Avenging Justice:

Two Worlds Collide

Part XXI

Earth, Delaware, Metropolis

A technician at STAR Labs looked at his screen intently. Above the Earth, translated as a series of high definition illustrations, were several meteors just entering the atmosphere. Pulled by gravity, the huge, jagged rocks were aimed to hit along the eastern seaboard. They weren't the size to end life on the world, or even the continent, however they were large enough to devastate any city they hit.

As such they had sent up a series of missiles to try and divert the path of the meteors, with only one being moved enough to burn up as it entered. The others were racing to their targets, and the technician could only hope their back up plan worked. This plan revolved around a certain champion of earth, who was blasting at supersonic speeds in a red and blue blur.

Superman caught the first one, slowed it before sending it back up, and towards the moon. In his ear the gravelly voice of Batman was guiding him where to safely put the falling debris. Though he could see farther, and could calculate the trajectory, he trusted Bruce's modeling. There as one thing you could say about Batman, but he didn't leave things to chance. He'd have a plan, back up plan, and at least two more back ups after that, because he was Batman.

Launching another meteor, this one he was told would skim the moon's gravity, and slingshot towards Jupiter. With all luck, it'd would impact on one of the huge planet's rockier moons. It was the next one that caused him concern, something metallic was peeking through the meteor. He flew out to investigate.

In his ear, Bruce asked, "What caught your interest?"

"Something metallic, it looks to be fabricated," Clark replied back. "I'm going to investigate."

"Watch it up there, it could be a trap," Batman advised. "I'm redirecting a satellite to give me eyes up there."

"Not everything is a threat," Superman started to remove the rock around the metal sticking out.

Batman's response was a practical as it was spartan, "Plan for the worst, hold out for the best."

"Was that a little optimism?" Clark couldn't help but rib the other man.

"Keep your mind on the mission," Bruce shot back. "Looks like it has writing on it."

Superman wasn't paying attention, as he started to destroy the rock around the ever-increasing metal structure. The form looked very familiar, the same type of shape that he had grown up looking at in his family's barn. The symbols on the outside just reinforced what his heart hoped was true. This artifact was from Krypton, it was another pod like what he was sent to Earth on. There was another survivor!

Earth, New York, New York City

Norman Osborn sat in his seat, holding back his temper as his board questioned his decisions, again. The subject was very simple, their military contracts were in jeopardy, because they kept interfering. The Pentagon had hired his company OsCorp to make a super soldier serum. They wanted their own versions of Spider-Man, Flash, or even Superman. They would settle for a Black Lightning or Captain America. He had made promises, and now these idiots were bothering him about ethical violations.

"I'm sorry, Norman, but every test subject has some kind of psychosis," one of the board, was getting just a little to familiar. "Some of them are permanently scarred! You told us this was safe!"

Norman caught the man in his gaze, and he deflated a little as Norman spoke, "Every test showed promise, and when you're in this type of arms race, accidents happen. If I need to remind you, our government is depending on us. Besides, they all signed waivers, we're fine legally."

"I just think this is riskier than we realized," the man spoke, not as forcibly as before though. "It may be prudent to go back to animal testing, or computer modeling. We need not run into this, causing more suffering for such little results."

"We are not going back!" Norman practically screamed. "What we are going to do is have your teams go over the data and find the error in their data. I want results, and I don't want to hear any excuses. If you can't get me results, I can find people who will. Now, leave, all of you."

The board emptied out, leaving Norman to simmer in his anger. He had built OsCorp to what it was today, he had done it with his genius and by taking risks. Now, he was surrounded by those who would hesitantly tiptoe though science. That was not his way, that wasn't how he had kept OsCorp afloat. Part of the reason it was still around was his alter ego, and direct result of one of his bold experiments.

Heading to his office, he left word with his assistant not to be bothered. Going to the bookcase behind his desk, he flipped one book forward and the secret entrance opened up. Inside were bright lights surrounding a purple and green suit, pumpkin bombs and parts of his Goblin Glider scattered on the shelves to the right and left. He closed the door and started to don the suit.

This was his real skin, not the disguise he wore when working the plebians. Ever since that night, where he had evolved himself above these sheep, he had to hide his greatness. The city at large though him a villain, but the reality was that most were beneath him. Only Spider-Man could be his equal, and as such was his opposite.

The irritating arachnid wasted his power, "helping" people, uplifting the weak and protecting those who would turn on him, eventually. Norman was different, he held the power in his hands, and used it to remake the world as he saw fit. Those unlike him were not worth his time, and were simply pawns to be moved around the board. Even his own son tended to disappoint him.

Harry had such potential, but wasted it. Not like his friend, Peter. That young man was poor, yet had an amazing mind. Norman had found himself liking when he talked science with Peter, especially the leaps of brilliance he was capable of. Yes, that one, if born under different circumstances, bring the world to its knees.

In his skin now, he put on his face. A green goblin mask that followed his facial movements. Now that he was fully transformed, he was ready for his genius to be unleashed. Pulling up the computer diagrams, he looked over the data his scientists had generated. He gazed fully free, able to be himself. He spoke, mocked the small little jumps these idiots proclaimed as giant leaps.

It was an hour later that found something. Green Goblin jotted down some notes, and then in Norman's words, sent them down to his underlings. He had come across the unstable chains. He hadn't been able to fix all of it, just move the unstableness from one area to another. The subjects would develop abilities, but they would have a limited time to use them. Now he just needed some subjects to test the serum out on.

Minutes later he was out in the New York sky, with the sun setting on the horizon. Cackling madly, Green Goblin went to the worst parts of the city. The places where one could disappear, or disappear from, where nobody would bat an eye if you did. The board would have their results, he would show them how you got results.

Elle shivered in the night air. Like many of the city's homeless, she was under twenty-one. She hadn't run away because of religious upbringing, or sexual orientation. Rather she had been pushed out because of an incident. Her father had become hooked on painkillers after a bad accident. Her mother disappeared one day, leaving her to take care of her father.

That led to one of the people supplying him, coming after her. She had escaped before anything happened, but she couldn't go home, not ever again. So, she had taken up at a local youth shelter. They provided her with a warm place, food and access to education. Sure, they had rules, she was safe though. Elle would take that over what her life had started to become.

She rounded the corner when a loud screaming sound startled her. There was just a moment when panic hit, before she felt something pierce her skin. Looking at the area of the pain, her arm, she saw a dart sticking out. Then the world became dark as she collapsed. Her last memory before succumbing, a green laughing devil reaching for her. The sound of his manic laugh followed her into her dreams.

When she woke again, Elle was inside a tube full of water. An oxygen mask was attached to her face, allowing her to breath. Cords and tubes pierced her skin, with a bluish green liquid running through them. Fire burned through her body, and she cried from the unrelenting waves pain.

Across from here were four other tubes, each one with a person inside. Some were older, some were her age, and half were men. Each one was hooked up like she was, with different colored liquids being pumped into them. Most were in states of alertness like her, but at least one was still out cold.

Then their captor came into view. The green devil from before, one she now recognized from his fights with Spider-Man. The papers called him the Green Goblin, and most of what they said about him was not good. Her heart stopped, and despite the waves of pain, a chill ran down her spine. The villain stopped before her, his twisted face upturned into a crazy grin.

"Hello, my pretty, I hope you're comfortable," Green Goblin smirked before falling into a laughing fit. "Just relax, this will be all over soon."

Earth, Fortress of Solitude

Superman hovered, making Batman really wish he was back in the cave. Ever since he had pulled the Kryptonian pod out of the atmosphere, something had come over the Man of Steel. Batman could understand to a point. Seeing someone else from a world you thought dead, was bound to create an overwhelming desire to connect with them. This would be one person in the whole world that he didn't have to really hold back with.

The Fortress' computer was busy running a medical scan on the occupant. Bruce hazarded a guess she was about fifteen or sixteen human years old. Blonde haired instead of Clark's darker hair. Despite being in a deep slumber for years, the computers were coming back with stable life signs. It also told him that she was related to Clark, the genetics showed a connection to the house of El.

"She is healthy," Batman said matter of factly. "According to the logs from the craft, she left about the same time you did."

"Yeah, I can read them," Superman cut his eyes at Batman. "Her flight computer shows she ran into an asteroid storm and got knocked off course."

Batman looked on, "Isn't it a little convenient that despite that, she found her way here?"

"It really is hard for you to trust, isn't it?" Superman said exasperated. "It is very likely the flight computer adjusted, and continued on towards its destination."

"We should be cautious is all," Batman said.

The girl woke up then, surrounded by a museum of her former planet. Her senses instantly caused her pain. Her mind was being pierced by sounds and sights she was not ready for. The jagged crystalline Kryptonian structure was stabbing at her, the voices of the two people nearby pounding in her head. The vibration of the world beneath her running through her body, and the smell of everything in a fifty-mile radius assaulted her.

Kara Zor-El erupted off the table, screaming in Kryptonian and slamming her hands to her face. Blazing fire erupted from her eyes and burned at her hands. She fell hard to the floor, shocked by this turn of events. Someone was coming, she put her hand up to stop them, unsure who or what they were.

Other footsteps came, this one dark clad and had an odd shaped head. She felt the fire building up again, so she shut her eyes hard. A warm hand touched her shoulder, as tears streamed down her face. Everything was painful and she was holding it in as much as she could. She tried to push the other way, but he held firm.

"Easy now," a heavily accented Kryptonian voice said. "I'm Kal-El."

Shock made her step back, "Impossible, he is a baby."

"Easy, easy," Superman said, putting up his hands. "Your craft was knocked off course, you've been in stasis for a very long time."

Kara felt her legs fail her, "This can't be. What happened?"

Superman smiled, "We have time. Come, we have much to discuss."

"Who's the dark man over there?" Kara asked.

Superman turned to Batman, "He's a friend. A little intense, but a good man."

"If you two are done, we need to get her acclimated to Earth," Batman said. "If only to make sure she doesn't accidentally level a city."