(General P.O.V)
Oa (The Center of The Universe)
Hawkman, Green Lantern Gardner and Wonder Woman stood infront of the Guardians of the Universe on the planet Oa, the Green Lantern's headquarters.
"We have heard your testimony and rest assured, this matter is very serious."
Ganthet responded after an accounting of how the Earth had been destroyed.
"I fail to see how this concerns us. One planet is of no great consequence."
Another guardian added, making the three heroes agitated.
"Are you serious? We just told you that over 7 billion people could have died were it not for Aden Strong and you're acting all blasé about it?"
Guy growled out.
Wonder Woman placed a palm on his shoulder, pulling him back with a shake of her head.
"It would be wise Lantern Gardner, to remember whom you stand before."
A stone faced guardian warned. Guy snorted and looked away, crossing his hands together.
"He is not wrong, however."
Wonder Woman came to his defense.
"Yes, he is not." Surprisingly, this came from a guardian who was hovering to their left. The others turned to stare at him questioningly.
"I find myself, intrigued by the prospect of there being an individual, human no less capable of destroying a being such as Darkseid." He looked around at his Colleagues.
"The fact that his religion has sprouted out in a certain Quadrant and a number of sentient civilizations across the universe is worth noting as well."
Another guardian added,
"Darkseid was even more powerful than the promethean gods at his peak. It is indeed intriguing."
Diana looked at Hawkman and Guy.
"Could you both excuse us?"
Hawkman stared at her for some time before giving a curt nod and proceeding to fly out of the Guardians' hall.
Guy looked like he was about to protest before relenting.
"If you need me, I'll be right outside."
He told Wonder Woman, before nodding at the guardians, Ganthet in particular and flying away.
Once they were gone, leaving the guardians and Kilowog who had up until then been silently standing guard on the side, Wonder Woman stepped up and begun to speak.
"Guardians, I personally know Aden Strong." The God Queen of Olympus begun heavily.
"He is strong. Immensely so. He has the capability to do just about anything. His power inches on the boundary of reality manipulation."
They were attentive. Surprised, but patient enough to hear her out.
"But perhaps what is more terrifying, is his ability to keep on growing stronger. I estimate that as he is right now...no one can stop him. Not the Green Lanterns...and not even you."
"Impossible! No mortal can reach such a level!"
Even Killowog stiffened in shock. There was no reason for Diana to lie to them. The guardians were powerful and skilled, figuring out falsehoods from the truth was as easy as breathing.
Ganthet had a different reaction from the rest.
"They way you speak...it seems you have a solution to this growing threat?"
Diana looked down in thought. If this was before her talk with Odin and a few other gods, then she would not have thought of going against Aden...but now things were different.
They needed Earth and Earth needed people. The way things stood, She was not sure Aden would give up the people he had saved willingly. Power and Authority changes a person and Diana was not sure asking nicely would work. And given the fact that Aden could apparently create realms and dimensions, he had the capability to restore Earth many times over yet hadn't.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
This meant that he didn't want to. And no one could force him to do so. Diana and the rest needed to band together if they had any hope of stopping more catastrophes from occuring.
Not many knew it but Earth was the most important place in the universe. And for something so significant, friendships and feelings had to take a backseat.
She looked up and...
(Elsewhere)
"We fight."
Black Canary softly said to the gathered room.
Dozens of voices joined her, either in support or refusal.
"You are asking us to go against the world itself! We all know we hold no candle to his power. What you are suggesting is death!"
Fire, a hero from South America was vocal in her refusal.
Life was different, sure but that did not mean it was necessarily worse.
"So you are okay living under a dictatorship, right?"
Redhood sneered.
"Dictatorship? Do you even hear yourself."
Ice came to Fire's rescue.
"You American heroes have no idea what actually goes on outside the borders of your great nation." She looked around.
"People starved, died because of diseases and life was generally miserable."
"And no one denies that." Zatara held up his hands amiably. He was trying to appease the over dozen powered individuals.
"I understand. I migrated to the US, leaving behind the difficult life I had back in my country of birth. Life on earth was unfairly hard. And for the first time in history, things are fair now. Everybody has something to eat, somewhere to sleep and less worry."
A majority of those gathered agreed with him.
"However, that does not excuse almost killing off more than a hundred thousand people because of protesting what was an inhumane incident."
"Argh. Are you seriously going to argue against the deaths of Supervillains?" Huntress spat out. The heroes begun to argue once again.
"Silence!" She ordered, making the room quiet down. With vitriol she begun,
"Most were despicable human beings whose biggest contribution in life was bringing pain and suffering to everyone else. I say good riddance."
"How can you say that?" The Flash, Jay Garrick asked.
From there the talks devolved into a shouting match. One team was led by the more hardened heroes. Those who had faced the harsh reality of life. Lost everything and decided to be merciless in their approach to crime fighting.
The others were led by the optimistic ones. The ones who understood that fighting with extreme prejudice would only darken their souls. Making them end up like the ones they were fighting. Superman saw no true end up this conflict. For one, he was unsure of what to choose.
This wasn't earth where they could bombard Aden and his people with over a hundred different laws and regulations, this was his world.
Vaatu's attempt at Killing people had pushed him slightly to the side opposing Aden's rule but...on the other side, after so many years, he could sleep without hearing cries of pain half a world away. He could spend time with Lois, concentrate on building a family. Clark knew that what they now had was a gift.
The meeting ended just like the previous one, with no true decision on whether to take a stand, no matter how hopeless it might have been or to simply live. Clark had known that Batman wanted to talk to him, so after the meeting had ended, he had made sure to fly away quickly. Batman was brilliant and knew just what to say to get others to see his view but what Clark needed right now was peace not a reality check.
As long as no one was suffering, he wanted to keep it that way. He felt something fast flying towards him before slowing down upon getting closer.
"Hey, you left so quickly."
Connor addressed him with a questioning glance.
Before Superman could tell him why, something appeared before them. Clark shielded his eyes while Connor tensed in anticipation of a fight. The light died out, revealing Gaea. Everyone knew who she was. Aden's religion, termed her as the Realm Mother. She was everything around. Even the very air. Superman was not too sure about the 'god' thing but he could tell that he had no way to win against her.
Gaea looked at the both of them and then with great seriousness said,
"You both need to come with me."
(A short time later)
She remembered the last scene she ever witnessed. The scene of everything she ever held dear exploding behind her as the pod flew her away right behind her cousin. Kara was devasted by the loss of her parents and planet. But that devastation soon gave way to terror at the enormity of her situation.
She was flying through space. All alone. Separated from death by only a few sheets of metals. She saw wondrous things. Clouds of gases that shifted with beautiful colors, cosmic storms hovering around Star Systems with planets teeming with nascent life. Krypton usually pruned any other developing life close to there galactic quandrant. They were isolated in more ways than one.
Kara got to enjoy the sights as a way to forget the pain of loss she had suffered. But even that grew to not be enough. Nothing was. By the time she was swallowed up by the wormhole that took her to Apokalips, Kara Zor-El had lost hope.
Her time under Granny Goodness was filled with never ending pain and indoctrinated processes to get her to serve Darkseid. After having her mind broken down, she took to the training with a crazy devotion and zeal. And then the last fight she had been involved in, happened and everything changed.
They were utterly destroyed. All of Apokalips' forces beaten and defeated. The last dregs of Kara Zor-El that had been left had thought that this was the end of it all, then...light.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Kryptonian."
An exotic beauty of wondrous features, tall and dark with pools of eyes that seemed to contain beauty that surpassed all the gas clouds, cosmic storms, planets and nebulas she had ever witnessed, greeted her.
Kara's lips were slightly parted as she groaned, looking around at where she was. The room was bare and painted a calming white. She tried to get off the bed she was lying on and failed, not having enough strength.
"Don't strain yourself. It will take a few days for your biology to absorb sufficient solar energy and charge you back up."
Gaea told her.
Kara listened, allowing her body to sink into the soft mattress. Her eyes closed.
When she woke up again, the exotic woman from before was nowhere to be seen. Next to her waiting patiently was a blue colored woman instead. However, one look into her eyes and Kara realized it was the exact woman from before, just in another form.
Gaea realized that Kara knew about her two forms and cheekily brought her finger to her lips.
"That's our little secret."
Kara found herself nodding.
"I'll come in to check on you later. Right now, you have a family reunion waiting for you."
Gaea disappeared in a flash of light just as the door to the room opened and in walked her cousin.