Disclaimer: This is a fan-created story inspired by elements of MCU & DC Comics, including Krypton and its characters. This work is purely for entertainment and is an original reinterpretation of existing lore. All recognizable characters, settings, and concepts belong to their respective creators and rights holders.
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Chapter 43 — Awakening and the Shattered Timeline
Across the vast expanse of the galaxy, the pod carrying Kal-El and Kara-Zor-El drifted aimlessly. The explosion of Krypton had torn through space-time, sending the vessel into an unknown rift. What was meant to be a three-year journey to Earth stretched unpredictably, lost in the folds of the cosmic continuum.
The expected landing time had no meaning here. The pod floated through corridors of distorted space, untethered to any familiar clock or calendar.
Meanwhile, in the inner solar system, on Mars, two figures lay in stasis—Von-Ra and Koryn. Their slumber had lasted years, carefully monitored and protected by the advanced AI, Ruby.
A soft hum filled the chamber. Slowly, lights brightened along the walls. Ruby's voice broke the silence.
"Master, wake up. It's been five years since your hibernation."
Von-Ra's eyes fluttered open. He stretched languidly, his expression amused.
"Ohhh… so fast? I felt like I just took a nap," he said, his voice smooth yet heavy with the weight of latent power.
Ruby's holographic interface glimmered, scanning both occupants.
"Show us our improvement through the years," Von-Ra commanded.
Ruby's systems activated in full display mode. Streams of data, molecular scans, and evolutionary matrices illuminated the chamber.
"Your evolution, Master," Ruby began, "is not incremental. It is exponential. Over the last five years, your three hidden bloodlines—the essence of Ra, the strongest Kryptonian noble lineages, and the Viltrumite heritage—have merged perfectly. You are no longer merely a hybrid. You are an entirely new species: the first of your kind."
Von-Ra's gaze lingered on his own form, noting the subtle radiance of his skin, the heightened definition of his musculature, and the resonance of energy within his very cells.
"And how about Earth?" he asked, turning toward Ruby with keen interest. "Have you monitored it? Any space-displacement signatures indicative of high-speed interstellar travel?"
Ruby's holographic interface swirled as she processed decades of observational data.
"Yes, Master. I have monitored Earth as instructed. The year is now 1939."
Von-Ra blinked in disbelief.
"Huh?" he asked, his voice low.
"You said 1939, not 1985?" he questioned.
Ruby confirmed, her tone clinical.
"Yes, Master. The planet is currently embroiled in global conflict—World War II."
Von-Ra clenched his fists, pacing slightly. 'So the exact time on Earth after Krypton's explosion is roughly 1930–1940… but Kal-El landed in 1986, thirty years later than expected. Why?' He paused, contemplating. "'Ah, right… I used advanced space-jump technology. His pod was only slightly more advanced than standard Kryptonian escape pods.'
He continued to speak to himself, unraveling the thread of cosmic causality.
"The explosion of Krypton caused far more temporal distortion than I imagined. It doesn't explain well the timelines depicted in Smallville or the DC movies. AARRRRGHHHH! What is this timeline mess I've been thrown into?" His outburst caused Koryn to flinch, startled by the sudden roar of frustration.
Von-Ra took a deep breath, composed once more.
"Nevermind," he said, turning to Ruby. "Prepare for departure. Set a course to Earth—New York City. I want to see what New York is like in 1939."
Ruby's systems hummed and a navigation projection appeared, showing the course through the solar system and beyond.
"Course set, Master," she confirmed. "Departure in three… two… one…"