The Arctic winds howled as Kayn flew towards vast, crystalline structure of the Fortress alongside Superman.
The massive ice walls shimmered in the light, towering over the frozen landscape like an ancient temple. As they landed at the entrance, Superman looked towards the Fortress proudly, leaving Kayn to admire its design.
The Fortress of Solitude was a towering, magnificent structure, made of translucent, shimmering crystals, making its exterior geometric and angular, with tall, sharp columns and a central structure that resembles an enormous ice palace.
Finally, there was the entrance, an arched gateway, where Superman entered a key, activating it and allowing the duo to walk inside, which had a much more cool and serene atmosphere.
Kayn could see the various advanced Kryptonian technology all around, alongside the shimmering crystals on the walls and floors, creating a futuristic reflective luminous environment.
Superman quickly lead Kayn through the vast halls of the Fortress, passing by many ancient relics from Krypton's past, until they reached the main chamber of the Fortress, which housed a interactive holographic image of Superman's father, Jor-El, which housed an amalgamation of Kryptonian knowledge.
"Father," Superman addressed the hologram with a respectful nod, his voice steady yet tinged with an underlying urgency.
"Yes Kal-El, I see you have came for my assistance, and brought a friend." The interactive hologram of Jor-El spoke, looking towards Kayn before back to Superman.
"Yes, we need your help. We're searching for information on a figure from Krypton's past, a being known as the Grand Marshal." Superman spoke respectfully, yet with an urgent tone.
The holographic image of Jor-El flickered slightly as he faced them, his expression, which was previously a perfect blend of calmness and wisdom, now showed signs of uncertainty and reluctance.
"Kal-El," Jor-El spoke, "This person was erased from Krypton's past for a reason. What brings you here, to seek knowledge of Krypton's most dangerous secrets?"
This time, it was Kayn who hurriedly stepped forward, "He's appeared here, on Earth. Threatening us using unknown terms like ORION." Kayn said, meeting the hologram's gaze without flinching, " We need to know what we're dealing with."
Jor-El's form wavered slightly, as though the request itself unsettled him. He glanced at Superman, then back at Kayn, his expression becoming more guarded.
"The Grand Marshal... It is a name that should not be spoken lightly. Only the Council of Elders held any information, and that information was intentionally fragmented, so individuals won't know too much about him." Jor-El said.
Superman stepped forward, his eyes narrowing slightly,"We need to know. If he's resurfaced, we have to be prepared, and only you have the necessary information as Krypton's knowledge amalgamation."
For a moment, Jor-El hesitated, the light of his form dimming as though he was weighing a difficult decision. Finally, he sighed, a sound that seemed to resonate with the very core of the Fortress.
"Very well," he said reluctantly. "The Grand Marshal was a being of immense power, from an unknown race lost to time. We were unable to pinpoint where exactly he came from, only that he slaughtered his own planet and race to obtain power, and travelled across the Cosmos as a power hungry monster." Jor-El spoke, the weight of his words dawning on the duo as he continued,
"His primary source of power was the Dark Arts, evil magic that corrupted down to the very depths of the Soul. Magic is a natural weakness to us Kryptonians, so our battle with him and his forces was very deadly."
With a wave of his hand, the hologram conjured a series of images in the air, ancient magical symbols and writings that appeared far older than anything Kayn had encountered before.
The glyphs shifted and rearranged themselves, revealing a fragmented record that pulsed with a faint, ominous glow.
"The Grand Marshal led a cadre of warriors, beings who had bound themselves to dark magic," Jor-El explained. "These were not mere soldiers, but entities who had forsaken their very souls for power. The more they killed, they more power they had obtained."
"Krypton, in its arrogance, believed it could control such forces. But we were wrong. The war was intense according to records, and in incalculable number died, but we managed to defeat and destroy most of The Grand Marshal's allies." Jor-El finished.
"So then what about the Grand Marshal himself?" Superman inquired.
"He was different. Too powerful, his very existence connecting to darkness itself. At that point, we found no way to destroy him, and so he was sealed away in a special dimensional Prison located in Fort-Rozz. The Organization The Grand Marshal had built was ORION."
"If The Grand Marshal has escaped, I believe the remaining members of ORION, who had not been caught back then and went into hiding, finally broke his seal and released him. You must act fast, because every second that goes is a potential second The Grand Marshal takes another one into his dark family." Jor-El finally finished speaking, waiting for any inevitable upcoming questions.
"ORION..." Superman murmured, the name sounding foreign yet undeniably dangerous, "Why was this never recorded? Why didn't you tell me before?"
Jor-El looked down, "Because, my son, there are some truths even Krypton feared to face. Once the Grand Marshal was defeated, ORION was a shadow, their remains unable to be found. It seemed they were waiting for the perfect moment to release their King!"
Kayn's expression hardened, the thrill of the challenge ahead evident in his eyes, "So, we're dealing with psychotic dark beings with the goal of slaughtering the planet. How unique." Kayn joked.
With a final glance at the hologram, Kayn turned and began to walk towards the exit, his mind already strategizing his next moves. Superman watched him go, his father's words echoing in his mind.
"Be careful, my son," Jor-El's voice called out softly as they departed.
Superman turned to him as they moved towards the exit, his face serious. "We need to be prepared. If the Grand Marshal has returned, we'll need more than just strength to stop him. We need knowledge, strategy, and allies."
Kayn smirked, his eyes gleaming with determination, "Don't worry, Superman. I've never lost a fight. And I don't intend to start now. Plus, I have my own team and allies. The Justice League won't need to interfere."
Superman gave him a nod, though his eyes still held a hint of concern. "Just be careful. This isn't a threat you can face alone."
Kayn turned, already thinking ahead to his next move. "I never planned to face it alone. But rest assured, I'll handle this."
With a final nod, Kayn stepped toward the exit, floating up and shooting off into the skies, deciding to fly back to National City, while calling Violet, "Violet, contact all the others, We need to have a meeting about an upcoming threat as soon as I return."
___________________________
As Kayn shot through the skies towards National City, the icy winds whipping around him faded into the background of his thoughts.
His mind raced with the information he had just learned, The Grand Marshal was extremely strong according to what he learned. Yet that just excited Kayn, this was the first time he'd truly be allowed to unleash most of his true power.
Within minutes, Kayn arrived back at his base, the sprawling complex now looking more fortified and strategic than ever.
He landed smoothly in front of the entrance to the Command Centre, where Violet was already waiting for him. Her expression was calm as she greeted him, "You're back, I've got everyone on the line. They're waiting for you."
Kayn nodded as he followed her into the Command Centre. The room was bathed in a soft blue light, the large holographic display in the center projecting a map of the world with various data points flickering across it.
On the large central screen, the familiar faces of his team members were displayed, each one looking focused and ready.
Soren's holographic image flickered slightly as he leaned in, "Kayn, what's going on? Violet said it was urgent."
Kayn took a breath, his gaze sweeping across the room before he began speaking, "I've just returned from the Fortress of Solitude with Superman. We needed to find out more about the attacks happening in National City and the figure behind it."
He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in, "We're dealing with a being called the Grand Marshal—a figure erased from Kryptonian history, a dark being who led an organization called ORION. His power comes from dark magic, and according to the knowledge in the Fortress, he's likely been freed from his prison by the remaining members of ORION who went into hiding long ago."
The silence that followed was heavy, everyone processing the severity of the situation.
Mika, whose holographic image showed her in traditional Japanese attire, was the first to speak, her voice calm yet firm, "Dark magic... That explains the strange energy I've been sensing. If the Grand Marshal is truly here, then the threat is more dangerous than we anticipated."
Soren nodded, his usual cheerful expression breaking into a frown, "We need to gather more intel on ORION and their remaining members. They could be anywhere, and if they've already started acting, we need to be prepared."
"Agreed," Hugo's deep voice resonated through the speakers. He was always the protector of the group, and his concern was evident, "They main zone of action is currently National City, so we need to flush them out. Find anything we can."
Kayle, the tech genius, chimed in next, her fingers already flying across the keyboard in front of her, "I'll start working on tracking any unusual activity or anomalies that could point us to ORION's location. We need to know where they're hiding and what their next move might be."
"They're already gathering MetaHumans and Aliens who also escaped from Fort-Rozz, so we also need to identify any Metas and Aliens missing. Get facial recognition to look for their presence anywhere in the world, especially any places in or near National City.
Kayn nodded, appreciating the quick responses from his team, he turned to Violet, who had been listening intently, "Violet, I want you to work with Francis, he's our main anchor in National City, so all our information will flow through him."
Violet gave a determined nod, "Already on it."
"The rest of you, remain on standby. If we ever find their base, I'll be calling you all in for a full raid. Also, keep your guards up, we don't know if they're targeting other cities too." Kayn said.
A chorus of affirmations echoed through the Command Centre, and the meeting finally came to an end.
"Let's get to work," Kayn muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing as he watched the sun set over the horizon, knowing that darkness was already creeping closer.