Post by redsycorax on Oct 21, 2018 0:03:36 GMT
Earth-568 is an anomaly amongst alternate Earths. Also known as Oceania, it has a counterpart of Superman known as Hyperman, whose first incarnation was poisoned by blue zoronite, a radioactive fragment of his perished native planet. Unlike kryptonite, which has a limited scale radioactive intensity and which Superman and other Kryptonians can recover from, the effects of zoronite are permanent. Once exposure has occurred, the being in question is doomed. Chak-Ai (Hyperman) lost his abilities at the same time, but was able to marry Lydia Long, fellow reporter at television's Oceania Network. Although Chak-Ai died before he was able to witness it, Lydia had become pregnant and gave birth to Charles Jr, who would become Hyperboy and the second Hyperman later in his life. Earth-568 has a red dwarf sun, which would neutralise the abilities of any Kryptonian or Daxamite who ventured there, but which provides some added complications to Hyperman's life. Earth-568 is far enough from its smaller red sun to support life, but unlike other Earths in orbit around yellow suns such as our own, it doesn't rotate. Most of Earth's inhabitants live in the Archipelago of Gyndwana, which is the principal power of that Earth, pitted against the Laurasian Economic Community, which inhabits a southern continent analogous to Antarctica on our world, except that Laurasia has no polar icecap, as Earth-568's distance doesn't permit their formation. As the continental names indicate, continental drift occurred more slowly on Earth-568 than many other worlds.
Lydia developed uterine cancer as the result of her experimental xenopregnancy and died several years into Hyperboy's life. As Hyperman II, however, he met Zyra Tharn-Ai, or Hyperwoman, who had been born on Zoron's moon Trombus, blasted away from Zoron's solar system by the destruction of its primary. Tragically, Trombus was catapulted in a doomed orbit around Zoron's sun of origin, and would eventually become inhospitable to even shielded life due to hard radiation from close proximity to that sun. Zyra's parents, Tharn-Ai and Oura, sent their daughter to Earth-568, where she gained metahuman abilities. Hyperwoman fell in love with Hyperman II and married him, producing the third generation of the Ai clan. Hyperman II, Hyperwoman and Hyperboy II have had to face recurrent menaces from Tla'ano, the mad Myotidman of the marginal planet Zyrenyth (Mars-568), whose terraformed ecosystem is failing fast. Driven mad by his planet's plight, Myotidman often devises and uses superweapons against the Hyperfamily as a consequence. Using the experimental isotope White Zoronite, he gave metahuman powers to an experimental animal, Fyrey, a lab cat. However, upon gaining sapience, Fyrey turned on his creator and defected to the Hyperfamily.
++
Zyreneth. Closer to its smaller sun than many other Mars analogues, Zyreneth possessed eutrophying oceans and a wretched canal system. Its inhabitants faced frequent episodes of famine and starvation as the planet became increasingly inhospitable to sustaining carbon-based lifeforms. Clad in his ceremonial pointheaded cowl and robes of office as the hereditary Myotidman of his world, Tla'ano cursed the natives of the adjacent Earth. It was fifteen million miles away, but it might as well be forever. Zyreneth had fought three interplanetary wars with Earth. In 1898, it had almost triumphed, except for a devastating Terran virus to which Zyranytheans had no immunity. In 1938, it had focused its efforts on the Archipelago of Gyndwana, but was repelled by Hyperman I. In 2005, it was the turn of Hyperman II to see off the latest incursion, the first overseen by Tla'ano as Myotidman of his people. He despised the Hyperfamily and constantly sought to locate blue zoronite to poison Hyperman, Hyperwoman and Hyperboy. However, zoronite was spread over a wider area of space than Kryptonite, whose effects were restricted largely to the Milky Way Galaxy. He had to be contented with mutagenic Yellow Zoronite instead. Accordingly, his attention was focused on the rare meteoroid that was enshrouded within a gold-laden shield in his Laboratory of Solitude.
"You called, batlord?"
"Lady Ayam. Have your intrigues on our neighbouring world borne any new information?"
"There are some troubling advances with electromagnetic surveillance. I was nearly exposed by a DNA test, which would have disclosed my identity as a Psykhonian. I only just managed to assimilate its information and recalibrate my shapeshift accordingly. Soon, I may no longer be able to securely infiltrate there."
"No matter. You are an operative of rare prowess, my lady."
"You are not the only one who bears a vendetta against the Zoronians, my batlord. They obliterated my homeworld and almost wiped out my people."
"Rest assured, however, that soon, both of us may be satiated and our worlds avenged."
"VRIL?"
"I am afraid that I have some unfortunate news. The so-called Fatal Four threaten to reassemble."
"How is that possible, VRIL? Granted, Myotidman and Ayam are still at large, but Melancholia and Greytorch are solidly behind bars on Takron-Galtos." Hyperwoman frowned
'Were behind bars. Greytorch had regained enough residual energy to trigger his powerjewel and made a major jailbreak. The Acedian went with him."
"Have we contacted the United Federation of Planets for their starship registration data?" Hyperwoman said, preparing to contact her husband.
"I have detected no incoming starship emission trails or navigation traffic that would be consistent with a Takron-Galtos point of origin."
"Should we also contact Hyperboy, do you think?"
"Your son is currently engaged in deflection of a strong intensity meteoroid swarm threatening the Mephitis XVII colony. Hypercat is assisting him."
"Why are so many of the metahumans on our world and its environs so dysfunctional? All right, VRIL. Contact Charles and let him know what's happening."
"This is Charles King with Oceania Network News. Hyperboy and Hypercat are currently in the vicinity of the outermost gas giant of our solar system, Mephitis, deflecting a swarm of large meteoroids from its seventeenth satellite, otherwise known as New Oceania. New Oceania was settled in 1965 AMI and has a population of forty thousand settlers, mostly engaged in the helium-3 extraction industry. Matriarch Akrasia today reaffirmed the Isidian faith's opposition to multiple-personality inclusion in family laws, leading to demonstrations from the Band of Sisters Collective in downtown New Bristol. The sleeping plague continues its deadly swathe of misery through Venitia, and the Laurasian Economic Community have accused Gyndwana of antihumanitarian behaviour as its vessels try to breach quarantine and deliver new untested experimental drugs. Speaking in the World Parliament, His Majesty Markus Ambrosius accused the LEC of profiteering and disregard for ethical scientific endeavour. Princess Rosaia today confirmed her marriage to Rion Arianus is about to become a triad, with a joint proposal to a third party. While polyamorous triad marriages are..." Hyperman cast a hologram within the studio as he turned invisible and relinquished his Charles King secret identity. Soon, he was travelling upward to Basidium, Earth's inhabited lesser satellite.
"Zyra?"
"Chak, I called because of the renewed threat from the Fatal Four and Zyreneth. Myotidman appears to have engineered a Takron-Galtos jailbreak and Greytorch and Melancholia on their way here."
"Damn that megalomaniac bastard to hell. Don't tell me we're about to experience a fourth Martian invasion?"
"I think things have gone beyond that now. They don't have the ability to engage in large scale conflict any longer. Which tends to mean that it's the Fatal Four. Unfortunately, Myotidman still has his stockpile of zoronite to use against us. Greytorch's power ring uses antimatter, so it can affect us as well. Melancholia can't, unless she uses Zoronian technology. Her abilities only affect non-metahumans. Ayam can only confront us if she replicates a Zoronian animal."
"So, effectively, that makes them the Fatal Two. Although the Oaian power ring is also vulnerable to sepia."
As Zyreneth welcomed its apex metasapients team, there were unforeseen developments. Melancholia cleared her throat:
"I'm resigning from the Fatal Four after this mission. Myotidman, I do not share your vendetta against Oceania and the Zoronians. I never have."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Melancholia."
"I do sympathise with Zyreneth's plight, but why is it necessary to settle on Oceania? The planet may be within your solar system's habitable zone, but it's compromised by its absence of rotation and the fact that significant territories are uninhabitable, whether to Oceanians or Zyrenethians. Their societies have never had taboos against population control for that reason. Whereas in your heyday, Zyreneth did." Melancholia got no further as Myotidman produced a disruptor pistol and fired it at her at point blank range. She collapsed, lifeless, to the ground.
Lady Ayam closed her eyes. She hadn't wanted that to happen, but then Melancholia was always the loosest link within the Fatal Four, as evidenced by her frequent arguments with the brilliant but increasingly psychotic Myotidman. And there would be trouble as a result- Greytorch had been in a past relationship with her and despite their estrangement over time, he still had feelings for the dead empath. She would have to have a conversation with Bri'is at some point about his actions. Her motivations were different- Zoron had ruled over an interstellar empire and Psyckhone had been a rival for that domination, so an espionage team entered the Hall of Menthys and sabotaged its biotronic artifical intelligence, causing the planet to perish in a runaway chain reaction and nearly obliterating her species. Zyreneth had found and taken in the survivors and Lady Ayam had been grateful for their altruism and compassion. It was no comfort at all when Zoron was destroyed by the black hole at its core and Hyperman and Hyperwoman became the sole survivors of their world. Then there were their accursed allies- Citizen Cold, Mr Element and the teenage Amazon Wonder Girl, within that infernal Justice Metahuman Network. She had vowed on her parents shattered homeworld to obliterate the last remnants of Zoron and she would do so. Zyrenath was her adopted home and she would protect it to her death.
Greytorch finally spoke: "She didn't deserve that, Bri'is."
"I am the Myotidman of Zyreneth. I have a tenth level intellect and I will tolerate no opposition, Greytorch. Is that understood?"
Aryn Sor nodded. He was seething with anger and indignation inside at the wanton murder of Melancholia, but Myotidman had an excellent point. They were the only metahumans within this planetary system not under the sway of the Zoronian survivors. Granted, Zyreneth should have accepted the United Federation of Planets offer of interstellar resettlement long ago, but Earth had once held a Zyrenath colony, albeit thousands of years ago and Zyreneth regarded their neighbour as their own legitimate surrogate homeworld. Except Zyreneth didn't have the technology or military strength to launch a fourth "Martian" invasion. Sor would have to wait until Myotidman was alone and isolated and then put an end to him before he brought the whole unstable edifice of Zyrenathi society to its knees. Whether Lady Ayam would stand for that was an unknown factor. She was loyal to Bri'is O'uan, but regarded her Fatal Three membership as an opportunity to implement her real objective, the destruction and extinction of the last survivors of the Zoronian species. He cared neither one way nor the other.
Back on Basidium, Hyperboy and Hypercat had just arrived back from their repair and evacuation mission at Mephitis, their solar system's outermost gas giant. The Zyreneth situation was not one that he was conversant with. Oh, Zyrenath was there, but its inhabitants kept to themselves and held a xenophobic view of Earth and its inhabitants. Actually, Charles was looking forward to seeing Diana, the young Amazon Princess from Bastion Island once more. They had a strong bond, much to the pleasure of their respective parents- Queen Antiope, Hyperman and Hyperwoman. Citizen Cold and Mr Element were more allies of his parents, but he enjoyed their company as well.
"Hola, Chak and Zyra!"
"Diana! I'm afraid Charles Junior is en route back from New Oceania- there was an unpleasant dome breach out there and he volunteered for repair duty, given that it was on the other side of the Sun."
Citizen Cold cleared his throat: "Zyra, Chak. Is it really Zyreneth, after all this time?"
"It's not a full scale invasion, Len. The strategic assessments were right about that- it doesn't have the capability to launch any further full scale interplanetary invasions. Unfortunately, that means that the Fatal Four have become an elite tactical intervention force. And judging from our long-distance vision surveillance of their activities, Bri'is is worse than ever."
"It's Ayam and Greytorch that I'm worried about, Chak. I still haven't forgiven that evil grey bastard for what he did to Hub City." None of them could forget the heroic sacrifice that Len's sister Goldentorch (or Lisa Snart) had made to stop the Zyrenethian death ray offensive against their home town. Particularly not Len himself, who had sworn a vendetta against the alien combat specialist. Citizen Cold fully intended that if he faced off against Greytorch, this time one of them would not walk away.
Al Desmond was a different story. He'd relocated to Heliotropolis several years beforehand and his family was largely intact. His peerless chemical skills had given him a valued seat on the Justice Metahuman Alliance conference table. He summoned up a holographier image of Zyreneth/Mars as the others gathered around.
"Okay, let's focus on where we guess the Fatal Four will strike. It's probably Coldside. Given that Zyreneth/Mars has a lower average temperature than Earth, Coldside is a more tolerable environment for them and there are sparser Terran military concentrations there. Added to which, despite their coldsuits, they still find the Temperate Zone, Gyndwana and Laurasia, to be almost insurmountable challenges." Desmond said, indicating the particular environmental sensitivites that Myotidman had when he had participated in the prior Zyrenethian invasion of Earth in 2005.
"What about his antigrav compensators?"
"They're still operative and too well implanted within him to make any difference."
"What about heading them off on Luna or Basidium?"
"They've upgraded the quality of their teleportation capabilities since 2005. The beamwidth is more narrowly composed and not as easy to disrupt or divert."
The JMA headquarters airlock slid back as Hyperboy and Fyrey the Hypercat finished decontamination procedures. Wonder Girl strode forward and kissed him on the cheek:
"All here."
"We may expect an invasion from Zyreneth imminently. The Fatal Four will attack the JMA and try to neutralise us."
"I'd like to see them try." Snart muttered.
"Easy, Len. It's a shame it's come to this again." Wonder Girl sighed.
"There's something else I probably should share. Intel from the Gyndwana Intelligence Service suggests definite tensions between President Aelita and Myotidman. At some point, she may step in and halt the invasion attempt. The question is, how will he deal with that?" Hyperwoman said.
"He's supposed to obey her, she's their head of state." Hyperman responded.
"Psychosis. How he'll react is anyone's guess, unfortunately." Hyperwoman concluded.
And indeed, that was the case. President Aelita of the Socialist Zyrenethi Republic had entered the Fatal Four's White Tower redoubt, with a group of armed guards:
"I wish it had never come to this, Bri'is, but stand down. This abortive incursion will not proceed. Moreover, you are under arrest for Melancholia's murder."
"Which one of you was responsible for this betrayal?!" Myotidman snarled.
Aelita shook her head: "We've been monitoring this area for the last rev, Bri'is. You are also relieved of command, effective immediately."
"Your Excellency, please. Myotidman is right. We can overcome them this time." Lady Ayam stepped forward, only to retreat as blaster rifles were levellled at her:
"Your Predecessor knew better!" Myotidman hissed at the silver haired Zyrenethi leader.
"President Myrvil is no longer commander in chief. Thanks to him, we can barely keep order during the increasingly meagre harvests we confront."
"All the more reason to launch a pre-emptive strike against Earth's metasapients-"
"You are showing all the symptoms of paranoid psychosis, Myotidman. With help, you can be the brilliant mind you once were."
"You're in their pay-" Myotidman raised his blaster and aimed it squarely at the impassive supreme ruler of Zyreneth. But he got no further as a grey lance of energy shot from Greytorch's power ring and impaled Myotidman on its end. Scarcely believing what had happened, blood flowed from the fallen assailant's mouth as, eyes widened in shock, he fell to his knees and then lay still, face down on the ground as a spreading pool of violet blood began to pool around him. Greytorch lowered his power ring:
"I apologise for using weapons in your presence, Your Excellency. Unfortunately, given Myotidman's condition and his prior murder of our team mate Melancholia, there was no other option available to me."
"Greytorch, you are henceforth leader of the Zyrenethi Metasapient Guard. You are authorised to negotiate a ceasefire with our terrestrial counterparts and with the United Federation of Planets. We will evacuate this dying world and settle in another solar system. The time of hostilities with Earth is forever ended."
Without a word, but with tears in her eyes, Lady Ayam removed her talisman of office, bowed almost imperceptibly to President Aelita and then, outside, gave way to her grief. She would obey the orders of the global president, but her heart was broken.
Above Earth, the JMA received the news with mixed feelings.
"Our worlds are spared the devastation of war, at least." Wonder Girl pointed out.
"There had to be a better way. Myotidman was insane at the end, but otherwise a valiant enemy." Hyperwoman said sadly.
"Tell that to Lisa and the others who perished in Hub City, boss lady." Citizen Cold said, angrily striding toward the teleporter, vengeance frustrated.
"Len, I-"
"He'll come round, Zyra. It's for the best. This way, Zyreneth doesn't lose its remaining metasapient beings, its inhabitants find a new and habitable world to relocate to and we don't face the heartbreaking indirect guilt of ending the existence of civilisation and intelligent life on our nearest neighbour." Hyperman concluded.
"It's not often we manage to cool things down before things escalate out of control." Hyperwoman replied.
"Hey, Diana, what would you say to a date?"
"Well, I have three hours before I have to return to Sanctuary. Okay, then..." As their younger members walked out, Al Desmond commented:
"It's just a damned shame Melancholia's death was the price of this pre-emptive victory. She wasn't as bad as the others."
"Now that the kids have gone, let's toast that, Al. To peace."
"To peace." Hyperman, Hyperwoman and Mr Element quietly drank down their Altairian Brandy and looked out the satellite window at the distant red flare of Zyreneth.
THE END
Lydia developed uterine cancer as the result of her experimental xenopregnancy and died several years into Hyperboy's life. As Hyperman II, however, he met Zyra Tharn-Ai, or Hyperwoman, who had been born on Zoron's moon Trombus, blasted away from Zoron's solar system by the destruction of its primary. Tragically, Trombus was catapulted in a doomed orbit around Zoron's sun of origin, and would eventually become inhospitable to even shielded life due to hard radiation from close proximity to that sun. Zyra's parents, Tharn-Ai and Oura, sent their daughter to Earth-568, where she gained metahuman abilities. Hyperwoman fell in love with Hyperman II and married him, producing the third generation of the Ai clan. Hyperman II, Hyperwoman and Hyperboy II have had to face recurrent menaces from Tla'ano, the mad Myotidman of the marginal planet Zyrenyth (Mars-568), whose terraformed ecosystem is failing fast. Driven mad by his planet's plight, Myotidman often devises and uses superweapons against the Hyperfamily as a consequence. Using the experimental isotope White Zoronite, he gave metahuman powers to an experimental animal, Fyrey, a lab cat. However, upon gaining sapience, Fyrey turned on his creator and defected to the Hyperfamily.
++
Zyreneth. Closer to its smaller sun than many other Mars analogues, Zyreneth possessed eutrophying oceans and a wretched canal system. Its inhabitants faced frequent episodes of famine and starvation as the planet became increasingly inhospitable to sustaining carbon-based lifeforms. Clad in his ceremonial pointheaded cowl and robes of office as the hereditary Myotidman of his world, Tla'ano cursed the natives of the adjacent Earth. It was fifteen million miles away, but it might as well be forever. Zyreneth had fought three interplanetary wars with Earth. In 1898, it had almost triumphed, except for a devastating Terran virus to which Zyranytheans had no immunity. In 1938, it had focused its efforts on the Archipelago of Gyndwana, but was repelled by Hyperman I. In 2005, it was the turn of Hyperman II to see off the latest incursion, the first overseen by Tla'ano as Myotidman of his people. He despised the Hyperfamily and constantly sought to locate blue zoronite to poison Hyperman, Hyperwoman and Hyperboy. However, zoronite was spread over a wider area of space than Kryptonite, whose effects were restricted largely to the Milky Way Galaxy. He had to be contented with mutagenic Yellow Zoronite instead. Accordingly, his attention was focused on the rare meteoroid that was enshrouded within a gold-laden shield in his Laboratory of Solitude.
"You called, batlord?"
"Lady Ayam. Have your intrigues on our neighbouring world borne any new information?"
"There are some troubling advances with electromagnetic surveillance. I was nearly exposed by a DNA test, which would have disclosed my identity as a Psykhonian. I only just managed to assimilate its information and recalibrate my shapeshift accordingly. Soon, I may no longer be able to securely infiltrate there."
"No matter. You are an operative of rare prowess, my lady."
"You are not the only one who bears a vendetta against the Zoronians, my batlord. They obliterated my homeworld and almost wiped out my people."
"Rest assured, however, that soon, both of us may be satiated and our worlds avenged."
"VRIL?"
"I am afraid that I have some unfortunate news. The so-called Fatal Four threaten to reassemble."
"How is that possible, VRIL? Granted, Myotidman and Ayam are still at large, but Melancholia and Greytorch are solidly behind bars on Takron-Galtos." Hyperwoman frowned
'Were behind bars. Greytorch had regained enough residual energy to trigger his powerjewel and made a major jailbreak. The Acedian went with him."
"Have we contacted the United Federation of Planets for their starship registration data?" Hyperwoman said, preparing to contact her husband.
"I have detected no incoming starship emission trails or navigation traffic that would be consistent with a Takron-Galtos point of origin."
"Should we also contact Hyperboy, do you think?"
"Your son is currently engaged in deflection of a strong intensity meteoroid swarm threatening the Mephitis XVII colony. Hypercat is assisting him."
"Why are so many of the metahumans on our world and its environs so dysfunctional? All right, VRIL. Contact Charles and let him know what's happening."
"This is Charles King with Oceania Network News. Hyperboy and Hypercat are currently in the vicinity of the outermost gas giant of our solar system, Mephitis, deflecting a swarm of large meteoroids from its seventeenth satellite, otherwise known as New Oceania. New Oceania was settled in 1965 AMI and has a population of forty thousand settlers, mostly engaged in the helium-3 extraction industry. Matriarch Akrasia today reaffirmed the Isidian faith's opposition to multiple-personality inclusion in family laws, leading to demonstrations from the Band of Sisters Collective in downtown New Bristol. The sleeping plague continues its deadly swathe of misery through Venitia, and the Laurasian Economic Community have accused Gyndwana of antihumanitarian behaviour as its vessels try to breach quarantine and deliver new untested experimental drugs. Speaking in the World Parliament, His Majesty Markus Ambrosius accused the LEC of profiteering and disregard for ethical scientific endeavour. Princess Rosaia today confirmed her marriage to Rion Arianus is about to become a triad, with a joint proposal to a third party. While polyamorous triad marriages are..." Hyperman cast a hologram within the studio as he turned invisible and relinquished his Charles King secret identity. Soon, he was travelling upward to Basidium, Earth's inhabited lesser satellite.
"Zyra?"
"Chak, I called because of the renewed threat from the Fatal Four and Zyreneth. Myotidman appears to have engineered a Takron-Galtos jailbreak and Greytorch and Melancholia on their way here."
"Damn that megalomaniac bastard to hell. Don't tell me we're about to experience a fourth Martian invasion?"
"I think things have gone beyond that now. They don't have the ability to engage in large scale conflict any longer. Which tends to mean that it's the Fatal Four. Unfortunately, Myotidman still has his stockpile of zoronite to use against us. Greytorch's power ring uses antimatter, so it can affect us as well. Melancholia can't, unless she uses Zoronian technology. Her abilities only affect non-metahumans. Ayam can only confront us if she replicates a Zoronian animal."
"So, effectively, that makes them the Fatal Two. Although the Oaian power ring is also vulnerable to sepia."
As Zyreneth welcomed its apex metasapients team, there were unforeseen developments. Melancholia cleared her throat:
"I'm resigning from the Fatal Four after this mission. Myotidman, I do not share your vendetta against Oceania and the Zoronians. I never have."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Melancholia."
"I do sympathise with Zyreneth's plight, but why is it necessary to settle on Oceania? The planet may be within your solar system's habitable zone, but it's compromised by its absence of rotation and the fact that significant territories are uninhabitable, whether to Oceanians or Zyrenethians. Their societies have never had taboos against population control for that reason. Whereas in your heyday, Zyreneth did." Melancholia got no further as Myotidman produced a disruptor pistol and fired it at her at point blank range. She collapsed, lifeless, to the ground.
Lady Ayam closed her eyes. She hadn't wanted that to happen, but then Melancholia was always the loosest link within the Fatal Four, as evidenced by her frequent arguments with the brilliant but increasingly psychotic Myotidman. And there would be trouble as a result- Greytorch had been in a past relationship with her and despite their estrangement over time, he still had feelings for the dead empath. She would have to have a conversation with Bri'is at some point about his actions. Her motivations were different- Zoron had ruled over an interstellar empire and Psyckhone had been a rival for that domination, so an espionage team entered the Hall of Menthys and sabotaged its biotronic artifical intelligence, causing the planet to perish in a runaway chain reaction and nearly obliterating her species. Zyreneth had found and taken in the survivors and Lady Ayam had been grateful for their altruism and compassion. It was no comfort at all when Zoron was destroyed by the black hole at its core and Hyperman and Hyperwoman became the sole survivors of their world. Then there were their accursed allies- Citizen Cold, Mr Element and the teenage Amazon Wonder Girl, within that infernal Justice Metahuman Network. She had vowed on her parents shattered homeworld to obliterate the last remnants of Zoron and she would do so. Zyrenath was her adopted home and she would protect it to her death.
Greytorch finally spoke: "She didn't deserve that, Bri'is."
"I am the Myotidman of Zyreneth. I have a tenth level intellect and I will tolerate no opposition, Greytorch. Is that understood?"
Aryn Sor nodded. He was seething with anger and indignation inside at the wanton murder of Melancholia, but Myotidman had an excellent point. They were the only metahumans within this planetary system not under the sway of the Zoronian survivors. Granted, Zyreneth should have accepted the United Federation of Planets offer of interstellar resettlement long ago, but Earth had once held a Zyrenath colony, albeit thousands of years ago and Zyreneth regarded their neighbour as their own legitimate surrogate homeworld. Except Zyreneth didn't have the technology or military strength to launch a fourth "Martian" invasion. Sor would have to wait until Myotidman was alone and isolated and then put an end to him before he brought the whole unstable edifice of Zyrenathi society to its knees. Whether Lady Ayam would stand for that was an unknown factor. She was loyal to Bri'is O'uan, but regarded her Fatal Three membership as an opportunity to implement her real objective, the destruction and extinction of the last survivors of the Zoronian species. He cared neither one way nor the other.
Back on Basidium, Hyperboy and Hypercat had just arrived back from their repair and evacuation mission at Mephitis, their solar system's outermost gas giant. The Zyreneth situation was not one that he was conversant with. Oh, Zyrenath was there, but its inhabitants kept to themselves and held a xenophobic view of Earth and its inhabitants. Actually, Charles was looking forward to seeing Diana, the young Amazon Princess from Bastion Island once more. They had a strong bond, much to the pleasure of their respective parents- Queen Antiope, Hyperman and Hyperwoman. Citizen Cold and Mr Element were more allies of his parents, but he enjoyed their company as well.
"Hola, Chak and Zyra!"
"Diana! I'm afraid Charles Junior is en route back from New Oceania- there was an unpleasant dome breach out there and he volunteered for repair duty, given that it was on the other side of the Sun."
Citizen Cold cleared his throat: "Zyra, Chak. Is it really Zyreneth, after all this time?"
"It's not a full scale invasion, Len. The strategic assessments were right about that- it doesn't have the capability to launch any further full scale interplanetary invasions. Unfortunately, that means that the Fatal Four have become an elite tactical intervention force. And judging from our long-distance vision surveillance of their activities, Bri'is is worse than ever."
"It's Ayam and Greytorch that I'm worried about, Chak. I still haven't forgiven that evil grey bastard for what he did to Hub City." None of them could forget the heroic sacrifice that Len's sister Goldentorch (or Lisa Snart) had made to stop the Zyrenethian death ray offensive against their home town. Particularly not Len himself, who had sworn a vendetta against the alien combat specialist. Citizen Cold fully intended that if he faced off against Greytorch, this time one of them would not walk away.
Al Desmond was a different story. He'd relocated to Heliotropolis several years beforehand and his family was largely intact. His peerless chemical skills had given him a valued seat on the Justice Metahuman Alliance conference table. He summoned up a holographier image of Zyreneth/Mars as the others gathered around.
"Okay, let's focus on where we guess the Fatal Four will strike. It's probably Coldside. Given that Zyreneth/Mars has a lower average temperature than Earth, Coldside is a more tolerable environment for them and there are sparser Terran military concentrations there. Added to which, despite their coldsuits, they still find the Temperate Zone, Gyndwana and Laurasia, to be almost insurmountable challenges." Desmond said, indicating the particular environmental sensitivites that Myotidman had when he had participated in the prior Zyrenethian invasion of Earth in 2005.
"What about his antigrav compensators?"
"They're still operative and too well implanted within him to make any difference."
"What about heading them off on Luna or Basidium?"
"They've upgraded the quality of their teleportation capabilities since 2005. The beamwidth is more narrowly composed and not as easy to disrupt or divert."
The JMA headquarters airlock slid back as Hyperboy and Fyrey the Hypercat finished decontamination procedures. Wonder Girl strode forward and kissed him on the cheek:
"All here."
"We may expect an invasion from Zyreneth imminently. The Fatal Four will attack the JMA and try to neutralise us."
"I'd like to see them try." Snart muttered.
"Easy, Len. It's a shame it's come to this again." Wonder Girl sighed.
"There's something else I probably should share. Intel from the Gyndwana Intelligence Service suggests definite tensions between President Aelita and Myotidman. At some point, she may step in and halt the invasion attempt. The question is, how will he deal with that?" Hyperwoman said.
"He's supposed to obey her, she's their head of state." Hyperman responded.
"Psychosis. How he'll react is anyone's guess, unfortunately." Hyperwoman concluded.
And indeed, that was the case. President Aelita of the Socialist Zyrenethi Republic had entered the Fatal Four's White Tower redoubt, with a group of armed guards:
"I wish it had never come to this, Bri'is, but stand down. This abortive incursion will not proceed. Moreover, you are under arrest for Melancholia's murder."
"Which one of you was responsible for this betrayal?!" Myotidman snarled.
Aelita shook her head: "We've been monitoring this area for the last rev, Bri'is. You are also relieved of command, effective immediately."
"Your Excellency, please. Myotidman is right. We can overcome them this time." Lady Ayam stepped forward, only to retreat as blaster rifles were levellled at her:
"Your Predecessor knew better!" Myotidman hissed at the silver haired Zyrenethi leader.
"President Myrvil is no longer commander in chief. Thanks to him, we can barely keep order during the increasingly meagre harvests we confront."
"All the more reason to launch a pre-emptive strike against Earth's metasapients-"
"You are showing all the symptoms of paranoid psychosis, Myotidman. With help, you can be the brilliant mind you once were."
"You're in their pay-" Myotidman raised his blaster and aimed it squarely at the impassive supreme ruler of Zyreneth. But he got no further as a grey lance of energy shot from Greytorch's power ring and impaled Myotidman on its end. Scarcely believing what had happened, blood flowed from the fallen assailant's mouth as, eyes widened in shock, he fell to his knees and then lay still, face down on the ground as a spreading pool of violet blood began to pool around him. Greytorch lowered his power ring:
"I apologise for using weapons in your presence, Your Excellency. Unfortunately, given Myotidman's condition and his prior murder of our team mate Melancholia, there was no other option available to me."
"Greytorch, you are henceforth leader of the Zyrenethi Metasapient Guard. You are authorised to negotiate a ceasefire with our terrestrial counterparts and with the United Federation of Planets. We will evacuate this dying world and settle in another solar system. The time of hostilities with Earth is forever ended."
Without a word, but with tears in her eyes, Lady Ayam removed her talisman of office, bowed almost imperceptibly to President Aelita and then, outside, gave way to her grief. She would obey the orders of the global president, but her heart was broken.
Above Earth, the JMA received the news with mixed feelings.
"Our worlds are spared the devastation of war, at least." Wonder Girl pointed out.
"There had to be a better way. Myotidman was insane at the end, but otherwise a valiant enemy." Hyperwoman said sadly.
"Tell that to Lisa and the others who perished in Hub City, boss lady." Citizen Cold said, angrily striding toward the teleporter, vengeance frustrated.
"Len, I-"
"He'll come round, Zyra. It's for the best. This way, Zyreneth doesn't lose its remaining metasapient beings, its inhabitants find a new and habitable world to relocate to and we don't face the heartbreaking indirect guilt of ending the existence of civilisation and intelligent life on our nearest neighbour." Hyperman concluded.
"It's not often we manage to cool things down before things escalate out of control." Hyperwoman replied.
"Hey, Diana, what would you say to a date?"
"Well, I have three hours before I have to return to Sanctuary. Okay, then..." As their younger members walked out, Al Desmond commented:
"It's just a damned shame Melancholia's death was the price of this pre-emptive victory. She wasn't as bad as the others."
"Now that the kids have gone, let's toast that, Al. To peace."
"To peace." Hyperman, Hyperwoman and Mr Element quietly drank down their Altairian Brandy and looked out the satellite window at the distant red flare of Zyreneth.
THE END