Disclaimer: JL and DP don't belong to me!
First things firsts, I would like to apologize for being away, the stress or balancing college and home life nearly me on the ropes. However, I would like to thank you all for still reading and supporting this story, and I would like once again to thank Jaguarspot of taking the time to go through this chapter. Do not be deterred, I have not abandoned this story and do not have plans to.
Beacon of Justice
Chapter 15
The Watchtower
News of Kara, Rachel, and Barbara's exploits with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy spread quickly throughout the entire Justice League. For days, all the talk on the Watchtower was how much of a 'fairy tale story' the whole ordeal was, with Kara being the infamous damsel in distress, and Rachel being her knight-in-shining armor, or more accurately, her 'Guardian angel'. Although Rachel was unsure what to make of her fellow Leaguers' comments, she was certain that it wasn't fair for her to take all the credit. After all, Barbara was really the one who had saved the day, if she hadn't been there to knock the shard of Kryptonite out of her hand… who knows what could have happened to Kara.
Rachel was currently in her ghost form standing at hers and Kara's usual spot: the hallway with the large window that overlooked the Earth below. The couple had agreed to meet up after Kara had fulfilled her promise to speak with Clark. The week earlier, and immediately following Kara's recovery, she had received a call on her communicator from her older cousin, who had cut right to the chase and demanded that she return to the Watchtower or the Kent Farm. Kara, of course, downright refused; she told him there was no way she was going to give up the chance to spend some quality time with her closest friends, especially after everything that had just happened. Naturally, this sparked yet another argument between the two Kryptonian cousins.
If memory served Rachel correctly, Kara and Clark had spent nearly half an hour bickering back and forth before finally coming up with some sort of compromise. According to what Kara told her: Clark did let her go on her break, but in turn, she had to swear not toappear anywhere as Supergirl, and she had to come speak with Clark the moment she got back.
Rachel turned her head when she sensed someone approaching at the end of the hallway. Her eyes lit up and her lips curled into a gentle smile when she saw Kara emerging from around the corner. However, the Halfa's face fell almost instantly when she took a closer look at Kara's face. The Blond Kryptonian's lips had formed into a deep frown, the tip of her nose was slightly red, and her face was shining with tears.
Oh, no… Rachel thought sullenly as her quivering heart sank to her stomach. She made her way over to meet Kara. "W-What happened?" She asked softly when they were face-to-face. Kara's eyes remained firmly locked onto the floor, and the only response she gave was a light sniff. Rachel slowly sighed through her nose and took another step forward to wrap her arms around Kara. As their bodies made contact, Kara let out a series of whimpers, and then she buried her face on Rachel's shoulder, clutching onto the Halfa's back like a lifeline.
For a few agonizing moments, the Blond Kryptonian just stood there in Rachel's arms, sobbing in her own despair. The Halfa did not mutter a single word, and just tried her best to steady her trembling girlfriend. She knew Kara's conversation with Clark had obviously gone very, very bad, but Rachel would have never imagined that the outcome would be like this. What did he say to her?
Instead of asking Kara for answers again however, Rachel decided to wait until she was calm enough to speak. Her trembling did seem to be stopping, which was clearly a good sign. "Heh, heh," Kara tried desperately to speak clearly, but her ragged breathing was preventing her from forming words.
"It's okay, Kara, it's okay," Rachel assured her, "take you time, just relax."
Kara removed her face from Rachel's shoulder, where her tears had left a small wet patch on her jacket. When her breathing had returned to its normal pace, Rachel noticed her expression had become rather hardened.
"J-just who the heck does h-he think he is?!" Kara croaked as she wiped away any lingering tears.
By 'who', Rachel easily deduced that Kara meant Clark, but she still did not know what caused her to be in such a state. "What did you two talk about?" she asked.
Kara scoffed. "It wasn't much of a conversation, he started telling me about how worried he was, and then how happy he was when he found out I was okay. And for a second, I actually believed him."
Rachel frowned when she saw Kara crease her brow and her hands close into tight fists. "Then he told me that maybe it'd be a good idea if I took more time off of missions." Kara continued.
"So basically, you rejected his idea?" The Halfa's question sounded more like a statement.
"I did more than that." Kara admitted. "I yelled right at his face and told how stupid it was, and then I demanded an explanation from him." Her eyes fell again, and her body started to shake as fresh tears brimmed in her eyes.
"And what did he say?" Rachel asked, despite knowing that she was playing with fire.
"The usual," Kara replied abrasively, "he told me to be patient, that he wanted me to be safe, a-and it was only temporary. But it's all a load of-of…" She wasn't able to finish as she broke into tears for the second time.
Upon seeing this, Rachel's lips fell into a flat line, and embraced Kara again. "I'm so sorry, Kara," She whispered. The Halfa immediately felt a wave of shame flow through her, her girlfriend was in tears, and that cheesy, typical statement was all she could say to comfort her?
After a few minutes, Kara seemed to have managed to calm down again. She straightened up, and took a step back. However, Rachel's hands maintained a solid grip on Kara's arms, acting as anchors in case she broke down again.
"He's always been like this." Kara exclaimed. "When he brought me to Earth, he tried to keeping me cooped up with his folks; they were nice enough to take me in, but sill, I told him numerous times I could help."
Rachel studied her girlfriend intently as she chose her response with great care. "He just wants you to be safe, Kara."
"Well, he should know it's pretty hard to be 'safe' in our line of work!" Kara argued.
"I don't think that's what he meant." Rachel replied. When Kara rapidly blinked in confusion, the Halfa elaborated. "You and Clark are the last two Kryptonians, So even though, in his eyes, Mister and Misses Kent are his parents, you are his last link to his heritage, and… I think he just doesn't want to lose that… or you."
Kara blinked again before turning her eyes to the window. She could sense the truth in Rachel's words, both she and Clark were the last of their race, and despite their differences, at the end of the day he was still her cousin, and nothing can change that… but still… "That may be true," she said, "but I chose to be Supergirl. I chose to accept the risk."
Rachel breathed a slow sigh before speaking, "and he understands that, but he just doesn't want to see you get hurt, and who knows? He did say that this was only temporary."
While what Rachel had been saying sound authentic and true to her nature, that last sentence made Kara narrow her eyes suspiciously. "Y'know, Rach? It almost sounds like you agree with him."
At the accusation, Rachel did not appear to move a muscle, but Kara's super-enhanced vision was able to notice her twitch ever so slightly. She widened her eyes as she opened her mouth to release a sharp gasp.
"You do! You do agree with him!" she jabbed as she slowly retreated out of Rachel's grasp.
Rachel winced, and her eyes fell to the floor. The temperature in the entire hallway seemed to have dropped fifteen degrees as silence drowned everything out.
"Why do you agree with him?" Kara asked after a few seconds or so. The hurt in her voice was unmistakable, and Rachel bit her lower lip as guilt loomed over her like a dark and stormy cloud.
"Rachel!" She never expected Kara to yell, and it startled her enough to make her jump. When she looked at Kara's, the Halfa noticed all the shock and hurt were replaced with anger and hostility. "Tell me! Why?!" Kara finished aggressively.
Deep down, Rachel wished she could take it all back, to say that she didn't mean it, but Kara would know it was a lie, and she would be lying to herself.
"It's just…" Rachel began stutteringly, she found it difficult to look into Kara's eyes; they resembled shards of ice that could very well pierce her heart. "… I nearly killed you..."
Kara scoffed and shook her head. "Rach, we've been over this! I would've killed Barbara, and then I would've killed you."
"Well, two wrongs don't make a right." Rachel retorted sharply. "I had to subject you to the effects of Kryptonite, and watch, and before that, I watched you get injected with that stuff."
Kara furrowed her brow in confusion. "What're you talking about?" she questioned. "I was never injected with Kryptonite."
Rachel winced again, and this time she spun on the spot, turning her back to Kara. Of course, she never remembered what happened to her, and now Rachel realized she had little choice but to divulge that heart-breaking memory to her girlfriend.
The Halfa turned back to face Kara, but still could not muster up the will to look into her eyes. "About a week ago, after you told me about spring break, you and I were sent forward to the future to stop a man threatening to destroy all of reality."
As Rachel explained everything that happened during the Chronos mission, Kara stared at her with watchful eyes. The Halfa was explaining everything in great detail, but she herself couldn't register the slightest fraction of it.
When Rachel got to the part where Kara was injected with liquid Kryptonite, her speech began to stutter, and she was pausing longer between words. Eventually, Rachel told Kara that her 'other' self was killed when she was pulled into the void.
The moment the story was finished, silence surrounded the two girls again. Rachel was trying to recollect herself after reliving that nightmare, while Kara was simply trying to take it all in. So Rachel had to watch her die, and before all that, she had to watch Clark, and the others heroes die. The feelings associated with that knowledge were too complicated to put into words.
"But-But… you said the timeline was fixed." She remarked. Rachel looked at Kara, eyes narrowed. "So then… that never happened! Technically, I never died."
Rachel's mouth actually dropped opened at her statement. It was unbelievable, she had just spent the last five minutes telling Kara of that horrible time travel experience, and she chose that moment to be stubborn. "Well, I remember it clear as day!" The Halfa countered. "Besides, it could still happen, and it nearly did! "
"Well, we can't live life worrying about 'what if's', Rach!" Kara exclaimed with venom. "This is the reality we face every day."
Kara's comment felt like a slap across Rachel's face. Her eyes began to sting, and liquid started to fill her lower eyelids. After blinking several times to clear her vision, the Halfa resumed. "I just want to keep you safe- I-I don't want to lose you either."
"So, you think 'grounding' me is the proper solution?" demanded the Blond Kryptonian.
Slowly, Rachel's head drooped, making her eyes disappeared behind her bangs. She couldn't believe what was happening; that her life at the moment consisted of arguing with the person she cared so much about.
"You know something?" Kara spoke again, prompting the Halfa to meet her eyes. However, she wished she had not, because she could not bear to look at the hurt and spiteful expression on her face. "Of all people, I expected you to understand and support me on this, but it looks like I was wrong."
The Blond Kryptonian turned on her heels, and started to walk away, but at the last second, Rachel reached out, and caught hold of her hand. "Kara, please." She begged.
Kara whipped around harshly to glare at Rachel, but when she saw the Halfa's tears stricken face, her look softened. "I-I do understand," Rachel sobbed as she firmly squeezed Kara's hand.
Her words seemed to have gotten finally through to Kara, because she breathed a long, drawn-out sigh before responding. "I'm sorry, Rachel," she said in a much softer tone, "but I need some space."
With that, Kara slipped out of Rachel's grasp, and started walking away from her. The Halfa wanted nothing more than to reach out for her again, but somehow, her body resisted the urge to move. As a result, all she did was gaze at Kara's back until she disappeared behind the corner.
Rachel was no stranger to the cold; she had spent years becoming accustomed to the sensation, and the fact that she was part ghost meant her body temperature was naturally lower than the average human's. However, this sort of cold was different; it was seeping into the deepest part of her bones, making her feel stiff, and sending painful shivers throughout her entire body.
The Halfa had no idea where she was going; she only knew that her legs were slowly carrying her forward. Her gaze was down at the floor, but all she could see, was Kara, looking angry, hurt, and betrayed.
That's it, isn't it? Her voice spoke in her head. I betrayed her. The evidence was clear: Kara came to her needing her support, but instead of giving her that, she chose to turn her back on her. What kind of person would do that to their partner?
Even amongst the silence, Rachel's ears could hear the blond Kryptonian's voice as clearly as if she was right next to her. "Why do you agree with him? …Of all people, I expected you to understand and support me…"
Beacon agreed with her completely. Under most circumstances, she would always support her. However, the fact of the matter is Kara was still very impulsive and inclined to jump into situations without thinking of the consequences, and the incident made her realize how close she was to losing Kara.
Without warning, a blurred image flashed in her mind's eye against her will. She couldn't make out what it was, but somehow, it seemed familiar, too familiar.
Rachel felt her lungs tighten violently, causing pain to erupt throughout her chest. Instinctively, she clutched onto her chest and took several deep breaths in an attempt to relieve the pain. It didn't work; her lungs utterly refused to inflate, and the pain was becoming worse with each passing second. She gave a small, but sharp, grunt as she stopped in her tracks.
Now her heart had begun to pound, adding more to the already excruciating agony. Rachel's knees gave out and she fell towards the side, she would have been on the floor had the metal wall not been there. She tried to push herself back upright, but her legs were now shaking and could not hold her weight. Slowly, she leaned her back against the wall, and slid down to the floor.
What's going-? She gasped as another shot of pain erupted through her chest. She tried to take in another deep breath, but her lungs remained its painful spasm. Although her heart continued to pound rigorously like a jackhammer against her ribcage, her brain rapidly worked to figure out this issue. Why was she losing her breath? Ghosts didn't need to breathe. Was she going into some sort of cardiac arrest? No, that can't be it! Ghosts weren't known for getting heart disease either. So, what was happening?
Something flashed in her mind again, but with the amount of pain she felt, what she saw became distorted. She closed her eyes and tried to focus. A split second later, an image appeared. It was the same image as before; only this time everything was clear. The image was of something, or someone in her arms, a girl, by the looks of it. Her chin-length, dark purple hair looked disheveled, and the individual strands were spread across her face as though they were wind swept. Her eyes were shut, and her skin was as pale as a sheet.
Ari? Ari! Rachel heard her own voice echo everywhere as she shook the girl in her arms. There was no response. She wanted to shake her again, thinking that maybe the first time was not enough to jolt her into waking. Although before she could, Ariella's form began to change. Her facial features started to shift; her hair had grown to a considerable length, and had changed color.
K-Kara? Rachel's voice rang out again. Once again, nothing came back to her. The girl in her arms remained completely still… and cold.
Before Rachel could stop herself, a cry thundered out of her throat. Her eyes shot open, and she realized that she was still in a stretch of hallway on the Watchtower. Her heart was still pumping rapidly, but her lungs seemed to be easing up, allowing her to take in slow, and steady breaths.
Even with her eyes fixed on the opposite wall, all she could see were the two images that flashed in her mind. First, it was Ariella, and then… Kara, both dead in her arms. No! She thought abruptly, that can't happen again… Not again… She was becoming breathless again, and felt steady pressure build behind her eyes. Slowly, the Halfa curled her legs close to her chest, and started crying.
Rachel had no idea how long she was lost in her tears. So it took her a moment or so until she heard the beeping sound in her right ear. She lifted her head, and absentmindedly turned towards the sound, only to blink when she found herself staring at the end of the hallway. She heard the sound again, and this time, after taking a second to focus, she realized the sound was coming from her communicator. She wanted nothing more than to ignore it, but then again, she wanted to the beeping to stop even more.
She wiped away her tears, and then pressed the button on the communicator with two fingers. "Y-yeah?"
"You have been selected to for a mission. Please report to the staging area for debrief." It was Echo's synthetic voice, and before Rachel could ask any questions, the connection ended. It took a second for her to realize it was an automated message that the miniature robot created when he first started working at the monitoring station alongside J'onn. Echo had purposed that creating such a message and then using the frequency of the communicators to select specific Leaguers would improve the League's operational efficiency. Thankfully, J'onn accepted without argument. In the end, Rachel had to admit, things on Watchtower did seem to run smoother now that Echo was free to help, as long as he stayed within the parameters set by Batman.
Rachel uncurled herself and, using the wall as a brace, slowly lifted herself back to her feet. She was glad, and honestly a bit surprised that the pain from before had vanished. She thought that perhaps her worrying about Kara had sparked the manifestation of the horrible images she saw, and now those very images were being blocked out by the knowledge of a mission, or at least temporarily anyway.
Before she stepped off again, she decided to take a second to reevaluate herself; she did not want to show up to the briefing looking like a wreck, which would be unprofessional, not to mention, potentially humiliating. She blinked several times to ensure all the tears were gone, and then ran her hands through her hair, and found that not a single strand was out of place. After feeling satisfied with her physical appearance, the Halfa walked out of the hallway, and towards the briefing station.
It took barely a second for Rachel to figure out that she was in fact, late to the briefing. From what she could tell, almost every member of the League were in attendance, all of which, had their gaze tilted slightly upwards, where Echo was floating a few feet above them, and with a giant monitor to his left. While seeing Echo wasn't anything out of the ordinary, Rachel was a bit surprised to see that her robotic friend was the one giving the mission brief; usually J'onn was the one conducting them.
Shifting her focus to the monitor, she saw an image of what looked like an island in a middle of a vast ocean. At the center of the island was a tall, concave volcano with thick, black smoke billowing from the top.
"…The magnetic signatures from the volcanic activity will more than likely interfere with the ground teams' communication with the Watchtower." Rachel turned back to the robot when he started speaking again. "I will do what I can to boost the signal." He stopped for a moment to scan the Leaguers under him. "That concludes the brief; at this time please make your way to your designated Javelins. The islanders are depending on you. Good luck."
The Leaguers either murmured or nodded in acknowledgement, and then everyone started fanning out and made their way to the Javelin bay. Rachel however, simply stood rooted to the spot, looking utterly perplexed.
While everybody else made their way to the Javelin bay, Rachel stepped forward into the crowd of heroes. " 'cuse me… Pardon me… Sorry…" She muttered the sequence of words absentmindedly as she bumped into several heroes. She took several more steps before a revelation smacked right across the face. After shaking her head at her own foolishness, Rachel lifted herself into the air, and headed straight for the monitoring platform. When she landed, she noticed Echo was floating a few feet in front of her with his attention focused on the monitor overhead.
"Greetings, Beacon." The miniature robot spoke without turning around.
"H-hi." the Halfa replied in a slightly nervous tone. "I, um, I missed the meeting."
"I was well aware of your absence," said Echo, "I calculated you only received approximately one percent of the brief."
"So then, can you give me the other 99 percent?"
"Certainly." Echo turned, and looked Beacon right in the eye. "However, due to time restraints: I will have to give you a condensed version of the mission briefing." Beacon nodded, and the robot began. "The Leaguers participating in the mission will be split into two teams: one will be conducting search and rescue, while the other will be acting as escorts to ferry the inhabitants to another island. Given your abilities; you have been assigned to the search and rescue them."
"Got it." Beacon acknowledged. "I'd better get down there." She turned on her heels and was about to hop off the platform when Echo stopped her.
"Beacon, may I ask you a question? "
The Halfa arched an eyebrow as she turned back to her friend. "Okay? What is it?"
"Do you feel that you are content with participating in this mission?"
The question felt so arbitrary to the point where it took Beacon several seconds to process. However, even after that time, she still couldn't figure out Echo's intention. "What do you mean?" she had to ask.
Echo didn't immediately answer the question, but instead chose to float closer to Beacon first, "Based on your behavior in the security footage," He informed, "I calculate a 98.62 percent probability that you recently suffered an episode of overwhelming anxiety, or what is more commonly known as a Panic Attack."
A massive jolt through Beacon's heart as her hand shot straight to her mouth. She shook her head frenziedly at her own stupidity. Of course Echo would have seen footage of her; no one could even sneeze on the Watchtower without it being caught on camera. However, that wasn't what worried her at the moment. No, what had her worried was who else besides Echo might've seen it.
The Halfa slowly lowered her hand, and turned her gaze back to Echo. "D-did anyone else see me?" she asked slowly
"Negative." Echo answered, Beacon breathed a small sigh of relief. "However, I strongly recommend that you seek medical attention. Or at the very least schedule a counseling session with the Martian Manhunter."
That minute relief Beacon felt was instantly crushed at Echo's second suggestion. "Uh-, no, I-I-I d-don't-"
"I understand informing your problems to another party may provoke a sense of unease." interrupted Echo, his voice still sounding clam. "However, seeking assistance would not only resolve the issue, but will also, more than likely, prevent any further incidents."
"I-I just…"
"The meeting does not necessarily have to be held at this time." Echo explained. "Martian Manhunter is still in a meeting, and you still have an assignment to complete. I can schedule the meeting to occur after everything has-"
"Echo!I said NO! " Beacon exclaimed.
The outburst was followed by silence, Echo remained emotionless, and it was times like this where Beacon would feel both annoyed and guilty; Echo was literally impossible to read, so she had no way of knowing if she had offended him in some way.
"Echo… I-I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" Beacon's eyes fell in shame; this day just kept getting worse; first, she got herself into an intense argument with Kara, and then she raised her voice against one of her oldest friends. She did not mean to yell, she understood that Echo was just trying to help her with whatever problems she had, but honestly, what would she say to J'onn? She already knew of her guilt for not be able to prevent Ariella's death… or anyone in her family's for that matter, but she was also aware of her fear of not being able to save Kara for suffering the same fate. The Halfa didn't need someone to tell her what she'd already knew all along.
"Very well, the decision was ultimately yours." said Echo, "However, I strongly recommend it; the best remedy for grief is close contact with friends and/or loved ones."
"I-I realize that, Echo." The Halfa replied apologetically. "Thank you."
They remained silent for another moment before the miniature robot rotated his body in the air, and returned to his station. "At this time, it would be prudent for you to make your descent onto San Baquero, for all of its inhabitants require evacuation."
Beacon blinked a few times before remembering the mission at hand. "Right, I'm off then." She turned, hopped off the platform, and headed straight for the Javelin bay.
As the evacuation mission went underway, the founding Leaguers were discussing another crucial predicament. Earlier in the day, Batman had managed to sneak into the house of Amanda Waller, their one lead on Project Cadmus. After a rather 'aggressive' discussion with the woman, the Dark Knight returned to the Watchtower to share what he discovered to his fellow founders. However, Flash did not seem too thrilled to be sitting in the conference room.
"How long is this going to take?" The speedster demanded. "I thought we had an island to evacuate."
"First team's already down there." Wonder Woman replied. "We'll join them as soon as we're done." She shifted her gaze over to Batman. "I want to hear what you learned."
"Project Cadmus' in the business of developing weapons," Batman announced, "Specifically to fight us."
"They're worried we've grown too powerful, and they want to even the odds." Martian Manhunter stated grimly.
"Exactly," Batman spoke again, "They were behind that business with the Ultimen, and the Supergirl clone."
At the mention of his cousin, Superman felt an uneasy chill crawl through his skin. It made him think of Kara, and the argument they had earlier. In all honesty, he would be lying to himself if he thought that his cousin would not object to his decision, but he never expected her to react with such intensity. He suspected that final act must have stretched their already strained relationship to a breaking point, and now, Superman felt fear and shame loom over him. What was he doing wrong? He had at least made efforts to reconcile with Kara, but only succeeded in driving her further away.
"What are they so worried about?" Flash's question jolted Superman out of his thoughts, and he refocused his attention back on the meeting at hand. "We'd never try to take out like that."
"The Justice Lords did, in their dimension." Batman countered without hesitation. "What's to stop us?"
"Me. Those guys went over board because their Flash died." The speedster answered, and then he leaned back in his chair with a rather smug grin. "So as long as you focus on keeping me alive, that'll never happen here."
There was silence in the room as the other founders stared at Flash, all of which looked downright unconvinced. "Let's put a pin in that theory to discuss another time." Manhunter suggested.
"I've seen the federal budget," said Superman finally, "there's no funding for a 'Project Cadmus'. Where's the money coming from?"
"We're all thinking the same thing." Manhunter answered.
"Luthor." Wonder Woman deduced with venom in her voice.
Over the course of the past few months, the media ran numerous stories about how the billionaire was a 'reformed' man, and a solid candidate for the Oval Office.
"The obvious suspect," Batman stated, "he funded General Hardcastle's rouge operations. But if he's bankrolling Cadmus, he's doing an excellent job of covering his tracks. I've got The Question looking into it and…"
Nearly all of the founders groaned at the mention of the faceless hero. Who had earned a distinct reputation of going on and on about countless conspiracy theories.
"Not the kook!" Flash complained.
"I admit he's wound a bit too tightly," Batman confessed, "but if anyone can find a hidden link between from Luthor to Cadmus, he's the man. In the end time, I'll be following the trail from Waller's end."
One by one, each founding Leaguer nodded in acknowledgement, and then Flash spoke up again. "So we're done, right?" he asked impatiently. "Because y'know, island? – volcano? – evacuate?"
The cafeteria was nearly empty as most of League was heading down to Earth to help with the evacuation mission. Kara found herself sitting alone at a table in the center of the room with a mug of coffee in front of her. At first, the blond Kryptonian had thought that perhaps drinking her favorite brew would somehow quench the sorrow she felt inside, but after a couple of sips, the drink was left untouched. Now, the dark liquid was a rather fitting representation of how Kara felt on the inside: bitter and cold.
"You keep staring at that mug, kid, and it's gonna explode in your face." Kara turned towards the sound of the voice, and noticed Green Arrow approaching her. Following closely behind the Archer was a stunningly beautiful woman with golden blonde hair, and even though Kara had never met her officially, she instantly recognized the woman as Black Canary.
"Oh… Hey, Arrow, hey Canary." Kara greeted in a less-than-enthusiastic voice.
Green Arrow returned the greeting with a nod as both he and Black Canary each took a seat to Kara's left. "I gotta admit: I'm surprised to see you here." He said. "I figured you'd be on that evac mission about now.
"Yeah, well, I didn't get the call." Kara was speaking more to the mug in front of her than the two older Leaguers.
"That so?" Green Arrow asked. "Odd, from what I've heard, they need all the muscle they can get."
Kara's somber expression remained unchanged as she lazily shrugged her shoulders. Arrow and Canary exchanged looks, but the younger girl kept her gaze on the coffee mug in front of her.
"Is everything alright, Supergirl?" asked Canary in a worried tone.
Kara looked at the two older Leaguers, and then breathed a heavy sigh. "It's just- No, it isn't."
"Well, you don't have to be shy, Kara." Arrow said coyly. "If you have issues, we'll be more than happy to help you out."
Kara stared at the Archer and felt her spirits lift slightly. Ever since she met him during her very first mission in the League, Green Arrow had become sort of a big brother to her, even though his sense of humor can make it hard to take him seriously at times.
Kara sat a little straighter on her chair, took another deep breath, and then told Arrow and Canary everything; beginning with her meeting with Superman and ending with her argument with Rachel. When she finished, Kara found herself panting as though she had just finished a marathon without her powers.
As Kara worked to steady her breath, Black Canary slowly reached out to place her hand onto of the younger girl's forearm. "I can definitely see what made you so frustrated, Kara. May I call you Kara?"
The Kryptonian stiffly nodded, and then clapped her hands over her eyes. "I just don't get it." She exclaimed. She lowered her hands and turned her gaze back to Canary. "I mean, she understands the risks of being a hero as much as I do."
"Well, I don't want to speak on Rachel's behalf, that wouldn't be fair to either of you." Canary replied matter-of-factly. "I will say this though; I know it's hard being sidelined, even though you know you can still contribute."
Kara blinked at the older woman; she could sense there was more than she was letting on. "There's a 'but' in there somewhere, isn't it?"
Canary lightly chuckled, but then her expression became serious. "There's no doubt you're a tough girl, sweetie. Though the thing is, with your powers, they make it easy for you to forget that you are still vulnerable."
"What?" Kara questioned, sounding offended. "I do too know I can be vulnerable. Just like the rest of you."
"Well, not exactly." Green Arrow chimed in. He frowned deeply when Kara glared at him with her furious eyes, and for a second or two, the Archer was certain he saw her eyes glow slightly red. On impulse, he threw his hands up defensively. "Now, hold on, kid. Just hear me out."
Kara softened her expression, and then leaned back slightly. Taking that as a good sign, Arrow lowered his hands, and continued, "I know there's no shortage of powerhouses in this little 'heroes' club' of ours, but in terms of sheer power, you and Boy Scout are on a whole 'nother planet… No pun intend."
Kara narrowed her eyes, not sure where Arrow was going with this. "What are you trying to say?" she finally asked.
"Think about it like this, Kara." Supergirl turned to Canary, "Arrow and I, no matter how hard we train, or how well we protect ourselves, at the end of the day, we're still as frail as any other human."
"We'll never have bulletproof skin." Arrow took over again. "We have the same chances of dying whether it's from a bullet, a knife, or a cosmic energy beam. Come to think of it, I think Rach could get hurt along those same lines too."
"Her scar definitely supports that theory." Canary added.
Kara didn't know what to say. As she thought about Canary's comment, she realized that she had never once asked Rachel how she received that permanent mark on her face. She had naturally assumed it was a result of an occupational hazard, but now, she wasn't sure.
"So, then… What I should I do?" asked Kara after a while.
At the change in her tone, Canary covered Kara's hand with her own. "One of the keys to successful relationships is effective communication." She instructed. "Seat down with Rachel, talk with her, and eventually you two will be able to work things out together."
"Well, I don't know if she can chit-chat right now," said Arrow. He laced his fingers together and brought them to the back of his head. "What with her being busy with the-OOF! " He grunted when Canary elbowed his exposed ribs, causing him to double over and wretch with pain.
Kara chuckled at the man's expense, and then turned her gaze back to Canary. "Thanks for advice, Canary, eh, I think I'm gonna head to the monitoring panel." She stood up but kept her gaze on the two older Leaguers. "Then after the mission, Rach and I are gonna have a talk."
After the two women exchanged nods, Supergirl walked out of the cafeteria. Before she got too far though, she heard Arrow call out to her in a rather strained voice. "G-good luck, kid!"
The evacuation of San Baquero was in full swing, the League was scattered throughout the entire island helping the inhabitants onto the transports ships waiting at the docks. At the moment, their biggest enemy was the volcano itself; black smoke was spewing out of its peak at an alarming rate, and it was anyone's guess as to when it would finally erupt.
Beacon gingerly landed back onto the ground with a little boy in her arms. Following closely behind her were two duplicates of her carrying the boy's mother and father. The Hafla watched as the small family shared a loving embrace, then the father picked his young son, and the three of them hurried towards a nearby transport, where they were lost in the enormous crowd of people trying to do the same thing.
Although the small family was long gone, the image of the mother and father embracing their son lingered Beacon's memory. She could still easily see the sheer joy in each of their faces. Even though they were in the midst of impending doom, they were all happy to be together, to be able to hold each other.
For a moment, she saw herself, only she was a little girl again; all smiles and so full of life. She then saw her two parents: her father, who she remembered as being always gentle and open-minded. Her mother, strikingly beautiful and radiated a glow of pure kindness. Both of them literally looked happy as can be as they slowly crouched down, and pulled her in a hug. She felt the warmth of their bodies against hers. She felt the magnificent sense of undying love that only her first idols, her first heroes, and her first best friends could provide.
A strong chill smacked Beacon everywhere and wisped every trace of the warmth away. She hunched over and hugged her arms closer to her chest in an attempt to compose herself, but it proved futile when she realized that feeling she had of being in her parents' arms was all her imagination; fake. She would never get that feeling ever again.
And yet… she remembered another feeling of warmth; one that she had grown accustomed to over the past few months. It came in the form of smooth blond hair, bright blue eyes, and arms that effortlessly bend steel and yet remain exceedingly gentle.
How could I be so stupid? She thought. Kara was the light that guided her through the darkness. Her hugs were sitting in front of the fireplace during a cold winter storm. So, why would she want to push that away, to push Kara away? It immediately become clear to Beacon that she needed to set everything right after this mission was over.
Just then, her communicator beeped from an incoming call. She stood upright, and pressed the button. "Go ahead."
The voice she heard belonged to Echo. "There is another series of homes approximately two kilometers east of you position. My scanners have detected life signs."
"Got it. I'm on my way." Beacon announced. She disconnected the call, turned towards the east side of the island, and propelled herself back into the air.
"C'mon, Rach, keep it together." She mumbled to herself. "You still have a job to do."
With some effort, Wonder Woman steadily pushed a large boulder off the road to allow the convoy of trucks and buses through to the docks. As the last vehicle past the Amazon, Flash appeared before her in a blur.
"Everything's running smoothly down here." He informed. "How's Supes holding up on his end?"
Wonder Woman lifted her head up to look at the volcano as she answered. "He was too deep into in there for me to make anything out. "
Thanks to Echo, their communicators have been working properly for most of the night, but since Superman was in the heart of the volcano, the magnetic interference was much stronger.
"But I'll try again-" Wonder Woman activated her communicator, and spoke with a clear voice. "Superman, how's it going in there? Can you read me any better than before?"
After a few seconds, Superman's voice came through… barely, "You're dropping in and out. It depends on where I am."
While the evacuation was taking place, Superman had been inside the volcano itself. He had been using his body as an unbreakable plow, creating a tunnel for the magma to flow.
"I've been trying to ease the pressure off the volcano." He explained. "If I can dig some tunnels off the main core, maybe I can stop the eruption before it starts."
He eventually worked his way into a large cavity in mountain, and was then perched on top of a boulder as the magma flowed into and filled the cavity with the speed of a tidal wave. One down, a few dozen more to go. He thought.
"When will you be able to tell if it's working?" Wonder Woman asked in his communicator.
"Hard to say," Superman answered, "I can just as easily set it off; so I'll have to go slow." He turned his gaze to the walls. By using his x-ray vision, he found the spot to make his next tunnel. Before he took off again, however, he spoke into his communicator. "Just get everyone clear as soon as you can-"
The entire cavern shook, and knocked Superman off balance. Several boulders from the ceiling broke loose and crashed into the large pool of magma. When the smoke from the debris cleared, Superman saw a massive behemoth stand right before him. The thing had gray, rough-looking skin, shoulder-length white hair, and menacing, pupil-less eyes. Superman knew who this creature was almost instantly, but he never faced him personally before. Its name was Doomsday, a monster that, years ago, had crashed onto Earth, and started wreaking havoc on Metropolis.
"Superman," Doomsday said with a low, rumbling voice, "I've come here to kill you. Is this a bad time?"
The monster did not even bother to wait for an answer; he sprinted towards Superman and tackled him. The two of them flew through the air before crashing through the wall of the cavern and into another pool of magma. Doomsday kept a firm hold of Superman and began raining down punches right on his face.
Despite the pain coursing through his head, Superman eventually managed to kick the monster back with his legs. As Doomsday crashed a few yards away, the Kryptonian turned his gaze upwards, and used his heat-vision to drop a large chunk of the ceiling right onto of Doomsday.
With minor strain, Superman got back to his feet, but as he did so, Doomsday reemerged; lifting the boulder over him like it was nothing.
"I remember… those eyes." The creature bellowed with a smirk.
Doomsday heaved the boulder right as Superman, who dodged it by lifting himself into the air. However, the act gave Doomsday the opportunity to tackle him to the wall again. With a hold on Superman's throat, Doomsday brought the points of his knuckles onto his eyes, effectively blinding the Man of Steel.
"Let's see you do that again." Doomsday gloated.
Superman stumbled a bit as he vigorously rubbed his eyes. His opponent seized the opportunity and followed up with another punch, sending the dazed Kryptonian closer to the edge. He then tried to swing both of his fists right on top of Superman, but his vision had returned enough for his to dodge the attack and retaliate with two punches of his own.
Even though his attack was enough to send Doomsday flying, pain still erupted in Superman's hands. He tried shaking some of the pain off as Doomsday got back to his feet.
"I know who you are," Superman said as calmly as he could, "but I'm not the one who hurt you."
Doomsday expression remained unchanged as he answered. "Superman is Superman, and I will kill you."
Superman blinked in confusion. "Why?"
"It's what I am; I don't care why."
Their conversation ended when Doomsday crashed into Superman again, sending both of them hurdling through the air.
Wonder Woman lowered the ambulance she had been holding onto the docks, and immediately got out of the way to allow the civilian medical staff transport their patients onto one of the transport ships.
Although the Amazon was confident in their chances of success, she still wanted to be sure that they would not be in for any surprises. She activated her communicator, and spoke, "Superman, give me an update."
While she did expect the static feed, she did not expect the silence that accompanied it. Nevertheless, Superman did eventually respond. "Ugh! Something's come up! " There were more grunts and shout of pain before he spoke again. "Just keep doing what you're doing- AH! "
Both Wonder Woman's training and experience told her that Superman was clearly engaged in combat, and he was struggling. "Where are you?" she demanded. "I'll come help."
"No! " She heard Superman retort almost immediately. "This isn't important; getting those people to safety is."
Although Wonder Woman somewhat disagreed with Superman's opinion of importance; she realized he was right. The Amazon disconnected the call, turned on her heels, and sprinted back inland continue the evacuation.
"Another transport just landed on the mainland," Batman announced to Martian Manhunter and Echo. "They're over half done."
The three of them were on the monitoring platform getting constant updates on the evacuation. In addition, since they had access to live satellite feeds, they were able to task out new objectives to every member of ground team.
"The last two transports are currently being filled." Echo updated. "Additionally, I have confirmation from Flash that another village has been cleared of its inhabitants." Without warning, Echo's eyes glowed just as an alarm sounded at the panel next to J'onn. "Alert, there is a ballistic missile en route to San Baquero. T-minus nine minutes and counting."
Almost immediately, J'onn and Batman rushed over to the panel.
"I don't believe it," muttered the Martian.
"Based on the spectrograph, its warhead's lined with Kryptonite!" Batman noted before turning to Echo. "Can we hit it from up here?"
"Negative," Echo replied. "Its velocity is too great."
"But… who fired it?" asked J'onn.
At his question, the eye-slots in Batman's cowl turned into thin slits. "…Waller." He growled. The Dark Knight strode over to another panel, and picked up a rather rigid looking phone.
While the Dark Knight held the phone to his ear. Echo turned to address J'onn. "The evacuation team must be informed of the missile." He stated rather quickly.
The Martian nodded. "Do it."
Echo turned his head forward, and opened the communications channel. "Watchtower to Wonder Woman, there has been update: there is an inbound Kryptonite missile approximately five kilometers from San Baquero. ETA: eight minutes, forty-two seconds."
The Amazon's reply came almost immediately. "Say again? "
"Repeat: There is an inbound Kryptonite missile approximately five kilometers from San Baquero. Now ETA is eight minutes, thirty-five seconds."
Just then, the sound of pistons pulling a door open came from behind them. J'onn and Batman turned their heads to see Kara, looking wide-eyed and tense.
"Supergirl, now is not best time!" J'onn informed.
"I heard everything." Supergirl replied. Normally, she would jump at the opportunity to save an island and its inhabitants from impending doom, but since there was Kryptonite in that missile, there wasn't much she could do. "But how are we going to stop it?"
Both she and Batman turned to J'onn expectantly before the latter gave them an answer. "I've informed Captain Atom; he's en route from Southern California."
"The Captain's top velocity is approximately Mach two, it is unlikely that he would be able to reach the missile in time." said Echo."However, I know who can."
Another transport had just taken off when Beacon landed on the docks with more civilians in tow. From behind her, the volcano was growing ever more violent; the eruption was about to happen at any second now, but despite that, the Halfa was confident that she and the League would get all those people to safety.
Beacon was just about to take off again when her communicator beeped in her ear. She raised her fingers and clicked the button, but before she could even think of a greeting, Echo's voice rushed right out of her communicator.
"Beacon, there's a Kryptronite Missile approaching from the Northeast. It will impact in approximately six minutes."
Dread pulsed through Beacon's body upon hearing the news. "Wait, did you say Kryptonite?" she demanded.
"Affirmative." Echo confirmed. "Martian Manhunter has informed Captain Atom. However he lacks the speed to intercept the missile, which leaves-"
"…me." Beacon finished for him.
"Precisely, and after considering the variables: I calculate that you are the next best candidate."
Beacon did not reply, but instead turned to look back at the last transport. The other members of the League and San Baquero's mainland government were still ushering the civilians on-board. From what she could tell, all the civilians looked terrified, but ultimately hopeful that they will soon be safe. Sadly, now there was deadly projectile flying straight for them, ready to blast their hopes into ash.
There was no way she could let that happen; she can't let these people die!
"Okay, I'm on my way." With that, she disconnected the call and thrust herself into the air.
"Why didn't you let me speak with her?" Kara demanded to Echo.
During the call, the Kryptonian had tried to enter the conversation, but the miniature robot blocked her voice from getting through, and as if that wasn't enough he managed to block her communicator.
Echo turned and looked up into her eyes. "Beacon will require her complete focus to complete the task." He explained.
Kara glared at him. "Don't give me that!" She bellowed. "And how could you send her?! She's your best friend."
"Supergirl…" Batman stepped in.
"What?! " She yelled.
Despite the terrifying sound of Kara's raised voice, the Dark Knight was utterly undeterred. He simply remained upright with his arms cross over his chest. "Echo made a tactical decision; that missile needs to be destroyed, before it hits, or everyone on that island, including you cousin, will die."
Kara clenched both of her hands into tight fists as angry tears began to brim around her eyes. "B-But after Rachel destroys it, what's going to happen to her? Who's going to save her?"
Batman's mannerisms did not change as he gave his reply, "... Maybe the real question you should ask yourself is, why are you still here? "
Kara blinked twice at Batman before turning her gaze to J'onn, who in turn gave her a very shallow nod.
In a blur, Kara turned on her heels and sprinted away from the platform. She blasted through the hallways at break neck speeds; narrowly avoiding several other heroes and the civilian staff alike.
Eventually, Kara made her way into the Javelin bay, but at that moment, she remembered she had no idea how to pilot a Javelin. She would need to get to Earth the old-fashioned way. After adjusting her thoughts, she rushed into a room and changed into a spacesuit. Then, she ran back into the bay and stopped right before a large hatch on the floor. Her instinct told her just plow through the sheets of metal, but her brain told her such an act would risk the Watchtower decompressing and endanger the lives of everyone onboard. She turned her head to her right and located a big red button resting on a pillar. Without any further thought, she rushed to the pillar and smacked the button.
A loud alarm blared throughout the hanger as the circular hatch opened. Kara clipped her helmet into place before swan diving out of the Watchtower, and shot straight towards the San Baquero.
Beacon was pondering what she would actually do as she closed the distance between her and the missile. Her first instinct was to blow it out of the air, but a quick second thought made her refrain from following through with that plan. The Halfa was concerned that if she did take the shot, the resulting nuclear explosion would also mean her untimely demise.
Therefore, the only remaining choice she could come up with was to pull the missile out its current trajectory. With a sudden burst of speed, Beacon flew right over missile and stretched her hand out.
However, before Beacon was able to get a grip on one of the wings, she felt an intense jolt course into her arm and through her entire body. She yelped in surprise, and then violently shook her hand to relieve the pain.
"Beacon, Status report." Manhunter's voice said in her communicator.
"I've reached the missile," The Halfa replied, "but I can't touch it; there's some sort of electro-magnetic shielding."
She set her gaze forward and realized that both she and the missile were looming ever closer to San Baquero. She kicked her brain into overdrive; trying to come up with a solution. I can't touch it, so intangibility's a no-go, she thought gloomily, but there's gotta be something -Anything…!
As if on cue, Echo's voice came over her communicator. "Beacon, the very energy you radiate could act as a viable cushion from the electro-magnetic field. Therefore you should be able to redirect the missile's trajectory."
The Halfa blinked upon hearing those words. Then she mentally smacked herself on the forehead. Ugh, it was so obvious. "Great, I got it. Thanks, Echo." She quickly replied.
"I am pleased to assist… Good luck…"
"The last two transports are taking off as we speak," J'onn chimed in, "and Wonder Woman is getting Superman."
"Sound good." Beacon repeated before she disconnected.
With everything said, Beacon lowered herself closer to the missile to make a second attempt. She coated her hands with flickering energy, and then grabbed onto the missile's wings. Just as Echo predicted, the Halfa was successfully able to make contact without being shocked. However, it wasn't perfect; her grip, while firm, was unstable, like holding on to something drenched in oil. Beacon knew there was no time to waste; she pulled the missile hard to the side and, ultimately, away from San Baquero.
Kara breached through the last cloud layer and finally saw open sky. Maintaining her full speed, she took off her helmet, and tossed it away; the tinted visor had been obstructing her vision. Kara narrowed her eyes as everything in her field of view soar past her, then she focused San Baquero's volcano; still spewing hot smoke and ash into the air.
A distance away, Kara saw a small speck flying right at the island, but something seemed to be happening to it. Kara stared at the speck for another brief moment until she figured out that the speck was flying off course. She felt her heart skip a beat. I've gotta hurry!
The task of pulling the missile away from the island was already hard enough, but now Beacon had to figure out how to dispose of nuclear weapon. Her grip on both wings was continuing to slip, and the muscles in her hands were cramping from the strain. She had no idea how much time had passed nor did she know how far last two transport ships were from the island, but her instincts told her letting go would be a safe bet.
Beacon opened her hands, allowing the missile to fly on without her. She then swung wide to her left in an effort to get as much distance from herself and the missile as possible.
From the corner of her eye, Beacon saw a blinding light, and then the booming sound that followed made her entire body rumble. She realized what must be coming next; she turned intangible and kept on flying. Despite her efforts, however, clouds of smoke slammed against her body, and then blew past her in every direction. For a moment, Beacon seemed to linger in midair, but then she dropped like a stone. The last thing she saw was a thick mushroom-shaped cloud, before everything slowly descended into pitch-blackness.
When Kara saw the flash light up the dim sky, she had to cross her arms over her eyes to prevent from going blind. Unfortunately, nothing stopped her heart from jumping into her throat. As she lowered her arms and continued flying towards the dark mushroom cloud, she kept clinging onto the hope that somehow, someway, she would be able to find Rachel.
Kara narrowed her eyes again in an attempt to use her enhanced-vision. All she could see for miles were tiny, black specks of ash that slowly flickered their way down to the surface of the ocean. Kara released a shuddering breath as she scanned in every direction, only to see the falling ashes. No… She was too late; Rachel was gone…
Suddenly, Kara saw the faintest ripple in the water. She focused her eyes downward, and gasped when she saw Rachel's body, floating spread-eagled on surface of the water.
Without a moment's hesitation, Kara blasted towards the water. In one swift motion, she scooped Rachel up in her arms, and flew high into the air again. It didn't take much for Kara to realize that Rachel did not escape unscathed; hard to imagine anyone that actually could. The Halfa was unconscious and had changed back into a human. Her skin was covered with small nicks, but luckily, none seemed to be deep enough to draw blood. However, one sleeve of Rachel's undershirt was burned clean off, and Kara was horrified when she saw the angry burn on her forearm.
"Supergirl," J'onn's voice came from Kara's communicator, "Have you located Beacon? Is she-"
"I've got her, J'onn," The Kryptonian quickly replied, "but she's been hurt; she needs immediate medical attention."
"Very well, our scanners show the magnetic activity is still too high for us to teleport you." The Martian informed. "Head to the main land, and we'll bring you back from there."
"On my way," with that, Kara set her sights forward, and picked up the pace.
Several hundred feet later, she felt Rachel stir and she slowed down. Kara watched intently as the Halfa fluttered her eyes open, and rolled them around a few times before looking at her.
"K-Kara?" Rachel asked in a frail tone.
"Yeah, it's me," Kara whispered back. She felt a small smile creep onto her face. "You're safe."
Rachel seemed to smile as well, but her eyes were beginning to droop. She rested her head on Kara's shoulder and she slowly drifted back into unconsciousness.
Even with the close call at the very end, the evacuation of San Baquero was a success. However, both Rachel and Superman were in serious condition. Supergirl had already been teleported back to the Watchtower with the Halfa in tow when Wonder Woman landed on the main land with the Man of Steel. Everyone, at first glance, could see the extent of Superman's injuries; his costume was torn to shreds, and there were scrapes, cuts, and bruises all over his supposedly impenetrable skin.
Before Superman teleported back to the Watchtower to receive medical attention, he informed Wonder Woman of Doomsday. Then the Kryptonian asked her to find the monster so they could question him back on the Watchtower. The Amazon nodded in understanding, and after watching him disappear in a flash of light, she immediately led a search party back towards San Baquero, which now resembled a giant of slab of rock in the ocean.
It took nearly half an hour before the team found Doomsday. The large monster was unconscious and encased in a cocoon of freshly cooled lava. Although the monster was still dormant, the Leaguers were wary about approaching him, and rightfully so, for if Superman had sustained serious injury from fighting him, they themselves stood little to no chance.
As Wonder Woman glared daggers at the dozing monster, she called the Watchtower and requested teleportation back to the Watchtower. After a confirmation from Echo, the Amazon, the search team, and Doomsday all disappeared in a flash of light.
Several hours later, the founders had Doomsday moved into a secluded chamber located in the center of the Watchtower to await judgment. Normally, every founding Leaguer would've had a say on the matter, but Batman refused to participate, and Shayera didn't have a seat in the chamber yet. The Dark Knight had his arms crossed in front of him as he waited before the doors that led to the chamber. His staring contest with the opposite wall finally ended when Flash, Green Lantern, and J'onn exited the room. Batman did not return his fellow founders' greetings, instead he merely waited until Superman and Wonder Woman reached him.
"Sent him off to the Phantom Zone, didn't you?" Batman asked without any sort of preamble.
Superman remained indifferent. "He left us no choice."
Batman narrowed his eyes. "Spoken like a true Justice Lord."
Superman widened his eyes, as though he couldn't believe what he had just heard. "What? Come on..."
"Passing Judgment like Gods?" Batman went on. "With our super-powered army and our orbiting death-ray? Cadmus is right to be scared; the human race wouldn't stand a chance."
"We'd never go there," The Man of Steel insisted, "it isn't in our nature, and nothing can change that."
"Nothing? " Batman countered, holding his gaze on Superman. "What if Luthor does become president, like he did in their world? What would stop you from doing what that Superman did?"
Superman raised his mouth in a smirk. "There's always that Kryptonite you carry around."
After his retort, Batman took a sudden step forward, and Superman reeled back in fright, despite fully knowing that the Dark Knight had very little means to bring him harm. "You don't get to joke!" he barked. "Not after the bullet Rachel just took for you, and after what she's been through today; she's lucky to have survived."
Superman's jaw dropped, instinctively he looked over at Wonder Woman for support, but the Amazon simply shrugged. Superman breathed a slow sigh and turned back to Batman. "I'm sorry, Bruce. You're right, but you don't have to worry about the Justice League, trust me; you know me."
Batman took a step back, but kept his signature glare on Superman. "Yeah," he replied in a deep tone, "I do." He turned on the spot, and walked away.
Superman felt his shoulders sink a little as he watched Batman disappear around the corner. Then he turned his head when Wonder Woman began to speak. "You know, there was only one person that could've reached her in such a short amount of time, and she wasn't on the evacuation team."
There was a moment of silence the two of them locked eyes, and even though Superman didn't speak, she could tell by his look that he had figured out who she was referring to. "From what I've seen, those two share quite a remarkable bond. Maybe you should try seeing the world from their eyes."
With those last words, Wonder Woman walked off as well.
Rachel winced sharply as the doctor, a middle-aged, balding man, dripped several drops of clear liquid onto the burn on her forearm. Beside her were Kara and Echo. The former watched with a concerned look on her face and kept a firm grip onto Rachel's free hand.
The drops of liquid were moving now, aided by the angle of Rachel's arm and the space station's artificial gravity. The Halfa turned her eyes to her wound, and even though the burn was as angry as ever, she realized the pain had subsided. In fact, Rachel could feel a slight cooling sensation on the burnt skin.
"That should clean the wound," the doctor's voice sounded pleased. Rachel turned her gaze to him to see a pleasant smile on his face, "although, I still need to bandage it, if I may?"
The Halfa nodded, and raised her arm slightly. The doctor's smile broadened and covered the burn with a white patch of dressing. The instant the fabric touched her skin; Rachel grunted and pulled her arm back slightly. She felt Kara's grip tighten around her other hand.
"Sorry," The doctor said quickly, "looks like it's still sensitive."
"I-It's fine." Rachel dismissed. "I'll be alright."
The doctor nodded and finished his bandage work. "… And that should do it. Now, I'd like you to take it easy for a few days, okay?" the doctor continued. "Keep the bandage clean and change it every few hours."
Rachel nodded. "I will. Thank you."
The doctor grinned before glancing at Kara and Echo. "I, um, I'll give you three the room." With that, he exited the infirmary, leaving the trio alone.
Slowly, Kara stepped around to face Rachel and took hold of her other hand. "Are you feeling okay?" She asked.
Rachel beamed up at the Kryptonian before replying, "Better now, thanks to you." Kara's eyelids fell slightly, and her mouth curled into a tender, loving smile, but then it turned into a sad frown.
"What is it?" Rachel questioned in concern.
"It's just…" Kara swallowed before continuing, "h-how did you get hurt? You told me you turned intangible during the explosion."
Rachel opened her mouth to answer, but Echo spoke before she could.
"Intangibility enables the user to phase through most solids and liquids." He explained. "However, it is useless against certain effects, such as radiation."
In a blink of an eye, Kara rounded on the miniature robot. "Nobody asked you! "
In response, Rachel gave Kara's hand a gentle squeeze. "Kara," She addressed softly, prompting the Kryptonian to look back at her. "Please don't yell at him."
Kara blinked in disbelief. "R-Rach, He sent you off to die!"
Rachel breathed a slow sigh. "No, he didn't; He sent me to stop the missile and save all those people."
"For what it is worth, I apologize for putting you in that situation," said Echo.
"It's okay, Echo." Rachel smiled. She extended her hand and lightly stroked the robot's cheek with her finger. "I'm fine now; that's all that matters."
A smile appeared on Echo's face before he spoke again. "I should head to my monitoring duties." With that, he turned and floated his way out of the infirmary.
Even the miniature robot was gone; Rachel could see Kara glaring at the door through narrowed eyes. "You're still mad at him, aren't you?" asked the Halfa
"Of course I am!" Kara exclaimed. "I'm still gonna give him an earful for he did."
"Echo doesn't have ears." Rachel replied.
Kara rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean!"
"Sure," said Rachel, "but if Echo didn't do what he did, that missile would've hit San Baquero, and needlessly to say, it would've been awful."
There was a moment of silence, and then Kara sighed. "Fine, you're right."
"Well, not always." Rachel muttered, prompting Kara to look at her questioningly.
The Halfa's gaze fell to her hands, still holding the Kryptonians. As she squeezed them firmly, her eyes brimmed with tears and her vision began to blur.
"Rach?"
"K-Kara, I-I'm sorry" Rachel sobbed. "I should've supported you. I was wrong to push you away."
The Halfa closed her eyes and the tears began to flow, but then, she felt warm and soft lips press against her own. The feeling was surprisingly blissful, and she clung onto it for as long as she could.
When the lips retracted, Rachel opened her eyes again and founding herself staring right into Kara's. The Blond was also wet with flowing tears. "Rachel, you didn't push me away," Kara said, "but I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have said those horrible things… Will-will you forgive me?"
Rachel gave a soft chuckle as she brushed Kara's tears away. "I was about to ask you the same thing."
"So-so I take that as a yes?"
"Yes." Rachel echoed.
Kara smiled in that way that only she could pull off. Without any words, both of them leaned their heads in for a second kiss. Before their lips could meet however, Rachel sensed a presence approaching. Kara must've taken notice as well, because she followed Rachel's movement. The two of them stared at the two metal doors for another brief second before they finally slid open, and the girls were unable to hide their surprise when they saw Superman enter the room.
"Clark?" Kara spoke as she frantically wiped her remaining tears away. "W-what are you doing here?"
Superman didn't answer, and instead addressed Rachel. "How are you holding up, Rach? I realize you got pretty banged up."
"Uh, well, yeah." The Halfa replied rather awkwardly. "But I'm better now, see?" she raised her arm to show him the bandage. "All bandaged up and good to go."
"Mm." Superman nodded, but then his face fell slightly. "I, uh, I wanted to come and thank you, Rachel; for potentially saving my life."
"Oh, it's no big deal." Rachel replied. "I mean, it all worked out in the end, right?"
Again, Superman nodded.
"Um, hello?" Superman turned to see his cousin slightly waving at him, reminding him that she was still there. "You didn't answer my question."
"Right," said the Man of Steel, "sorry."
He cleared his throat, and strolled over to the two girls. He took a seat on the opposite bed, while Kara took a seat right next to Rachel. "Look, I-I…" Superman began, but just as quickly, he stopped talking and stared at the floor. The room fell into silence again as Rachel and Kara stared at Superman while he rubbed the back of his neck.
Anyone with half a brain could tell that Superman was nervous, but Rachel knew better than to rush him. She squeezed Kara's hand to inform her not to speak before her cousin, and the Halfa knew Kara understood the message when she squeezed back a second later. "I-I… I was an idiot." Superman finally said.
Rachel had no idea what to make of his statement, so she chose to wait for Superman to add more to the context.
"Aaannddd your point is…?" Kara questioned. Rachel winced; was her message not explicitly clear?
Superman exhaled slowly before looking right at his cousin. "All this time, I kept thinking, selfishly, about what I wanted for you, Kara, while it never should've been like that in the first place."
Kara lurched back in her seat; her eyes were as wide as the entire room. "So-what you're saying is-"
"What I'm saying is: I'm sorry; to both of you." Superman glanced at both girls as he confessed. "I now realize I have no right over other people's decisions. So if you two are happy together, then that's fine with me."
Rachel felt her lips curl up on their own accord, but before she could say anything, there was a loud whoosh, and Superman fell back a little as Kara flung herself at him.
"Thank you." Rachel heard Kara whisper. She repeated the words several more times as she hugged her older cousin.
Watching the two Kryptonians embrace brought fresh tears to Rachel's eyes. Ever since she and Kara became a couple, Rachel had constantly imagined what Kara and Clark's reconciliation would be like, and now that it has finally happened, Rachel wished she had a camera capture the sweet moment forever.
"Alright, alright." Superman said before chuckling. He patted Kara on the back and his cousin released him. Superman got back to his feet, and took a few steps away from the two girls. Before he left though, he turned back to add something, "Just remember to be professional when you two are clocked in, we need both of you for the long haul, alright?"
Rachel and Kara nodded. The Man of Steel returned the gesture, and then he left the room without another word.
Rachel stared at the door a few more seconds, and then shook her head a little. If she had been told that the day would play out like it did, she would've been very skeptical. She heard Kara giggle beside her, and as she turned her head, the Halfa watched the Kryptonian twirl on the spot, before plopping back onto the bed.
Rachel couldn't help but laugh heartedly also, "Well, I told you he'd come around."
Kara beamed at her. "Yeah, I guess so." She agreed. "Though I would've preferred he'd done it way earlier."
Rachel shrugged. "To think; it only took me nearly dying for you two to reconcile. I suppose next time I should-" Her words drifted off when she saw the look on Kara's face. "Too soon?"
"Ya think?" Kara answered heatedly.
Rachel shuffled closer to Kara. "Sorry." She cupped Kara's face and brushed her thumb across her cheek. "Things seem to be looking up though, doesn't it?"
Kara turned into Rachel's touch and placed a gentle kiss on her palm. The contact caused a familiar warmth to race through Rachel's body. Kara covered Rachel's hand with her own as she smiled.
"It's a start."
A/N: Once again, I would like to thank everyone who reads this story, and if you leave any reviews or comments I would appreciate it very much. Have a good one everybody!