Superman and Captain Marvel team with former Herald of Darkseid Kara Zor-El to stand against Darkseid’s Parademon invasion force.

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Superman stood with SHIELD’s Captain Marvel and his cousin Kara Zor-El in the shuttle bay of SHIELD Space Station Scott. He watched as Marvel helped Kara slip on an oxygen mask and a small oxygen tank that rode at the waist.

Thanks to their super-human abilities, the three of them could survive the rigors of space, even go without oxygen for a while.

However, they wouldn’t be able to communicate without technological aid, nor would they want to worry about holding their breath while in the middle of a fight.

SHIELD provided oxygen masks, which also functioned as communication devices. Superman had already assembled his.

Marvel stood back from Kara and inspected her work. Kara tugged at the poly-rubber strap around her head.

“It’s not the most comfortable thing,” Marvel admitted. “Not much of a fashion statement either. But it’ll let us coordinate between one another and with whatever Brand’s got in her bag of tricks.”

The captain referred to Commander Brand, the green-haired woman in direct command of the space station. She had SHIELD agents manning turrets about the station.

Should things go poorly for the three super-powered heroes, they were to lead the Parademons back to the station where Brand’s people would pick them off with laser fire.

Of course, being SHIELD — the world’s premier spy and paramilitary agency — Superman imagined Brand had access to things he wouldn’t know.

Captain Marvel moved to a position between Superman and Kara. All three looked to the shuttle bay doors, beyond which was outer space and the Parademons.

“Open the pod bay doors, Hal,” Marvel said.

Kara looked quizzically at her cousin. “Who is this Hal person?” she whispered.

He smiled. “It’s a reference to a movie.” Off Kara’s confused expression, Marvel added, “We’ll watch it when we get back.”

A moment later, Assistant Director Hill’s voice came over their comm units. The station was under Brand’s control, but Hill controlled her. “Captain. Superman. Zor-El. Steal that Mother Box, then mop up. Commander Brand will help with that part.”

“Sure thing,” Marvel replied.

As if on cue, a loud clang at the bay door sounded as the door’s release slid out of place. The bay doors slowly slid up. The atmosphere in the bay wooshed out into space.

SHIELD agents had battened down everything in the bay, including the shuttles, so they didn’t go with the air.

When the door was up halfway, Captain Marvel flew toward it and out into the vacuum of space. Superman and Kara followed her.

The SHIELD station maintained a geosynchronous orbit around the Earth. In the hours since Kara’s first appearance, the station had moved away from the moon.

Superman and his fellow flyers had to backtrack around the Earth to get to the moon. The trip had them fly through all manner of space junk and satellites, which covered their movement.

Unfortunately, there would be no element of surprise as they crossed the empty space between the Earth’s orbit and the moon.

Eventually, the super-team saw the wall of Parademons around the moon.

“I’m thinking we stick to energy attacks, wide arc,” Captain Marvel said.

“Take out as many as we can as quickly as we can,” Superman said, nodding in agreement.

“The Parademons operate under a swarm mentality,” Kara said. “When we attack any one of them, the rest will counterattack as a group and try to overwhelm us.”

“So we’d better hit the one with the Mother Box first,” Marvel suggested. “Now, which one would that be?”

Kara stared at the Parademons. Superman assumed she was using bother her x-ray and telescopic vision.

“Keeping with the swarm mentality,” Kara began, “the Parademons hide their important agents in the center of their hive.” Kara zeroed in on the center mass of Parademons. “Got him. And the Box.”

Captain Marvel stretched her neck, then flexed her fingers. “Okay. I’ll fly point. You two use your superspeed to keep everything off me until I destroy that Box.”

“Guess now is a good time to point out that the Mother Box is nearly indestructible,” Kara said.

Marvel thought on this. “Fine. I’ll steal the Box, get it back to Scott Station,” she said. “You two wreck some stuff.”

“Works for me, captain,” Superman replied.

The SHIELD-based superhero started for the Parademons, but Kara put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. The Captain was a bit more than curious as to why.

“I noticed during our earlier… encounter” (Marvel noted the girl refrained from calling it a fight, which is what it was) “you have the power to absorb and re-channel energy, captain,” Kara said.

Captain Marvel smiled.

Come back this Thursday for the conclusion of “Herald of Darkseid!”

While writing this fanfiction, I used Green Ronin’s Mutants and Masterminds, 3rd Edition RPG, to leave some things to chance. Check it out!

Like this fanfiction? Check out Mark’s original “Shadowdance” saga books!

Author’s Note:

The characters Maria Hill, Captain Marvel/ Carol Danvers, SHIELD, Abigail Brand and Nick Fury are Copyright Marvel Comics

The characters Superman/ Clark Kent/ Kal-El, Supergirl/ Kara Zor-El, Darkseid, Maggie Sawyer, Solomon Grundy and Parademons are Copyright DC Comics

None of the characters belong to me as this is fanfiction, done for fun and as a creative exercise