The Other Kryptonian

Chapter 26

Zar felt warm, like his entire body was soaking in a hot bath. His muscles relaxed as a low moan escaped his lips. Then reality came back to him. Images of Wotan rising out of a white beam of energy, draining his power, and sinking to the bottom of the ocean flashed through his mind.

His eyes snapped open, only to slam shut again as bright light flooded them. He grimaced squeezing his eyes shut as tears ran down his face, "Where the heck am I?"

"You're lying in front of the source wall, my young descendent," a deep cultured voice said from somewhere off to his left.

Slowly, giving his eyes time to adjust, Zar opened his eyes willing himself to float upwards. Turning his body he came face-to-face with the strangest being he had seen yet.

He was aqua blue with an egg shaped head sitting perpendicular on a long thin neck. Two yellow eyes peered at him from the sides of the man, or creatures head. Slotted nostrils flared as he crossed his forearms over his chest, each arm ended in a hand with three fingers. The tips of those fingers were slightly rounded.

A purple toga covered his upper body, showing off a wide but thin chest.

"Well I have to say," the man began in his deep voice, "you don't look like much, but then again most of our family doesn't."

Zar shook his head, his eyes wandering over to a wall made of giant stone statues. Each of the statues reached outward, their mouths open in a soundless scream. Their eyes filled with either fury or pain.

Slowly, he turned back to the creature, its visage reflected in his white eyes, "Is this hell?"

The creature shook his head, "No boy, I told you. You're at the base of the source wall."

"Okay, who are you? Where is the source wall? Why did you call me your young descendent and how did I get here?"

The creature bobbed his head up and down, "Well at least you have an inquisitive nature. My name is Vohc. I am the progenitor of your line and former god of building on krypton." He opened his top right hand, revealing the philosopher's soul, "As for how you got here, you have this stone to thank for that." He tossed the golden oval-shaped stone to Zar.

"Okay and where is the source wall?"

"The source wall is at the very edge of the universe. It is what separates one universe from another," Vohc's gaze intensified, his yellow eyes seeming to glow, "and you broke ours."

Zar's eyes widened, "Wait, what! How is that possible?"

Vohc nodded to the wall.

Following his gaze, Zar saw a large crack between two screaming giants. From the angle he was standing, he had to float upwards. The giant's outstretched arms hiding half of the crack from view.

The crack stretched a good mile, weaving in between the two statues limbs. The sheer size of it reminded Zar of pictures of the Grand Canyon he had seen during his kryptonian training.

"When you and your mother came through to this reality, you cracked the source wall sending vibrations throughout our universe, and inadvertently awakening Wotan from her current reincarnation."

"What?"

Vohc nodded. "For some reason this time around, Wotan was supposed to experience a new life when she reincarnated herself. Your entrance into this reality caused her to awaken her old memories."

Zar's hands curled into fists. The memory of Ariana Dumbledore falling to her knees in that field of flowers flashing through his mind, his fist shook as he remembered how she gripped her head as tears ran down her face.

Shaking his head, he looked at Vohc, "What t do I do?"

"The only thing you can do, patch the crack in the wall, and stop Wotan."

"How do I do that? She has transformed herself into one of the most powerful beings on the planet."

Vohc glanced at the crack in the source wall.

Zar followed his gaze, his eyes widening, "You want me to imprison her here!"

Vohc stared at him, "You need to fix the source wall, and you need to stop Wotan. This seems to be the most obvious solution."

Guilt blossomed in Zar's chest, weighing him down like an anchor tied around his waist. "How can I do that to her, when my actions are what made her who she is now?"

Vohc inclined his head, "You're right you did create Wotan as she is now, that makes her your responsibility. You could allow your guilt to rule you, and allow her to reshape the world in her image, or you could take responsibility and stop her once and for all."

"Even if I wanted to stop her, how would I even go about it? She's so powerful now."

"So are you, you have the power of two gods flowing through your veins."

"It's not enough."

"Only because you insist on using your magic like a hammer, you have the power of creation at your fingertips, that power is only limited by your imagination, stop using it like a blunt instrument and prove that you are worthy of my legacy."

Vohc thrust his arm forward, slamming his hand into Zar's chest.

Zar cried out as he flew backwards, old kryptonian knowledge flowing into his mind.

–XX –

Amelia Bones, minister of magic, spun in a slow circle, her red hair flying around her. Pale luminescent vapor gathered around her, forming into the ghost of Roman soldiers. They slammed their gauntleted fist on their chest plates, the sound reverberating like a gong. Silver blood flowed from the head wounds that had ended their lives.

With a gesture, Amelia sent them forward.

Their heavy booted footsteps reverberated off the street as they slammed against the skeletal remains of pirates, their ghostly swords given solid form by Amelia's power sliced through bone like a hot knife through butter.

The bones clattered to the ground, falling into ash against ancient cobblestones that made up the street.

Stretching forth her hand, Amelia absorbed her soldiers into her body, straightening as their energies restored her.

Hundreds of skeletal soldiers ran the streets, brandishing their rusted weapons as they herded the civilians like cattle.

Tearing her gaze away from the skeletal forces, Amelia's eyes landed on the police at the end of the street. They lay on the ground, blood pooling beneath their bodies, staining their dark uniforms.

She tensed as the bodies twitched, her eyes widening as they slowly push themselves to their feet. Their eyes were blank, their hands slowly drifting towards the clubs dangling from their belts.

Amelia raised her hands, ready to summon more help.

Red beams flew over her shoulder incinerating the police in a moment.

Slowly, Amelia turned. Kara descended towards her, her long blonde hair flowing down her back, her light blue eyes hard. The red spandex she wore highlighted her muscular frame and made Amelia think of some alien Valkyrie.

Kara touched down, her eyes flicking over Amelia's form. Smudges of grime covered the minister's face, strands of crimson hair poked up all over her head, and her heavy crimson robes were now ratty and torn. "Don't you have people to fight for you, minister?"

"Unlike my predecessors, I care about all life. This problem was caused by magic, so it is my responsibility to help defend the normal people."

Kara inclined her head, "Very noble," her eyes flicked to the floating Wotan, "but you really should be taking on this problem at the source."

"Be my guest," Amelia replied wiping sweat from her brow, "she's got some kind of force field around her. No magic I throw at it seems to pierce it, and most of my forces are spread throughout the city fighting more of these things," she flicked her wrist bronze throwing stars emerged from the folds of her cloak spinning through the air.

They slammed into undead skulls, the runes carved into their blades flaring to life rendering them into piles of ash as Amelia's necromancy put their restless spirits to sleep once more.

"That seems handy."

"Yeah, unfortunately Zar didn't give me enough of them to blanket the entire city, and my powers over the dead are nothing compared to Wotan's."

"Keep fighting minister, I'll see if I can put an end to this." Pushing off the ground, Kara launched herself into the air

–XX –

Wotan hovered above London, her gray eyes surveying the scene as skeletons climbed buildings, smashed windows, and broke down doors to enter dwellings. She felt triumph flow through her as her soldiers slew anyone foolish enough to stand up to her. Soon, the city would be hers. It would be the platform on which she remade the world. Men would become the cattle of the world, while women lived in paradise.

A sharp crack drew her attention.

She looked down just in time to see a bullet fall away from the egg shaped translucent blue dome surrounding her body.

Following the bullets path, a dark smile stretched across her face as she saw armed police kneeling behind their cars, their pistols trained on her position.

Her gray eyes flashed at the next shot.

The bullets exploded out the back of the guns, killing the officers holding them.

Stretching forth her hand, she pushed her power forward.

The armed police rose to their feet, their death wounds still leaking warm life-giving fluid. Together they dropped their mangled weapons, some pulled out secondary pistols, while others removed batons. As one they lumbered into the streets ready to do their mistresses bidding.

"Wotan!" Kara screamed shooting towards her, her long blonde hair flying out behind her, her light blue eyes filled with fury. With a scream, Kara launched her fist forward. It impacted the barrier sending ripples across it and a shockwave through the city that shattered the glass of nearby buildings.

People screamed as large chunks of reflective shrapnel rained to the city below.

Kara tensed, preparing to dive and save the people she had inadvertently endangered.

Lightning zoomed along the streets, causing Kara to pause. It scooped up each civilian, moving them a safe distance away so that the glass shattered harmlessly on the street.

Kid Flash stopped below her. "Don't worry Supergirl. We've got your back," the teen speedster gestured around him.

Superboy a.k.a. Connor Kent dove from the sky, smashing through skeletons like they were made of cardboard.

Robin wove around the undead with the grace of a dancer, smashing bones with his silver staff.

Artemis sat on a nearby rooftop, firing arrow after arrow into skulls, causing the rest of the bony bodies to fall to the ground.

Aqua lad a.k.a. Garth stood in the center of an undead horde, his eyes closed, purple energy dancing around his body. With a sharp word, his opponent's eyes blazed purple as they turned to attack their fellows.

Miss Martian a.k.a. Tonks hovered in the sky, her arms outstretched. Fireballs burst into life around her, raining to the streets below to burn bone to ash.

Kara turned to Wotan, a grin on her face, "You're mine."

Her barrier fading away, Wotan uncrossed her arms, a board expression on her face, "I've already defeated one kryptonian hybrid," she flicked her long wavy black hair out behind her, "but I suppose I can play with you."

Kara's eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. "What did you do to Zar?" She snarled.

Wotan arched an eyebrow, her lips twitching, "Oh, you like him do you, well defeat me, and I will tell you."

Red energy flared around Kara, as crimson blades grew out of her wrists. In a blur of motion, she was on the sorceress.

Wotan weaved from side to side, dodging the girl's wild swipes. Growing board with the battle, she caught Kara's blades on her next swing gasping as energy flowed into her body.

Kara grimaced, feeling energy leave her body. Willing her blades away, she floated backwards, her eyes never leaving Wotan's form, "What are you?"

Wotan spread her arms wide, "Your new goddess." All the skeletons that had been destroyed reformed. Flesh began to grow over their bones. Within seconds, the enemy surrounded Young Justice and Amelia Bones.

"It's time to show you just how powerful I am," flexing her fingers, one of the newly restored skeletons lumbered forward grabbing a hold of Kid Flash. Electricity danced across undead flesh before jumping to the next skeleton. Soon every skeleton lining the main street of London was wreathed in electricity.

Snarling, Superboy launched his fist towards the revived dead holding Kid Flash, only for him to blur out of the way, letting Kid Flash drop to the ground, Connor's eyes widened, "they have Kid Flash's speed."

Dread settled in Kara's stomach as she stared at all the soldiers Wotan had created, each one vibrating with Kid Flash's speed. How could they possibly win now?

"Do you see now," Wotan began, "I cannot only absorb powers. I can bestow them. Now serve me, or…"

A white flash cut her off, blinding everyone in the streets below.

When it faded, Zar hovered a few feet away from Kara dressed in a purple toga and white cotton pants. His short red hair swayed from side to side in the wind and his pale white eyes blazed with an inner power.

"We are leaving," he said curling his fingers into a fist, his middle finger brushing the golden wristband around his wrist.

In a blink, the young justice team, Amelia Bones, and Kara disappeared.

Zar slowly turned to look at Wotan, guilt clawing at his chest as he gazed upon her pale skin and gray eyes. His mind overlapping the features of Ariana Dumbledore on her frame, "I will return Ariana, and when I do this will end."

The sorceress flicked her wrist, powerlines broke free from their polls, transforming into black snakes wreathed with electricity. They lunged towards Zar, hunger shining in their luminescent blue eyes.

Zar disappeared, air rushing in to fill the space he had been.

Wotan stared at the spot he vanished. She couldn't explain it, but unease began to grow in her gut. Shaking her head, she turned her gaze down to her superspeed army. "What are you all doing?" she screamed. "Finish capturing the city."

–XX –

The group appeared in Zar's fortress in a loose circle.

Kid flash slowly rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping around the fortress antechamber. "Well that's new," he turned his attention to Zar. "since when can you teleport? I thought your body was too dense."

"I've recently had a new teacher that taught me some new tricks."

Kara moved over to Zar looking him up and down, "Are you okay? When we didn't hear back from you after you told us who Wotan was, we feared the worst."

Placing his hands on Kara's shoulders, Zar stared into her eyes, "I'm fine I was just foolish enough to take on the new Wotan by myself and paid the price."

Removing one hand from Kara shoulder, Zar flipped it over palm up. The philosopher's soul shimmered into existence in his hand, "if it wasn't for this, I would most likely be dead. The philosopher soul healed me and teleported me to the source wall, the wall that separates universes from one another." He looked away. "there I learned some unpleasant truths."

Kara grabbed his face gently turning him to face her, "What truths?"

"Before that, where are our parents?"

"At the ministry helping protect the Stargate, now what truths?"

Zar stared into her eyes, drawing strength from her presence, "The truth that my arrival in this universe created Wotan."

Robin stalked forward, his eyes blazing behind his domino mask, "What do you mean you created Wotan?"

"According to Vohc," Zar began keeping his gaze locked on Kara.

"The kryptonian god who built our world, Vohc the builder?"

Zar raised an eyebrow, "Funny, I thought he was the kryptonian god of creation."

Kara raised her shoulders, "Builder, creation it's the same thing. Now, how did you create Wotan?"

"When my mother and I traveled to this universe. We unknowingly broke through the source wall of this world, which sent ripples the reality and awoke Wotan inside her current reincarnation. According to Vohc, for some reason Wotan was not going to awaken her memories or powers this time." He stared into Kara's eyes, his grip tightening on her shoulders, "everything Wotan has done is my fault."

Kara stared at him for a long moment and then pinched him hard.

"Ouch, what was that for?"

"For being an idiot," Kara snapped with fire in her eyes, "you may have awakened Wotan, but it was her choice to do the things she's done. Now quit wallowing in your guilt and fix your mess."

Zar stared at her for a long moment. Then, he yanked her forward smashing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss.

Kara tensed then relaxed, her arms snaking around Zar's form pulling him close.

After what seemed like an eternity, they broke apart staring into each other's eyes.

"What was that for?" Kara asked breathlessly, her lips puffy, her breath coming out in shallow pants.

"For kicking me out of my funk," Zar replied still holding her close, his eyebrows wiggled upwards, "besides that righteous anger was kind of hot."

Robin opened his mouth to say something, but Kid Flash cut him off, "Not that we aren't enjoying this awkward moment, but how do we stop Wotan?"

"According to Vohc, I need to imprison her in the source wall in order to repair the damage I've done to it."

Artemis stepped forward, her bow clutched in her hand. "And how are you going to do that? I doubt she's just going to take a trip with you."

Zar glanced up at the ceiling, "Computer, do we have a phantom projector."

In answer the circular platform in the center of the room sank into the floor, when it rose again there was a long rifle with a cone at the end of its barrels sitting on the platform.

Zar made his way over to the platform, his eyes scanning the projector, "Computer, this looks different than the records of the Phantom projector."

"This phantom projector was designed by the original inhabitants of this fortress to be used as a long-distance weapon," the computers female mechanized voice responded.

"That's convenient." Hitting a small angled spot behind the scope, Zar brought up a holographic screen. After a few moments, he looked up, locking eyes with Artemis, "How good of a shot are you?"

–XX –

Wotan stood in the middle of the street, her gaze trailing over the superspeed soldiers lining the sidewalk on either side of her. Turning her gaze forward, her horned helm flashing in the light, she made her way down a side street, the glass in an old clothing store from the 1940s reflecting her visage.

Stopping before a red phone booth she reached her hand towards the door, the silver gauntlet covering her arm reflected in the glass. Just as her pale fingertips touch the glass, a cold wind slammed into her sending her tumbling down the street.

Karsta Wor-Ul descended from the sky, her shoulder-length crimson hair pulled back in a short ponytail. "You will not be entering that building," she snarled, her emerald eyes hard.

Wotan slowly rose to her feet, letting her gaze trail over the woman's form.

She was tall for a woman about five foot ten. A bright red T-shirt covered her torso and showed off her muscular arms. Black silk pants hugged her legs.

"Do you really think you can stop me?" Wotan asked as the woman's bare feet touched the asphalt.

"Unlike my son, I was trained as a soldier."

Karsta blurred forward. Appearing in front of Wotan, her fist rocketed towards the sorceress's face.

Wotan flipped her wrist, electricity exploded from nearby Street lamps slamming into Karsta's chest and blasting her backwards.

Karsta slammed into the ground, rolling along the asphalt like a cloud of dust in the desert. She stopped in a puddle, pale smoke rising from her form.

"Do you see now why your attack was futile? You could've never stopped me."

A stone fist slammed into the side of her head, driving her through the storefront window with incredible force. She slammed into manikins, sending their bodies scattering along the floor.

Racks inside metal shelving bent, sending their screws flying through the air like bullets.

Wotan cried out as the screws bit into her skin blood spirting into the air.

Following her through the shop, Zar flared his magic out, sending it washing across the metal shelves scattered throughout the store.

The shelves liquefied transforming into a thick cable with inch-long spikes.

Twitching his fingers, Zar sent his new cable wrapping around Wotan's body.

With blood running down her arms from the new spikes pinning her limbs to her body, Wotan flew through the shop. Old clothes wrapped around her body hooking on the spikes before she exploded out the stores back wall.

She hit a light post bending it in half before finally stopping at a brown stone with enough force to send loose bricks falling down on her head.

With her head ringing from the impact, Wotan stared at her attacker.

Zar descended from the sky, loose pieces of asphalt floating up into the air to cover his arms and legs. "I'll give you one chance, Wotan, but only for your parent's sake. Stop this madness"

A red aura exploded around Wotan's body melting the cable away. She rose to her feet, ashes from the clothes wrapped around her fluttering away on the wind. Steam rose off her wounds as they sealed shut. Adjusting her dented helmet, she frowned when she noticed one of the horns had snapped off.

Her gray eyes locked on Zar, "Do you really think I would stop after all I've done to complete my goals?"

Zar shook his head, his eyes glowing like miniature moons, "No, but I promised your mother I wouldn't kill you if I didn't have to. Now my conscience is clear."

With a step, Zar completely disappeared. Appearing beside Wotan, he threw a kick at her head.

Wotan raised her arms, her fingertips brushing stone. Her eyes widened when she didn't feel energy flowing into her body.

Zar's kick broke through her weak defense slamming into her skull and sending her sideways into the street.

Flinging herself away from him, Wotan cartwheeled to a stop in the center of the street, blood running down the side of her face, a noticeable dent in her helmet.

She stared at Zar as he walked towards her, "Why can't I drain your power?"

Zar cocked his head to the side, "So that worked." With another step he disappeared.

Wotan hunched over spittle flying from her mouth as Zar's fist appeared in her gut.

Grinding her teeth together, her lips twisted into a snarl. Eyes flashing crimson, she slammed her fist into Zar's chest, driving him backwards.

Zar fell backwards, glancing down at the earth that moved over his chest. Vohc was right, he was using magic like a hammer, but now linked into the mystical energies of the earth through the kryptonian gazing technique he had found his true potential. The earth itself acted as an automatic defense, refusing to allow him to be hurt by one that had defiled its power.

Wotan straightened up, loose strands of black hair poking from beneath her helm, "I don't need to absorb your power to beat you." With a gesture, her superspeed soldiers blurred forward.

Zar raised his arms, his hands wreathed in bright green energy. Vines burst from the sidewalk, shooting forward to ensnare the speedsters, only for them to blur out of the way.

With the twitch of his head, a fire hydrant exploded, water sprayed out forming into ice crystals halfway to their targets.

Undead speedsters fell as ice impacted the bodies, temporarily slowing them down.

Zar kicked a nearby speedster towards a charging Wotan, only for her to jump its body. She closed the distance between them one arm outstretched, a spike growing from her palm.

Grabbing a nearby speedster, Zar held it in front of him. The spike punched through the speedster's stomach, missing Zar's chest by an inch. With a snarl, he pushed the body forward slamming it into Wotan and driving all three of them down the street.

– XX –

"Are you ready yet?" Kid Flash asked Artemis as the archer sited in the Phantom projector.

Ignoring the wind whipping her blonde hair into her face, Artemis looked through the scope of the Phantom projector. Her tongue darting out across dry lips, "Yes, I'm ready now shut up and let me concentrate."

Letting out a breath, she tuned out the world around her. Until it was only the steady drum of her heartbeat in her ears and the images through the scope.

She watched the battle play out before her, marveling at both combatants' power and the capabilities of magic.

When Zar began pushing Wotan down the street with the undead speedster between them, she knew her moment was coming. Aiming the Phantom projector a little ahead of the speeding trio, she pulled the trigger.

"Kid Flash," Robin's voice said in the speedster's ear, "what's your status?"

"Artemis has just pulled the trigger, our jobs done."

"Good, Arzaz information was right, without Wotan concentrating on them, the zombie speedsters can't fight back. With her distracted were cleaning up the last of them now, but we lost Kara."

"What! What do you mean you lost Kara?"

"After taking care of the undead in her part of the city, she disappeared."

Kid flash turned his gaze to the street, catching sight of a red blur slowly catching up to Zar. "don't worry, I see her."

–XX –

Wotan's eyes widened as the portal exploded into existence behind her. With a thought, the zombie dispersed into ash, causing Zar to temporarily lose his footing and slam bodily into her. Triumph filled her, as her fingertips brushed the bearskin of Zar's face and energy flooded into her body.

Zar stumbled, feeling the familiar drain of Wotan's power. His body began to get heavy, his eyes began to droop. Shaking his head, he bared his teeth. Wrapping his arms around Wotan's body, he pressed on, an unfamiliar burn blossoming in his legs as his powers left him.

Wotan slammed her feet into the ground, her new strength Stallings Zar's run. Her fingers scraped along his back, tearing his flesh open. Rivulets of blood ran across his skin.

Zar cried out as Wotan tore into him, the pain of her attack filling him with rage that drove him onward. He pushed forward moving Wotan inch by inch closer to the portal. He couldn't allow her to win. No matter what happened to her in the past, that didn't justify her subjugating humanity.

Wotan placed her hands beneath the purple toga he wore, his rock armor having fallen away as she began to drain his strength. Grasping his shoulders, she gasped as more strength flowed into her.

Zar's knees shook as his power began to leave him again. Reaching out with his mind, he brushed against the green, feeling the personification of all plant life on earth flare against his touch. Strength filled his body again even as Wotan continued trying to drain it. He pushed forward, driving her towards the portal.

He had to end this now. The earth couldn't afford to give him any more magic. Anymore and plant life all over the world would begin to die.

A foot away from the portal, Wotan grew desperate she rammed her hand down through Zar's chest missing his heart by inches. Blood exploded from Zar's mouth, splattering across her leather armor.

Zar looked at her determination shining in his glazed over eyes, "You won't win even if I have to be imprisoned with you." With a final lunge, he threw them both into the portal.

–XX –

Light filled Zar's vision. He could feel Wotan struggling in his grasp, her fingernails digging into his flesh draining the last vestiges of his power, but he tightened his grip on her.

The light faded leaving black spots in his vision. The source wall came into focus. The thirty foot tall giant statues that made up the source wall stared at them as they descended towards the large crack in its surface.

Zar twisted around large skyscraper sized arms in order to keep them on course. Giant screaming faces blurred passed them.

As they drew closer to the crack, tendrils of energy rose out of it, wrapping around their descending bodies and increasing their speed.

A relieved smile spread across Zar's face. His battle was finally over, Wotan was defeated. She wouldn't be able to hurt anyone anymore. Images of his parents, the Potters, the Flamel's, and everyone else he had met since arriving on earth flash through his mind. The earth was safe now, but did he do enough to leave a mark, or was his legacy going to be bringing Wotan back into the world?

Stone began to creep up their bodies. The walls of the crack grew larger around them as they sank deeper into the wall.

"Zar!" A voice screamed.

Turning his stiffening neck, Zar's eyes widened at the sight of Kara shooting towards him, her arm outstretched, her hand grasping in desperation for his.

"Kara," he rasped, hope in something that might've been love flooded him. He didn't know what he had with her, or if it would last, but he definitely wanted to find out.

Releasing Wotan, he pushed off her with his one good leg the other having been turned to stone. Wotan's petrified form sank into the crack, enlarging to fill the space.

Zar drifted upwards, the walls power still pulling at him stones still growing over his body. He reached forward barely feeling Kara's fingers wrap around his stone digits.