CHAOS

Apokolips

Perspective comes with distance. Generals' miles away from the battle can look over the entire scene and call in troop movements. They can strategize as if they were playing a version of the classic game RISK because they are removed from what's actually happening on the ground. Much like viewers in a fly over mood, they can take it all in, but always from a distance.

As you move closer, perspective narrows until there is no strategy, only chaos. Talk of pincer movements and rear guard actions go out the window and are replaced by much more basic terms like survival. Victory stops being a nebulous term in the overall scheme of things and simply means life. You aren't dying, that's the only victory you can comprehend.

There's a saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. This might be true. It could also be said the most used word in every battle is "Fuck!"

When your whole focus is not dying, you'll grab onto anything that might help.

Battles are ripe for metaphor. So few of us have truly experienced life threatening chaos in OUR daily existence the only way to give even the simplest idea of what it's like is with metaphors. Imagine you're sweating despite whatever the temperature is. Your heart is pounding so hard you can feel the blood pumping in your ears. You pray the contents of your stomach remains in your stomach and that your limbs keep responding to the frantic signals your brains is sending them. The sound overwhelms your hearing. Everything moves as if you're looking out a car window at two hundred miles an hour, except it is moving in every direction at once over a landscape you're not familiar with.

Add to this, people are trying to kill you.

While all this is happening, you have to be aware of those on your side and try not to accidentally hit them as you fire at the enemy.

You quickly realize all those brave inspiring speeches you've heard in the movies are bullshit. There is no time or need for them. When confronted with an army trying to kill you, the last thing you want to hear about is King and Country. Patriotism goes out the window too. General Patton is supposed to have said "Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." And that's what you feel like, some poor dumb bastard that's caught up in something he shouldn't be and the only way out of it is to fuck them before they fuck you.

Apokolips – The Throne Room

Darkseid sat looking over a chessboard deep in thought. He heard everything that was happening around him, yet he gave no acknowledgement to any of it. What grand schemes and plans were going through his mind, none dared to ask. He was the absolute, unquestioned ruler of the planet, yet his goals extended far behind it's borders. To him, everyone on Apokolips was expendable. They were either an asset or liability, nothing more. This view extended beyond the planet as well. In the grand scheme of things, Darkseid saw the rest of the universe as so many pawns on a chessboard. The game was to identify the most dangerous opponents that could possibly cause problems for his larger plans. In this pursuit, everyone expendable.

A small door opened off to the side of the room and Desaad, the sycophantic assistant to the dark lord made his way hesitantly up to his side. He fell to his knees in a sign of subjugation, waiting until his master recognized him. One moment stretched into another and then another and it seemed Darkseid would make him wait forever.

"Yes?" He finally said, his eyes never leaving the chessboard.

"Outsiders have arrived on the planet, my lord,' Desaad replied, keeping his head down.

"Have the army deal with them."

"Yes, of course, my lord."

"Was there something else?"

"Just that some of them appear to be Kryptonians, my lord,' Desaad replied.

"Kryptonians?"

"The one called Superman is among them."

What could almost pass for a smile crossed Darkseid's lips briefly. He stretched out his massive hand and moved a piece on the board, then sat back.

"Interesting,' he murmured. "Have my son handle it personally. He may use whatever force necessary."

"As you wish, my lord."

Desaad bowed several more times as he backed away from Darkseid and then was gone. Darkseid's gaze remained on the chessboard, as he reached across to the other side and picked up one of the white knights. He gazed at it for a moment and then moved it into position. Now he would wait and see how this game played out.

Apokolips

As more and more troops arrived, Clark tried to be everywhere at once. As one uncomfortable in a leadership position he felt the extra weight of it especially this time. They were here because of him, so that made them his responsibility. He had seen it in their eyes as they discussed strategy back on the Watchtower. The plan depended on him most for their survival. Helena and Michael Holt might be heroes, but they were just regular humans. Against what amounted to monsters in these sorts of numbers, all the gadgets in the world weren't going to be enough.

It seemed as if the army coming at them in waves cared nothing for the damage they did and were willing to destroy everything as long as they achieved their goal. The pressure continued to mount as sheer numbers were overwhelming the five of them. High yield weapons burst all around Clark sending surges of agony through his system unlike anything he'd felt before. It was as if every nerve ending in his body were on fire.

Glancing around him through gritted teeth, Clark saw things were rapidly slipping away from his side. Helena and Michael were dodging, vaulting and just plan scrambling for their lives. Heavy guns were being trained on Victor and the electrostatic charges were playing havoc with his systems. Parademons were getting through Kara's defenses and by sheer numbers were trying to bring her down to the ground. Clark caught a glimpse of whom he assumed was the commander of the forces and the hideous creature seemed to smile as he raised some sort of club and then unleashed a beam directly at Kara. Clark tried to shout a warning, but she was too occupied to pay attention.

Kalibak chuckled as the nerve beam from his Beta-Club ripped an agonizing scream from the young Kryptonian female. She tumbled to the ground under the weight of his parademon soldiers. Kalibak would show his father just how ruthless he could be in battle and perhaps gain his respect as a commander just as his uncle Steppenwolf had. These mortals would pay for even thinking they could invade the home of the New Gods. He would make sure they knew agony before their lives ended. He would make sure they knew his name and that he was their undoing.

Another scream caught his attention, but this was different then the others. This wasn't a scream of agony, but of pain and anger. The monstrous, fire-breathing tank directly in front of him suddenly shuddered and then was ripped apart in front of Kalibak's eyes. The young male Kryptonian, the one called Superman suddenly appeared. Kalibak ordered his heavy weapons to concentrate all their fire on him. He would fall just like the female had.

Restraint had always been a touch-tone word in Clark's life. He had grown up around people that were so fragile, that even the slightest mistake could be disastrous. Every minute of every day in his young life he had to be vigilant, measured and aware. Just a momentary loss of his temper and he'd almost destroyed the other members of the Justice League.

This was only supposed to be a rescue mission. Find Karen and bring her back to Earth. The brief glimpses of Apokolips he'd previously had told him this was a living hell, but now he knew it was even worse then he'd imagined. Life meant nothing here. These so called New Gods were monsters, whose only goal seemed to be the enslavement of everyone and the deliberate infliction of suffering on the widest possible scale.

As he helplessly watched Kara get dragged down to the ground, Clark heard an insane cackle and then felt claws viciously rack across his back. His hand flew on instinct, swatting the creature away. A scream erupted from deep inside of him, only this time it wasn't from pain but anger. These New Gods showed no mercy and now neither would he. The first time he'd been here, they had tortured him, but his primary goal was to get back to Earth to stop the invasion. They had never seen what a mature Kryptonian in command of all his powers was capable of, now they would. They wanted a war; he was going to give them one.

Fire engulfed Clark as the field weapons moved in. He could feel it singe his cape and roll over his skin. He advanced, digging his fingers into the largest tank and then ripping it in half as if it were made of tissue paper. Beams of intense red shot out from his eyes cutting a swath through the rest of the column. Moving at blinding speed he reached Kara and tossed the parademons away like rag dolls. She was stunned but he was thankful she was alive.

"Kara, help the others find Karen,' he shouted.

"Wh-What are you going to do?" She asked, as she tried to clear her head.

Clark glanced at the still advancing army.

"I'm going to give you time. Now go!"

He rose up off the ground ready to meet the army single handedly.

Kara moved towards the others, snatching Victor first and pulling him away from the monsters attacking him. Next came Helena and Michael and she put on a burst of speed to get some distance between them and the army.

"What are you doing?" Helena shouted. "Cla-Superman is back there!"

"It's his plan,' Kara replied. "He's going to buy us some time so we can find your friend."

"That's suicide!" Michael and Helena shouted.

Victor had been listening and watching the battle as they moved away.

"No, I don't think it is,' he offered.

"The sooner we find this friend of yours the sooner we can go back and get him!" Kara shouted.

"And get the hell out of this place,' Victor added.

The Throne Room

A large orb hovered in front of Darkseid, showing him the battle. He moved another piece on the chessboard as he watched the young Kryptonian take on his son and army. He had an almost detached interest as he let the events unfold before him. This was just a skirmish in a larger battle, Darkseid knew. Identifying all possible future threats was part of the master plan. The Kryptonian, this Superman would either fall to Darkseid's son and army today, thus not being worth considering further or he would be added to the enemies list. Before the grand finale all those on the list would be dealt with in time.

Darkseid would let this play out, his eye always on the ultimate price.

The Slums

Karen hugged the wall of the alley. She listened, but it seemed she had lost the army chasing her. Letting her hearing extend, she tried to find them among the din of noise that constantly filled the air here.

They had given up pursuing her. That was a strange development she thought. Listening intensely, she could only pick out bits and pieces of what they were saying. It seemed they were rushing towards another battle, one that every soldier in the army was taking part in. Then she heard two words that sent a chill down her spine, Kryptonian and male.

Clark!

He'd come after her and now he was in trouble.

All other thoughts left her mind. Karen stepped out from the alley and pulled the cloak she'd been wearing down from her face. Clark had come for her and she wasn't going to let anything happened to him. Standing boldly in the street, the red cloak fluttering behind her like a cape, the white body suit showing off her every curve, Karen knew there was no more running, from either this army or Clark. The later she didn't have the strength to do anymore.

All the feelings she'd been fighting for so long wouldn't be denied any longer. She was in love with him. In an almost selfish, greedy way she wanted him more than anything she'd ever wanted in her life. She'd lost everything, her world, her family, her friends, not once, but twice. In the moment though, none of that mattered, only he did. She would not lose him too. Emotions threatened to overwhelm her as she slowly began to rise off the ground. It was as if every cell in her body felt a burst of energy and now she had a target to release it. She saw nothing of her surroundings as her entire focus was on the sounds of battle in the distance. In the blink of an eye she was moving straight for it.

The streets to the ghetto were like a labyrinth, as Helena, Michael, Victor and Kara continued to fall back, fighting off pursuers from all sides. Perspective narrowed, as the very citizens of the slums turned against them.

Kara was best in the air, but needed to keep in contact with the others. This limited the devastating power she could bring to bear; yet she showed no restraint in taking out anything that threatened them. This was a madhouse, filled with demons and monsters. She had no idea this was what she was getting herself into when she agreed to help her cousin. It seemed stupid and ill advised to come here, yet when she remembered the look in his eyes when he asked her, she still couldn't find any part of her that would have said no.

She still had doubts about everything he'd told her or even if he was her cousin. Yet when she looked into his eyes, Kara knew he was being honest about needing her help. In that moment it didn't matter if he was her cousin or even if he were Kryptonian. He was simply another person in need of help. Every part of her knew she couldn't turn away or say no. So here she was, in the middle of a nightmare and yet she had no regrets.

Helena was running out of arrows and her utility belt was almost empty of gadgets. She didn't stop fighting. What fueled her was the memory of her parents, who had given their lives fighting creatures like these. They called themselves New Gods, but she didn't believe it. They were just the latest conquerors spreading misery. Yes, they were powerful, but they could die just like everyone else. They might want to cloak themselves in Godhood, but they weren't the first or the last conquerors to try that.

That was the edge she felt she had. She knew who and what she was. Being stronger didn't make you better or elevate you to higher beings. Growing up she'd watched her father and mother fight against people like this. They were just ordinary human beings, yet they fought because their cause was right and noble. They died for that cause, so how could she honor their memory and do any less? She would fight on and find her friend just like mom and dad would do.

Victor unleashed a sonic blast that brought down a swarm of parademons. He continued moving backwards with the others, staying in a tight group so they could assist each other. Perhaps it was the nature of his computerized mind, but several thoughts were swirling around in his head. His main focus was on fighting and find Karen Starr, but other thoughts continued to intrude.

In the quiet moments, Victor had begun to wonder if he really was human anymore. Was he just a machine pretending to be what he used to be? As strange as it seemed, here in this living hell he thought he found some answers. The odds weren't in their favor every calculation told him, yet he came anyway. A machine wouldn't do that. That he was fighting for not just his own survival, but for the others with him wasn't something a machine would do either. The whole situation was illogical, yet that just seemed to reinforce that he was still alive and human underneath all the hardware.

That he'd come out of friendship with Clark to help him save a woman Victor had never met spoke of his humanity. That he found himself interested in the young Supergirl spoke to an even more human emotion. Yes, a machine can work with others to achieve a larger goal, but it has no feelings about the situation. Victor couldn't seem to turn his feelings off, as hard as the machine side of him tried. It appeared the outside had changed dramatically, but his core, what was inside hadn't. He'd found his answer to those evil spirits Graves had unleashed on them.

A gust of wind swept up the narrow street and then two red beams fired out into the attacking soldiers. Victor, Helena, Michael and Kara turned to see Karen hovering above them.

"Helena? What the hell are you doing here? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Karen shouted.

"I was trying to rescue you!" Helena fired back as she punched another soldier.

"That was stupid! You know better than that!" Karen complained.

"Are you really going to bitch at me now? Now?" Helena gasped.

"Sorry. Where Clark?"

Apokolips – Ground Zero

He was like a force of nature, elemental in his power and speed. No one soldier, parademon, monster or military vehicle could stand in his way. It was as if these New Gods were witnessing the birth of another God, one focused on wrecking havoc over everything. Spinning, whirling, moving at blinding speeds, Clark held nothing back. His anger fueled his powers, letting them reach to their upper limits.

Yet they still kept coming.

He was at the center of an avalanche of bodies, seemingly limitless in their numbers. Kalibak had sensed the tide turning in the battle and panicked. His father did not tolerate defeat; he along with everyone on the planet understood this. They were fighting one man, one mortal; it shouldn't be going against them. If he had to sacrifice every last soldier, Kalibak was determined to win. The alternative was unthinkable.

Darkseid's Elite were called in, along with every available troop and machine. As he stood on a rooftop anxiously watching the battle unfold, Kalibak saw the tide slowly turning. Sheer numbers and the Elite were wearing the Kryptonian down. Blood poured from too many wounds to count, as the Furies attacked like a swarm of hornets repeatedly stinging him and then pulling away. Kalibak raised his Beta-club and fired, sending a nerve pulse at the Kryptonian. It killed the swarm of troops around him, but it also brought him to his knees. The moment for the final blow was at hand and Kalibak moved in for the kill. A cold, deadly smile spread across his hideous lips as he imagined watching the Kryptonian gasp his last breathes in agony.

Kalibak stood over the kneeling figure and raised his club for the final blow. He was expecting a scream to fill the air and he got one, only it was his own scream. Four beams of heat seared into his flesh from above. Some sort of boomerang knocked the Beta-Club from his hand. Intense waves of sound assaulted his eardrums driving him back away from the fallen Kryptonian.

Clark felt the pain all over his body. Every nerve was on fire. He tried to gather himself as he felt his enemy move in for the kill. Then it didn't come. He finally managed to look up and saw Karen, Kara, Helena, Victor and Michael coming to his rescue. Despite all the pain, he couldn't help smiling when his eyes locked with Karen's. It seemed it wasn't over between them, but first they had to get out of this place.

The initial shock of Kalibak's screams wore off immediately for the army. They went back on the attack, the Elite moving into to the leadership roles and directing the horde. Straining every agonizing muscle, Clark turned and brought his hands together with all the force he could. A shock wave threw the advancing soldiers back and created a brief space around the six.

"Victor! Boom us out of here!" Clark shouted.

A portal opened. Kara grabbed Michael, Helena and Victor and plunged them into it. Clark tried to rise and move towards the portal, but his body didn't seem to be responding. He felt two strong hands grab him and lift him off the ground.

"I'm not letting you go."

Karen.

They entered the portal in the next moment.

The Throne Room

Darkseid watched all of this. Slowly he reached for one of the knights on his side of the board and tipped it over. He didn't give it another glance. His whole focus was on the opposite side of the board, in particular the white knight. He sat contemplating what it would mean for the future.