Raya thought she might have blacked out for awhile. As she struggled to her feet, she noticed the battle had taken it's toll on The Fortress. It's structural integrity didn't appear to have been compromised, at least. But maybe something had happened to Jor-El's AI. She knew it should be stored within here, used to guide Kal-El and aid him with his training, but it hadn't responded when she'd called on it. Wiping blood from her eyes, once her vision returned she crawled over to where Kal-El was lying. Zod had broken his back.
Remembering the crystal, she was somewhat surprised to find she still had it on her. Lenaria hadn't taken it. That was something, at least. If some kind of damage had been done to this place, she could use this to restore it.
"There is no need for that, Raya. I am here."
"Jor-El?" asked Raya, looking around. It took her a moment to remember herself; there was nothing for her to see. Jor-El's body was gone. "You never came, when I called on you before."
"What happened here was a direct result of Kal-El disobeying my instructions. While I told him to destroy The Empireth known as Lenaria, Kal-El instead brought her here to face trial. I told him then that any consequences of that decision would be his to deal with."
Raya closed her eyes. Lara would have been so happy to know that Kal-El had made it. She was delighted herself. But it sounded like Jor-El and his son didn't exactly see eye to eye.
"But he completed the training? He has accepted his destiny?"
"He had begun to accept his Kryptonian destiny, as shown by his ability to fly. However, Kal-El abandoned his education for a human."
"I don't understand… do you mean the family you chose for him? He left the training for them?"
"No, for a girl named Lana Lang, his lover."
Raya sighed. Lara would have been delighted that Kal-El had found someone, but at the same time, Kal-El's destiny was too great to be put aside for any one person.
"Don't give up on him now, Jor-El. All of our hopes and dreams… all of Krypton's hopes and dreams… they all rest with him. Please, I'm asking you to help him."
"His body can be healed," said Jor-El. "But The Empireth has also placed him within a mind trap. Her power is great, and it is beyond my ability to undo."
The Empireth Lenaria. If only she had recognised her, but she'd never seen her in person, and the images she'd seen would have been very out of date. Time had no meaning in The Phantom Zone; she hadn't aged a day since she'd been inside. Judging by Kal-El's age though, she must have been imprisoned for around twenty years. It had been Jor-El who had saved her, sending her there just before Krypton was destroyed with the crystal to protect her. It was a horrible place, but to be here to see that The Kryptonian Race still lived on made it worth it. Jor-El hadn't completely failed.
Near the entrance to The Fortress one of Brainiac's copies still lay unmoving.
"That copy didn't disappear like the others," she said. The small robot was still attached to the head.
"It has been cut-off from the ship."
"You plan on reprogramming it?"
"I plan on returning it to it's original purpose," said Jor-El. "I have a mission for you, Raya."
From one of the Fortress crystals a bright light came forth. Raya shielded her eyes but let the light move across both Kal-El and herself. When it faded, their wounds had gone. Kal-El did not awaken.
"I am ready."
"This Fortress is not all of Krypton that survives. The city of Kandor still exists, although in another dimension. Within is Lana Lang. I ask that you enter Kandor and use this to bring her back here," he said as a crystal floated carefully in front of Raya, who grabbed it. "Kelex will accompany you. He will be able to guide you to her location."
"I understand, Jor-El. It's… it is good to hear your voice again. Thank you… for everything."
"You did well to survive The Phantom Zone. Now go, and return here quickly."
888
"Forgive me for asking," said Lana, knowing she was about to push her new understanding with Faye to the limit. "But you wouldn't happen to be an Empireth would you?"
"I don't know why you would say such a thing," said Faye, disgust on her face. "Preus had them exterminated. All of them. A small psychic talent doesn't make me like that. Don't ever say that again."
"I'm sorry," said Lana quickly. She shouldn't have asked. It was none of her business, after all. "It's just… I kind of met one, once before. It'd be okay if you were, is all."
"Met one? On Earth? But how could…?"
The question went unanswered as Sergeant Kimda, two guards standing alongside, strode into the ward. They moved almost in unison. Lana sprang to her feet at once.
"Where's Clark?"
"He's been taken by something known as The Brain-Interactive Construct," said Kimda, showing no emotion.
"Brainiac? Taken where?"
"You know of it? He said he was taking him to Clark's Fortress to show him a collection of his. Do you have any idea what he meant by that?"
"Well, I know what Clark's Fortress is, but I don't know about any collection. I have to go there," she said, before gasping. Clark was the one who had the crystal that would take them back. Without that, she was trapped here.
"I don't think that's wise," said Kimda, ignoring her gasp. "You would only be a liability to Kal-El."
Lana bit back an angry response. Admittedly what he said was true, but that didn't mean she liked to hear it, especially not when he was being so arrogant about it.
"He could be hurt," she said instead.
"Well, you're not a prisoner," said Kimda, turning on his heel and waving a hand dismissively. "Do whatever you like."
888
Back in his office, Kimda slammed his fists against the desk. Brainiac's reappearance had been completely unexpected, and could jeopardise everything. Their contingency plan had already been put in place, but he couldn't be sure it was enough. When someone knocked on the door, he took a moment to compose himself before allowing them in.
"Lieutenant," said Kimda, addressing the blonde-haired female who entered. "Any further sightings?"
"Nothing yet, sir. The Eradicator will inform us if it finds anything. I'm actually here about another matter."
"Oh?"
"Faye. Or shall I call her Lyla? I understand you plan to release her and Pendar without charge."
Kimda, taking a seat behind his desk, smiled. Inside, however, he felt uncomfortable, and not just because the Lieutenant had went three sentences without calling him 'sir'.
"Your point, Lieutenant?"
"I take it this means you still intend to press on with your original plans for her?"
"Of course. Now that Preus is out of the way, I can act without fear of his interference. We did well, keeping the truth from him as long as we did."
"Sir, with all due respect, this idea of yours is madness…"
"I don't recall giving you permission to speak freely, Lieutenant. Just remember who runs things here now," said Kimda coldly. "As far as I'm aware, Lyla is the last Empireth on Kandor. That means I have to proceed carefully. It also means I have to proceed exactly how I see fit. Don't let me keep you any longer. And in future, I'd advise you to be much more careful what you say."
888
"Frozen solid," said Green Arrow, staring at a line of bodies froze in ice. They were standing just outside Arkham Asylum, and while they'd expected to find something pretty bad, this hadn't been what they'd pictured. "Well, you're the great detective. You think whatever trapped us in the city's behind it?
"No, this is something else. A man by the name of Dr Victor Fries, aka Mr Freeze."
"A little gimmicky, don't you think?"
"Like you're one to talk," said Batman.
"So who is he?"
"He has a rather unique condition where his body temperature is permanently low. He wears a special refrigerated suit to survive. It also gives him super-strength. He carries specially-designed weaponry that lets him freeze people like this."
"Well, you managed to put him away once before, so how tough can he be? Besides, seems like we should thank the guy. He's already frozen most of the asylum lunatics for us; makes our job easier."
Batman wasn't so sure about that. Given the mind state of most of Gotham right about now, he had a feeling there were a lot more lunatics still out there. And every moment he spent trying to stop them was a moment he wasn't finding a way to free the city.