Chapter 34: ORION!
Monday
The moon had slowly faded away as the sun rose into the sky, illuminating National City on this beautiful Monday morning. However, not everywhere around National City was enjoying this scenery.
Inside the secret base of Astra and Non, the hum of alien machinery reverberated through the dark chambers. Their fortress was a testament to Kryptonian engineering, filled with advanced technology salvaged from the remnants of their people, but it was also scarred with the frustration of recent failures.
Non paced back and forth, his massive frame taut with barely contained fury. His eyes, red with rage stared intently over the holographic display of Harbinger, the one being who had dared to challenge them, disrupting their plans at every turn.
Astra, the calmer one of the duo, patiently watched Non pace around the room from her position at the main council. She had anticipated Non's reaction, as although they were married, they were very different people.
From Astra's perspective, Non is extremely stubborn, arrogant and vindictive man. He is exceptionally immoral and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, even if that means brutally slaughtering entire civilizations. He's also extremely impulsive, making him prone to making mistakes.
His arrogance was on full display as he angrily paced the room, boiling with unvented rage, as he wished to tear Harbinger apart at once.
Though Astra felt the sam seething anger bubbling under her surface, she was much more in control of her emotions, and knew how to rationally and tactically approach situations.
"Do you see this? Do you see him?" Non's voice growled, vibrating with rage as the hologram replayed a recent scene of Harbinger in action.
The image showed Harbinger, swiftly decimating the various Aliens they had sent to attack him. Compared to a battle, it was more like a massacre, as he crushed them without any chance to counter-attack.
Non's fists clenched, his knuckles white with fury as he watched the footage of Harbinger killing the final enemy.
"That insolent man," Non spat, turning sharply to face Astra, "He has thwarted every one of our operations in National City! Our agents failed, even our latest strike force of Fort Rozz's finest was demolished by him alone."
A dark scowl etched across Non's face as he played another clip. This time, it showed Kayn standing over a demolished alien battalion, his aura pulsating with energy as he stared directly into one of their reconnaissance drones.
They had sent multiple attacks at Harbinger over the weekend, yet every single one of them failed, getting totally annihilated, with not a single agent left remaining alive. The holographic Harbinger's voice echoed through the chamber, dripping with cold finality:
"Whoever you are, I hope you're happy, you've successfully caught my attention. Daring to ruthlessly murder civilians in my city. I'll find you. And when I do, you'll beg for mercy, mercy I won't grant. I'll tear you apart piece by piece, and no one will remember your names when I'm done."
Non's face twisted with anger at the memory. He slammed his fist down into the wall, punching a hole in the usually resistant alien steel, a resounding shockwave occurring in the room.
"Arrogant! He dares threaten us, Astra! Does he think he can stand in the way of Krypton's rebirth?" Non roared out in anger.
Comparatively, after watching and listening to his outburst, Astra's expression still remained measured and disciplined. Though she shared Non's frustration, she knew better than to let it cloud her judgment. She stepped forward, placing a hand on Non's shoulder to calm him, her voice steady.
"Non, I understand your anger, but we must be cautious. Harbinger… He's more powerful than we anticipated, yes. His strength and abilities rival even the strongest of us. But rushing into another conflict with him is exactly what he expects. We can't afford to be reckless."
Non growled, pulling away from her touch. "What are you suggesting? That we hide? That we slink into the shadows like cowards while that boy mocks us?"
Astra's eyes narrowed, her gaze sharp. "No. We adapt. We pivot our plans, go underground for a while. Myriad is still our priority, but now we need to proceed quietly, bide our time, and ensure that Harbinger is distracted, occupied, while we prepare."
Non looked at her skeptically. "And how do you propose we deal with him? He's already made it clear that he'll hunt us down."
Astra turned back to the console, pulling up another set of data, this one marked with cryptic symbols and old records from their time on Earth. "We don't confront him head-on, not yet. When we first landed on Earth, I made an alliance with a group calling themselves ORION."
Non raised an eyebrow at the name. "ORION?"
"They are a collaboration of Fort-Rozz escapees who we didn't find, Meta-Humans, and a few Dark Mages. They've been operating in the shadows for years, building power and influence. Their leader… a being named Xotar, is as ruthless as he is clever."
Astra's eyes glimmered with dark resolve. "They are not like the random prisoners or mercenaries Harbinger has faced so far. ORION is strategic, resourceful, and they have the means to engage him without drawing too much attention to us. I'll contact them. They can wage a war on Harbinger, keeping him busy while we continue planning for Myriad."
Non's expression hardened, his interest piqued but his skepticism still present. "And what guarantee do we have that they'll succeed where others have failed?"
Astra's lips curled into a small smile, one tinged with confidence. "That's the beauty of it. ORION doesn't need to defeat him outright, at least not yet. They will sow chaos, strike from the shadows, bleed him little by little until his strength is spent. By the time he realizes what's happening, it'll be too late. And when the time comes, we'll strike decisively."
Non's eyes gleamed with renewed purpose as he considered Astra's plan. "So… we let ORION take the first step. Let them draw Harbinger's attention, weaken him."
"Exactly," Astra nodded. "Meanwhile, we will continue to build our forces, secure Myriad, and when the time is right, we'll unleash it on this world."
Non's expression darkened with satisfaction, a grin spreading across his face. "Very well, Astra."
As Astra turned back to the console, preparing to make contact with their hidden allies, a silent promise echoed in her mind.
The game had just begun, and Astra, as always, intended to win.
_______________________________
Meanwhile, the crisp morning air at National City Technical High carried the scent of boring classes and annoyed students.
Kayn walked through the entrance, his usual calm, confident demeanor attracting attention as always. Students moved aside instinctively, some offering quick greetings, while others simply stared in admiration.
Kayn had become a figure of intrigue, he had quickly became popular due to his looks, but stayed popular due to him probably being the smartest student in his yeargroup, and his friendliness to everyone.
As Kayn made his way through the halls, he sensed Kara's presence even before he saw her. Sure enough, there she was, standing by her locker, as she placed some books inside of it.
However, as he walked, he spotted her instantly turning around, looking towards him with a hint of anticipation in her eyes. She was dressed simply, but her usual shy exterior seemed to have melted away a little, replaced by a warm, welcoming energy that surprised him.
"Hey, Kayn!" she greeted him, her voice soft but undeniably cheerful.
"Morning, Kara," Kayn replied with a small smile, his tone relaxed but curious. "You seem... different today."
Kara hesitated for a moment, her cheeks flushing just slightly, and then she finally spoke. "I had a really nice time on Saturday." Her eyes searched his, a mixture of nerves and excitement in her voice. "You're... a lot more fun to be around than anyone else here."
Kayn raised an eyebrow at her words, amused by the slight teasing in her tone. "Did you think I wasn't fun before?"
She laughed softly, nudging his arm playfully. "You know what I mean. I thought you were all about the mission, no time for anything else."
"Maybe you bring out the fun side of me," Kayn said, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smirk. He leaned against the lockers, mirroring her stance, and let the comfortable silence settle between them for a moment.
Kara's smile softened as she gazed at him, and for a brief second, she looked as if she wanted to say something more. But then the bell rang, interrupting the moment.
She sighed, glancing toward the direction of their homeroom. "Guess we should get going."
Kayn nodded, pushing himself off the lockers and falling in step beside her. As they walked, Kara's hand brushed against his, a fleeting touch that neither of them acknowledged verbally, but both felt.
The air between them was lighter, more natural. Kara was more open, and Kayn could sense that her attraction to him had only grown since their date.
As they entered the classroom, Kara paused, glancing at him with a slightly mischievous glint in her eye. "So... maybe we could do something like that again sometime?"
Kayn met her gaze confidently, a smirk on his lips, "I'd like that," he said simply, though his mind was already spinning with possibilities.
Kara smiled, her heart skipping a beat at his answer. "Great," she said, almost a little too quickly, before turning to head toward her seat.
As the teacher started the class, Kayn's mind naturally ignored it, instead thinking about his future.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone