Inside the Unity Sphere:
"Everyone okay?" M'gann asked as the Unity Sphere stopped shaking, nodding with a relieved smile as she got numerous agreements. "M'comm, Mom, Dad, make sure everyone is okay."
"Will do, sweetheart," her mother replied as she walked away, M'gann floating out of the evacuation centre she was in and into the spiralling hallways of their home.
The usual pathways to the relaxation and resting areas were sealed off, only one path stretching out in front of her. Following it, she was not surprised to see Raven waiting ahead with a frown.
Said frown turned into a smile as she noticed her and she giggled at the way her friend stiffened when M'gann hugged her.
"Everything okay down there?"
"Yes. Up here?"
"Some are shaken up by what happened, but we're all still kicking," M'gann nodded with a relieved smile as she let her go, the two of them drifting through the corridors towards their next destination.
"So, what happened?"
"I don't know. All I saw were people firing at us before Chris told me to make sure everyone was okay," she replied, making Raven frown as the two of them drew closer to the control room.
The moment they entered, Raven raised an eyebrow while M'gann blinked at the sight of the control room's viewing port fixing the cracks in its form.
Chris and Match stood in the centre of the room, but both girls' eyes were focused on the unconscious woman Chris held in his arms that looked to be dressed in a black-red version of the late Superman's costume.
"Chris? Why is there a girl in your arms?"
"Uh, I think she might be my cousin?" he replied, looking unsure just as Sphere spoke up.
"DNA scans show that you and Match are quite closely related to the captive."
"Can you run the same scan in regards to Superman's DNA?"
"Already did. Percentage of DNA shared between the two is 20%, nearly 18% for you and Match."
"That doesn't sound so close?"
"Parents and their children only share 50% and the number only gets smaller the further away you go to grandparents, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, half-siblings, etc.," Chris replied as he placed her in the throne.
"So, you two just found another Kryptonian?" M'gann asked and he shook my head right before he remembered Match's wound.
Turning around, Chris was not surprised to see him standing with his arms crossed despite the blood flowing from his wound.
"Friend-Match!" Kori immediately locked onto her boyfriend's wounded state as she flew forward, Match giving a pained grunt when she hugged and fussed over him.
"It's nothing, Kori."
"Match, you got hit with a kryptonite axe. It's not nothing," he decided to speak, drawing a frown from his clone brother.
"I'll heal."
"Sure, but until then, Kori, take him to the medical area. I'm sure Em'ree has cooked up something that could help him."
"Right! Come on, mister!" Chris smirked at Match's glare as she grabbed his arm and yanked him with her out the control room, leaving him alone with my two girlfriends and his unconscious cousin.
Speaking of the unconscious cousin...
"Sphere, could you perhaps fuse some of the Kryptonite we have from the droids to the command chair?"
"Certainly," Feeling as the Sphere accessed the Unity Sphere and began funnelling some of the Kryptonite through its central system into the chair, the Kryptonian clone couldn't help but wonder if he could permanently steal it from Raven.
"Huh, she never speaks with me," the young women in question muttered, to which Chris shrugged as they stared at her. "Also, her mind is in utter turmoil."
"Utter turmoil is the right word," M'gann murmured and he watched as she rested her hands against his cousin's temples. "There are memories of...of torture and anguish, feelings of longing and regret that have been dulled due to repeated 'training' programs."
"Any way we can help?"
"This is something for my uncle. He'd be a much better therapist than I am," she replied, to which Chris nodded before his eyes focused on Supergirl's form as she stirred.
Sphere immediately put cuffs from the chair that latched on her arms, legs and waist, the three watching as her eyes opened slowly before they widened.
"He-" Stepping to the side, Chris avoided the laser vision that sputtered out before it could hit the wall. Looking back at the Kryptonian, he was not surprised to see her try and fail to break the grip the chair's cuffs had on her.
She thrashed violently, but it was futile as the Kryptonite drained every bit of her strength.
"U-Unhand me from this chair!" she snarled, but Chris just crossed his arms with a raised eyebrow.
"Firstly, that's not going to happen unless you decide not to kill us. Secondly, relax because you're just wasting your strength."
"When Lord Darkseid returns, he will free me and I shall revel in tearing you limb from limb."
"She's not at all like you and Chris," came Raven's monotone voice, making Chris smirk as M'gann snorted. That also drew 'Supergirl' to look at the two, whom waved at her.
"Hello."
"A Martian? And a white one at that?"
"Hey, watch how you talk about my girlfriend."
"Of course a filthy Kryptonian such as yourself would find such deplorable beings attractive."
"Well, she's a delight," Raven spoke again and Chris just stared at his supposed cousin that was more like a fanboy of Darkseid.
"I know. Also, you're a Kryptonian too."
"Once again, I will not fall for the lies. I am no true Kryptonian. I am a half-breed that carries the glorious blood of the great Lord Darkseid."
"...Sphere?"
"Brain waves show that the subject is highly brainwashed or delusional. She only possesses the DNA of a Kryptonian and none other."
"And now you have a computer to fabricate records," she spat, glaring at the console. "Lord Darkseid birthed my power in the pits of Apokolips! I am his fury!"
"Right, 'cause the guy who leaves his soldiers behind is definitely a loving father figure," Raven replied sarcastically, drawing her glare. "You can yell all you want, but you still share almost twenty percent of your genetic makeup with him. That has to mean something."
"Kal-El," the very moment Chris said the name, they were surprised to see her squeeze her eyes shut as a sharp gasp escaped her lips.
"W-What trickery is this?"
"Lara Lor-Van," he continued, a cry escaping her lips as she smashed her head against the chair.
"S-Stop! In the name of Darkseid. I command you to-!"
"Jor-El," she cried out and struggled against the chair, Chris shaking his head when he saw the concerned looks from his girlfriends.
"Those are the names of Superman and his Kryptonian parents," he explained and realisation entered their eyes as the Kryptonian was glaring at him.
"You will suffer. I will not rest until you suffer."
"Zor-L," Here, she let out an agonising scream and even Chris flinched back as he saw her biting her lips hard enough to draw blood.
"A-Are you sure this is working? We can feel her mind tearing itself apart to keep the names buried," M'gann asked, the three of them staring at the heavily breathing Kryptonian before he sighed.
"Right, sorry you guys had to go through that."
"Eh, I enjoyed it after the whole 'I will rip you limb from limb' thing," Raven replied with a smirk, drawing a sigh from M'gann as I chuckled.
"Sure. In any case, we now know that she has the memories. They're just deeply repressed," he muttered, crossing his arms with a frown.
"We can enter, but it would be the equivalent of trying to break down an iron wall with a toothpick."
"Then, I guess we can only ask uncle J'onn for help," M'gann replied and as Chris nodded, his eyes turned to the fragments of the moon that were slowly drifting in space.
"Right. Back to other matters, how does one repair a moon?"
"You could use the Unity Sphere as one. It's the same size, isn't it?" Raven proposed and Chris shook hhis head.
"It needs more than just size. The density needs to be the same as well or else the effects it has on the planet would be much weaker. Sphere, compare the density of the Unity Sphere to that of the moon."
"It is significantly lower. Around 42% at a rough estimate," Sphere replied and he frowned at that as M'gann sighed.
"I guess that was a reach."
"Not necessarily," Raven muttered, drawing their attention. "Sphere, run the following calculations. How much energy needs to be used to pull in the remains of the moon towards our form and then coat the surface of the Unity Sphere with them?"
"Approximately 51.4% of the power core would be used over the course of a week to fine down the rocks to a dust-like form to then adhere it to the surface of the Unity Sphere with a thin layer of magnetism."
"And would that work then?"
"It has a 73% chance of full success, 21% chance of partial success and 6% chance of failure. That said, the odds are much better than the 98% chance of failure, 1.9% chance of partial success and 0.1% chance of full success with Chris' plan."
"Now, add in if we made use of the railguns to produce the thin layer of magnetism to not only adhere it to our surface but also to generate an artificial mass?"
"You are looking at 99.33% chance of full success and 0.67% chance of partial success. Zero percent chance of failure exists."
"Sounds like a good plan then," Raven replied as she turned to the other two only to roll her eyes at their owlish stares. "What?"
"Since when are you an expert?"
"Since always. You all just never give me time to make use of it."
"Well, then, go ahead and show us," he replied with a grin and his hands raised in mock surrender.
Raven just sighed as she walked to the control panel that formed in front of her. M'gann was mesmerised at the way her fingers moved across the holographic keys while Chris let out a low whistle as Raven's magic mixed into the sphere's form.
"Sphere, initiate the railgun magnetic-mass sequence and synchronise the pull of the grav-anchors with the natural gravitational pull of our little blue planet."
"Acknowledge," Sphere's sole visor lit up as a deep, rhythmic thrumming echoed from the lower decks. Chris himself closed his eyes as he connected to the mind of the Unity Sphere, marvelling at how it, Raven and Sphere worked in unison.
The three massive, jagged tectonic chunks of the moon as well as the swirling sea of thousands of smaller fragments suddenly ceased, the lunar flow vibrating before soaring straight towards the Unity Sphere.
The moment they got within a mile of its form, the thin layer of intense magnetism generated by the railguns ground them down into a dense interlocking shell of grey dust.
In mere moments, the metallic sphere was rapidly buried under a natural coating of moon rock, the layers shifting and compacting as Sphere began to speak.
"Density increasing. Fifty percent...seventy percent...ninety-nine point three percent...Gravitational footprint stabilised. Earth's tidal forces and planetary axis has been successfully anchored. Power core will now begin to replenish via the ambient cosmic radiation."
As he disconnected his mind from the Unity Sphere's, Chris let out a heavy relieved sigh, opening his eyes to stare proudly at where Raven lowered her hands and shook them.
"That was brilliant!" M'gann cheered with a happy applause, one that Chris joined in while both laughed at how red her cheeks became.
"Ugh, no praise. I have not had to think that much in a long time."
"You did amazing, though," Chris replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and making her blush deepen as a slight, triumphant smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Yes, I'm amazing. Whoo, now unhand me because I think M'gann's getting jealous."
"Nope!" the Martian immediately denied her words and Chris laughed while Raven stiffened as she wrapped the both of them in a hug.
"Go and do your sickening shows of affection...elsewhere," they were then reminded of the fourth occupant in the room, turning their heads to see 'Supergirl's weary eyes glaring at them.
She spat a glob of blood to the side as Chris approached and crouched down in front of her.
"You can build this shell of stone and dust, but you will fall to your knees just like the many others that have tried to defy us."
"She doesn't shut up, does she?"
"Nope, but that's okay," he replied, making Raven raise an eyebrow while M'gann narrowed her eyes at the sly smirk on Chris' face.
"Oh no. Oh no no no. I know that look."
"What look?"
"The look of 'I have a stupid plan that just might work'," M'gann replied, to which he chuckled and turned back to the confused Kryptonian girl in front of him.
"Ah, you know me all to well. Now, get your uncle on the line 'cause Paragon's got an idea."
"Sure," M'gann murmured, floating out the room while Raven turned and raised an eyebrow as she looked out the viewing port.
"By the way, we rescuing the Lanterns or just leaving them there to drift away?"
A/N: And we end it here!! So, sorry about missing yesterday and only today. Only got about about two hours ago from a conference meeting with my bosses and the team and I'm only operating on five hours of sleep at that.
So, I just felt like writing this and then blasting off.
Anyway, next chapter: Apokolips War II
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!!