Superman StarCraft CrossOver

"Crucifix"

by SuperMudz

CHAPTER ONE

ENCOUNTER

Superman threw the zerglings into their cages, squalling.

"They won't be a bother anymore," he said, dusting off his hands.

The dragoon's blaster fire caught him right in the chest and sent him hurtling back to slam his back into the wall. The other protoss gathered to stare at this apparition, for they had come to deal with the humans of this facility.

"What is this human? He is mightier than the rest..." the protoss appraised him. "I sense he does not originate with the humans of this sector."

"Indeed. His appearance is unlikely."

From their distant colony ship, their elders watched the entire encounter through what would have been termed an iris of a type. It projected the image before them, while they mused on this unexpected person – the protoss had taken him outside, for the phase disruptor had stunned him. This in itself had surprised them, for it should have vaporised an ordinary human.

Superman had gotten up, appraising this new threat – for his part, he had also not been expecting their appearance and was taken by surprise. The three warriors caught him by the arm – he thrust and went swinging and they went flying off, to land unharmed but ruffled, into the bushes and nettles.

What are these beings? Superman asked himself. The protoss picked themselves up, as Superman studied them warily, watching for another one of those blasts as the dragoons moved into the open to surround him. They were deceptively quick.

The protoss were the first to speak. "By Adun, he has might like our own! If Sconaris was only here to see this!"

They seemed more impressed than anything else, to Superman's surprise – they seemed eager and grateful for the fight, the test of strength, which Superman was more than happy to give them, shaking off the effect of that strange energy pulse.

He for his part, was impressed with their powers, their ability to sneak up on him undetected, mysterious as they were. Enough to be cautious of.

They tussled and he thrust them back, despite their blazing eyes and strength.

"Bie! 'Tis like wrestling a behemoth of the Zerg! Perhaps this contest be more the province of archons – I never would have believed it until I had seen it!" Their voices were strange and thrilling in their power, and Superman was surprised that he understood them – he inferred that they were speaking in a manner he could understand for his benefit, for some reason. He suspected instantly that their voices held some kind of hypnotic factor, it seemed as if multiple voices spoke at once when they did. Something which Superman would have reason to ponder on later, when he discovered more about them.

Superman quickly found himself caught up in a battle against the three warriors quite against his will.

"He is like a space amoeba I once discovered in my travels," one watching protoss said out loud to another. "A colony of them I did encounter, who looked unkindly on travelling vessels. I waged quite a battle for that colony on that day."

Superman suspected they conversed telepathically, but they seemed courteous enough to have their conversation aloud while he was present – it was a strange enough situation as it was. Uncanny instinct, these guys, he thought.

There was a pause, as the four studied each other warily.

Perhaps they were more altruistic than their initial attack appeared.

"I have to save these civilians."

"If you knew what they were incumbent in, you would not be so – no, I sense you do not know. Hmm, this is strange."

(*)

Two more of the beings had been watching from the side-lines, curious at this encounter, but now they acted.

"Our technology may be sufficient to stay this creature." They activated a device on their wrists.

Superman was frozen in a stasis cell, a sphere of pure contracted time, a layer of space-time, in some manner he did not understand. The technology of these beings was truly incredible even to his super-senses - if only he could see how it functioned he might be able to disable it. Their power over space-time itself seemed formidable – only on Krypton had there been science to rival these.

He wondered if this race was much like his own, despite their appearance.

Superman had been captured.

(*)

Two protoss feinted and clashed with their psi blades, their limbs appearing oddly disjointed, but connecting in a crackling and beautiful display that could not have been equalled by any martial artist on Earth. The protoss that he had encountered now formed his guard. They had been transported via mysterious means to, it appeared, another world entirely! New air, new sight and sounds. And then he had been transported in one of their grand, and graceful vessels, which were truly curious. It was immediately apparently that their technology was very advanced, and he was soon brought to one of their colonies.

He had only heard a few rumours to this date, but he hadn't had the time to ask the settlers about them.

He was carried through their beautiful city, using his x-ray and telescopic micro-vision surreptitiously.

"Fie! Cease that!" a zealot clashed his blade against the bars. It appeared these beings had ways of detecting his subterfuge. Their telepathic powers would seem in evidence, although he had psychic blocks and techniques of his own.

(*)

It seemed their destination was a great citadel. There was a great tradition and ceremony, before he was brought before what he found out were the elders of this race. He stood upon a prominence before the surrounding council, and though he tried, he could not read those alien faces.

In the stillness of the air, one spoke out – invisibly – he could not tell which, and that fact alone was cause for wonder.

"Your powers will not be so out of place here, you will find. We have dealt with powers for a millennia, so have a care with how you choose to speak with us."

"I believe you," he rubbed his neck, still feeling the effects of that stasis. He was feeling the need to stretch his muscles – maybe these beings were rubbing off on him. He wondered where Lois would be.

He quickly gave his case, outlining that he had not come to this place deliberately, but that he was caught in a space-time phenomenon by sheer accident that transported him here. When he saw terrans in distress, he instinctively went to their aid.

The protoss seemed to discuss this among themselves. "A noble-sounding sentiment, unknown one. We will discuss this."

It was an unusually short interrogation, he frowned. They had been watching him with a very strong intensity that he felt was more than the glow of their eyes – an unusual sight in itself.

(*)

He was transported to one of their prisons.

(*)

The protoss found him in that cage, and had apparently come to a decision of some sort.

One protoss felt a shiver of psi energy go through it, looking at it, bound in that energy cage. "It reminds me of the dark creatures we saw on Shakuras. I pray to Adun we shall not have to battle it as we did them."

"There is nothing of the void about him – I sense he is an... altruistic creature. As the elders did."

"Perhaps, but dangerous. It will be for the protoss to see to it, if he proves to have an ill agenda. There have been those who have attempted to deceive us before – the Nerazim are said to have arts, and even the once-Conclave were said to possess certain techniques that should never be used on another protoss."

"Rumour against rumour, but the elders have been clear."

Superman frowned again, wondering what they meant. Apparently these beings were talking about some kind of trick to gain their trust, but he suspected it was more than simple oratory, they meant. Given their apparently telepathic powers, he wouldn't be surprised to learn they meant some sort of hypnotism or mind control – which they didn't have to fear from him, even if it would have worked.

Now, the foremost, who seemed to have some rank, approached the cell, and seized Superman in his gaze, for he was not the direct subject of attention.

"If you wish to be free, assist us, and we shall test the virtue of your argument in battle. If not, we shall use our devices to return you to your cell." They seemed to consider him a worthy but acceptable problem. Of all the receptions he had encountered, this was unusual, he thought.

They had the power to stun him, and trap him, like they said, he knew by this point. Their technology was certainly not to be underestimated.

He didn't have any other choice. He agreed to their terms, citing that he simply wished to find a way home if he could, if he could perform nothing useful here.

They nodded to themselves, apparently taking the statement in stride.

(*)