A Hero's Multiverse 50 Chapter 48: The Literal Man Of Steel

Feeling the warm sticky liquid sully her face, Kara slowly awakens from her comatose state. As she slowly regains her consciousness, she awakens to the sounds of flesh being sliced and the occasional metal hitting metal. Opening her eyes, she finds her cousin wearing a golden blade with the sigil of house El engraved in the blades pummel fighting a man wielding a golden spear, who is seemingly protecting her.

Having a very muddy recollection of the events getting her here, Kara tries to get out of this dangerous situation, but something attractions her to the spear-wielding man. As she looks appreciative at his profile, she slowly notices her own lack of clothing.

Noticing that the sleeping beauty is finally awake, Ethen makes a sigh of release as he once again attempts to block an incoming strike. As the blade once again bends s.p.a.ce to bury itself into his flash, Ethen realizes something peculiar. -Isn't it supposed to bend time and s.p.a.ce? Why does Kal only distorting s.p.a.ce not time?...- Thinking that he has a sudden epiphany. -... He hasn't fully mastered it!- Coming to that conclusion, a battle plan takes shape in his head.

As Ethen comes up with a battle strategy, Kara slowly remembers what had happened to her. First her century-long incarceration in the Phantom Zone and her meeting the remnant soul of Billy Batson, whom her cousin had ruthlessly executed. Than her endless imprisonment in the Fortress of Solitude, that slowly morphed her personal beliefs and values. Looking at Ethen who is seemingly protecting her, Kara feels the impulse to help him. -But how?- She asks herself as suddenly a memory surfaces in her mind.

''SHAZAM!'' Kara suddenly shouts as lighting suddenly strikes her body and she is instantly dressed in a white longsleeved swimsuit, a red cape attached to her right shoulder and golden accents here and there as well as golden knee length boots.

Shocked by the sudden transformation of the damsel in distress, both Ethen and Kal stop fighting for a moment, just looking at Kara.

''Since when are you the new SHAZAM?'' Shouts Kal now focussing his attacks solely on Kara.

Smirking, Kara wraps her fists with lightning. ''I never hurt anybody aside from bad guys...'' She tells Kal, instantly appearing in front of the High Councillor about to hit him with her full strength. ''... Good that you are a bad guy now cousin otherwise I would have to feel bad about this!''

That said, Kara brings her lightning enchanted fist down on Kals chest, when suddenly s.p.a.ce warps around Kal-El, stretching a few millimeters into meters, than kilometers.

-----

While Kara and Ethen witnesses the power of the sword of Superman, Natasha, Carol, Wanda, and Tonya stabilize their situation outside the Watchtower. With Wanda wrapped in an energy field and the others wearing their armors, only Natasha is unsure about what is going on.

One moment she was suffocating and freezing in the vacuum of s.p.a.ce, the next moment her clothes are removed as a skeletal armor wraps itself around her body.

Before she can do anything, her mind is suddenly flooded with information of her armor.

-The gauntlet/armor is called 'Witchblade' and it is the offspring of some universe's primal forces, the Angelus and the Darkness. To avert mutual destruction, a truce was once struck. The Angelus and the Darkness consummated and in so doing conceived the Witchblade, creating peace and balance between them.

The Witchblade, sentient in nature responds to the bearers will and attempts to impose its own. Aside from being an Adaptive Armor, it also gives its host superhuman strength, superhuman endurance, a healing factor, mostly invulnerability, and pyrokinesis as well as the ability to summon weapons at will.-

''... Hey, hey. Natasha?!...'' She suddenly hears Tonya ask her while shaking her. Diving out of the spring of information in her head, Natasha s consciousness returns to the present and the situation at hand. Seeing her friends dazed state dissipate, Tonya asks. ''... Are you okay Nat?''

''Yes, yes, I am...'' That said, Natasha looks at her right hand covered by the Witchblade. Thinking about creating a flame on top of her index finger, a small flame instantly appears. Smirking, she tells Tonya. ''... I guess I am more than okay... I have Superpowers now!''

''That is good to hear...'' States Carol, who listened in on their conversation. ''... because I guess Ethen is in need of some help.'' Says Carol as she points in the direction of earth, specifically Antarctica where a huge continent-sized lighting storm is gathering.

Still in her energy bubble, Wanda comments. ''That isn't looking very welcoming!''

-----

While his four companions are looking down at the lightning storm from outer s.p.a.ce, Ethen is right in the middle of it. As Kara has taken the brunt of Kal-Els attacks on herself, Ethen had enough time to have all his wounds healed up, bringing him back into peak condition. Transforming his sword back into a spear, Ethen flyes up into the sky above the fortress, joining Kara.

''Thanks for freeing and protecting me...'' Says Kara, as she shoots another salve of lightning bolts at her ousing. ''... I really appreciate that. My name is Kara by the way...'' Seeing her lighting bolts only stall the enemy, she continues saying. ''... Kara Sor-El.''

''Nothing to thank me for. I a way we are family...'' States Ethen, taking a sudden slash from Kal for her. ''... My birth name is Johnethen-El short Jo-El, most of the time I go by Ethen Wayne.''

Seeing the man take a hit for her and hearing his birth name, something inside of Karas mind clicks into place and for a second her eyes glow pink. Shaking her head, her mind returning to the fight at hand, Kara says surprised. ''You are also a member of the house of El? How is that possible? I thought me and my cousin were the only survivors of Krypton!''

''There should have been more, but I guess Kal has already killed General Zod and his soldiers...'' States Ethen, feeling his back wound already healed. ''... Also, I am not really from around here!''

Looking at her steadily advancing cousin, Kara asks Ethen. ''I have no Idea how to stop him... Do you have any?... If not I will sacrifice myself and get you some time to flee.''

Seeing Karas honest intentions, Ethen tells her. ''I have a plan...'' Smirking he adds. ''... See you soon!''

Banis.h.i.+ng his spear, he instantly flies on a collision course to Kal. Knowing that Kal would bend s.p.a.ce to strike him down, Ethen uses the Multiverse Gate, just before the blade hits him. As Ethen arrives inside the temple, the sword of Superman, as well as Kals right hand, follow after him. As the blade leaves its universe, its powers are instantly cut off and Ethen easily avoids the strike and counter attacks by amputating Kals right hand, sword included. As blade and hand are about to hit the temple floor, Ethen has already stored them in his storage s.p.a.ce.

Only a second has happened since Ethen went into the Multiverse Gate and amputated Kals right hand, ceasing the sword of Superman, but that second was enough to change the course of the fight for good. As shock and disbelief appear on Kls face, he looks down defeated at his now missing hand.

Losing seemingly all will to fight, Kal instantly drops to the ground. Seeing her cousin beaten in such a decisive way, Karas eyes one again show a pink glow when looking at Ethen. Appearing in front of his 'father', he is ready to end the reign of the High Councillor for good. Looking into Kal's eyes, he knows what he has to do, codes of conduct be dammed. As the clouds gather together above him, ready to strike, Ethen slams down his spear into Kal-Els chest, as the lightning strikes.

-Technically I am not killing him, Cara is...- Ethen thinks, as he lets go of the spear, letting it acts as a conductor.

Looking up into the sky, Ethen sees Tonya, Carol, Natasha, Wanda and Kara descent from above. Looking like his personal Valkyries, one more beautiful than the other, he doesn't notice that the lighting isn't really hitting Kal and the spear isn't affecting him in any way.

Before his mind is able to fathom what is actually happening, Ethen is already hit a dozen times, before he even sees his attacker. Sinking momentarily powerless to the frozen ground, he finds a literal Man of Steel staring down at him stating in an emotionless robotic voice. ''Mayor threat to Multiverse integrity detected... Initialising Elimination Protocol...''