Chapter 6.1
Kara pulled herself from the ground with a small groan of pain, all around her; she could hear people screaming in pain and despair.
Amber's last attack had caused a terrifying amount of damage, throughout the city, hundreds of buildings had exploded from the divine bolts and there were entire blocks demolished or on fire.
Shaking her head, Kara decided she didn't have the luxury of hiding anymore.
In a burst of speed, she flew towards the burning buildings and let out a long breath, a wave of icy wind blew through the rubble, smothering all the flames.
She spent the next few minutes rescuing people in dire need until Kori dropped by her side, releasing Amy and her two alternate personalities on the floor.
"What now, Friend Kara?" The Tamaranean asked in doubt.
"Now we find Amber and make her stop, no matter what." Kara growled even as she lifted a huge piece of building and freed two adult men from under it. "No more holding back, no more being gentle."
Kori just nodded, she was from a race of warriors and didn't see killing the same way most humans did.
"No!" Amy shouted and threw herself at Kara's waist to no effect. "That wasn't Amber; she'd never act like that!"
"I agree." Kara told her and shook her head in sadness. "But we just don't have the luxury of taking it easy."
Kara knew the girl who taunted them in the hospital couldn't be the same one who fled in shame at hurting a little girl. Even sick people didn't change so fast, but whatever she developed yet another personality or was being controlled didn't matter anymore. Not with this level of destruction.
The girl had killed hundreds, possibly thousands and, if left alone, would kill millions. She had to be stopped no matter what.
"Keep helping people and, if you see Amber, call out to me immediately, I'll be listening."
Kori nodded and flew away to help at another destroyed building while Kara dragged the girls towards a police officer.
"Stop!" The officer shouted while pointing his gun so Kara lifted her arms up.
A few moments later, Kara managed to calm the man down and get him to take care of her teenager problem. Flying back, she took off her helmet and wiped the sweat away from her face. Why the hell was no one from the Justice League showing up?
Frustrated, Kara grabbed a phone and tried to dial their hotline once again with no luck; she almost crushed it in her hands when she remembered another number.
"Hello, who's calling?" Said Catwoman's voice from over the phone.
"Selina, this is your new employer." Kara said with a tired voice. "Do you have any idea why the bat or one of his friends isn't in Fawcett city right now?"
"I'm a thief not a spy, information on the Bat's location wasn't in our deal."
"For Ra… never mind, just turn on the TV or something." Kara said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Someone stole Captain Marvel's powers and is trying to destroy the city. Can you get in contact with someone from the League?"
"What?" Kara heard the woman scrambling over the phone. "I can try, but I'm not exactly trusted."
Turning off the phone, Kara put it back into her armor and continued to work.
Using her super senses, Kara worked tirelessly to rescue everyone she could, lifting cars and buildings, stopping fires and carrying the wounded, all the while keeping an eye out for Amber.
Three hours later, she had started feeling the exhaustion from overusing her powers while not fully healed. Her lungs were killing her and the electrical burns on her chest had started to ache under her armor.
With a blast of heat vision, Kara melted a few metal beans, creating a solid structure to hold one of the demolished buildings in place and helped the rescue workers by creating some stairs from rubble.
Kara's phone finally rang, fishing it out of her armor; she turned it on without looking. "Did you manage to call someone in the League?"
"Good evening young lady." Came a gentleman's voice from the phone. "This is Giovanni Zatara speaking, your criminal friend managed to interrupt one of my shows so this better be important."
"What?" Kara asked with some confusion, if Selina contacted Zatara why he wasn't here already. "Don't you have a TV or something? Fawcett city is in flames, it has got to be on TV by now."
"No, it isn't" Giovanni's voice suddenly became hard and to the point. "Explain."
Kara stared at her own phone, what the hell, was there something blocking the signal around the city? At least it didn’t seem capable of blocking her repurposed alien tech phone.
"Someone stole Captain Marvel's powers and is using them to destroy the city."
"This better not be a joke or you're spending a month as a frog, young lady." Zatara said and Kara heard him scramble for his costume. "The rest of the League is dealing with an attack from Despero, but I'll be there in a minute."
Three minutes later, Kara heard chanting somewhere in the city and Giovanni floated up on a metal disk to hover over one of the spots she hadn't taken care of yet. "Hsiugnitxe eht semalf!"
Fires went out all around the man, drawing both Kara and Kori's attention; the girls flew towards the older hero and stopped in front of him.
Zatara had never been one of Kara's favorite heroes, but he was still a powerful member of the League and worked with her cousin, so she could barely contain herself.
"Pots eht doolb, laeh eht hself." He said and a blue light enveloped the victims, causing some to relax and helping the field medics.
Turning around, Zatara took them both in with only a disapproving glance at Kori's clothes.
"It appears you were truthful, seems like someone is blocking notice of this from getting on national news." The magician said while scratching at his chin. "Do you have anything of Captain Marvel I can track?"
"Just a moment, I think I have something."
Flying towards her house only took a moment, and Kara soon found a discarded jacket Billy had left behind before flying back. When she came back, Giovanni was speaking to Kori about what happened.
"Very well, I think I have a general idea of the situation, do you have anything to add… Kara was it?"
"Marvel said the girl only took the power of Zeus, not his other sources but, while wearing an inhibitor shackle, she also had powerful telekinesis."
"I see, let me see if I can locate them." Throwing the jacket up, Zatara enveloped it in a blue light and started chanting, his face closed in deep concentration. "Wohs em eht renwo fo siht tekcaj."
The jacket dissolved into motes of light that spread in a circle and formed a vision in front of the three of them, revealing Fawcett city before zooming in on the edge of the city.
On top of a building, Amber stood and discharged a continuous stream of power towards a mechanical device.
Billy was tied up to a chair, a gag on his mouth and desperately trying to escape, his face a mask of fear, but also determination. Around him were several people Kara didn't recognize.
There was a giant humanoid with gray skin and sharp ears. Bulging with muscles, the man was enjoying himself by threatening to crush Billy's fingers one by one.
Another shirtless man with a Mohawk sat at the edge of the building and waved a rustic mace around as if he was a music conductor to the city's screams.
A metallic robot with a conical head stood at Amber' back like a bodyguard.
By their side was a giant beholder, its tentacles wiggling in excitement and its huge eye staring right at Billy with delight.
The last member of the group made Kara stop and scratch at her own eyes before looking again because she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Flying around the building and crackling like mad was the Wicked Witch of the West… from Oz
Kara had no idea Oz was in the DC universe. What the hell?
"I don't see Marvel?" Zatara said in confusion, making Kara wince.
"When not transformed he's a ten years old boy."
Zatara's hold on his cane tightening, almost breaking the wood. "I… see, I'll need to have a… talk with the League."
"Do you have a plan or should we just attack?"
"I recognize some of our enemies and they are by no means weak. Alone, I am no match for all of them." The man said and cut off his spell. "I must know what the two of you can do if I am to have an idea of our chances."
Kara frowned and swallowed, she really wanted to take her time before revealing herself… A glance around and she shook herself, every second they wasted, more people would be in danger and she couldn't justify keeping her secret at their expense.
"I'm a Kryptonian, my friend is a Tamaranean."
Giovanni did a double take. "I'm sorry, did you just say Kryptonian?"
"Yes, my full name is Kara Zor-El."
The hero took a second to process that, but then nodded, he had his priorities straight
"And what can a Tamaranean do?"
"Basically, a slightly weaker Kryptonian capable of throwing bolts of concussive light instead of heat vision."
"Hmmm, or chances just became much better." Giovanni smiled viciously.
"All of our enemies have fought Marvel before and managed to escape. The alien man is called Oom the mighty and is a physical match to Marvel.
The second man is called Ibac and he made a deal with some demon or devil, it works much like Marvel's own powers, only drawn from evil humans of the past.
The Robot is called Mister Atom and he has super strength and can shoot radiation but, without a source of nuclear power nearby, he shouldn't be as strong.
The Wicked Witch of the West is a powerful magic user and can overcome most foes if they give her time.
The last member is Evil Eye, he can mind control people, it supposedly doesn't work on Marvel, but we have no such protections."
"Are Ibac and Oom's powers magical?"
"Ibac's are, but he shouldn't have anything truly exotic, he's mostly a brawler."
"Friend Kara, I must remind you Amber was not acting as herself in our last encounter, do you think it possible this Evil Eye was controlling her?"
"Evil eye's power shouldn't work on Marvel." Zatara interjected. "With the power of Zeus behind her, the girl should have become immune as well."
Looking around the city, Kara couldn't help hearing the crying from the wounded and the grieving, she squeezed her hands tightly and released a long breath.
"Considering what they have done, are you going to stop us if we don't hold back?"
"While I don't condone killing, I'm not as opposed to it as some of my friends in the League." Zatara confessed and sighed. "I have seen far too much to hold myself back like that."
"Alright, we should be able to surprise them and take out some of their members before the fighting even starts."
"I'm listening."
Kara sighed; she wouldn’t be holding back, she wouldn’t be nice. Briefly closing her eyes, Kara smiled, it wasn't a nice smile.