The Other Kryptonian
Chapter 13
Zar soared through the air, white vapor trailing behind him in the darkening sky as he punched through clouds. He dipped low as the sun sunk beneath the horizon, skimming the tops of trees. Orange, red, and brown leaves fluttered to the ground. Breathing into his nose, crisp fall air filled his lungs.
Moving in between the trees, the scent of earth and stagnant water filled his nose with each breath.
Pointing his feet towards the ground, his heels skidded along the earth, drawing deep trails in the mud.
Glancing around him, the world faded to black with shades of red, orange, and blue peeking through the darkness. He moved forward, leaves crunching under his feet. The sound of splashing water echoed through the trees as he trod into the bog.
"Zar to fortress, are you seeing anything?"
With the suit hooked into his nervous system his senses transferred everything he was experiencing back to the fortress, for his mother or father to review.
His mother's voice sounded in his ear. "The temperatures dropping unnaturally fast."
Fog began to curl across the water as his breath steamed on the air. Sweat trailed down his tanned skin almost hardening into ice as an unnatural cold seeped into his bones.
"Zar, what's happening? Your heart rate has just sped up."
Images of his mother lying on the floor of the Department of mysteries, blood pooling around her from the stumps of her missing arms flash through his mind before being replaced by him cradling Lily Potter as she died, staring down at her closed eyes and emaciated gray skin.
He squeezed his eyes shut, his hands curling into fists. "I think I found the Dementors, or to be more precise they have found me."
Tall black cloaked figures emerged from the trees gliding through the air like ghosts. Gray three fingered hands covered in dark purple scabs poked out from beneath their cloaks. A rattling reverberated from beneath the hoods of their cloaks as they drew closer.
Zar's breath quickened, his white eyes flicking back and forth. One hand flew to his head. Darkness began to creep in at the edges of his vision. The steady pounding of his heart filled his ears as images of him running through the forest of new Genesis as the planets great city fell from the sky were pushed to the forefront of his mind.
"Zar listen to me," his mother urged a note of panic in her voice. "You are safe. I'm right here. I'm fine. Lily Potter's death was not your fault. Now do them proud and fight!"
Blinking, Zar's gaze hardened, his eyes glowed with a vibrant red light. Grinding his teeth, his lips twisted into a snarl. Two beams of crimson energy flew from his eyes, slamming into the closest Dementor.
It flew backwards, shrieking as its cloak burst into bright orange flames.
The other Dementor's froze two feet away from him, forming a semicircle around him.
A nasty smile spread across his face. "I bet you weren't expecting that were you?"
"Zar," his father began. "Remember your training. Dementors are driven away by positive emotion. Use that to fuel your magic."
Zar's eyes flicked around him, his mind drifting back to the happier moments with his family before the fall of New Genesis. Pleasant warmth filled his chest with each memory driving away the fear and cold these creatures caused.
Pushing that warmth outward, silver whips of fire exploded from his hands, their luminescent light driving the demons of fear back.
Disappearing in a blur of motion, he was in and among them in a moment. Spinning on his heels like a dancer, he lashed out with the whips. The silver fire curled around its victims.
The Dementors screamed as the fire cleaved through their robes like paper, digging into their flesh. With a sharp yank, the whips made their way through the rest of the Dementors caught in their grasp.
Black sand rained into the water, leaving a charred sent behind.
As the whips settled on either side of Zar, they sent jets of steam into the air. Black sand rained to the ground.
Zar's eyes flicked to the remaining three Dementors, their heads angled downwards, staring at the gritty remains of their fellows. Slowly, as one they raised their heads to stare at Zar.
Flicking his wrist, one of the whips lashed outwards, wrapping around a Dementor's neck, cleaving through its hood. With a slight pull, the creatures head fell from its shoulders, revealing the elongated horse like face. Gray skin was stretched taut over its snout like mouth and covered the sunken eye sockets, making it impossible for the creature to be able to see out of them.
Spinning, he snapped the whips through the air, only for them to fall short slicing open the back of the black robe of the remaining two soul eaters as they fled, revealing emaciated bodies. Dark gray skin covered in sores stretched taut over large humanoid skeletons.
Throwing his hands outward, the whips curled, transforming into fireballs. They flew through the air, creating a silver shimmer on the water's surface. It slammed into one. Silver fire engulfed its body, burning away the robes to reveal its emaciated skeletal form. Its feet were hidden by the water, but its large three fingered hands slapped at the flames in a futile effort to put them out.
Its long horse shaped head snapped back, empty eye-sockets with skin stretched over the eyeholes pointed towards the sky. With a shriek that couldn't come from human vocal cords, it collapsed into black sand that steamed in the water.
For a long moment, Zar just stood there breathing, his mouth watering unpleasantly at the taste of charcoal on the air.
Spitting into the water, he glanced around for his last opponent. "Damn, it got away."
"You did well son," Arzaz praised.
"I froze up. How is that doing well?"
"You were fighting demons of fear, I would be surprised if you didn't freeze," Karsta soothed. "Heck I wasn't even close to them and I froze for a moment."
Zar wiped his forearm across his brow. "Thank you both for your help."
"That's what we're here for…"
A feminine scream rent the air.
–XX –
Lori Zechlin stumbled backwards, her hand gripping the frayed ends of a dark pigtail. Her blue eyes locked on the cloaked apparitions before her.
Smoldering rips in its clothes revealed an emaciated chest covered in taught gray skin. Large open wounds oozed a clear liquid, causing the robe to stick to the skin.
Her combat boots slid on the bank of the river, water sloshing up to seep through her dark jeans. Her back touched the bark of a tree in the middle of the river, its bark rough against her lower back, making her wish she wouldn't have worn a belly shirt.
All she wanted was a break from her small town in Ohio. She thought coming to Gotham would be fun. She thought going through the tour they led in slaughter swamp would be interesting, but now she was surrounded by cloaked figures unnatural cold seeping into her bones and every horrible thing she had ever done bursting to the forefront of her mind.
The creature closed its hand around the hairs, reaching its other one up to grab her throat. Suddenly, it froze its head moving painfully slow towards the forest. After a moment, it turned away, angling its head downward to stare at the black hairs clutched in its hand. Without another word, it launched itself into the air.
Its fellows closed in, Lori's blood congealed in her veins, her breath steamed on the air. Her knees shook, the bones knocking together. Gritting her teeth, she lashed out with her magic trying to absorb the creature's abilities to turn them against them, but the moment her magic touch the creatures she recoiled.
Hundreds of screams filled her mind. Each one filled with the anguish, regret, and rage of an eternity of torment. She slid down the tree, sinking into the water and did the only thing she could think of, the only thing her body would allow her to do, she screamed.
–XX –
Zar burst through the trees. Small twigs and leaves fluttering to the ground.
Four Dementors surrounded a girl in the middle of a river. Her back was pressed against a tree, her blue eyes wide with fear as one of them reached towards her.
Spiraling runes flared to life on Zar's right arm. He plunged his arm sideways, his hand and wrist disappearing into the space between realms. Withdrawing his hand, a rough cut golden Jewel with red veins running like rivers through it was clutched in his fingers.
Holding it between his finger and thumb, he pointed it at the closest Dementor forcing a tendril of magic into the jewel. Warm golden light like the light of the sun on a summer's day flared through the forest.
Leaves on nearby trees became a bright green as the Dementor's heads snapped around with an earsplitting shriek, their grotesque hands flying up to shield their eyes from the light. Concentrating the jewel's power, a golden beam shot out of it, slamming into the Dementor frozen in mid-reached towards the girl.
Zar watched the beam slam into the Dementor. Its body folding into the light like it was being sucked through a straw. It flowed up the energy sinking into the jewel with a burst of cold.
Turning, Zar aimed at the next one, only for a roar to shake the ground. His head snapped in the direction of the sound.
A massive figure at least nine feet tall charged towards him, its black eyes filled with rage, its yellow teeth grinding together. A chest three feet wide covered in paper white bulging muscle heaved, sending rancid breath into the air.
A gray suit jacket and pants covered barrel like arms and legs. Toes resembling small sausages poked out the end of well-worn shoes.
With another roar, the creature launched its bowling ball sized fist forward, swamp water flying out of the white hair matted to its brow.
Zar raised a hand catching the creature's fist with a whack. His body jerked, sending the soul stone flying from his grasp as the strength behind the blow pushed him backwards.
–XX –
Lori couldn't believe her luck. These creatures were just about to do who knows what to her, when a red-haired teen with glowing white eyes burst through the trees and saved her with a glowing rock. She had seen some crazy things in her time with the Shadow-Pact and Secret Six, but this had to take the cake.
Then however, the universe just had to prove how much it hated her. Just as the creature reaching towards her was sucked into the rock, Solomon Grundy, a freaking myth burst from the water and attacked her Savior, leaving her alone to face these cloaked monstrosities again.
Rising to her feet, her small thin hands curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms hard enough to draw blood. If no one was going to save her, then she would do it herself, her eyes flicked to the broad shouldered teen battling Solomon Grundy.
Lashing out with her magic, her power washed over them, but they were two locked in combat to notice.
An amber aura blazed to life around the redhead, while a pale gray wafted off of the walking myth. Inhaling deeply, she pulled the auras towards her, gasping as they sunk into her body. Her eyes rolled back into her head, leaving just the white visible as she floated off the ground.
Her teeth turned yellow, and her skin became the same paper white as Solomon's. She felt her clothes becoming rough as they transformed into whatever hide her redheaded Savior was wearing. Her head lolled on her chest, the color bleaching out of her hair except for a hint of crimson at the tips.
The creature's stretch their hands forward, the fluid covering the scabs that littered their gray skin reflecting the moonlight.
Lori's head snapped up, her eyes glowing a luminescent gray, her yellow teeth bared in a ferocious grin.
On instinct, her right arm launched forward slamming into her closest opponent. She felt the bones of its elongated horse like face shatter as it flew away from her. Spinning on her heel, she grabbed another one by the front of its robes, the power coursing through her body driving away whatever power over fear these creatures had.
Bringing her knee up, she slammed it into a bony chest, feeling the ribs give way. Whitish silver blood exploded from beneath the hood, splattering across her pale skin.
A pair of arms wrapped around her body, the scabby gray skin pinning her arms to her sides as the three fingers on either hand locked together in front of her chest. An icy cold swept through her body, purging her of her new power.
Her head snapped back and something between a roar and a scream exploded from her throat before her head fell limply on her chest, her features fading back to normal.
–XX –
Zar strain to hold back the humongous zombies arm. Sweat poured down his body stinging his eyes and matting his red hair to his head.
"Grundy smash you for entering his swamp," the creature bellowed swinging his free arm around.
Twin beams of crimson energy shot from Zar's eyes, slicing the arm off just below the elbow.
Grundy howled ripping his arm free of Zar's grip. He clamped his hand over his smoldering stump, black blood oozing from between his fingers.
Zar launched himself forward, water splashing up around him. As he moved he noticed Grundy's severed arm transform into a wisp of gray energy out of the corner of his eye.
"Zar, be careful," his father warned. "His energy signature matches yours after you returned from your trip to the city."
Zar ducked under a punch slamming his fist into Grundy's ribs. The bones caved under the blow, and black blood spewed from Grundy's mouth. "Are you telling me this thing is somehow connected to the earth?"
"That's exactly what I'm telling you."
A scream rent the air.
Zar spun, his eyes widening as he caught sight of the girl clutched in a bear hug against the Dementor's chest.
Massive thick white arms wrapped around him, pulling him backwards. He slammed against hard muscle. The smell of rotten flesh and plant matter filled his nose.
"Grundy crush you into paste."
Zar grunted at the pressure on his ribs inwardly grateful that his armor took the brunt of the burden.
With a burst of will, Zar flew backwards pushing Grundy with him. They slammed into trees with enough force to snap them in half. The top halves fell into the river, creating waves that sent ripples through the water. Colorful leaves floated out on the ripples like something out of a painting.
Through all of this, Grundy refused to let go and Zar was forced to watch as the Dementor lifted into the air, the limp black haired teen clutched close to his chest.
Suddenly, a force rippled through the forest, knocking the Dementor out of the air. That same force ripped Lori from the creature's grasp. "Sorry I'm late, but we didn't know there was trouble until a few minutes ago."
Zar's gaze snapped upward a pale skinned woman floated in the air above him, her wavy light brown hair fluttering in the breeze. Her dark eyes glinting mischievously as he struggled in Grundy's grasp.
She drifted towards the ground. Her slender well-muscled arms crossed over a black AC/DC T-shirt that outlined her small breasts. Tight blue jeans hugged the curves of her hips, their edges fluttering slightly as she drifted down.
She touched down, the heels of her black high-heeled boots sinking into the mud.
"Who are you?" Zar grunted.
"I'm Tonks, your new partner, but you can call me…" her skin rippled becoming a pea green color. A white stripe ran over her eyes, down her cheeks, and across her arms. Her wavy brown hair became a straight carrot colored red instead of the deep fire color Zar possessed, the dark haired teen floated into her arms, and her now Amber eyes scanned the body, "Miss Martian."
For a long moment, Zar stared at the woman before him, wondering how on earth a Martian could be part of the wizarding world. From what the fortress was able to tell them, Mars was now a desolate dirt ball, its life having been extinguished thousands of years ago. Could the fortress be wrong, or was Tonks a remnant of a forgotten race like his mother?
Shaking his head, Zar slammed the back of his skull into Grundy's nose, the crunch of cartilage reverberating in his ears.
With a roar Grundy released him, his baseball mitt like hands flying to his face.
Dropping to the ground in a crouch, he swept one leg beneath the water, clipping Grundy's feet out from under him. He fell backwards sending waves to either side of him and ripples through the water.
Exhaling, a cold wind washed over the water. Ice grew up around Grundy, pinning him in place.
The pale giant roared, straining against the ice, cracks began to echo through the forest, but its surface held.
Seizing his chance, Zar leapt into the air, forcing magic into his right arm. It became like putty, his skintight armor infusing with his magic to allow the shift. His arm collapsed into itself, forming into a gleaming four foot long bone spike.
Descending towards the giant, he drew his arm back. His eyes locked on to his target, his visage reflected back at him in Grundy's dark eyes. Lips pressed into a thin line, he drove the spike forward. The bone spike pierced Grundy's eye, squirting pale gray viscous fluid over his broad face.
Zar's arm jolted as the spike continued on, slamming into the back of the legends skull.
Twitching once, Solomon Grundy collapsed into himself, his flesh steaming off his bones before they too evaporated, sinking into the water for him to one day rise again.
Landing on the ground, Zar flicked the bit of brain matter off his spike before the lower half of his arm shifted back to a black scaled forearm ending in a large five fingered hand.
"Well that was brutal," Tonks or Miss Martian commented.
"That thing was dangerous. It needed to be put down."
"Some would say the same about you."
A luminescent white eye pinned her where she stood, making her feel like it was seeing into her very soul. "Is that what you think?"
"I haven't decided yet."
Ignoring her, Zar sent his magic outwards, his lips twitching. His heart becoming a little lighter freeing him of the guilt he felt about killing the creature as his power merged with the Philosopher's soul. Wrapping his magic around it, he pulled it towards him. The rough cut golden stone flew through the air, smacking into his grayscale covered palm.
Raising his arm high above his head, the stone pinched between his thumb and pointer finger. He forced magic into it. Golden light shone from the jewel, hitting the remaining recovering Dementors like a laser light show. A shiver ran down Zar's arm as the jewel became like a block of ice before returning to normal as it consumed the Dementor's essence.
Miss Martian's amber eyes locked on the stone. "What is that thing?"
"Nothing you or the ministry needs to be worried about," tossing it into the air. It reached about two feet before shimmering out of existence. His gaze flicked to the dark-haired girl cradled in Martian's arms. "What do we do with her?"
Placing the tips of two green fingers against the girl's forehead, Martian's eyes filled with a pale peppermint green light. After a moment, she withdrew her hand, her eyes fading back to their normal amber. "There, I've removed the memories of what happened here. When she wakes up tomorrow, she'll think she had a nice time in the city."
Zar arched an eyebrow. "How's she supposed to think that when she wakes up here?" He gestured around him."
Martian's bright red lips curled into a grin. She waved her hand. A small stone floated up from the ground, shining with a blue light. It settled itself on the black haired teen's chest, causing her to disappear in a swirl of color.
"Where did you send her?"
Martian's form shimmered until she became Tonks once more. She tucked a strand of light Brown hair behind her ear. "I picked her address and the image of her bedroom out of her mind. I then turned a stone into a Port Key to take her home."
"Clever."
Tonks curtsied picking up the edges of an imaginary dress. "Thank you." She straightened up. "Now come on we have to report to the boss about what happened here."
Zar shook his head. "No, not yet."
Tonks arched a light Brown eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Half of the technology used to create the starfish that has been mutating wizards was created by Wayne enterprises. We are awful close to their main branch in Gotham, so I think it's time we pay them a visit."
–XX –
A lone Dementor soared through the air, the black hairs clutched in its three fingered hand flattened against its gray skin. It dipped low skimming the surface of the ocean as it curled around the coast of an island.
Slipping into the mouth of a cave, florescent lights clicked on, their buzzing bouncing off the rough cut rocks.
The tunnel gave way to a large chamber, light bulbs hanging from the stalactites lit up the space like day.
A large pentagram painted in black was etched into the floor, circles at each of its five points.
Inside each circle were large glass cylinders, topped with small silver colored domes. Cables ran from each cylinder to an octagon shaped tank in the pentagrams center.
The Dementor glided around the edge of the pentagram, its shadow passing over a set of metal beds with shackles at the bottom and center mounted into the far wall.
The lights of the computers lining the cave walls dimmed as its shadow passed over them.
It flowed into another tunnel, exiting into a smaller chamber.
Tables filled this chamber in neat rows, gleaming silver starfish lining each table.
It stopped before a central table, thrusting its fist outward presenting the occupant with the hairs.
A feminine curvaceous form cloaked in black sat at the table, its green hands moving like a spider's legs over a partially completed starfish. It glanced up, long curly black hair falling out of its hood. "Where is Lori Zechlin?" They asked staring at the hairs clutched in the creatures gray scab covered hand.
"Gone," the Dementor rasped its voice like a hissing snake.
The figure flowed like water to its feet, its dark green hands curling into fists, crimson energy outlining its eyes beneath its hood. "How could nine Dementors lose against a girl whose only power is magical absorption? Your abilities should have been impossible for her to absorb."
"Trouble," the Dementor rasped.
"Show me," the figure reached its slender hand forward, their fingernails reflecting the light just before they disappeared beneath the Dementor's hood. The tips of their fingers brushed the middle of the long horse like snout beneath the hood. A shudder ran through their body as they felt the rough scabs beneath their touch.
Pushing the discomfort away, they pushed their magic inside the Dementor, merging it with the swirling blackness that made up its core.
A gasp exploded from beneath the hood as images filled their mind, their body jerked, causing the hood to fall away to reveal a heart-shaped face with prominent cheekbones. Wavy black hair framed a face as beads of sweat ran down the dark green skin.
Almond shaped eyes drifted sleepily closed for a moment, before snapping open, their deep red color almost glowing. The woman leaned forward, strands of her dark hair falling to obscure her face.
Gently, she took the hairs from the Dementor, leading the way back to the main chamber. Stopping before one of the tanks in the pentagram circles, she pressed the button just below its glass cylinder. A small tray slid out with the mechanized whine. Delicately, she laid each hair on the tray, applying gentle pressure to it once she finished.
With another mechanized whine, the tray slid closed, the blue light of the tank turning green as the hairs appeared floating inside.
Nodding she turned to the Dementor, "I think it's time we gathered some new friends. If little Zar wants to interfere in my plans, then he'll learn the consequences of tangling with Wotan."