Chapter 18 : When myths become reality

[Author note : Here's a New chapter. Also, I'm currently posting a new story : Virtual Order Guardians. It's basically a story about a police for a virtual world. 'Why ?' You ask. Well, in the story, Virtual Reality isn't a game : it's a real world. With the Earth's resources dwindling, climate changing, unemployment rising and pollution chocking people out, a lot of people are hoping for a new life. But there's no martian or lunar colony, no place to start out a new life. So they abandon their bodies to science, medicine etc... and they have their consciousness uploaded into a world of their choosing.

That's a brief explanation behind the idea of this story. When I had it, I was so excited to start writing it ! On another note, I've been posting a number of stories I put on hold on Patréon and I plan on posting more. All so that, down the line, I can ask my patrons what stories they liked and would like for me to continue. So, come have a look !

If you're interested in my stories or want to encourage me, please check out my Patréon : https://www.patréon.com/user?u=66371596 (replace the é by a normal e) or look for Cathbel on their website

KoSP : 2 advanced chapters

The Squib who became Iron Lad... In DC : 3 advanced chapters

AoH : Prologue + 6 chapters (exclusive)

VOG : 2 chapters /6 (exclusive)

Enjoy and please tell me what you think of it !]

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It was supposed to be the year when the Golden Trio left Hogwarts in search of the Horcruxes. In the original timeline, Voldemort was basically in charge of the Ministry of Magic, his Death Eaters occupied the school. They, as well as their sympathizers, were tracking muggleborns and their parents and putting them through sham trials in order to condemn them for something they had no control over… However, here, at this time, the Auror office was still strong as was the current Minister, Amelia Bones. More importantly, they'd weeded out every Death Eaters and sympathizers from the ranks of the Ministry and reorganized the internal hierarchy accordingly. For example, Arthur Weasley, who always fought on the side of Dumbledore and supported him, got a raise as well as a promotion… As for a certain toad-faced woman, well… Let's just say she was now getting acquainted with the new guards of Azkaban.

Ned would have loved to help the trio, of course and precipitate the Dark Lord's ending. However, he knew that, because of the Prophecy, he had no place in this final fight. Besides, he was… otherwise engaged ! For some reason, after his fight with Voldemort's goons who came across the ocean to capture or kill him, there was a distinct rise of Dark Wizard/witch activities in the country. Neither Ned, Mel or even Macusa knew why that was. It wasn't like the people 'Silver Lad' fought advertised their arrival in the country. Much less their allegiance.

If that wasn't bad enough, new 'heroes' and vigilantes were popping all over the place in response to the speech he gave Lois Lane after Brainiac's invasion. Apparently, the fact that someone like him, without powers of his own except for his intellect, was fighting 'the good fight' had inspired a number of people, both from the magical world, and the no-maj's one. Although, considering this 'bad' might be pushing it a bit. Sure, they were a few completely powerless, slightly foolish and careless people… But they were others, too !

Like right now for example, as beastmen were rampaging in the streets of his city and he tried as he might to contain the damage to a minimum, a teenager about as old as him or slightly older, wearing red and blue with a distinct mark on her chest, came to his aid…

Mel had detected the use of magic in downtown New York and as they were trying to pinpoint its origin and what it was used for, the beastmen had suddenly started coming out of the subway. Most of them were wearing rags of modern clothes so Ned and Mel had an idea as to their origins but… They were mindless, enraged and attacked anyone that didn't share an animal half. And so, Ned started working on protecting the normal civilians while trying to keep the situation contained… Needless to say it was a rather difficult task.

Not only were they former civilians, which was a reason why he didn't want to injure them too badly, they were also resistant to magic. The standard stunning spells were no good against them and so, he had to supercharge them… Obviously, he couldn't do that or his reactor's energy would bottom out quickly. And so, he opted for indirect incapacitation and obstruction. Transfiguration was his answer, however it was not an answer he could use openly because of the Statute. And so, with Mel acting as look-out using one of the drones, Ned engaged the beastmen (and probably women) in close combat and used his boots' enchantments whenever he wasn't in the direct line of sight of a no-maj or the objective of a camera. It was going poorly, until…

« I'll help you, Silver Lad ! »

For some reason, Ned got goosebumps hearing this sentence. He stopped to look where the voice came from… And she was floating there, her cape flapping in the wind. She was a real sight !

She dove down like a missile into the fray, without regard for her own safety, for she was invincible. With light taps, on the heads of those she came close, she sent them to dreamland. While Ned was struggling, it seemed like a walk in the park for her… He felt it was really unfair !

Nevertheless, he continued to fight, if only for the reason that the source of all this was… magic ! And Kryptonians like her were susceptible to it, unlike everything else the mundane world could throw at them under a yellow sun.

After a while, the beastmen were all contained or unconscious, and Ned could really take a look at her : red and blue skin-tight suit, with golden accent and the prominent S of her family emblazoned on her chest. If it weren't for the knee high boots and the cape, you'd believe she just came out of a swimming pool. She was young, with shoulder length blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes which were currently fixed on him… Well, sometimes. Sometimes, she just averted her gaze, fidgeting as if she had something to say but couldn't bring herself to say it.

Ned was bewildered, excited and in awe. Supergirl, the comic book version of her was someone he respected. Unlike Clark Kent who never knew Krypton or his parents and only had to deal with the reality of being an outsider in a new world, she experienced the loss of her world, her parents, friends… All at a young age and while she might have preferred to stay on her world with them, she wasn't given the choice : her father sedated her before putting her in her pod and sending her off. And then, she orbited around the sun for decades before finally arriving on Earth where her cousin Kal had already grown. What was slightly different however was that, she seemed to have taken the cape much earlier than in the original story. Superman had made his public debut a couple of years ago and here she was… Why ?

« Ahem… » Ned cleared his throat. « Thanks, miss… S ? Are you related to Superman somehow, paying homage or… »

« He's my cousin ! » She exclaimed before gazing at her boots. « I mean… Yeah, he's my baby cousin. Only he's not a baby anymore… »

Ned wasn't sure how to react… The Girl of Steel seemed rather open, even a little blabbering. This wasn't exactly information you'd share with a stranger. With no context to understand it, you'd be left asking yourself whether the girl had a mental problem or you missed something… Not that Ned needed more information since he knew her story. Still…

« I'm… Not sure what you mean. You look like a teenager and Superman's an adult… Almost 30 I'd say. Don't Kryptonian girls age like human ones do ? »

« No… Well, maybe. I've orbited the sun in stasis for years before my pod headed for Earth, that why I haven't aged… »

Their conversation was interrupted when they heard and felt something crash. It came from below, where the beastmen had come from… Sharing a glance, the two nodded and headed there. Ned had already activated his hoverstakes and was operating his thrusters to push himself forward at relatively high speed.

From time to time, Ned looked at Supergirl and wondered whether or not he should tell her to fall back… He wasn't sure but, he knew of only one villain in the DC universe who turned people into animal. In fact, it was a character inspired by an enemy of Ulysses in Greek mythology. Her powers stemmed from magic, so Ned was afraid Supergirl would end up in her control…

As they arrived underground, instead of finding themselves on a subway station with train-tracks, benches and stuff you'd normally find there, they ended up in a strange palatial hall. The floor was marbles, as were the columns dotting the room at regular intervals and at the bottom of the stairs stood another woman, sword drawn and with a shield in hand. She was wearing an impractical suit of armor that showed too much skin to really protect her… But Ned figured she needed the mobility and since she'd been trained by the God of War, maybe she didn't really need protection. Wonder Woman, princess of the Amazons. With jet-black hair and blue eyes (though he couldn't see them now) and a tanned skin, she was a sight of martial prowess and beauty.

Atop the stairs, another world shaking, exotic and perhaps a little alien, beauty was facing the Champion of Truth. She had red hair, almost flamboyant, which were floating around her head as if she was in water or space. She floated above the ground, with the unmistakable glow of magic around her.

Ned swore under his breath :

« Damn it ! I knew it was her… Circe ! »

* * * * *

Meanwhile, Zatanna Zatara, daughter of Giovanni Zatara was spending the day with her best friend, Susan Stark. They were currently in her room trying out outfits. At least, Zatanna was. Susan was lounging on her bed, judging her creations and how they fit her.

She grabbed a handful of peanuts and, as she cupped it in her left hand, she used her right to chuck one right in her mouth. As if on cue, her brunette friend opened the bathroom door wide. With a flourish she twirled her top hat and put it on her head. Her face pointed at the floor, she grabbed the rim over her nose and slowly looked up :

« So, what do you think ? »

Zatanna was currently wearing a mix of a stage magician and assistant's garb, with the top being a suit jacket with a long tailcoat, a white shirt underneath, a black bow tie, and the bottom being knee-high leather boots covering fishnets.

Susan looked at it critically. Among the various clothes she'd designed for her, those were the ones she liked the less. She thought they were a bit… demeaning. Emphasizing her womanly asset instead of her skills as a 'magician'… As a witch, really. And yet, Zatanna expressly asked for them for some reason. Perhaps because she'd been her dad's assistant during his summer shows for years while he worked in Vegas or left on tour. Or perhaps because she just liked men looking at her… Susan thought it was the latter.

« Are you sure about that ? » Susan asked, still disbelieving. « I mean… Fighting crimes or whatever is one thing but… Doing it wearing that ? You do know that criminals are sometimes unhinged, right ? Not to mention you'll eventually face rapists… »

Zatanna shrugged : she was confident in her ability to handle anything throw her way. As long as she could speak, there was pretty much nothing to fear. And even in case, she was gagged or lost her voice somehow, there still was chantless casting. She might not be as good in it as her friend and… Well, pretty much anyone from her Year in Illvermony, but she could still use for some things.

« I'll be fine ! My father's not even letting me fight on my own. » She started to rant. « I'm 17 now ! I'm an adult and yet he still treats me like a little girl ! He claims that, since we live with one feet in both world's, he'll consider me an adult only when I've reached the No-Maj's legal age… But really, I think he's lying. I don't believe he'll treat me any differently in a year… or even two. »

« Isn't it a good thing ? » Susan asked. « Do you know how many times I wanted to just… grab Ned by the ear and twist it so he stopped playing hero… Unfortunately, every time we end up in a shouting match he defeats me with… » She snorted with disgust. : « … Logic. Ugh ! »

Susan, not unlike a lot of witches and wizards, was rather alien to the notion of logic. Whether that was because of their ability to casually break the laws of physics or, Wizarding kind just lacked the common sense of no-majs. Something her brother had because he's studied in their schools, read their books… Even worked in their world, as a freelance programmer (whatever that was…). And so, although she really wanted Ned to stop with his nonsense, Susan was often disarmed by Ned's realistic and slightly pessimistic view of the world. Then again, aliens did invade, killing people in the thousands…

Zatanna looked herself in the standing mirror, adjusting her jacket, gloves and even her fishnets before she looked at her friend with a side glance :

« You still haven't told what you thought of it… »

It was Susan's turn to shrug.