“Thanks for the help, Superman… but don’t you think you went a little overboard?” Howard Stark stood at the edge of what was once a top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, Peggy Carter at his side. “This place cost a fortune to build, and now I’ve got to explain to congress that we’re short one research facility.”
“It was full of the demonically possessed, agents of an organisation called Hydra under the control of the demons of Mephisto,” Dan gave the millionaire a half-smile. With Cal’s help, Stark industries was the single most powerful corporation on the planet. “Only the two children could be saved… I’ll get Superboy to rebuild this place, but you need to keep a better watch on your underlings, Stark.”
“Thule WAS being watched,” Howard frowned as he stroked his moustache. “All I got were normal reports, before everything went silent.”
“Still, Superman is right,” Peggy shook her head and waved to the devastated base. “S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to police itself better, especially if we’re going to be dealing with things beyond the natural.”
“I’d be willing to help, if you’ll have me?” Steve floated down from above, back from returning the kidnapped children to their mother. “My position at Krypton Academy is soon to be replaced by a new generation of mutant graduates and I’m looking for a job.”
“Steve,” Peggy grinned as the Captain settled to the ground. “Long time no see! We’d be happy to have you, as long as Superman over there has no complaints?”
“The good Captain is free to do as he wishes,” Dan waved to Steve, head tilted to the side as Venom whispered into his ear. “Now I’m afraid that I have to go… don’t forget, Steve, we’ll have daily training for mental defence for the next two weeks.”
Dan rocketed upwards, away from the planet and into the quiet of space. It had been several days, but the Juggernaut was finally awake. The over-muscled behemoth swam awkwardly through space, propelled forward by the efforts of Venom’s clone.
Hand extended, Dan dragged Cain Marko back into the embrace of the Earth. They landed in the centre of the Pacific, on a small, uninhabited island. Juggernaut shook himself and Venom was cast from his skin like water off a duck.
“You took quite the nap, Cain,” Dan reabsorbed the symbiote clone and looked Juggernaut up and down. He was even larger than before, his body refined by Cyttorak’s possession. “I’m afraid your friends have all been converted to my cause or locked away, but there’s a place for you by my side if you want it.”
Dan had promised Cyttorak that he would train his chosen, and Juggernaut was a valuable resource if he could be properly directed. He may be the strongest on Earth at the moment, besides the Ancient One and himself.
“I don’t want to work with my brother…” Cain picked at the shattered armour on his chest and shook his head. “Charles and I don’t get along, and I don’t know why I’d side with you anyway… you can’t kill me and fighting you has only made me stronger!”
“You’re right that I can’t kill you,” Dan shrugged. Eventually he would be strong enough to destroy an avatar of Cyttorak, but for now Juggernaut was correct. “But I could drag you into the space between galaxies and let you swim back to civilised space.”
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Juggernaut deflated somewhat at Dan’s words, face pinched in annoyance. The ground trembled as the big man dropped to a seated position, back pressed against an outcrop of rock.
“So what, you want me to fight and kill for you?” Cain shook his head and looked away, over the ocean and to the horizon. “I’m tired of being a lap dog for other people’s plans. Why don’t we just call it a day and agree to stay out of eachothers business?”
“If you like, but I don’t need you to do my killing for me,” Dan joined the oversized man on the rocky beach, relaxed against the same spur of rocks. “I promised the one who gives you your power that I’d train you, beyond that I don’t have much else for you to do that I can’t do myself.”
“The one who gives me my power…” Juggernaut frowned, eyes unfocused. “This power comes from an ancient god, but I’ve never truly met him.”
“Cyttorak the Destroyer,” Dan nodded as he flicked a stone towards the waves. It skimmed the surface, carried along until it vanished beyond the curve of the Earth. “He’s not all bad, more chaotic neutral when viewed against the rest of the multiverse.”
There were far worse demons, Mephisto among them, and Cyttorack often lent his powers to the servants of Kamar-Taj. The multidimensional battle junky seemed more focused on finding a good time than actively devastating the cosmos.
“You said he wanted you to train me… why?” Juggernaut turned his head to face Dan, dark eyes shadowed with doubt. “I couldn’t beat you, and everything I am comes from him…”
“You’re capable of great things, Cain Marko,” Dan gave the big man a warm smile as he floated into the air. “Anyone can become the Juggernaut, but few can harness the might of Cyttorak like you can. He’s chosen you because he can see that potential, and he wants me to help pull it out.”
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Radiant light speared forward, a pillar of concentrated white that cleaved a barren world in two. Astra smiled as the light of her main cannon faded. She lowered her hand and turned to her ‘mother’ for praise.
“Look how powerful I am!” The mechanical Titan spun in a circle, face lit by a joyous smile. “Look!!!”
“I can see, Astra,” May laughed as she shook her head. The Titan’s blast was enough to match a small supernova, concentrated into a fine line of destruction. “You did a great job, top marks for the day!”
“Such a powerful machine,” Anakin drifted forward, eyes bright. “With her under Krypton’s banner, I doubt many will be willing to stand against us.”
“She’s not only a machine, Anakin,” May sighed. The young sorcerer was becoming more and more power driven, focused on advancing both magically and with his Kryptonian powers. “She’s alive, and it would be an awful thing to force her to constantly bully disobedient worlds.”
The number of applicants to the Kryptonian Empire increased by the day. The outliers mostly stood within a small alliance of core worlds, focused around Corellia. They were all in general compliance with Krypton's mandates, and were free to manage themselves as they wanted.
“I suppose,” Anakin shrugged as he basked in the sun, eyes on Astra as she raised her hand for another attack. “But we’ve got dozens of smaller systems that have refused to abide by Krypton’s laws, slaver worlds and their benefactors.”
Astra released a second attack into the void, directed at the surface of a gas giant. A new star was born as the massive world converted into energised plasma. The Titan laughed as the flames erupted outward, a halo of fire that dispelled the planet’s mass into space.
“The general forces of Krypton are more than enough to deal with them, and if not…” May’s eyes flickered, backlit by runic formations. “If not, then we can take action ourselves. Now focus, you're out here to practise your ki techniques, not laze about in the sun!”
A flash of light drew their combined gaze to the edge of the system. Goku and Anissa slipped from the phantom zone, hand in hand and with matching smiles. They waved simultaneously and sped forward, headed in May’s direction.
“May, Anakin!” Goku practically vibrated as he dragged Anissa forward, honest smile turned in May’s direction. “I wanted to thank you May, you saved Anissa’s life…”
“It’s alright, Goku,” May waved away his apology and returned a smile of her own. “I know that she’s important to you, and Dan has high hopes for her in the future as well…”
“May… Anakin… I need you!” Merlyn’s disembodied voice echoed through the void and filled the ears of everyone in the group. It was strained, out of breath. “I’m outside Abeloth’s prison, reinforcing the walls… she has summoned forth several avatars, They seemed determined to…”
The Wizards voice cut off, his spell cancelled in mid sentence. May waved her hand and summoned her staff, hand extended to grab on to Anakin’s shoulder. She turned to Goku and Anissa, face drawn in serious lines.
“Don’t come with us, neither of your mental shields are up to par with Abeloth’s power,” May jumped into the phantom zone, mind filled with worry. Merlyn wouldn’t cut off communication unless he was in dire straits. “You better be ok, you grumpy old man…”