Hello, there! Please read:
Yes, that's correct, this is the second chapter in a single day! If you missed the previous one (ch. 18, "Hammerfall part 1"), please, go back and read it! You won't understand the following events otherwise. It's not the most ideal way to deliver this story, but it was a necessary evil for this crossover event to work. Of course, if you've already read chapter 18, I hope you enjoy this one!
A reminder of the mechanics of this crossover event, just in case:
-Have read the prior chapter, "Hammerfall, part 1" (ch. 18),
-Read this chapter, "Hammerfall, part 2" (ch. 19)
-Optionally, read "Horizon" (ch. 28) over on "The Girl Who Could Knock Out the Hulk", which should go up simultaneously with this chapter
-Optionally, read the first chapter of "From His Vantage Upon the Moon"
This way, you'll have the most complete version of the events of the story! Of course, if you only want to read Changing of the Guard, that's totally fair, and I've tried my best to make it so you don't really miss out on anything - there's even repeated dialogue, albeit with differing context surrounding it (more general here, and more focused on Supergirl's perspective over on "The Girl Who Could Knock Out the Hulk").
"Crazy bastards." -Tony mutters to himself, seeing the flying RV burst through the hull of the alien warship. "Did they make it in, Jay?"
"They did, Sir." -the AI reassures him.
Tony sighs in relief. "Right. Time to introduce ourselves to the big guy." -he says, taking a deep breath. He plunges towards the ground, taking out a few of the flying drones on the way.
Supergirl is locked in combat with the alien warlord; the Kryptonian is clearly stronger, but Vilgax is huge, and the tentacles that make up his flesh don't seem too affected by kinetic force alone. They landed among the ruins of a destroyed neighborhood, the one the dreadnought blew up with a single shot. He quickly has JARVIS scan for survivors, but there are none.
He chooses to chalk that up to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s timely evacuation.
He dives in, repulsors hot, searing small chunks of flesh off the alien, but like the glowing crystal girl he very charitably didn't shoot said, he regenerates just as quickly as he's injured; it does the trick of drawing Vilgax's attention, at least, which allows Supergirl to deliver a couple of massive blows, so powerful that they clear the dust and smoke cloud around them, shattering every window around that had somehow survived the initial blast.
Vilgax howls in pain, but he's a warrior through and through; he intercepts Kara's next blow, and uses its momentum to throw her towards Tony, who barely manages to use a repulsor blast to dodge the humanoid projectile. The massive alien charges, so Tony blasts off out of reach, but Vilgax leaps and grabs his legs, slamming him down onto the ground.
Once again, he thanks his lucky stars - and his awesome brain, and his many billions of dollars - that he was able to synthesize a vibranium isotope for the new armor, and he managed to buy the actual vibranium for those new inertial dampeners in time for this mission - he'd be a dead man without them. As it stands, he just feels like he's been tackled by a professional quarterback - hurts like a bitch, but his pain tolerance has taken on a whole new level since getting a hole dug into his chest in a terrorist lair.
He wonders what Yinsen would say if he saw him now, in a crater made with his own body, an alien warlord looming over him.
Supergirl comes in clutch by flying in and punching the villain away, sending him tumbling into the burning remains of an office building. "You alright, Tony?" -she asks, concerned.
"I'm good." -he says, a little dazed. He takes Kara's hand and rises to his feet. "But Squidward here isn't going down."
"He sure can take a punch." -Kara admits. "But we still have a few tricks up our sleeves."
The sky darkens supernaturally fast - storm clouds churn into existence above the dry, desert town, and the catalyst is obvious; Thor floats in place a couple miles over Arcadia, spinning his divine hammer at speeds that defy belief - and y'know, physics. Arcs of magically sourced electricity cling to him, charging him up like a battery, until he throws Mjolnir down, letting it pull him down, striking the recovering warlord like a human-shaped lightning bolt. Kara winces, covering her sensitive ears as the deafening thunderclap follows.
It's a wonder to behold, if also a sobering reminder that, for all that the Iron Man suit can do, it still pales in comparison to some of his peers.
Of course, it's also a little terrifying when Vilgax defiantly roars and tosses the God of Thunder out of the wreckage like a ragdoll. Kara helps him to his feet, too, though Thor looks more excited about finding a decent match for him than anything.
Steve runs up to them. "Hey Cap. Ready to take your turn on the Cthulhu-themed alien bucking bull?" -Tony asks cheekily.
Rogers rolls his eyes. "I'll pass, thanks." -he says, deadpan.
"Where's Bruce?" -Tony asks.
"Wreaking havoc among the enemy forces." -Steve says. "They were getting too close to the town, so I asked him to take a brief detour before taking on Vilgax. It, uh...took some convincing." -he admits. "But truth be told, I don't think power alone is gonna get us through this one."
"I agree; I can sense some dark magic about him." -Thor supplies. "It sustains him, well past the point that he should perish, let alone remain conscious."
"Then we restrain him." -Rogers says. "And hope we can figure out a way to put him down after."
Tony hums. "Yeah, the kids probably know something." -he says.
"The local vigilantes?" -Steve asks.
"I don't think 'vigilantes' is the right word, having spent some quality time with them, but yeah, those guys." -Tony shrugs. "Baby's First Eldritch Abomination here is attacking because they have something he wants. A device called the Omnitrix."
Thor's eyes widen. "Surely you've misheard, Stark? The Omnitrix is a myth."
"So are you, Thor." -Kara points out.
Vilgax lumbers forward, fresh burns and grievous cuts healing before their very eyes. He's not the most expressive guy, but they can all tell he's furious just under the breathing apparatus that dominates his visage. "So...the rumors are true." -he purrs, in translated English. "I'll admit I did not believe it, hearing it when I finally awoke after my defeat: Terran champions, powerful enough to resist the Black Order...however briefly."
"I think you'll find we can do a lot better than 'briefly'." -Tony retorts.
"The Asgardian among you, perhaps." -Vilgax muses. "But you Terrans are famous for being…" -he trails off, waving around at the destruction he wrought. "...easily broken. Tell me: how is it that you were able to fend off the Chitauri? How did you survive, where so many others have perished?"
"Maybe we're tougher than we look." -Steve says. "Are you sure you wanna try us?"
Vilgax cackles. "You say that like there's any other choice, human." -he says. "No...the Omnitrix will be mine soon. I will have my revenge, and the galaxy will bask in my victory!"
Tony rolls his eyes. Villainous affirmations, he thinks, inner voice dripping with sarcasm. Wonderful.
The Hulk roars as he bounds up to them, tossing the broken torso of an Alpha drone onto the No Man's Land between Vilgax and the Avengers. "NO MORE TALK! SMASH SQUID MAN NOW!"
Kara shrugs. "Sounds like a plan to me."
The Jade Giant charges, Vilgax meets him in turn, and the battle begins in earnest.
The Elder of Trollmarket is...frustrating, to say the least.
"You mean to break a peace that has lasted for centuries, Phil Coulson, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." -Vendel says, gravely. "I will not allow it."
"The people of Arcadia could die at any moment." -Phil argues. As if to reinforce his argument, something booms far above them, on the surface, the noise echoing throughout the cavernous space Trollmarket occupies.
"So you keep saying." -Vendel says, unimpressed. "But their safety is not mine to protect. I tend to the lives of the Trolls that have made Trollmarket their home. We are a waning people, human - something mankind clearly doesn't suffer from, billions that you are."
"Every life is precious, Elder." -Coulson counters.
"So you understand my position, then; what assurance do I have that the humans above won't react to us the exact same way every human before them has throughout the centuries? We are monsters to them, hideous and vile." -he spits out. "Even now, children are taught to fear us, despite our centuries-long absence from the surface."
"All due respect, sir, you have met some humans lately, despite your absence. Humans who've become your guardians, even." -Coulson notes. "Claire Núñez. Toby Domzalski." -he says, narrowing his eyes. "Jim Lake Jr."
Vendel's near-blinded eyes narrow. "Do you truly mean to compare a handful of heroes to the thousands that live above us? Even if I assumed a majority of Arcadians would welcome us, experience informs us that there will be a great many who do not." -Vendel sighs. "I empathize with your plight, Mr. Coulson. We have been refugees before. But every time Trolls and humans meet, blood is shed and stone is shattered. We may have lived on Earth for thousands of years, but we have never been welcome - and when we fight, we do not win. I am sorry, but I will not risk it."
"Vendel…" -Julie says, teary-eyed. "Please. My parents are up there."
The Elder's shoulders slump, but he still shakes his head. "So is Claire's family and Tobias' grandmother. So is the Trollhunter's own mother. We owe you much for defeating the alien that abused our hospitality, human, and you and your friends will always be our honored guests. But we do not owe you our anonymity. We do not owe you our lives."
Claire, slumped against the wall, snaps her fingers. "Maybe we don't need to break the secret." -she says. "Maybe...maybe I can shroud this whole place in shadow, hide any evidence that Trolls live here...and then bring the people of Arcadia underground."
Vendel frowns. "Hmm...that accursed staff you wield is more than powerful enough to accomplish something like that, I suppose. But the strain on your mortal form, Claire, would surpass anything you've experienced so far. And the risk you'd run in corrupting your soul would be grave indeed."
"Let me worry about that." -she waves him off. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my family."
"You misunderstand, my dear; you would not survive the ordeal." -Vendel says, matter-of-fact. "Not for any extended period of time. The overflowing shadow magic would eagerly consume you."
Coulson shakes his head. "That's not an option." -the agent says.
"Every life is precious, indeed." -Vendel says, somewhat approvingly. "I will not budge on offering Trollmarket itself as a safe haven, Mr. Coulson, but perhaps I can offer an alternative."
The ancient Troll walks over to a nearby worktable, and picks up a yellow crystal. He places it on the floor, and a projected image of the cavern network sprouts to life before them. "There are a series of caves large enough to house the population of Arcadia for a short time." -he says, pointing at them. They're maybe a couple of miles west of Trollmarket. "They are far enough from our home that they should not suspect our presence, but not so far that the sealing magic that permeates the soil between our realms won't protect them from the alien vessel. Claire should be able to sustain a portal long enough for all the humans to pass through - and live to tell the tale."
"That's all we need." -Coulson says, relieved.
"That's all you'll get." -Vendel warns. "Make sure none of the humans wander off, Mr. Coulson. If they are lost, you will not find them. And if we are discovered...I will hold you accountable."
"What about this one?" -Heatblast asks, ready to blow up the conduit they're standing in front of.
"Not unless you want the Hammer to plummet into Arcadia." -Hala says, sarcastically. She's wrapped the torn sleeve of Ben's jacket around her head, stemming the bleeding from her grievous injury, and she's using the torn leg of one of the smaller drones as a crutch.
Heatblast huffs. "I thought you said you weren't an expert on Chimeran dreadnoughts."
"Even a novice could tell that this conduit is part of the ship's gravitational maneuvering system." -she scoffs, like it's common knowledge - which it is, apparently. "The warship's ventral thrusters aren't powerful enough to support its weight, even with Earth's relatively mild gravity. It's just too big. This system uses gravitonium to create counterpulls all throughout the ship, reducing or even nullifying the stress on the thrusters."
"Right." -Heatblast mutters. "That commonly known fact."
Hala sighs. "Apologies, Ben. The average Terran has no reason to know this, it's true." -she admits. "Come, we should be near the bridge, if I remember the Lance's scans of the ship correctly."
They don't get the chance to go, though, as something bursts through the conduit - and much of the surrounding paneling and electronics. For a moment, he fears that Vilgax has returned early, but it's immediately obvious that that's not quite the case, here.
The Rust Bucket screeches to a stop just beside them, the combined wreckage of one of the big drones and the conduit they were looking at clinging to the sort of...battering ram that the RV's front has become.
"Ben!" -Gwen shouts, stepping off the vehicle, and hugging him tightly, heedless of Heatblast's searing temperature thanks to her impregnable Anodite skin. Kevin and Stuart are just behind her, similarly relieved.
"How the heck did you guys get here?" -Heatblast wonders, transforming back to Ben with a flash.
"The Rust Bucket's got a lot of secrets under the hood." -Kevin drawls, nonchalant, but he
can't help the smirk that follows. "I was starting to think Vilgax had pummeled you to bits, but...I guess Tennysons really are made of tougher stock. Guess Vilgax didn't learn his lesson with Max."
"Right back at'cha, Kev." -Ben grins. "Where's Julie? You guys held off a whole dang alien invasion!"
"She's fine. Back with Coulson, trying to figure out how to evacuate Arcadia before Vilgax tries to blow the whole town up." -Gwen reassures him.
"Not to interrupt this adorable reunion, but there's better places to celebrate, kiddos!" -Stuart urges.
The warship groans, ever so slightly lurching to the side. "Well, that's unfortunate." -Hala says, deadpan, walking over from the other side of the debris. "That'll be the gravitational maneuvering system failing."
"Oh, that's no good." -Stuart whimpers. "Don't tell me we crashed into it…"
"You crashed through it." -Ben winces, turning to the Kree. "What do we do?"
Hala purses her lips. "Well, no need to panic yet. There are typically a number of redundancies that should keep most of the system more or less operational. As long as we don't harm any other conduits throughout the ship, we should be fine..."
The cylinders on Vilgax's arms punch into his flesh, causing the limbs to swell dramatically, crackling with crimson electricity. He blocks a blow from the Hulk with his left arm - and with surprising ease, too - and with his right, he uppercuts the irradiated titan, sending him flying, and taking the hovering Supergirl with him. The pair are launched with such force that they crash clear through the midst of the Chimeran Hammer, coming out the top before Supergirl manages to reorient herself and grab her fellow Avenger, diving back towards the fight.
"Was that…?" -Gwen points at the pair of brand new burning holes on the floor and ceiling of the hallway, a few dozen feet away from them.
"Supergirl and the Hulk crashing through the ship and probably causing more irreparable damage that'll cause the ship to plummet faster?" -Kevin says, sarcastically.
"Got it in one." -Hala grumbles, cursing their luck.
Ben shakes his head. "What do we do now?"
The Accuser sighs. "The bridge is still our best bet. We may be able to use the main thrusters to escape Earth's gravity well - maybe even before the ventral thrusters give out. If nothing else, we can steer the Hammer away from populated areas."
"Erm...won't the dreadnought become something of an enormous meteorite if we don't escape the planet's gravity well in time?" -Stuart points out.
"Someone knows his astrophysics." -Hala nods, approvingly. "Yes, indeed. Let's make haste, everyone."
The group climb into the RV, which thanks to Vilgax's massive size, ironically fits comfortably along the main hallways of the dreadnought. The ride isn't without opposition, of course; Vilgax's drones swarm the Rust Bucket, but Ben turns into Echo Echo and generates a half dozen copies to keep them at bay, clinging all over the vehicle. It's something of a cacophony, even with the alien's tight control over his vocalizations, but it does the job, getting them through half a mile of the warship's length.
The bridge is heavily protected, as is expected. Two units of a new type of drone - looking a bit like your stereotypical UFO, mostly disc-shaped with a flat, head-like protrusion above the disc, and a series of thrusters and stabilizers below. A bevy of blasters and claw-like appendages line their circumference, immediately opening fire as they come into range.
The shape-shifting hero wastes no time, recalling Echo Echo's clones and transforming into Diamondhead, who launches himself forward, shielding the RV with his own body. He leaps onto the one to his left, shaping a rudimentary blade out of his right arm and easily sinking it into the drone's body, then transforms into Overflow and shoots the twin water cannons on his wrists at such a pressure that they rip the other drone's head clean off. The robot wobbles around, shooting wildly, but a powerful magenta beam from Gwen bisects it before it can hit the battered RV.
The Rust Bucket doesn't stop, bursting through the reinforced blast door - and just like that, the group has made it inside. There's maybe a dozen of the humanoid drones dispersed around the bridge, each manning a different battle station. Overflow becomes XLR8, and before they can draw their blasters, the drones are scrapped.
Hala stumbles out of the vehicle, unsteady but determined. She makes it to the main console, the one standing before the throne Vilgax must captain the ship from. There's a massive cylinder behind it, at the back of the room, full of a greenish-yellow fluid. A screen next to it shows a readout that depicts Vilgax himself; it's a progression of images, showing the burnt corpse of the Chimera healing over time - from a mere few scraps of irradiated flesh to his full size and strength - while also becoming enhanced with the obvious cybernetics all throughout his body.
"Jesus. What happened to him?" -Ben wonders
"Your grandfather detonated a fusion warhead two feet from his face at the end of their duel." -Hala says, off-handedly. She's trying to make sense of the obviously alien interface. "Can't exactly blame him for thinking Vilgax was dead all this time. We all did; there was nothing left of the bastard at the site."
"But he can't die." -Ben surmises. "He told me he took on some kind of curse; as long as he's the only Chimera around, he's pretty much immortal."
"Don't suppose we have time to go looking around for any stray survivors, huh?" -Kevin drawls.
"There is one, actually, but she's trapped on Galvan Prime." -Ben notes. "I don't think there's any way to get her quickly enough."
"The ruined Galvan homeworld lies close to the galactic core, so...no, there isn't." -Hala comments. After a cursory inspection of the dreadnought's systems, the Kree curses. "Blast it all! The maneuvering system is already at its limit! It will go critical soon. Too soon..."
Julie ushers the last few hundred or so civilians into the swirling portal ahead of City Hall, which Claire is clearly struggling to maintain. The titanic clash between the Avengers and Vilgax booms in the distance, trading blows that would surely level the entire town if the superheroes weren't doing their best to keep the warlord away.
Her parents are the last ones through, having insisted on making sure that their little girl comes with them this time.
"Are you sure this is safe, Julie?" -her mother wonders, staring at the inky substance the tear in reality before her seems to be made of.
"I'm sure, mom." -she reassures her. "I've gone through it a few times already. It's not super comfortable, but it's definitely safer than staying here."
Her father nods. "Okay, Julie. We trust you." -he says, tired but genuine. "And...I know we don't understand even half of what's happening, or about everything you've done…"
"But we're very proud of you, Jules." -her mother finishes for him. "You're a lifesaver, literally."
She hugs them both, unable to help the tears that come unbidden. "Aww...I love you guys too." -she mutters, letting some of the tension ebb from her shoulders. There's gonna be quite a bit to unpack after all's said and done, but...at the end of the day, she knows her parents are in her corner. They may hem and haw about the details, but they'll ultimately support her, whatever she chooses.
Then it happens; off in the horizon, the underside of the alien dreadnought explodes, sending a shockwave throughout the city. Glass panels break all around them, and pressurized wind nearly blows them off their feet.
"Oh god...Ben..." -she whispers. Ship pokes its head from her shoulder, chirping sadly at the sight.
"He'll be fine, Julie." -Claire spits, grunting with effort. Liquid shadow drips from her eyes, mouth, and ears, and her hands and forearms have turned the same dark purple color as the shadow staff she wields. "But we need to go, now."
"Ben's a strong man, Julie." -her father reminds her. He probably just wants her to get to safety, but she can also tell that he's reassuring himself, just as worried as she is about her boyfriend. Ben is family, no matter what alien shenanigans they've gotten up to lately. "And if half of what Mr. Coulson's told us about the Omnitrix is true, I'm sure he'll come out of this on top."
Julie hesitates, but as the flaming debris from the Hammer's explosion starts to rain down on Arcadia, she nods. Ben will make it - and when the smoke clears, she'll be first on the scene to give him a hero's welcome.
"Well, that's not good." -Kara says, deadpan, as a bunch of explosions wrack the underside of the alien ship.
"A hundred million tons free-falling half a dozen miles isn't good by any stretch of the imagination, no." -Tony agrees, looking grim. A mere hundred feet away, Thor and the Hulk wrestle with the beleaguered warlord.
"Can you stop it?" -Steve asks, popping his dislocated shoulder back into place after he narrowly blocked a full power blow from Vilgax. To his credit, he doesn't even wince.
Tony snorts. "I can lift a couple hundred tons, Cap. Kinda falling short of the tonnage of an entire alien warship."
"I was talking to Kara." -Rogers clarifies, unimpressed.
The Kryptonian winces. "I...honestly don't know. I've never tried lifting anything remotely as heavy as that."
"It looks like you're gonna have to try." -Rogers says.
The warship lurches forward, its main thrusters roaring to life; it's clearly losing altitude, slowly and steadily, but at least it's flying away from civilization. "Go talk to the kids." -Stark suggests. "Maybe you don't have to lift the whole thing. And if you do, they'll probably tell you the best way to do it."
Kara takes a deep breath, and nods. "Got it."
Once she makes sure that they've got Vilgax under relative control, she flies off, catching up quickly. She punches through the hole she and Hulk left behind, following the trail of destruction along until she finds the bridge, where the people she saw beforehand are trying their best to keep the ship from wiping out the Western seaboard.
"Supergirl!" -Gwen exclaims, giddy despite the situation.
"That's me." -she smiles. "How can I help?"
Hala scoffs. "Unless you can somehow lift millions of tons on a whim, there's nothing you can do."
Kara shrugs. "I mean, I haven't tried yet, but...it's a solid 'maybe'."
"Supergirl is strong, Hala. Like, incredibly strong." -Ben tells Hala. He jogs over, offering his hand, which she takes. "If anyone can do it, it's her."
She's about to thank him, when the watch's inner green light turns yellow. The faceplate starts spinning, almost like an old mouse cursor when a computer was busy.
Kara frowns. "Uh...is your watch supposed to do that?"
The kid shakes his head. "It's never done it before...but I'm sure it's fine?"
He says that, and immediately becomes engulfed in amber light.
What follows is...trippy, to say the least.
Ben is suddenly not on the bridge of the Hammer, but instead frantically running along the ruined, flaming streets of a futuristic city, dead and dying people all around her, blood running thickly through the streets. A blink, and he - she? - is inside a cramped space pod, looking back through tears and in utter despair at a planet in the midst of exploding, the ensuing pressure wave knocking her off course and away from an identical pod to hers. Then, a portal opens in front of the vessel, and she screams as the void overtakes her. Next, a blinding light, and fire all around her, as Earth's atmosphere pushes back against her tiny ship. A crash, and she blearily looks up at a man in a trenchcoat, an eyepatch over his left eye, offering his hand and a kind - if guarded - smile.
Then comes the strength, seemingly unlimited, crushing everything she touches no matter how hard she tries not to; the flight, so completely detached from the concerns of gravity that she fears she'll float away into the endless darkness of space; the searing heat that burns through her eyes, evaporates her tears before they can even fall.
The Omnitrix chimes ready, the yellow light fades back to green, and a brand new transformation takes hold.
"Power Girl!" -the newcomer shouts, triumphantly coming into being in their midst with a confident grin and a full-on superhero pose.
Everyone stares, with a varying range of emotions; a bit of shock, a bit of awe, and a great deal of confusion. Kara's reaction is the most extreme of them all - she steps back, covering her mouth in a mix of fear and bewilderment.
In fairness, there's a very good reason for it; the stranger staring back at her bears the same face she does, the same body - if slightly younger and differently clothed, dressed in a white leotard adorned with the Omnitrix's symbol on the left shoulder and a black belt at her waist, as opposed to the more sensible deep blue bodysuit, red boots and cape Kara wears - in other words, Supergirl's iconic look. There are only three noticeable differences between the two young women; Power Girl's hair is the same as Ben's - short, wavy, and brown - and so are her eyes, a vibrant shade of green. The scarlet and gold shield of the House of El is gone, too...and nothing's replaced it but a big ol' oval cut out of the leotard's chest.
"Wh-what just happened!?" -Kara balks, confused. "Why is there another one of me!?"
"And why does she have a boob window?" -Kevin asks, raising an eyebrow. Gwen elbows him, causing him to grunt.
Kara blushes bright red. Power Girl does too, once she looks down. "Oh my gosh." -she says, with the Kryptonian's own voice. "I'm so sorry, I didn't pick the suit!"
"The suit? What about my voice? What about my face!?" -Kara frowns. "What in Rao's name is going on here?"
A small hologram appears atop Power Girl's shoulder, projected by the Omnitrix symbol. "No need to panic...huh, Kryptonian, eh? Never heard of your kind before." -Azmuth says, nonchalant. "I simply took the liberty of having the Omnitrix scan your genetic profile, fill a gap in its database - and perhaps allow young Ben here to aid you in keeping Vilgax's flaming, misshapen lump of metal from wiping out half a continent."
"Jesus, Azmuth, didn't you ever hear of consent? Haven't you learned anything since Tetrax?" -Power Girl shakes her head, disapprovingly.
Azmuth scoffs, though he does look down in what could charitably be described as shame. "Berate me if you must, Tennyson - after you stop the Hammer from crashing."
The dreadnought rumbles, more explosions wracking its beleaguered hull. "Whatever it is that you two can supposedly do, you must do it now." -Hala warns. "The warship is about to lose all vertical lift."
Power Girl hesitates, looking questioningly at Kara. Supergirl sighs. "I'm not gonna lie. This is...extremely weird. But I know this isn't your fault, erm...Power Girl. And besides, they're right - we need to keep this ship from crashing, no matter what."
The newly formed Kryptonian nods. "Alright. How do we do this?"
"Assuming you can even lift something so heavy, you must do it in such a way that the weight is evenly distributed." -Hala mutters. "Otherwise, you'll just punch right through the hull."
"I can make tethers for you." -Gwen proposes. "Anchor them at the strongest points of the superstructure for you two to lift."
The Kree's one good eye widens. "Are you sure? I doubt you've attempted anything even close to something like this."
Azmuth waves off Kala's concerns. "The girl is an Anodite, Accuser. If she can focus deeply enough, she can do almost anything."
Kevin puts a reassuring hand on Gwen's shoulder. "You can do it, Gwen." -he winks.
The Anodite smiles. "I can do it." -she agrees.
"Then go already!" -Hala ushers them away, and the trio fly out of the room.
It's a wonder to behold - for S.H.I.E.L.D., for the Avengers, for the team inside the Hammer itself, and even for the alien warlord who caused all of this in the first place. A trio of tiny figures exits the vessel through one of its many hull breaches, taking their positions; then, a series of magenta tendrils dig into the top and bottom of the dreadnought, past the hull and onto the vessel's inner superstructure. The ones at the bottom all coalesce into a solid base, like a massive bed of nails, which Supergirl positions herself under, lifting it with her hands and shoulders like Atlas might hold up the sky, while the tethers at the top all cling onto a sort of makeshift harness forged from the same magical energy construct, secured around Power Girl's shoulders, elbows, wrists, and waist.
For a moment, the vessel simply continues its slow fall. And then, it happens; Supergirl pushes with all her might, screaming as she takes on more weight than she has ever attempted to lift, and Power Girl pulls skyward, feeling like she's been tasked with dragging the entire planet out of orbit. Gravity fights them every step of the way, intent on bringing down the metal behemoth, but the last Daughters of Krypton are equally determined, even relentless - and, it seems, stronger still than Earth's mighty pull.
The Chimeran Hammer groans, its metal bones strained beyond anything the vessel has experienced in centuries of operation, but the dreadnought miraculously holds together. The few maneuvering thrusters that remain throughout its hull breathe easier now, no longer burning themselves out trying to keep her afloat, and the main engines roar to life - Hala no doubt trying to take advantage of every bit of height the Kryptonians can give her.
As the alien warship climbs higher and higher, the spell is broken; Vilgax sucker punches the Hulk, and gets a magic hammer to the face tentacles for his trouble. Tony doesn't even wait for Steve to order him around - he blasts off to intercept the vessel, catching up in less than a minute.
The Hammer's climb is not the fastest, certainly, but they're making remarkably good progress; a quick analysis of their projected flight path puts them on track to clear the upper atmosphere in five minutes, after which the ship's maneuvering thrusters, even as damaged as they are, should be able to allow the dreadnought to achieve a stable orbit.
Iron Man reaches Supergirl, who's drenched in sweat and clearly under more physical strain than she's ever been in her life. "Fancy meeting you here, Danvers." -Tony says, hovering beside her. "I can't believe the solution actually was for you to get out and push."
Kara grunts, hissing what he can only imagine is a Kryptonian curse at him through gritted teeth. Her eyes are bloodshot, and their inner heat threatens to spill out, simply from massive exertion. "Get...out...of...here…" -she manages. "Too...dangerous…"
"I'd offer to help, but I don't think I'd even shave a single second off your Atlas schtick. Sorry." -he says, giving her a casual salute. "Keep up the good work, tough!"
He boosts away before she can chew him out, soaring besides offline laser cannons and a pockmarked hull. Atop the dreadnought, two people are doing their part; the Tennyson girl, immersed in something like a deep trance, providing the magical tethers, and a young woman that looks...exactly like Kara, even if she cuts a very different profile, with the leotard she's wearing and the different colored hair and eyes.
"So...are you Kara's missing cousin, then?" -Stark wonders, befuddled.
"Nope!" -the newcomer grunts, noticeably less strained than Kara. It looks like it's easier for her to pull than it is for Supergirl to push - though, of course, the power required is still beyond anything anyone except the Hulk, and maybe Thor, could possibly achieve. "Just...copied her DNA. Shape-shifted...with the Omnitrix." .she grunts.
Tony's eyes widen; no wonder Vilgax is so damn thirsty for the alien watch - if it can just up and replicate Kara's incredible power set on a whim, anyone with a couple of functional neurons would want a piece of that action. "...well, how 'bout that. You got a name? I hear your transformations come merchandising-ready."
The vastness of space looms above them, and gravity finally loses the battle. Kara's look-alike breathes easy, as the warship finally moves on its own, and she detaches herself from the tendrils, which begin to fray as their source slumps into the other woman's waiting arms, unconscious. To his shame, Tony almost panics, being in space again, but he magnetizes his jet boots and clings to the warship as Earth's magnificent curve extends all around them. It's deathly quiet up here, the air so thin no human could survive it, but it still lets him hear the gleeful heroine, thrilled after achieving such a tremendous feat - after all, she isn't human.
"I call this one Power Girl." -she says, quiet but content. "But...my name is Ben Tennyson."
I am so, so happy to finally introduce you to Power Girl! This concept has been in my mind since this fic's inception - for two years, I've waited to write the moment the Omnitrix scans Kara and enables Ben to become a Kryptonian. I'm sure a few of you saw this coming - I was so eager to get this on paper that I may have vaguely discussed what Ben's Kryptonian form in this universe might look like here and there. I'm so excited to explore what this might mean for both Ben and Kara going forward - she is no longer the last Kryptonian in this universe, but just on a technicality, as Power Girl has no concept of Kryptonian culture and traditions, and while Ben has certainly been around the gender spectrum with his alien forms, such as the nonbinary Big Chill and genderless Goop, Power Girl is distinctly human-like and unequivocally female. And of course, this is now a tangible link between the two, so expect to see more interactions in the future! As a tidbit, Power Girl's look is based on Galatea/Supergirl's clone from the Justice League Unlimited cartoon, more so than her usual comics incarnation, albeit with Ben's hair and eyes. And of course, Power Girl is a new alien, so here's her codex entry!
Power Girl:
The Omnitrix's sample of a Kryptonian, from the dead planet Krypton, obtained by scanning Kara Zor-El. Power Girl can fly, is completely immune to harm - unless exposed to Kryptonite, or attacked with a sufficiently powerful magical attack - can blast photon-plasma solar beams from her eyes, and is near-infinitely strong. Power Girl's extremely impressive abilities are subject to solar energy reserves, which, unlike Supergirl's, have not been built up for years, which means she must carefully manage her powers so as to not run out in the middle of a fight. This is the first of Ben's strictly female transformations, as the only DNA source came from a female Kryptonian. She is physically identical to Kara, except for the short, wavy brown hair and green eyes she's kept from Ben's human form, as well as the emerald-colored heat vision she can use.
I truly hoped you enjoy these chapters, and the rest of the crossover event. I put everything I had into them! If you like what I do, and have it in your heart to support me, please consider checking out and donating to my Ko-fi, as Darthkvzn, same as all my socials except Tumblr, darthkvznblogs. It would mean the world to me! If not, no worries, but I encourage you to follow the rest of this universe if you don't already. It's a big place, and it's only getting bigger! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a couple of days off. We'll be back in a little while to see Vilgax's defeat completed, and the ensuing finale of this story.
Until next time!