Kara soared high above the clouds, her body wrapped in the thin veil of illusion. Her armor hid her form, negating the air resistance and sound breaks — giving her absolute stealth. Her breath was calm, controlled — her heartbeat steady, despite the storm of thoughts racing through her mind.
Below her, two dark figures cut through the sky at super speeds, leaving sonic booms in their wake.
Faora and Non-Er.
They were retreating, possibly to their base, after their defeat at her hand. She didn't think for a moment this was a panicked retreat. Faora was too cunning. This was a calculated regroup, possibly an ambush.
Even if they could not see her or sense her, Faora would not make uncalculated mistakes. The dry blood on Kara's lips was a reminder of how hard-pressed she had been against the two.
But Kara had no thoughts of turning away. This was her chance — her path to Zod and Kal-El. Maybe the end of this war. Maybe the end of all her darkness.
'Meh,' an annoying voice in her mind rejected that idea.
Kara scoffed, amused at her own thoughts.
Through the thinning clouds rose the spires of crystal monoliths. Buildings made of diamonds and light — Metropolis beneath them. A marvel that made her feel at home.
Above it, a rift in space, like the maw of an ethereal beast, pulsed with reality-warping energy. A Phantom Zone breach, growing with each second. Her HUD lit up with the readings: Energy Spikes – Critical Levels.
Faora and Non didn't hesitate. They flew straight into the breach, vanishing into the white void like ghosts diving into a mirror.
Kara halted mid-air, floating just beyond the breach. Her fist clenched.
This was it. The path to Zod. To the end. To whatever came next.
She leaned forward, ready to dive—
"Kara."
Batman's voice cut clearly through the silence.
Kara stopped, surprised. "Batman?"
"Don't enter the breach," his voice was low, but firm. "Return to Watchtower. We're calling in everyone. Full-scale mobilization."
"What about Kal-El?" she asked, jaw clenched.
"Kara," Superman's voice answered. "We made it out. Batman and I. We're okay. Return for now."
"But I could end it—"
"Not alone." Batman's tone was steel. "You've done enough for one day."
She didn't respond immediately. Her eyes remained locked on the breach, the shimmering tear in space that could vanish at any moment.
To end it all.
"Kara," Superman's voice came calmer. "Return. We've got bigger threats to worry about than Zod."
Kara frowned. Bigger than Zod and an army of Kryptonians?
Still, she relented. "Sending full recon data."
She shared the VOD of her investigation at the Fortress of Solitude and her battle with Faora and Non.
"Got it," Batman replied. "Teleport now."
Kara gave the breach one last glance. The pull of it was still strong — the desire to end it now, with one final push.
With a glitch—
She vanished.
Watchtower Orbit, Above Earth
The glitch of space faded, and Kara stood tall on the teleportation pad of the Watchtower. Her cape fluttered behind her as she stepped forward into the vast central command hub — a room built for diplomacy and discussion, now turned into a war room.
The room was filled with faces she recognized and some she didn't.
Wonder Woman, standing like a sentinel, arms crossed and blade ready. Martian Manhunter, calm but unreadable, his eyes fixed on the tactical map. The Flash jittered from one side of the room to the other, too anxious to sit still. Green Lantern Hal Jordan leaned against a wall, arms crossed. Green Arrow was seated casually, fingers playing across the shaft of a kryptonite-tipped arrow. Black Canary stood silent, eyes scanning everything.
They were all here.
Because Earth was on the brink of war.
And the enemy… was an army of Kryptonians.
The air was thick with tension as Kara entered. For a moment, everyone turned to her. Some nodded with respect, others with concern. None with fear — but it was close.
Kara walked past them without hesitation, eyes set on the holographic display.
In the center, the holo-map of Earth displayed spreading red breach markers. Most clustered around Metropolis, a few near the poles, and one — terrifyingly — just above Gotham.
Batman stood before it.
Clad in grey and black armor, reinforced with subtle green lines on the gauntlets and belt — kryptonite-threaded armor. His white eyes stared at the holo-map of Gotham and its breach.
"Welcome back," he said without turning.
"Where's Kal?" Kara asked.
"In the solarium chamber. Absorbing solar radiation. He'll be combat-ready soon," Batman answered. "You did well driving off Faora and Non. You bought us time."
Kara stepped up beside him. "I followed them to a breach near Metropolis. I'm sure they're back with Zod."
"Then we move fast," Batman said. He tapped a command. The hologram zoomed into the Metropolis breach.
Breach Pulse Readings: 94%
Stability Zone Expansion Probability: 67%
Estimated Invasion Window: 12 Hours
Across the table, the heroes shifted.
Batman turned to the League.
"This is what we know," he said. "Zod intends to bring the Phantom Zone into Earth — to let the prison spill open and turn our world into a battleground. We don't know how many Kryptonians he has access to, but if even ten emerge with full solar exposure…"
He didn't finish. He didn't need to.
Ten Kryptonians were enough to burn the planet.
"So what's the plan?" Hal Jordan asked.
Batman stepped aside, revealing another display.
Contingency Plan: RED SUN
The screen changed.
Blueprints. Schematics. Weapons. Arrays.
"Zion created a contingency in case Superman ever went rogue," Batman said. "We're using it against the Kryptonians."
He tapped again.
Gadgets appeared — glowing with green cores.
Batman enlarged a chest armor piece.
"Kryptonite shield-weaver. Protects against long-range attacks, causes poisoning on contact."
Next, a metal orb.
"Kryptonite-powered array. Creates depower zones. Another variant runs on red sun energy."
Then a futuristic rifle.
"Kryptonite rifle. Shoots concentrated Kryptonite radiation. Long range and high penetration."
Floating drones.
"Kryptonite dispersal drones. Cloaked. Autonomous. Airborne radiation burst domes — enough to suppress Kryptonian strength to baseline."
All Zion's tech.
Kara scoffed. "Zion really knows how to be annoying."
"He built more," Batman said dryly. "We could arm a whole city."
The League exchanged glances.
"This is good," Canary said, "But what's the real plan? We can't bomb Metropolis."
"Plan A is containment. Plan B is Suppression. Plan C…"
"Imprisonment?" J'onzz asked.
"We return them to the breach," Batman said. "Force them back inside. One by one."
Kara frowned. "They won't go easily."
"Then we show them why Earth isn't theirs to conquer."
Silence.
Then Superman entered.
Clad in blue and red, his chest glowing with solar power. Not fully healed, but restored.
He placed a hand on Batman's shoulder.
"We do this together," Kal said. "We stop Zod. And we save the innocent caught in this war."
WOOF.
A bark broke the silence.
Kara looked down.
"Krypto?!"
Superman smiled, kneeling to scratch behind the dog's ears. "Wasn't my imagination after all."
"He was genetically modified to be a house pet," Kara said, approaching slowly. "Uncle Jor-El was... overprotective."
Superman chuckled.
"I thought he died," Kara whispered, reaching out.
Krypto growled lightly — warning her — then let her pet him.
Kara turned back to the map, her voice sharp. "We'll need ground forces in Metropolis. I'll lead aerial assault. Kal takes point once fully restored."
"And what about the other threat?" Flash asked. "What about Doom?"
"Doomsday," Batman corrected. "Let's not reach that point."
Kara's face paled. "Doomsday…"
"Zod cannot control that monster," Batman stated deadly. "He would not use it unless he is going for scorched earth."
"I'll handle Zod," she said firmly.
Everyone in the room knew she meant it.
The storm was coming.
But the Justice League would be ready.
***
Phantom Zone, Edge of the Metropolis Projection
Faora and Non-Er dropped into the pale void of the Phantom Zone, the distorted light washing over their bruised forms. Their silhouettes cut through the ghostly haze, slowing as they neared the mirrored skyline that shimmered like a memory — a phantom reflection of Metropolis, echoing into the Phantom Zone..
At its center, unmoving, stood General Zod.
He faced the illusory city, hands clasped behind his back, his cape motionless despite the drifting currents of phantom winds.
Faora and Non landed silently, falling to one knee before him.
"General," Faora said, her voice low. "We failed."
Zod didn't turn.
There was a long silence.
"We engaged Kara Zor-El," Faora continued. "Her strength… increased mid-battle. Her armor wasn't Kryptonian. It responded to her. Healed her. Empowered her."
"She's was not weak," Non-Er added, voice gravel and frost.
Still, Zod said nothing. His gaze remained locked on the flickering vision of Metropolis beyond the breach — silent, floating, waiting.
Then, at last, he spoke.
"Kal-El has escaped."
Faora tensed.
"Batman," Zod said flatly. "Of course. That maddened mortal came to this dead zone to rescue him."
The silence returned. Thicker now.
"Shall we adjust the invasion plan?" Faora asked, carefully.
Zod turned, slowly, his expression unreadable — neither rage nor approval. Only calculation.
"No," he said. "We proceed."
Faora blinked. "But—"
"They believe they are prepared," Zod continued, voice low but certain. "They believe they understand what's coming."
His boots barely touched the surface as he began walking toward the breach.
"But they've only seen the surface. The shadow on the wall."
Zod paused at the edge of the breach. His eyes pulsed faintly red, reflecting the shifting lights of Earth's skyline beyond.
"Let them gather their champions," he said. "Let them arm themselves with their little stones and red suns. It will make no difference."
Faora frowned. "General... if they're expecting us—"
"They aren't," Zod said. "Not truly. They think this is about conquest. Or vengeance. Or freedom."
He turned back to them, eyes distant.
"It's not."
Then he simply said:
"Begin the next phase."
The breach shimmered.
Something stirred in the Phantom light. Shapes. Movement. Like shadows waking up.
And far beyond, on the other side of reality, a ripple passed through the skies of Metropolis — unseen, unheard.
But not unnoticed.