Chapter 18: Future's Doomsday VI

So finally they are all back together and Clark listens carefully as he is caught up on everything. As they are all caught up on everything each other knows. "Kryptonian devil?" he queries with a frown. He isn't sure what they mean unless they mean "Cythonna."

"You know who she is?" Buffy asks him.

"I know the stories," he replies. During his training where a lot of Krypton's history was basically downloaded into his brain his father covered Kryptonian mythology. "Long ago Rao and his rival Cythonna created two worlds and filled them with their own two creations. Rao created Krypton and the Kryptonian race. Cythonna created its twin planet Cython. The people there were called Cythonnans."

Dawn blinks. She had known Clark longer. She had survived that battle but she didn't know that. "You never mentioned a twin planet," she points out.

Clark shrugs, unable to give her an explanation. "It isn't there anymore. It was destroyed long ago, long before Krypton's own end. It was destroyed in the Wars of Fire and Ice between the two planets and between Rao and Cythonna. She supposedly died when the planet was destroyed."

"Well she didn't," Dawn tells him. "A year from your now from your point of view she will rise and proclaim her dominion over the world."

Clark looks at Buffy sitting beside him. "And Buffy dies. You said already." His heart had pinched painfully at that as well as at the point Dawn said that Chloe died too. He places his arm around her instinctually and Buffy leans into him.

Clark listens on more as Dawn reiterates how Willow's mental state deteriorated to the point they had to lock her up, how many years passed by until she chose her moment to escape and of what she did afterwards.

"Doomsday?" Rokk asks with great concern. "That...that thing is still alive." He, like all the Legion know of Doomsday and of its part in history. You can't simply miss out the creature that kills Superman.

"You know what it is?" Clark asks his 3 friends from the future.

"Ask Brainiac," Dawn tells them. "It created Doomsday."

All eyes turn to the green skinned mechanical representation. "I did but if you think I can control it or stop it then I must inform you that I cannot. Mistress Willow's control over it is absolute."

"What is it?" Clark asks Brainiac.

"I created it to fulfil an ancient Kryptonian myth of the Ultimate Destroyer of life. I blended genetic samples from all of Krypton's most powerful and dangerous lifeforms and fused them into one single being. It required a fairly substantial gestation period of many Earth years before it matured fully so I created a chamber deep underground to house it until it was ready. Upon waking it fulfilled its purpose until Kal-El stopped it. The effort of doing so killing him in the process."

Clark isn't sure how he quite takes the news that he dies...again. Well at least he goes out saving people.

"Where is this chamber?" Buffy asks thinking that if they know then upon their return to their own time they can destroy it long before it gets a chance to kill Clark.

"That information is not available. It is contained amongst my fragmented memory files," Brainiac replies in a simple factual manner.

Well that is just not handy at all Buffy muses to herself.

"We're getting away from the what we need to do now," Dawn announces trying to get this meeting back on track. "What we need to do is incapacitate Willow long enough for me to send you all back where you should be. Despite her being weakened she is still able to stop any attempt I make at doing that."

"And we need to get back our Will too," Buffy points out.

"That means going through Doomsday," Bruce points out from the corner where he is standing. He has to say it is actually odd to see Clark, a man he would consider almost a brother, again as he was before they even met. Before he ended up with that slightly haunted look that only comes from losing someone you love. Bruce knows it well. He has seen it every day in the mirror since he was 8.

"Yeah that is the main snag here," Dawn will admit. "But we have others?"

"What do you mean?" Bruce asks with some concern.

"Due to how much power she is using to maintain the paradox Willow can't block my ability to remote sight anymore. I can see what she is doing. She is gathering all her demon minions and any other creatures she can find as a little army to protect her. She knows we will come for the younger version of her. She knows I can't send you home while she is conscious. She knows she no longer has the power available to fight us by herself."

Bruce stands in quiet contemplation for a few moments. "Then we don't have to go through Doomsday exactly. We just have to keep it occupied long enough to get to Willow." Bruce's gaze turns to Clark and wonders if he has enough power at his current age to do that.

Rokk suddenly speaks up. "We'll do that," he says in reference to him and the Legion.

Clark's head turns sharply. "You won't," he says in no uncertain terms.

"Yes Kal. We will," Rokk insists. "You cannot face it. It can kill you. It will kill you and you cannot be allowed to die."

"I am going to die," Clark points out. "Dawn already said it. I will die fighting Doomsday."

"One day Kal. I can't deny that one day you will but it must not be now. You have so much to do first," Rokk almost pleads with him.

"I concur," Bruce says readily. He too knows the importance of Clark's role to come.

Clark turns to look at the man in the corner. "Do you think I will just standby and allow something that powerful to just kill my friends?" he asks with a steel laced tone.

Bruce almost sighs. Damn Kent. Even as nothing more than a kid he has that selfless sacrifice streak going. He even has the same steely look in his eyes that says he has already decided and nothing is changing his mind. "Alright but not alone. All 4 of you will fight it and it is just about holding it off long enough so that we can get to Willow."

"5 of us," another voice pipes up.

"Absolutely not," Clark tells the person with the same steel in his voice he used before.

"But dad," Karen objects.

"No but dad nothing," Clark tells his daughter.

Karen stands up as does Clark. They stare at each other arms crossed across their chests in the same exact stance. "You don't get to tell me what to do. I'm 21 and you've been dead for 10 years," Karen says defiantly.

"I am not letting you fight a monster."

"I've been avoiding that creature for 10 years. I know more about it than you do."

"I've just found out today I have a daughter. I am not losing you tomorrow."

"God Dad! Stop being so over-protective," Karen complains vociferously.

"Over-protective? This creature is Kryptonian. Do you have any idea what it takes to fight anything Kryptonian?"

"Well no," Karen admits. She has never fought Doomsday or anything Kryptonian.

"I do. I fought Zod. I fought Brainiac at its peak. I fought an insane clone that used my weaknesses as its strengths. I will not allow you to put yourself in harm's way."

Karen realises something. "Oh I know what this is. This is you taking responsibility for everything Kryptonian that happens to be evil. Get over it dad. Those things are not your fault."

"But they are my responsibility. I am the Last Son of Krypton. It falls upon me to clean up Krypton's legacy."

"I'm still going to help you whether you approve or not," Karen says with a firm steely tone.

Clark looks into his daughter's eyes for a few moments and sees she isn't shifting from her position. He looks down at Buffy. "This has to be your genes that are responsible."

Buffy scoffs. "Like you aren't stubborn when the occasion calls for it and for the record I am not any happier than you are by what she wants but recognise Clark that she is an adult and therefore capable of making her own decisions."

Clark looks at her curiously. "When did you get so wise?"

Buffy shrugs. "Meh. You'd be surprised what you pick up slaying for over 8 years. Then there is the fact I had to raise Dawn after mom died."

"Which you did a suck-ass job at," Dawn points out.

Buffy glares at her sister who responds in that eternally mature way of sticking her tongue out at Buffy.

Clark rubs his forehead. "Ok fine Karen you can come but please be careful."

"Great!" Karen says joyfully. "I finally get to try out that costume I made."

"Costume?" Clark asks to which Karen nods.

"Totally your daughter Clark," Buffy remarks.


It is the next day that the rebels suit up and get ready to march out for the showdown with Willow. Took that long just to get everyone ready. Buffy is zipping up some body armour when she hears Dawn calling her.

"Buffy! Catch!"

Buffy turns round and grabs the slayer scythe. "You still have it?" she asks surprised.

"Buffy some of these women here are slayers if you didn't realise," Dawn points out. They were all the ones Dawn could save from the last battle with Willow and many of them had carried it over the years.

Buffy works through a few moves with the scythe making sure the feel is still the same.

"Oh my god!" Karen exclaims but at a whisper. "I had forgotten what you looked like in that." She was looking for her father to find him in his Superman suit, a name this version of him has yet to inherit she knows but still it has been so long from her point of view since she saw him last in that. She can remember from being very little the colours blue and red and how vivid they were and how they made her father seem so much larger than life. She can also remember when he would take her flying long before she figured out how to do it herself. How safe, warm and loved she was in his arms and how much she has missed him since he died.

Clark turns round to find what Karen is wearing. She is in a blue skin-tight suit with his shield on her chest. She has red boots and instead of a cape she is wearing a long red trench coat that flows like a cape. It looks spectacular on her. It also seems to accentuate her already voluptuous figure which he isn't happy about. God he is turning into a over-protective father he realises and he has only know her a day. He moves to place his hands on her shoulders. "Please be careful," he asks of her.

"I will. I promise. I...I always wanted to do this with you. Fight by your side," she admits to him.

"Yes well personally I would prefer to solve things with a lot less violence but it always seems to end that way. Especially since I met your mother."

Karen giggles lightly at his joke. "You use to say that to me all time when I was growing up when you told me stories about mom."

Clark smiles a little sadly. "Karen I am going to change things. I promise that I'll find a way so that you won't have to grow up without your mother."

Karen can remember how Superman would never break his word. She moves forward and wraps her arms around her father. "I have missed you dad," she says softly with pained emotion.

Clark holds her tightly. It is all he can do. He hasn't lived that life with her yet so he can't say anything but he will live it and this time Buffy will live it too. He swears it.

"Not too rusty I hope?" Dawn teases Bruce as he packs his utility belt. He hadn't worn the full costume in a long time and he wasn't about to again here. Just the armoured vest and wrist guards.

"I could say the same of you," Bruce says back. It has been many years since Dawn last went toe-to-toe with Willow and used the full extent of her powers.

Dawn takes a breath and when she speaks again her voice is deathly serious. "We have to stop her. We have to get Clark, Buffy and those Legion guys out of here. Whatever it takes."

Bruce moves and pulls Dawn into his arms. They had known each other so long now. Relied on each other ever since the world went to hell. He holds her head to his chest. "You can do this," he assures her. "We will do this."

Dawn simply listens to the beating of Bruce's heart and she gathers herself for this. Last time she nearly died. This time Willow will die even of that means she kills the younger version of her. It is heartless and horrible but it must be done. If it prevents this nightmare then Dawn will accept whatever stain on her soul her actions will bequeath.

"Look," Bruce says and Dawn looks up and entering the room are Clark and Karen looking like each other. Buffy rushes over and while Dawn can't quite hear what she is saying she has a good guess. The 3 of them embrace

"Like Father. Like Daughter. Like Mother," Dawn says. She turns to face him once more. "Bruce when the time comes," she starts to say until Bruce stops her by placing his finger to her lips.

"Don't say it. Unless you have forgotten Kryptonians can hear the blood flow through your veins," he reminds her.

Dawn nods. "Lets get this show on the road."


Willow has assembled her demon army in record time and waits in Metropolis' central park. It is a nice open space. Perfect for a battle. "They'll be here soon," she tells her younger self who is looking miserable. "Oh come on cheer up. Today we save Chloe and all it will take is a few dozen deaths especially Clark's. A price well worth paying don't you think."

"Chloe wouldn't think so," the younger Willow says back with renewed resolve. She had spent the previous night in meditation trying to put back the darkness her older self almost let out and she found the strength by holding the thought in her head of what would Chloe want and she knows it would not be this driven insane by dark power version of her standing next to her.

For an instant it looks like the younger Willow might have made an impression on her older self as she stands stock still as she takes that in. It doesn't last as her older self simply shrugs and says "She would get over it."

It is then Willow can see that her older self is beyond redemption. Goddess. Is this truly her fate? Now she knows what her teacher meant by that she wouldn't like what she found here. What she has found is that she is destined to become a monster.

"Show time!" Willow announces.

The younger Willow looks up as a rag-tag army comes into view.

The two forces square up. Leading the rebels are Dawn, Bruce, Buffy, Clark, Karen and the Legion. Leading Willow's army is the one very big problem they need to get through. Doomsday.

This is the first time Clark has seen it. God he had no idea it was this big. He can actually believe that one day it will kill him but that isn't going to be today. He hopes.

"Aw lookie here!" Willow calls out across the masses. "The Kent family reunited. Isn't it touching," she says with complete insincerity.

Dawn steps froward. "Give it up Willow!" she orders. "You know you can't win in your current state."

Willow snorts very loudly and derisively. "Dawn you couldn't beat me if I had one hand tied behind my back."

One corner of Dawn's lips curve upward. "I'm not the one hiding at the back Will. What's the matter? Afraid to face me one-on-one?"

"Oh please Dawn. Try your reverse psychology stuff on someone who only has a handful of brain cells. Otherwise I have only one thing to say; Minions. Destroy them!!!"

Doomsday lets out a roar but before it can move Clark and Karen tackle it together and lift it into the air and away from the battle with the Legion following. That just leaves Willow's demon army against Dawn's army of rebels and the few slayers that are left. The two charge at each other and the full scale battle begins.

"What the...?" Willow trails off at the sight of Doomsday being carried off. Oh they think they are so damn clever but they aren't. Doomsday will kill Clark and she will have won. It is only a matter of time.

Doomsday grabs Karen mid-flight and tosses her away like a rag-doll. It then raises its fists and slams them into Clark's back and the two of them slam into a wrecked building causing it to collapse. Karen regains herself quickly and flies to where her father landed. The Legion are not far behind. She is about to use her x-ray vision to find them when her father comes flying out of the building almost hitting her and slams down into the street carving out a trench as he slides to a stop.

"Dad!" she yells as she rushes to him.

Clark picks himself up after receiving the hardest punch he has ever felt and wipes the blood off his cut lip. Karen lands next to him as do the Legion just as Doomsday appears from the wreckage of the building. Lighting Lad unleashes the full force of his electrical powers on Doomsday. Electricity crackles between the bony protrusions on its body but otherwise it seems unaffected.

"This is not going to be that easy," Rokk says grimly.

"We just need to buy Buffy enough time," Clark tells him.

"Remember that it can't fly," Rokk reminds everyone. "That is our greatest advantage over it."

Doomsday leaps into the air almost out of sight.

"But it sure it can leap high," Garth dryly remarks.

It heads back down right at them. "Scatter!" Clark shouts and they all move out of the way as Doomsday lands with ground shaking force. It eyes Clark and as it was created to do makes its priority killing the last son of Krypton.

Meanwhile Buffy is slicing and fighting her way through Willow's army. Her aim has to be and is to get to her along with Dawn of course who is the only one who can match Willow magically. Dawn is near her using a sword and fighting will all the skill of someone who has been doing this sort of thing for a long time. So is that Bruce guy along with throwing these boomerang type things that then explode on impact blowing the demons to pieces. Well that is one way to deal with them Buffy will admit. It is then she comes across a zombie. A familiar looking Zombie. "Xander?!"

Zombie Xander makes a moan in response.

"Ok I'm guessing you're the brainless type of zombie which makes you different from the real Xander in what way I don't know but I am going to apologise for this in advance." Buffy swings the scythe and the blade slices zombie Xander's head off in one clean blow. Wow that was strangely cathartic she thinks to herself. It was for all those times Xander annoyed the hell out of her but she forgave him because they're friends.

Willow looks on at all the violence and death with morbid amusement. The battle has been going on awhile now and she can tell that Buffy is desperately trying to fight her way through to get to her. Willow has no wish for Buffy to die and she won't. Willow knows Buffy too well to think that any of her minions can kill the slayer. They just have to slow her down until Doomsday finishes its work and kills Clark. It is then she straightens as she senses someone trying to sneak up behind her. "I know you're there Oz."

Willow and her younger self spin round as Oz, Brainiac and a few other well armed people had been trying to sneak up on them. The younger Willow's eyes widen. "Oz!"

"Hey Will," Oz says back to the red-haired version.

The older Willow's gaze turns to Brainiac 5. "Traitor," she accuses.

Brainiac tilts its head slightly. "You reprogrammed me against my will yet you call my act of rebellion a betrayal. That is not logical," it pronounces.

Willow's black eyes narrow. "You have made a grave misjudgement," she tells her attempted assailants. "I may be weaker but I can still destroy you all." Willow begins to chant as black balls of energy form in her hands. Brainiac steps in front of everyone just as Willow sends the pulse of energy from her hands straight at them. It impacts Brainiac but he is not destroyed. No this was part of the plan as Brainiac's form melts away to reveal.... "Dawn," Willow says with venom.

Dawn grimaces under Willow's assault before she manages to reflect it back at the dark witch knocking her clean through the air. The other Dawn fighting was actually Brainiac. Dawn had imprinted an impression of her life-force on it to fool Willow.

Willow stands up absolutely outraged at being deceived like that again. She screams her fury and as she does so she loses control of her power which erupts like an explosion. All those not instantly vaporised or killed by the force of the blast are knocked clean off their feet.

Fire and smoke have filled the air as Buffy groggily gets back to her feet. Well that wasn't part of the plan. She lifts her hand to her pounding head and feels the wetness that only come from blood. She must have cut it. She looks around to see Willow dark energy crackling around her standing in the middle of a small crater she must have carved out. Suddenly the ground shakes. Buffy looks up and sees dark clouds roll in at impossible speed. This can only be bad.

"Dawn!!!" Willow screams furiously. "Time to die Dawn!"

Dawn had managed to shield herself but Oz and the others were not so lucky. They're dead but the younger Willow is alive and well. Huh even in her blind rage Willow did not forget to protect her younger self. It was all as she planned. When she sent the energy back at Willow Dawn added a little something else. A taint that would induce a blinding rage inside Willow. Make her lose control. Dawn can feel the ground shake and can see the darkening sky. Willow is so consumed with rage she has forgotten about protecting this little bubble of hell they all live in from the changes Willow herself has made. This world is starting to realign with the normal flow of time. Dawn has gotten herself to where she wanted to though. She moves to the younger Willow, pulls out a knife and prepares to put an end to this once and for all.

Willow strides forward to kill that little wretch when she sees Dawn move swiftly to her younger self and pull out a knife and hold it to that Willow's throat. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Yes I would," Dawn says callously. "I'm sorry Will," she says to the younger Willow. "There is no other way."

The younger Willow swallows but she actually nods in agreement. "Do it. End this."

The knife makes the first knick but before Dawn can get any further she is tackled to the ground dropping the knife in the process.

"Buffy!!!" she yells in protest. "What are you doing??!!"

Buffy had seen, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Dawn was about to kill Willow. She had used all her slayer speed to make it in time. "What am I doing?!" she asks incredulously. "What the hell do you think you are doing??!!"

Great. Dawn gave Bruce one damn job and that was to keep Buffy away and he messes up. In fact Dawn isn't even sure he survived that explosion so maybe she is being a little harsh. She turns her attention back to her sister. "The only thing I can do Buffy. I told you Willow has to die."

"Not my Willow! And that wasn't the plan. It was to incapacitate her. That was all."

"Your plan. Not mine. If I kill Willow before she flips I can end this before it begins. You must see that it is the only way."

Buffy searches her sister's eyes and sees something she totally missed earlier. That is just how cold they are. She is an idiot. She should have realised...10 years in this world...in this nightmare...Dawn is nearly as flipped out as Willow is. Dawn just hides it better.

Before the sisters can settle the issue they are both flung away. Buffy slides across the ground. She digs the scythe into the ground to stop herself. She gets to her feet to find a smirking Willow. The black haired one that is.

"Well, well. I must admit Dawnie I didn't think you had it in you," Willow remarks with what sounds like pride in the level to which Dawn was prepared to go. She also has managed to reign in her temper. She laughs a dark terrifying laugh. "You should not have interfered you know Buffy. Dawn is right. By killing my younger self you end this. Now I win. Your precious Clark will die. In fact my pet is probably putting an end to him just as we speak."

Before Buffy can say anything or even contemplate that Dawn lets out a scream of pure rage and frustration. Her whole body takes on a green glow. "I will kill you!!!" she screams at Willow letting out 10 years of built up anger before she attacks her with all the power she has.

Meanwhile the battle with Doomsday is not going well. For awhile they managed to keep it at bay by using their ability to fly but it is as swift as any Kryptonian and eventually managed to get hold of them. Saturn Girl lies unconscious and bleeding in the street next to a similarly injured Lighting Lad. Cosmic Boy is checking over them as he holds what feels like broken ribs. For the moment Doomsday has lost interest in them. It is more interested in using Karen like a soccer ball as it kicks her about. It picks her up by her neck. She is clearly out cold as she hangs there limply. Doomsday pulls back it's hand with the bony spikes on it ready to end Karen's life. Just before it can strike though its fist is blocked by a blood covered smaller one. Kal.

Clark grits his teeth as he uses all his strength to push back Doomsday's fist. He is cut and bleeding on what feels like all over his body. There are a couple of visible bruises on his face. There are several others all over his body. He has never hurt this much he thinks. "You will not harm her," he says through his gritted teeth not knowing if this thing can understand him or not. It has seemed to concentrate more on him than anyone else during this fight.

Doomsday tosses Karen aside and uses its free hand to try and hit Clark but Clark catches that too. It looks at him almost curiously for a moment. It has been here before fighting this man. It was created to kill this man. Then something Clark never expected happens. Doomsday speaks.

"Superman," it says in a deep throaty voice. Clark looks into its glowing red eyes in complete surprise. "Destroy Superman," its says with renewed relish. It tries to throw another punch which Clark ducks under before he delivers a few of his own which drive it slowly back by the sheer force with which Clark hits. Punches that rattle his very bones with pain as Doomsday must be the hardest thing he has ever hit. Even harder than his bizarre clone or Zod.

As Clark goes for another punch Doomsday catches his fist, squeezes to the point it almost breaks the bones in his hand before pulling Clark forward and hitting Clark in the stomach with its knee bending him over. It follows that with a swift uppercut when sends Clark sailing through the air and crashing into another derelict building. He shakes his head trying to clear it just as Doomsday leaps and lands in front of him. Before Clark can defend himself Doomsday starts laying punch after punch into him pummelling Clark right into the floor. His vision is blurring. He can feel blood flowing down his face. Much more and all he will be feeling again is what it is like to die.

Dawn and Willow are fighting away with spell, counter-spell, summoning varying types of energy and throwing them at each other. They seem quite evenly matched. While this is going on Buffy take advantage and rushes over to Willow, her Willow. "Will!" she yells in relief as she gives her friend a hug.

"Buffy...kill me," Willow requests of her.

Buffy pulls back and looks at her in complete shock at Willow. She shakes her head. "No Will. How can you even ask me that?"

Willow points at her older self. "I won't become her. Not again. Kill me and you end this."

"No," Buffy says again with utter determination to not even contemplate it.

"Then you condemn this world and you condemn Clark. He can't win Buffy. That thing will kill him."

"You don't know that."

"I do!" Willow insists forcefully. "I've seen in my other's self head what that thing can do. It killed Clark, a future Clark who is stronger than he is now, and Doomsday itself...every time it is resurrected it comes back stronger. Clark will die and the world will fall. It all makes sense now."

"What does?" Buffy asks.

"I was mediating just before you were snatched," Willow explains, "to try and sort out the images I saw and they were different from the first time I glimpsed this future. The world was covered in snow and ice and there was this figure...a woman...she was so powerful...like a god."

Buffy's eyes widen as she realise what Willow is on about. That must be Cythonna she saw.

Willow continues. "That was the world that will come to pass should Clark die." Willow grabs Buffy by the arms. "Kill me Buffy. It is the only way you can save the world."

Buffy tightens her grip on the scythe. Oh god what she should do. She is distracted when nearby Dawn tumbles to the ground cut and bleeding with Willow slowly advancing on her. Willow raises her hand and creates another black ball. "This time Dawnie you won't be able to block it. Time to die." Then a positively evil smile forms on her face but just as she prepares to end Dawn's existence a sharp pain shoots right through her. She turns her head to see standing behind her is Buffy. Willow looks down to see the end of the scythe sticking out of her chest. Buffy has slammed it right through her. Willow had forgotten that the scythe is magical and in the hands of a true slayer has the power to kill her. Well whoopsie.

Willow falls forward to the ground. Her black hair starts to display red streaks as her power fades. The ground shakes worse than before. Lightning starts to strike in the clouds above. Without her power this world will fall back into the normal flow of time and all the changes she has enacted in the time-line will be played out.

At the exact same moment Clark is about to lose consciousness. Doomsday is about to deliver another punch when suddenly it freezes. It can feel the pain of its mistresses. Suddenly lightning or what looks like lightning strikes Doomsday. Clark's vision is blurry and one of his eyes is closing up but he can see Doomsday as the lightning seems to take it apart piece by piece before it completely vanishes.

Clark breathes heavily. Part of him just wants to give in to the urge to close his eyes and embrace the darkness. God his whole body is burning in pain.

"Dad?!"

Clark manages to look up to see his daughter. Her suit is torn though not as badly as his almost certainly is. She has a few cuts and a bruise on her face.

Karen rushes over to her father. Oh god. He looks dreadful. It brings back on all those painful memories of the day she lost him to Doomsday.

Clark raises a bloody hand to her cheek. "You're alright," he says with relief. He had been deeply worried about how much damage Doomsday had done to his daughter.

Karen doesn't feel all that great but she is more concerned with her father right now. Using her x-ray vision she examines him. Well by luck or fate his internal injuries don't seem too bad. Nothing beyond his ability to heal. She hears the thump of 3 pairs of boots landing and turns her head to see a worse for wear Legion standing there although just barely standing.

"How is he?" Rokk asks with great concern and in great pain at his aching ribs.

"I think he'll be alright. Might take even him a few days to heal properly though," Karen replies.

Rokk lets out a breath of what can only be relief. Kal should be alright and therefore history as well.

Karen can see the lightning increasing in ferocity. "I've never seen a storm like that."

"It's a temporal storm," Imra answers while she rubs her sore face. "This world is being realigned into the proper time-line."

Karen is no expert on temporal mechanics but she thinks she knows one thing that this will mean. She places her father's arm across her shoulder and lifts him up since she doubts he will be able to move himself. She looks at the 3 superheroes. "Time for you to leave isn't it."

Rokk nods. "Yes. Thank you for all your help Karen. You are truly Kal's daughter." He needs to say that because he doesn't know whether she will survive the changes that will soon encompass this world. His communicator goes off and he pulls it out. "It's Brainiac. He is sending us a homing beacon."

Karen nods and hovers her father off the ground. The Legion turns round and fly up and Karen follows them.

Brainiac has just about pulled itself back together. It had been performing its assigned task of impersonating Dawn Summers when the explosion occurred and it had damaged its form but not fatally. The damage is manageable and repairable. He looks around the park at the many dead and wounded and as he does so lightning strikes them and they vanish. Their time here grows short. If they don't leave soon even the ones here for other time periods will be at risk of erasure.

Buffy bends down next to the fallen Willow as she rolls her over. Her hair is now about half red and half black. Dawn was right in one way. Willow did have to die but she couldn't kill her friend for something she might do or someone she might become. Now that she knows she can prevent it she hopes but to stop this insanity this Willow had to die. The one who had forsaken her soul long ago.

Willow coughs up some blood. "Well Buffy it seems you finally grew a pair if you pardon the expression," Willow says sounding wheezy.

"It didn't have to be this way Will," Buffy says with great remorse at what she has done.

Willow manages a smile with her blooded lips. "Yes it did."

"Buffy," the younger Willow says as she looks in another direction. Buffy looks there too to see the Legion fly in followed by Karen carrying Clark. Buffy gets up and rushes over and when she does so she sees how badly hurt Clark is. Karen lays him on the ground. He has finally lost the struggle to remain conscious.

"Oh god Clark," she says with deep worry. She strokes his bloody face. One eye in now swollen shut completely.

"He should recover," Karen tells her mother.

Buffy looks at her daughter. "You're hurt," she says with what amounts to parental concern.

Karen dismisses it. "I'll be fine."

Brainiac has made his way over to the group "We need to go Cosmic Boy," he informs the leader of the Legion.

"I know," he says back.

Buffy looks at the younger Will who is not looking like she is quite able to do it at the moment. In fact she looks in shock which is not surprising since she just saw Buffy kill her in a way.

"I can get you home."

Buffy looks up to see Dawn standing there. Buffy gets to her feet. "Why in hell should I trust you?" she asks very sceptically and with some anger.

"Because you have no choice," Dawn says simply. "You must leave before this world realigns or you will risk erasure."

Buffy looks around and can see lightning hit buildings which either vanish or transform into an undamaged state.

"This world is changing to accommodate the changes Willow made but prevented from affecting this bubble. Now her power is fading she can't stop it anymore," Dawn explains.

Buffy glares at her sister. "Do it but if you double cross me Dawn I swear..." She leaves it unsaid but her meaning is clear.

"I will need a few moments to gather the power necessary," Dawn informs them.

Buffy gives her permission with a nod.

"Buffy," the dying Willow's croaky voice calls out. Buffy moves back to her and can see her hair is now mostly red with just a few black streaks and the black veins have all but faded away. Even her eyes have returned to their natural colour. "I have a few last words," Willow says with a laboured breath.

Buffy kneels down next to her. "What are they Will?" she asks. Willow deserves at least this much. To have someone here in her last moments.

Willow takes another laboured breath before speaking "It's for Clark." Buffy frowns up in confusion. Why would this Willow have words for someone Buffy knows she hates? Willow begins with hate permeating her voice. "To the last, I will grapple with thee!" Willow takes an even more laboured breath as her hair completely returns to its natural red colour. "From hell's heart, I stab at thee!" She takes what is nearly her last breath. "For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!"

Buffy's brow furrows even more until she recognises this strange tingling sensation on her stomach. She looks down to see Willow's hand pressed to her stomach and dark, black energy crackling around it.

A sick little smile forms on Willow's face with the last of her strength. "Say bye to little Karen Buffy."

Buffy's eyes widen in horror at the realisation of what Willow means. "Will! No!" she screams but before she can do anything Willow unleashes the last of her power on the embryo inside Buffy. The force knocks Buffy away and she rolls across the ground before stopping. She doesn't move. Willow may not have killed Clark but she has made him suffer in the same way she has suffered for the last 22 years since she lost everything that mattered to her. It is her last act as she breathes her last as her eyes flutter shut and her body goes limp.

Dawn looks on in horror too. She knows what Willow has just done. She may be a little unhinged but she loves her niece. "No, no, no, no, no, no," she mutters as her gaze shifts to Karen. The clouds in the sky above darken further. Lightning springs forth and strikes Karen who fades from existence before everyone's eyes.

The younger Willow had seen it all too. Oh goddess. She truly does turn into a monster. She breaks down and starts to sob.

The storm worsens as the world nears reintegration with the time-line. What looks like tornadoes fall from the sky as they sweep away all that shouldn't be there.

"Dawn!" Rokk shouts trying to snap her out of it. He marches up to her when that fails and grabs her by the arms. "Dawn," he says firmly and her gaze shifts to him. "We need to go or your sister will die as well."

That seems to bring Dawn back to the moment. "I'm ready. Grab them."

Rokk gives her a nod as she summons the energy of the Key within her and starts to open a vortex. "Brainiac. Pick up Kal," Rokk commands since Brainiac is probably the only one of them strong enough to lift Kal. "Im," he says to get his blond companion's attention. "Help her," he says pointing at the sobbing Willow. Rokk himself gently lifts Buffy up into his arms trying to be careful not to aggravate whatever internal injury the older Willow has inflicted upon her.

Dawn opens the vortex. "Go," she tells them. "And tell Buffy I'm sorry," she says with regret at what she has become and at what has befallen her sister.

Rokk carrying Buffy, Imra helping Willow, Brainiac carrying Clark and Garth with a noticeable limp all jump into the vortex which closes up behind them. Dawn looks around as this future world approaches its end, its Doomsday so to speak. A hand touches her shoulder and she spins round. "Bruce."

Dawn can see he is hurt. His face is scarred not unlike her own had been once. "Hold me," she pleads not wanting to be alone in these final moments. Bruce takes her into his arms. Tears trickle down her face. One of the tornadoes heads right at them. Bruce kisses the top of Dawn's head and holds her tightly as the tornado hits them and they know no more as it wipes this version of them from existence.


Author's Note: I made up the whole Krypton having a destroyed twin planet. It is basically a thread for later when Cythonna rises which will partially explain her hatred of Kryptonians. Willow's last words are of course from Moby Dick but I was inspired to put them in here while I was watching Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. They are Khan's last words. Well I pretty much battered everyone during this chapter didn't I. A few people asked that I didn't erase Buffy and Clark's daughter Karen from history but for how I intend to end Part 3 of my story I'm afraid it was necessary. Of course I have really messed up Willow by having her older evil self murder the unborn Karen. Wonder what the ramifications of that will be huh?

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