Ultimate Superman #10: Krypton Rising, Part Three

[DiscipleofBob]

Ultimate Superman #10:
Krypton Rising, Part Three

The Kryptonian Ship, Bridge,

Kara-Zod, daughter of General Dru-Zod, known for the past several years as Power Girl, or in her other identity, Karen Starr. For years she played the part of superhero alongside the hero of Metropolis... no, the hero of Earth, Superman. She learned the culture of Earth, and learned to love even its faults and eccentricities, from deep fried food to daytime television. Between saving kittens from trees she worked as a 'human' astrophysicist at STAR Labs. There were times she forgot that it was all a carefully crafted persona, that the job at STAR Labs was to give her access to the equipment she'd need to create a deep space communicator she could one day use to contact the rest of her people.

Kara-Zod reported to the bridge, where her father, the stern General Dru-Zod, was waiting with a disapproving look. "Kara, why are you out of uniform?" he asked disapprovingly.

For today and today only, Kara was wearing her Power Girl uniform for what was likely the last time. "Since Lois Lane is shooting her documentary, I thought it would present a more positive image if I appeared more familiar to the viewers." It was partially true, but closer to a convenient excuse just to wear it one last time. After this, she'd be lucky to be in anything but a black, bland Kryptonian military uniform.

Zod's eyes narrowed. "That won't be necessary. Lois Lane does not plan to include either you or Kal-El in her report."

"All the same, you never know if I might accidentally wind up in some shots," Kara retorted.

Zod stepped down from his position. The bridge was mostly empty since the ship had landed, just a few officers to perform routine functions, but for the sake of propriety he moved close enough that he and Kara could talk privately. "I fear that the influence of Earth has gotten the better of you. Do not forget that you are more than just my daughter. You are a soldier under my command, and I will not give special treatment just because we share blood."

"Really? I thought we were completely forgetting about the whole father-daughter thing. I mean who needs a daughter when you can have a shiny newer model son," Kara snapped.

"Is that what this behavior is about?"

"You send me away to work on this assignment for years, and when you finally show up, your big 'welcome back' surprise is that you have a new male heir."

"Kara," Zod wrapped his arms tightly around his daughter, "I fear that in all the chaos of meeting Kal-El and negotiating with the leaders of Earth, I neglected you. Forgive me." After a few seconds of trying to be mad, Kara reluctantly hugged back. "I promise you, my love for you has not waned despite our separation. Affection while dealing with affairs of state is never wise."

Finally they broke the hug and both had calmed down considerably. "But Lor is still going to be your heir, right?" Kara asked scowling.

"Kara, you know well that the name of the House is preserved through the male line. Whether I had a son or not that would have always been the case," Zod gently reminded her.

"Sorry. I thought we might have let go of certain traditions in recent years," Kara grumbled.

"We have. But preserving the Houses the way Rao intended is to preserve the legacy of our people. The castes of the Houses have largely been abolished as there is little room for the luxury of nobility. You have a much more noble legacy," Zod assured her. "You are directly responsible for finding the Last Son of Krypton. When our historians transcribe these events your deeds will forever be remembered. You will be a legendary figure that Kryptonians tell their children about. Your legacy will be greater than Lor's."

"I don't care about my legacy, I just don't like the feeling of being replaced."

"Well, first of all, you should care about your legacy and what impact you'll have on your people, of which you should be proud. Secondly, no one could possibly replace you, my little firebird." The pet name from her childhood simultaneously embarrassed and assured Kara, at least temporarily sating her frustrations. "Come, I want to show you something." Zod led her over to a console and let Kara read the screen.

"What am I looking at?" As far advanced as Kryptonian technology was in some respects, some were grossly behind even Earth's level. The grainy displays paled in comparison to what Kara was used to at STAR Labs.

"These are the biosignatures and genomes taken from two specimens: one of us, and a human."

"They look similar."

"They're more than just similar, they're genetically compatible." Zod could hardly contain his excitement. "A major hurdle facing our kind's repopulation is continuing to reproduce without eventual inbreeding given our numbers. What this means is that we can breed with the Earthlings."

While Zod was ecstatic, Kara was simultaneously suspicious and horrified. "What, are you going to start breeding humans now? I thought you weren't taking the conqueror approach."

Zod laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. Even if I was so inclined to take charge of this planet, which I'm not, we lack the numbers to police an entire planet, even with powers. No, all I'm saying is our people can be 'encouraged' to procreate with the indigenous population, forming relationships and marriages as desired. The resulting offspring will be half-Kryptonian. Of course there's no telling how being only half-Kryptonian will affect our abilities under this sun, and the impurities of noble blood will be inevitable, but the results in a few generations will explode our population and save us from extinction."

"Neither us nor the Earthlings are livestock to breed!" protested Kara.

"Kara, you're being dramatic. I'm not forcing anyone on anyone, just encouraging our people to explore the possibilities of relationships with the natives." Kara still shook her head in disbelief as Zod continued. "Of course some bloodlines should remain pure if possible. To preserve our history the most important of noble houses shall remain pure Kryptonian."

"Now you're arranging marriages?!" Kara was livid.

"It was a fairly common practice amongst the gentry back on Krypton. Here we can afford to be much less strict. As long as the most important houses avoid having half-Earth heirs..."

"I am NOT becoming someone's kitchen-bound, barefoot broodmare!"

Zod raised an eyebrow. "You've picked up some strange metaphors on Earth. It's no matter. I doubt you would actually object to be married to the House of El."

Kara's eyes went wide-eyed and her cheeks turned bright red in both rage and embarrassment. She actually had trouble forming the proper words to express her outrage. "You. Can't. Be. Serious."

"I don't see why you'd be surprised, or why you'd object. It would make perfect sense to unite the Houses of El and Zod. You've already formed quite the bond with the Last Son of Krypton. And I've seen the way you look at him. Look me in the eye and tell me there isn't at least some feeling of attraction there."

Kara tried, but in the end had to look away. "E-even if that were REMOTELY true... Clar- I mean Kal-El was brought up in Smallville, Kansas, United States of America, Earth. Most Earthlings marry for love, not for some 'preserved bloodline' or any such bullsh-."

"Then, ideally, it would be best if Kal-El were to marry someone appropriate for the reasons he is accustomed to, and for the reasons we require," Zod interrupted.

"What's this 'we' crap?"

"I will not force Kal-El to integrate himself into our culture. He does not have the same upbringing as us, and if he's going to embrace his Kryptonian heritage it has to be willingly. If, hypothetically, you and he were to marry for love it would serve everyone's interests."

"It's pointless. He already has Lois," Kara finally said, forcing Zod to pause. She instantly regretted it.

"And what exactly is the nature of their relationship?" asked Zod.

Kara hesitated before responding, "Well, they're constantly breaking up and getting back together. Last I checked they were in the 'off' stage, but that usually doesn't last for long."

"That hardly sounds like a stable relationship. Perhaps it is simply not meant to be."

"You aren't thinking about hurting-?!"

"Kara, please," Zod said nonchalantly. "Lois Lane is hardly a threat. She's shown nothing but fairness and kindness to our people. I'm glad she was available for Kal-El. I've seen what happens when one of our people is stranded in solitude for so long. But after everything he's done for us, we owe it to Jor to try and preserve his line. The House of El doesn't deserve to have its bloodline reduced to half-alien stock."

"And what about Kal-El? Doesn't he get a say in all this?" Kara protested.

"Kal-El has only known of his own people for a few days. He is naïve to our customs. It's all unfamiliar to him. He'll come around in time, once he understands their importance. In the meantime, it will be our responsibility to make the transition smooth and attractive."

"No. All these years, I've been lying to my best friend. On your orders. And you want me to... seduce him?! You're insane if you think I'll go through with that!" Kara started to fly away but Zod grabbed her by the wrist.

"Watch your tone, young lady! You will remember that I am your father and your commanding officer!"

"I'm not a child anymore! And I'm not that kind of soldier!" Kara growled as she jarred her arm away.

Zod was surprised at his daughter's strength, and took a deep breath. "Perhaps I was too harsh on you. Please try to consider what's best for everyone: Kal-El, your people, the humans." Kara turned to fly away again but Zod stopped her, this time with words. "Then at least consider what's best for you. I've seen how you look at Kal-El. One doesn't work alongside a comrade as long as you have without developing some kind of attachment. You said that Kal-El and the human were currently no longer together. As your father I ask you: does Kal-El really deserve to be with someone, human or Kryptonian, that will tug at his heart like a drawstring? Shouldn't he be with someone that's been unwavering by his side all this time? Don't you owe it to yourself and to Kal-El to at least try for the happiness you seek?"

Kara tried to tell her father he was wrong. That everything he was saying was completely insane. But she couldn't. Not without perpetuating another lie she'd been telling all these years, though this one had been to herself. "I-"

Before she could accept or deny her father, alarms suddenly blared throughout the ship. Zod and most of the rest of the ship clutched their ears in agony, momentarily stunned as they hadn't quite adjusted to the effect of sudden loud noises to their super hearing.

Kara rushed to the front console. Despite it being years, the controls and readings were still familiar enough to her. Something was approaching the ship, and fast. She couldn't guarantee that another one of her people would have the presence of mind to stop the approaching bogey, and she didn't have time to check.

She launched into the air and ripped a hole in the hull, not worrying about whether she'd be the one to fix it later. The instant she was outside she could see the object approaching in the distance: a large missile, though not of a design she was remotely familiar with, by Earth or alien standards. Before she could fly to intercept the missile, she also picked up the glowing green particulates embedded in the hull. Her eyes widened as she realized she wouldn't be able to safely stop it.

With only seconds to ask, Kara used her x-ray vision to find the key wiring in the ship. She raced down, punching through the console, and ripped out the offending wiring to shut off the alarm. "INCOMING! EVERYONE TAKE COVER!" she yelled.

Fortunately whether or not they knew about the dangers of Kryptonite, everyone on the ship had been brought up with military training and reacted accordingly, racing away, finding cover, and taking others with them.

The incoming object crashed through the center of the ship, but thankfully subverting everyone's expectations failed to explode. When they were sure it was more than just a delayed reaction, Kara, Zod, and a large group of trained Kryptonian soldiers cautiously approached the mysterious attacking object.

It could have been a nuclear missile. It was certainly large enough. Most everyone on the ship was taking cover, and the few Kryptonian soldiers who did approach it did so with caution. Maybe the missile was a dud. A few of the Kryptonians tried to peer inside, but the whole case was lined with lead sheeting. Only a few, including Kara and General Zod, knew the true meaning of the ARGUS logo on the side.

It thudded. Loudly. From the inside. The sudden noise startled everyone. Definitely not just a missile. It thudded again. This time there was a large dent protruding from the casing. "Everyone, combat formations!" General Zod yelled and instantly all the Kryptonians fell into formation, half of which grabbed Kryptonian assault rifles and took aim. Other Kryptonians focused their eyes until they glowed red, priming them to fire. "Kara, what is this thing?"

"I don't know, but I don't think it's a welcome package."

"This is no time for levity!" Zod scolded. It was difficult for Kara to remember she was no longer partnered with Superman but under the command of her father. "Everyone take aim."

The capsule continued to thud from the inside, like some kind of distorted metal heart, each strike louder and each strike distorting the casing further. It was never designed to be opened. It was to be ripped open by whatever it was inside like a cocoon.

Suddenly the capsule exploded into shrapnel and flew into all directions. Everyone took what cover they could, but the metal had enough velocity to pierce even their newly invulnerable flesh. Steam from whatever was inside filled the room, only the bare outline of a hulking, spiked grey being. It seemed to grow ever larger with every passing second, but in reality it was just standing up after being cooped up in the capsule for so long.

Zod's eyes widened in fear, not at an unknown creature, but something that lurked in the deepest darkest depths of his memories. "Great Rao... kill it! Do whatever you have to just kill it now!"

Blaster fire and heat vision shot from every angle, centered on the creature. These were soldiers of Krypton. They knew how to focus fire so that every shot counted. Between the steam from the capsule and the smoke from the ensuing explosions, the gray hulking figure vanished from sight. Most of the Kryptonians had little experience with adjusting their vision to different frequencies. Only Kara could see a vague, still outline.

A few soldiers cautiously approached. They moved in careful formation to secure and contain the potential threat. Kara took note of the sheer dread on her father's face. "Father, do you know what this thing is?"

The normally fearless General Zod stared at the cloud in sheer terror. "It resembles a creature only known from Kryptonian mythology, an invincible monster that indiscriminately killed, wiping out entire civilizations by itself."

Without any sign of the creature waking up, a massive gray arm, covered in bone protrusions, lunged out of the dust cloud at a soldier who'd gotten just too close. A hand that could wrap around the soldier's torso grabbed his head and wrenched it off with a sickening crack. The soldier instantly went limp before even the super-fast Kryptonians could react.

"Everyone back now!" Some of the soldiers instantly flew back, weapons ready and following orders. Others succumbed to fear and flew away as quickly as possible. A few unfortunate souls were rooted to their position in sheer terror. It was a monster previously only seen in fiction and heard from nightmarish tales used to scare children. But none of the mythology could compare to the horror of the real thing. Standing at least ten feet tall, the monster was only humanoid in the loosest sense, bone spikes protruding from every inch of its body in place of body hair.

The monster swung the lifeless body around like a flail, knocking away any soldiers left nearby, before tossing the grotesque weapon up into the ceiling. The rest of the troops opened fire. Energy blasts from weapons and superpowers alike seemed to fail in even slowing the creature down. It leaped onto a higher level where soldiers were firing behind cover, at a speed even Kara had difficulty following. Before they could retreat, the creature was already pummeling them into lifeless hunks of bloody paste.

As the creature moved, a few more soldiers were grazed by the crossfire, quickly accepting any reason to retreat. "Everyone stop firing! You're only hitting friendlies!" Kara yelled. Not wanting anyone else to get hurt, she launched at the monster with no regard to her own life. She punched the creature in the jaw with the added velocity and finally made the creature recoil from the blow.

Her fist hurt just from the impact. She could punch through steel buildings without breaking a sweat, but just decking this monster in the face may have bruised her knuckle bones. At the very least it assured her that the monster wasn't completely invincible. It was quick to retaliate, its left arm lunging around to crush Kara. Her combat instincts overturned her fear as she thrust her forearm into the creature's elbow. It was enough to stop its momentum, but the force was enough to dislocate her arm. It wasn't enough to stop its other arm to come crashing around and hit her in the ribs. She relaxed her position enough to get sent flying instead of being pulverized.

As soon as she was gone, four Kryptonians rushed in to take her place, flanking the monster and striking from multiple angles. Not everyone was paralyzed with fear, and Kara's charge had reminded the soldiers what their duty was. These moments were what separated the real warriors from the rest.

When the monster grabbed one Kryptonian, two more struck its arm with full-force strikes in the closest thing to pressure points they could find. It was enough to jaw the captive loose, but the monster's other arm thrust jagged bone spikes into the last one, ripping a large, bloody chunk out of his torso. Two Kryptonians on the sideline rushed in and carried the severely injured man out, and another took his place, this one more wary about the many natural weapons the creature boasted.

"Please tell me something in those legends can tell us how to stop this thing!" Kara yelled to Zod.

"According to every tale I've ever heard of, it can't be stopped," the general replied somberly.

The soldiers tried to pile onto the monster, holding every limb down in a vain attempt to restrain it, punching and kicking whatever bit of the creature they could in the process. Even with super strength, their attacks did less damage to the monster than themselves.

The creature threw every Kryptonian near him off in a single move. Some soldiers were instantly ripped to shreds by the sheer force and many blade protrusions. Others were thrown with enough force to be impaled on nearby shrapnel or flattened against the hull. The lucky ones were only bruised and broken.

"First time for everything," Kara muttered as she blasted off, but in the other direction, crashing through a hole in the hull. Super speed was always a tricky thing to master. Not only did one's perceptions and reaction times have to keep up, but going too fast could ignite the air molecules.

Before either Zod or the monster or anyone on the ship could form a reaction, Kara had left the ship a speeding bullet and returned an immolated meteor. Within the fraction of a split second, Kara tackled the monster off its feet, blasting through multiple space-aged walls while everything else might as well have been frozen in time.

Halfway through the ship, the creature finally wrenched Kara away, knocking the humanoid fireball sideways through several consoles and half the brig. It wasn't quite the distance from the rest of the crew she'd been hoping for, but this was as close to contained as she could do, even if she'd prefer to have deposited it at the north pole instead.

Most of her ribs were broken, and she had to look to make sure she still had both arms and legs. Forget flying away, she was struggling to even sit up. The good news is she managed to separate the monster from the other soldiers. Hopefully they could regroup and come up with something. The bad news had already caught up to her position and was now towering over her. She knew the sound of the monster's deep, heavy breathing would be the last she'd ever hear.

The monster raised a fist to crush its prey to a bloody pulp. Kara looked the creature in the eye, as her last living moments slowed down exponentially. The giant fist lunged down...

A shadow dive-tackled the monster with the same level of ferocity Kara needed to move the creature earlier. This time it was ready and her savior barely made it across the room before the monster squirmed around in midair and jerked its attacker into the hull. Kara could only barely glimpse the horror as the monster pounded down into the unfortunate rescuer. If she could have she would have stopped him. As soon as the monster was done with him, it would focus back on her.

Laser fire barraged the creature from afar. General Zod and a battalion of his best soldiers tried to peck away at the monster from behind cover, though all they managed to do was annoy the creature and draw its attention. It stopped paying attention to the bloodied pulp under its claws and lunged after its attackers, but these soldiers were no longer surprised or paralyzed with fear. These were the best of Zod's forces, and if nothing else they could at least use hit-and-run tactics to keep the creature occupied.

Kara ignored her pain, and with a second wind flew over to her would-be rescuer. Expecting Kal-El's mutilated corpse, she was surprised with mixed feelings to discover his true identity. "Lor?!"

"Kara, are you... okay?" the young Kryptonian said weakly. Kara was surprised he could talk at all. Most of his torso had been smashed flat into a bloody pulp.

"Try not to talk. I'll get a medic. I-" Her x-ray vision revealed the true extent of the damage. His muscles weren't even fully developed yet. Compared to the other soldiers he may has well have been made of paper when it came to the force of the monster's attacks.

"I never got to tell you... how much I wanted... to be half the hero... that father describes you..." Lor managed to rasp out, the life quickly leaving his body. "Even though we only just met... it's been an honor to know you as a sister." Kara wanted to interrupt the boy. Tell him he was going to make it. But she wasn't sure how that could be possible. She couldn't even be sure she would survive this day. Instead, all she could do was watch the life slowly leave Lor's eyes as his body fell limp in her arms.

Power Girl gently let the body down to the ground. The fact that until only a few minutes ago she saw the boy before her as an annoyance contrived by her father only intensified her guilt. Not only that, but she knew with each passing second the monster was leaving more fellow Kryptonians in as bad or worse shape.

Anger replaced the pain. Adrenaline could do amazing things, and Power Girl launched herself at the beast as it was charging another fellow soldier. Her fist crashed into the back of the monster's knee. If she had damaged her hand from the impact, not only did she now notice, she didn't care. Fighting through rage-colored glasses was nothing new to her, and at least she knew to strike at joints and other potential weak spots.

The monster buckled slightly, and although Power Girl followed up with another lightning quick punch, it was just as fast if not faster. It wheeled around and caught her other fist in its oversized claw. It was about to wrench it completely off when it suddenly stopped. The hesitation caught Power Girl off-guard. Sudden changes in enemy behavior, especially a mindless engine of destruction such as this, were not to be ignored, lest she miss an important situational detail.

In this case, the creature was presented with a new target, one whose flowing cape, red and blue uniform, and signature S-shield stood out from the half-destroyed ship and bloody, black soldiers. "Sorry I'm late. I had to get Lois to safety," said Superman.

"Kal-El! Get out of here! This thing's unstoppable!" Kara warned.

The Man of Steel quietly surveyed the destruction as the monster stared him down. Kara recognized the look on his face. It was the look of a man who didn't know how to back down from a fight he couldn't win, insisting on staring death in the face. Whereas the other Kryptonians were filled with terror, he had nothing but resolve. Even the surrounding soldiers ceased fire for fear of starting its rampage again. The only thing more unsettling than the sudden silence was the deep, rumbling voice. "Superman..."

It spoke. Until now it was just a mindless engine of destruction, but now it was a living being. "Whoever you are, for whatever reason you're doing this, you need to stop," Superman softly commanded.

"You are the reason I am here, Superman. To destroy everything that is a part of you. To destroy you. To destroy." Not only could it speak, it was intelligent enough to form complete sentences and thoughts.

"Why? What possible reason could you have for all this senseless carnage?" Superman demanded.

"It is why I was created. It is my purpose." The creature showed no happiness, sorrow, or anger. Superman had dealt with destructive opponents before. Some reveled in inflicting pain and misery. Others acted out of revenge or guilt, and some were even forced to cause mayhem by forces outside of their control. This creature exhibited nothing of the sort. It killed for the sake of killing.

The monster leaped at Superman. Although it seemed incapable of flight, it was still almost as fast. Only the fact that Superman was already in the air and the monster couldn't change trajectory midair kept Superman from being flattened like the rest.

"What are you?" Superman asked as he tried to keep a safe distance, still determined to try diplomacy.

"I was given no name. No number like the others," it responded.

"The others?" Superman suddenly realized. "You're another one of Cadmus's clones." He knew expecting Cadmus to cease their cloning project, even with the disaster that was Bizarro. But to have been responsible for something like this was beyond even his understanding. Not only that, but this wasn't the only one.

While his mind raced through the consequences of this revelation, the monster had ripped out a large console and chunk of the ship and tossed it one motion at Superman. The Man of Steel braced himself against the large chunk of alien metal and circuitry, but was unprepared when the monster leaped top of its projectile and slammed it and Superman into the ground. It pounded the machine further into the ground as it spoke, its voice still without emotion despite the sheer amount of violence it committed. "They tried to control me like the others. They implanted images and knowledge and memories into my subconscious while I slept. They thought I was unconscious, but I could hear every word they said outside the capsule they grew me in. They knew that if I was set loose, they would not be able to stop me. I was their Doomsday scenario, so that is what they called me."

Several yards away, a blue and red twister drilled out of the hull. Superman had carved his way through the ground with his strength and heat vision rather than risk taking the full punishment of Doomsday's attack. "If it's me you want, then let's take this outside. No one else needs to get hurt."

Doomsday wasted no time lunging after Superman. This time they met in melee, both of their arms locked and trying to overpower one another. "But they will, Superman. All of them. First I kill you. Then your companion. Then your people. Then everything around us. Then I start on the rest of the world."

"Then you leave me no choice," Superman said as his knees suddenly buckled. What everyone, even Doomsday immediately thought was that the monster overpowered him, but he instead braced his legs before suddenly launching up, up, and away.

Doomsday was strong, but without a ground to brace himself against he was no heavier than other brutes Superman dealt with in the past. Superman lifted Doomsday over his head and punched him through several layers of alien hull before rocketing into the northern sky.

"You're tough, but you don't have all my powers. Without flight, let's see how you move in zero gravity!" Superman yelled as he continued pushing Doomsday up into the stratosphere.

"No," said Doomsday as it brought both fists down and slammed into Superman's skull. The Man of Steel quickly lost his grip and plummeted even faster than he'd ascended. Doomsday had to wait for gravity to pull him back down, but he was quickly following his prey back down, giant shoulder bone spike pointed down to drive through Superman's chest.

A streak launched from the ship, curved around in midair, and intercepted Superman's descent, leaving Doomsday to crash back down into the ship all on its own. The resulting impact fractured the ship, completely destroying a large section of the ship and separating what remained into two damaged halves, practically ensuring that the dreadnought wouldn't fly again. The surrounding glacier cracked in several fissures.

Once she was sure Superman would no longer fall, Power Girl let him fly on his own power. "Thanks for the save," he said. Despite the fact that the creature hit harder than anything Superman could think of as a valid comparison, or that it was an intelligent mass murdering machine specifically designed to kill him, Superman remained as composed as every other day he had to save the world. "What else do you know about this creature?"

"About as much as you. I know most of the rest of the ship is terrified of it, that an army of soldiers with our power level can't even scratch it, and that it won't stop until everyone is dead."

"Then we have to go back. The only thing keeping Doomsday from killing everyone is if I'm there to keep him busy."

"Wait, what's the plan?" Power Girl asked desperately.

"The plan is to stall the monster until either it gets tired..."

"That's not likely to happen," Power Girl interrupted.

"...or we think of a new plan," Superman admitted before racing down to where Doomsday had cracked the ship open like an egg. Power Girl, for once, hesitated to follow, trying to think of anything they could possibly do to stop Doomsday.

Finding the monster wasn't difficult. It had only just gotten up and was about to resume its killing spree. The destruction had one advantage. Superman rocketed around, grabbed a metal beam larger than him and ripped it off in one motion, charging at Doomsday.

Swinging like a major league champion, Superman knocked Doomsday off its feet. The monster crashed through several walls and floors on its descent, but still managed to land on its feet, which dug into the steel floors and left a debris-filled trail as Doomsday dragged to a stop.

Superman burst through a wall with his weapon in tow and swung again. This time Doomsday stood its ground and caught the steel beam, its claws digging deep into the metal. With one powerful tug, Doomsday yanked the beam back to reach its prey at the other end. With one swift motion his hand reached for Superman's neck.

The Man of Steel quickly let go and flew back, desperate to keep some distance. Doomsday immediately hurled the beam back. Superman dashed aside and barely dodged the missile, unsure if he could stop the sheer force behind its velocity. The beam ripped through several walls and the hull and rocketed into the Arctic sky to land somewhere several miles away.

It wasn't the last thing Superman had to dodge as Doomsday started ripping chunks of the ship apart in each hand and hurling them one after another. Superman dodged as best as he could, but even he couldn't maneuver around the debris forever. He fired red blasts from his eyes to split apart the immediate threat, but that small break was enough for Doomsday to lunge and close the distance. The monster pounced Superman, grabbing and throwing him to the ground.

Doomsday raised its fist to crush Superman. With his windpipe still relatively free, Superman exhaled a maelstrom of freezing gales. Ice quickly formed and froze Doomsday's arm to the ceiling before it covered Doomsday's head and torso. The ice didn't stop Doomsday's arm, but it did slow it down enough that Superman, unable to move the arm pinning him down, kicked off Doomsday's chest and pushed downward, through the ground until he had just enough room to escape its grasp, right before Doomsday's fist crashed into the floor where Superman's head was only a second before.

As Superman tried to reestablish the distance between them, Doomsday had broken out of the ice crystal and was charging forward. Superman took a deep breath and exhaled hurricane-force winds, slowing Doomsday just enough to matter. Ice crystals were gradually forming, but Superman kept up the air pressure in hopes of permanently encasing Doomsday.

Even surrounded by a chunk of ice twice his size, Doomsday could not be stopped, only slowed. Superman slowly backed up and continued to freeze everything his breath touched, but his lungs although powerful, couldn't keep this up forever. When he finally buckled and had to take a breath, it was all Doomsday needed to break free and charge forward. Superman tried to retreat, but only managed to stop himself from being grabbed, instead taking a glancing blow from Doomsday's bone-crusted knuckle.

Superman skipped along the floor before crashing into a heap. His torso had been slashed and he was bleeding profusely, but more urgently he was out of breath, and the pain in his abdomen made regular breathing difficult, much less taking another superpowered ice breath. "You don't have to do this," Superman pleaded. "Just because ARGUS grew you in a test tube and put stuff in your head doesn't mean you have to do what they say. Is this really what you want?"

"You misunderstand, Superman. Whether or not this is what my progenitors intended is irrelevant. After I am done destroying you and everyone here, I will eventually work my way to them as well. It is not a matter of will or pleasing my creators. It is my nature to destroy." Doomsday said emotionlessly as it approached for the kill.

Suddenly Power Girl flew in, rushing to interpose herself between Superman and the monster. "Your presence will not matter. Die now or later."

"How about later?" Power Girl said as she turned on the large Kryptonian contraption in her hands. Metal bits started to detach and hover around the device, rotating around until they extended to form a large frame.

"Whatever weapon you've managed to salvage, it will not work. I am destruction. I am inevitable," Doomsday said as he lunged forward to smash the Phantom Zone generator. Power Girl let go of the device, but once it was activated it hovered in position. She caught Doomsday's fists and held them, using all her strength to keep Doomsday fixed to his position.

"You're doomed," Power Girl smirked.

"Kara, no! You'll be pulled in as well! What are you doing?!" Superman managed to yell out.

"It's a new plan," she replied as she managed to whip around Doomsday to grapple him from behind. Wrestling with the creature was problematic with the many bone spikes jutting from its hide, but all she had to do was keep the monster occupied as the frame started to glow and the space between started to distort. "Not so inevitable now, are ya?" she taunted at the creature.

"You are hastening your own destruction to delay that of others, but it is just that: a delay," the creature said as it struggled. Its own strength far surpassed the Kryptonian, but Power Girl had learned to fight long before she had gained her strength. She knew how to use an opponent's strength against them, as well as to continuously squirm just out of reach.

"You say delay, I say survive. To-may-to, to-mah-to," Power Girl said as the portal to the Phantom Zone took form. Both figures started to become translucent, blinking in an out of existence as they were gradually drawn into the portal. Doomsday started to crack apart like glass, gradually at first like sand but large chunks of his body broke apart like an ice sculpture before fading into the rippling pool.

"This isn't over," Doomsday growled. "Enjoy your lives while they last. When I get free, you and everything you've ever known will perish."

Right when the slow dissolving was about to affect Power Girl as well, Superman suddenly rushed behind her. "NO! It's too late! You'll get pulled in too!" she protested.

"Let's test that theory." With only seconds to act, and both Power Girl and Doomsday still retaining firm grips on each other, he focused his x-ray vision until he found what he hoped were the right bundles of nerves. It was something he'd only tried a handful of times in the past. Focusing his heat vision to a microscopic width, while he couldn't penetrate Doomsday's hide by force he could at least try to pierce between cells and strike the nerves that way. It relaxed Doomsday's muscles enough that Power Girl was able to break free, and with both of their combined strength they were able to fly and break free from the Phantom Zone's field.

With at least one subject sacrificed to the Phantom Zone, the device automatically shut down, gradually folding back up before gently depositing itself on the ground.

Power Girl found herself in the arms of Superman after they had both crashed into the wall, all immediate dangers now pacified. "You idiot!" Power Girl said as she punched Superman lightly in the chest. "I was trying to save your life!"

"Sorry if I stole your thunder," Superman replied.

"That's not... You're lucky we didn't both get caught and sent there WITH that monster!"

"I can't help it. Risking everything to save someone? It's just my nature," Superman smiled. "Listen, in case this is the last time we get to do this thing together, I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you, Kara."

Somehow coming from Kal-El those words were much more impactful than anything her own father had said to her. He wrapped his arms around her, in case it was in fact a farewell. It was the hug of a protective and prideful big brother, and even if it wasn't quite what Kara had eventually hoped for, it was everything she ever wanted.

The threat may have been stopped, but the damage had been done. The dreadnought was in shambles, only a fraction of it in any remaining working order. Countless Kryptonians were dead, brutally slaughtered into unrecognizable paste. Even accounting for the deceased would be an arduous task. Superman and Power Girl took a few moments to recover. Once they could stand on their own two feet, they would help aid the fallen and repair the damage.

General Zod slowly approached the body of his son, the worst fears of a father realized. He knelt to the ground and cradled what was left of Lor in his arms. All eyes turned as Superman somberly came up to him. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said, but Zod didn't respond, remaining motionless. "This was senseless and tragic. We'll find whoever's responsible and bring them to justice."

"Responsible?!" Zod growled. "We already know who's responsible! Your precious humans did this! This was a living weapon designed to destroy us while we were lulled into a false sense of peace! This was an act of war!"

"No," Superman tried to reason. "This was done by extremists who do not represent Earth or its people. ARGUS may say it serves the interest of the American people, but this was clearly an act of insubordination."

The General clutched his son tighter. "Even if that were true, even if this was an act of the few as opposed to the many, what does this say about the many if the few can cause this much damage? How many more of my people must die to xenophobic bigots?" Reluctantly, he gently laid his son to rest. "Is this how this planet conducts war? With unprovoked attacks and blasphemous biological weapons?! This will not stand!"

Superman tried to reassure him, "You're right, it won't. As soon as I can talk to the President we'll-"

"Your 'President' does not even control her own military! She has as much power as any one leader has on this planet: none. Earth is a chaotic combination of anarchists and warlords, and yet they are capable of the worst of evils!"

"They are also capable of good," Power Girl interjected. "Father, we still have the moral high ground. We need to give Earth's government a chance to-"

"To what?! Attack us again?! With more of those monstrosities?!"

"To make this right. To bring whoever is responsible to justice."

"Justice?! What justice?! The punishment of one old fool, no matter how severe, cannot possibly justify the decimation of our people and the death of my son!" Zod exclaimed as he started to storm off towards the bridge. "This demands retribution!"

"General, please, hold on a second!" Superman said as he quickly blocked the General's path. "You've just experienced the worst tragedies a man can suffer. You're angry. In mourning. You're head's not clear. You shouldn't be making any decisions now that you could regret later."

"The only decision I regret is giving these monkeys the opportunity to strike first!" Zod spat. "You have a choice to make, Kal-El. There is only one possible course of action, and the only question you need to answer is whose side are you on?"

"Father, please!" Kara interjected.

"QUIET!" Zod yelled before turning back to Superman. "What will it be, Kal-El? Will you stand against your own people? Defend this atrocity?"

Superman looked Zod sternly in his faintly glowing enraged eyes. "I don't want to stand against anyone. I won't defend this or any such atrocity. But Earth is my home, and its inhabitants are my people. And my name is Clark."

Zod grimaced. "You've made your choice. Its consequences are your own." At his motion, four Kryptonian soldiers grabbed Superman's arms and held him tight.

"Father, no!" Kara yelled before four more guards pinned her down as well.

"I said quiet! Or you will share his fate!" Zod threatened as Superman struggled to break free. But he was still wounded and exhausted from his battle with Doomsday, and the soldiers were more or less fresh and just as strong as he was. "Like it or not, Kal-El, you are Kryptonian. You are subject to our laws." Another soldier came forward, bringing the Phantom Zone generator.

"NO!" Kara struggled against the guards and almost broke free before two more came to pin her down.

"You don't want to do this, Zod," Superman said as the General ceremoniously accepted the generator.

"Kneel," he commanded as the guards pushed Superman down to his knees. "Kal-El, son of Jor-El, for the crimes of conspiracy and high treason, there is only one possible sentence I can decree." As he activated, the guards quickly backed away. Under normal circumstances they could use restraints for a prisoner, but with their newfound strength they improvised by using their breath to encase Superman in ice faster than he could break out of it.

"Zod, stop! You can be better than this! Whoever attacked you was just afraid, and you have the opportunity to prove them wrong, to be the civil one! You can take the moral high ground and show the planet the nobility of your race!"

"I intend to show them so much more than that. If I ever decide to free you, it will be under the flag of New Krypton after I have taken complete control of this planet and its barbarians!" Zod declared as the Phantom Zone portal formed and enveloped Superman, the Man of Steel slowly dissolving into nothingness as he was drawn into the portal until nothing was left.

When he was finally gone, Kara stopped struggling, instead collapsing to the ground in tears. Zod walked towards her with a hateful sneer, "You wanted special treatment for being my daughter? I will postpone your sentencing until later. Make the same mistake as Kal-El and you will share his fate. Otherwise, I may be persuaded to be lenient."

"Lenient?! You call a threat to conquer this planet lenient?!" Kara snapped.

A superpowered backhand sent Kara to the floor where she stayed. "YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO SPEAK! Are you not satisfied now that your brother, my son, to whom you expressed so much disdain, is dead?!" Zod turned his back to the distraught woman. "You will be confined to your quarters. You may have the strength to break free, but if you do I will consider you as much of a traitor to your kind as Kal-El, and you will share his fate." At his motion, several guards escorted Kara away.

With the other most pressing matters taken care of, Zod somberly approached his throne on the half-destroyed bridge and slumped into his seat, the day's many tragedies taking their toll. "Systems check. Are our communications still operational?"

"Yes, General," the bridge officer responded.

"Open up a channel. All frequencies," Zod commanded. The glowing screens flickered on, some damaged from the attack. General Zod hesitated before beginning his speech.

"Many years ago, a small ship came to your planet. That ship harbored the Last Son of Krypton. The last child born on my world before it was destroyed. That child was to be our savior, to lead us across the galaxy where we, the people of Krypton, could seek refuge and save our people from extinction.

"Know this. We, the people of Krypton, came in peace," the general paused for emphasis.

"The Last Son of Krypton was to be our savior, but became yours. He protected you from threats that the rest of your world was powerless to stop. Without the Last Son of Krypton, your planet would be, like Krypton, no more.

"He was but one of our species. The hundreds of us that remain were prepared to do the same. To be the protectors of your people against an increasingly hostile universe. All we asked for was safe harbor. We accepted every condition your world imposed upon our refuge.

"Know this. We came in peace," the general repeated, again pausing to regain his composure.

"Your people responded by creating abominations from our blood. By reviving prehistoric devils my ancestors spent centuries wiping out. Your people responded. To our request for aid. By sending a living Doomsday weapon to our doorstep."

"You lured us in with promises of friendship. Then you tried to kill us. You nearly succeeded in eradicating us.

"My son is dead," the general said before suddenly slamming his fist into a nearby console, reducing it to shrapnel with a single strike. "My SON is DEAD!" he repeated, trying to continue speaking while his rage overwhelmed him. "MY SON IS DEAD BY YOUR HANDS!!!"

The proud general of Krypton openly wept, reduced to this state by the pain anyone who had ever lose a child would know. "Know this. We came in peace," he finally resumed, his sorrow gradually replacing itself with malice.

"Your people fired the first shot. We will fire the last. People of Earth. You brought this on yourself. How much you take for granted. You relied on one, just one, of my kind to be your planet's ultimate champion and savior. The universe is an absolutely terrifying place, as my people can attest to. And just one of my people saved you from countless threats to your world.

"The Last Son of Krypton. Kal-El. Superman. Was but one of our kind. An infant with the powers of a god. We are hundreds. We are soldiers. We are born, bred, and trained to fight wars. And we all have the same power as your ultimate champion.

"We number in the hundreds.

"Superman cannot save you. He is no longer on this plane of existence. You have but one course of action that will save your kind from extinction.

"You will all surrender.

"You will all submit to our rule!

"You will all! KNEEL! BEFORE! ZOD!"

While the broadcast was playing over every machine capable of receiving broadcast signals on Earth, of all things a single mirror also viewed the broadcast on its rippling surface. It was debatable whether the mirror was on Earth given its location on another magical plane. Surrounded by golden bricks and velvet carpet, as well as the various ankhs and other ancient Egyptian and Babylonian artifacts, the mirror was observed closely by two individuals.

One was an old man in gold and blue armor, the gold reflecting light sources that didn't exist, and the blue charting a sky of moving stars. His golden helmet covered his face, but also contained a presence that seemed to watch separately from the man inside.

The other was a young woman in a black and white stage-ready tuxedo and top hat. "Not if Fate has anything to say about it."

To be continued in Justice League #1: War of Krypton