Last Daughter of Krypton: Legion IC

[ChasNicollette]

Shadow Lass, Phantom Girl, Lightning Lass. The Galtos.

Jenni answered "Loading Dock A. Looks like this might have been the exit point for the breakout. A few of our old friends may not have made the cut this time around. This so smells of a new LSV."

A green and orange blur came to a stop. "Okay, so we're all supposed to meet here right?" Jo looked to be in a better mindset with all of the fighting. "Let's kick this nass."

"Great," Ayla rubbed the back of her red head, trying to ignore the pain her arm from the shuriken hit. "The Legion of Supervillains. When it rains it sprocking pours."

"You know you're in deep shit," Tinya remarked wryly, "when the farm girl talks about rain like it's a bad thing."

Ayla snorted good-naturedly. "Even worse when the hoity-toity toff girl uses an actual pre-civilized swear word."

"That's enough grizzling," Tasmia scowled, taking to the air. "We've got a rendezvous point. Let's get to the bottom of this and get clear."

"I take it you can secure the unconscious prisoners from here?" Tinya wondered down to the warden, as she and Ayla lifted off to follow Tas.

"We've got our job," Boltax replied gruffly. "You do yours."

Ayla bandaged her wound as she flew, using a patch of transuit, and muttered to herself. "...gratitude, huh?"

Tinya smirked.

The flight to Supply Loading Dock A was thankfully a quick one.

"Oh, hey," Ayla winced as she landed with the others. "That's-- that's a Hell of a body count. Jenni, I think your instincts were on the credits."

Tinya couldn't help but give Jo a once-over-- she seemed... better? Clearer-headed? Good. Liked her better that way.

Shadow Lass ran her tongue over her teeth, shadows bristling around her. "Did the Dock's computers handshake with the navicomp on the way out? Do we have any idea of their course heading?"

"Where the sprock did they go?"

 

[Wyldfire]

Dawnstar was not paying attention to her two followers as she strode through the corridors, her attention was elsewhere. She scanned out with her sense, tracking for her scent. Nothing but her desire to get her hands on the Empress. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find it. There was something distracting her. Something blocking her. A scent just at the back of her throat. Northward. It was all there, now she felt something else a sort of vibration in the cowl. "Muster them my Falcon. Call for the War party and fly the war path. Now is the time for hope to rise and aid the chosen ones."

Dawnstar shook her head and said in just over a whisper "Spirit mother? Is this what it meant in my spirit quest? That I would be the scout to bring the war party?"

No answer came of that aside from a sense of purpose. She strode into the assembly hall. "I have the scent we need," she said in a loud voice. "Something great is afoot at the pole. We should probably move before they beat us there."

 

[Wyldfire]

"Great," Ayla rubbed the back of her red head, trying to ignore the pain her arm from the shuriken hit. "The Legion of Supervillains. When it rains it sprocking pours."

"You know you're in deep shit," Tinya remarked wryly, "when the farm girl talks about rain like it's a bad thing."

Ayla snorted good-naturedly. "Even worse when the hoity-toity toff girl uses an actual pre-civilized swear word."

"That's enough grizzling," Tasmia scowled, taking to the air. "We've got a rendezvous point. Let's get to the bottom of this and get clear."

"I take it you can secure the unconscious prisoners from here?" Tinya wondered down to the warden, as she and Ayla lifted off to follow Tas.

"We've got our job," Boltax replied gruffly. "You do yours."

Ayla bandaged her wound as she flew, using a patch of transuit, and muttered to herself. "...gratitude, huh?"

Tinya smirked.

The flight to Supply Loading Dock A was thankfully a quick one.

"Oh, hey," Ayla winced as she landed with the others. "That's-- that's a Hell of a body count. Jenni, I think your instincts were on the credits."

Tinya couldn't help but give Jo a once-over-- she seemed... better? Clearer-headed? Good. Liked her better that way.

Shadow Lass ran her tongue over her teeth, shadows bristling around her. "Did the Dock's computers handshake with the navicomp on the way out? Do we have any idea of their course heading?"

"Where the sprock did they go?"

"yah yah. They blasted out of here on a course that'll take them out of UP space," she said doing one more XS quick evidence scan. Nothing, "If you follow the course it intersects with a UP red flag world. A Lantern protectorate."

She did a quick check on the S.P.s to make sure they were dealing with nappy nap time, "Question as I see it now is, are they a trap or a diversion?"

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

Aethyr, Nam-Ek & Powergirl [Various artists]

Unlike the robotic sentries defending The Fortress, Caroline was able to move much, much faster, and she avoided their heat vision and returned fire with some of her own. Her blast went astray, however, and she threw her arms up to block a strong punch from Nam-Ek.

I will not move yet...

I'll stand still instead...

"War and anger shall reign!" Nam-Ek growled as he flew back, and then lunged forward to plant both of his feet into her stomach. Caroline grunted in pain as she was knocked back, but even as she was sent tumbling in the snow she was aware of her surroundings, and keen senses allowed her to avoid Aethyr's punch. The blonde-haired Legionairre flew up into the air and then circled back around.

She certainly was stubborn.

Powergirl came crashing down into Nam-Ek, but she left herself vulnerable to a counter-attack by Aethyr. Caroline was strong, but the fight was decidedly against her favor. For a while she did what she could, and she even landed a few hard punches, but the two experienced Kryptonian warriors proved to be quite a challenge.

"I won't give up," Caroline said as she rose up to her feet, brushing off some snow from her uniform. She steeled her nerves as they renewed their assault, and for as long as she could Powergirl met their attacks blow-for-blow.

Their attacks were relentless.

By avoiding one attack, Caroline left herself open to another.

They countered her incredible speed with theirs, and their punches were just as strong as hers, if not stronger.

They were unstoppable.

Caroline grunted in pain as she was knocked back against one of the crystalline spires of The Fortress, and she landed down hard in the snow while thunder rolled overhead. She looked up at Aethyr and Nam-Ek as they hovered in the sky, ready for round two.

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

Kelex, The Doctor

"Fortunately, someone just turned up who can out-stubborn just-- about-- anything."

Kelex had already completed a few initial repairs to his system by the time Caroline had arrived, and as the young Legionairre fought against the power-hungry titans he had powered up enough to be able to push himself up off the ground.

The old bot had a plan.

Another spark crackled as the hole in his side grew smaller.

"She is of the House of El," Kelex stated, watching Powergirl for a moment before addressing The Doctor. "The Fortress will allow her inside. You must... hurry," he finished as another spark flew out.

 

[AmenRa]

Martian Manhunter - The Arrival

J'onn J'onzz led Liz through the Face of Mars and back out the way they came. When the invisible door had once again sealed the entrance to this most sacred of Martian places, J'onn gave Liz a nod.

"To Earth," he spoke and hurled himself into the Martian sky. He caused a sonic boom as he accelerated past the Mach barrier and absently wondered what the colonists who now lived upon his cradleworld would make of it.

Soon the Manhunter had broken past the atmosphere and into the emptiness of space. His blue Ring shone brightly, an azure shroud coalescing around him. J'onn was aware of his own power, his own strengths, but to have these augmented and amplified by the Ring of a Blue Lantern was unlike anything he had ever felt.

Except, perhaps, when he had kissed Liz.

That was something that was truly unquantifiable.

The fabric of space/time warped as the Martian Manhunter pushed himself faster towards Earth. He passed space stations and star cruisers, and then he passed Earth's natural satellite, Moon. He slowed, angling his vector to take him to the topside of the planet. He breached the atmosphere in a fiery blast that soon dissipated as he came into the cold Arctic air.

He slowed again, his eyes scanning the scene below. He locked onto his target, a hovering Kryptonian soldier who floated beside another. Below them, Powergirl had furrowed the snow.

J'onn descended with a swoosh of superheated air and struck Nam-Ek in the center of his back with two outstretched fists. The Manhunter followed him to the ground, pummeling him with strike after successive strike.

Take the female, he thought to Liz. Show her your power!

A final strike to Nam-Ek and J'onn watched him furrow into the ice. The Manhunter turned in mid-air and saw Kelex.

And...the Doctor.

The Fortress' defenses must be online, he thought to himself. Makes sense, as these would surely be within if it were not so. So then, even I may not enter into it until....

Only one of the House of El shall gain entrance, he remembered.

He focused on Powergirl.

Run, Caroline! he sent in a single thought.

The sleeper must awaken.

Another turn brought The Wraith into his vision. He nodded a hello, and as he was about to turn back to see the damage he had wrought upon Nam-Ek, a Gate portal opened.

The Martian Manhunter's eyes went wide as he immediately recognized the two beings who stepped through.

Nam-Ek was temporarily forgotten as he floated to the ground in front of them.

"What are you--"

"Why---"

Then he knew.

He didn't even need to touch their minds.

He knew.

The psychic cry heard by him on Mars.

"No," he whispered.

The Manhunter stepped forward and placed hands on each of their shoulders. He left them there for a lingering moment, then stepped back. He stumbled a bit, shaking his head slowly from side-to-side.

"No," he repeated. He glanced to Nam-Ek, to Aethyr, then to the Fortress. The Martian Manhunter closed his eyes and his hands clenched into fists at his side and he began to tremble. A psych-kinetic shock wave rolled off him, and distant ice cracked and rock crumbled.

Sorrow and pain welled up inside him. And, simultaneously, so did anger. A battle was fought between these emotions, and eventually, anger won. The Manhunter's normally serene countenance was replaced by a mask of hate.

Var-Sen and Raya had been his closest friends. They were family.

He had been there for the birth of their children. He had visited with Var-Sen in the laboratory on Sanctuary and watched him as he made discovery after discovery. He had continued Raya's training in martial disciplines from across the known worlds. He had seen them take their place as the Protectors.

And now, they were....gone?

J'onn's brow furrowed as he resigned himself to the anger that welled up inside of him.

The Ring ceased it's blue glow and went dark.

Cold.

J'onn opened his eyes, and they, too, were dark.

Cold.

He turned to where Nam-Ek had struck the ice, now obviously recovering from the Manhunter's assault. He bared his teeth in a snarl.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Shadow Lass, Lightning Lass, Phantom Girl. The Galtos, Supply Dock A.

"yah yah. They blasted out of here on a course that'll take them out of UP space," she said doing one more XS quick evidence scan. Nothing, "If you follow the course it intersects with a UP red flag world. A Lantern protectorate."

"Picking a fight with Lanterns, too?" Tasmia narrowed her eyes. "They're cheating on us. I'm almost offended."

"Is it really cheating," Ayla wondered, "if we have our own Lantern now? What's good for the goose, and all that?"

"I remain unconvinced," Tasmia sneered.

She did a quick check on the S.P.s to make sure they were dealing with nappy nap time, "Question as I see it now is, are they a trap or a diversion?"

"The scale our enemies are operating on now," Tinya opined, "it could easily be both. But we can't just... dismiss their activities. I say we check in with HQ for sitreps and updated duty assignments."

"Or," Shadow Lass growled, having had her taste of battle and wanting more, "we could find out for ourselves if they are trap or diversion or both while we are punching their collective teeth down their collective throat with our collective Ring hand."

 

[ChasNicollette]

The Doctor. North.

Kelex had already completed a few initial repairs to his system by the time Caroline had arrived, and as the young Legionairre fought against the power-hungry titans he had powered up enough to be able to push himself up off the ground.

Another spark crackled as the hole in his side grew smaller.

The Doctor's glance darted furtively between Kelex and Caroline.

"The Fortress' defenses-- is there a loophole? A... a backdoor?" He squinted. "What if I used my TARDIS, my travel machine, to go to The Kawatche Caves, and accessed the link between the two?"

"She is of the House of El," Kelex stated, watching Powergirl for a moment before addressing The Doctor. "The Fortress will allow her inside. You must... hurry," he finished as another spark flew out.

He clapped his hands and pointed at Kelex. "Yes! Oh, you bright boy, I am just so bone-dead stupid. Just like with The Phantom Zone, it needs a genetic key!"

The Doctor hesitated. "Only trouble is, she's a bit busy right now."

He glanced at Daniel. "I suppose miraculous reinforcements would be too much to ask? I'm not much of one for asking politely."

But then, ask-- or don't, really --and ye shall receive...

J'onn turned up, and Liz with him, and-- and there was a dimensional gate opening somewhere nearby, he could taste the tang of the teleport exchange--

"J'onnboy! EKG! Right!" he nodded to Daniel. "Quick work on that one. Remind me to send your Dad a thank-you card."

"Now just to get her attention."

 

[ChasNicollette]

GL 2261, Zor-Sen, Rose Var-Sen. North.

J'onn J'onzz led Liz through the Face of Mars and back out the way they came. When the invisible door had once again sealed the entrance to this most sacred of Martian places, J'onn gave Liz a nod.

"To Earth," he spoke and hurled himself into the Martian sky.

"Up, up and away," Liz replied, and she followed in a backwash blast of green power.

No offense to any Super-people past or present or yet to come, but being faster than a speeding bullet was nothing compared to being faster than a speeding photon. 30 Seconds to Mars? More like a heartbeat.

She didn't have J'onn's beautiful, manifold senses to feed her intel about the hotzone, but she did have more experience using a Ring of Power. (Hence being able to "cushion" her own sonic booms and atmospheric friction so as not to pepper poor Gim Allon's family and neighbors with overmuch noise pollution on the way out, and saving on fireworks on the way in.)

"Scan," she told her Ring, and it did so.

Multiple Kryptonian life-forms (one the hybrid Powergirl), a barricaded Fortress of Solitude, The TARDIS-- her grandfather was here-- not one, but two sources of immense other-planar power-- not one Scion, but two-- one of whom was her father-- lots of robots, most of them now presently inoperable--

J'onn descended with a swoosh of superheated air and struck Nam-Ek in the center of his back with two outstretched fists. The Manhunter followed him to the ground, pummeling him with strike after successive strike.

Take the female, he thought to Liz. Show her your power!

My thoughts, Liz thought back, emboldened by the sensation of his mind amidst hers, precisely.

While certain other Lanterns might have employed the simple and direct imagery of the great glowing green boxing glove, Liz was a fantasist first and foremost--

--as she hurtled into the fray, an emerald gauntlet from a suit of Arthurian armor formed before her, one massively proportioned, it loomed.

Aethyr gritted her teeth, crossed her arms before her, the attack stormed into her, more powerful than a runaway locomotive...

...Aethyr tumbled back, her senses jarred, but the construct itself shattered into segmented armor-digits and dissolved.

...before Aethyr could properly right herself, Liz again summoned her courage and her power to create a replica of the medieval Mons Meg, firing it again and again and peppering Aethyr with blast after blast of 20"-caliber cannonballs spurred on by Liz' sheer force of Will...

Aethyr roared in frustration, caught in the face, in the stomach, in the shoulder... she managed to punch one out of the air, slice another with her heat-vision, but then still another slammed into the center of her sternum.

********​

...below, Zor-Sen and his sister Rose Var-Sen were taking a moment to orient themselves in the face of a new planet, a whole new war-zone. The terrible creature before them-- he seemed familiar, the stuff of legend, described to them by their father in glowing terms, but could he really be the same?

And then--

"Uncle J'onn," Rose Var-Sen grabbed her brother's arm.

Nam-Ek was temporarily forgotten as he floated to the ground in front of them.

"What are you--"

"Why---"

Then he knew.

He didn't even need to touch their minds.

He knew.

The psychic cry heard by him on Mars.

"No," he whispered.

Zor-Sen nodded grimly, sorrowfully. "It is so. Though, of course, would that it were not."

The Manhunter stepped forward and placed hands on each of their shoulders. He left them there for a lingering moment, then stepped back. He stumbled a bit, shaking his head slowly from side-to-side.

Rose Var-Sen bit her lip. "They were-- they were very brave."

But then the two of them stepped back, aghast, as the fury of The Last Green Martian slipped its bridle.

"No," he repeated. He glanced to Nam-Ek, to Aethyr, then to the Fortress. The Martian Manhunter closed his eyes and his hands clenched into fists at his side and he began to tremble. A psych-kinetic shock wave rolled off him, and distant ice cracked and rock crumbled.

Sorrow and pain welled up inside him. And, simultaneously, so did anger. A battle was fought between these emotions, and eventually, anger won. The Manhunter's normally serene countenance was replaced by a mask of hate.

J'onn's brow furrowed as he resigned himself to the anger that welled up inside of him.

The Ring ceased it's blue glow and went dark.

Cold.

J'onn opened his eyes, and they, too, were dark.

Cold.

He turned to where Nam-Ek had struck the ice, now obviously recovering from the Manhunter's assault. He bared his teeth in a snarl.

Zor-Sen glanced at his sister, and leaped into the sky. "Assist the Great-Daughter of El. I'll help Uncle J'onn!"

Rose Var-Sen couldn't help but hesitate. "Are you-- are you sure he needs help?"

********​

Above, Liz' Ring immediately registered the severing of the allied Blue Ring, her own enhanced battery levels taking a dip in its absence.

She would not understand this change until later, though she did comprehend that, again, as a new Ringbearer accustomed to different attack vectors, J'onn would rely on familiar techniques over his newfound weapon. After all, the legendary Kilowog had been nothing but proficient in the use of his Ring, and how often had he preferred simply using his physical might to the more complex constructs?

Aethyr clapped her hands, and the sheer force of her clap dispersed the emerald Mons Meg... but Liz swiftly shielded her inner ears, and thus she did not lose equilibrium or focus.

Instead, verdant samurai armor spread to encase her, and into her hands formed a jade replica of Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

"You cannot be serious," Aethyr dismissed with a snort. "These are the toys of children."

"You worship Evil's Might," Liz replied. "I am about to give you a crisis of faith."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Aztek, Element Lad, VM3. Assembly Hall.

Dawnstar shook her head and said in just over a whisper "Spirit mother? Is this what it meant in my spirit quest? That I would be the scout to bring the war party?"

Aztek's helmet HUD declared: [Audio enhance.] ...much to his surprise, and confusion as regards the audio it was enhancing. "Wait, what?"

Jan glanced at Aztek, having not heard even that Dawnstar had spoken: "Wait. What?"

No answer came of that aside from a sense of purpose. She strode into the assembly hall. "I have the scent we need," she said in a loud voice. "Something great is afoot at the pole. We should probably move before they beat us there."

Jaymie shot a look at Cosmic Boy, her red red eyes wide wide wide.

"Okay, Cos. Now you need to say it."

 

[Wyldfire]

"yah yah. They blasted out of here on a course that'll take them out of UP space," she said doing one more XS quick evidence scan. Nothing, "If you follow the course it intersects with a UP red flag world. A Lantern protectorate."

"Picking a fight with Lanterns, too?" Tasmia narrowed her eyes. "They're cheating on us. I'm almost offended."

"Is it really cheating," Ayla wondered, "if we have our own Lantern now? What's good for the goose, and all that?"

"I remain unconvinced," Tasmia sneered.

She did a quick check on the S.P.s to make sure they were dealing with nappy nap time, "Question as I see it now is, are they a trap or a diversion?"

"The scale our enemies are operating on now," Tinya opined, "it could easily be both. But we can't just... dismiss their activities. I say we check in with HQ for sitreps and updated duty assignments."

"Or," Shadow Lass growled, having had her taste of battle and wanting more, "we could find out for ourselves if they are trap or diversion or both while we are punching their collective teeth down their collective throat with our collective Ring hand."

"I think Tinya's right," Jo said,"I think we need to do a check in before just haring off after who knows what kind of force." She paced with the need to do something.

"Tas, I know how you're feeling. I wanna just frag off and go after the escapees." She turned towards Shady making eye contact. "We might not be besties or even really close, but we are of a mind on this."

Jo raised her ring and said "Imra, you're senior here you wanna make the call or do I?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Phantom Girl, Lightning Lass, Shadow Lass. The Galtos.

"I think Tinya's right," Jo said,"I think we need to do a check in before just haring off after who knows what kind of force." She paced with the need to do something.

Phantom Girl stared for a moment. "Wait. Say that again. I just want to remember this moment. You think I'm--"

"Leave it," Ayla gestured, causing Tinya to harrumph.

"Tas, I know how you're feeling. I wanna just frag off and go after the escapees." She turned towards Shady making eye contact. "We might not be besties or even really close, but we are of a mind on this."

Tasmia smiled lopsidedly, wryly. "Well, I knew if I waited around long enough, you'd develop sentience eventually. Glad to know it's the proper sort of sentience. The kind that goes along with me."

Jo raised her ring and said "Imra, you're senior here you wanna make the call or do I?"

Ayla hesitated. "Actually. She's been quiet awhile... has anyone heard from her?"

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

Powergirl - Heart of Courage

Caroline took another strong hit to her stomach, and she was sent crashing down into one of the many snow banks covering the Arctic. She was down, at least for the moment, but with a wipe of her hand to her face she was soon back on her feet.

This is war, she'd been told.

War.

After all of her "fights", this was what war truly tasted like. She was on the field of battle, and there was no running away.

Not with so much at stake.

But... she was not alone.

Caroline looked up as a fiery streak tore through the skies, but she wasn't afraid of its arrival. Of his arrival. With a smirk on her face the young Legionairre watched as The Martian pummeled his foe with his fists, beating him into submission. Once Nam-Ek had been knocked down hard, Caroline saw The Manhunter turn towards her, and her mind was invaded by his thoughts.

He spoke to her... told her to run.

At first she didn't know what he meant by that. Run? How could she run from this? She was still needed here!

~ ~ ~

"You are needed inside the Fortress," Kelex said, drawing himself up to float in the air and hover over towards Caroline.

"Once you are inside... I will lead you to her resting chamber," the robot added. "But we must hurry."

Caroline nodded her head and followed after the ancient guardian as he flew away to the Fortress' entrance. They almost reached the main passageway when the blonde-haired hybrid stopped as she felt a surge of psychic energy, and although she was able to see that it came from The Manhunter, at Kelex's urging she continued on her way. As she drew closer, a beam of light shone down on Powergirl, but since she was truly of the House of El it did not try to prevent her from gaining access to its sacred halls.

"Follow me," Kelex said, coming up from behind her to lead the way inside. Caroline raced behind the ancient guardian, darting down long corridors to reach the appointed place.

"This place is huge," Caroline exclaimed.

"As it should be. This Fortress possess'-"

"The knowledge of the entire universe. I know," Caroline interrupted.

"Not quite," Kelex corrected her.

From above, tiny bits of ice and snow dropped down, and the Fortress shook from the tremendous battle raging on outside.

"This way," Kelex said, leading her down another long hallway, and they passed by a large memorial statue dedicated to Zor-El and his wife Alura.

 

[AmenRa]

Martian Manhunter - Unleashed

J'onn saw Nam-Ek stand and then rise into the air. J'onn himself did the same. He heard the rustling of wind off to his left and he saw Zor-Sen take to the air with him.

J'onn immediately meant to reach out and take Zor-Sen by the arm and fling him back to Earth with a word to stay put. But, then, he knew this would not be the right thing. The Martian Manhunter meant to protect the Last Son of Sanctuary as he did the boy's sister.

It was his promise.

Once, Var-Sen stood with Raya in the nursery of their home on Sanctuary and J'onn stood with them. And Var-Sen asked J'onn should anything happen to he or his wife that J'onn would take the children and care for them.

Of course, the Martian Manhunter agreed. It was a promise he had made before to another old friend who was also a great scientist of Krypton.

Now before the child was an accomplice of the being that had destroyed his world. And worlds before it. To deny the boy a fight here would be unjust.

Yet, J'onn J'onzz would strike first.

He began to raise his Ring hand and discovered the Ring itself was dark and cold. It would not serve him with anger in his heart.

Had he lost hope?

Hope lay within a tomb within the Fortress of Solitude. As of right now, J'onn J'onzz had hope none.

But, he did have power. And it was now fueled by rage and sorrow.

Nam-Ek saw his foe's hesitation. "Weak," Nam-Ek hissed, "as you always have been, Lawgiver!"

The Martian Manhunter's eyes narrowed. "You do not know me," he growled.

Nam-Ek turned his heated eyes towards J'onn's face, but the rays only passed through a spectral head as J'onn shifted his head into intangibility.

"Fire holds no sway," J'onn snarled.

Nam-Ek's eyes went wide.

J'onn J'onzz phase-shifted from visible sight.

When he reappeared, it was beside Nam-Ek, and he was something else than Green Martian. His body was a serpent, a long slithering snake of inky black coils that wrapped itself around Nam-Ek.

This serpent that J'onn had become was a constrictor, and those black coils tightened around the Kryptonian's body. The head of the snake was still that of J'onn, and his mouth was in a grimace as he summoned his strength and made the coils tighter still.

Nam-Ek fought and cursed and used his heat vision against the coils. The beams cut into the serpent's body, opening gashes that healed instantly.

The serpent that was J'onn produced an arm and fingers that ended in talons. The talons swiped across Nam-Ek's face and opened five linear cuts that bled. Nam-Ek turned and twisted, but his arms were pinned to his body by the unyielding strength of the Martian Manhunter's snake body.

The sound of crushing bones could be heard.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Daniel & Wraith

Daniel and I waited. We were more than what we had been. This was both old and new. Power I had known.

I was power!!


J'onn was maddened with rage. Him, above all others had been a mentor to all of us as children. He had guided us as young heroes, and been the voice of reason when Bruce and Kara had formed the League.

He could not break his vow. I wouldn't Let him. It was time to stop playing around and unleash my true power, the strength that had been growing for ten thousand years.

Darkness fell over the northern hemisphere of the Earth as I rose up from the ground and blanked out all sight but mine. I reached out through the darkness and pulled the broken Kryptionian through it, and into my waiting hand.

You are not Worth the pain it would cause him if he ended your miserable existence." I said in a low, dangerous voice.

I threw his broken body down into the frozen ground, and allowed the light to once again reach the Earth. When the light came back, I was hovering in front of J'onn, a shadowy field surrounding me and my eyes glowing brightly.

"J'onn, come back from where you are. The flames that are burning inside you burned before on your world, and turned those people white.


Daniel had not been idle either. Fighting was not something he wanted to do, but standing idly by was also unacceptable.

He closed his eyes, and prayed to Him, and He answered.

A light grew around the Lantern, sheathing her in golden armor of ancient design. When the world grew dark for those few seconds, Elizabeth Greystone still shone like a star.

"It will have to be enough." He said, and then with a flash of light, he was gone.

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

Kara Zor-El - Sengunbanba

Many, many years ago...

Kara Zor-El was alone in the Fortress. Yes, she had her robotic servants, but for all of their help, they could not assist her with this. She missed her family... she missed him. For the first time in a long while, Kara actually cried. She had been strong... but now she was just tired. This was her curse...

'We love you, Kara.'

'We love you.'

She was strong, and proud, and in her hands she held a very, very special crystal.

Kelex stood nearby, floating in the air and processing everything that was taking place. He followed Kara into another room, and against one of the far walls was a bed fashioned after the likes on great Krypton. It was incredibly soft and covered in the finest silvery sheets.

"You are ready," Kelex said, drawing a nod from the golden-haired Kryptonian.

"I have been... for a long time," she said solemnly.

Kara handed her servant the crystal and then slipped out of her uniform and into a pair of white silk pants and a white shirt that was perhaps one size too large. She approached her resting place without anything to cover her feet, and just before stepping inside she looked up towards the ceiling. She closed her eyes as artificial sunlight washed over her, and it felt good. Not quite as good as the real thing, but it was a close second.

She was going to sleep.

Death, however, would not take her that night.

She would rest.

Until she was needed again.

"Don't wake me up unless the building's on fire," Kara joked as she relaxed her body into the bed.

"Considering our location, Kara Zor-El, I do not foresee that to be a problem."

Kara sighed and them smiled.

Upon closing her eyes, a large dome descended upon her resting place, and crystalline spires emerged from the ground to support it. The dome, opaque white and polished, glimmered and gleamed under the artificial sunlight within the chamber. Kelex approached the dome, and his sensors looked down towards the symbol of the House of El.

Inside, Kara had fallen into a deep sleep, but being bathed in sunlight she was growing stronger.

Resting... until she was needed again.

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

Caroline & Kelex - The Central Chamber

"You are needed in here," Kelex stated, and he turned towards Caroline when he noticed that she had looked up towards the ceiling, apparently to use her X-Ray vision to watch the battle outside. The Fortress shook, but its crystalline walls would hold.

"I know. But still..."

"You are needed HERE," Kelex repeated, forcing the young hybrid warrior to turn towards the large dome that occupied one side of the chamber end walls. Caroline approached it cautiously, as if daring to take one more step would somehow destroy such a beautiful creation. She looked down towards the glyphs and tried to read what they said.

"This is... a tomb? I don't understand."

"This is merely a place for resting."

It was then that she noticed the S-symbol towards the top of the dome, and she allowed her fingers to lightly graze its surface.

This was the symbol she had been expected to wear upon her chest.

It was the symbol she feared... that she believed she wasn't worthy of wearing.

She chose power, instead.

"So... what do I do now?"

"You need to use the crystal."

Caroline felt her heart drop.

"W-what crystal?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

The Doctor. The Fortress.

As she drew closer, a beam of light shone down on Powergirl, but since she was truly of the House of El it did not try to prevent her from gaining access to its sacred halls.

The Doctor watched Caroline soar towards The Fortress' entryway, and murmured: "'Erewego, then!" ...then sprinted to track her flight through the air. Swiftly, he fumbled in his pocket, bringing out the small leather folder which contained his psychic paper. Holding it aloft, he hurried in behind Powergirl and Kelex, all the while concentrating on the sentence I'm her plus-one I'm her plus-one I'm her plus-one...

...thus, he narrowly piggybacked his way into the defenses before the walls closed, the crystal barriers sliding back into place.

Very narrowly.

He wheezed a wheeze of relief, clutching a hand to his chest between his hearts.

"(Getting too old for this,)" he mumbled, as he followed the twosome, jogging hard to keep up.

From above, tiny bits of ice and snow dropped down, and the Fortress shook from the tremendous battle raging on outside.

Hurriedly, The Doctor produced an umbrella from his pocket. This one did not resemble the one from Mary Poppins, though he'd been known to quote that film on occasion. This was more like the umbrella equivalent of a Technicolor Dreamcoat.

"So... what do I do now?"

"You need to use the crystal."

Caroline felt her heart drop.

"W-what crystal?"

"This Crystal," The Doctor explained, strolling quietly up to them, producing The Crystal of El from his pocket as he twirled the umbrella behind his head like a parasol.

He handed The Crystal to Caroline, smiling a soft little smile.

"I'm called The Doctor. Pleased as Punch. Big fan of your work, actually. I'm a friend, and a friend of a friend, and an enemy of your enemies."

He nodded to the sarcophagus that held The Scion of Earth at rest, and this was about as reverent as he ever got. "I was her friend, once."

"I'd like to see her again, if you don't mind."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Zor-Sen, GL 2261. North.

As his Uncle J'onn curled and crushed the now-overmatched Nam-Ek like a Ma'aleca'andran anaconda, Zor-Sen power-dove towards the pinned foe with fists outstretched and eyes blazing.

But then the world went dark-- his solar metabolism hiccuped, and he was distracted-- aside from training with his mother he hadn't been in a lot of combat. He managed to pull up before drilling into The Earth, but in screeching to a halt, he carved another furrow in the ice to match the others.

You are not Worth the pain it would cause him if he ended your miserable existence." I said in a low, dangerous voice.

I threw his broken body down into the frozen ground, and allowed the light to once again reach the Earth. When the light came back, I was hovering in front of J'onn, a shadowy field surrounding me and my eyes glowing brightly.

"J'onn, come back from where you are. The flames that are burning inside you burned before on your world, and turned those people white.

As Wraith began to try and talk The Voice of Mars down from his growling froth, Zor-Sen quietly, calmly, walked up to Nam-Ek.

Any second now, the restored sunlight-- even what little there was, through the storm --would heal the wounded dark-hearted Kryptonian to fighting trim, but until then-- Zor-Sen grabbed up the broken foe, and his eyes blazed brighter still.

"You will remember what you have wrought," he declared. "You will carry it with you."

His heat-vision speared forth.

And with those five cuts on Nam-Ek's cheek, Zor-Sen played "connect the dots."

...and carved a brand into Nam-Ek's skin, as Nam-Ek howled, carved it deep, right to the molecular level, perhaps beyond even a Kryptonian's ability to heal naturally under yellow sunlight.

The Symbol of The House of Sen.

********​

A light grew around the Lantern, sheathing her in golden armor of ancient design. When the world grew dark for those few seconds, Elizabeth Greystone still shone like a star.

"It will have to be enough." He said, and then with a flash of light, he was gone.

Ordinarily, a Lantern even of Liz' long tenure would be brought up short by their constructs turning... yellow. It might cause them to fear.

But Liz Greystone was the grand-daughter of a holy woman, the daughter of two students of mystical things, and even without their mind-link or the alliance of their Rings, she had J'onn on her heart and on her side and that was enough to banish even Parallax' brand of fear.

She didn't hesitate. And when Aethyr came at her like a bolt through Wraith's parting gloaming, Liz bent and flowed and tore a gash along Aethyr's side from armpit to ankle.

Aethyr cried out in dismay and startlement and almost forgot to keep flying as the lightning flashed around her.

"Witchcraft," she hissed, glaring at the blood that welled from her.

"Blessed be," Liz replied, and pressed the attack.

 

[Wyldfire]

"I think Tinya's right," Jo said,"I think we need to do a check in before just haring off after who knows what kind of force." She paced with the need to do something.

Phantom Girl stared for a moment. "Wait. Say that again. I just want to remember this moment. You think I'm--"

"Leave it," Ayla gestured, causing Tinya to harrumph.

"Tas, I know how you're feeling. I wanna just frag off and go after the escapees." She turned towards Shady making eye contact. "We might not be besties or even really close, but we are of a mind on this."

Tasmia smiled lopsidedly, wryly. "Well, I knew if I waited around long enough, you'd develop sentience eventually. Glad to know it's the proper sort of sentience. The kind that goes along with me."

Jo raised her ring and said "Imra, you're senior here you wanna make the call or do I?"

Ayla hesitated. "Actually. She's been quiet awhile... has anyone heard from her?"

"Damnitall," Jo said. She so wasn't sure she wanted this job again. She'd avoided leadership positions since the second time she'd won the elections. "Okay, so Ognats, Go find Imra."

XS only paused a second and was off. "Tinya, yeah I said it, you were right. This time, right here. Past is past. And I owe you at least one Cher ber."

She looked to Ayla. "Thanks for being cool through this."

"Mallor, you're going to do what you want to, but try to remember you agreed to be a team player. okay?" She looked at Tasmia, all business. "I need a good leg breaker. You up for it?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Phantom Girl, Lightning Lass, Shadow Lass. The Galtos. Supply Dock A.

"Damnitall," Jo said. She so wasn't sure she wanted this job again. She'd avoided leadership positions since the second time she'd won the elections. "Okay, so Ognats, Go find Imra."

XS only paused a second and was off. "Tinya, yeah I said it, you were right. This time, right here. Past is past. And I owe you at least one Cher ber."

Tinya smirked, and inclined her head-- very much like her mother would have done, though this was subconscious and not necessarily intended as a barb. This was... acceptable. "At least one."

She looked to Ayla. "Thanks for being cool through this."

Ayla nodded, and shrugged, though she wasn't ungrateful for the acknowledgement. "I'm the level-headed third of the Ranzz siblings. It's kind of my claim to fame."

"Mallor, you're going to do what you want to, but try to remember you agreed to be a team player. okay?"

"I shall endeavor to try," Tasmia drawled, examining her fingernails as though this were all beneath her.

She looked at Tasmia, all business. "I need a good leg breaker. You up for it?"

This got Shadow Lass' attention, and she lit up in way that was appropriately dark. "Oh, I can break legs. ...as a warm-up."

 

[Wyldfire]

"Damnitall," Jo said. She so wasn't sure she wanted this job again. She'd avoided leadership positions since the second time she'd won the elections. "Okay, so Ognats, Go find Imra."

XS only paused a second and was off. "Tinya, yeah I said it, you were right. This time, right here. Past is past. And I owe you at least one Cher ber."

Tinya smirked, and inclined her head-- very much like her mother would have done, though this was subconscious and not necessarily intended as a barb. This was... acceptable. "At least one."

She looked to Ayla. "Thanks for being cool through this."

Ayla nodded, and shrugged, though she wasn't ungrateful for the acknowledgement. "I'm the level-headed third of the Ranzz siblings. It's kind of my claim to fame."

"Mallor, you're going to do what you want to, but try to remember you agreed to be a team player. okay?"

"I shall endeavor to try," Tasmia drawled, examining her fingernails as though this were all beneath her.

She looked at Tasmia, all business. "I need a good leg breaker. You up for it?"

This got Shadow Lass' attention, and she lit up in way that was appropriately dark. "Oh, I can break legs. ...as a warm-up."

"Good Shady, if I get my way we'll see how far they let you go," she grinned, "Me? I'd let you have your own head."

Lifting her ring again she said "Cos, Jo here. Nass has hit the fan here, but it's under control. Getting intel on Saturn girl's sit. Galtos is back under control." Liar she thought to herself.

"One point of import. Looks like a bunch of LSV sprocks have gotten away." She shook her head again. "They've left UP space for some sort of Lantern hideout. You want us back or you want us to follow them?"

 

[AmenRa]

The Martian Manhunter - Redeemed

Wraith's power pulled Nam-Ek from the Martian Manhunter's grasping coils.

J'onn J'onzz reformed into his usual countenance and landed on the fallen snow with a thump.

"J'onn, come back from where you are. The flames that are burning inside you burned before on your world, and turned those people white.
"

The Martian Manhunter stood, slowly, from the snow. With his hands he brushed snow from his uniform, from his cape. He turned to face Wraith as the Shadow Lord hovered over him. Yet, J'onn J'onzz would not yet meet Wraith's gaze with his own. He held his head down.

He was...ashamed.

Would he have killed the Kryptonian? Even he did not know the answer to this. J'onn realized he was not infallible, nor was he perfect, nor was he immune to the rage that dwelt within the heart of all creatures. For all of his Martian powers, he was, in the end, only human.

He knew, though, others had seen this display, and he worried they, too, may no longer see him the same. Would Wraith no longer have the faith and trust in him that he once did? Would Liz denounce him because he had succumbed to darkness, even though his intention was to right a wrong?

"Thank you, Brother," he said at last, his voice soft, "for bringing me back from that place. For reminding me who I am."

Perhaps, though, the Wraith knew what had driven J'onn to strike with such anger, with such violence. And, it was through this understanding that Wraith stopped him. Wraith believed in him. He knew that.

J'onn raised his head then, and his eyes shown their usual red. "There is no light without darkness," he stated. "This I know you know."

And the Martian Manhunter smiled. There were powers greater than his at work here. And for this he was glad.

The Ring he wore sparkled a tiny blue, but did not yet shine with the furnace of Hope.

And when Zor-Sen carved his house's symbol into Nam-Ek's face, J'onn J'onzz held back smirk. He walked over to the boy and he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your father and mother would be proud," he told Zor-Sen. "I am proud."

As he held the child close J'onn turned to see the construct surrounding Liz and her battle with the other Kryptonian soldier. J'onn's eyes went wide, and then he turned and saw Daniel, and realization came to him.

He nodded an approving nod and said, "'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall be called the sons of God'".

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Wraith

"More like his fixer. He goes where HE sends him, and gives things a nudge every now and then. My place...is more direct. I don't shove.."

I pointed my palm at the flying Kryptonian woman, and as lightning flashed around us a bolt of darkness flew forth from my hand and struck her in the chest. Even from here I could hear ribs crack as she blew back into a mountain miles away, making a crater that quickly filled with snow as the avalanche her impact had caused filled it.

"I obliterate. I am The Warlord. Where Daniel helps, I take care of things more directly, and I have been doing it longer than any Scion that has ever existed. Eventually it will fall down to Me and Zod, but until then, these disciples of his are like children to me. I have killed Lucifer's son and heir, and nothing in this universe can compare to that horror that I destroyed."


I floated down and landed next to J'onn, and looked into his red eyes.

"Now my old friend, I'm giving you a hard job. You get to keep my daughter from ripping me a new one. She is just like her mother in that regard."

 

[AmenRa]

J'onn

The Manhunter watched as Aethyr was knocked a long, long trip away. He turned to look once again at Wraith.

"Knocked that one sufficiently out of the park. Perhaps the Cubs should sign you? Maybe, at least then, they would actually go to the World Series."

I floated down and landed next to J'onn, and looked into his red eyes.

"Now my old friend, I'm giving you a hard job. You get to keep my daughter from ripping me a new one. She is just like her mother in that regard."

The Martian Manhunter raised a hand with his palm facing Wraith as if to stop him. J'onn took a step back.

"Please do not task me with this," he teased. "I would rather face ten of you than subject myself to her wrath."

J'onn stepped up and looked Wraith in his eyes. "Got your back," he said with a nod of his head. He held his fist out for a bump.