This chapter jumps forward to after Barry, Kara, Ollie, and the others get defeated in part 2 of Crisis. I had no idea how to transition into this from the last chapter, so here you are :P

The first thought that came to Barry's mind when he came to in the concentration camp alongside his friends was a question: where was Kara? The subsequent second thought in this head: why was his first worry about Kara, and not his fiancé, Iris?

As he woke more fully under the harsh camp lights, Barry felt a wave of guilt. He wished that the reason Kara was his waking thought would be because of the perilous plan that the Nazis had for her, almost like fear that one would have for a close friend. He wished, but that would not make it true. He was afraid for her life because he didn't want to know what it would do to him, considering the feelings that had begun to stir in him for her.

Looking at all the people suffering around him, Barry felt even worse, thinking of all the wretched and painful things they could do to Kara. His friends agreed that this place was sickening, but they couldn't do anything about it—the powering dampening collars around their necks prevented any hopes of escape. They'd have to find a different way to make it to their earth. Alex was desperate to save Kara, and, internally, so was he.

Sara and Oliver were confident, claiming that they would escape and triumph over the Nazis, but it did little for the dread that filled Barry at the thought of Kara being torn open and of Iris and his friends being cruelly imprisoned, as he was now. He wanted to be brave for their sakes, and he tried to appear that way, but on the inside, his mind was dizzy with panic. How could they possibly get out of this mess?

He wasn't ready to die—not in the state he was in. Barry needed to find peace with where his feelings were for Iris and Kara. He owed it to both of them. He would make it back to them if it was the last thing he'd do. And then he'd figure out the mess of emotions that was in his heart—but as the minutes passed, his hope was slowly diminishing. Would this be his end? Was this finally the day where the heroes lose and love would be silenced?

Kara awoke drenched in crimson sunlight, and the events of the previous day struck her hard. They had lost. The Earth-Xers has defeated them. As she frantically looked around the S.T.A.R. Labs operating room, her heart sank. Where was Barry?

"Oh, so you're finally awake." Kara turned her head at the snide voice of her doppelganger. She swore if the red sun radiation wasn't draining her, her heat vision would have already sparked. "It's a shame you didn't stay asleep. The operation would have been easier without you resisting. Or at least trying to resist."

"Tell me where my friends are," Kara demanded firmly, merely eliciting a pompous laugh out of the Earth X general.

"Always the selfless little girl," her doppelganger mocked. "They're quite literally a world away from us at the moment, but no matter—they won't suffer long. A firing squad has been ordered to kill them all within the hour." Kara felt her stomach lurch at the general's words. Her friends were in trouble—Barry was in trouble—-and she was powerless to help them. "Oh come on, don't tell me you feel anything for those foolish 'do-gooders.'"

"They're my friends, and people's lives mean more than any power in the world," Kara said. "Now I know why you need my heart…yours is incapable of love."

The General's malicious grin only grew at Kara's angry words. "You've got some nerve talking to me about being 'incapable of love' Kara. Seriously, talk about pathetic. Now why were you here in the first place…a wedding? The man you love about to be married to another woman, and you just sat there and watched the whole thing, only somehow managing the courage to speak up right before we crashed the wedding. How could you be such a pushover?

"I mean, really, you've spent so much time for meaningless heroics when you could've been getting what you want. One of the most powerful beings in the multiverse, and you can't even tell the man you love how you feel. How adorably sad," she said, pinching Kara's nose teasingly.

"I was being selfless," Kara answered defensively, her face reddening. "I'm putting others' needs before my own. Barry was happy with Iris, and I had no right to get in the way of that."

"No, you were being weak. You let the world step all over you, and lost a chance at happiness out of fear of being rejected or being despised for honesty," Overgirl said with a twisted grin. "I mean really, ripping your heart out is doing both of us a service. Can you say I'm wrong?" Kara tried to snap back, give some retort to the other woman, her mouth opening and closing, but words did not come out. The general scoffed.

With that, the evil Kryptonian strutted away, leaving Kara to stew in the red sun lamp. As much as she hated to think it, Kara couldn't help but wonder if there was some ounce of truth in what the general had told her. Was she really being selfless? Or was she just too soft to say what needed to be said? She wanted to believe that she was taking the high road, but was she really just wasting her life away, breaking her own heart for some delusional sense of morality?

Kara's self reflection was suddenly interrupted by a blackout, the sound of metal hitting the ground, and the unmistakable popping of gunfire, followed by familiar, startled shouts. Struggling against her restraints in vain, Kara felt fear seize her entire being. Someone had come to help her—and they'd been hurt in the process.

Here we are at last! Chapter 4! Expect chapters 5 and 6 soon! Chapter 5 in particular is going to be pivotal...