Back To Earth

Varion looked over the gathered Kryptonian warriors, satisfaction evident on his face as a grin spread across it.

"Another step forward in our journey towards the future, another leap towards resurrecting our civilization," he proclaimed with triumph.

Meanwhile, Royce and Isabel stood in awe, marveling at the unfolding spectacle. They had only caught a glimpse of light from the spacecraft before a gaping hole appeared in the planet's surface—a thrilling sight for the two observers.

Little did they know, Varion's mind buzzed with excitement.

"Still resisting, I see," Varion mused aloud, his grip tightening on a glowing orb. A muffled scream emerged from within, swiftly silenced. He felt a twinge of relief. Fortunately, Ava, who is similar to the cosmic entity Ego in the Marvel universe, had only recently emerged on this planet. Otherwise, provoking her would have been a risk not worth taking.

But for one of Ava's stature, fear was unnecessary—though not yet all-powerful, her potential was vast and formidable.

"Fill in this hole. We shall all benefit from this planet," Varion commanded, gesturing to the trembling mountains and shifting forests as the soil began to be restored.

Onboard the spacecraft, the pristine superconducting ore was carefully stored in a dedicated facility, alongside other acquisitions, including some intriguing living specimens.

"Seems like you've taken a particular interest in this," Isabelle remarked, nodding towards the small pebble resting on Varion's chest—the remnants of Ava, destined to fade within a century unless Varion's power continued to grow, hastening its demise.

"Just a trinket," Varion replied casually. "Mousse, prepare for departure."

"Understood, sir."

It had been too long since they ventured from Earth.

As they prepared to depart, Royce and Isabel exchanged a glance. After days of contemplation, a nagging worry lingered in their minds. They knew Varion's secret. Would he truly allow them to leave unscathed?

If roles were reversed, they wouldn't let anyone walk away, especially when secrets were involved. After all, only the dead keep secrets.

"Open the wormhole and set coordinates," Varion commanded.

"Coordinates confirmed."

...

Exiting the dark expanse, the spaceship emerged near a familiar planet, greeted by a comforting sun. Royce and Isabel embraced, relief flooding their senses.

"We made it back."

"Finally... back," Isabel sighed with relief.

Their eyes met, brimming with joy. Initially, neither had dared to hope for a return. This wasn't a leisurely jaunt. Who would believe their tale if they recounted it?

Varion remained composed in his seat. "Mousse, head to the Mars base and activate invisibility."

"Whoa, what's this place?" Royce blurted out as they touched down, his eyes widening with surprise. When did this massive structure pop up on Mars? Had folks on Earth missed such a huge installation?

"This is one of my bases. We might need to crash here for a bit. Feel free to wander around," Varion explained.

"Mousse, unload our stuff. And make sure to keep an eye on the ancient Predator and Na'vi captives. And grab some superconducting ore while you're at it."

"Superconducting ore's pretty versatile—it's used in all sorts of things, from spaceships to weapons to fancy battle suits. Wherever energy's needed, this stuff comes in handy."

"Got it, Commander."

Varion strolled into the lab, greeted by respectful salutes from the Kryptonian soldiers stationed there.

"Everything running smoothly?"

"All good, sir."

With a nod, Varion got to work, overseeing the refinement of a pile of superconducting ores. Getting usable parts out of them was crucial; figuring out how they worked required some careful experimenting. After all, you never knew how stuff from different universes would mesh.

"Mousse, let the energy flow."

"Roger that, sir."

Energy surged through, powering up the Gaussian rifle. Inside, it condensed, boosting output by playing around with magnetic fields.

"Sir, everything's looking good. Output's up by 80%. This stuff's top-notch."

Varion couldn't help but feel pleased. The results were promising, showing that they needed to get all the superconducting ore they could find for important stuff like star destroyers, energy tractors, and engines.

"We need to get those key components replaced asap."

"Once we're done refining, I'll get the team ready for the swap."

"And any updates while I've been off gallivanting on Earth?"

"Sir, Kryptonian tech projects are on track, and the Blood Orchid Base is quiet as ever. But there's been a spike in activity from some unknown critters over in Europe."

"Special Forces are on it, dealing with The McCarran Company…"

"Zeus Industries seems to be slowing down, but there's some weird stuff happening there too… Oh, and there's this artifact—I can't quite figure out where it's from. Mind taking a look…"

....

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