Avenging Justice:
Two Worlds Collide
Part XXX
Earth, New York, New York City
Two thundercracks echoed across the battlefield that had become New York City. Following those was a falling object, black, and human shaped. Behind him, the sun outlined Superman, before he blasted toward the falling form of General Zod.
The still image of him like that would sell untold merchandise, be copied and repeated to near infinitum. It would be the image most linked to the Man of Steel. Majestic, regal, but most of all human. Concern knitted across Superman's visage, and determination set in blue eyes. Protector of Earth, hero to all, and in such a simple image, an embraced destiny.
General Zod caught himself and flew back up towards the accursed spawn of Jor-El. Due to years of training and battlefield management, he knew the course of battel had changed. Once Jor-El's son bent the knee, he'd be free to focus his superior mind. Even these collected heroes would be no match against him, especially with Non and Faora at his side. They had almost ruled one planet once, they'd rule this one.
Superman and Zod clashed, while a block away Loki was falling. He rolled, hoping his momentum was enough. The sight of the exploding chariot on the ground, and a green hammer coming his way, kept the Asgardian on his feet. Sending out a blast from his scepter, he saw it hit a newly made green shield.
Loki tried another illusion, but the Green Lantern seemed to detect him easily. It must have something to do with what the dark armored monster had said. He was sure the thing was just a regular, old boring human, but the way he moved and fought. It was much, much more. However, then why wasn't he the one doing the fighting?
He didn't have much time to worry about that, as the Green Lantern brought another punishing attack at him. Loki parried with his scepter, meaning to send another attack, but was blindsided by Green Lantern's incoming fist. This sent his weapon flying, and he had to call on his normal staff. Even with that, he barely parried the next few blows.
A crash nearby the huge building they were in presented Loki with a chance to flee. Sending out a spell, he launched for his scepter, and felt his insides go arctic cold. Landing on it, was a very angry, very massive, green behemoth. The Hulk screamed as he landed, eyes locked on with understanding. This was the one behind all the chaos hurting people.
Loki managed to get a quick blast off, causing the Hulk to react with a pained scream, and he was backing up. Right into the waiting blow from Green Lantern, who used a green construct wall to send Loki back towards Hulk. The behemoth, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, proceeded to smash Loki into the floor. Several savage moments later, and the Hulk huffed before heading back to the battle outside.
John Stewart almost felt sorry for the fallen alien, "Thanks, Hulk, I'll take it from here."
Hulk leapt away with one phrase, "Puny God."
John turned to the beaten man, "Loki of Asgard, you are under arrest. We'll make sure your sciencell is a nice and soft one, you're going to need it."
Faora dodged one energy blast from Captain Marvel, then sent heat vision at the Kree armored woman. Thanks to her countless hours in preparation, she was able to see the teenage Kryptonian coming up from behind her. Taking a breath, she released it just as she did a perfect martial arts throw. Supergirl, her momentum used against her, went sailing onto a nearby rooftop. By this time, Captain Marvel was back on the attack.
Faora had to hand it to the other woman, she had tactics, and she was strong. However, there were things greater than strength. Parrying Marvel's blow, the Kryptonian woman extended her attacker's limb into a painful armbar. Pushing her knee into Captain Marvel's back, she pushed them both through another high-rise building.
Soon after the building imploded, with several tons of material crashing down upon the two battling women. Carol took multiple hits, and she was bashed with fallen material by the other woman, till blood covered her face. She managed one good hit with her energy bolt, following it with an angry uppercut. Beneath her armor, something in her side was hurting.
"Is this the best your people have to offer?" Faora's voice called from the ruins of the building. "A band of misfits and lost souls. What a backwater you must live on."
Carol Danvers sent out a blast, "We're tough enough to kick your ass. I don't see your leader or the big man around, must be feeling lonely."
"Have it your way," Faora let out a full blast of her heat vision, sending Carol back, and burning at her armor.
It hurt, it burned, and Carol pulsed with power, drawing more out. Her binary form pulsed and it stopped Faora's attack, for a moment. However, the Kryptonian woman hadn't risen to her level by playing it safe. She was deadly, calculating and most of all aggressive. Landing a falling kick on Captain Marvel, she followed up with hard elbow.
Carol found herself thrust to the ground hard. Above her came another deadly attack from Faora, a kick that was meant to cave in her skull. She was tough, could take a lot of punishment, but even she was feeling the beating. Everything seemed slowed, like she was moving in molasses. Instantly, Carol knew she wasn't going to be able to move out of this attack in time.
"Don't mind me!" came the voice of Supergirl as she slammed into Faora. "I think you need some air."
Up they went, into the upper parts of the atmosphere. There, Supergirl threw the woman, and prepared. As she expected, Faora was back on her. She blocked one kick, sending out a blast of heat vision that burned the other woman. For this, she received a blistering series of punches. Most hit, but Supergirl held firm. The blows hurt, but she at least there was only one goal. Pushing back, she landed some hits of her own, but soon discovered she was on the receiving end, more than the giving.
"For the daughter of scientists," Faora said appraisingly, "you're not half bad in a fight. Join us, together we could remake this world. The power we hold could bring back our people."
Supergirl, catching her breath asked, "And the people here, what is to come of them."
"They are lesser beings, those that conform will remain, those who don't will be dealt with," came the cold reply. "You are a daughter of Krypton, not of this backward mudball."
Kara thought about her home world. The grand spires, the great peaks, and the civilization that survived under the red light of Rao. Images of her mother and father came to her, along with a large skull shaped ship. It was the image of her parents though, that brought her a warmth and a dreadful sense of loss. Loving, and accepting, she just wished they knew how much she had loved them. She knew how much they loved her, they sent her away to live, while they stayed to die.
"We were not sent to conquer, but to illuminate," Supergirl said. "I won't let you harm any more of the people here."
"You El's make foolish decisions," Faora was immediately on Supergirl.
The black armored woman tore into the more brightly colored armored teen. Their blows resounding in the sky, and neither was giving ground. One would end up falling today, with only those below watching rooting on Supergirl.
To Supergirl, this was her way of honoring her family's legacy. They were scientists and made lives better. Her talents had always lay in more martial areas. Yet, her parents had never dissuaded her. They had offered other interests, but always supported her. She missed them, felt their loss. Up till now she'd been pulling that loss, grief inward. Instead, she tapped into it and decided to share her pain with Faora.
Carol cleaned her face and flew up after the two Kryptonians. She heard the last bit of the conversation, and had her respect for Supergirl grow. The other woman was better trained, probably stronger, and more experienced. Yet, this teen decided to fight. Little did she know, she wasn't going to be fighting alone.
Faora was stunned by the ferocity of the teen's attacks, and found herself on the defensive. She thought knew, there was no way her opponent could keep this up for long. Supergirl was running on emotion, burning through it quickly. Soon, she would be exhausted and need a breather. That was when she'd strike, and her time came quickly.
Supergirl threw a hard punch, missing by just the slightest of margins. Faora pulled the girl's arm, and slammed her fist into the girl's face. She followed it up with several more blows, pleasantly surprised when the girl took it all. She may have come from the stock of scientists, but there was a bit of fight in her. Too bad she had chosen the wrong side.
"Excuse me, but we're not done yet," Faora turned to find Captain Marvel in full Binary mode.
Carol blasted the Krytponian woman, and then was on her in a flurry of blows and kicks. Between these two, this one was the more experienced, and thanks to the fight with Supergirl, Faora wasn't at her peak. More of Carol's attacks got through this time, and Faora found herself relying on her powers more. Heat vision and energy blasts erupted in the sky, looking below like red and golden lightning flashing in the sky.
Faora pushed off Captain Marvel, and prepared for the counterattack. Only, the Kree warrior wasn't coming at her. Instead, Carol was smiling and pointing off to the side. Faora only then realized why, as a very angry young woman set a destructive uppercut upon her. The last image she saw was the crest of House El.
"Fool, your father stood against me! I will have my vengeance," General Zod cried as he pushed Superman through the air.
The Man of Steel flipped him, and managed a counterattack. Zod responded with his own, but the two men remained. Exchanging blows the two Kryptonians fought across the skyline. As they did, more damage was done upon New York City, and at one point a building full of people began to buckle.
Superman sent Zod flying and instantly went to start saving people. As he did, Zod came back, sending him through another building. The two exchanged blows, but now Superman was distracted by the slowly falling building. He took more hits from Zod, and came to a realization, those people and more would die if he couldn't get Zod off his back.
Bringing a series of punches and kicks, Superman bought himself some space, but not enough. General Zod was back on him, before he could get to the falling building. Fear spread through him, but not for himself. All those people, about to die and all because of this maniac with a grudge. What surprised him was when the building stopped falling.
Through a loudspeaker outside, a voice came, "Sorry I'm late, Superman, took a minute to get here. By the way, I have a message from a friend." The voice was replaced by a gravelly, familiar one, "Superman, focus on the general. We've got Loki, and the bruiser down. Batman out."
Superman smiled, and then returned his full attention to Zod. Behind him, a man floating in the air, slowly lowered the building to the street below. The remains of the building groaned as the steel beams were pressed against the other materials. Templar focused on that, while Wild Cat kept the streets clear for him. Several Chitauri lay fallen at her feet, destroyed by her claws.
General Zod exploded through the building where he and Superman had been fighting. Something had changed, in his opponent. It wasn't a rage, but there was a snarl of anger on Superman's face. The blows coming were stronger, and only because of his training did Zod immediately get taken out. It was almost as if the other Kryptonian had been holding back, or a switch was flipped.
Even worse for the general, was the sight that caught his eye as he caught himself in the clouds. Faora, falling crumpled to the ground, knocked senseless. He didn't lose track of Superman, but something felt off. Now that he was on his own, he had to get to his people, especially because he couldn't find Non.
"So, you're the Dru-Zod my father told me about," Superman hit the general hard in the jaw. "In his recordings, he said you were his friend."
"Before he betrayed me!" Zod roared, flinging a punch at the other man. "He sided with those close-minded fools that doomed our planet!"
Superman pummeled the general, "Because you took away people's freedom! He needed your help to convince people to leave, instead you staged a coup."
"You were not there, El," Zod spat as he threw another punch, which Superman blocked.
Superman nodded, "No, he sent me here, knowing that the world was going to die. He tried to tell them, and they all chose not to listen. Most were wary of anyone who used to be friends with the betrayer, General Zod."
With that he slammed his fists into Zod's face, and didn't let up till the man was senseless. Zod fell to blackness, the unspoken accusation worming its way into his mind. He quickly dismissed it. Sometimes, someone had to take full power, sacrifice a few, to save the whole. He had been right, and Jor-El had betrayed him. He would get his revenge, but as darkness closed in on him, it wouldn't be that day.
Ant-Man and Wasp were looking over the machine that had opened the hole in the sky. It was surrounded by a field of energy, that instantly threw them back. However, they had found a hidden way in. The field stopped at the gravel on the roof, and didn't appear to pierce the ceiling of the floor below them. Able to shrink down, they ducked under one of the pieces of gravel.
Ant-Man looked at the connectors leading from the building to the equipment. Right now the field it was producing was self-sustaining, meaning even if they cut power, the field would remain. They'd have to either find a way to turn it off, or destroy the machined. Whoever did that would have to be able to bust through the ceiling below it.
"I'll get the word out, you look for whatever turns it off," Wasp said as she shrunk down and flew back out under the gravel hole she'd entered by.
Unable to hear what was going on outside the machine's shielding, he began to review the set up and his mind spun. Looking at the energy being produced and how it was set up, this would be perfect for his project. He took some readings, and saved those for later use. If he could replicate this, then his Ultron project would be one step closer to completion.
Outside Wasp was broadcasting to the heroes, "We've found the energy source, and a possible way in. However, we are still looking for the off switch, or we'll need someone really strong to destroy this thing."
"On it!" came a very young female voice.
Before Wasp knew what was happening, a red and blue blur stopped right beside her. The young woman looked like she had been in a fight, and Wasp's first reaction was to pull the girl in for a tender hug. One so young shouldn't have to experience such violence, but what stopped her was this young woman was flying like Superman. That and the big red "S" on her chest.
"Which way?" Supergirl asked.
Wasp explained, and watched as Supergirl immediately burrowed through the ceiling, coming up underneath the machine. Even more surprising was another red and blue blur that followed the first. In the wake of the second blur, a man in black was left, the same one who had been leading the invasion force. Wasp hurriedly called for backup, and felt better when Captain Marvel landed beside her.
"Let them destroy that thing, we've got this guy, right?" Carol joked to Janet.
Laughing, Janet backed off, "He's all yours. I've seen what that one can do."
The floor beneath the machine, Supergirl took a moment to collect herself. She still hurt, but she felt better than she had in days. Then she saw Kal come to a stop beside her. Instantly she had two thoughts, one to remind him she was sent to protect him, so back off. Two was that she was sorry for any worry he had for her, because she knew what she looked like.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently.
She nodded, "I won." With that she laughed, and grabbed at her side. "It hurts to laugh. The lady up there says we can get to the machine from underneath here."
"Then we'll do it together," Superman said. "You did well today, very well."
"I couldn't let you have all the fun," she replied back with a pained smile. "Besides, this place is going to be home. Got to defend home."
He embraced her gently, and she let him. He was family, the only family she had left. However, what they were about to do, she could see both their parents being very proud of them. Using their gifts to save those of this world, to protect a young race with promise. Yes, their parents would definitely approve.
Together they burst through the roof, before the shield could reform. Then lifting the machine away, they rocketed into the sky. There miles above the ground, and just at the edge of the atmosphere, they ripped the machine apart with their hands. The shield began to flicker, and then the machine exploded, throwing both Kryptonians back.
Down below the fighters watched the hole in the sky close, and the Chitauri soldiers fall lifeless to the ground. The invasion was over, and now the people nearby were set to take stock. However, they each waited on any sign of their hero. They didn't have long to wait, as both Superman and Supergirl appeared, floating down to assist with the rescue operations. The people cheered, and that was how the Battle of New York came to a close.