The next morning, Malrick led Kara out of his inner world.
Kara's spirits were low.
Yesterday's intercourse had pushed both her Kryptonian body and Shazam-enhanced endurance to their absolute limits. It had been a relentless, high-intensity fight—exhilarating and brutal. Though it left her stronger, her energy was spent.
Even under the morning sunlight, her expression was languid, like a cat curling up on a warm couch after play.
The coastline still bore traces of last night's victory celebration—burnt-out bonfires scattered across the sand, some still crackling faintly, surrounded by soldiers nursing their hangovers.
Most of them were Atlanteans. Only they could celebrate so wildly and forget their royal composure. After all, their king, Arthur Curry, had been the first to pass out, mug still in hand.
The Red Alliance forces had already departed, their armored pilots returning to their bases after coordinating with the Justice League on when to announce their victory to the world. Their armor, marked with red five-pointed stars, glinted faintly in the dawn light as they'd left.
The Amazon warriors from Themyscira, however, remained. Their camp stood apart from the others, a wide perimeter marked by discipline and order. Two Dianas—one from each timeline—had reportedly spent the night sharing stories and wisdom from their separate worlds.
Not far away stood the Justice League's main encampment.
That was where the true celebration had taken place.
As Malrick and Kara walked past, they spotted Tony Stark asleep beside an extinguished fire, still clutching pieces of the Anti-Superman Armor like a child hugging a favorite toy. Across from him, Bruce Wayne was dozing, using the Hellbat Armor as a makeshift pillow.
Malrick couldn't help but smirk. The two billionaires had probably realized too late how much they had in common. Instead of competing over who had the deeper pockets or teaming up to flirt with Atlantean women, they'd ended up talking by the fire until exhaustion claimed them. Whatever that conversation had been, no one would ever know.
Kara and Malrick strolled along the shore, watching the sunrise paint the waves in gold. Before long, the camp began to stir. One by one, the heroes and soldiers emerged from their tents, blinking against the light.
From one tent, Superman and Lois Lane appeared together.
Kara, still clinging to Malrick's arm, playfully kicked a crab scuttling near her foot back into the sea.
"Clark!" Malrick called out, raising a hand.
The two had returned late the previous night, after flying beneath the stars for nearly an hour. And though they'd shared a tent, Clark had been gentle—Lois was heavily pregnant, and judging by the calm glow on their faces, the night had been spent whispering words of affection rather than passion.
Malrick approached with an easy grin.
"You must be Malrick," Superman said, one hand in his pocket and the other resting protectively around Lois's shoulders.
As Malrick stepped closer, Clark hesitated for a split second. He remembered something—a recording from a future vision showing him being utterly overpowered by this very Kryptonian. The thought made him unconsciously touch the side of his face where he'd been punched in that vision.
"First time meeting, Clark," Malrick said as he extended his hand. "Though I've seen you plenty of times already."
Superman chuckled and took it.
"Why the face-touching? Worried I might steal your title as Earth's strongest man?"
Superman smiled wryly. "Maybe a little. Still, thank you—for saving this world. And for saving Batman, twice."
Malrick waved it off casually. "No need for thanks. Just doing what I had to."
Superman went on, his tone thoughtful. "When we were planning our counterattack against Darkseid, we studied your fights—your techniques, your strength. Honestly, you made me look bad. Every time Diana or Arthur looked at me, I could feel them thinking, 'We're all heroes—why is he so much stronger?'"
He laughed softly. "For a while there, I was living in your shadow, Malrick."
Malrick released his hand. "Then I guess I owe you an apology. Next time, I'll hold back a little."
Superman raised a brow. "Should I take that as a threat or a promise?"
"Neither," Malrick replied with a grin. "Though if you ever want to thank me properly, just get me a full-page feature in the Daily Planet. Preferably with a few exaggerated compliments thrown in."
"You should ask this reporter here instead," Superman said, nodding toward Lois.
They all laughed, and Malrick exchanged a few pleasantries with Lois before turning his attention back to Clark.
Now that he was calm and free of corruption, Superman looked almost angelic. The morning light illuminated half of his face, while the other half was shadowed, giving him the air of a savior caught between light and darkness.
Superman was unlike any version Malrick had ever known. He didn't smile often, but the compassion in his eyes spoke more than words ever could.
"In fact, we came to talk to you about something," Malrick said, nodding toward Kara. "This is Kara."
Superman tilted his head. "So you're the one who called down lightning yesterday? Ms. Shazam, right?"
Malrick shook his head. "Not quite. She's Kara Zor-El—your cousin."
Superman froze. "My... cousin?"
He'd thought himself the last of Krypton's bloodline. The revelation hit him like a wave. "Is that true?"
Kara gave a calm nod.
Their reunion wasn't emotional or tearful—no dramatic embrace, no sobbing. Just a quiet recognition, a simple acceptance that they shared something deeper than anyone else could understand.
Superman was overjoyed to discover a living relative, while Kara was relieved to see her cousin alive and thriving on Earth.
For years, her obsession had been Kal-El—the baby she'd been sent to protect. Her parents had given her that mission before Krypton's destruction, and during her imprisonment by Lex Luthor, that thought had kept her sane.
Survive. Kal still needs you.
It was her only reason to endure.
But after Malrick had rescued her from the lead chamber, she'd learned that Kal-El—her cousin—was dead. The revelation had shattered her. For a moment, her existence felt meaningless.
Protecting Kal had given her purpose. Without that, she had nothing left.
If not for Malrick—who saved her, avenged her pain, and gave her a new reason to live—she might have burned herself out in a suicidal rage against Zod.
And yet now, here stood Kal-El—alive, smiling, with a family of his own.
In that instant, the last remnants of her obsession vanished.
She no longer cared about the universe or the fate of worlds. Her world was simple: Krypton was gone, her baby cousin lived, and Malrick—the man who had pulled her from the abyss—was her everything. He had saved her entire world, and to her, he was irreplaceable.
After introducing themselves, Kara didn't linger. There were no childhood memories to recall, no shared history. The Kal-El she had known was a helpless infant; this Superman had no memories of Krypton at all.
After a brief exchange about their home planet and a few warm words from Kara urging him to be a good father, she and Malrick turned and left the beach together.