"Siiiiigh." Val-Ul heaved a sigh of slight restlessness.
In a futuristic laboratory set in Bastion -humanity's second world - several people could be seen. Barry Allen was one of them. He'd been filled with excitement upon seeing this world. The sight of another planet populated by humans…it felt surreal to him.
Beside him, there was a mix of Cathexis and human researchers, scientists, and assistants running operational tests. The back wall of the lab was removed due to the sheer size of the warp gate. A beautiful skyline could be seen beyond it.
Val-Ul sighed again. He felt like he was having withdrawals. From what, you may ask? He turned his gaze to Kara who was lying in the air beside him. Scrolling her smartphone as usual. The powerful man couldn't help but gulp…then his gaze went up to the ceiling.
With supervision his gaze went straight through the material and reached the planet's exosphere. Harbinger stood above the planet with her arms crossed. She was eyeing him like a hawk. Total invasion of privacy.
"............."
"I can hear you having a meltdown, you know." Kara finally spoke with a giggle. Of course she could hear it. See it too. She grabbed his hand. "You're not alone either."
A tinge of annoyance could be heard in her voice. It seems Val wasn't the only one pent up. They couldn't wait to send Harbinger off. Envoy of the Monitor? Yeah right. She was a total peeping tom! Can't she take a day off?
"Alright. We're ready. Barry, you may start running." A Cathexis scientist announced.
A heavy duty treadmill was connected to the warp gate by several hard lines and receptors. The goal this time around was for the Speed Force to pinpoint the location, while the warp gate created a portal. Barry nodded and got to work.
CRACKLE
Lightning generated from his body as he ran faster and faster. Each bolt was siphoned through the machinery, funneling into the gate. Something was forming. Kara finally sat up to pay attention.
Blue and gold static swirled together, almost resembling a storm. Almost there. Barry pushed harder. This was his moment. He would fix everything.
The swirling storm spread across the gate's borders, finally revealing what was beyond it. A red sky could be seen through the gate. Buildings were on the verge of destruction. This was it. History had been made.
Flash finally stopped running and panted to catch his breath. Everyone marveled at the sight before them. The multiverse had truly been opened. Cameras flashed as government-approved journalists gathered groundbreaking footage. The Daily Planet wasn't an exception. The famous Louis Lane and Jimmy Olsen were right alongside the others.
Val-Ul finally stood up. With his hands behind his back, he approached the portal. Kara followed him as if they were attached by an invisible string.
"As you all can see…we've established a means to visit entirely new universes. What you see in this portal is Earth, but it isn't ours. It's a brand new one. Shall we make today another holiday?" He finished in a light hearted tone.
Those who were watching the feed turned giddy with excitement. From Bastion to Earth, those working a boring job felt as if they'd been injected with cocaine. Val-Ul's word was law, which meant they could kick their feet up and go home. A national holiday had been casually established.
Once the press had their fill, they were forced to leave due to the Expansionary Forces strict guidelines. Starfire and Coz-Vor ushered them all out of the room. It seems like the Tamaranean had been promoted. Val quietly made a mental note to speak to her someday.
There were things to do. It was time to cross over. Barry walked to the portal before turning to Val and Kara. A goofy smile adorned his face. He had been away from his reality for far too long. He wanted to go immediately.
"Ready?" He asked. Val raised his hand for pause.
"Just a moment."
Grabbing Kara's hand, he floated further away. The daughter of Zod immediately frowned. She already had an idea of what was happening. She didn't like it.
"No." She whined while shaking her head. "Don't leave me here. Are you kidding me?!"
".............."
Val-Ul gently moved the black hair from her eyes. She immediately grabbed his wrist. They stared at each other.
"Kara."
"Oh my god, you're seriously leaving me here. Why? I knew it…I'm a burden." She lowered her head. Hearing her words, frustration rushed through his veins.
"If we both leave, who will keep the order? Tell me. Don't make it up either."
"..........." She had no answer. Val held her face with both hands.
"What if the time difference is immense? What if I can't make it back immediately? What if something goes wrong?"
"All the more reason I should go with you." She glared back at him.
"Didn't you hear what Harbinger said? As soon as I step through this portal, anything can happen. Who will keep everything stable until I return?"
".........." She was silent again.
"Listen to me, Kara. This is an experimental version of the warp gate. Not a fully completed one. Once everything has been accounted for, you can join me everytime. Do you truly believe that I don't want you by my side?" His thumb caressed her cheek.
"Of course I don't believe that." She finally admitted. A slight smile on her lips.
Grabbing the crown floating over his head, he placed it onto hers. The glowing artifact bonded with her before gently rising above her head. Immediately, Kara's pupils turned completely golden.
"Take care of this for me. Draw from it if need be. If everything goes as planned, I should return in less than an hour."
"...Mnn." She only grunted. Clearly she was still upset.
His lips pressed against hers. They were soft as always. Precious. He then turned away with a swish of his royal cape. He couldn't bear to look at her expression any more.
A scientist passed him the return device. Can't forget that…very important. Right before he stepped through the portal with Barry, a voice resounded in his mind. An arrogant voice. It was obvious who it was.
'Are you sure? This is your last chance.' Harbinger said.
Val-Ul looked up into space. They made eye contact from an incredibly far distance. He only smiled before stepping through the gate.
…
…
…
The first thing Val noticed was the smell of sulfur. Lots of things seemed to be burning on this world. How sad. How unfortunate.
"It should still be the first year of Superman's rule. Hopefully there aren't any big problems." Barry commented.
"Go ahead and meet your friends. I'd like to take a look around this world first. See the differences."
"Are you sure? What if Clark notices you?"
"That's exactly what I want. Do you think I'm scared of my own kin?" Val shook his head.
"Oh. R-Right. My bad." Barry stuttered. Then he took off with a flash of red and gold.
The son of Ul lifted off the ground, slowly rising into the sky. His light grey bodysuit and velvet red & gold cape was a stark contrast to the rundown skyline ahead. Then he flew.
His speed slowly increased as he took everything in. It wasn't all destruction and decay. Some cities were still bustling with activity, except soldiers patrolled throughout the day. Each of them carried the symbol of the House of El.
Many people were in hiding. Val could see Green Arrow inside a hidden bunker with Harley Quinn. The girl was lively as always, keeping the hero active and free of boredom.
He also noticed Kara Jor-El. She was chained inside of a cell on Stryker's Island. The room was covered in lights that resembled an artificial red sun. Her tired blue eyes were clouded by sorrow. Long blonde hair hung to the ground. Dirty. It seems she's been there for a while. She'd matured.
If there was one thing that could irritate, annoy, or truly anger him…it was this. The mistreatment of a fellow kryptonian. One that was supposed to be family. Val couldn't imagine locking up his Messenger. Even if they disagreed. It was sacrilege. Heresy.
This should be dealt with. Out of everything he'd seen so far. The oppression, the feeds of Superman killing the Joker activists on top of other things…Val truly didn't care.
Kal-El could commit genocide on humanity. It wouldn't change the way Val viewed his kin. There were his people…then there was everyone else. Quite simple. It wasn't his world anyway.
Batman was also in hiding. Another underground bunker. While lined with lead, it didn't stop his x-ray vision. Val-Ul had long since evolved past normal kryptonian deficiencies.
The Teen Titans had scattered, some joining Superman at his Metropolis Hall of Justice, or in hiding as a fugitive. Same with the Young Justice. Truly an interesting take on how Earth could be.
Having had enough sightseeing, the son of Ul descended until he was floating directly above Stryker's Island. It was time to meet the man himself. They needed to have words.
"Kal-El!" His voice spread across the world.
…
…
…
"Where have you been?" Clark's dark voice resounded from within the room.
It was eerie. Standing beside his throne was Wonder Woman. She was his advisor. Always helping him along the way. Supporting his rule. Green Lantern was also standing further away. Cyborg, Hawkgirl, and Sinestro were all present.
Then there was Barry. He stood in front of them all. Powerful gazes boring down unto him. It made him nervous, but he stood tall.
"Looking for Batman. He's hard to find." Flash responded. Clark scoffed.
"That's to be expected. It's Bruce after all. His time will come."
The Flash wanted to speak about Darkseid. Since this was still Clark's first year of ruling, there was still a chance to prevent the invasion. They needed to handle it.
"I…I have to tell you something." Barry said. Superman leaned on his throne.
"You are from the future." He concluded with a dark grin.
"Wha-That's…what are you talking about?!"
"Your heartbeat is irregular. You look different under the mask. You're sweating constantly. I can smell your fear. You may have feared me…but it wasn't like this."
"I-I want to tell you about-"
"Who did you bring to help you?" Clark growled, interrupting Barry.
"Clark, there's no guarantee that Flash betrayed us." Wonder Woman spoke up.
"It's obvious. Look at him stuttering. He's never been a good liar." Hal Jordan mocked.
"Ugh. Killing him would be a hassle. He's so fast." Sinestro complained.
"Nobody is killing anyone. Not until we know for sure." Diana said.
"KAL-EL!" A powerful voice rang through everyone's ears.
The room froze. Clark's supervision zoomed through the building toward Stryker's Island. A man in kryptonian garb…so that's it. He turned to Barry with glowing eyes.
"Once I deal with him, we'll decide your punishment."
With those words, Kal El burst through the ceiling, rocketing over toward the new figure. Barry immediately fell to his butt. The tension left his body.
"Thanks, Diana." He gasped in exhaustion. Standing in front of Clark was terrifying. Diana shook her head.
"Don't thank me yet. I'm not sure I can calm his anger once he returns. You best run away while we go check it out."
The others in the room except Sinestro nodded in agreement. The yellow lantern would enjoy telling Clark how everyone let Barry go. He was a shameless snitch.