With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

NightmareWarden · Friday at 7:08 AM

Mr Zoat said:
I was worried that no one would get that. Thank you for defying my expectations.

Well, you can reuse it in the future. Sometimes Guy Gardner will be present and he'll have a chance to make a cold gate - Colgate toothpaste joke. Sometimes, you need the Will of a green lantern to keep yourself from checking him into the sun.

Mr Zoat said:
Piezoelectric

Oh goody, I've believed for a few years now that there's serious potential in quartz for the unglamorous future of rockets and satellites. And it would be quite appropriate as "old-school technology" in conventional scifi settings that are passed that era.

Mr Zoat · Friday at 8:03 AM

12th August 2013
22:30 UTC

Every moment that passes, I feel like I'm a little less likely to get the Doomsday.

I snort as I stare at the Dominion ships through the Doomsday's sensors. Nightwing take me, it's making me feel like I'm… Thirty, forty again. Sure, they're dangerous. They're one of the species I made a point to avoid when I was on my own. But how dangerous are they really against the most powerful warship Krypton ever built?

If those idiots on the Science Council had a telepathic alien spy on Krypton before the end, probably dangerous enough.

"Superman to Doomsday."

I try not to roll my eyes at the name. Yes, we are superior to man, but even an old Empire soldier like me knows that going on about it tends to piss people off.

"Doomsday comm. Speak."

"Can the Doomsday run a computer analysis of a sound recording?"

Who does he think he's-? "Kal-El, this is the Doomsday. It could probably teach your grandmother how to suck eggs."

"Ah-."

"Send me the file."

File received. Think for a fraction of a second.

"It's a kryptonian military code, intended for squads who get cut off. I'll-."

"What does it say?"

"It doesn't say anything. It's a bearing relative to-." It doesn't matter. I barely remember it. How the heck would marines actually go missing? "Where was it sent from?"

"Sending location."

You could just send the location, Kal-El. I could work out what you meant when I got it.

"Received. Actual destination decoded and sent. Any reason we're not just shooting the dominators?"

"Because the Dominion is pretty big, and we've only got one Doomsday. And we've only got one qualified pilot, and you can't spend your whole life in there."

"I think you'll find that I can."

Does he really know so little about how kryptonian society-? No, he doesn't, he's basically a human with powers. And it would be difficult to be a colonial governor inside the Doomsday. It's not really a light-touch weapon system.

And another thing about Kal-El is that he thinks that I'm not going to teleport Ursa Dou-Ka up here the moment I get a lock. The moment Green Lantern stops jamming everything around the capital. Amalak will be happy with just Zod, and I have no intention of seeing kryptonians judged by aliens.

12th August 2013
22:32 UTC

"Superman to team. I'm heading in now. Osiris, you're with me."

He nods, and we're going down. Usually, I'd be a little worried about bringing a kid into a fight like this, but he's proven he can handle himself. And I hope Lyla's just confused, and that Ursa didn't know exactly what Zod had planned…

But I doubt I'm going to get both, and I think I'll be lucky to get either.

"Sir?"

"Hang back, and make sure that I'm not getting mind controlled."

"Yes, sir."

And that's something else I'm not used to. I'm not… I don't like the idea of becoming some kind of paramilitary enforcer. After I heard about what the Justice Society International ended up becoming, I didn't even think there was an argument any more. I know Amon is just calling me that to be respectful, but… After this I'll tell him that 'Superman' is fine.

The location… It's some kind of high-rise parking lot. I don't hear any screams and I don't see anyone running, which is usually a good sign. We might have gotten here before whoever that message was meant for, or they might be somewhere inside.

I glance at Osiris. "Can you narrow it down?"

"With magic?" He shakes his head. "I'm not even sure that what the spy is doing is magic… I have not focused on magic theory in my training. I am-"

"Okay, that's fine."

"-sorry."

I smile reassuringly. "Don't worry. We'll just have to do this the old fashioned way." Hm. If it was me, I'd enter through the roof and head down, but Ursa must realise that we've got aerial surveillance. "Okay, I'll go in from the bottom. You stay outside and keep an eye out. If she flies out, get after her. I'll be right behind you."

"But… You cannot see through the illusions."

"Don't worry. It won't be the first time I've fought an illusionist. Though if Mitchell turns up, feel free to pass the job over to him and join me."

He nods, and I fly downwards towards the ground vehicle entrance. A few hover cars pull over in surprise, with the people inside staring at me. Normally I'd stop and try and say something reassuring, but with Ursa…

God, what should I even do about that?

She really doesn't have anything to lose. Which means that I need to bring her down as quickly as possible, because we've already established that she doesn't value alien lives.

I don't know if it's the lighting in here or the stuff they build the walls out of, but I can't see through the thicker parts at all. I can hear echoes of voices, but they're too quiet for my earpiece to pick them up so I'm not getting a translation. As far as I can tell the tone is… Happy? Conversational? Not there, then. I doubt that Ursa knows any languages other than kryptonese-.

The guy in the toll booth looks up at me for a moment, blinks, then pulls his hat over his face.

Heh. I guess some things are universal. Okay, I need to fly around fast, without endangering anyone or creating any gale force winds. Clear the first floor, mapping out the layout-. Pause for a moment to turn around a small child who wandered away from its parents, yes, that's it, that way. And then… Underground first. Down the… Central shaft, and start at the bottom. Looks like… This isn't a popular place to leave a hover car. I suppose that's because it's furthest from the entrance. I don't see anything immediately, but I'll fly around-.

There's a sound from… Three levels up. Someone moving around quietly. Just… One person. The layout of the levels looks like it's standardized so I can keep my lines of sight cleared, and whatever else Lyla can do her species aren't any stronger than regular humans. I could sneak up there and try listening in, but I can't hear anyone else on that level and I'm not going to get a better chance to bring either of them in without putting anyone else in danger.

I fly up, keeping half the length of the building between us-. It's Ursa, and she spots me just as fast as I spot her. She's… Shivering. Is that a stress response? I've never seen a kryptonian do that, but she's the first pregnant kryptonian I've seen.

"Ursa. I'm going to ask you to come quietly."

"Kal-El. Is Dru-Zod alive?"

"He's pretty beaten up, but he's alive."

She doesn't exactly look happy about that. Was he..? Trying to die in combat, or something like that? I don't remember Krypton having that sort of warrior culture, but I guess it could be a personal thing.

"This is going to go a whole lot easier if I don't have to fight you. I don't want to risk causing a miscarriage. Please."

"You're a good man, Kal-El. Your father would be proud. But-"

GYAAAGH!

"-I have other options."

Darko · Friday at 8:22 AM

Mr Zoat said:
worried about bring a kid into

"bringing"

Mr Zoat said:
flies out, get after her. I'll be right behind you."

"go after her"

Mr Zoat said:
. Clear the first floor, mapping out the layout-. Pause for a moment to turn around a small child who wandered away from its parents

He really is Superman.

And I'm reminded of that SolidJJ video where he gives Luthor some great life advice and then goes to help a kid in Pakistan that fell off his bike.

Mr Zoat said:
and whatever else Lyla can do her species aren't any stronger than regular humans

She may have also gotten strength upgrades.

Mr Zoat said:
remember Krypton have that sort of

"having"

Duke Long · Friday at 8:33 AM

Mr Zoat said:
"Because the Dominion is pretty big, and we're only got one Doomsday. And we're only got one qualified pilot, and you can't spend your whole life in there."

'we've'?
'we've'?

Mr Zoat said:
She doesn't exactly look happy about that. Was he..? Trying to die in combat, or something like that? I don't remember Krypton have that sort of warrior culture, but I guess it could be a personal thing.

'having'

Chojin Patriarch · Friday at 8:44 AM

Mr Zoat said:
12th August 2013
22:30 UTC

Every moment that passes, I feel like I'm a little less likely to get the Doomsday.

I snort as I stare at the Dominion ships through the Doomsday's sensors. Nightwing take me, it's making me feel like I'm… Thirty, forty again. Sure, they're dangerous. They're one of the species I made a point to avoid when I was on my own. But how dangerous are they really against the most powerful warship Krypton ever built?

Ooh, Karsta PoV? This is a rare treat of an episode. And before anyone asks, she's invoking the kryptonian deity Nightwing. presumably in some aspect of guardianship. And don't take the Dominators lightly, they're the embodiment of victory through analysis...

If those idiots on the Science Council had a telepathic alien spy on Krypton before the end, probably dangerous enough.

"Superman to Doomsday."

True. It seems the Science Council's hubris proved its downfall.

'What? A spy? Nonsense, we've run the numbers!'

I try not to roll my eyes at the name. Yes, we are superior to man, but even an old Empire soldier like me knows that going on about it tends to piss people off.

"Doomsday comm. Speak."

To be fair, he didn't really name himself that, it just kind of stuck and he used it for the Clark Kent 'interview'. It could have been worse, he could have ended up with a name like 'Phenomaman,'

"Can the Doomsday run a computer analysis of a sound recording?"

Who does he think he's-? "Kal-El, this is the Doomsday. It could probably teach your grandmother how to suck eggs."

Fortunately the ship doesn't have an actual artificial general intelligence running it. It would have achieved sophoncy in no time with that much processing power.

"Ah-."

"Send me the file."

File received. Think for a fraction of a second.

And take care that i's not some sort of Phreaking code. That would be real embarrassing to get hacked by the equivalent of someone whistling into a microphone.

"It's a kryptonian military code, intended for squads who get cut off. I'll-."

"What does it say?"

Give her a second to explain, Kal, and maybe she'll tell you. I know it feels like all hell's breaking loose down there, but patience.

"It doesn't say anything. It's a bearing relative to-." It doesn't matter. I barely remember it. How the heck would marines actually go missing? "Where was it sent from?"

"Sending location."

A meet-up coordinate? Ursa, using the Sunstone to fabricate the speaker in case Zod escaped? Because I can't see Lyla using that sort of coding.

You could just send the location, Kal-El. I could work out what you meant when I got it.

"Received. Actual destination decoded and sent. Any reason we're not just shooting the dominators?"

Ah, the joy of military discipline and training versus the talented but hesitant amateur.

"Because the Dominion is pretty big, and we're only got one Doomsday. And we're only got one qualified pilot, and you can't spend your whole life in there."

"I think you'll find that I can."

I expect the ship has full energy-matter conversion systems to provide food for crew and the lighting can probably toggle into empowering 'yellow sunlight' mode...

Does he really know so little about how kryptonian society-? No, he doesn't, he's basically a human with powers. And it would be difficult to be a colonial governor inside the Doomsday. It's not really a light-touch weapon system.

And another thing about Kal-El is that he thinks that I'm not going to teleport Ursa Dou-Ka up here the moment I get a lock. The moment Green Lantern stops jamming everything around the capital. Amalak will be happy with just Zod, and I have no intention of seeing kryptonians judged by aliens.

Ah, well, that's an interesting aside. She really would prefer to get Ursa for the colony, eh? Ursa's kid is going to have a lot of uncles, aren't they?

12th August 2013
22:32 UTC

"Superman to team. I'm heading in now. Osiris, you're with me."

And now we switch to Clark's viewpoint? Mr Zoat, you're spoiling us.

He nods, and we're going down. Usually, I'd be a little worried about bring a kid into a fight like this, but he's proven he can handle himself. And I hope Lyla's just confused, and that Ursa didn't know exactly what Zod had planned…

But I doubt I'm going to get both, and I think I'll be lucky to get either.

Still, the fact that you're hoping all this can end well is such a Superman thing to do.

"Sir?"

"Hang back, and make sure that I'm not getting mind controlled."

"Yes, sir."

And this way he can also leap in if Clark gets into difficulties. Nothing like getting a super-speed charge into a fracas.

And that's something else I'm not used to. I'm not… I don't like the idea of becoming some kind of paramilitary enforcer. After I heard about what the Justice Society International ended up becoming, I didn't even think there was an argument any more. I know Amon is just calling me that to be respectful, but… After this I'll tell him that 'Superman' is fine.

Not that he'll actually do that, given how polite he is. And really, Clark, you have become a paramilitary enforcer, if only out of necessity. A single man, even with your abilities, can't fix everything himself...

The location… It's some kind of high-rise parking lot. I don't hear any screams and I don't see anyone running, which is usually a good sign. We might have gotten here before whoever that message was meant for, or they might be somewhere inside.

I glance at Osiris. "Can you narrow it down?"

Though if they have kryptonian senses, they know you're coming.

"With magic?" He shakes his head. "I'm not even sure that what the spy is doing is magic… I have not focused on magic theory in my training. I am-"

"Okay, that's fine."

"-sorry."

Boy needs some confidence. Hopefully stuff like this will help him gain it. Such is the drawback of having Teth-Adom for a big brother-in-law.

I smile reassuringly. "Don't worry. We'll just have to do this the old fashioned way." Hm. If it was me, I'd enter through the roof and head down, but Ursa must realise that we've got aerial surveillance. "Okay, I'll go in from the bottom. You stay outside and keep an eye out. If she flies out, get after her. I'll be right behind you."

And if you realise Superman is compromised, go in hard?

"But… You cannot see through the illusions."

"Don't worry. It won't be the first time I've fought an illusionist. Though if Mitchell turns up, feel free to pass the job over to him and join me."

That's more like it. I suppose he does need someone on overwatch to ensure their target stays in the building or alert those inside if they're spotted coming in.

He nods, and I fly downwards towards the ground vehicle entrance. A few hover cars pull over in surprise, with the people inside staring at me. Normally I'd stop and try and say something reassuring, but with Ursa…

God, what should I even do about that?

Very uncomfortable with the idea of potentially having to fight a pregnant woman, of course. He's too good a guy for crap situations like this...

She really doesn't have anything to lose. Which means that I need to bring her down as quickly as possible, because we've already established that she doesn't value alien lives.

I don't know if it's the lighting in here or the stuff they build the walls out of, but I can't see through the thicker parts at all. I can hear echoes of voices, but they're too quiet for my earpiece to pick them up so I'm not getting a translation. As far as I can tell the tone is… Happy? Conversational? Not there, then. I doubt that Ursa knows any languages other than kryptonese-.

Which is going to be tricky when talking her down, since yours is probably good, but not a native speaker's level.

The guy in the toll booth looks up at me for a moment, blinks, then pulls his hat over his face.

Heh. I guess some things are universal. Okay, I need to fly around fast, without endangering anyone or creating any gale force winds. Clear the first floor, mapping out the layout-. Pause for a moment to turn around a small child who wandered away from its parents, yes, that's it, that way. And then… Underground first. Down the… Central shaft, and start at the bottom. Looks like… This isn't a popular place to leave a hover car. I suppose that's because it's furthest from the entrance. I don't see anything immediately, but I'll fly around-.

Heh. Security guard deciding 'nope, that's above my pay grade'. Taking a moment to help out a small child is so Superman it hurts. And at least the place is fairly deserted, at least on the lower levels. fewer places to hide.

There's a sound from… Three levels up. Someone moving around quietly. Just… One person. The layout of the levels looks like it's standardized so I can keep my lines of sight cleared, and whatever else Lyla can do her species aren't any stronger than regular humans. I could sneak up there and try listening in, but I can't hear anyone else on that level and I'm not going to get a better chance to bring either of them in without putting anyone else in danger.

Still taking a long shot that it's Lyla. It's more likely Ursa going to ground.

I fly up, keeping half the length of the building between us-. It's Ursa, and she spots me just as fast as I spot her. She's… Shivering. Is that a stress response? I've never seen a kryptonian do that, but she's the first pregnant kryptonian I've seen.

"Ursa. I'm going to ask you to come quietly."

Could be trembling with rage. Or some kind of unknown reaction to the environment or the Sunstone's energies. Would suck if it turned out she was deathly allergic to xudarian dandruff or something...

"Kal-El. Is Dru-Zod alive?"

"He's pretty beaten up, but he's alive."

But he's not coming after you, ma'am. And this fight isn't going to be fun for either of you.

She doesn't exactly look happy about that. Was he..? Trying to die in combat, or something like that? I don't remember Krypton have that sort of warrior culture, but I guess it could be a personal thing.

"This is going to go a whole lot easier if I don't have to fight you. I don't want to risk causing a miscarriage. Please."

He's probably stronger, having plenty in the tank, but she's got a Sunstone and plenty of military training. It'd be a definite toss-up as to who wins.

"You're a good man, Kal-El. Your father would be proud. But-"

GYAAAGH!

"-I have other options."

Another Sunstone-generated device, presumably. Sonic attack or a flashbang, I wonder?

Well, Ursa isn't going to make it easy for Clark, is she? But she almost certainly knows he has backup waiting to come in, so she can't afford to hold back. And if she's got as good a read of his character as it seems she does, she might well try to pull the place down in order to distract him with rescuing bystanders while she runs.

We'll see soon enough, I think.

BR549 · Friday at 9:11 AM

Mr Zoat said:
I don't remember Krypton have that sort of warrior culture, but I guess it could be a personal thing.

'having'

Mr Zoat · Friday at 9:43 AM

Duke Long said:
'we've'?
'we've'?

Darko said:
"bringing"
"having"

Thank you, corrected.

"go after her"

It's colloquial, but I think it's valid.

BartlettMagic · Friday at 1:56 PM

huh. i knew Karsta was rough around the edges, but based on her POV and statements such as...

Mr Zoat said:
I have no intention of seeing kryptonians judged by aliens.

...i've come to the conclusion that she kinda sucks

Ngamer11 · Friday at 2:34 PM

BartlettMagic said:
huh. i knew Karsta was rough around the edges, but based on her POV and statements such as...

...i've come to the conclusion that she kinda sucks

Traditional Kryptonians were supremacists. That's to be expected.

PDV · Friday at 4:30 PM

Karsta seems to be solidly above-average for her society but her society sucked.

Mr Zoat · Friday at 5:10 PM

BartlettMagic said:
huh. i knew Karsta was rough around the edges, but based on her POV and statements such as...

...i've come to the conclusion that she kinda sucks

A certain Act passed into law 18 years ago that might suggest that her attitude is not unusual. Also, krypton was objectively far more technologically advanced and peaceful than Earth.

CTrees · Friday at 5:46 PM

Darko said:
I mean...aside from Solomon all of Billy's patrons belong to pagan religions, so I doubt he'd care.

Going back a page, but this is interesting. I hadn't really thought about Solomon being included in a group of pagan patrons for the Marvel family, but... he fits decently with the rest of the group. I'm not sure the Angel Kings would have supported Solomon being included as a patron anymore than they would Hercules, Mercury, etc. Granted, I don't know much about how Solomon is presented in DC Comics, but his downfall was idolatry, pushed by his several hundred foreign wives and concubines:

11 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations of which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you; they will certainly turn your heart away to follow their gods." Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives, who were princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned his heart away. 4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of his father David had been. 5 For Solomon became a follower of Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and of Milcom the abhorrent idol of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as his father David had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abhorrent idol of Moab, on the mountain that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abhorrent idol of the sons of Ammon. 8 He also did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

9 Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him regarding this thing, that he was not to follow other gods; but he did not comply with what the Lord had commanded.

Add in the various folklore and pop culture things ascribed to Solomon that DC Comics is probably incorporating, likely including at least some influences from ex., The Lesser Key of Solomon, and well... the theological implications for the Marvel family are interesting, and I'm not sure they align too well to the Silver City.

mastermenthe · Friday at 6:38 PM

Chojin Patriarch said:
Taking a moment to help out a small child is so Superman it hurts.

Found Lyla.

Darko · Friday at 8:09 PM

CTrees said:
The Lesser Key of Solomon, and well... the theological implications for the Marvel family are interesting, and I'm not sure they align too well to the Silver City.

Not necessarily.

When Paul ended up in Heaven the angel he talked to told him that they sometimes get neo-pagans there because while they proclaim that they serve other gods, they still mostly follow Abrahamic morality and teachings.

The Marvel Family may get most of their power from pagan divinities, but they don't worship them and don't follow their moral teachings.

Vaermina · 2026-01-03T01:42:41+0000

BartlettMagic said:
huh. i knew Karsta was rough around the edges, but based on her POV and statements such as...

...i've come to the conclusion that she kinda sucks

I mean, if they hadn't made it obvious that it was at least somewhat a show trial you might be right.

But as it is, she's kind of justified here.

Especially given they've already proved that both Ursa and Zod were mind fucked when it happened.

Mr Zoat · 2026-01-03T08:26:07+0000

12th August 2013
22:35 UTC

Did Superman..? Scream-?

Move!

"Gods of Kahndaq bless your servant."

I move fast. My mind races as I take in every sound and sight, judging where I must avoid obstacles and where I may safely smash though them.

"Ahh!"

Lord Zehuti's wisdom lets me categorise it as a cry of alarm and surprise, not of pain. Montu's courage prevents me being distracted. Lord Zehuti's wisdom also shows me how the stresses in the building will change with the elimination of one support pillar. Well, it seems. The architect was wisely cautious.

Down.

My heart has beat twice since I heard Superman's cry.

Noise. There. Lord Aker's speed lets me turn without slowing. Lord Zehuti's wisdom allows me to understand what I'm seeing and make decisions without slowing.

At the far end of the room is a woman in a prisoner's garb. Ursa. Closer to me are Superman and another woman. She matches the description given for the spy, Lyla. She is grappling Superman and somehow causing him enough pain to make him cry out. But he does not appear injured. Pain is an illusion of the mind, and I am more resistant to such things.

Ursa is pregnant, and has not been judged guilty of a capital crime. Lyla has not even been accused of a serious crime. I do not really want to fight either. But Lord Montu's courage means that I do not hesitate or second-guess myself.

Ursa raises her arms and crouches to reduce her profile, but she has had only a short time to absorb energy from the sunstone… Which I cannot see. I slap her all too slow punch aside as I move behind her, wilfully setting Lord Aker's speed aside to stop. Then I move close and place my arms in a choke hold around her neck, Lord Atum's power holding us in place as she tries to use her own flight to move, to dash me against the walls.

As Orange Lantern has said, grappling is the key to super strength fights. And briefly depriving her brain of oxygen should not harm her child in the womb.

Superman… It is like there are veins of yellow fire under his skin. I have… Studied the few ways that Earth's… Second greatest hero can be humbled, and I do not recognise this one.

"What are you doing to Superman?"

His eyes are glowing too, while hers… It is like Miss Martian when she is focusing on her telepathy. Her mind is not absent, but it is not focused on what is in front of her.

She does not answer, whatever vision she is receiving too interesting to spare a thought for me. Ursa tries to strike me, but while she is strong enough to injure me her own body and the gods' magic impede her. Her elbows hit me twice before she weakens too much to harm me. Having super strength does not make your lungs any larger.

Lord Atum aid me.

"Lyla!"

She blinks, her arms still wrapped around Superman, yellow veins still visible under her skin.

"What are you doing?"

"The dominators called it 'The Cistern'. My body is adapting to his strength."

"Then it would be wise for me to strike you now."

"If I were separated from him, I would die. But so would he."

"I have only your word for that."

"And I have only the word of the dominators. How lucky do you feel?"

I do not rely on luck. I cannot risk it. "And when you are finished?"

"His strength will be my strength."

That is… Considerable, but without-.

The sunstone is on her belt.

If she has Superman's strength, will he be as weak as a normal man? Might she simply kill him? Is she like The Parasite, who must feed repeatedly to maintain stolen power?

Ursa goes limp, and I relax my hold on her neck enough that she will not die.

"What is your objective?"

"To return to my masters with what I have learned, and the power I have gained."

"That is why you were on Krypton? To spy on their technology?"

"Yes."

"You did not make their planet explode?"

"I am not that powerful, even now."

"And Zod-."

"It did not take much. He would have decided to attack something without me. I just made it easier for him."

"Why not have the dominators approach openly? Many people would have accepted temporary submission over death."

"I don't know, and I don't care."

"Then what do you plan next?"

She laughs, a childish sound tainted by madness. "Whatever I want. I will finally have the strength of a god. Whatever I do, I will do with divine grace. I can see his life. Not just as images in his mind, but as if I were there, living it. Such… Joy, such love. Such purpose and opportunity and hope."

Ah. "And you did not have those things."

"By the time I was born the kryptonians were long gone. And still my people near-worshipped them. They soared above us so effortlessly. They surpassed us in every way. And they could have elevated us… Had they cared to. It would have cost them nothing and we would have been their most loyal servants."

She looks down at Kal-El with… Fondness, as her own skin begins to glow faintly.

"But instead, I must take. And thanks to the dominators, I can. And you. I cannot touch your mind even as his is an open book. Are you kryptonian too?"

"Why did you not do that to Ursa?"

"I did. Didn't you see how slow she was? But he has fed on the yellow star Sol for his entire life whereas she has only absorbed the faintest wisps."

The yellow veins dim, almost as if they are flowing back into Superman. I give Ursa's neck a squeeze, her effort to remain motionless while conscious insufficient to evade my senses. And then I drop her, ready to-.

Lyla drops Superman with a beatific smile, rising off the ground-.

And then I'm there, fist-. She catches my fist, strength stolen from Superman surpassing mine. But she does not have his experience, and I spin around to knock the sunstone-.

She turns, tears it from her belt and throws it to where Ursa lays. "Go!"

I turn to chase it but she presses me, heat vision flaring with Superman's power but none of his control! I evade, estimating how much of that these walls can survive-. I do not know enough to judge. Her follow-up is a punch which I recognise from watching Superman, but while she has his speed and strength her stolen memories do not account for her smaller size. I can move around, evading and turning aside, but this is not-.

I hear Ursa rise to her feet and grab the sunstone. And then-.

BOOM!

CRUNCH!

And then she is gone.

Darko · 2026-01-03T08:31:58+0000

Mr Zoat said:
Ursa is pregnant, and has not been judged guilty of a capital. Lyla

"capital crime"

Mr Zoat said:
. I have… Studied the few ways that Earth's… Second greatest hero can be humbled

Guessing he considers Adom to be number one.

CrazyNoVa · 2026-01-03T08:37:28+0000

Mr Zoat said:
She laughs, a childish sound tainted by madness. "Whatever I want. I will finally have the strength of a god.

Osiris: "And fhe power to rebuild the Great Wall of China just by looking at it!"

Lyla: "Wait, what?"

Chojin Patriarch · 2026-01-03T09:04:03+0000

Mr Zoat said:
12th August 2013
22:35 UTC

Did Superman..? Scream-?

Move!

With Amon, now. And yes, him screaming is definitely reason enough to abandon your post and render assistance. After all, anything capable of making him cry out is no doubt trouble for everyone.

"Gods of Kahndaq bless your servant."

I move fast. My mind races as I take in every sound and sight, judging where I must avoid obstacles and where I may safely smash though them.

A lot more intensive than something like the Flash's speedster trance, what with the additional assistance of the god of Wisdom.

"Ahh!"

Lord Zehuti's wisdom lets me categorise it as a cry of alarm and surprise, not of pain. Montu's courage prevents me being distracted. Lord Zehuti's wisdom also shows me how the stresses in the building will change with the elimination of one support pillar. Well, it seems. The architect was wisely cautious.

So it won't collapse immediately if people start getting tossed through columns and load-bearing walls. Handy to be aware of.

Down.

My heart has beat twice since I heard Superman's cry.

And given the adrenaline spike., it might well be beating many times a second as it is. Presumably his magical empowerments let him overcome petty things like biological needs for oxygen.

Noise. There. Lord Aker's speed lets me turn without slowing. Lord Zehuti's wisdom allows me to understand what I'm seeing and make decisions without slowing.

At the far end of the room is a woman in a prisoner's garb. Ursa. Closer to me are Superman and another woman. She matches the description given for the spy, Lyla. She is grappling Superman and somehow causing him enough pain to make him cry out. But he does not appear injured. Pain is an illusion of the mind, and I am more resistant to such things.

Ah, they're both in one place? That's handy! But I'm getting a bad feeling about how she's grabbed Clark.

A 'stealing his powers' kind of feeling...

Ursa is pregnant, and has not been judged guilty of a capital crime. Lyla has not even been accused of a serious crime. I do not really want to fight either. But Lord Montu's courage means that I do not hesitate or second-guess myself.

And Lyla is involved in an assault on someone as it is. possibly two people is she went after Ursa first.

Ursa raises her arms and crouches to reduce her profile, but she has had only a short time to absorb energy from the sunstone… Which I cannot see. I slap her all too slow punch aside as I move behind her, wilfully setting Lord Aker's speed aside to stop. Then I move close and place my arms in a choke hold around her neck, Lord Atum's power holding us in place as she tries to use her own flight to move, to dash me against the walls.

Ah, clever. Going for the sleeper hold rather than the righteous face-punching. Problem is, that ties him down to Ursa, while Lyla is still doing whatever she's doing.

As Orange Lantern has said, grappling is the key to super strength fights. And briefly depriving her brain of oxygen should not harm her child in the womb.

Superman… It is like there are veins of yellow fire under his skin. I have… Studied the few ways that Earth's… Second greatest hero can be humbled, and I do not recognise this one.

And on Earth, OL is probably feeling a random sense of pride and he doesn't entirely know why.

Also, 'second-greatest'? I guess Teth-Adom counts that much higher to you, eh?

"What are you doing to Superman?"

His eyes are glowing too, while hers… It is like Miss Martian when she is focusing on her telepathy. Her mind is not absent, but it is not focused on what is in front of her.

Wonder if she's running him through the psychic scenario that occurred in the comic version of her storyline.

She does not answer, whatever vision she is receiving too interesting to spare a thought for me. Ursa tries to strike me, but while she is strong enough to injure me her own body and the gods' magic impedes her. Her elbows hit me twice before she weakens too much to harm me. Having super strength does not make your lungs any larger.

Though her empowered physiology does let her get more out of what she has, it will run out sooner or later.

Lord Atum aid me.

"Lyla!"

She blinks, her arms still wrapped around Superman, yellow veins still visible under her skin.

Ah, using his empowerment to force a mental connection to her, enough to get her attention.

"What are you doing?"

"The dominators called it 'The Cistern'. My body is adapting to his strength."

Yup, definitely stealing his powers. And I doubt she has anything good planned for them...

"Then it would be wise for me to strike you now."

"If I were separated from him, I would die. But so would he."

"I have only your word for that."

Joy of trying a bluff when only you know for sure of whether you're telling the truth about the consequences...

"And I have only the word of the dominators. How lucky do you feel?"

I do not rely on luck. I cannot risk it. "And when you are finished?"

So, she is serving the Dominators, even now. Although Amon's musing does seem fitting. He does respect OL's logical methods a lot, so of course he tries to munchkin every advantage he can for success.

"His strength will be my strength."

That is… Considerable, but without-.

To be fair, that's a big reservoir of empowerment.

The sunstone is on her belt.

If she has Superman's strength, will he be as weak as a normal man? Might she simply kill him? Is she like The Parasite, who must feed repeatedly to maintain stolen power?

If I remember the storyline details right, yes, he would be weakened, at least temporarily. But give him a charge-up and he'll be fighting fit in no time...

Ursa goes limp, and I relax my hold on her neck enough that she will not die.

"What is your objective?"

Good, find out what she's planning. Hopefully it doesn't involve conquest just yet.

"To return to my masters with what I have learned, and the power I have gained."

"That is why you were on Krypton? To spy on their technology?"

"Yes."

It was suspected but good to see it confirmed outright.

"You did not make their planet explode?"

"I am not that powerful, even now."

I imagine learning that probably put the wind up her, knowing that she had to get offworld somehow... In the middle of a self-imposed planetary quarantine. Hence the Phantom Zone play.

"And Zod-."

"It did not take much. He would have decided to attack something without me. I just made it easier for him."

So if it hadn't been Timaron, it would have been somewhere. I suppose that does still damn Zod...

"Why not have the dominators approach openly? Many people would have accepted temporary submission over death."

"I don't know, and I don't care."

"Then what do you plan next?"

Honestly, at this point, she's probably been making it up as she goes. I presume she sent a message to her masters somehow during the trip from Earth to Xudar.

She laughs, a childish sound tainted by madness. "Whatever I want. I will finally have the strength of a god. Whatever I do, I will do with divine grace. I can see his life. Not just as images in his mind, but as if I were there, living it. Such… Joy, such love. Such purpose and opportunity and hope."

Aaaand she's completely cracked.

Ah. "And you did not have those things."

"By the time I was born the kryptonians were long gone. And still my people near-worshipped them. They soared above us so effortlessly. They surpassed us in every way. And they could have elevated us… Had they cared to. It would have cost them nothing and we would have been their most loyal servants."

Well, when you put it that way, I can see why she thought of them as gods. And yet hated them, because of that indolence concerning the empireth and probably all their subjects.

She looks down at Kal-El with… Fondness, as her own skin begins to glow faintly.

"But instead, I must take. And thanks to the dominators, I can. And you. I cannot touch your mind even as his is an open book. Are you kryptonian too?"

Oh, she definitely ran him through the wringer if she's reacting that way.

"Why did you not to that to Ursa?"

"I did. Didn't you see how slow she was? But he has fed on the yellow star Sol for his entire life whereas she has only absorbed the faintest wisps."

True, true. He has fully-charged solar batteries, while Ursa was at like 1%.

The yellow veins dim, almost as if they are flowing back into Superman. I give Ursa's neck a squeeze, her effort to remain motionless while conscious insufficient to evade my senses. And then I drop her, ready to-.

Lyla drops Superman with a beatific smile, rising off the ground-.

Shit, she finished the job. So now he's going to have to protect Supes while fighting Lyla...

And then I'm there, fist-. She catches my fist, strength stolen from Superman surpassing mine. But she does not have his experience, and I spin around to knock the sunstone-.

She turns, tears it from her belt and throws it to where Ursa lays. "Go!"

Crap, marginally faster than him. probably not using her telepathy right now, though she might have sensed what he was planning as he thought of it. And with their speed, though equals action...

I turn to chase it but she presses me, heat vision flaring with Superman's power but none of his control! I evade, estimating how much of that these walls can survive-. I do not know enough to judge. Her follow-up is a punch which I recognise from watching Superman, but while she has his speed and strength her stolen memories do not account for her smaller size. I can move around, evading and turning aside, but this is not-.

On the upside, she does have slightly less ability to apply his strength. Shorter limbs, smaller hands... She might hit slightly harder, though, because of concentration of force.

I hear Ursa rise to her feet and grab the sunstone. And then-.

BOOM!

That is the nastiest possible choice Lyla could have made. So of course she set up the distraction play.

CRUNCH!

And then she is gone.

Honestly, easy enough to let Ursa run. The others can track her down. Lyla is the bigger threat now.

So now they have two empowered kryptonians or equivalents running around. And unless they can recharge Supes right quick, he's gonna be out of it for a while. Ursa at least is probably predictable in her course of action: Get off-planet and disappear. With any luck, Karsta will snag her. Lyla is going to be the troublesome one, especially if the power goes to her head at all...

Mr Zoat · 2026-01-03T09:19:24+0000

Darko said:
"capital crime"

Thank you, corrected.

Signaller · 2026-01-03T09:54:38+0000

Mr Zoat said:
"Why did you not to that to Ursa?"

Do that

Duke Long · 2026-01-03T10:19:32+0000

Mr Zoat said:
She does not answer, whatever vision she is receiving too interesting to spare a thought for me. Ursa tries to strike me, but while she is strong enough to injure me her own body and the gods' magic impedes her. Her elbows hit me twice before she weakens too much to harm me. Having super strength does not make your lungs any larger.

'impede'

Mr Zoat said:
"To return to my masters with what I have learned, and the power I have gained."

Mr Zoat said:
She laughs, a childish sound tainted by madness. "Whatever I want. I will finally have the strength of a god. Whatever I do, I will do with divine grace. I can see his life. Not just as images in his mind, but as if I were there, living it. Such… Joy, such love. Such purpose and opportunity and hope."

Interesting contrast between these, at least seemingly. Are the dominators really nice enough to let her go off and do her own thing after she reports in? I suppose it's possible, if they regularly use mercenaries they are at least capable of making honest deals. I had just assumed until now that they treated Lyla as a test subject more than a mercenary.

Mr Zoat · 2026-01-03T11:05:33+0000

Signaller said:
Do that

Duke Long said:
'impede'

Thank you, corrected.

john doe 777 · 2026-01-03T15:44:31+0000

Wow Amon was being quite stupid here really dropping the ball with that "wisdom" of his. And again no one just destroys the sunstone. Also Amon for some reason doesnt use his super strength to hold onto Ursa and drag her around.

Mr Zoat · 2026-01-03T16:09:04+0000

john doe 777 said:
And again no one just destroys the sunstone. Also Amon for some reason doesn't use his super strength to hold onto Ursa and drag her around.

You think that destroying an alien power source in the middle of an inhabited city would be wise? Even if its output was low enough for that to be safe, there's no way for Amon to know that.

Are you suggesting that he keep hold of Ursa while fighting Lyla, who is as strong and fast as Superman?

Ardy · 2026-01-03T16:21:55+0000

Mr Zoat said:
You think that destroying an alien power source in the middle of an inhabited city would be wise? Even if its output was low enough for that to be safe, there's no way for Amon to know that.

Are you suggesting that he keep hold of Ursa while fighting Lyla, who is as strong and fast as Superman?

It would force her to stop draining Superman before she's finished, so yes that would in fact be the smart thing to do.

CrazyNoVa · 2026-01-03T16:32:42+0000

Ardy said:
It would force her to stop draining Superman before she's finished, so yes that would in fact be the smart thing to do.

Is fighting a Kryptonian-level opponent while handling a pregnant woman really a good idea? Not only would Osiris be at a huge disadvantage due to being constrained, but if Ursa gets severely injured in the crossfire, she might get a miscarriage.

Also, didn't Lyla say that separating her from Supes would kill them both?

Ardy · 2026-01-03T16:55:13+0000

CrazyNoVa said:
Is fighting a Kryptonian-level opponent while handling a pregnant woman really a good idea? Not only would Osiris be at a huge disadvantage due to being constrained, but if Ursa gets severely injured in the crossfire, she might get a miscarriage.

Also, didn't Lyla say that separating her from Supes would kill them both?

She claimed that, yes. While trusting the professional spy is telling the truth so they don't interrupt her plan is hilarious, it's not really the wisdom of Zehuti.

As for fighting while holding a pregnant woman, eh? I'm not going into anything that violates rule 8 but if he didn't want to be injured she shouldn't have broken out before her (fair) trial. It's really not a problem unless you think you're going to murder her by slinging her around, and if that was the case she'd be so weak he wouldn't need to keep choking her out.

Mr Zoat · 2026-01-03T18:32:33+0000

Ardy said:
It would force her to stop draining Superman before she's finished, so yes that would in fact be the smart thing to do.

I'll try again. Do you think that fighting Lyla -who is as strong as him- with one hand is a good idea, while holding someone who is also as strong as him and doesn't like him?

Ardy · 2026-01-03T20:10:14+0000

Mr Zoat said:
I'll try again. Do you think that fighting Lyla -who is as strong as him- with one hand is a good idea, while holding someone who is also as strong as him and doesn't like him?

Super strong meat shields are always useful, so yes.

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