”  He ordered as they all touched down before the main entrance.

Mystified, Carrie approached the door and looked on in bewilderment as the door opened before her.

“I’ve gone over the records and it seems Zal reinstated you at some time before he passed away.  No reasons given.”  Kal shrugged.

“That’s not a hard one.”  Kira smiled as they all turned to her. “Obviously when we go back, Carrie and Karen eventually have an opportunity to talk to Zal.  They tell him what happened, and he knows he has to reinstate them.”  She looked at Karen. “And there goes your theory about never needing the Fortress again. Obviously, now that you know you have access, you wouldn’t go through that tunnel again.”

Now they all sat and relaxed in the common area where ages earlier Carrie and Karen had spent a lot of time.

“You mean there is no real relation at all?” Chasity asked. “So much has been lost about that time.  It was always assumed that Zal El was Kara’s younger brother.”

“In a way, yes.”  Carrie nodded. “But Zal came from another reality.  He watched his true sister die before his entire reality ceased to exist.  Kara, our Kara, came from another reality altogether. She had no younger brother.  In fact, her parents are living in our fortress right now.”

“But a cellular scan would show that they were closely related.” Karen took up the explanation.  With only minor differences.  One of those differences being a weakness to different colors of Kryptonite.”

“What?” Kira looked between the girls.

“We’re vulnerable to Green Kryptonite, but only certain varieties. Some from different realities have no effect on us whatsoever, while others could kill us within seconds.”  Karen jerked a thumb at Kal. “He’s the same way.”  Now she pointed to Chasity. “But Zal was vulnerable to Blue K and I would be willing to bet she is too!”

“But whether there is any true relation at all doesn’t matter.” Carrie resumed. “Zal was our Uncle every bit as much as Kara and Rogue are our mothers.”  She poked Karen in the ribs, smiling. “Remember when we made him take us on a shopping spree…with his credit card?”

“That was only a couple of months ago for us!” Karen reminded her sister.

“Oh.”  Carrie looked confused for a moment and Kal started laughing.

“Because I’m a blonde, yeah, yeah, yeah.”  He mimicked a derogatory tune from his own time period.  His laughter dwindled quickly as the four blonde girls gave him the eye! ‘Er…umm…maybe I should…”

Whatever he was about to say was cut off as the ground shook and a tremendous explosion sounded outside the Fortress.

“What on earth?”  Chasity demanded.  She tried to focus her vision and shook her head. “I can’t see anything.”

“The walls are lined with lead.”  Carrie remarked as she leapt for a security monitor.  A few taps on the (to Chasity, ancient) keyboard and a full schematic of the surrounding area popped onto the screen.

Kal, for his part, was tapping furiously at another monitor.

“Nothing.”  Carrie shook her head.

“It’s not us.” Kal exclaimed. “Someone is attacking the space port in New Denver!”

Denver?” Carrie and Karen exchanged glances.  In their time, Denver had been a lifeless pile of rubble.

“New Denver.” Kal corrected. “It’s the one part of Colorado that Ian and Zal left open to the rest of the world.  Its location was too crucial in the rebuilding and later for the largest space port in North America.” He finished his explanation as he was heading for the exit. “They’re getting plastered.  We gotta do something!”

Kira, Karen, and Carrie exchanged glances as Chasity followed Kal out.  With a shrug, the three charged after them.

MV1 / Otherverse

“Any idea who it is?” Kira asked, realizing even as she asked that the answer would probably be meaningless to her.

“LexCorps.” Chasity spat without hesitation. “No doubt!”

“Lex….as in Lex Luthor!” Karen demanded. “That creep is still around?”

“He’s back, rather.”  Kal spun and placed a hand on Karen’s shoulder, but his eyes took in all three of them.  “No matter what, you can not mention any of this when you get back to your time.”

Though Carrie looked defiant, both Karen and Kira nodded their agreement.  They knew enough to know that anything they learned and talked about might some how change the flow of history.  Though, if what Karen and Carrie had told her in the first few hours of their captivity, while they formulated plan after plan, then all they would be doing would be creating a split in the time-line.

“They’re tearing the place apart!” Chasity exclaimed, jarring them all back into motion.

“What are we going up against, Chas?” Kal demanded.

“Looks to be a full armor division and several metas.” Chasity answered instantly.

“We take out the metas first.”  Both Kal and Chas turned and looked back.  It had been Kira that had spoken.  “Correction: Karen, you will work search and rescue.  Get the innocents out of harm’s way.  Carrie, you go after the armor.  Kal, you and Chas and I will tackle the metas.”

Carrie opened her mouth to complain and shut it at Kira’s look and Karen’s touch on her arm.  Though her link with Karen, she felt the understanding and quickly deduced what Kira was doing.  Kira knew them and knew what they were capable of.  She knew they had faced meta’s many times before.  What Kira did not know was how experienced Kal and Chasity were.  So she would work with them while the twins were basically on their own.

After only the briefest of hesitations she nodded, noting as she did, that Kal was nodding his acceptance as well.  Chasity, for her part, looked hard at Kal and then at Kira before giving a sharp nod.

“I wonder how we’re going to explain this to the council.”  Karen heard the 25th century Supergirl mutter.

MV1 / Otherverse

Dammit, come around.  I want that building flattened.”  The lead tank commander growled his orders, confident his words were being instantly transmitted to the 10 other tanks in this operation.  “The quicker we smash this place, the quicker we can get back to the LZ!”

“Sir, we’ve lost contact with Units Five and Six.” 

The Commander turned and peered through the tiny compartment, a vast space compared to the room in the other, non-command, vehicles. His radio operator held his hands to his ears, trying to cut out the racket of the rapid-fire pulse gun and the high whine of the turbines that kept the monster machine moving on a cushion of air. “Sir! Commander Actrol reports several incoming enemy metas!  One tank lead reports that Units Five and Six were taken out by a…a teenage blond girl.”

“Supergirl.”  The Commander nodded.  “Order all units to prepare BK rounds.”

“Yes Sir!”

MV1 / Otherverse

“Help!” The young mother strained under the weight of rubble that threatened to crush her and her newborn.  The baby, lying below her in the small space her weakening body provided, cried to be held.

Her palms flat on the ground, her arms straining, the young woman felt pain shooting up her spine as she trembled, utilizing strength she never knew she had to keep the deadly rubble from crushing her child.

So intense was the pain, she did not notice at first when the weight began to lessen.  It was not until, with a savage grinding of plastic and metal, the rubble was lifted from her and tossed to the side that she understood that death would not claim her or her child this day.

With sweat drenched hair hanging in her face, the woman looked up to see a pair of dusty white boots standing before her.

“Don’t move, Ma’am, you’ve got some back injuries.  I’ll find a medic for you.” The language was English, and she could understand the words, but they were spoken in an almost archaic manner. 

“Wait…” she managed to croak as the boots stepped back out of her line of site. “Who…who are you?”

“Powergirl, Ma’am.  Now you just stay put.”

The woman felt a rush of air and knew she was alone…but not for long. In minutes a squawking medic was deposited on the ground beside her.

“Do what you can…I’ll be back to check on you in a bit.”  She heard the young feminine voice command just before the rush of air hit again.

“Lady, you won’t believe how lucky you are.”  The medic murmured as he eased her to the ground and began working on her back.

“She said her name was Powergirl.”  The young mother muttered as the pain began to ease.

MV1 / Otherverse

“…live from the Mile High Space Port. Ladies and Gentlemen, you will not believe what we are seeing here! Not fifteen minutes ago LexCorps tanks and metas were laying waste to this monument of reconstruction.  Now those tanks are still, many nothing more than melted piles of metal.  Here and there one can see a LexCorps meta lying in the rubble, beaten mercilessly from the sky.”

The cameras panned over the destruction where rescue operations were well underway.

“And there you can see the reason any of us are still here to report on this atrocity committed by the forces of LexCorps.”

The scene zoomed in to show Superboy lifting a girder and tossing it several hundred feet away before reaching into the rubble to pull a dirt covered victim out.  The scene then moved to another site where Supergirl was digging through even more rubble, freeing groups of people trapped by the initial bombardment.

“As you can see, Supergirl and Superboy are here and using their tremendous powers to aid in a task that would have taken rescuers much longer, pulling people from the rubble that may have perished before rescuers could get to them.  But Ladies and Gentleman, that is not the whole story.”

The camera moved again, this time showing a girl in white, and then a girl in blue, their outfits identical save for the colors.  And then into the picture came another blonde woman, this one wearing what all could see was the traditional outfit of Supergirl…the FIRST Supergirl.

“No, Gentle viewers, your eyes are not deceiving you. Though we have as yet to get close enough, we can tell you with out a doubt that those two girls are none other than Karen and Carrie Zor-El Dox.  Powergirl and Supergirl.  From the 21st century.  And while there is speculation that the third blonde woman is, indeed Kara Zor-El, there are those that believe it to be Kira Zor-El, older sister of the twins and once known as Valeria Von Doom, heir to the kingdom of Latavia!  If so, what are her intentions?  Has she returned to once again take up the throne?… ”

“The name is Kira Jor-El, not Zor-El.”  Kira muttered under her breath, her super hearing bringing the words of the news announcer to her easily. 

There was no answer and, in all honesty, Kira wasn’t truly upset about the name.  The horror she had seen inflicted had all but numbed her. 

True, she and the others were there to save as many as they could…many more than would have survived with out them…yet that many and more lay dead beneath the rubble or, despite the best efforts of the medics, died soon after being pulled from the wreckage.

The fight itself had gone better than she had expected.  Kal and Chasity had handled themselves admirably, if somewhat clumsily.  That, Kira knew, would wear off as they gained experience.

There had been ten metas.  None exceptionally powerful, from Kira’s point of view.  Yet they had come prepared to deal with this world’s Superboy and Supergirl.  What they had not expected was to see three more ‘Supergirls’ appear to thwart their plans.

The armor units had begun by firing Blue Kryptonite rounds at Carrie. Kira would have loved to have seen the expressions on the faces of the tank crews when the smoke cleared and they saw a very pissed off Carrie bearing down on them.

She had smashed two tanks, allowing the crews to withdraw into the custody of the local authorities.  But after that barrage, she allowed her anger to take control.  The remaining eight tank crews never had a chance as, one after another, Carrie had trained her heat vision on them, reducing them to molten slag heaps, the crews vaporized instantly.

For her part, Karen had gone about her assigned task with growing frustration and anger as, time and again, she found that all her powers would not allow her to save everyone.

In the end, Karen had snapped and flashed into the air to slam into the nearest meta that was not already entangled with her, Kal, or Chasity.

As heat beams, pulsar beams, magnetic rays, and every conceivable power Lex had cobbled together slashed through the air at her and at the others, Karen had methodically snapped the necks of two metas before Kal and Chasity, both astonished to discover how powerful the teen was, were able to wrestle her away from the fight.

For her part, Chasity had performed admirably.  Once placing herself between Kira and a meta with a Green K spitting weapon.  Her hands had reached out and grasped the weapon, yanking it away (and breaking several of the meta’s fingers in the process) and crunching it before the pain filled eyes of the would be killer.

In the end, ten metas littered the ground.  Seven, Kira was certain, would survive to face whatever punishment the authorities might give them.  Three were beyond the reach of the authorities.  A third meta had died accidentally when he fell and impaled himself on a steel girder amongst the rubble.

“Kira, come on.”  She paused and looked up to see a weary looking Carrie beckoning to her.

“We’ve done all we can here.”  Carrie told her. “Karen and I have gone through everything with our x-ray vision.  There’s no one left in the rubble that we can save.  It’s time for us to go home.”

“Uh, not quite yet.”  Both girls turned as Chasity and Kal approached, both looking every bit as weary as Carrie looked and she felt.

“We’ve been summoned to the Council in London.”  Kal explained.  “We would truly appreciate it if you would accompany us.  It would help us explain all this.”

Kira thought for a moment and, after exchanging looks with Carrie and Karen and getting slight nods of affirmation, she agreed.

“But first we go to the Fortress and clean up and get some rest.  People don’t seem to realize that even Kryptonians get tired.”

MV1 / Otherverse

A few hours of sleep (Kira had opted to sleep in a guest room rather than Kara’s old room as Kal had offered), their outfits cleaned, and feeling much refreshed, the five Kryptonians stood before the Council of Earth.

Explanations had been given and Kira, Karen, and Carrie became the recipients of the Royal thanks of a grateful monarch.

Though he was not truly named as such, Karen had instantly identified Arther as Ard-reigh. High King to whom the other kings answered.

“It is not often that we have legends of the past springing forth to save the future.”  Arthur smiled as he spoke, well aware that he, himself, was one such legend that had done just that.  “But what, if I might ask, are your plans now?”

“Its time for us to go home, your Majesty.” Karen answered. “We were happy to be of help, but this is not our time, not our place.  We belong back with…Kara and Rogue.”

Kira could have hugged the girl.  Despite what she knew the girl must be feeling, she hid those feelings from the assembly.  These people had enough to deal with.  Of course they realized that Kara must have died years in the past, but they did not need to know how and exactly when.

“And you, Kira?”  Kira was startled to note that it was Lord Wayne, King of Latavia that was addressing her. “Must you, too, return?  Latavia will always welcome you, My Lady.”

“I am afraid so, your Majesty.” Kira heard her own voice say. She thought, for the briefest of moments, to finally correct the case of mistaken identity…and then stopped.  What would it hurt for these people to believe that she was their Kira?  Perhaps it would give them some hope in the trying times that were to come in this new war with Lex Luthor.  “My time and place is elsewhere now and, like my sisters…I must go.”  She took a breath. “But please, my Lord, convey to your people that I am truly proud of what they have become and that I have the utmost confidence that they will continue to do me proud.”

Behind her back, Karen and Carrie exchanged amused looks.  Kira was sounding more and more like Kara every day.

“There is one last thing before you leave us.”  The girls turned for it was Lord Knox that had spoken this time. The king of North America stood and after a polite node to Kal and Chasity, spoke again. “The people of New Denver would like to show their gratitude to the five of you for your efforts.  They thought, at first, to create statues in your honor, but decided against it since New Independence already has claims on Superboy and Supergirl.”  He again smiled at Kal and Chasity. “So the People of New Denver hope they will not be too offended if they lay claim instead to the Zor-El Dox sisters.”  He paused and looked to Lord Wayne. “Along with Latavia, of course.”

Lord Wayne smiled and nodded and Lord Knox continued.

“Therefore, the people of New Denver have asked me to show you this.” Lord Knox waved his hand and a hologram appeared in the chamber and the girls gasped.  There, in the middle of down town New Denver, amidst the hustle and bustle of a 25th century city, loomed three full color statues.  Kira blushed to see herself, larger than life, with a twin on either side!  And yet a part of her mind marveled at the abilities of this future time…that such statues were erected and appeared to have been in place all along….all in the matter of a few hours!

 

MV1 / Otherverse

“They are not going to believe this when I get home.”  Kira shook her head as the five Kryptonians once again entered the fortress.

“Oh yes they will.”  Chasity smiled and help up a camera.  “I’ve taken pictures of everything.”

“A Polaroid?”  Carrie shook her head.  “Those things were old when I was born!”

“What’s a Polaroid?”  Chasity asked while Kal shook his head.

“Same concept, only advanced.”  He explained. “You take the picture, then either download them onto a compterm or materialize them.  You can materialize as many copies as you want until you erase the picture from memory.”

He took the camera from Chasity and showed the girls how it functioned and then pressed a small yellow button on the side.  The three girls ooohed and aahed as the air in front of the camera shimmered and a photograph popped into existence.  Both Carrie and Karen eyed the device hungrily and Kira snatched it from Kal’s hands.

“Absolutely not!” She scolded the girls. “You are not going to take it apart to see how it works!  I’m keeping this safe and out of your hands.”  She looked at Kal and Chasity and shook her head. “I swear, I can’t take them anywhere.”

They all laughed as Carrie stuck out her tongue at the older Supergirl.

The laughter subsided and the room grew quiet.

“I guess it’s time.” Kira sighed and stood looking at the twins. “What now?”

“We have to go to the gate.” Karen started out the door of the rest area and Carrie shook her head as she followed.

“I hope it still works after all this time.”

Karen led them unerringly to the shafts that led to the depths of the Fortress and, without hesitation, dropped in.  The others, one by one, followed.

She then led them through a maze of corridors, explaining to Kira that they were now passing through the main control center of the Fortress.

“That way,” she pointed down a corridor they passed, “was where the Kandorians stayed.”  She pointed out things here and there and stopped when they reached another shaft.  “This one leads to the lowest level.  That’s where we built the gate.”  She hopped in and, again, the others followed.

For her part, Chasity was amazed.  True, she had spent time in the Fortress, but she had never gone this far down.  A quick question to Kal proved that this was new to him as well.

At the bottom, Karen led them down the single corridor to a set of reinforced steel doors.  Tapping a combination, she waited as the doors swung wide.

Kira, Chasity, and Kal all held their breaths as they beheld the massive Probability Gate that lay beyond the doors.

“This is strange.”  Carrie remarked as she entered.  When all but Karen looked at her, she pointed to the swirling colors that swam in mid air within the ring of the gate. “Someone has turned it on.  I remember quite clearly shutting it down just after Professor Xavier passed through back to their world.”

Karen studied the controls and looked up, her brow furrowed with concern.

“The settings have already been entered.”  She told them. “It’s as if some one has anticipated that we would be here.”  She reached up and touched a switch and then jumped back as a voice they recognized sprang from hidden speakers in the room.

“Carrie and Karen, if you are hearing my voice, then it means you have found the gate ready for your use.”  The voice said.

“A recording.” Carrie whispered to Kira, Kal, and Chasity. “That’s Uncle Zal’s voice.”  Instantly Chasity perked up.

“I can’t tell you how I know you will come to the gate, but I can tell you that the settings you will need to return to the proper place and time have been entered. So please enter.  We’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”

The voice cut off and Karen, Carrie, and Kira all looked at each other.

“How could he know about you?”  Carrie mused, ever the suspicious one.

“Obviously he made that recording after you returned.”  Kal ventured.  “Either that or perhaps this Lar….” He paused and his eyes grew big.  “Lar?  Lar Gand?  He was there when Rogue rescued us?”

Karen nodded.

“Okay, so here’s the question.  Do we step through or not?”  Carrie demanded.

“Take a look at the settings.”  Kira requested.  “Do they look right to you?”

“They are what I was going to enter in.”  Karen nodded again.

“I guess that answers that question, then.”  Kira turned to Kal and Chasity.  “It has been a great pleasure meeting the two of you.  I think this world is lucky to have the two of you here, at this time.”

“Kira, make sure you get a picture of them, since you have the camera.”  Karen called out, smiling at Chas and Kal. “It was good seeing you again, Kal.  You take care.  You too, Chas…cousin.”

Carrie elected to say nothing, instead quickly hugging the two and then leaping into the gate.  Kira followed and, with a wave, Karen entered last.

When all three were gone, the gate subsided, the swirling colors that had twirled madly as they entered calming to a slower speed.

“Wow.” Chas whispered.

“Chasity!”

Kal and Chas stiffened as the voice of Zal El spoke again.

“Obviously Karen and Carrie have told me about you and Kal.  They have even shown me a picture.  There is not much I can say to you from five hundred years in the past, but I can tell you, from what Karen and Carrie have told me, that I am indeed proud to call you ‘Granddaughter’.”

The voice cut off and Kal, seeing the unshed tears in Chas’ eyes looked away.  His eyes rested on a yellow envelope sticking out on the floor, beneath the gate, as if some one had slipped it under but left out just enough so that it could be seen.  He walked over and picked it up and then brought it back to Chasity.

She took the envelope and gasped.  Though yellow and cracked with age, it was easy to see that the envelope had been addressed specifically to her.  Though she tried to be careful, the old paper crumbled in her hands, leaving her holding a picture!  A picture from the very camera she had just sent back with Kira! 

On the back she could make out the words: “To our beloved Grand-daughter (great, great, that is), Chasity.”

She turned the picture over and gasped aloud.  There, arm in arm, smiling at the camera, were Zal and Kitty!

The end of MV1-11

 

 

-- 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 Eldric.  Otherverse

-- 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 Eldric.

-- 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, 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.