*Chapter has been reworked*
In a universe far, far away...
Two humanoid silhouettes whirled through the darkness, locked in a deadly dance as three blades clashed again and again. Almost total blackness pressed in from all sides; the only light came from the dim, eerie glow of their weapons.
On one side, a sweeping war scythe carved luminous arcs through the air, its twin blades formed from pulsing green energy. On the other, two short blades, one green, one blue jutted from sleek wrist-mounted devices, flaring with the same strange power.
The dual-bladed figure lunged first.
He closed the distance in a heartbeat, his assault a blur of slashes and stabs. Every movement was bold and precise, each strike flowing into the next in a relentless rhythm that seemed to drive his opponent backward. The chamber echoed with the hiss of energy gliding against energy, the crackle of each near miss.
Then, with a sharp pivot and a deft parry, the scythe bearer broke the pattern.
The long weapon slid along one of the short blades, knocking it wide. In the same smooth motion, the scythe's haft turned, its lower end hooking behind the attacker's leg. A sweeping kick took his balance; his body twisted in the air and crashed onto his back. The green energy blade halted a few inches from his exposed neck, humming softly.
?: Your skills are improving nicely. Keep this up and you won't have a problem with the rite of passage. But do not forget, if your opponent seems overwhelmed, it might be a ploy to make you lower your guard.
A woman's voice, warm and motherly, echoed through the dark.
??: I understand!
The reply came from the young man on the floor, his tone energetic, a little breathless.
?: Now that we have finished sparring for the day, it's time to train with your father.
He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, light and reassuring.
?: I'll see you back home.
Her words had barely faded when she vanished. No sound, no flash, just gone.
Left alone in the dark chamber, he let out a long sigh.
??: Damn it, Mom. This showboating is clearly intentional when you know I can't do that yet.
He muttered under his breath, then closed his eyes and tried to mimic her. He stilled himself, reaching for the sensation of becoming one with the shadows. He focused on the far side of the room, willing himself to blink toward the exit.
The darkness seemed to thicken around him.
A sudden wave of dizziness crashed over his senses. The room spun, his knees buckled, and before he could catch himself, everything went black.
He lost consciousness.
In another universe far, far away...
A man with green skin, draped in a blue cape, rested in a quiet observation deck of a space station. A stylized red "X" marked the center of his chest. He cradled a cup of coffee in his hand, gaze fixed on the blue-and-white sphere of Earth suspended in the void beyond the window.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then it hit.
A psychic shockwave slammed into his mind. Raw, overwhelming power flaring to life somewhere on the planet's surface. Agony pierced his thoughts like a blade. His hand spasmed, his favorite mug slipped from his fingers, shattering soundlessly against the station floor as he staggered forward and pressed a palm to the viewport to steady himself.
The pain passed as quickly as it had come, leaving only a sharp echo.
Jaw tightening, he phased through the bulkhead as if it were smoke and flew down the corridor, emerging into the central control room. Monitors flickered as he approached the main console. With a few swift motions, he brought up a communication line. The screen responded, a familiar symbol appearing in the corner: a small, stylized "S".
J'onn J'onzz: Superman. I detected a massive psionic signature somewhere in Metropolis. Please investigate.
His voice carried a note of urgency, the anxiety difficult to hide.
The answer came almost immediately, crisp and resolute.
Superman: On it, J'onn.
A few minutes ago...
In a narrow alleyway of a sprawling city, a large dog had chased a cat to a dead end. The cat pressed itself against the wall, fur bristling, eyes wide. The dog lowered itself, muscles tensing, ready to pounce.
And then the shadows moved.
Darkness thickened between predator and prey, as if the alley itself exhaled. The dog skidded to a halt, ears flattening when the blackness began to swirl and twist. The living shadows pulled together, threads of night weaving into a growing mass. Black mist converged, crackling with sudden, jagged streaks of lightning.
With a blinding flash, the darkness exploded outward and left a figure standing where there had been nothing.
1st person
?: Where am I?
The words slipped out before I could stop them. Fear began to well up inside my chest as I took in my surroundings: damp brick walls, overflowing trash cans, the faint murmur of the city beyond the alley.
?: Who... am I?
I pushed myself to my feet. As I moved, something against my chest shifted and caught the dim light. A necklace I knew, and yet… didn't.
A small crystal shard hung from a cord around my neck. A golden ring encircled its center, dividing the shard into two halves: the upper portion a clear, light blue; the lower a deep, vivid green.
The sight of it tugged at something buried deep.
I wrapped my fingers around the shard.
The world exploded into images. Flashes of places, faces, battles, stars; too many, too fast. A crushing headache hammered through my skull, forcing me to gasp.
When the pain receded, my thoughts felt a fraction clearer. A single piece of myself snapped back into place.
I remembered my name.
And somehow, that made it worse.
Voranis: My hands. By the Xel'Naga, it's... not possible.
My voice sounded strange. Solid, vibrating in my throat and through my jaw. I looked down at my hands, turning them over slowly, as if they belonged to someone else.
A glimmer on the ground drew my eye: a shallow puddle of water, slick and dark.
I stumbled toward it and knelt.
Voranis: Terran? I became a Terran?!
A human face stared back at me from the rippling surface. Long dark hair framed features I did not recognize. Two eyes met mine, one blue, one green, heterochromatic and unnervingly bright.
Voranis: How could this have happened?
Panic rose, hot and suffocating, threatening to choke me. My breathing quickened, unfamiliar lungs dragging in air too fast, too shallow. The alley seemed to close in.
Then, like a voice echoing through a vast chamber, a memory surfaced.
(?: Remember, Voranis: no matter the situation, you must always stay calm. It will not only instill confidence in those around you, it will allow you to see things clearly and make rational choices.
Voranis: Yes, Father.)
The remembered exchange steadied me.
Voranis: Right. Stay calm and think...
My mouth formed the words, my tongue shaping the sounds. The motion felt alien.
Voranis: Ugh. It feels weird to have a mouth...
Pushing myself upright, I stepped out of the alley and onto the sidewalk. The world opened up into a bustling cityscape. Terrans moved along the streets in steady streams: talking, laughing, arguing, staring at glowing devices in their hands. Vehicles rumbled past on the roadways, metal shells riding on wheels.
It was unmistakable. Terrans had control of this planet.
I watched one of the vehicles pass, its engine growling. Primitive.
During the late Emperor Valerian's reign, the Terrans invented something called "levitation cars," but these here seemed far more... basic. Wheels instead of gravitic stabilizers, combustion instead of refined energy sources.
I took a hesitant step forward, then another. One problem quickly became apparent: my new scale. I was used to a height of approximately 2.7 human units. Now, everything loomed larger, and my balance felt off. My legs obeyed, but not gracefully.
I nearly tripped twice, catching myself on nearby walls, drawing a few curious glances. Still, after about half an hour of walking, stumbling, correcting, I began to adapt. My stride evened out. I learned the rhythm of these shorter legs, even managed to run in a straight line without veering into anything.
Eventually, I found myself in a park.
Trees lined winding paths, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze. Children played in the distance. Terrans sat on benches, talking quietly or staring at their devices. The peaceful atmosphere settled over me like a thin blanket.
I chose a secluded spot beneath a tree and stopped.
Before I start investigating what happened, I must first figure out where I am, if I can contact Aiur, and finally, find shelter.
My body moved on its own. My lungs filled, my chest expanded, and I released a long breath. The sensation was strange, this forced cycle of air in and out, so different from the way my race normally functioned.
Still, as the air left my body, a sliver of tension went with it.
Now that I think about it, I will also need sustenance. Terrans have it rough.
Voranis: Maybe I should seek aid from some officials...
The thought left my lips in a low murmur.
Before I could consider it further, a sharp sound cut through the calm, a rushing roar, like wind tearing past at impossible speed. I turned, squinting up at the sky.
Something streaked toward me, trailing a blur of gold, blue, and red.
There was no time to move.
Color filled my vision, impact slammed into me, pain flared bright and white-hot.
And then, over the rushing in my ears, I heard a woman's voice.