Chapter 12: What if I could be free?

I was not mad at Doomsday. I was livid. The bad news for him was in this reality, I had nothing that restrained me from going all out. No mutant thus no chance of my action leading to experiments used against mutant kids.

As he threw a punch at me, I grabbed his throat and flew off into the sky. I made a red circle behind me, and a chain attached to its center. The chain punctures Doomsday's stomach. I let go of his throat and starts punching him. My punch went past Mach 4 when it hit his face.

*KA-BOOM*

He flew to the horizon, but the chain brought him back to my other fist

*KA-BOOM*

He flew again and came back a second time only to be sent back. This continued till I had enough.

*KA-BOOM* *KA-BOOM* *KA-BOOM* *KA-BOOM* *KA-BOOM* *KA-BOOM*

At one point I mixed lightning strikes in between the punches.

*KA-BLOOM* *KA-BOOM* *KA-BLOOM* *KA-BOOM* *KA-BLOOM* *KA-BOOM*

I could hear Doomsday roaring but I did not care, I kept punching him, I knew that he was getting stronger and that was my plan. The way I was planning on killing him was not going to be pretty. We were already in the DC Universe. They were going to find similarities between me and Superman, whether it was before or after they found out about Kryptonite did not matter as long as they did.

They would then be busy recreating that element in our reality which will give me enough time to consolidate my plan. At first, I had only come here to let them "discover" my "new weakness" but after being on Mars, I realized that I could bring my city of Fortitude to that planet, and it would lessen the chance of people attacking without us noticing.

The problem was that it was inhabitable and full of dead bodies. That's when it hit me. In DC, there is one person that could make plants rapidly grow once I make an atmosphere on Mars, Poison Ivy. I could just take her D.N.A, clone her and bring the clone to our universe but that was plan C. I needed to find and observe Poison Ivy, depending on what her views are I could negotiate with her. Oh, looks like Doomsday is coming back, which hand was it this time? Oh right, it's the right one then left then right then left.

*KA-BOOM* *KA-BOOM* *KA-BOOM* *KA-BOOM* *KA-BOOM* *KA-BOOM*

~3rd POV~

While Lor was giving Doomsday the yoyo treatment, The heroes from the Marvel Universe were having a conversation.

Tony: I so pity the guy that pressures you into prom sex, Shadow Cat.

Ororo: Maybe we should tell him about a certain guy that you have been seeing around.

Kitty: Are you crazy?! Lo will threaten to send him to the Sun if he finds out.

Wanda and Ororo laughed as Kitty was the only one that did not know that Lor knew about her boyfriend's identity.

Wanda: Are we just going to stand here or are we going to do something? By the way, where is Vision?

Tony: He is with S.H.I.E.L.D, remember that we needed someone as a last line of defense, and Vision got picked as one.

Steve: Let's cut the chit-chat, for now, As I see things, they might still people civilians trapped underneath all this destruction. We will slip into teams and do some ground control. Carol, you and Hulk stay with Lor. He might be dominating his fight, but we are in unknown territory. It's best to have at minimum teams of three.

The heroes went their ways to help those they could, they were met with this universe's heroes but quickly decided to prioritize the lives in danger over questioning the other group. It took over an hour for both sides to rescue everyone they could. They were sadly some casualties among the civilian.

After they had saved those, they could, both sides regroup near the place Carol and Bruce were. Carol seeing this, went to speak to Lor.

Carol: Hey, Lottery Boy, you're going to have to wrap things quickly.

Lor: Okay, last punch.

Doomsday had become stronger under the punches of Lor. When Lor went to deliver his final punch, Doomsday caught it. He used his other hand which had sharp bones on it to stab Lor's stomach. Some of the bones were coming out of Lor's lower back.

This shocked the heroes from the Marvel Universe as it had been the first time, they had seen Lor injured to this extent. Lor's next action mostly shocked the heroes of this world. The heroes of the Marvel universe had been shocked at first but quickly came out of their stupor as.

Lor grabbed Doomsday's throat and instantly Doomsday started to look thinner. It was only after a few seconds that everyone understood that Lor was absorbing Doomsday's energy or life force. Doomsday roared at first but suddenly started to shriek and hit Lor with both hands. Sadly, his attack did nothing this time.

A man in a ripped blue suit with a partially destroyed "S" on his chest and a red cape looked at the scene with confusion, stupor, and bafflement. He was Superman.

Superman: What the hell?!

His colleagues were too shocked to even register that he had cursed for the first time. They were almost doubting their eyes. Doomsday, a murder machine that could neither be reasoned, bargained with, talk, or begged to stop, was flailing for his life with what seemed like fear and desperation. The monster that could not feel pity or remorse or fear was showing a terrified expression on his drying-up face. This was due to Doomsday being influenced by Lor mind stone's powers.

Lor used his absorption ability to take Doomsday's power. This was his plan to kill Doomsday as he had theorized, the absorption of someone's power was a painful process for the victim in question. It barely took five minutes for Doomsday to become a thin piece of skin. Lor used his heat vision to burn whatever remained of Doomsday.

Lor descended to meet the other heroes. He saw that four people were standing at the front. Those four were Superman, Power Girl, Wonder Woman, and Batman. The latter was the first to speak between both groups.

Batman: Who are you guys?

Batman gave them his infamous glare, but Lor did not care. He needed to act as carelessly as possible to entice him into "his place" as Batman would put it. For him to act carelessly, he needed a reason. Fortunately, he already had one. No mutants mean that he did not need to act in a way that will not damage the image of mutant kind.

Lor: Listen grumpy, if you want to know someone's name, etiquette dictates that you have to give yours first.

Batman looked at Lor with his famous glare.

Batman: That would be the case if you were from around here.

Lor: And what makes you think I am not from around here.

Before Batman could answer, Power girl spoke first.

Power Girl: that's because you are a Kryptonian, right?

---

Both a statement and a question left the Marvel Heroes with a mix reaction. Some were shocked that they were people that had the same powers as Lor others were interested. Those that were interested were the members of the Illuminati. They had put Lor as a dangerous individual and learning more about people with similar powers could help them learn his weakness. The ironic part was that the member that had put Lor in that category was none other than Charles Xavier.

He had seen how much Lor had done for the school as everyone else had but only he had seen how much it had left Lor broken. When he remembers Lor as a kid and the Lor now, he could clearly see that most of his hope was gone. Charles knows when Lor's hope started to crumble. It was a month after his fifteen birthdays. Only the main members of the X-men at that time know the story.

Lor used to advocate for the future of both mankind and mutant kind to such degree that Eric doubted if Charles had finally managed to mind control him. He had even made friends with a non mutant boy living at the nearest town. They had been friends for two years and Lor had told him about his powers and mutant status a year ago.

Like all Disney's fairy tales, the true story does not end well. A mad scientist founded by the government kidnapped his friend Fred and managed to brainwash him under a day. The brainwashed Fred lured Lor into his house where dozens of government agents were there ready to take down Lor. It took several reinforced titanium chains, ten gallons of paralytic drugs to keep him under control for three days.

The scientist was planning on using Adamantium to experiment on Lor. He had to wait three days to get the Adamantium. The only reason why he had kidnaped Lor beforehand was because neither Charles or Eric were there that day. It was the perfect opportunity.

The government had grown worried about Lor's growing powers. While some feared that he could become the secret weapon for the mutant's side other thought that if properly study, they could replicate his powers and make an army of super soldier better then Captain America could ever be.

A wise man once said, courage can overcome the fear of one man while greed will cover the fear of one fool. The prospect of an ever-growing army of Super Soldier under the sun was too much for the greedy higher-ups. The cherry on top was that Lor was immune to mind control, they could finally beat the mutant they were most scared of, Charles Xavier. Sure, Eric was the one that was most likely to start a war, but one hidden poison trap would do the trick against him. Charles Xavier was the most powerful telepath in the world.

He could make them believe that mutants were Gods and their saviors, and there was nothing they would do. That scared the shit out of them. That was the major reason why Hydra left the mutant problem to other. They did not want to be compromise and worse if Eric learned they had survived, he would go on a purging spread. Nobody would even stop him; hell, the government would even give him a medal since he would be doing their dirty work for them. They would latter be relieved they did that since when Lor found them he did not do anything other then warn them to mind their business.

Lor's disappearance was felt after the first day once Charles and Eric returned. They had gone to Fred's house only to find him along with his parents buried in their garden. It was made to look like a recent serial killer's MO. Neither of the two mutants were duped. They searched for the whole day and found nothing. It was only after another day that they found a lead.

One of the government's higher-ups was nervous about the success of this mission. So much that Charles was able to feel it with Cerebro. They went to question him with Eric opting for force while Charles tried to reason with the higher-ups. They started one of their famous banters, it was only thanks to the newest member they had gone to recruit, Logan, that the higher-ups managed to talk.

They rushed to where Lor was being held only to see a Colom of red light heading towards the sky. The Colom originated where Lor was supposed to be held. They rushed at that place only to find the ground had melted, trees were burned if they hadn't turned into ash.

It took a moment to come out of their shock. The followed Logan who hadn't stopped in his march. Once they arrived at a building, they saw that it was partially melted. The odd part was only the place where the unconscious and Chained up Lor was facing was melted. That was the day Lor acquired his heat vision. Three months before his cold breath. That experience had changed Lor.

Eric had yelled at Charles that his peaceful ideal led to this. Lor partial agree to the shock of everyone. He said that he was not prepared and that's what let to this. He also added something, but they only heard that he would survive no matter what happens.

Logan recognized that look and tried to teach Lor some fighting techniques. It helped but Lor was never the same, he had become calmer and calculating type. Even when his new friend Scott Summers came a months later, he never acted as he did with Fred.

Charles had proposed to help Lor by going into his mind to which him and Eric refused. Eric knew his old friend too well. He knew that Charles would never use his powers on him, but Charles would use his powers on Lor since even he saw that Lor was starting to view the world as he did. Eric decided that he would recruit Lor when the time was right.

When it became time to leave, Eric tried to recruit Lor. Lor refused but his answer gave hope to Eric. Lor told him that if he went with Eric, he would have to fight his friends. He would rather fight the true enemy, the anti-mutant side.

Eric saw that Lor held no pity for those that used mutant kids as lab rat. Lor had even told Eric his plans to better mutant kind image while giving the world a lightning rod. He would become that lightning rod, he would attract the attention from the government while him and Charles would save mutants in their own way.

After hearing that, Eric could not bring himself to dissuade Lor. Over the years, he noticed that Lor would always held back while fighting and even save members of his brotherhood whenever they were in danger. Eric could still remember the time; the government had released Juggernaut as a distraction to kidnap Mystic.

Lor had gather both sides to lead to her rescue since they were planning on using her to build machine to end mutant kind. Lor fought the Juggernaut for a few hours before dropping him on the lab as a distraction for everyone retreat. That had been one of the rare times where both sides fought as one.

---

Lor: Krypto-what now?

Power Girl: A Kryptonian! You are Kryptonian, just like me and Kal-El.

On this side of the heroes of this world, mild shock was the only reaction there was.

Lor: I'm a mutant not a whatever you say.

Kitty comes next to Lor.

Kitty: Lo, they might be people with powers like yours in this reality. So, they might think you are a Kryptonian.

Batman: This reality…

Power girl: Mutant?

Seeing as the conversation was going nowhere, Steve Rogers, A.K.A Captain America decided to take the lead.

Steve: I am Steve Rogers, and we mean no harm. This might seem crazy, but we are heroes from another Earth from a different reality that was invaded by a galactic empire. We decided that it would be best to take the fight to a place where our heavy hitters would not need to restrain themselves.

Batman: And you chose our world.

He said it in an accusatory voice. Steve looked remorseful but Lor was not.

Lor: Yeah, I chose this world since it was similar to ours enough to confuse our enemy from the fact that they had been teleported into a different world while not being too similar for me to care about it.

Steve: I know that we are intruding into your world but that was not our intention. One of the invaders managed to escape to this world with a powerful weapon that in the wrong hands could lead to the death many.

Batman: Hm. You will be coming with us and will be under surveillance until we deemed your words to be true. We will deploy a search team to find your fugitive.

Steve: That seems fair enough.

Everyone accepted. Lor on the other hand walked up to Batman.

Lor: I will comply for now but know that every dead from now on due to the fugitive is on you. Also, I'm jumpy around surveillance so I will tell you guys a list of what I will not allow.

Lor proceeded to list a quarter of the assassination attempts he had endured before Power Girl stopped him.

Power Girl: HOLD ON. WE WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING!

Lor: Really? WOW, I guess I'm gonna like it here.

The heroes of this world looked at Lor oddly. Superman was the one to ask what they were all thinking.

Superman: H-Have you experience such a thing?

Lor: yeah and you are?

Superman: I am called Superman or Kal-El.

Lor: Well Kal-El, I did experience such things on a daily basis but don't look at me like that, I sent those responsible to Mars or one of the moons of Saturn. Hm. Damn, that bastard's blood is all over my suit.

Power Girl: We still don't know your name.

Power Girl was interested in the supposed Kryptonian, especially since he had red hair. Lor used his reality warping power to erase the blood that was staining his chest as well as his fists.

Lor: I'm called Lor-Zod.

This shocked the heroes of this world. Superman and Power Girl watched the symbol of the House of Zod on Lor's chest with horror. Power Girl took a fighting stance while Superman's eyes glowed red as he jumped at Lor. Lor had forgot that Zods were not loved in DC's world. He was busy cleaning the blood thus he did not see Superman's fist coming near his chin.

Superman: ZOD!!!

*KA-BOOM*

He flew at Lor who was flying to the horizon, he aimed his heat vision at him and fired. It blasted Lor out of the city and into an isolated place with nothing but a road and rocks. Lor crashed into the ground and right after that Superman smashed into Lor before he sent a barraged of punches towards Lor.

Back with the heroes, the heroes from Marvel Universe were ready to fight just like the heroes from this world but Batman came in between.

Batman: Wait! There was a misunderstanding.

Carol's fists were glowing.

Carol: You throw the fist punch, sneak attack at that, and now you want to talk? Fat chance!

Batman: you said you were from a different reality well in this one, a man with the name of Zod and the same symbol as your friend Lor-Zod tried to conquer this world along with his soldiers.

Reed: And you mistaken him for one of them. I can see where you would misunderstand his identity but if it helps calm the situation, Lor-Zod is his alias his real name is Laurence Zekiel.

A man, in a red spandex suit that cover every part of his body other than his mouth and eyes, laughed. He had a yellow lighting symbol in a white circle on his chest. He was the Flash.

Flash: *Chuckle* That doesn't really inspire evil guy.

Batman shut his laughter with a glare.

Kitty: That's similar to what Lo said.

Power Girl: He said that he wanted to be seen as a bad guy.

Ororo: No, it because where we come from people that are born with powers are known mutants. There are a lot of people that use the fear of the mass to hunt down mutants and use them as lab rats among living weapons and brainwashed mutant's hunter. Sadly, those that funds those madmen are in high place. Lo wanted to be the thing that made them fear crossing the ethical line.

Power Girl: So, he is not a bad guy.

Wanda: Well, he is the most popular hero in our world along with being the most known mutant's right activist. You can understand now why he received so many assassinations.

Some heroes started to see Lor in a new light but sadly an object landed near them making a crash along with dust cloud. Another object landed in the same spot as the last one clearing the dust cloud. When it was fully cleared, both sides heard someone laughter. When they paid more attention to the source of the laughed, they saw Superman being stepped on by Lor whose eyes were glowing red.

Lor: You tried to kill me, right? HAHA! You are not the first that tried… Let me show you what happened to the others.

Lor kneed Superman's bloodied face to wake him up.

Superman: *Groan* *Hffph**Hffph*Hffph*

Lor grabbed Superman's neck with his left hand and Superman right hand with his right hand. He asked one question that froze everyone.

Lor: On a scale from one to ten, how attached are you to your right arm?

Superman answered in a muffled voice.

Superman: What?

Lor: Two?! What a coincidence, I was thinking of that number as well.

With a grin, Lor brought down Superman's straight right arm to his knee.

*SKRUNCK*

Superman: AAAAAHHHHHHHH!

Superman yelled as his arm was broken. Everyone could see the blood spilling everywhere as the bone was sticking out. Lor let Superman fall down for a bit before grabbing his throat and bringing him close to his face with an arm length between both faces.

Lor: You know, you remind me of those fucking idiots on my earth. I mind my own business and they just keep bothering me. They keep trying to find ways to kill me in the dumbest way possible. At first, it was funny but now it became a pain in the ass. DO YOU HAVE THE AMOUNT OF LUXURY I HAD TO GIVE UP JUST BY LETTING THOSE FUCKERS LIVE?!!

*Punch*

Lor punched Superman to the face with his remaining fist.

Lor: Do you have any idea the numbers of times, I DREAMED OF RIPPING THEIR HEADS APART?!

*Punch*

Lor: Do you have any idea the numbers of times, I HAD TO HOLD BACK MY ANGER?!

*Punch*

Lor: Do you have any idea the numbers of times, I HAD TO-hm?!

Carol: LO, STOP!

Lor came back to his sense and realised that he had landed near the heroes. His anger had blinded his surrounding. He took a deep breath and exhaled. He looked at Superman, whose cells had been deprived of most of their yellow sun light.

Lor: Come at me again and…

The sky darkens with lightning dancing in the clouds. Lor's eyes were neither blue with lightning or red, they were glowing with an orange glow akin to flames.

Lor: WE WILL KILL YOU!

Lor threw Superman to the ground and started to walk away.

Batman: Where are you do you think you're going?

Lor turned to look at him.

Lor: I'm going to space to calm down unless…

He looked at the members of the Justice League.

Lor: … One of you guys wants to be ripped apart by me.

He did not let them utter a word as he flew toward the sky. There was silence that raining between groups until Ororo broke it.

Ororo: He took it better than I thought.

Kitty: Right, I thought for a second that Super guy was going to die.

Flash: You think this is better?!

Flash yelled at both of them to which Ororo did not back down.

Ororo: First, it is that Superman or Kal-EL that attack first, Lor was defending himself. Second, Lor suffer from PTSD. He will never admit it but after all those assassination attempts, he developed a habit, to eliminate anything that pose a threat to him or us once it attacked him or us, along with hidden anger issues.

Kitty: trust us when we say this is nothing. One time, a muscle for brain we call Juggernaut, came to attack us and managed to injure Jean- Lor's girlfriend at that time. Lor was in such a rage that he broke every bone in Juggernaut's body over and over again for a full day. So, a broken arm is not that bad.

Flash: Holy-

Captain Marvel: MOLLY?! THAT'S SCARY.

Batman, Wonder Woman, Steve, Carol, Tony and Reed calmed their respective groups. They later discussed on what would happened next. Superman's attack gave them Marvel's heroes room for argument, but Lor's action shorten that room.

It was agreed that the Marvel Heroes would currently live in the hold head quarters of the league, Mount Justice. They would be provided with technology to repair their equipment but would be under supervision of members of the league.

Two days went by and Lor had yet to be sighted. Carol volunteered to go look for Lor in space. The league disagreed but the Marvel Heroes told them that it would decrease the chance of another Superman accident from happening.

Carol went look for Lor in space. She searched the moon first. It took her five minutes to find Lor lying on the moon while watching the Sun.

Carol: Weird place for a tan, Lottery boy.

Lor: You ever wonder what you do if you had no responsibility?

Carol: Weird question?

She looked at Lor who was awaiting her answer.

Carol: No, I never wonder that.

Lor: Well, I did every single day.

This caught the attention of Carol.

Lor: What if I did not need to be the target of everyone that had a bone to pick with mutant? What if I could have a pet living me? What if I could live with someone without fearing that someone dying in one of the explosions aimed at me? What if I could trust people? What if I did not need to act like the perfect harmless mutant every time I was in public and acted like me? What if I could just BE me?

Carol looked at Lor eyes. They were the eyes of someone who was tired. The reason she had never seen those eyes was because Lor always used his Kryptonian mind compartmentalized. He always kept his true feelings locked inside him from those that he cared.

Lor: I listen and found out that here, there is no mutant, no need for me to act, I could just be me. I could just be free.

Lor closed his eyes.

Lor: It can be the same for you.

Carol: What's that supposed to mean?

Lor: Is there a difference between what you do when you are wearing the suit of Captain Marvel and when you are being just Carol Danvers? Even now you are acting like Captain Marvel and not Carol Danvers.

Carol: What? In case you have forgotten, we are still in a mission and-

Lor: Which mission are you talking about. The common one or your secret mission?

Carol: I don't know what you are talking about.

Lor: You say that but that defensive tone in your voice says it all.

Carol: …

Lor: A little advice, you should find who you are outside the suit cuz if you don't you might cross a line you can't come back.

Lor opened his eyes and Carol saw that the tiredness and sadness was gone it was replaced with Lor's usual look.

Lor left for earth while Carol looked at the spot where he was lying. Lor's words were ringing in her head.

'What if I did not need to be the target of everyone that had a bone to pick with mutant? What if I could have a pet living me? What if I could live with someone without fearing that someone dying in one of the explosions aimed at me? What if I could trust people? What if I did not need to act like the perfect harmless mutant every time I was in public and acted like me? What if I could just BE me?'

Carol: What if I could just be me, huh?

She remembered what her secret mission was.

~FLASHBACK~

Fury: Carol, there is a secret assignment for you, but I have to warn you it is dangerous.

Carol: What is it, Fury? You know a little danger does not scare me.

Fury: *Sigh* The mission is to befriend subject Sigma and find its weakness.

Carol: Subject Sigma, That's… I see.

Subject Sigma had been Lor code name for S.H.I.E.L.D. Lor had used the time and mind stone's power to change the old name, subject beta to subject Sigma.

Fury: You can refuse if you want to. No man can accomplish that task.

Carol: That's because you don't send a man to do a woman's job.

Fury had used Carol's weakness to trick her into accepting it. He knew that even if she realized tat fact, her pride would not allow her to backdown. Carol spends the first month observing Lor from a distance. She easily noticed the morons that had tried to burn Lor's house while he was sleeping.

She saved their lives by sending them to prison. When she exited the police station, she was greeted by Lor who invited her to his house as a thank you for saving his power nap. She accepted since it gave her the perfect excuse to observe him up close.

On the first day, she accused Lor of trying to poison her only to realized that someone had temporarily switched the water with poison. The second day, she was met with a legion of protestor that had found his house. Even if he had become the most popular hero, people still hated Mutants because this was the Marvel universe.

Carol could barely make breakfast before some idiot sent a rocket into the living room. She was pissed and went to beat the guy who had done this while Lor laughed.

Carol: Why are you laughing? This is your house!

Lor: *depressed chuckle* I'm… just used to it.

As Carol spend time observing Lor, she learned what he had to live through and how much control he used every day of his life. After a month, she decided to leave as she thought anymore would arise suspicion. She was lying to herself. The suspicion was there since the first day.

~END OF FLASHBACK~

Carol: What if I could trust people, huh? I guess I can't ask him to trust me while I'm still on that mission. Fury, you son of a bitch. You knew this would happen.