A blinding light erupted from the center of the Watchtower, catching everyone off-guard. For a brief moment, the heroes were paralyzed, reflexively shutting their eyes and shielding themselves with arms and capes.
'Okay… that was bright,' thought Oliver as he braced against the sudden gust of wind. Then, out of nowhere, Superman appeared at the entrance, his cape rippling like a flag in the storm.
The light began to fade, but before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, a voice cut through the silence, carrying a strange duality—yet perfectly in sync. "Woah! This feels incredible! I feel amazing. Goku wasn't kidding—I feel unstoppable!"
'Wait, her voice…what?' Oliver's mind raced, but there was no time to process. A wave of pressure rippled outward, nearly sending him and Dinah flying. They dropped low, centering their weight just in time to keep from being blown over.
Clark, meanwhile, was still shielding his eyes as the fusion fully formed. When he finally looked, his face registered pure disbelief. Before him stood a figure, smirking confidently.
"The name's Karaen. Or Kara Prime. Nice to meet you, Superman..." she said with a smirk, giving him a look that was… unimpressed?
Clark blinked. "Where did Kara and Karen go? I just heard a weird sound from the tower and saw them...merge?" His voice was laced with disbelief.
"Them? Their gone, they don't exist anymore," the fusions smirk grew, and Clark's eyes widened.
'Well, that's not comforting,' Oliver thought, exchanging a glance with Dinah, who looked equally unsure.
"W-What? Who did this? We need to fix this?" He turned and looked at the heroes who were just as stunned as Superman.
But the fusion burst into laughter before casually leaning against him, despite Superman usually towering over the fusions individual counter parts, they now stood shoulder to shoulder.
"I'm just kidding! From their memories, I figured I'd have some fun with you," Karaen explained, laughing as she slapped Clark's back. A loud thud followed, and in the blink of an eye, Clark was sent flying—straight through the Watchtower's walls and into the moon.
Alarms blared as the room exploded into chaos. Karaen's eyes widened in genuine surprise as she stared at her hands. "I knew I was strong, but… I wasn't even trying." She turned to the group, who all seemed tense but stunned.
"Uh, don't take this personally, but... Kara…en, right? Consider my mind completely blown," Oliver said, his voice a mix of disbelief and cautious humor. "And I've seen some crazy stuff."
Dinah, as usual, cut right to the chase. "Who are you, really? Are you them, or are you… someone else? How does this even work?"
"Yeah, did you just spawn in like an NPC?" Oliver added.
Just then, Batman entered with Martian Manhunter, the alarms dying down as he surveyed the situation.
Karaen turned in the direction Clark had flown. "That was my bad, cousin. Didn't realize I was THAT strong," she called out, knowing he could hear her. Then, turning back to the group, she took a breath.
"I'm a new Kryptonian. I'm not Kara or Karen. I'm Karaen, or Kara Prime. They were doppelgangers after all. I'm the result of their fusion. While I'm made up of them, I'm my own person."
"Okay, that's... confusing. But not the weirdest thing I've heard," Oliver mused, still taking it in.
Batman stepped forward, his voice steady. "And what are your intentions now?"
"Right now?" Karaen floated a few inches off the ground, clearly getting a feel for her new abilities. "I want to see how strong and fast I am." She glanced toward the hole Clark had made.
"According to Karen's memories, this fusion only lasts for 30 minutes. I should be fine as long as I don't push it too much," she said with a casual shrug, though the glint in her eyes suggested she was eager to test her limits.
Before anyone could respond, Clark floated back, his cape torn but otherwise fine. "You've sure gotten stronger, Kara... Karen... Karaen. I'm proud of you," he said with a smile, nursing his shoulder.
The fusion smiled back, pulling him into a hug. "Guess you've got three cousins now." With that, she glanced out into the void of space. "Time to see what I can do!" she announced, and in an instant, she vanished.
"She's fast..." Clark muttered, watching as Karaen shot through space. In mere moments, she had left the Milky Way, accelerating beyond comprehension before leaving even the Laniakea Supercluster behind.
"In this moment, she is the mightiest member of the Justice League," Martian Manhunter remarked, his voice calm yet solemn. "I have never seen anyone ragdoll Clark before." Before turning to the man of steel, "no offense."
Clark chuckled. "None taken, but I agree, she is... but not for long." His expression shifted, a fire igniting in his eyes. "With everyone around me getting stronger, I'd be a fool not to start training too."
Dinah and Oliver shared a knowing smirk. "If anything, this'll make the League stronger. We could use the extra muscle," Oliver said with a grin.
Batman nodded, crossing his arms. "With Diana's absence, it's good to know we have someone like Karaen to pick up the slack."
Gohan, Chronoa, Vermont, and Diana watched as the Sorceress started incanting. A red and black magic circle appeared beneath them, and a gust of wind pushed back at everyone observing.
Enchantress groaned before letting out a pained scream. "Doesn't feel so good, does it!?" Circe yelled over Enchantress's voice.
The onlookers watched as Circe tortured Enchantress for a few moments before a strange power began to leak from the evil sorceress. "Good, you've let go of what isn't yours," Circe said, glaring down at the panting Enchantress, whose bloodshot eyes and perspiration-drenched body betrayed her exhaustion.
Diana observed, uncomfortable with Circe's semi-torture of Enchantress, but rationalized to herself, 'Enchantress sowed great chaos into the universe. This is merely her paying the price.' She balled her hands into fists.
"Now, are you ready?" Circe asked with a dark grin, lowering herself to Enchantress's eye level.
Gohan, noticing Diana's discomfort, approached his partner and gently held her hand. 'Are you alright?' Gohan asked her via telepathy.
Diana smiled at him before nodding. 'I trust your judgment. You would have intervened if Circe had gone too far. Though Enchantress was responsible for your death, brief as it was, she nearly threw the universe into unprecedented chaos.' Diana explained mentally. Gohan tightened his hold on her hand gently, to which she reciprocated.
Suddenly, they all felt it. "Those… are the Destroyers sent by the Grand Priest," Gohan said.
Chronoa nodded. "Indeed, I already notified the Grand Priest." Just as Ramton appeared with a pantheon of Destroyers.
"Greetings, Grand Destroyer Ramton, and this pantheon of Destroyers," Chronoa said, as Ramton nodded in acknowledgment on behalf of the group.
"We captured this one, Enchantress. She was definitely with Merno and refuses to cooperate for now," she explained, as the Gods all looked at Circe, whose eyes were closed, and Enchantress, who was almost foaming at the mouth and spasming on the ground. Her power seemed to be decreasing as her aura leaked.
Circe's green aura finally began flowing back to her at a steady pace. "Right now, Lord Gohan's subordinate is taking back her essence before we properly interrogate her," Chronoa explained. "I take it you've assumed the new position?" she asked, noting the new extra garb that made the Destroyer God stand out from his peers.
"Indeed, I have been promoted by the Grand Priest to the esteemed Grand Destroyer Rank. I had my reservations about taking on this momentous responsibility. While I may be the strongest Destroyer, I pale in comparison to my predecessor," Ramton explained, and Chronoa nodded.
"I can understand. However, Rammy boy, I think you have the right stuff for the position," she smiled at him before approaching. The scene was reminiscent of master and student.
Ramton was surprised for a second before regaining his composure, a faint grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"I am the Prime Kaio, after all," she reminded him with a wink.
Gohan approached the two, bowing. "We greet the Grand Destroyer, Lord Ramton." Strix and Vermont immediately bowed, leaving Diana slightly confused, though she quickly caught on and bowed as well.
Circe had a hateful and evil expression plastered on her face, but she felt the incredible pressure appear behind her. She knew she had to finish up. 'That's right, you bitch! That's what you get for coming after me the moment you could kill me!' Circe delighted in Enchantress's suffering before she became serious. In a swift motion, she ripped out a green ball of light, leaving Enchantress unresponsive.
Once she had completed her magic, she turned to the Destroyer Gods, bowed, and stepped back behind Gohan.
All eyes turned to Enchantress. "Do you think she will be able to speak?" Diana asked, wondering if she should have tried to intervene. But Vermont interjected.
"She will be perfectly fine. I asked Circe not to completely ruin her—just leave her before the finish line." He walked up to Enchantress and tapped her with his staff.
She immediately felt a part of herself recover just enough to return to consciousness.