Chapter 30: A Kryptonian in the Ghost Zone

Superboy could barely feel the heat. The pain was still there but it didn't bother him much anymore. At some point a black object flew by them but the vulture was flying too fast for him to see. Maybe Kid Flash was able to tell.

He looked down at the unconscious girl. She looked to be in incredible pain. He'd seen other people (Robin and Miss Martian) comfort by petting their heads and gently telling them reassurances so he decided to try it. It felt awkward at first trying to comfort someone you barely know. Slowly but surely the girl started to relax, if only slightly.

They stayed like that for who knows how long. Everything was fading until Miss Martian's voice rang through his head. "Superboy the rope is breaking! We're going to lose sight of you!"

"What do I-" Right as the rope snapped a green portal appeared and the vulture disappeared through it, leaving behind the bioship as it closed behind them. "-do?" His connection to the mindlink was tethered as soon the strange portal closed. Superboy looked around his new surroundings, immediately putting his guard up. "Where are we?"

The green vulture landed on a small floating island. He turned his head to face the half Kryptonian. "Where are your friends? They should've been right behind us."

"The rope snapped right before you flew into the swirling green... vortex?"

"It's a natural portal and its possibly a good thing only your here. I would like to keep whatever side effects the Infinite Realms will have on the living to a minimum."

Superboy narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by side effects?"

"Exactly what I said. The longer that you stay in this dimension, the more your physiology is changed. Most humans never notice the changes to them. I've noticed its children who are affected the most." Wendel got ready to take off again. "I think that's enough resting for now, her condition is worsening by the second!" He barely gave the teen time to readjust before he took off again.

"Where are we going exactly!?" Superboy barely managed to keep hold of the green bird as they started flying at a speed he imagined Superman could match.

"Pandora's island. She's her godmother."

"How is this Pandora going to help?"

"For starters she can help with Alethea's, where did she even hear this name? It just sound so random..."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's her real name?"

"I doubt I'm allowed to tell you." The domain seemed more Greek like the further they flew. "We should arrive in about ten to twelve minutes. Hang on kid!"

Once again Superboy was given seconds to readjust as the vulture picked up speed. He could've sworn the girl in his arms had whispered Danny but he wasn't sure.

Something rammed into the ghost just as they had made it to the entrance. Superboy tightened his hold on the girl. She wasn't getting anymore injured than she already was.

Skeletons wearing Greek armor appeared and threw spears and arrows at the trio.

"Stop attacking you barbarians! We brought her highness's goddaughter!" Wendel moved so that the skeletons could see what was on his back.

A booming voice travelled through the area

.̴̙̥̫̽ͯͅ"̭̲̥͕̫͍̫̿̆̏͋͢H̳͉̍̎̆͝ȧ͉͉̭̗̪͝v̡̙͍̥͙̹̤̰̓̄́̏e̬̰͈̯̩͙̾̾ͬ̀ ̴̰̮̠̈́t͈͓͓͓ͥ̌̿ͯ͞h̸̜̦͇̜ͭ̄̌ͅȩ̩͙͇̥͋̿ ̞͔͎͙̰̙̗͖̅͋̾̀i̙͎̯͎͑̐ͤͥ͘n̷̜̦̰̽ͮ͆t̷͍̠̬̹̎ͫŕ̨̮̜͔͔̣̗̠ͩ̒u̡̱̞̓́d̩̟̙͊͐̉͝ẽ̶̫̙̥͎͇ṙ̳͍̘̝̓ͩ͌͠s̥̠̞͔̲̙̲̹̆ͤ̀͝ ̯̘͖͎͊̓͠ͅb̺̹̳͎̜̗̖͓͋̀e̫͚͙̥͗̆͡e̗̗̗͖̟̠͌̂́̀ͅn̛͖͈̹͈͋ͦͫ̋ ͍̩̠͇̟̟̗̰̂̕d͍̺̣̺̺̩̊̇͟ḛ͍͉̞̈̊̅̈́͜a̯̩͉͛͜l̷͈̘̙̻̰͕ͭ̍͌t̵̜̖̭̙͍ͬ ͓̘̞̌̿ͥ͡w͒͏͕̖̦̜͖̹i̯͖͓̘̜̣̪̝͑͂͋̀t̢̯͚̞͂̆̌̈́ͅḩ͈̗̮̘̞ͨ͆?̈́͏̩͍ ̷̯͙͖̲̇͑W̮̺̪̬̫̤̲͙̆͢h̙̞̠͙̗̠̍ͤ̐ͫ͝y̪̼͎̻͇̼ͯ͆͡ͅ ͈̱̔͛̓͆͞h̗̩͚̹͉̪͐̿̇͞a͋͏̣͕͕̗̬̞͔v̰̰̊̊͊̚͢e̦̭̺̩̳̬ͩ́ ̳̼̥̰̙̟̞̎̑ͣͤ͟y͔̻ͤ̀o̴̖̜͙̰͔͗̾̑û̞̜̥ͤ͆͛͞ ̹͖ͦͯ̕s̵̺̖͓̥͊̊͗t̛͓͙̺̮̰͓̬͆ͩ͒ͦo̶͓̭̍p̢̫̱̫͔̊̍ͮṗ͇͕͗͛̐̕e̢̦̺̮ͩd̳̭̃̂͌͝ ͈̩͎̝̉ͩͤ̾͢f͓̝͚̳̮͑͘i̶͓̯̳̹ͯ̄͂ͨg͚͎ͥ͡h͉͎͚ͥͥ̿͊́ṱ̵̖̀͗̈́ȉ̢͙̻̹̈́̍̚n̷̳̬̈́g̼̤̼͒̍ͫ͘?̵̝̞̜͚̯̹̫̻͔ͨ͊̾̒͒͢"̲̠̭̫̜̫̱ͯ͝

Superboy didn't understand a word of what was said. He was even more surprised when the green vulture spoke in the same language.

̱̳̪͛ͩ͜"̻̫͖͓̺͓͋ͭͪ͗͝W̡̟̺͙̗̬͎̪̞͆ȇ̝̲̌͞ ̛̲͙͔͍͔͈ͪ̀̍̋á̱̬ͯͮͅŕ̴̗̱͇̖̊̂̊e͖̝̟̱̝͑͠ ̭̟̦͈͈̇̄ͧ̃͡ͅn̴͎͔̙͎̫̤̪̼̓ͮ͑o̸̰̮̥͎̫͚ͧ͊ť͕̭͖͚͔̼̼͌̐ͬ͟ͅ ̻̰͍͔̩̩̼̑̊í̢̱̰͈̞̳̰n̰͙͔̠̝͒̒t̳̬͔̎r̷͇̱ͪͬ̌u̼̭̭̙͗̂̇̚͝d̠̰̝̻͇̪͚̊͢ḙ̱͑͒̀́r̛̩̙̣͆s̤̩̝͚̞̗͎̲̄ͤ̿!̖̻̯͇̎ ̢̯̜̪͓͕̝͊͗ͣÏ͏̟͓̜̰͓ ̱͖͙̔̌̇͘h̠̲͖̝̟̰͕͐̕a̸̩͈͓̞̳ͪ͛v̢͓̟̲͓̑ẽ̡̹̤̥̝͔̥ͫͦͅͅ ͈̩͎̦̥̓͜b̗͎̺̩̣̦̺̪̓̒͗̕r̂̈́͏̼̜̞͎ö͎͙̫̩̙̘̔̀͟u̳̱̩̲̯͗͝g̛̮̱̭̉̂̏̔h̡̰̖͈̗̥́t̴̖̗ͭͦ ͍̜̫̜̦̎̾ͭͫ͠y̸̙͈ͫͣo̦̳̣͗̓̌͞u̧͍̰͔̜̺̖͌ ͙̣͉ͧ͒͑̚͞y̨͇̞͎̼͙͕̅̊ȍ̧̜̙̰̼ͥ̍u̫̳̯ͦ̋ͨͮ́ȑ̵̺͍̦̼̞͎ ̶̯̰̼̙̣̜͈ͫ̐g̝̦̜̥̏͛̈́̄o̰̗͆͡d̲̼̯͗͌͋͟ḓ͇̹̹͚͙̜̹̐ͨ̈́͗̀a̱̖̱̿͡ṳ̵̗͉̘̝̦̥̇ͬg͖̻̫͇̜͍͙̺͊́̚͢h͍̦̾̕t̳̫͍̜͉͕̖ͥ̂̕ͅe̢̻͉̠ͬ͂ͤ̌r͌͏̘̫͙͉̦͖̖̲!̜̖̤͚̜͒̏́ ̡̲̥̱̜̥͓̼͛̓̂̔H̻̱̹̹̦ͤͮ͊́e̲͈̩͇̦̦̰ͮͣ̕r͓͓͔̦̱͕̥̬̈̒͆̒͞ ̹̮͓͚͉͕̱͊̽͞c̮͚ͪ͢ǒ̢̳̼̭͉̬͎͗r̵̝̖̣̂̇̍ͣe̘͈͖̜̭̗̯͚͇̞̾̓̈́̚̕'̩͇̪̜̐͛̎͠s͉̫͎̭̪͈̙̟͗͐͘ ͖̠̥͔̹͓͕ͩ̍͐̀t̘̭̭̭̀͑ͯ̎͜h̴̯̰̯̫̥͕ͪȑ̡̯̮̗̙ͭͫe̵͙̻̫̮̮͉͙̅̂̎́a̳̞̦̙͂̔͡t̶̖̫̗̝̬̊ͮ́e̼̻̰̟̍ͣ͝n͎̼̙͈̻͎͒̍̄̚͠i̻̙͇̋̕n̥̮͉̟̬̠̹̠̏͂̒ͦ́g̩̺̺̈̈́͟ ͇͍͔̣ͩ͒̎̄̕t̟͙͔̻̟̉̅͗͡ŏ̡̼̱͙̙̬̤̞ͯͥ̚ͅ ̸̟̹̝̜͖̪̎̌̊e̴̖̟̮̥̊x͕͔̩̣̭̪̦͌ͣ̽́ͅp͔̬̈́̆l̷̠̙̭̏̋͗̎o̸̮͈̙̣̯ͪ́ͨͅͅd͎̳ͣ̓͗ͭ͘ẽ̑͏̘̭̱ͅ ̸̝̞̠͉̭̯͍͕̅̑ͬ́i̱̳̖͇̟͙̎ͪ͝f͈̤͉̱̤͕̟ͮ͒́ͪ̕ ͖̜͌͗̋̀y͙̞̠̳̖̪͕̼̌̍ͭ́͜o̸̫̳̰̟͚̓u̡̪̰̝͇̘̱͌ͨ̇̀ ̛̳̮̟͕̏͑ͩd͈͙͓͓̺̥̼̹̊͢o̗̖͎͗̈́̔͟ ̞͇̩͙̼̻̫̃ͩ͞n̥̗̥̭̬͓̣̒̈́̊̆͜ͅo̷̦̩͕͎̟ͭt̴͉̮̺̪͖̜͈͉̓̐̽ ̧̤̣͙͉ͦ̿ͅẖ͖̣̤͈̥̣̤͗͜e̬̠̋̃͗͘l̛͓̪̜̟̓͂̂̈́p̡̙̭̳̟͙͖͕ͧͯͤ ̘̮ͬͧͭͪ͟h̫̰̦̱͈̫̀ͣ͘ẻ̛͙̗̮̠̟̼͕̌ͩ̎r̸̪̖͓ͯ͂!̠̯̥̝͓͔̬̩̖̰̫̉ͩͤ̎͟͝"̝̥̍͢

Someone gasped and an eight foot tall woman emerged from a hidden passageway. She had flaming purple hair and teal skin with red eyes. She carried a spear and shield in two of her four hands. Her golden armor gleamed in the eerie light of the Ghost Zone.

"Nice to see you again Lady Pandora. I wish it was under better circumstances." The vulture attempted to bow before the woman but it was as if it pained him to try. Was he injured? Superboy looked down at himself and the girl. The girl was fine but HE HAD A FREAKING ARROW STICKING THROUGH HIS CHEST FROM HIS BACK! HOW DID A FREAKING ARROW PIERCE THROUGH HIS BODY!? Superboy realized something even more alarming than the arrow itself. Slowly feeling around the exit wound he poked at his skin. There wasn't any pain... He started panicking even more. WHY COULDN'T HE FEEL THE ARROW!? At some point the tall woman had made her way over to them to assess their injuries.

"ᘿᐺᘿᖇᖻᖶᕼᓰᘉᘜ ᘺᓰᒪᒪ ᗷᘿ ᗩᒪᖇᓰᘜᕼᖶ ᘉᓍᘺ. ᖶᕼᘿᖇᘿ'S ᘉᓍ ᘉᘿᘿᕲ ᖶᓍ ᕵᗩᘉᓰᑢ."

Superboy was too busy panicking to understand the soft murmurs of the flaming haired woman. She gently picked both him and the girl up while the skeletons team lifted the vulture.

̫͇̝̯̗̮͎̮̅͛̀"͎͇̻̭̪̠̀ͭ̋͠I̛͉̣͈̙͖̯͕̮̮̝͉͕̓̒͐̓͜'̱̱̺̝ͨ̑͜l̴͔̣̹͓̺̥ͦ̒ͧl̶̫̞̎̏ͅ ̢̰̬͙̪͗ͫ͗t̳̼͍̩̙̅ḁ̸͈̜̖͖͉̄ͥ̄k̠̟͚̮̥ͪ͑̍ͪ͢e̟͚͖̗͕̺͛̚͞ ̏̓̾ͣ͏͚͓̱͔͓͕͉t̷͕̼̦̰̯̯̲͉ͤͪͯh̰̺͈̒ͦ͑ͦ́ͅe̴͙͕̰ͮ̅̀s̵͕͔̜̯͍͆́ͦͮe̻͚͌̏͡ ̴̯̱̘̻̳̠̜̾̑̑̌ͅt̡̜̼̣͙̯ͥ͐̅w̲̹̱̚͝o͇̦̰̼̺̭̥͕̓ͤ̕ ̴͎̯̮̥̣̤̗ͩ̇̀w̗͎͍͚͉̏͌̎̊̀h̵͍̦̬ͨͭͭͅĭ̡̝͚̜̰̫̝̅ͪ̈́ḷ͍̝̫̦̫̺̓͜ͅȇ̸̥̼͔͎͙̌ͩ̾ ̨͕͕̹̔̄̌y̼͙ͨ̇̕o̜̮̣͒͒̌̕u̓̎͏͉̞͚̪̗̪͍ ̡̩̱̠͎͔̰͇̘ͣt̵̮͈͉̽̓͒̆a̭̩͇̻͚̐͟k̖̪̙͔ͭ̾́e̳̻͐͡ ͔̼̘ͭ͊ͣ́c̨͕͇͐͂ȁ̳̖̥̺̳̪̄̊͝r̫͚̈́e̲͈̜̜͇̲͓͍ͨ̀́̆͘ ̖͔̙͖̥̺ͬͤ͞ͅo͇̯̖͍͋̆͋ͤ́f̛̹̭̰̩͖͒ ̔̋͏̠̙W̤̬̹̠̤ͭ͠ẽ̙̙̻̦̗̼̌n̛͇̗̪̜̯̙̙ͣ̓̏̓ḍ̵̲͚̤͈̲͓͍̿̊ͫḛ̖̲͎̺͔ͤ̂ͫ̈l̶̳͔͇͉̤̯̺ͧ̉̽.̵̤͓̘̦͔̲̰͚͇̹̺̻ͭͩͯ̇̃̚͘ͅ"̙͎͎̱̹ͧ͑͊͝

The emotional roller coaster Superboy had been on for the last several minutes was winding down, leaving him exhausted to the point he couldn't keep his eyes open.

"ᓰ ᖽᐸᘉᓍᘺ ᖻᓍᑘ'ᖇᘿ ᖶᓰᖇᘿᕲ, ᗷᑘᖶ ᖻᓍᑘ ᘻᑘSᖶ Sᖶᗩᖻ ᗩᘺᗩᖽᐸᘿ."

The woman still spoke in that unknown language. It seemed far away for some reason. He really wanted to sleep right now. Hopefully she wasn't saying something important.

Translation:

Have the inteuders been dealt with? Why have you wtopped fighting?

We are not intruders! I have brought you yoyr goddaughter! Her core's threatening to explode if you don't act now!

Everything will be alright now. There is no need to panic.

I'll take these two will you take care of Wendel.

I know you're tired but you must stay awake.