“They’ll definitely return,” Dan shook his head as the Eternal’s retreated, gaze fixed on Ikaris’ back. The blond haired Sovereign led his people toward one of the dead zones that repelled his sight. “Arishem won’t act for something so minor. So long as I leave his unborn Celestial alone I can bully his Eternals all I want.”
The time would come when he would be forced to act against the Celestials directly, but it was not now. Arishem was more powerful than Cyttorak or Mephisto, but he was also more predictable than the multiversal demons. Dan could bide his time and grow in power, so long as he didn’t cross certain lines.
“Still, I’d best have the Primes keep watch over them,” Dan sighed as the Eternals vanished within their hidden city. This Earth was too crowded for its own good, packed with hidden dangers and known threats. “I’ve got to keep my own eyes out for En Sabah Nur, among other things…”
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“Superman…” Apocalypse’s eyes flashed open, body suspended within a soft, golden light. One of his many resurrection chambers, taken from his Celestial Masters to serve his own purposes. “You will pay for your arrogance, usurper.”
En Sabah Nur floated free of the light’s embrace, hand raised to summon a portal. The area beyond was cloaked in shadow, heavy air stagnant with age. To match this ‘Superman’s’ strength, he would need to awaken his most powerful servants. His first horsemen, the incarnations of Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death.
“Wake, Famine,” Apocalypse stepped through his portal and into another subterranean chamber. A flash of energy radiated from his body and cleared the centuries of dust to expose a large sarcophagus. “Wake and gather your siblings, the time has come to continue your impeccable service.”
Stone grated against stone, a shift that caused the ground to tremble. The ancient tomb opened, slow and steady until its lid toppled to the floor. Two hands extended from within and gripped the sarcophagus’ edge.
A stone faced Pharaoh pulled himself free, a mask of expressionless slate to hide his features. Dressed in a traditional egyptian headdress and robe, he gazed about the chamber until he locked eyes with his master.
“Father,” Famine dropped to one knee before En Sabah Nur, eyes lowered with respect and fear. “As always, it is my honour to serve…”
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“Hank Pym?” Howard frowned, head tilted to the side as Dan lounged in the air outside his window. “He’s a brilliant scientist, but I’m not sure why you’d want me to offer him such a high paid position…”
“He’s about to make an extremely important discovery,” Dan projected an image of Apocalypse, focused on his hyper advanced armour, as well as several shots of the Celestial pyramid. “The real reason I’m here today is to offer you what you’ve been insisting on all these years.”
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Howard climbed halfway out his window to get a better view of the unusual technology, practically drooling as he narrowed his eyes. Dan added more and more images. A detailed scan of the All-Spark’s surface, a video that showed a phantom drive in operation, the detailed schematic of a Prime. A wave of his hand and they all vanished, much to Stark’s dismay.
“You’ve been an ally of Krypton since I first arrived, but now I’m asking you to take a step further and go all in,” Dan withdrew three vials from his belt, one for each of the Stark family. Kara and Cal had received their upgrade shortly after Logan and the others, but Howard was forced to wait until the birth of his son. “If you accept my offer, not only will you gain full access to Krypton’s technology, but you and your family will gain the same abilities as Superboy and Supergirl.”
“The mysterious ‘Superman serum,’” Stark eyed the vials with a near fanatical interest, knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the window frame. “I’ve been badgering Steve about it for more than five years, but he refused to talk about it…”
“Dad, look at what I made… Superman!” A preteen Tony pushed open the door to his father’s office, a rectangular, mechanical box clutched in his arms. His eyes widened as he caught sight of Dan beyond the open window. “When did you get here? Look! I made a genetic sensor to help out the Order!”
Tony held up his machine, a bright smile on his face as he offered it toward Dan. The interior was quite advanced for the times, filled with compact circuitry and delicate crystal filaments. The boy pressed a button on the side and a series of lights flickered across a small display on the top of the white and red box.
“Father said that he was working on a device to detect the mutant gene, but it kept getting pushed aside by higher priority work,” Tony puffed up his chest, proud of his efforts as he pointed to the device. “So I decided to help out and finished the prototype myself!”
“That’s some impressive work, Tony,” Dan flashed the boy a smile as he scanned the sensor, layer by layer. It was of solid construction, and the scanning field it emitted had a range of over a hundred yards. “You’re already a better engineer than your father and you’re not even out of grade school yet!”
“Thanks, Superman!” Tony ignored his father’s flinch and peered at the vials in Dan’s hand. “What are those? A new project that you’re working on?”
“They’re a gift for you and your parents, the super serum that lets your Uncle Steve fly around like I do,” Dan extended the vials toward Howard, who barely hesitated before he snatched them up. “Once the three of you have taken them, we’re going to my personal laboratory for a tour.”
“I still haven’t said yes…” Howard eyed the vials in his hand, face awash in a combination of trepidation and excitement. “I didn’t want to give you oversight over my company twenty years ago, and that still hasn’t changed.”
“Come on, Stark,” Dan rolled his eyes and waved to the building under Howard’s feet. “You’re at the pinnacle of where you can go on your own. I’m offering to show you technology beyond your wildest dreams, all I want is control over its distribution.”
A limited amount of Krypton’s technology was already in use on Earth and Dan wanted to keep the release gradual. Too much growth would attract unwanted attention to the planet, something Dan wanted to avoid until the death of Thanos.
“But the people deserve to benefit from our knowledge,” Howard sighed, eyes still locked on the serum. “What good is any of our work, if it can’t be put to use?”
“Once you have access to our database, you’ll understand,” Dan gave Howard a half-smile as he shook his head. “There are terrible forces in the universe, things that hunt down and destroy planets that shine too brightly.”
“Threats that even you’re scared of?” Howard’s face resolved into a determined mask. He returned Dan’s nod and pocketed the serum. “I’ll speak with Maria tonight. As long as she agrees, we’ll be ready to leave tomorrow morning.”
“Perfect…” Dan glanced at the street below and raised an eyebrow. A thin man in a rumpled suit rehearsed his business pitch, with the help of a gruff and burly companion. “Do you have a meeting with a fellow called Reed Richards this afternoon?”