Flames of Destiny 

By Hordak Alpha

Act 2

		Metropolis was abuzz in activity.    Metro P.D forces scoured the streets and the skies with police cars and helicopters for any strange activity.      Alongside police officers and S.W.A.T teams stood members of both the Justice League and the Justice Society.               Various superheroes  awaited the ultra-human arrival from the tops of various Metropolis buildings.              

		Superman stood atop the Daily Planet building awaiting the arrival of evil with hesitation.          The previous man-monster who had attacked Metropolis a few weeks before had slaughtered hundreds of innocent people and crushed out the lives of several Justice League members.                  Lois Lane came out onto the roof from the stairwell entrance and wrapped her arms around her loving husband from behind.

		"Is it almost time?" asked Lois, nervously.

		"I don't know," said Superman,  "all that was said while Alpha and Ultimus interrogated the ultra-human was that the ultra-human forces would arrive in three days.   It has now been three days."

		"Chloe is doing better," said Lois as she tried to lighten up the subject,  "The doctors say she will be able to come home very soon."

		"That is great to hear," said Superman quietly,  "I'm just thankful that she wasn't hurt any worse."

		  Superman's super hearing picked up vibrations coming towards the Daily Planet building from the air.       He looked up to see Supergirl and Powergirl come flying over .

		"Kal, it is awfully quiet." said Supergirl as she and Powergirl landed beside Superman and Lois.

		"It almost borders on eerie." said Powergirl with a shudder.

		"I know," said Superman,  "it is like the calm before a dark storm.   I feel exactly the same way as you do."

		    Superman turned around and embraced Lois.   "You shouldn't be here," he said,  "You should be with everyone else who evacuated out of the city."

		"There are a lot of people who elected to stay in the city," said Lois, "I just happen to be one of them."

		Flashes of light suddenly began to light up the sky forcing Superman, Lois, Supergirl and Powergirl to turn their gazes to the sky.

		"Great Rao !!!" said Supergirl,  "Look at that pyrotechnic display."

		The entire sky over Metropolis was alight in bright red and orange light.  Forms began to emerge from the flickers of light and began to crash down all over the city.

		"Get ready," said Superman,  "the heavens only know how many of them are going to show up."

		A bright orange flash of light flickered to life high above the Daily Planet and a figure landed atop the giant globe that sat atop the building.

		"Powergirl, stay close," said Superman,  "Supergirl, get Lois out of here."

		"But the party has just started," said an ultra-human as he leapt down from the globe and came to land on the rooftop just inches away from Superman.    

		"Holy Shit!!" cursed Supergirl in her native kryptonese language, "Its him."

		The bulky ultra-human that stood before the foursome looked exactly like the man-monster who had attacked Metropolis all of those weeks ago.

		"He is a clone," said Superman,  "Alpha and Ultimus told me that they are all clones."

		"That we are." said another man-monster, who stalked out of the shadows,  "We are all coming to this world to purge your impure forms from the face of the universe."

                The entire city was now filled with explosions of gunfire and the ground shook all around as ultra-humans were engaging in battle with the super human and human forces who defended the city.        

		"Listen to it," said one of the man-monsters,  "Listen to the sounds of your people being reduced to piles of crushed bones."

                       Supergirl sprang into action and planted a powerful punch across the man-monster's jaw.          With a tremendous crack the man-monster was sent hurtling over the side of the building.              Before the second man-monster could touch Supergirl, Superman leapt into the fray and backhanded him across the face.

		"Kara," said Superman,  "Get Lois out of here."

		For a brief moment Supergirl and Powergirl stood around in confusion considering both of their names were Kara.    Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) and Powergirl (Kara Zor-L) were both the same person except that Powergirl was from a planet Krypton of a parallel universe.       

		"Which one of us?" asked Supergirl.

		"You," said Superman as he pointed to Supergirl, "Get Lois out of here!!"

		Supergirl scooped up Lois and flew off at breath taking speeds.   

		The second man-monster leapt towards Superman and the Man of Steel responded with a power punch across the villain's chest.      The man-monster staggered back slightly but was completely unphased by the punch.

		"I was not ready for your previous attack," said the man-monster, "But I am completely ready now."

		      Three more man-monsters appeared out of nowhere and attacked Superman and Powergirl.         The two heroes fought back against their attackers but to no avail.                   Superman took in a vast lung-full of air and expelled out a powerful blast of wind.             The blast was powerful enough to blow the attacking man-monsters away.

		"Lets put some distance between us and them." said Powergirl as she flew off high into the sky.

		Superman followed her up.        With telescopic vision Superman spotted all of the man-monsters he had blown around down far below on the ground.      

		"They sure are tough," said Powergirl,  "Able to take a power punch and survive plummeting several stories down to the ground."

		"If they wouldn't have survived the fall I wouldn't have blasted them with a wind-blast," said Superman,  "They may be trying to destroy the city but I'm not going to stoop to their level and attempt to kill any of them."

		"That is because you are weak , Kal-El of Krypton." said a man-monster in kryptonese.

		Superman and Powergirl turned their attention to high up above them.    There they saw a man-monster dressed in yellow and black armor floating above them with a smug look on his face.

		"You've studied the language of Krypton," said Superman, "you speak it fluently."

		"Yes, for I share in kryptonian heritage as do my clones," said the man-monster prime,  " For we all have just a tiny bit of Kryptonian DNA within us among other genetic codes that help make us as powerful as we are now."

		"We don't care about your origins or why you can fly and your clones can't," said Powergirl,  "All we care about is knocking you back to the timeline where you come from."

		"Amusing little one," said Man-Monster Prime,  "I shall enjoy crushing you under my heel."

		"You won't get the chance." said Superman as he shot up towards Man-Monster Prime.

		   Man-Monster Prime swiftly backhanded Superman in the face.   Three other man-monsters flew into the air and grabbed up the Man of Steel.            "Some of my clones can fly, as you can see  Kara Zor L. " said Man-Monster Prime to Powergirl.

		Powergirl was helpless to aide Superman as Man-Monster Prime swiftly attacked her by grabbing her in a vicious bear hug.             The villain began to crush Powergirl viciously.            Powergirl wheezed in agony as all of the air was forced out of her lungs.           Her eyes began to glow red for a brief instant until she unleashed a searing heat vision blast into the face of  MM-Prime.            

               "Nice try but not enough," said MM-Prime with a grin, "I can do it better."

		Powergirl let out a shriek of agony as MM-Prime blasted his own heat vision across her right cheek.        The intensity of this heat blast was actually powerful enough to leave a scalding burn on Powergirl's cheek.          MM- Prime then released Powergirl and planted a firm, powerful, kick across her chest.            Powergirl was sent hurtling downward through the air where she crashed through the roof of a building below.       

		"Leave her alone!!!!" roared Superman as he struggled against the man-monsters that restrained him,  "I'm the one you want."

		MM-Prime flashed down through the air and followed after Powergirl.    "The only thing I want is for you and all of the pitiful little creatures of this world to die." he called as he disappeared into the building.           

			Powergirl got to her feet and held her burnt cheek the entire time.   MM-Prime flashed into view  and shot towards Powergirl.        Powergirl was sent crashing through a wall of the abandoned building by a powerful flat hand blow of MM-Prime.           

			Superman began to whirl around and around at super speed velocities in an attempt to shake off the three man-monsters that restrained him.    The ultra-humans just held on with hardly any effort with their powerful strength.        A flash of light suddenly lit up the sky over head and a familiar time ship flashed into being.      One of the man-monsters let go of Superman and attacked the time ship with a powerful blast of heat vision.          The blast seared through the hull of the time ship and penetrated deep into the engine core.            Alpha, Ultimus and Carlisle bailed out quickly just a few moments before the time ship detonated in a ball of fire.

		"The time ship!!" exclaimed Carlisle.

		"You destroyed our time ship!" said Alpha.

		Ultimus blasted away at the man-monsters that continued to restrain Superman.           The mystic lightning blasts traveled through the nervous systems of the man-monsters forcing them to let go.         Superman backhanded both of them with powerful strikes and cleared some room away from them.

		"Powergirl is in danger," said Superman,  "I'm going to need some assistance."

		"That is why we are here." said Alpha.  

		"Carlisle and I will tend to the other man-monsters." said Ultimus.   

		Ultimus and Carlisle flew away in pursuit of the man-monsters while Superman and Alpha made their way towards the building where Powergirl was being beaten.                          Alpha brushed aside the man-monster that had destroyed the time ship with a swift energy blast.                   The man-monster was struck with the powerful detonation of energy and sent hurtling down towards the ground below.         

		"Ughh!" cried out Powergirl as a searing heat vision blast struck her in the shoulder.

		"I thought you would have something behind your insolence," said MM-Prime as he slowly made his way towards Powergirl,  " You are proving to be a pitiful example of Kryptonian strength."

		Powergirl dashed towards MM-Prime and launched punch after punch against his face with all of the strength in her body.             The entire building shook from the powerful blows but MM-Prime barely budged at all.

		"Let me show you true strength." said MM-Prime as he backhanded Powergirl across the face.          

		Superman and Alpha came crashing through the ceiling and attacked MM-Prime with great ferocity.             The power punches did not phase the armored villain.             MM-Prime smashed Alpha in the chest and grabbed Superman around the neck.        Powergirl got to her feet and flew at MM-Prime, locking her arms around his neck from behind thus holding him in a headlock.                      MM-Prime tossed Superman away and pried Powergirl off of his back and began to pummel her with short, swift and powerful strikes.                      Powergirl let out a wounded cry each and every time she was struck.                    MM-Prime then slammed Powergirl headfirst into the ground.   The entire building shook and collapsed from the impact.

		"Oh God," said Carlisle as she lifted a man-monster high over her head with super strength,  "Alpha, Superman and Powergirl were in there."

		"We have other problems to deal with." said Ultimus as he blasted away at an oncoming onslaught of man-monsters with blasts of mystical crimson fire.

		MM-Prime tossed rubble off of him and went searching for his enemies.   He found Powergirl laying head first in the rubble.    She was unmoving as MM-Prime picked her up.       Powergirl's costume was in tatters with one of her breasts exposed and vicious bruises across her body.                 

		"Stupid Cunt." said MM-Prime as he was about to break Powergirl's neck.

		Superman crashed out of the rubble and smashed his body into MM-Prime's back like a powerful battering ram.                MM-Prime spun around and hurled the wounded Powergirl at Superman.               Powergirl's lifeless form crashed into Superman and sent him impacting into the debris.               

		"Nothing can stop me," said MM-Prime,  "I have no weakness."

		Alpha tossed away a pile of rubble off of himself with a blast of telekinesis and flashed towards MM-Prime.             He stopped short and unleashed a powerful double energy blast that smashed into MM-Prime.           The blast was powerful enough to send MM-Prime hurtling backwards through the air.           Superman, acting on adrenaline, shot off into the air after the villain.                Alpha was about to do the same when he heard a wounded cry from behind him.

		"H...Help me please." cried out Powergirl.   The wounded heroine desperately reached out towards him.

		Alpha turned his gaze to Powergirl, her battered face reflected in the mirrored visor of his helmet.           "I'm here." said Alpha as he knelt down beside her.

		"D....Don't leave...." said Powergirl as she clasped Alpha's hand tightly,  "I...can't breathe."

		Alpha held her hand tightly and looked around.    All around him was chaos and confusion as all of the other superheroes fought against the deadly ultra-humans that now threatened the world populace.           Alpha looked down at Powergirl as she went unconscious.

		MM-Prime smashed into the side of a building with Superman landing close by.      

			“Pig fucking maggots!!” cursed MM-Prime as he shot out into the open,  “How can these inferiors keep tossing me about?”

		“That is because we aren’t inferior,” said Superman as he slowly stalked towards MM-Prime,  “We are actually fighting for something which is the well being of all of the people of the world.    Right here and now I’m going to put an end to you and your ultra-human race even if I die in the process.”

		“Don’t tempt fate,” said MM-Prime,  “You may just jinx your chance of survival.”

		MM-Prime leapt at Superman and swung a powerful backhanded strike at the hero.      Superman parried the blow with an elbow and smashed his fist against the man-monster’s jaw.         A thunder crack rumbled and the ground shook from Superman’s strike but MM-Prime was unphased.  

		“Your efforts will prove fruitless,” said MM-Prime as he head butted Superman in the face ferociously,  “I am composed of Kryptonian, Zarnian, Zabrak, and the DNA of other great powerful races all mixed into one body.”

		Superman withdrew for a second and then flew forward and smashed a powerful knee strike to MM-Prime’s abdomen.    The force of the strike was only strong enough to force the man-monster backwards slightly.            MM-Prime smashed Superman across the chest with an open palm.       The blow hit Superman hard and cast him away far across the battle field.

		Gas mains began to explode all about as man-monsters smashed and bashed their way through the industrial district of Metropolis, tossing around their superhero opponents all the while.       Huge sections of concrete had been ripped up and the entire battleground was full of jagged and buckled sections of pavement.      Alpha shielded the unconscious Powergirl with his cloak as he picked her up in his arms.        He wanted to find a safe place to put her but there wasn’t exactly a safe enough place close by.           

		Alpha’s attention was suddenly drawn skyward after he heard a powerfully concussive explosion.       He saw two man-monsters go spiraling downward through the air after having been struck down by a combined mystic blast from Ultimus and Dr. Fate.     Carlisle then descended down from somewhere above and landed beside Alpha.

		“Oh my,” said Carlisle after she saw Powergirl’s battered form in Alpha’s arms,  “What happened to her?”

		“The ultra-human leader,” said Alpha,  “He almost killed her.”

		“Alpha,” said Ultimus as he landed close by,  “Dr.Fate has told me that there may be a way to restrain and capture the ultra-humans.”

		“Good news,” said Alpha, “How exactly?”

		“I’m not sure but I’m going to join my power with Dr.Fate and Zatanna and follow their lead.” said Ultimus.         

		Ultimus then waved a hand and a crackling bolt of lightning seared down from the sky and blasted a man-monster who had tried to sneak up behind Carlisle.     

		“Here,” said Alpha as he handed Powergirl off to Carlisle,  “Take her and get far away from here.”

		“What about you?” asked Carlisle.

		“I need to take care of some unfinished business.” said Alpha as he teleported away.

		Superman flew away from MM-Prime and then shot back towards him at a blazing speed.       Using the momentum gathered from inertia, Superman used his entire body to smash into MM-Prime.        The strike was powerful enough to send the ultra-human leader careening through the air.      Superman then flew high above into the air and smashed into MM-Prime again slamming him into the ground.      A crater resulted under the forceful impact.             A powerful optic blast shot forth from MM-Prime and struck Superman knocking him out of the air.

		“I tire of this,” said MM-Prime as he grabbed up Superman by the neck,  “Your efforts are wasted; you and these inferior people will all die.”

		“Over my dead body.” coughed Superman as MM-Prime began to cut off his air with crushing pressure to the windpipe.

		“That can be arranged.” said MM-Prime as he smashed Superman into the ground.         

		The Man of Steel was suddenly at the mercy of the man-beast as he endured a pummeling that no normal person could survive.             A smashing blow to the face broke Superman’s nose.   Blood trickled down across his lips and the Man of Steel could actually taste his own blood.              MM-Prime, moving with incredible speed for a mountain of muscle his size, crashed his elbow into Superman’s chest.                  The Man of Steel groaned under the pressure of the blow.                         

		 A piece of debris suddenly came crashing into MM-Prime from behind.      The man-monster whirled around to see Alpha floating behind him.         Superman used this distraction to his advantage.                  Pulling himself into a sitting position, Superman lashed out with his feet and smashed a powerful blow into MM-Prime tossing the man-monster backwards.        As MM-Prime came crashing down, Superman leapt up out of the crater and stood ready to battle again.             MM-Prime then leapt out of the crater and roared in frustration and anger.

		“I have had all I can stand!!!!” roared the man-beast.

		Alpha lashed out with violent telekinetic strikes which resulted in nothing.              MM-Prime, filled with adrenaline, shot towards Alpha and swung his fist.          Alpha teleported out of the way and appeared behind  MM-Prime, locking the villain in a headlock.

		“You’re too damn slow for my tastes,” said Alpha,  “Hardly an opponent worthy of my time.”

		Superman clasped his hands together and swung.     He managed to smash three devastating blows across the chest and face of MM-Prime.                 MM-Prime grabbed up Superman and tossed him away.        Before Alpha knew it he was grabbed by the arms and flung down to the ground by MM-Prime.          The villain pinned him to the ground with his mountains of muscle.        Alpha launched telekinetic strikes in the hopes of knocking the man-beast off of him but there was no such luck.            Superman rejoined the fray and smashed into MM-Prime.                  The villain just blasted Superman away with a heat vision blast.          The Man of Steel went sprawling to the ground.                

		   With his arms and legs pinned it looked as though Alpha was helpless.      If he teleported now the man-monster would come with him.            MM-Prime smashed his fist across the face of Alpha’s helmet and shattered the mirrored visor to pieces.       MM-Prime made eye contact with the helpless Alpha.

		“Stop !!!!” roared Superman as he heaved in a great amount of air and filled his lungs to their capacity.            Superman then puffed out a powerful concussive whoosh-blast of air that lifted MM-Prime into the air and sent him hurtling away.             

		Alpha got to his feet  as Superman finished releasing the blast  of air.             MM-Prime came crashing to the ground and that is when Alpha made his move.         Pulling a spirit sword out from beneath his cloak Alpha teleported across the battle field and sprang upon the monstrous villain the second he reappeared.

		“Don’t do it,” said Superman as he began to rush over in a blur of speed,  “If you kill him you’re no better than he his.”

		“Save it for someone who cares, Clark.” said Alpha as he swung his sword down and sliced into MM-Prime’s flesh.        

		The villain let out a great heave of pain as the flesh across his chest split open.         Before Alpha could strike again, Superman came behind him and grabbed his sword arm.

		“Stop now or I’ll stop you myself.” said Superman.

		MM-Prime leapt from the ground and knocked down both heroes.

		“You should have killed me when you had the chance!!!” roared MM-Prime.

		Before the villain could strike Alpha made direct eye contact with him.         A crackling flash of blue energy shot from his gaze and penetrated through MM-Prime’s own eyes.    Alpha’s optic blast seared through the villain’s brain and exited out the back of MM-Prime’s head.        A sickening sound ensued as the back of the villain’s head exploded sending bone and brain matter through the air.

		Superman stood solemnly as the deceased form of MM-Prime crashed to the ground.       

		Suddenly, all of the remaining man-monsters were swept up in a blast of magic from Dr.Fate, Zatanna and Ultimus.          All ultra-human monsters across Metropolis were swept up into a massive web of mystic energy that entrapped them all ending their rampage.

		“You shouldn’t have done it,” said Superman,  “There is no turning back for you now.”

		“I’ve killed monsters worse than him,” said Alpha gruffly,  “I can handle it.”

		Superman slowly watched Alpha walk away.

		“Where are you going to go now?” asked Superman,  “Your time ship is destroyed.”

		“Carlisle, Ultimus and I will just go home,” said Alpha,  “We are actually from this end of the time line, it is just the time travel aspect that is now lost to us gave us an advantage over threats such as him.”           Alpha ended his sentence by pointing at the dead MM-Prime who lay sprawled out on the ground face up.

		“Just a few seconds more and he would have been ensnared in that mystic web with the rest of his kin,” said Superman,  “You didn’t have to kill him.”

		“Another few seconds and that thing could have killed us,” said Alpha,  “I did the right thing even if it clashes with your methods.”

		“I feel sorry for you, Alpha,” said Superman,  “You see killing your enemies as the only way to win a battle.”

		“It won this battle,” said Alpha, “and both of us are standing here because of what I did.”

		Alpha turned and resumed his walk away from the scene.

		“Clark,” said Alpha.

		“What?” replied Superman as Alpha continued to walk away.

		“Don’t ever restrain me again,” said Alpha,  “I won’t hesitate to show you just how powerful I really am.”

		Superman just remained standing in silence as his uneasy ally walked completely away.