It was another beautiful day, Earth's blue sky filled with clouds. Starships constantly traveled from the planet. Humanity was treating their homeworld like a revolving door.
Months had passed since meeting the Flash. Barry had long since integrated with society. A secluded home in Central City had been offered to him, its location on the coast of the Missouri River.
The speedster didn't need to work, as there were no bills to pay. Everything had already been paid off. Thus, Barry spent his days sitting on the patio and sipping margaritas.
While he seemed to be patient, it was quite the opposite. The stress of not knowing how everything was going in his own timeline…it ate at him. Alcohol was becoming his best friend. Bags were appearing under his eyes. Still, he made an effort to socialize with his neighbors.
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Meanwhile, near the coast of Italy, a yacht could be seen by the Tremiti Islands. A beach specifically known as Cala delle Arene. The water was beautiful and clear.
Val heaved a sigh of relaxation. Sitting on the open deck of the yacht, he gazed at the horizon. The feeling of retirement. It felt good. Peaceful.
Dressed in only shorts and an open button up, he truly resembled a vacationing millionaire. A glass of wine rested in his hand. Not effective whatsoever but at least it tasted good.
On the soft couches behind him, Kara could be seen lazing around. She wore a two-piece bikini with floral patterns. Such a simple design paled in comparison to the body wearing it. She was perfect. It couldn't be said enough.
"Oh…this looks nice. Hmmm…" She muttered quietly.
The daughter of Zod was scrolling through her smartphone, unable to go anywhere without it. She was addicted to the internet. Snacks would levitate over to her at random, the girl using her bioelectric field due to laziness. She constantly rolled around while bathing in the sunlight.
"Don't let social media warp your brain, Kara. Always remember that it's fake."
"Yes, yes. You always tell me so." She hummed without looking away. Val sighed.
"Stop ignoring me." He said.
"I'm not ignoring you~" She quipped.
"Mhmm."
He shook his head with a wry smile. Looking down at his glass, he swirled the liquid within. Only after a few seconds did he take a sip.
The Cathexis were a few weeks away from completing their research and development. The next stage would be implementation. Travelling the multiverse would be something he could do very soon. What a time to be alive. It was almost as if the universe was helping him.
A trip to Bastion wasn't far away. It seems he'd have to pick Barry up soon. His thoughts were interrupted as a pair of soft arms held him from behind.
"Fine. I'll give you some company." Kara mewled into his ear.
Lying on top of his lap, she immediately went back to phone scrolling. Val gave a wry smile before resting his free hand on her soft skin. His mind wandered once again as he caressed her lovely figure.
At this moment, a voice resounded in his ear. It was Faora-Ul. The frequency she used was only detectable to kryptonians.
"Val-Ul. An unidentified lifeform is approaching Earth at cosmic velocities. It is headed straight for you." Faora said.
Kara immediately sat up, ready to take off, but Val grabbed her arm. The two locked eyes. He then tossed her back onto the couch. His bioelectric field made her landing soft.
"Lay down." He said. Absolute calm in his voice.
"Hmph." She rolled her eyes before going back to her phone.
Val-Ul stepped off the yacht and flew a bit further away. While the yacht could be replaced, it was wasteful to keep it in harm's way. Some space was needed. Kara's gaze sneakily followed him.
After what felt like thirty seconds, a shooting star came into view. It accelerated toward him, finally stopping slightly above him. Beneath the glowing energy, a humanoid form was revealed.
A humanoid of female origin. Her long hair was alive, burning like flames. She seemed to be the living embodiment of cosmic energy. Her skin matched the color of her bodysuit…onyx black. Black sclera and red eyes. Definitely an alien.
"Kryptonian." She called out. Val tilted his head to the side.
"Yes?"
"I have come to your planet to observe you. You may refer to me as Harbinger. I am an envoy of the almighty Monitor." She exclaimed. Val raised an eyebrow.
The Monitor? Wasn't he one of the most powerful figures in the DC Universe? Why is such a figure worried about him? All Val did was laze around everyday.
"How-"
"You must be wondering why such a figure has taken interest in you. Let me answer in his stead. He hasn't. You're nothing special." She interrupted. Val deadpanned. This femme was quite arrogant.
"In that case, you need not observe me." He said. Waving his hand, he prepared to return to the yacht.
"Nonsense. Your technology is the reason. You have found a way to traverse the multiverse…while bringing an army with you. Once you step across that boundary, all restrictions are off. Anyone with the strength to do so may visit your universe. Choose carefully."
"I fear no one." Val stated in a calm voice.
"Understand that you are opening up this newly formed universe to hungry predators. They gaze at it like fresh food. It is your choice. I'm only informing you."
"My decision is final."
"Very well. Just know that you aren't the only one being observed. All life forms above a certain threshold are being tested. Tested to determine if they are prepared for multiversal warfare."
"Tested by you?" He asked.
"It is so."
"Sounds like you're quite busy then." His tone was light hearted.
"I am omnipresent. I can be in all places at once. It is nothing." She declared while placing her hands on her hips. It was as if she was expecting praise.
'A clone then.' Val thought while looking at her. She didn't seem that powerful…at least for his standards.
"Well…that's…great." He finally said. Harbinger's face turned into one of smug satisfaction.
'He is awestruck by my power.' She thought.
The ocean waters lapped below them. A moment of silence passed, neither of them speaking. Val didn't rush her…his patience was not low. He had nothing but time. Eventually, she spoke up.
"A worthy foe arrives. He is the antithesis of you kryptonians. This will be your test. If you cannot defeat him, don't even consider crossing the boundary of space and time."
".........." Val-Ul turned his gaze toward space.
Spotting a skull-shaped spaceship nearing the planet, he raised an eyebrow. That was Brainiac's iconic ship! He scoffed internally.
'How weak does she think I am?' Val thought.
The son of Ul placed his hands behind his back. Nothing had happened yet but the ocean tides grew erratic. The air was suddenly charged with an unknown static.
His eyes finally glowed with golden radiance. Incorporating the concept of nuclear fission, fusion, and atom erasure, Val allowed his solar energy to escape his eyes. Two humongous rays of power shot toward outer space.
VMMM
Rings of air fizzed around the two beams, subtle acknowledgements of the sound barrier breaking. The waters beneath him started to evaporate. It was as if someone had launched a neutron star beam cannon toward the sky. Such power could annihilate a planet. Or multiple.
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Brainiac observed the bountiful planet before him. He was plugged in directly to his ship, watching everything through its lenses. Rumors across space had taken root, proclaiming that a kryptonian resided in a nearby solar system…under a yellow sun.
The techno-organic being was content. After deliberately hunting for an interesting specimen, it seems he'd found one. All sorts of experiments would be done. Once he grew tired of the kryptonian, he'd place the organism into a shrunken capsule.
'Warning. Warning. Warning. Thermal projectile incoming.' The ship cried out.
Brainiac activated his advanced shielding device with only a thought, cloaking the ship in a force field. With such a defense at his disposal, he could travel right through the sun unscathed. It was impenetrable.
Then…he saw it. Golden hyper beams that were larger than the ship itself. It crashed into the shields, rocking the spacecraft with force. It illuminated the interior with molten orange and fiery yellow….though the beams didn't go any further.
"There you are, kryptonian." Brainiac muttered. Time to capture it. He would enjoy-
'Warning! Warning! Shields are failing! Prediction: thermal projectile will breach. Destruction imminent!' The ship announced.
"What?!" He couldn't help but question the report. That was impossible.
Not wasting any more time, he began the process of backing up his memory bank. Only 20% of his vast memory bank was able to be uploaded before radiant light washed over the ship. Everything turned white…He only felt warmth before he disintegrated.
The explosion of Brainiac's ship paled in comparison to the nuclear reaction that chained afterward. It lit up space, visible even to the martians that resided on Mars.
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Val-Ul finally closed his eyes. The powerful beams were cut off from its source, thinning before dying out. That had barely taken any energy. If Brainiac was able to upload his memory, then he would no doubt steer clear of this side of the universe.
Opening his golden pupils, his gaze returned to Harbinger. The woman's red eyes were wide open in shock. Val wondered if her eyeballs would fall out.
Noticing that he was looking at her, she turned her back to him. Val could see her ears turning red. He couldn't help but pop a slight smile.
'Looks like she's embarrassed.' He thought.
He then focused his sights back on the yacht. Kara readily met his gaze. They both couldn't help but chuckle softly. Just another day.