The man's name had been Ray Palmer, a scientist of some sort. He had told him what his profession was, but Max hadn't paid him much mind.
What was interesting, though, was that there was no Justice League here,only a trio of heroes who called themselves the Trinity, consisting of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
Superman was the son of Zod here. Batman was a vampire. And Wonder Woman was a refugee from Apokolips.
Instead of being the heroes they were seen as in most universes, here they were known as enforcers, since they killed.
A version of the Justice League he would have gotten along with very well… but circumstances.
He would have liked to meet them, but he just didn't have the time.
He was sure he had seen this universe in some movie or show, but he just couldn't remember what its plot was about. He had been a kid at the time when he saw it.
But that didn't matter,since there was also no Lucifer here, there was no use lingering around, so he had just left.
What puzzled him, though, was what had happened just as he entered the portal.
He had seen a flash of blue light, and when he tried to turn back and see what it was, the portal rapidly shrank and ejected him to where he was already going.
When he tried to open it again to go back, he found himself unable to.
The ring couldn't take him there for some reason.
Now, he wasn't sure if this was its mechanism or something else, but it was… concerning.
And now, he was hovering above a city in another universe.
It seemed pretty advanced, judging from the buildings he was seeing.
Hopefully, he could find Lucifer here as soon as possible… then head back.
Gotham
Nina strolled through the city at night on her way back to the underground base. She could have teleported there, but instead chose to walk, wanting some time to herself to think.
After killing Reverse-Flash, she felt like a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders. She knew exactly what he would have done if he had gotten the card,he would have followed the same path as Vandal Savage, implanting it into himself before coming after them to exact his revenge on Max.
In the future, he had nearly killed her. If it hadn't been for the timely arrival of the Justice League, she would have died that day. Terra had been the one to seek help when she realized Nina was missing, going to the League because Max had been absent and her mother was on Paradise Island.
But that wouldn't be happening anymore.
Even so… she still dreaded what was to come.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a roaring sound in the sky. Nina raised her gaze just in time to see a flaming object tearing through the heavens, casting a faint glow over the city as it streaked overhead. Her eyes followed it as it passed, continuing forward before crashing into a river canal, sending massive waves of water into the air as thick steam rose skyward.
She already knew who it was.
But right now… she wasn't in the mood to meet her.
"That's Superman's problem," Nina muttered under her breath.
As if on cue, she noticed the Batwing arrive at the scene, hovering above the canal as it began scanning the area below.
Seems like Batman had detected it long before impact.
Fortress of Solitude
Superman lay in the pristine chamber of the Fortress, his body still aching from the recent battle. Though his strength was already returning, every moment of it reminded him of just how close he had come to being killed,something that hadn't happened since Darkseid's invasion.
A soft chime echoed through the chamber, followed by the calm mechanical voice of one of the AI robots that maintained the Fortress, alongside Eradicator, who was currently feeding solar energy he had absorbed during the day into Superman.
"Kal-El," it began. "Our sensors have detected an incoming vessel of Kryptonian origin entering the atmosphere."
Superman's eyes snapped open as he sharply sat up from the pod he had been resting in.
"Where is it now?" he asked.
"Its current trajectory is directed toward a city known as Gotham. Should Eradicator be deployed to investigate?" the robot replied.
"No," Superman said firmly as he stood up, ripping off the vital monitors attached to his solar suit. "I'll go myself."
He stepped down from the platform, then crouched slightly, gathering his strength as dust swirled beneath him. In the next instant, he blasted upward, shooting through an opening in the Fortress ceiling that parted for him and sealed shut just as quickly behind him.
As he tore through the sky, the wind screaming past him, his mind raced with possibilities,an ally, a refugee… or…Kara.
Or so he had been told by Brainiac.
And deep down… he hoped this would be her.
An hour later
Hall of Justice
Batman stood near the central console, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the holographic projection in front of him. Beside him, Cyborg monitored the incoming data streams, while Wonder Woman stood silently, her expression thoughtful.
At the center of their discussion lay an unconscious blonde-haired woman, clad in a dark space suit bearing the iconic House of El symbol on her chest. She was the occupant of the object that had crashed in Metropolis,that had turned out to be a Kryptonian spacecraft.
"She's undoubtedly Kryptonian," Cyborg said, his mechanical eye flickering as he analyzed her. "Though her cellular structure is slightly denser than Superman's. She also metabolizes solar energy more efficiently than he does."
"Meaning she might be more powerful than him," Batman concluded.
"Could she be his relative?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Possibly," Batman replied.
Cyborg nodded as he stepped toward the spacecraft, running his fingers along the alien inscriptions etched across its surface. "Maybe we can figure out more about her once I decode the message on the pod she arrived in."
Batman's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice lowering.
"Whoever she is… I find the timing of her arrival very convenient."
"I'm with Bruce on this one. I can identify a warrior when I see one, and I can say without a doubt that she is one," Wonder Woman said.
Just then, the large doors slid open as Superman entered.
For a brief moment, there was silence in the room.
Cyborg's eyes widened slightly, genuine shock crossing his face, followed by relief as he spoke, "Superman, glad to see that you're okay, man."
But Superman didn't answer.
His gaze was fixed on the woman,more specifically, the House of El symbol on her chest.
He walked forward until he stood beside the bed, staring at her for a moment before reaching out and brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
Then he turned toward the spaceship and walked over to it, reading the inscriptions written in Kryptonian.
Batman finally spoke.
"What does it say?" he asked.
"She's a Kryptonian, just like me. Her name is Kara… she's my cousin," Superman said.
Wonder Woman's eyes widened in shock.
Just then, Kara stirred.
Her eyes slowly fluttered open.
At this, Batman's body tensed, ready for action, while Superman moved to her side.
"Kal?" Kara asked uncertainly.
"Yes… it's me," Superman replied.
"Kal!" Kara shouted as she broke out of the metal restraints holding her down and pulled him into a tight embrace.
Superman froze for a second before returning the hug.
Batman's eyes narrowed slightly.
She might have fooled everyone Clark and Diana with this performance,but not him.
Something was definitely off and for now ,only time will tell.
End of Chapter