Counterpart Conferences
By Michael Weyer
My thanks to Marcus S. Lazarus for help on this between some advice and other touches, hope you enjoy. It does help to read the last chapter of "Distant Cousins" for a guide to Earths and "A Darker Shade of Red" spin-off for one plot point.
As the flash of light faded around him, Superman was alert. One moment he had been standing with the Justice League, Justice Society and the unlikely aid of Black Adam and the Wonder Women of different realities. The next, he was in what appeared to be a theater of some kind. It was a large stage set before a huge screen, complete with seats, balconies and more. He could even swear he smelled popcorn in the distance.
He swiftly scanned the area with his x-ray vision but couldn't penetrate the room's walls. He looked down at himself to make sure he looked all right and frowned at something stuck to his chest. Peering closely, he saw it was a classic name tag labeled "Hello, I'm Kal-51."
There was a flash and a sucking sound and he spun around to see a figure appear before him. They stared in disbelief as they were both clad in the same red and blue suit with cape, although the stranger's was much brighter in the colors, his face more classically handsome. He looked to be a bit older than Kal and on his chest was a tag "Hello, I'm Kal-1978."
The two sized each other up carefully as the other Kal raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Not the first time I've had to fight myself."
"I'm hoping it doesn't come to a fight," Kal-51 calmly said. "I'm a stranger here myself."
There was another flash as another man in the same suit appeared before them. His features were a bit exaggerated, his shoulders wider and his name tag saying "Hello, I'm Kal-1992." He was quickly alert seeing the other two men although he appeared to be not as surprised as they were. "Huh. This is...interesting." Once more, the flash echoed to show another version, this one with what looked like a bit of stubble on his face and his tag reading "Hello, I'm Kal-38."
This newcomer blinked as he took in the other pair, arching an eyebrow. "Oh boy...if this is black kryptonite again..."
Another two flashes came to bring in two more men in the same outfit. One appeared the same age as Kal-1978, thrown at them all. The other was different in that his hair was slicked back rather than a spit-curl that the others possessed. The former's tag read "Kal-1979" while the other was "Kal-1940."
"Great Krypton!" the first of the newcomers said. "What is this? Where's the Hall of Justice?"
"The Hall of what?" The second frowned. "And I thought the new baby was something..."
Two more flashes echoed to reveal yet another pair of men in the uniform. The first struck Kal-51 as resembling that Atom person he'd met from Earth-1 yet oddly fit well in the suit. The other was about the same age, looking a bit young yet bristling with the same power. The first's tag identified him as "Kal-2006" and the second "Kal-167."
Kal-167 frowned at his counterparts. "What in the hell..."
"Language," Kal-1978 chastised.
Kal-1979 was frowning deeply. "Is this some effect of red kryptonite?"
"Red K just releases inhibitions," Kal-38 said.
"I can confirm that," Kal-167 said with a shudder.
"If this is some sort of trick, I'm not laughing," Kal-1940 said. "I've been through too many mind games in the past." He shook his head. "I swear, Lois and I had so many fakeouts to the wedding, it got ridiculous."
"How do we know you're not one?" Kal-2006 snapped. "I'm not trusting my senses in a place like this."
"Easy," Kal-51 stated, raising his hands in a calming motion. "I think I get what's happening here. I just came from seeing three alternate-reality versions of Wonder Woman together. I shouldn't be surprised there's more than one of me around this multiverse."
While a couple of the others looked confused, Kal-167 nodded. "I get it. I've had experience with alternate worlds."
"Same here," Kal-1992 confirmed. "Although it wasn't pleasant." He looked around the group. "So...let's see...Lex Luthor?"
A wave of grimaces and groans answered him. "Lois?" This time, it was a wave of smiles and nods. "Good to know not all things are different."
Kal-167 looked to the others and smiled. "Man, Chloe won't believe this." He saw their blinks of confusion. "Chloe Sullivan? Lois' cousin?" The stares had him frowning. "Huh...so she's only in my reality? That's odd..."
"Speaking of our realities, I left mine in a rush," Kal-1979 stated. "Darkseid was threatening a new attack."
"Which is why we need to get back quickly." Kal-2006 looked to the doors in the rear and in a blur, he exited through them. In a second, he was entering from a side room and sighed. "Had a bad feeling that was going to happen."
"So we're all stuck here but by whom?" Kal-38 said, punching the wall.
"Look, let's just calm down," Kal-1992 said, holding up his hands. "There's some sort of explanation here and..." He stopped as something hit him. "Wait...today's the 10th..." He cocked his head and began ticking off his fingers as he did some calculations. "Eighty-eight, eighty-nine..." He closed his eyes almost looking in pain as he finished. "Ninety."
Kal-1979 winced in understanding. "Oh, great Krypton...of course."
Kal-51 frowned in confusion. "What do you know?"
Kal-1979 held up his head and called out. "All right, come on out! This had you written all over it!"
"Aw, you ruined the surprise!"
In a puff of smoke, a small figure appeared in the air before them. He looked like a strange little man with a very large and sharp nose, clad in a mostly yellow outfit with purple touches along with purple boots and gloves. A purple derby hat was parked on his head with whisps of white hair sticking out and his lips were turned into a wicked smirk.
"Oh, no," Kal-38 groaned. "Tell me that's not who I think it is..."
"Mr. Mxyzptlk," Kal-1979 sadly confirmed, causing a few of the other Superman to emit matching moans.
"Who?" Kal-51 asked.
"You don't have one of him in your world?" Kal-38 sighed. "You have no idea how lucky you are."
"He's an imp from the 5th Dimension," Kal-1992 explained. "A being of incredible power and magical might whose main goal in life appears to be driving me crazy."
"Everyone needs a hobby," the figure said with a modest shrug.
"He looks a lot different from mine," Kal-1940 noted.
"Oh?" Mxyzptlk said, arching an eyebrow. "You thought I looked like this?" In a puff of smoke, he transformed into a larger man with black hair and beard in a nearly all-black suit. "Or this?" In another puff, he became a smaller bald man in a purple suit and derby hat. "Or how about this?" Another puff had him as a more normal-looking man but still with a quirky smirk. Further puffs followed, everything from what looked like a college-aged man to a more rotund human version of his first form.
In a final puff, the imp returned to his first persona. He took in the baffled looks of the Supermen and rolled his eyes. "Do the math, Super-Dummies! It's been me all along! We 5th Dimensional folks don't have multiverse variants, it's been just me!"
"Wait...all of you?" Kal-1992 asked.
"Well, duh! Why waste my time bugging one Superman when I can bug a multiverse of them?"
"Oh for…" Kal-38 muttered.
Kal-167 frowned. "Hold on... Mikhail, right?"
"Mikhail?" Kal-1992 repeated.
"He was an exchange student running a gambling ring..." Kal-167 explained, still looking at Mxyzptlk in confusion. "But that was years ago... and you definitely didn't have this kind of power..."
"What can I say?" Mxyzptlk shrugged. "Given your age, I cut back to test your mettle and just gave you a bit of an intellectual challenge; I figured if you couldn't even fly yet, you weren't quite ready for the full Mxy experience then."
"Lucky me," Kal-167 dryly said.
Kal-1979 just glared. "Mxyzptlk, we have no time to waste on your games. So how about we just jump to you saying your name backward, go back to the 5th Dimension and leave us be?"
"Relax, Supes. I'll have you back in the very moment you left." Mxyzptlk crossed his legs under him as he hovered in mid-air. "Glad you figured the multiverse thing out fast, saves us time. We better this quick, I've got another group coming soon." He leaned back in mid-air. "I decided we had to talk, Supes. About what's coming."
"Which is?" Kal-1979 said.
Mxyzptlk focused on Superman. "You know why I chose you to pester in the first place, Supes? Because in so many realities, you're a paragon, the symbol for other heroes, the guy everyone looks up to. You're also a bit of a stick in the mud in so many of them, you need something to kick you out of it, show you some fun. Lighten you up, does wonders for the mood. Not to mention, having you needing to use the brain rather than the brawn to outwit me is a great way to keep you on your toes."
Kal-1992 raised an eyebrow. "So you're claiming you've been helping us all this time? That's rich."
Mxyzptlk looked more serious than usual. "Supes...you know what happens when you can't loosen up a bit? Or should I have brought the Justice Lords version of you here?"
Kal-1992 winced at that. He saw the puzzled looks of the others and sighed. "That's the alternate Earth I mentioned. One where the League went over the edge, turned into dictators of Earth. Where my counterpart...murdered Luthor."
At the shocked looks of the others, Mxyzpltk nodded. "And he's not alone." He snapped his fingers as the lights darkened and the screen before them came alive like an old movie theater showing. A chill fell over the Supermen as they took in what was clearly Metropolis, only with a massive crater in the center and burned out buildings, with many smashed apart.
"Earth-22," Mxyzptlk announced. "One where the Joker decided to give Batman a break and prove anyone can shatter apart when pushed far enough." He looked to the others, his usual smile gone. "I'll spare you the visuals but the skinny is the Clown dosed you with kryptonite-laced fear gas so you thought a pregnant Lois Lane was Doomsday and cut loose. And when her heart stopped, it set off a signal that that nuked Metropolis."
"Dear Rao," Kal-1979 whispered.
"So, this Supes...well..." He hit a remote that appeared in his hand to show the horrifying visual of an irate Superman literally punching his fist through the Joker's body while an aghast Batman looked on.
"Then after that..." The imp hit the remote again, this time showing Superman in a darker uniform, eyes solid red as he stood in front of the White House facing a horde of soldiers. "Suffice to say, it got even worse before that world's Batman got a batch of heroes from another reality to stop him. But let's just say the fallout wasn't any better."
Mxyzptlk looked at the Supermen, who seemed to be as close to being ill as they could get. "That's why I worry sometimes, Supes. In that world, that version got so intense I had to make him think he killed me to get away from him. I don't want to think it can happen to any of you, but maybe Joker was right, it takes one bad day. And a bad day for someone with your power is a horrible day for the rest of the world."
He looked them over. "It's not just flat-out counterparts of you guys, either. There are realities where there's guys close to you but a bit different." He hit the remote as the screen showed a figure soaring through the air clad in a red suit with a blue sash wrapped around him almost like a cape, a white star dominating his chest and his blue hair waving in the breeze. "Earth-764. This is Samaritan, the big cheese of Astro City. Time traveler who saved his future aiding the past, nice guy. He's one of the good ones."
The smile faded. "But then, we've got..." The screen flashed to a blonde-haired man in a red and black uniform, his eyes blazing red as he marched through a city crumbling and burning around him. "The Plutonian, Earth-9874," Mxyzptlk went on. "Frankly, guy was a ticking time bomb for years who finally went off and yeesh, the damage he left behind..."
"Oooooh, here's a good one! Well, bad one, but here." The screen now showed a man who looked to be in his 50s with graying temples and a thick mustache in a red and white uniform with a reddish cape. He was smashing down a younger man in a blue and yellow uniform, including the shocking sight of him literally punching through a packed school bus to strike at the younger man.
"Omni-Man, Earth-4007. Basically, imagine if Krypton survived as a neo-fascist place and sent you to pose as a hero to pave the way for an invasion." By this point, Mxyzptlk had produced a soda bottle he was drinking out of. "Oh and that kid he's pounding on? His own son, Mark, who got the powers and just now realizing what a twisted evil SOB his dad is."
"This is getting worse," Kal-1992 moaned.
"Oh, you want worst? Then say hello to..." The picture now showed a blonde-haired man in a blue uniform with gold tassels at the shoulders and a cape looking like the American flag. While handsome, the smile he gave was seriously off-putting, hinting he was nowhere as sincere at his supposed heroism as he appeared to be.
"Earth-80474," Mxyzptlk announced. "One where their version of the Justice League are celebrities backed by a corporation, more into their bottom line and public image than being actual heroes. And Homelander here is a total sociopath who's got a very troubling backing from the public."
It was hard to tell which made a few Superman's throats fill with bile: Watching Homelander vaporize a man with his heat vision or the fact many in the crowd around him cheered for it. "Enough!" Kal-2006 snapped, whirling at Mxyzptlk. "What is this about, really?"
Mxyzptlk turned the screen off as he continued. "I'm trying to illustrate how important you are, Supes. That the multiverse needs good versions of you more than these bad ones. Especially for what's coming. Because the Dusting? That was nothing compared to what's on the horizon."
Kal-1940 crossed his arms. "Such as?"
"Sorry, spoilers. But trust me, It's going to be bad."
"Trust you?" Kal-1979's voice echoed the scoffs of others.
Mxyzptlk sighed. "Supes...Look, you know me. I'm a jester, I'm a goof, I love to play games, to trick folks, I use loopholes like exact words and stuff...But have I ever, really outright lied to you?"
The Supermen had to accept that as the imp continued. "Frankly, I'm bending a few rules being here but hey, that's my thing. I just felt it's vital you know what's coming and the hard choices you may have to make."
"I know about hard choices," Kal-51 stated. "I did it when I almost killed Zod."
"Well...actually...ya kinda did." Everyone whirled at Mxyzptlk. "Okay, fine, wasn't gonna do this but..." He hit the remote and the screen showed the scene Kal-51 remembered all too well, holding Zod back as the man was ready to unleash heat vision upon the family. He waited to see himself use that last burst of strength to drive him back...
And instead, to his horror, saw himself give a sharp tug and a loud snapping sound before a dead Zod fell to his feet.
Dead silence echoed as the other Supermen stared at the scene. Kal-51 was more stunned than anyone at what he was seeing. "What...that didn't happen..."
"Oh, no, it did," Mxyzptlk stated. "But let's just say a little time wimey bit from some power players has been causing...alterations in the universes. Which is yet another reason for you guys to be ready."
"My God," Kal-51 whispered. "I really did kill him."
"To be fair, you felt like no choice." For once, Mxyzptlk actually sounded like he was caring.
"There's always a choice," Kal-2006 pressed. "We all felt pushed at times, I'm sure, but killing?"
"I've faced Zod myself," Kal-1978 added. "I had him rendered powerless and then captured. There had to be a better way."
"And there was," Kal-51 snapped. "At least, how I remember there was. I stopped him without killing him, turned him over depowered to the DEO. I came close but I stopped myself. I vowed then and there, that was the last time, I can find another way."
He spun to face Mxyzptlk. "Who did this? Who changed the history?"
"That...well, let's just say above the paygrade to know about just yet," the imp stated. "But maybe best you know the truth."
"The truth?" Kal-51 snapped. "That I became a murderer?"
"It wasn't murder," Kal-2006 felt like defending his doppelganger. "It was the heat of battle."
"That doesn't excuse it," Kal-1978 snapped. "Like I said, we can find a better way."
"It's not always that easy," Kal-167 said. "I may not have killed anyone directly, but a couple of times I may not have worked as hard to save them as I could have." He pointed at Kal-38. "That's a lot different than flat-out murder."
"I can't imagine ever being in that position," Kal-1979 said. "Yes, Luthor and Darkseid are terrible but to kill them?" He shook his head. "My world's villains rarely sink that low as it is, I can't see myself going to such extremes."
"Then your world is lucky," Kal-1978 stated. "My Zod and his allies caused huge damage before I could stop them." He looked to Kal-51. "But to actually do it..."
"Again, I don't even remember doing it," Kal-51 defended himself. "But don't judge me until you've been there."
"It's still a lot to think on," Kal-1979 said. "You all seem to more intense for me, almost like your worlds are darker."
Kal-1992 sighed. "I told you before of the Justice Lord version of me who killed Luthor. That was the start of his road to darkness. It's not that easy." He looked over the others as he continued. "I think we all feel that frustration of trying to hold back. Of feeling like you're in a world of cardboard. To cut loose is so tempting." He looked to his doppelganger. "But that you regret is a good sign."
Kal-51 shook his head. "I don't want to imagine I could do something like that."
Kal-1992 put a hand to his shoulder. "I know," he softly said. "I feel the same way on my Lords counterpart. Batman told me he met a version of himself who went around killing all his enemies and it sickened him. You don't want to think we have that darkness in us." He smiled softly. "But maybe recognizing it is the first sign to making sure it doesn't happen. "
Kal-51 smiled softly. "Huh...I see where your world's Diana gets it from."
Kal-1992 was surprised. "Wait, my Diana is on your world?"
"It's a bit complicated."
Kal-1940 nodded to his counterpart. "Pa always said to never forget who we truly are and our powers don't make us gods."
Kal-51 smiled at that. "Sounds like my Pa. I was complaining on something and he said..."
"'Boy, don't think I won't try smacking sense into you even if breaks my hand?'" Kal-1940 said as Kal-51 laughed in agreement.
Mxyzptlk let out a whistle to get their attention. "Sorry to interrupt the little bonding session here, it's great, really, but have to focus on the important stuff here." He leaned forward, an elbow propped in thin air. "Now, I know you, Supes. You're gonna want to jet out to try and get some of these evil guys out of the way, save their realities, the whole noble quest that makes you so gosh darn appealing.
But here's the deal, Supes, baby. The multiverse is a very delicate thing. Now me, I'm not part of it because of being from 5th Dimension, but messing around is getting it wilder." He pointed to Kal-51. "He can tell you all about mingling too many folks from other realities. The way it's happening is way too common, it's not supposed to be so easy to go from one world to another."
Kal-167 seemed to be the only other person who got what Mxyzptlk was getting at. "I see...it's like when I ran into that kid, Brandon Byer." He glanced to the others. "This alien called the Doctor contacted me, brought me to a world where a kid had an origin like ours, sent to Earth from his destroyed world. But some other aliens called the Skrulls were manipulating it all, used the DNA of some other Clark Kent and a signal from his ship, tried to warp the kid into a monster."
"Damn," Kal-2006 muttered. "I remember what it was like when my powers began manifesting themselves at that age. A kid can be overwhelmed by them."
"He almost was," Kal-167 went on. "It might have been worse but the Doctor helped me talk him down, hopefully avoid some bad stuff down the line."
"Oh, he will," Mxyzptlk stated. "He'll help curb some of the...nastier counterparts in that reality. Thing is, that was pushed by those Skrull guys. The others I've shown you? Sad to say those happened naturally." He shrugged. "Honestly, sometimes it's the luck of the draw if a reality gets a Superman, or a version of him, who's a savior or a monster. And if one of those guys gets loose in the multiverse? Whoo boy..."
He waved back at the screen to show another muscular figure in a caped costume, this one with hair that looked almost orange, his suit mostly red with a golden shield making up most of his bottom half. "In fact, there's a guy named Hyperion causing a bit of a mess. There's someone checking on him, but he cracks some barrier into another world, it can be bad."
"Since when do you care?" Kal-1979 inserted. "From what I can tell, you'd love a little chaos."
"Very true," Mxyzptlk confessed. "But...and as much as I hate to say it...even I have to follow some rules, S-man. And the way it's going, the bouncing around worlds and time? It's weakening some barriers not meant to be weakened." His face grew grave. "And something...something else is out there. I can't say more now, but again, you all have to be ready for it."
The fact the imp actually sounded serious was more than enough to convince the Supermen this was for real. Kal-38 looked to the others. "Maybe we should be listening to him for once."
"I'm still not certain this isn't some trick," Kal-1979 intoned. "But the chance it's wrong is one we can't take."
"There ya go!" Mxyzptlk looked at a huge clock appearing before him. "So, like I said, got another group to talk to but hope this helps." He pointed at the door in the rear. "Take that out and you'll be back in your own realities."
Kal-167 raised an eyebrow. "We should trust you?"
"Ah...need a sign? Okay, how's this? Klptzyxm!" As he began to fade away, the imp smiled. "Good luck, Supes. I'm rooting for you, really. After all...a multiverse without you to bug? I'd be bored silly..." His voice echoed as he finally disappeared.
There was a long silence as the Supermen looked at each other. "That was weird, even for him," Kal-1992 stated.
"I know," Kal-1979 rubbed his chin. "Usually, it takes a lot more to get rid of him. Which is why I'm inclined to believe what he says."
Clark-1978 coughed to get their attention. "Listen...we have differences, that's clear. But I think we have far more in common than just the suit and our origins. We all want to protect our world the best we can with our allies. But we also want to see the best in people, even these counterparts."
"As in trying to redeem them?" Kal-38 looked dubious. "No offense, but if the glimpses we saw of people like Omni-Man, Plutonian and the rest don't lend themselves to that."
"Maybe not," Kal-1978 admitted. "But that doesn't mean we can't try."
"I can go with that," Kal-167 agreed. "I've seen folks who seemed far gone and pulled them back. Maybe we can do the same with at least a couple of them. If not…" He shrugged. "We can deal with it then."
Kal-1940 brushed at his hair. "This is all a lot. From what I gather, you guys have more super-people on your Earths. For mine, it's pretty much just me. Sometimes, it can feel..."
"Overwhelming," Kal-1978 finished. "I know. It's why it often feels good settling more into being Clark than myself." He saw the looks of the others. "What?"
"Is that how you see yourself?" Kal-38 intoned. "That you're Kal-El and Clark Kent is just the mask?"
Kal-2006 raised an eyebrow. "You guys don't?"
Kal-1992 led the shaking of heads. "No. Hell, I didn't even know I was an alien until I was a teenager. By that point, I was Clark Kent, Kansas farmboy. I can't imagine being anything else."
"I know my family's history," Kal-51 said. "I know Krypton and such. I had a hologram of Jor-El guiding me. But at the end of the day, I'm just Clark."
"Maybe you should consider that," Kal-38 suggested to Kal-1978. "If nothing else, Lois alone kept me grounded and reminded me of how important being human truly is."
"Same with Ma and Pa," Clark-1940 added.
"They're still alive in your world?" Kal-1978 smiled. "You're lucky. And maybe there's something to be said on this. My relationship with Lois is...complicated. We were together but I made her forget my identity, just seemed safer for her."
"Ah, that old song," Kal-1940 laughed lightly. "I had a few rounds like that with Lois. But trust me, finally coming clean with her was the best thing for either of us. And come on, it's Lois Lane. She's going to be in danger no matter what."
"Amen to that," Kal-1979 led the chorus of chuckling. He heard a ringing from the clock. "I think our host is trying to boot us out."
"I guess so," Kal-51 noted. He looked at them all and smiled. "It's good to know there's more of us out there fighting the good fight." He glanced at the screen to sigh. "Even if there are some bad ones."
"As much as I hate to say it, Mxyztplk was right on one point," Kal-1992 stated. "I do want to try to stop some of these other versions. That Homelander one alone..."
"Careful," Kal-167 warned. "It's a slippery slope."
"I know," Kal-1992 agreed. "That's the thinking that started my Lords counterpart on his path."
"Or Zod," Kal-51added.
Kal-1940 chuckled. "I guess one thing we also have in common. We know what's right and wrong and the easy path is almost never the good one. Something to keep in mind."
Kal-51 looked to the exit. "I'd love to stay and chat more but sort of in the middle of an emergency in my reality..."
Kal-1979 chuckled. "When aren't we, really? Besides Darkseid, I was trying to help the Wonder Twins against Brainiac in my mine."
"Brainiac?" Kal-1992 smiled almost fondly. "Is he still in that weird robot body of his?"
"Actually, he's been bouncing between that and the old green-skinned look," Kal-1979 said. "Don't ask me how."
"I don't think I have a Brainiac in my world," Kal-1940 mused.
"Count your blessings," Kal-167 grunted.
Kal-51 looked to the others and smiled. "But I hope somehow we meet again when the universes aren't ending. It feels...good to see others who understand the world as I do."
"The same to you," Kal-1978 stated.
"Funny," Kal-2006 said. "I feel an odd...kinship to you. Can't explain it, almost like we're pretty similar." Again, Kal-51 was tempted to bring up the similarity between this version of himself and Ray Palmer but kept quiet.
"Funny, was thinking the same to you," Kal-1992 said to Kal-1979. "Just one of those odd multiverse things, I suppose."
"At least we all share the same desires and beliefs," that Superman stated. "Truth, justice and the American Way."
"Nothing funny about that," Kal-167 smiled. "And that's something we can all agree on." Kal-51 nodded as he flew toward the doorways and in a flash was right back where he was before. One by one, the other Supermen followed to leave the theater quiet.
Earth-1
Star City
Laurel peeled off her mask as she and Oliver stepped into the Quiver (as Thea had nicknamed their new HQ). "Damn, feels good to be back out there," she said, stretching out in her Black Canary suit, mostly the same but she'd dumped the jacket for a leather top that was more form-fitting although still specially armored for combat. Oliver was putting his bow back in a row of them as he pulled off his own mask. Behind him, Thea and Roy were settling into their own weapons racks in their suits.
"Good to have you back," Oliver had to smile at her. "At least folks buy the excuse of you in hiding for a while."
"Ah, Star City populace, always set to buy something wild," Laurel intoned. She headed around the upgraded command center, where Felicity Smoak sat on a small platform by the large computer screens. She smiled at the others as her hand flew over the keyboards, still getting used to the changes in technology since her time in captivity.
"Just like old times, huh?" she asked, leaning back in her seat, clad not in her older skirt and blouse but darker jeans and shirt, which matched her now jet-black hair and contacts instead of her usual glasses.
"Partly," Oliver said, looking to her. "Sorry, still getting used to you not being blonde."
"Actually, I tried to go back to it." Felicity's smile faded. "But when I looked at myself in the mirror...I saw Lyja staring back at me. So washed the dye out fast."
Oliver's own smile faded as he put a hand to her shoulder. "I know you hate hearing it, but again, I'm sorry."
Her smile returned as she patted his hand. "I know." She looked over the screens. "Well, did finally get a line on that new attempt to bring Vertigo back to Star City."
"Just say when and where," Thea announced as she came over, her mask off. "I still have some bad memories of that."
"Rene is running it down on his own," Felicity explained. She glanced to Oliver. "Oh and heard from Dinah, she still doesn't want to get back into costume but is doing well with her investigation into the links between that biker gang and the gun runners."
Oliver nodded. "Good to hear. I'm glad she's recovered from her injuries fast. How about Curtis?"
"Hong Kong last he called," Felicity said. "Ah, the life of the next big tech pioneer."
"Hopefully, he's okay to come back soon." Oliver moved to where Laurel was working on peeling off her costume for better clothing. Thea looked to Felicity watching them. "You really okay?"
Felicity offered a smile. "I am, really. I've got more than my own shit to handle without more of the Oliver Queen crush. He's better with Laurel now."
"How'd your mom take the annulment?"
"Oh, not well but not like I could tell her the real reason." Felicity shrugged. "Thanks for giving me a break, I needed time to process changes in the world since I was nabbed. Like how behind I was on tech."
Thea sighed. "Oliver's not the only one kicking himself for falling for Lyja's act..."
"And as with him, stop blaming yourself" Felicity said. "I want to say I would have been acting differently than her to be a warning sign, but sadly I can't. Best thing to do is try and work through it, even if I am catching up on things." She then paused to wince. "And then there's the elephant in the room that my boss knows just what I look like naked down to the damn embarrassing mole Lyja copied..."
"And we're stopping this TMI talk now."
"Sorry." Felicity looked to the screens only to frown as she saw them start to flicker. "What the..." There was a buzzing sound as the lights in the lair also flickered. Oliver and Laurel were instantly alert as they moved to the center of the room. "What is it?" Oliver demanded.
Felicity clicked on the keys. "This is...huh, this is weird, It's like something coming in but..."
There was a loud squawking sound before a voice echoed through the speakers of the Quiver. "Okay...okay, think I got it..." The voice sounded oddly familiar to the group. "Just latching onto bio-signals...okay...okay...oh, yeah, this is it, finally got it!"
"What the..." Roy muttered.
"Okay, you can all start getting very excited now..." the voice went on, sounding pretty eager.
Oliver's frown deepened as he lifted up his bow again. There was a shimmer of light and a loud sucking of air before a figure materialized before them. He was dressed in dark pants and a long blue coat over him, his arms outstretched as he grinned wildly. "You missed me, right?"
"Oh, dear God, no," Felicity moaned as she saw what appeared to be Malcolm Merlyn standing on the platform before them all.
Roy rubbed his temples as Thea rolled her eyes. "Of course, this miserable cockroach found a way to survive..."
Oliver had his bow raised at the man. "I don't know how you came back but..." He was cut off as Malcolm bounced forward, pulled Oliver in and kissed him on the lips.
"Did not see that coming," Felicity dully intoned with wide eyes.
"I wish I didn't see it at all," Thea groaned.
"Right there with you," Laurel added, as stunned as everyone else.
Oliver was too shocked at this to resist first before reason took over as he pushed Malcolm back, then punched him in the face. The man grunted and rubbed his chin before smirking. "Ah, playing hard to get huh? Gotta say, this looks much better than your last face, Doctor."
"What the hell is this?"
"Wow, you sound American too, that's different. But I like it!"
"Okay, the hell with this." Thea had her bow up and aimed right at Malcolm. "Oliver, if you're not gonna do it, I am."
Roy looked to Felicity, who was leaning in her chair. "Okay, this is usually the part where you talk about curbing the bloodlust…"
"Maybe that was me once," Felicity said. "And Lyja. But a couple of years locked in a spaceship by aliens makes you realize playing nice is no longer the best option." She looked to Malcolm. "So, sorry, Merlyn, but you're out of luck on the mercy front."
"Merlin?" The man scoffed. "Okay, usually, it's the Doc who puts up with that, not me. Personally, I think I'd make a much more handsome Lancelot."
"Oliver…" Thea began.
Oliver glared at Malcolm. "Get out. Now."
"Whoa, hey, look, maybe coming on a bit pushy…" Malcolm stepped forward and Thea let loose her arrow, burying it right in his chest. He gasped out, grabbing it and blinking. "That's…rude…" he got out before collapsing onto the ground.
Roy rubbed Thea's back as she sighed. "I'm fine. Really. I stopped considering him my dad a long time ago."
Laurel leaned forward to look at the body. She admitted to being a bit bothered herself but also remembered how much damage Merlyn had done, so couldn't say she was sorry he was dead. "He sure looks dead now."
"Maybe we should slice him up and burn the pieces to be sure." Felicity was actually not joking.
"I'll get the axe." Roy was likewise not kidding.
With a loud gasp, Malcolm suddenly came back to life, groaning out as everyone immediately jumped back. He moaned as he gripped the arrow and pulled it out of his chest, rubbing at it as if it was just a bee sting. "Damn…haven't been hit with an arrow since that trip out West…"
"What the hell?!" Roy gasped as Malcolm stumbled to his feet.
"This oddly explains so much," Felicity intoned in a flat voice.
The man leaned on a desk, wincing as he brushed at his coat. "Tough one, Doctor. I piss you off and forget about it?"
"Doctor?" Oliver frowned, still wrapping his head around this. "Malcolm…how the hell did you do that?"
"Malcolm?" The man's frown grew. "Regeneration amnesia? It's me, Captain Jack Harkness? Torchwood, Time Agent, the man who can't die?"
He took in the completely blank faces before him and frowned as he checked the device on his wrist. "Hold on…wait…the TARDIS traces were in this city…" He looked at one of the computer screens, focusing on the date. "But this is…oh…ah…I'm a bit too early and a tad off target." He hit his watch as a blue beam swept around the area. "Okay, now I get it…there were some time travelers here…"
"There were?" Laurel blurted, finding it hard to follow any of this.
Jack was pacing about as he kept up the scans. "TARDIS energies too, maybe that's what messed me up…" He looked at the computer again. "The date...ah, dammit, I'm way, way too early, no wonder..."
"What is happening?" Felicity was starting to wonder if she was still on the Skrull ship and this was all a bizarre dream. Laurel and Thea could only shrug in agreement.
Jack turned to Oliver with a sigh. "Okay, this was not the way this was supposed to go. I want to tell you more of what's coming with the Crisis and War of the Realms but that can just complicate things even more."
"The what and the what?" Roy blurted.
"Spoilers, as an old friend would say." Jack paused and looked at Thea. "I'm guessing whoever your mistook me for wasn't a nice guy?"
Thea snorted. "Try a sociopathic mass murderer who brainwashed me into being a killer like him and not even know it."
"And her father," Roy threw in."
Jack winced. "Ah...sorry I have to share the same devilishly handsome good looks as him. But rest assured, I'm not that bad." He winked. "If you get to know me better..."
Thea stared at him. "You realize now that we know you're basically immortal, we have even less qualms about killing you?"
Jack swallowed. "Ah, takes a while before people get that."
Oliver glared at him. "Whoever you are, wherever you came from, what's this threat you keep babbling about?"
"Hey, if you know time travelers, you know too much knowledge can be dangerous," Jack stated. "I've had bad experiences trying to change things and it only gets worse. Plus, I don't know you...well, more you don't know me, not yet and wow, now I get what the Doctor meant on how annoying this can be."
A beeping sound came from his wrist device as he checked it. "Okay, as it happens, I have to get going, maybe my next jump gets me where I need to be." He looked at the others and took a deep breath. "You're going to have to be ready for what's coming. It won't be pretty, but you have to face it." He adjusted his wrist device and smiled to Oliver. "Hopefully next time, we have a much more pleasant meeting." He gave a wink before hitting the button and vanishing in a bright light.
A very long silence echoed in the room. Not surprisingly, it was Felicity who broke it. "That really just happened, right? I didn't imagine it?"
"I wish you had," Laurel intoned. She looked to Oliver. "Just what the hell was that?"
Oliver was quiet, rubbing at his chin. "I don't know, but something tells me we shouldn't be ignoring him."
"Can we at least ignore that damn kiss?" Roy said, with Thea nodding in quick agreement.
"Oh, that, I want to," Oliver assured them. "No matter who that guy was, anyone with that face is not someone I want in my vicinity."
Laurel smiled as she took him by the arm. "Come on. I know a lot of ways to get you to forget about him..."
"And on that Cinemax note, we can focus on the Vertigo leads," Felicity announced with Thea and Roy more than eager to help out. Even as Laurel led him away, Oliver looked at the spot where the Malcolm doppelganger had vanished and couldn't shake the feeling that he'd gotten a hint of something much bigger coming at him.
The theater was empty as Mxyzptlk popped back in, chewing on some popcorn. "Man, those ones from animated shows are a bit offbeat..." he muttered to himself. "The Lego one was weird even for me. But think got the big ones done!"
"Pleased with yourself, imp?"
Mxyzptlk turned to see a figure lounging in a seat, chewing on a piece of red licorice. He looked to be an average human clad in a simple collared shirt and dark pants, adjusting the glasses on his nose, his dark hair a bit gray but overall an unassuming figure.
"Well, normally, I'd have liked to be a tad more prankish," Mxyzptlk said. "I mean, so many Supermen together and I didn't get to play gags like transforming them or swapping bodies around?"
"I didn't get you to do this for your usual games, imp."
"Hey, I got a rep to protect! Being serious and helping others ain't my brand!" The imp sighed. "But guess you were right, they had to know what was coming."
"They did," the other figure said. "And your connection to them made it easier. They can write it off to your magic than something else."
Mxyzptlk focused on the figure. "So you're gonna work them in your little plans somehow? Like going after Homelander and his bunch? That would be fun to watch..."
"Perhaps," the figure allowed. "I have had to change my own plans thanks to the progression of events. Not to mention, I didn't count on other folks playing in the sandbox I created."
Mxyzptlk chuckled. "Oh, that's rich. Like that little bit of you forgetting Zod-51 was dead? You never thought this would get popular enough for people to join in and mess up some ideas you had."
"Or improve on them," the figure stated. "In some ways, the ideas are quite good and help my own. I just need to...streamline things a bit." He rose up. "In fact, I'd best be going now. I have to get started on a tale explaining more of my part in things and a few more...adjustments."
"Hmmm...ya know, it's weird I can actually dispense some advice here..." Mxyzptlk began. "But as someone who's seen the hard way how messing with lives can backfire, you best be careful. After all, you get sucked into your own story, that's a big risk to this multiverse you've helped carve."
"Thanks for the advice," the figure said, brushing at his coat as he headed toward the doorway at the rear. "For now, see to your own part of the multiverse, Mxyzptlk. Who knows...you may have a part to play in what's to come."
"Yeah, yeah...keep playing the mystery man, Weyer. Who knows, you convince enough people you really have this planned out, you may fool yourself too." The man ignored him as he walked out of the theater. Mxyzptlk settled into a seat and hit the remote to start scanning the multiverse. "Hmmm...let's see...ya know, maybe it's time I gave Supes a break, see what else I can do." He landed on a world with a version of the Fantastic Four, studying them. "Huh, there's something, but can't quite go as myself. Might have to do something..."
In an eyeblink, he was transformed into a bright green figure in a matching green and purple suit with an elongated head.
"Impossible."
And with a loud, high-pitched laugh, he vanished and in moments so did the theater itself.
So a bit more fun ahead. The bit on Mxyzptlk being the Impossible Man came from an old 1990 storyline and makes sense and the idea it's been one Mxy bugging all these Supermen was fun.
Thanks to Batguy pointing out error in my original version of Kal-51 killing Zod, quickly adjusted it.
Samaritan from Kurt Busiek's fantastic "Astro City." The Plutonian from Mark Waid's "Irredeemable," both terrific books worth reading. Omni-Man from "Invincible" and obviously Homelander from "The Boys."
And yes someone on the TV tropes page suggested the "Jack mistaken for Malcolm" bit to play with but liked it. And yes, my author avatar popping in with plans for more of that coming….
