Chapter 10
J'onn flicks up the security camera images onto the main screen. It shows the bunker being invaded by dozens of Kryptonian soldiers. One in particular looks directly into a camera causing a lump to catch in Diana's throat. It is Kal.
Bruce looks on with dark foreboding. "We need to get out now."
"I thought you had all the entrances sealed with magic," Wally reminds Bruce.
"That will only slow them down," Hal tells them. "Magic may affect their powers. We aren't sure." In truth that was an educated guess from what happened with the female soldier on the base and what they had managed to extrapolate from the data they got as to how Kryptonian abilities work. "But they still have their weapons," he points out to everyone.
"Grab only what is essential and head for the secondary exit. You know where the rendezvous is," Bruce instructs everyone who promptly and quickly head back to their rooms to grab what they can.
Kal-El marches purposefully through this underground structure. He has them and they are not getting away. He comes up to a door which to his surprise no-one can punch through. A captain comes up and salutes him. "Commander. There is something impeding our abilities protecting the door."
"Give me a scanner," Kal-El orders. He is passed one and Kal-El scans the door. His brow furrows. "Some sort of electromagnetic energy is permeating the doorway. Do it the old fashioned way."
The captain salutes and orders his soldiers to draw their weapons and cut through the door which they proceed to do while Kal-El looks on. He doesn't know what this strange energy is but he won't let it stop him.
"Hmm interesting," Kara idly mentions as she sands next to her cousin. "Well couz lets see how you do when you face the prospect of not relying solely on your abilities." After all she had had to fight many campaigns in systems with red suns and she had the wounds and scars of old battles to show that.
"I have never relied solely on them Kara," he feels the need to point out. Yes they were extraordinary but he always felt that they should be considered an incredible gift and never a right. Kal-El turns his attention to the door which is yielding under their weaponry. It is soon cut. "Remember I want as many as possible alive," he orders.
"Yes sir!" they chime in obedience.
Kal-El nods and they knock the cut door down and rush into the base soon followed by himself and Kara each seeking something different. His soldiers fan out into the complex of corridors and rooms while he searches for one person in particular. He comes across someone coming out of a room. Unfortunately it is not the one he is seeking. "Hal Jordan."
Hal whips round to the sound of the voice. "Commander Kal-El."
It had been a few years since he had seen Hal Jordan but Kryptonians possess eidetic memories and he remembers with crystal clarity their last meeting and how this Green Lantern was trying to aid the natives of a planet he had been sent to conquer. Hal Jordan had been injured and captured during battle with Kal-El's troops but he had his wounds treated and had let Hal Jordan leave. Kal-El had done so mainly because he saw no reason for Hal Jordan to suffer but also so he could relay to the Guardians not to oppose Krypton. "You oppose me once more."
"This is my home planet. You can't expect me not to fight to defend it."
"I understand but you also understand how little choice I have in what I must do now."
"I am fully aware of Kryptonian law." Two soldiers now appear behind Hal who glances at them. Hal raises his ring and surrounds his body with a green glow. "However I won't go without a fight."
Kal-El nods in acceptance of his decision and in fact respects it. He too would not surrender without a fight. It is the only honourable action to undertake. Kal tenses himself up while Hal powers himself up before the two of them fly right at each other.
Kara meanwhile is skipping along a corridor looking for someone to play with. Well someone in particular and she had made a bet with her 2 lieutenants that she would find him first. The first one she comes across isn't the one she is looking for but he will have to do. She has come across a man with blond hair and facial hair. "Why hello there," she greets him. "Are you coming quietly? Please say no."
Before Oliver can reply someone else does. "No."
Kara turns round to the find who said that and finds standing there is a blond woman. Kara looks at her amused. "Oh two against little old me," she jests. "Now that isn't fair...on you."
Dinah glares at the woman, takes a deep breath and lets loose her Canary cry. Oliver quickly covers his ears but Kara doesn't at first until the sound hits her. She covers her ears as pain shoots through them and her ear drums burst. Fighting the disorientation she reaches for a dagger in her boot and then flings it at the offending noise. It strikes Dinah directly in the vocal chords.
"Dinah!" Oliver shouts out horrified. He rushes over just as Dinah falls over her hands reaching at her throat. Oliver holds her in his arms. "Oh god Dinah. I...please don't die. I love you."
Dinah unable to say anything back due to the dagger impaled in her throat simply strokes Oliver's cheek with a bloody hand before her hand falls limp and her eyes close shut as she takes her final breath.
Oliver shuts his eyes as tears form in them.
"Insolent pest," Kara says dismissively as she stands over Dinah and Oliver.
In a fit of rage Oliver, without thinking, jumps up and tries to strangle Kara to no effect obviously. Kara chuckles darkly before she grabs Oliver by the throat and shoves him hard into the wall. Blood is trickling out of her ears as a result of the sonic scream the human female attacked her with but Kara has endured worse. "Aw was that your beloved I killed," she says with no sincerity or sympathy in her voice. Kara's lips curve upward into a positively evil smile. "Don't worry. You'll be joining her soon."
Kara pins Oliver with one hand while she brushes his hair aside with the other so she can see his face clearly. "You want to know something that everything in the universe has in common?" she asks him.
"Go to hell!" Oliver spits out.
Kara continues. "Everything burns." Oliver then sees the eyes staring into him glow and it is the last thing he sees. The last noise he ever makes are screams as the smell of his burning flesh wafts down the corridor.
Diana has just grabbed her most important belongings when she hears screams and picks up the smell of burning flesh. She hurries out her room hearing the scuffles and shouts of what she recognises as the voices of her fellow Leaguers. The Kryptonians have gotten in. She has to hurry. She makes her way along the corridor and comes across Dinah's body with a dagger in her throat. She feels she must take a moment to bend down and grieve for her friend.
"Oh you don't mind returning that do you?"
Diana looks up at a Kryptonian woman with blond hair and a scar down the left side of her face standing next to a burnt corpse pointing at the dagger. She has the most sickening smile on her face. Diana stands up straight. "You did this?"
Kara nods. "It was fun."
"Fun?!" Diana shouts outraged.
"Yes but you are going to be a lot more fun than these two aren't you." Kara looks the woman over. "You're the one who fought dear departed Aethyr," she says realising that this woman matches the description.
Diana realises that must be the name of the woman she fought at the base. At that moment the whole place shakes. Kara tilts her head as she listens. "Ah I see my cousin has found the Green Lantern. Pity. I haven't killed a Green Lantern in a good 6 years but oh well I still have you." Noticing that the woman has a sword Kara reaches for her own and draws it out. "Shall we?"
Diana seeing she has no choice draws her own sword. "We shall."
3 soldiers appear in the corridor as they search for all the people they can find. "This one is mine. Leave!" Kara orders. Obeying their leader without question they do so. "Sorry about that. Don't want us to be interrupted."
"Do I at least get to know your name?" Diana requests.
"Of course. How terribly rude of me. I am Kara Zor-El. Daughter of Zor-El and Alura. Commander of the Kandorian Elite Guard and the last person you will ever see in this world and you are?"
"Diana. Daughter of Hippolyta. Princess of Themyscira."
"Diana," Kara repeats in acknowledgement of her opponent's name. "Lets go."
Both Kara and Diana move forward and their swords clash.
Kal-El throws a punch which connects with the Green Lantern's face. He was not in a good mood having been knocked through several walls since their fight started. A Green Lantern was a worthy opponent and Kal-El had the bruises to prove it but frankly he had had enough as he follows up his last punch with a few more. A Green Lantern's weakness was that using their ring required immense concentration and it is only possible to maintain a high level of concentration for so long. This one's concentration was slipping and his attacks had slowed to the point Kal-El could easily avoid them.
With one last mighty punch the green glow around his opponent fades and he falls to the floor unconscious. Kal-El reaches down and removes the ring from his opponent's finger before crushing it in his hand.
"Take him to the ship with the others," Kal-El orders a couple of his soldiers.
"Yes commander," they respond obediently as they pick up the Green Lantern and carry him off.
Kal-El activates his communicator and contacts one of Kara's lieutenants. "Mala. Report!"
"The capture progresses well Commander. By our estimation we have captured 80% of the known members of the Justice League," Mala informs him.
Kal-El nods satisfied with the progress. "Where is Commander Zor-El?"
"I am uncertain due to the inhibiting nature on our visual abilities of the lining of the walls."
Kal-El shakes his head at the thought that no-one is keeping an eye on Kara. Only Rao knows what she is up to. Probably ignoring his wishes. He better find her but he needs to know one thing first. "Is Bruce Wayne captured yet?"
"Zara is overseeing it Commander," Mala informs Kal-El. Zara was Kara's other lieutenant and it had not escaped Kal-El's notice how Kara seemed to prefer female lieutenants to serve her for reasons only Kara knows or maybe not considering how dangerously unbalanced his cousin's mental state is.
"Inform me when you have him," he orders. With that taken care of Kal-El begins his search for Kara knowing that without his constraining influence there is no limit to what she might do.
Kara and Diana are parrying back and forth, their skill with a sword being roughly equal although Kara's technique is more aggressive and direct. In one exchange Kara manages to parry Diana to the side allowing her an opening to punch Diana in the ribs which she does.
Diana rails back as Kara manages to hit the ribs Aethyr had managed to crack.
Kara grins maliciously. "Oh I see old Aethyr did some damage. Good for her." Kara then proceeds to redouble her efforts now knowing her opponent has a weakness.
Kal-El stalks through the corridors looking for Kara wishing his visual abilities would work down here. Also with all his guards running around using his enhanced speed would not be a wise decision either. To his surprise he comes across Zara and in her custody is Bruce Wayne.
Zara straightens up. "Commander," she says in acknowledgement of his presence.
"Lieutenant," Kal-El says back to acknowledge her. He then looks at Bruce Wayne who is standing tall despite having his hands restrained and not show any weakness. "You are under arrest for the death of Lieutenant Aethyr."
Bruce says nothing. There is nothing to say. He had been caught in his quarters trying to pack and he had no defence against someone with super powers. They had not been enough time or enough magical members of the League to completely enchant the facility like he wished. There had also not been enough time to translate the data they stole into something useful like a weapon. These Kryptonians had found them too soon and Bruce does have to wonder how they found them.
"Take him to the ship," Kal-El orders Zara.
She dips her head as a sign of obedience as she not so gently drags her prisoner away.
Kal-El watches them go. He had managed to keep his emotions in check at the sight of Bruce Wayne which actually was no easy feat considering he had an urge to put his fist through the man's head. However there are processes and procedures that have to be gone through in how to deal with those who break Kryptonian law and as he keeps reminding himself he is a commander in the Kryptonian military and he is duty bound to uphold those laws. Bruce Wayne would receive the appropriate sentence for his crime soon enough. Now he must resume his search for his erstwhile cousin. That is his priority right at this moment.
Kara and Diana were now exchanging blows having managed to disarm each other. Kara throws a punch which Diana dodges and then grabs the arm and twists it. She then uses her other arm to grab Kara by the hair and drive her head into the wall. The wall crumbles as Kara's head leaves an deep impression. Kara then elbows Diana with her free arm which causes Diana to release her grip on Kara and stumble back a few paces.
Kara shakes her head to clear the cobwebs and the dust from her hair. Ever since this started she had this little smile on her face. Her opponent is strong, fast and greatly skilled. It has been ages since she has had this much fun.
Diana eyes her opponent carefully. This 'Kara Zor-El' was different to Aethyr. While both their fighting techniques were similar and obviously military derived it was the look in Kara's eye that bothered her. A kind of insanity Diana had only seen a few times in her life.
"Well I think that is enough of a warm up," Kara announces. "Time to show you what a true Kryptonian can do." Kara pauses for a moment. She may not be the tallest or largest Kryptonian alive but she was nearing the age at which a Kryptonian was at the peak of their power. Time to show this woman that however strong she was she was already dead.
Diana readies herself as her opponent actually smirks before Kara's form dissolves into a blur. Diana is then rapidly hit on her face, into her ribs and there is definitely what feels like a kick to her stomach which sends her flying back along the corridor until she smashes into the wall. In what seems like an instant Kara is there with her hand around Diana's throat.
Kara's smile is positively pure evil. "Like I said to the male before I killed him do you know what everything in the universe has in common? No. Everything burns."
Diana can see the glow in Kara's eyes and recognises it instantly from what Aethyr tried to do. She raises her arms, bracelets crossed in front of her face. The two beams of heat bounce off the bracelets and straight back into Kara's face who screams in agony as she covers her face with her hands.
Diana being the warrior she is takes her opportunity to attack. She punches Kara in the stomach as hard as she can which causes Kara's hands to drop from her face and allows Diana to reign several blows on Kara's face. Just when she is thinking she can knock Kara out Diana finds her fist caught in a vice like grip by Kara. She sees Kara spit up some blood before she looks up chuckling despite the fact she is quite clearly hurt. Her face is obviously burnt and she has the beginnings of what looks like a black eye.
"I knew you would be fun. I just knew it," Kara proclaims with unbelievable cheerfulness considering she is genuinely hurt but then again Kara had endured much, much worse in her life.
Diana tries to hit Kara with her other hand but Kara catches that too. Kara then head butts Diana hard. "Time to end this," Kara says in a tone of malicious intent. She once more dissolves into a blur but whereas before she only inflicted a few blows this time the blows keep coming, each with bone shattering force. Diana can feel more of her ribs crack until suddenly she feels a massive uppercut to her jaw which is powerful enough to send her flying upward into the ceiling before Diana lands back on the ground. Diana coughs up blood as her insides feel like they've been liquefied. Her breathing is laboured and Diana can tell that she is severely hurt before her eyes flutter shut and the darkness claims her.
Kara meanwhile retrieves Diana's sword before she stands over her opponent. "This is a fine sword," Kara says in admiration at the workmanship. "It will be fitting as the means as to which your life is ended," she says even though she knows her opponent is unconscious. She usually prefers her enemies to be awake so she can see the life drain from their eyes but what can she do. With one last crooked smile Kara raises the sword over her bloodied and battered opponent as she prepares to strike the final blow.
J'onn who had been phasing through walls trying to avoid capture had seen the majority of the League captured. A few had managed to escape thanks to him phasing people out and Wally using his superior speed. He was having one last look to see if there was anyone else that could be rescued before he went to the rendezvous point when he sees Diana about to be killed. He must intervene quickly.
'NO!' the voice from before demands loudly. 'Don't interfere or this world is lost.'
The voice causes J'onn to delay for a moment but he is about to ignore it as he can't let Diana die when round a corner Kal-El appears. In an instant he has grabbed the Kryptonian woman round the throat and thrown her so hard into the wall that her body makes a hole in it.
"What do you think you are doing??!!" Kal-El screams outraged. "I told you to only kill if absolutely necessary."
Kara looks into her cousins eyes to find them burning, literally, with rage. "I thought it was necessary," Kara replies with complete calm and self assuredness.
Kal-El tightens his hand around Kara's throat tighter. He is more than tempted to see if he can squeeze the life out of her. How dare she go against his wishes!! He doesn't care how feared and powerful she is. He is still in charge of this occupation. When he found her near two corpses and about to kill another he just completely lost control of his temper. Cousin or no she has gone too far. Kal-El's attention is then caught by coughing. He turns to look at just who Kara had nearly killed. In his rush to stop her he hadn't looked before. As he does so now his eyes widen.
Oh Rao!
It's her!
He instantly forgets Kara and rushes to the badly hurt woman. She has fallen unconscious. Kal-El kneels down and strokes some hair out of the way to reveal a badly bruised and rapidly swelling face. He swallows hard as his emotion rush to the surface. He...what must he do?
He has to get her injuries treated. Yes that is what he must do. Otherwise she may die and he can't allow that. Kal-El picks her up and without as much as another word leaves with her.
Kara frees herself from the wall and shakes her head in a mixture of annoyance and confusion as well as just to get even more dust out of her hair. She then brushes the dust off her uniform. What was that about she wonders along with why is her cousin always ruining her fun since she arrived at this planet. Oh well she has other ways to amuse herself. Before she too leaves she picks up Diana's sword. She really does admire the workmanship and it will make a nice addition to her collection. She then decides she better check up on how this operation went since it seems her cousin is more concerned about her defeated opponent.
She starts to walk off while she rubs her throat. Kal is mighty powerful for his age. It is such a shame he doesn't seem all that interested in her. After all Kara is more than willing to attend to his needs and she hazards a guess that he is quite capable of attending to hers. Honestly. He really doesn't need to go through the effort of nursing that woman back to health. Then an idea strikes her and a wicked smile forms. Well if her cousin won't attend to her she knows where to find someone who will whether they want to or not.
J'onn watches as the woman departs. It seems the Kryptonians are winding up their operation. He should get back to meet with those that escaped. He hopes he did the right thing letting Kal-El take Diana.
'You did what had to be J'onn J'onzz,' the voice says in answer to his question.
'Are you ever going to tell me who you are and why I feel I should trust you?' J'onn thinks back.
'As I said I am a parent and your feelings of trust are because you can sense that my intentions are noble.'
'Your methods need work,' J'onn criticises at the sight of Dinah and Oliver's bodies. When he is safe he will pray for his lost friends. It seems so wrong that their lives ended at the moment they had finally gotten together but J'onn knows better than most how cruel the universe can be. It took away his wife and children and left him the last Martian in existence.
J'onn can then feel an immense sadness before the voice answers. "I act in the only way I have left to me," it says with immense regret at what J'onn thinks is its own impotence at not being able to do more.
"What are you trying to achieve?" J'onn asks hoping that knowing what the goal is will help him better understand.
"There is a possible perfect future that can come from this. You saw it in Diana's dream. Earth and Krypton at peace. However that future becomes more difficult to reach every passing day my children follow Zod's path."
"So in summary what has to happen?"
"For your world to be saved and for Krypton to be restored to its true self Zod must die and Kal-El must be the one to kill him."