Somewhere to Belong Ch. 36 (DC/Multi) (Patreon)

(Every character depicted in the story below is a consenting legal adult over the age of 18)

A/N: Myk’s take on events!

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There was always a risk with untested technology. Myk-Zod knew that as much as any scientist. He’d done everything he could to ensure the expansion on his original dimension-traveling tech was as safe and secure as possible… but in doing so, he had once again been unable to put any real focus in controlling their destination. They weren’t going to wind up in the middle of a planet or a sun, but that was about all he could really ensure.

As such, when the Science Vessel had first appeared in its new location, Myk-Zod had immediately put all sensors to the task of figuring out where they were. Once he had a map of the star system they’d arrived in as well as the nearby celestial bodies, he’d been shocked to learn that they were actually close to Earth of all places once more.

Or rather, they were close to an Earth. Initially, both Myk-Zod and Mystique had wondered if they’d somehow traveled back to her home world. Even the fact that scans showed it was over half a century later didn’t make it entirely out of the question.

Deeper scans did eventually rule out that options, however. They’d eventually picked up on what the denizens of Earth called ‘the internet’ and perusing the planet’s history had rapidly made it clear that this was not the Earth they’d left behind. Both World Wars had still happened on this Earth, but there was no record of a Captain America or SSI or SHIELD. Nor was there record of HYDRA.

Instead, what little they could glean of this Earth’s history made it clear that things were rather different. But at the same time, they couldn’t dive much deeper before they realized they’d been discovered. This Earth’s tech was advanced enough to have picked up on their arrival in the star system and once Myk-Zod realized that he’d quickly moved the ship to the other side of Earth’s Moon to keep them out of any potential line of fire.

He might not have bothered doing so, he might have even tried to make contact… if not for Sarah. She was still out of commission from nearly dying and Myk-Zod had no clue how long it would take her to recover. He wanted to give her at least a couple of days before he started truly worrying.

In the meantime, he and Mystique had sat tight, looking over the data they’d collected so far and watching over Sarah’s sleeping form. And, of course, they’d both been waiting to see if this Earth would have any further reaction to their presence… or if it even had the tech to react further to their presence.

Suffice to say, the last thing Myk-Zod was expecting was for a young woman with red hair to show up looking like she’d flown all the way from Earth in a day… by herself. To be fair, Myk-Zod could probably do the same… he might even be able to do it faster. But he has the benefit of being Kryptonian and the moment this ‘Atom Eve’ comes aboard he can tell from a quick scan that she’s not built quite as strong as him.

She is, however, stronger than the average human… or at least, the average human from Mystique’s world. The Terrans from Sarah’s universe were also built a fair bit tougher, though Eve edges them out just a little bit as well.

Basically, she can take a punch but that’s far from the full story. Her real strength seems to be in whatever those powers of hers can do, since they seem to be able to simulate atmosphere and protect her from the vacuum of space while propelling her fast enough to cross the vast distance between the Earth and the Moon without any sort of vessel.

All in all, Myk-Zod found the young woman fascinating. This ‘Atom Eve’ and her ‘Global Defense Agency’ had seemed to be on the up and up, just trying to protect Earth and its human population from everything that might go bump in the night.

Mystique didn’t seem quite so trusting as him though. She’d approached them wearing a disguise and using the old ‘Raven’ moniker once more. Myk-Zod could understand that though… he even appreciated it. Sometimes he needed the reality check.

Of course, before anything more could be said, Eve had to take a phone call. From all the way back on Earth. That was relatively impressive, but Myk-Zod barely had time to be intrigued by the technology before he and Mystique had both listened to a rather harrowing sounding conversation.

By the time it was over… well, it sounded like things back on Earth had gotten rather bad. And it looked as though Atom Eve, young as she was, didn’t really know what to do about any of it. The poor dear is shaking and trembling as she looks between her phone and them. Her eyes glisten and her lower lip wobbles.

“I… I-I don’t know what to d-do.”

Well, telling two alien strangers that sort of thing when you still haven’t confirmed their intentions wasn’t what Myk-Zod would call ideal. But then, it’s obvious Atom Eve is having a bit of a nervous breakdown. Frankly, Myk-Zod is impressed that she hasn’t collapsed to her knees entirely just yet… he can see the ever so slight wobble in her legs that makes it clear she wants to.

“How much do you care about the people back on Earth?”

Myk-Zod blinks as Mystique suddenly speaks up, her tone flat but curious. Assessing, that’s the word Myk-Zod would use to describe it.

Eve jolts a little bit, forced to focus on Mystique as her brow furrows in consternation.

“What… what kind of question is that?”

Mystique arches a brow.

“A simple kind. It sounds as though your planet is in the process of being conquered. You were here to make sure we weren’t about to try and do the same, no? So the only question you have to ask yourself is this… do you care enough about the people on Earth to go and try and save them?”

“Yes, of course I do!”

Mystique shows barely any reaction to Eve’s outburst.

“Then it seems you know exactly what you must do.”

Flushing, Eve glances back towards the ship’s exit for a moment. Her body makes an abortive movement towards it but stops again before she can even take a full step.

“It’s not… it’s not that easy.”

Myk-Zod clears his throat before Mystique can deliver anything too cutting in response.

“You’re afraid.”

To his surprise, this seems to hit Eve even harder than Mystique’s words. She stiffens… and then scowls, her hands clenching at her sides.

“Yeah… I am. But I can’t let my fear control me. I might be Earth’s only chance at this point. So… so I have to go.”

This time she actually starts making her way towards the exit. Myk-Zod shares a look with Mystique in which she quietly snorts in amusement, rolling her eyes before smiling indulgently and nodding her head.

Smiling a little bit right back, he moves to catch up with Eve.

“Hold on. Just how dangerous are these two men? This… Omni-Man and Invincible?”

Hearing their titles, especially that second one, seems to physically pain Atom Eve. Meanwhile, Myk-Zod finds himself musing on such… boastful monikers. He’d also heard the rest of course, he knows their true names are Nolan and Mark… but he has to admit, he wonders at how strong someone in this universe has to be to take on a moniker like Omni-Man. Or even Invincible.

“They’re… possibly the strongest people on Earth. Omni-Man is… I grew up hearing stories about him and the Guardians of the Globe. All of the monsters and aliens and world-ending threats they faced and stopped together. But even among the Guardians, he was a big deal. And when they all died… if he really killed them all just like that, then he was probably sandbagging. He’s even stronger than I realized.”

Myk-Zod stays quiet as she falls silent for a moment, able to tell Eve isn’t done yet. She’s just finding the words.

“Invincible is his son. Mark Grayson. He and I… I thought we were friends. I don’t know why he would do this, but I can’t just let him and his father take over Earth without a fight. I can’t.”

He admires her resolve. She’s almost shaking like a leaf, clearly feeling no small amount of trepidation about rushing back to Earth to pick a fight with two men it sounds like she’s not confident she can beat. And yet, she’s willing to do it anyways. No, she’s determined to do it anyways.

Smiling slightly, Myk-Zod glances back in the direction of Mystique and Sarah… before chuckling ruefully.

“Alright, I’ll come with you.”

Eve’s head snaps towards him so fast he worries she’ll get whiplash. Her eyes widen in disbelief.

“Excuse me? What? I mean… no offense but I’m not sure you get what I’m saying. Omni-Man is fast enough to circumnavigate the entire globe in like a minute. You… you don’t understand what you’re throwing yourself at.”

A minute, huh? Truthfully, Myk-Zod had never tested his limits so he couldn’t exactly say how he scaled against someone like that. And maybe it was foolhardy to throw himself out there into the unknown when this universe could easily have beings that put even a fully Empowered Kryptonian to shame. Just because he was vastly overpowered in the previous two universes he’d visited so far didn’t mean he always would be.

But at the same time, he does know he’s tough. He’s strong. And… he’s not sure he can just stand by and watch this poor woman potentially go to her death without doing something about it.

If they hadn’t sent Eve to investigate the ship, if he and Mystique had heard about the invasion from afar using the Science Vessel’s long range scanners, then maybe Myk-Zod would have stayed put and let things play out. But as it currently stands…

“I might not fully understand the threat, but I do understand your resolve. You’re going to go fight no matter what, right?”

Eve hesitantly nods.

“Then I’ll come help. The alternatives, me letting you go alone or me trying to keep you here… neither of them are very palatable. Especially since I suspect if I tried to keep you here, you might use those powers of yours to destroy my ship in the process of escaping. And that would be most unfortunate.”

He’s very aware that the ship is the most fragile piece of his entire existence right now. If it gets destroyed, then he’s stuck leaving everything behind again, and he won’t be able to take more than probably Mystique and Sarah with him if he decides to jump to another universe.

More than that, Sarah herself is rather fragile… her psionic powers should still be rather powerful even without that purple stuff that nearly killed her, but she wasn’t nearly as tough or durable as him and Mystique. For all that Myk-Zod killed Arnim Zola to make sure no one else made any Kryptonian Hybrids back on Mystique’s Earth, he himself might have to develop a serum of sorts to give Sarah the same strength and power that he and Mystique already had.

But those were things that could be handled in the future. For now, Myk-Zod would leave Mystique to watch over both the ship and Sarah… and he would go and help Eve.

Speaking of the young woman, her face is going through a bevy of different emotions at the moment. It’s clear she takes some issue with the idea that he might try and keep her from leaving, but she can’t exactly get angry with him when he’s made it clear he’s not going to do that.

In the end…

“I won’t let you slow me down. If you can’t keep up, you might as well stay here.”

Myk-Zod chuckles at that.

“Actually, I was going to offer to get you there faster.”

Atom Eve’s expression is incredulous at that, making Myk-Zod just grin as he gestures to the ramp.

“Want to get ready to step outside?”

She’s already seen him handle the vacuum of space without issue, after all. Slowly, Eve nods and uses that glowing pink power of hers to ‘suit up again’. Once she’s properly attired, he takes her through the airlock and out of the vessel, onto the surface of the Moon.

When Myk-Zod offers Eve his arms, she just rolls her eyes at him and blasts off, beginning to fly back to Earth. Myk-Zod watches her go for a moment in amusement… before pushing off of the Moon’s surface as well.

He appears at her side a moment later, startling the red head rather badly. Then, he moves past her, turning and giving her a look before flying fast enough to become a distant dot in her vision. He can see every bit of the shock in her wide eyes from that distance and after a moment, he flies back to her again, knowing that from her perception, he’s just disappearing and reappearing.

Coming to a stop, Eve stares for a long moment as Myk-Zod once again offers her his arms. Finally, with a huff, she hesitantly ‘climbs aboard’, letting herself nestle against his chest while he wraps his limbs around her to protect her from the speed he’s about to use.

Then… he orients himself in the direction of Earth… and he moves.

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