Beyond Smallville: Time Shards

Beyond Smallville: Time Shards

Stranded

Beyond Smallville: Time Shards (Teaser)

Time Shards is a multi-generational story based on "The Legends of Superman" by DC Comics. I've combined two genres: Fantasy/Action/Super-heroes with Science Fiction.

The story begins with a devastating battle between Superman/Clark Kent, Supergirl/Kara Kent and Darkseid. Darkseid is a demon-like alien that is bent on the destruction of Superman, and Earth. Superman and Darkseid fight to a draw but Earth is decimated in the process.

Supergirl tried to help, but she was severely injured in the apocalyptic battle. Clark/Superman/Kal El is left hanging in space, forced to watch helplessly as Earth suffers the same fate as his home planet, Krypton. The Earth is cracking apart, 2 billion humans have been killed, and the rest are dying slowly. Superman realizes his fatal mistake - he couldn't defeat Darkseid and all his minions alone. Supergirl was able to destroy most of them, but it's too late.

Kara/Supergirl finds an ancient Kryptonian relic called the "Eye of Rao" which enables its possessor to travel back and forth through time. She brings it to Clark/Superman just seconds before the Earth would explode. Superman uses it to give Earth, Kara, and himself another chance.

Superman travels back to the last days of his favorite loves like Lois, Lana, and Laura*as well as locating his arch nemesis Lex Luthor. The catch - Clark/Superman must convince Lex to help him. As Superman continues on his way backwards in time, he helps create the Justice League, faces "Meteor freaks", and finally ends up back in Smallville.

Superman begins again as eighteen year old Clark Kent. Ultimately, Clark must change his past, and make the correct adjustments to his decisions. His goal is to have a superior fighting force to face Darkseid, when the demon alien makes his way to Earth.

It goes by many names within the texts of popular Earth cultures, Apocalypse, The Reckoning, The Great Harvesting, Revelations, the end of all things. No matter what you call it, it meant only one thing…death. The World's Greatest Superhero came face to face with his own mortality. At the ripe old age of 199, Superman's time was up. - Marcus Worthington.

Superman physically resembled a typical seventyish human male. He had graying temples, graying moustache, and a matching goatee. Clark Kent thought he might one day die of natural causes, like all of those who had gone before him. Avoid Kryptonite and the sky was the limit. He was wrong. Superman's final thoughts were of his long dead loved ones. Would he see them in the afterlife? Did an afterlife actually exist? He was about to get his ultimate wish- to be human.

Humans died. Superman floated helplessly within the vacuum of space, hundreds of miles above the surface of his beloved Earth. In the blackness, Clark was truly alone. 'Death was a part of life', his Earth parents told him. Jonathan Kent had died first, protecting his secret. That was over 180 years ago.

His mother Martha was next, over 150 years ago. They were the most important people in his life, making him what he is today. Lana Lang, his first love, had been gone over 120 years.

Lois Lane-Kent, his greatest love, had left him over 115 years ago. She'd begged him to let her die, after leading her amazing life. Lois had accomplished everything she'd wanted to do. Even Lex Luthor had finally died 130 years ago, from Kryptonite radiation poisoning of all things. There had been other important people in his life, of course. Another love, Laura Lake, had passed on barely 100 years ago. Even her superior powers were no match for the ultimate equalizer, death.

Superman's life had been empty for a long time. Even so, his long term suffering paled in comparison to what had happened on Earth. Two point four billion humans dead, scores of friendly aliens were also lost in the carnage. The demonic alien Darkseid would be back for another billion or so lives, soon.

Earth was dying. Its impressive military arsenal had been emptied in the intergalactic war against the people of Apokolips. Earth's sun was slowly dimming, and that suited Darkseid just fine. He thrived on darkness, despair, and misery. Superman's light was about to go out next.

Clark had been confident that he and young Kara Kent could defeat Darkseid and his minions alone. He was mistaken. His error would cost Earth its life. Kal El had failed in his father's mission: To protect Earth. As wise as Jor El had been, he'd grossly underestimated Darkseid. The two had never met, yet Jor El knew of the warlike people from Apokolips. They lived for conquest.

A tiny dot flew up from Earth's fiery pockmarked surface. It made its way in Clark's general direction. Superman was too injured, too tired, and too depressed from the fight. He wanted to move.