Chapter 34

Flamebird Part 2

© Dylan (Clay) Clearbrook

Multiverse Probability 10

(an instant ago)

“Okay, everyone out! NOW!” Sue Richards glared at the men in the room and it became clear that by everyone she meant them! “This baby is coming now, like it or not, and we are not going to have a gaggle of gawking men cluttering up the room!”

She shook her head as the men started to file out and looked up at Mercy, who stood on the other side of the bed that held Barbara Gordon-Stark and then glanced over at Kara and Rogue, who stood between the beds in the medbay that held the unconscious figures of Jennifer Walters-Gand and Arisia Fentura-Gand.

“Not that it matters.” She mourned. “Unless you three have experiences I am not aware of, none of us have ever delivered a baby. I know that Tony and Babs have a physician but I don’t think we have time to find her or get her here.”

“While it would indeed take time to find their regular physician, I believe I might be able to bring someone here who does have such experience.” Being the last man to reach the exit, Dr. Steven Strange had heard the comment and turned to face them. He seemed to concentrate for a brief moment and then reached out to put a hand through a portal that instantly appeared before him. As he drew his hand back, it was instantly obvious that he now held another hand in his and an instant later Dr. Stephanie Strange, from Probability One, stepped through the portal.

“Kara! Rogue!” Stephanie exclaimed as she turned around to discover where this other version of that man that had been her father had brought her. Her brow furrowed, her joy at seeing them replaced by concern as she took in the unconscious Sentinels and Babs.

“Steph, the baby is coming…we need someone who can deliver it!” Rogue pointed towards Babs.

“Right.” Stephanie glanced around and noticed that Dr. Stephen Strange was still standing at the doorway with both Reed Richards and Charles Xavier behind him. “Thanks for the lift, but now shoo!” She made shooing motions with her hands and moved to step up beside Mercy Vengeance. She had not yet met the winged meta but she had heard about her and her healing abilities.

She quickly took stock of the situation and glanced at the monitors that Sue had already hooked up. Babs she was familiar with, having met her while she was still on the Probability One Earth before moving to Probability 10 after her marriage to Tony Stark. She was also very much aware of what had transpired on Themyscira with Jenny and Arisia while they were under the Purple healing ray. She glanced over at the unconscious figures of Jenny and Arisia.

“Does this have anything to do with them?” She demanded.

“Not as far as we know.” Kara responded. “Though both she and I were drawn into Senturia at least twice that I know of.”

Stephanie turned back to Babs and ran a hand glowing with magical power over the bemused pregnant woman.

“Be thankful Mercy is masking your pain.” Stephanie told Babs, glancing at the belly that seemed to expand and then contract. She finished her scan and then shook her head. “I don’t believe that Babs being pulled into that union has had any effect on her. I think it was only the fact that she was pulled into it while under the Purple Ray that caused this…condition. But it appears that it did agitate the baby.” She gestured to the rolling belly and shook her head. “The baby is shifting from single to tri bodies at an accelerated rate. We need to get her calmed down and back into a single body for the delivery.”

Mercy Vengeance cocked her head slightly as she focused her attention not on Babs, per se, but now more on the baby within her womb. Those watching saw nothing different but when Babs gave out a little sound of surprise, the realized that Mercy was pouring calming energy directly into the womb.

“That’s doing it!” Sue announced as she consulted the monitors.

“Okay, Babs.” Stephanie looked at Barbara. “This is not going to be pleasant, but when that baby is back in a single body, Mercy will have to shut off whatever it is she is doing to mask your pain. Then, when I tell you, I want you to push with everything you have. Got it?”

“Yeah.” Babs grimaced. “Wouldn’t it be easier to take the baby Cesarean?”

“Probably.” Stephanie nodded. “But that will be a last resort.” She continued her magical scan and glanced up at the monitors. “Okay, Sue. I need you to be ready take the baby as it emerges and I will cut the umbilical. Kara, Rogue. I need you to right on either side of Sue. That baby will become agitated again soon after Mercy cuts off the calming energy and she may split. Since Sue won’t be able to hold all three, I need you to be ready to catch the other two babes if that happens.”

Sue, Kara, and Rogue moved into the positions Stephanie had indicated and waited. Stephanie glanced once again at the monitors and then nodded towards Mercy who stopped her flow of energy. It was clear when that happened when Babs gave out a loud groan of pain.

“Okay Babs, I know it hurts but you are going to have to push.” Stephanie never took her eyes from the monitors and then... “NOW, Babs. P…”.

Within The Bleed

(The same instant ago)

It was then that Flamebird understood what her role was truly to be. She was the Shepherd. It would be her decisions that affected the flock! And she knew what she had to do.

Spreading her arms wide, the one that had been Senturia transformed. Where once had been a green-skinned blonde woman there now floated an immense green and yellow feathered bird bathed in green flame that resembled a mythical creature of ancient Earth more than anything else: A Phoenix! In that instant of her transformation, time stopped! The Ripple, just reaching the barriers that enclosed the Multiverse, seemed to freeze in place. Worlds stopped in their orbit around their suns. Entire spinning galaxies ceased to spin. Time was Stopped.

“Not quite a Kryptonian Flamebird, but it will do.” Lorra drawled. “Go now, my little Flamebird. Do what must be done!”

Within The Bleed

She was no longer Senturia! In the very instant that she had transformed, she felt something within herself that could only be described as a snap and she knew that the final ties between herself and Jenny and Arisia had been broken. She did not, however, have the time to dwell on that momentous event. Though it appeared that, with her transformation, that time had stopped, it had not. It had not even slowed. SHE was the one who had changed. In her Flamebird…configuration…she obviously dwelt outside the natural laws of time and space that she was used to. It was, perhaps, a small taste of how the gods and those of immense power, such as a Starheart, viewed time and space.

Even so, she quickly became aware of her limitations. She would be able to do what needed to be done, but she could not dawdle. Eventually she would have to return to her human form to, as best she could explain it to herself, recharge. Her power, or most of it, was not truly hers but borrowed in strictly finite amounts from the celestial realms. It was not hers to do with as she wished but rather to accomplish the tasks that would be placed before her.

In what had been her Senturia form, she would still have some power. Power that was now both cosmic and magical in nature, but nowhere near as much as Jenny and Arisia had jointly wielded as Senturia but rather similar to that wielded by either Jenny or Arisia separately.

But here and now, in her Flamebird form, she could wield the power of the gods…but only at their direction!

Without any further hesitation, she swooped down upon the Multiverse. The task, what must be done, had been given. But the decisions of how that Task would be accomplished would be up to her. She would have to rely on those memories and principles that had belonged to all of those that had, over time, merged within Senturia. Jenny, Arisia, Barbara, Kara, and even, for however brief it might have been, Lar Gand. Those would have to be her guides.

The Multiverse was doomed. Not even with all the power that now flowed through her could she change that. But some, if not all, of those separate probabilities that existed within the Multiverse, could be saved.

First she approached those probabilities that had taken the brunt of the devastating energies that had poured forth from the exploding Starheart.

Her form expanded and her great wings swept forward to encompass entire probabilities, gathering them into herself before she flew up and out. Now she entered that ravaged Continuverse known as the Primalverse and instantly closed her great wings around the fractured remnants of the two probabilities that remained. When her wings unfurled and she backed away, two whole probabilities now existed. Perhaps not as they had been, for they had now been fused with the remnants of those probabilities that had been ravaged within the Multiverse. They were not the same, but they would continue to live…but they would still need something else to enable them to become truly stable.

Flamebird returned to the Multiverse and now took stock. Her attention was drawn towards another flickering flame and the knowledge of what must now happen came to her.

Once again her great wings spread. This time they did not envelope entire probabilities but rather herded a select few towards the other Flame. These would be those among the Prime Probabilities that had been given the designations of Probabilities Three, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight. These were quickly transferred to the waiting Entity that would, in turn, transfer them to their new homes. Where that might be was not Flamebird’s concern and she once again turned her attention back to the remaining five Prime Probabilities. Of these, four were stable and would survive what would come next, but one was sure to fail. This would be the Probability given the designation of Probability Nine. What Kara had called the Post Crisis Earth Probability. Without the energies of the Starheart or the proximity of all five of the probabilities that should have been merged to give it birth, it could not maintain cohesion.

Her view expanded and she caught sight of those probabilities that Lord Ian had gathered together. Though not powerful enough himself to accomplish this, the Technology and Magic within his home in the Citadel at the End of Time had allowed him do that which he alone could not have.

She quickly figured out what had caused him to gather those worlds together. They were worlds that he had tied together by creating copies…or children…versions of the Great Pattern that he had recreated within the Citadel at the End of Time. Amberites. Within herself she smiled, recalling the sniff Lorra had given when discussing the Amberites. Reaching, she gently touched the mind of Lord Ian and conferred with him, letting him know what she was going to do. She sensed his instant…and relieved…agreement and set to work.

Gathering Probability Nine within herself, she then reached out and pulled in those worlds Lord Ian had gathered as well the Citadel and as many other probabilities as she could and then once again launched out of the Multiverse. This time her target was not the Primalverse but rather the empty shell of the Continuverse that had been known as the Wasteland.

There she disgorged all the probabilities she had gathered in and left them for Lord Ian to sort as he saw fit. She knew, however, that his first action would be to create a child Pattern on what had been Probability Nine. That alone would be enough to give that Probability the stability that it needed. It would thrive here in what, from this point on, would now be known as the Amberverse!

Flamebird realized that her time was growing short so she turned her attention back to what still had to be done.

Returning to the Multiverse, she gathered the four remaining Prime Probabilities together and transferred them to Primalverse where she placed them pretty much in the same positions they had occupied in the Multiverse.

Probabilities One and Two would remain as they were with one of the native Primalverse Probabilities filling the position of Probability Three. The Multiverse Probability Four would take that position while the remaining Native Probability would take the Fifth position. What had been Probability Ten would now be Probability Six.

Her power beginning to wane, Flamebird made one last trip to the doomed Multiverse and gathered together what probabilities she could within herself and moved them to the Primalverse, lining them up ‘behind’ the Prime Probabilities.

With a sense of sadness, she turned her attention back to the Multiverse, knowing that she did not have the energy to do more than what she had already done. She had been able to save multitudes of probabilities but even more would now face the end as the power that infused her faded and she once again returned to her Senturia form. Once again standing within the Bleed beside Lorra.

Once in her humanoid form, she was instantly aware of the differences between her two forms. As a human, she was just as restricted any other humsn, her awareness limited in much the same way. But in her Flamebird form, her awareness was vastly expanded, her reach and abilities to traverse the various Continuverses and the Bleed unhindered by the size or composition of her form. She was also aware of the…emotional…differences between her two forms. Though she would continue to be guided by the ethics and basic principles of those that had originally formed Senturia, as Flamebird her emotional…connection…to her actions were drastically decreased. She knew, without asking, the reasons for this. She knew that, had she been more emotionally connected, she would not have been able to do what had needed to be done. She would have brought about nothing but her own destruction and perhaps that of all those that COULD have been saved if her emotions had not paralyzed her.

Now, back in her humanoid form, those emotions came crashing back. There was nothing she could have done to halt the instant heaving sobs that engulfed her.

Yet, even as she covered her face with her hands, the memories that caused those sobs began to fade.

“No, my Little Flamebird.” Lorra’s voice was soothing as the goddess drew her close. “Though you will be called upon to do the tasks that We will put before you, We would not be so cruel as to burden you with the full impact of the actions you may have to perform.” She pulled Flamebirds face into her chest, turning her away from what must now be witnessed. “You will remember that you have performed tasks…you may even remember some details. But you will not be burdened with what you have no control over.”

Holding the young woman close, Lorra looked out over her head and, were there any there to witness, they would have been dismayed to see the tracks of tears that ran down the cheeks of a Goddess. Yet even so, she would not close her eyes. That much, at least, she owed to those that could not be saved.

As the leading edge of the Ripple struck the fragile barriers that enveloped the Multiverse, the results were…predictable. Rather than simply dissolving and allowing the Bleed to flow in, the great Continuverse that had been known as The Multiverse…imploded!

In a single instant the entire Continuverse ceased to exists. Instant, painless annihilation for those Probabilities that could not be saved. Now Lorra did allow her eyes to close for the number of probabilities that had simply ceased to exist far outnumbered, by many magnitudes, those that were saved. Countless living beings no longer…existed. And for the first time in ages upon ages, Lorra silently cursed her own limitations. Much as her children, such as Kara Zor-El, must sometimes curse the limitations they had!

As the last images of the Multiverse were swallowed by the raging Bleed, Lorra lifted Flamebirds face.

“It is over, my Little Flamebird.” She whispered. “It is now time for you to seek your own place until the next time Flamebird is needed.” She turned her to face the Primalverse. “You can go there and return to those worlds you have known or you can choose any other that suits you. But be ready, my Little Flamebird. Be ready!”

Primalverse Probability 6

(Present)

“…ush!”Stephanie ordered….and the World Wobbled!

Even as Babs screamed and pushed with all her might, Jenny and Arisia both gave great gasps and sat up in their beds, their eyes wide with what could only be called horror before they once again fell back.

Of all those present, only Mercy Vengeance seemed to be least affected by the…wobbling. She turned her attention to the Sentinels and quickly ran her energy over them.

“Their induced comas have obviously ended.” She informed the others. “They are sleeping naturally now.”

She turned back around and ran her energies over everyone else.

Sue gave a gasp and straightened and reached forward as the baby began to appear. She held on gently as the babe continued its journey into the world. Already she was beginning to squirm, her face scrunched in dismay as she was forced from the comforting warmth of the womb.

Stephanie quickly reached in and snipped the umbilical cord and then just as quickly stepped back as the babe, once again agitated, split. Instantly two pairs of hands, those of Kara and Rogue, were there to take hold of the two new babes that suddenly appeared.

Mercy let her healing and calming energies play over the babes and Babs at the same time.

Primalverse

(Present)

Her tasks were complete and now she was alone. Flamebird, she knew, would be called upon again but for now she must find a place to call home until the next time.

She smiled as she recalled a series of books that Jenny had read in her youth and she cast around through the probabilities that she had taken from Multiverse until she found the one she looked for.

She regarded it for some time before closing her eyes and concentrating. Within an instant her form began to alter once again. No longer was she the oversized, green skinned, blonde humanoid she had been as Senturia. Now she was almost a normal sized, bright red skinned, dark haired humanoid similar to those that occupied the fourth planet within the system of Sol in this probability. \She smiled as she dove towards the world that would be her home: Barsoom!

The End

Thus ends the adventures of Kara Zor-El, Rogue, Jennifer Walters, Arisia, and the Twins in the Multiverse. But will new adventures await them in the future? Be sure to check out the New Primalverse to find out!

Afterwords

Author’s note:

It is has been over 20 years since I first brought this version of Kara Zor-El back to life. In 1985, DC Comics had an event called Crisis on Infinite Earths. In Vol 7 of that event, Kara Zor-El…Supergirl…lost her life fighting to save her cousin. Afterwards, thanks to an abomination created by John Byrnes, this version of Supergirl was totally forgotten and even the histories of both Superman and Krypton rewritten.

At the request of a friend, I tried my hand at writing a few chapters showing the resurrection of Kara Zor-El in the Marvel Universe. That was short lived…though that was only due to a misunderstanding. Some have commented angrily about having Kara and Rogue form a romantic bond. Originally, this was NOT supposed to happen. According to my original outline, Kara and Rogue were supposed to become as close as ‘Sisters”, nothing more. There was one moment in which the waters were to be tested and then rejected….but the powers-that-be of the website I was writing for were not aware of this…and thought I was going to develop that romantic bond. I received a short note informing me that such a bond would NOT be allowed and that I was forbidden to write it as such! Sigh. Perhaps, if the note had been written a bit more diplomatically or if the-powers-that-be had simply asked me what my intentions were there might have been a different outcome. But…no writer likes being told what he can or cannot do with his own stories. Now, years later, my actions seem childish. Out of spite, I cast aside my outline and did exactly what I had been forbidden to do! Naturally, that signaled the end of my association with that site.

In hindsight, it was probably the best thing that could happen. From that, the Otherverse was born and then The Alterverse and finally the Continuum Worlds. I made a lot of mistakes as I continued to write these stories…and I learned from them.

But all things run their course and it is time to put this version of Kara Zor-El away and move on. These versions of Supergirl and Rogue and the others will always have a spot in my heart, but it is time for new stories…new versions. Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing! I had a lot of help through the years, so I cannot end this without giving a shout out to the all those who joined us in the Continuum Café. But most of all, I would like to acknowledge that, without the constant support from Jake H, Eldric (Ella), and yes…Hipkarma….I would not have gotten this far.

This may be the end of the story for the Kara Zor-El that first appeared in The Rebirth…but it is by no means the end of me or the Continuum Worlds!

- Dylan (Clay) Clearbrook

Collaborator’s Salute:

I first read “The Rebirth” in early 2001. It caught my attention and spoke to my heart, so much so that I felt the call to reach out and try to write a character for Clay’s Otherverse. Unfortunately, I did not understand my own vision and creation. So, the character and I were swiftly booted from Otherverse. And, except for world events, I would have been resigned to let my dream of writing go. But the trauma of 9/11 and the loss of people I knew forced me to find an outlet to deal with the effects of that trauma. And I began to write Alterverse, with some assistance from Jake. I’ll be the first to admit that I had a lot to learn, about both writing and collaboration, and Jake soon turned his attention back to Otherverse. But I kept at it and Clay generously offered to help me set up a site to showcase my writings of the Sentinel and his crew. Less than a year later, the frenetic pace of stories about Alterverse slowed and I realized that I had to move on to other stories. Around the same time, we realized that between our core worlds and other collaborations, we needed a better concept and so the Continuum Worlds was born.

Since then, I have been, at different times, Clay’s collaborator, sounding board, and antagonist. I have watched as Clay has struggled to come up with storylines worthy of the original Kara and as he became so frustrated when he could not do her justice. I’m sure it has caused him no end of pain to realize that this storyline has run its natural course. I felt that same emotion with Alterverse and felt free to move on to The Inheritors. But one does not walk away so easily from Kara Zor-El. After all, even at the end, she did not.

In the end, the conflicts between Clay and me had become too much and we were both ready to move on. We had both changed in many ways, large and small, and those changes led us down very different paths. And, truthfully, we were burned out. So, we prepared to go our separate ways.

But our final conversation took a very different turn. After all, Kara’s original message had been one of Rebirth and Renewal. That was the original message that had spoken first to Clay and then to Jake and me. And we began to see things in a different light.

While we may move on to telling different stories, some with different visions of Kara Zor-El, all of them owe their existence to the Kara of ‘The Rebirth’. She remains our muse and the light that guides our creative vision. The Continuum Worlds site is, and will remain, her legacy. So, while this immediate storyline may go on hiatus, Kara Zor-El remains the light that guides our way.

Thank you so much Clay, for sharing Kara’s ‘The Rebirth’ with all of us!

Fondly,

Ella

-- and may not be reprinted without permission.

-- The Continuum Worlds Concept is a joint creation of

-- Dylan (Clay) Clearbrook and Ella, and Jake H.

-- Otherverse, Multiverse, Primalverse. and Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes,

-- as depicted in the Continuum Worlds, are original creations of Dylan (Clay) Clearbrook.

-- Alterverse, The Inheritors and Rising Starr, Megaverse, and Green Lantern Beyond,

-- as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,are original creations of Ella.

-- Wasteland, The Sorority, and Otherverse Redux, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds

-- are original creations of Nomad (Jake H.).

-- DCM: The Merging, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- is an original creation of Chip Caroon and the stories therein remain

-- the property of the respective writers.

-- The Realm, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds, is an

-- original creation of John P

-- Some characters in Continuum Worlds stories are original creations

-- of Dylan (Clay) Clearbrook, Ella, Michael Liebhart, Jake H., Jason G.,

-- Andrew Shields, Kyle M., Brian, John P., DTO, or Jason Froikin.

-- All DC characters are property of D.C. Comics.

-- All Marvel characters are property of Marvel Comics.

--All other characters remain the property of their respective creators/authors.