Five Years Later
Chapter 3
5 YEARS LATER
She was crossing a long field of corn, dressed in a white dress. Kara was appeased. Soon after, she saw the figure of her sister Alex Danvers a few meters from her. She joined her, moved. Then came Barry Allen in his Flash outfit, without his mask, and J'onn J'onzz in his human form. All looked at her with a guilty look.
"Why didn't you save us, Kara?" Alex said in a voice full of reproach.
"Why didn't you kill Thanos when you could?" Barry added in a neutral tone.
"You have left your friend God to take care of him, and that is the result," replied J'onn.
"You failed, Kara! You failed, Kara! You don't deserve to be called Supergirl! Not after that!" Alex yelled angrily.
Kara had tears in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered in a broken voice.
"It's too late to be sorry. You have failed by your fault!"
Then came the figure of Thanos just behind her relatives, who brandished the Gauntlet that contained the six Infinity Stones. Kara stared at him to her horror.
"I am... inevitable! he scolded with a cruel grin.
And he snapped his fingers, causing a detonation. Immediately, Barry, J'onn and Alex evaporated to ashes.
"It's your fault, Kara! Your fault! You failed!"
Alex's voice echoed in the head of Kryptonian screaming with grief.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Immediately, Kara awoke with a start, her face drenched in sweat. In her pajamas, she was still in shock from her nightmare, then sighed with relief as she regained consciousness. She dropped back on her pillow. Raising her head a little, she saw that day had risen. She decided to leave her bed to start the day. The same day for almost five years.
Since she had left the Thanos Garden, her life had quickly collapsed. She had said goodbye to Oliver and Diggle, before returning to Earth – 38. As she had expected, her Adopted Earth had suffered the consequences of Thanos's snapping fingers. National City had become a city virtually deserted from its inhabitants. DEO was completely in pieces. There wasn't much left of CatCo Worldwide Media. She had started looking for her friends James Olsen and Lena Luthor. She hadn't found them anywhere, she had concluded that they had been vanished in dust. Similarly for Samantha Arias and her daughter Ruby. She had no idea where Superman was. She didn't even know if on Argo, it was the same thing.
During the first few days after Supergirl's return to National City, the Kryptonian had to deal with riots and confusion throughout the city. Then, reluctantly, Supergirl had to explain what had happened to the world, people had finally understood the source of their misfortunes. And the situation quickly got worse for her. A lot of people were angry at Supergirl for her failure. They had always relied on her to stop these apocalyptic events, but this time she couldn't do anything about it.
Several residents of National City wanted Supergirl to be arrested or chased from their planet. Then, the aliens who lived in cohabitation with them, were quickly singled out, and the riots had resumed. Supergirl gave hopeful speeches to people, nothing changed. Even she had stopped believing in the hope she represented. What could she do when half of the universe was gone forever? Then, she quickly realized that Thanos had done more than just take her around and half of her Earth.
One day, supporters of Lex Luthor had developed a weapon to spread kryptonite into the atmosphere, thus condemning Supergirl to certain death. And they started it. By an unbelievable chance, the Kryptonian had managed to seize an extrapolator and escape to another Earth.
Finally, she had returned to the Avengers' Earth, in their compound. Having nowhere to go, she had been told to Steve, Natasha and Bruce what had happened to her, that now she couldn't go home. She didn't have a home anymore. And that she was alone in the world.
Compassionate and having suffered the same loss as she, Steve and Natasha had welcomed her into the compound, and Kara had settled there, had made her permanent residence for five years. Several months later since moving in, Kara was officially an immigrant on Avengers' Earth. She had packed her Supergirl's suit in a suitcase, and had decided never to wear it again. She once said to Steve and Natasha:
"Thanos took me everything. My family, my friends and my identity… By snapping his fingers, he also destroyed Supergirl with all the values she represented… including the emblem of my family… The hope that she represented… Supergirl no longer exists… No more… For ever…"
She had even abandoned her identity as Kara Danvers. She was no longer Supergirl, Kara Danvers, or even Kara Zor-El. Now, she was just Kara. She had never worn glasses.
And during the five years she had spent on her new adopted Earth, things had not changed dramatically. The world was slowly recovering from the loss it had suffered. Kara spent her days with Steve and Natasha. She had opened up a lot to them, and had moved closer to Black Widow. She wasn't Alex, but Kara had come to consider her as her new sister. As she walked alongside the Avengers, she knew almost everything about them now. She spent time with Bruce Banner, speaking about technologies and scientific facts. Having grown up surrounded by scientists, she gave ideas to Bruce, and one day, he ended up merging with his alter ego Hulk. From now on, he became a Professor Hulk. A brand new Hulk with the personality of Bruce Banner.
Then she had told them about Krypton until she was destroyed, her life with the Danvers, her work as an assistant and journalist at CatCo Worldwide Media. Then, the fateful day she had become Supergirl. Her fights. With sadness she had declared one day:
"When I came to my Earth, I had a mission: to protect my cousin. But it was no longer necessary, since he had grown up and became Superman. I didn't have to protect him anymore. So I built an identity.I became Kara Danvers, and when I became Supergirl, I had a new mission, a purpose, a reason to be… and now, I've nothing of all that. Thanos tooks me everything away. I don't have anything. Where is my place in a world where half of the universe no longer exists? What am I supposed to do? What's my destiny, now? Who am I without Supergirl?"
Steve had advised her to do what she knew how to do. Help as best as she could. So she spent her days patrolling the world in the sky, listening and watching everything she saw. Cities almost deserted and abandoned. Whatever city she went to, it was the same everywhere. She was flying completely uncovered. She was no longer hiding behind glasses. Since she was on an Earth where there was no kryptonite and where it was natural to see aliens land, Kara didn't mind to hidden. The people of this Earth had nothing to do with her. They had to suffer their losses and their mourning.
That was her life for five years. Kara had regular nightmares. Always the same, she saw Thanos reduce to ashes her loved ones. Her nightmares were very common, and it reminded her of her childhood at the Danvers, she was having bad dreams on a regular basis, because she didn't live well with Krypton's disappearance. The Kryptonian had to admit that she relived the same tragedy with Krypton. One night, Kara was in a nightmare that had alerted Natasha and Steve. Neither of them had managed to calm her down. She screamed in her sleep and threatened to destroy the compound with her super-strength. They had to use Hulk's colossal force to get Kara under control and wake her up. She had apologized and blamed herself for almost tearing down the building.
Like every day, Kara tooks a shower, then dressed in dark clothes with the Avengers symbol, although she didn't consider herself an Avenger at all. One would have thought she was going for a jog. She had tied her blond hair. Before leaving her room, her eyes rested on a framed picture, placed on a shelf, showing her (wearing glasses) with her sister Alex smiling. It was all she could have brought with her leaving Earth – 38. She looked at the image of her radiant sister, and her face showing a distant past that no longer existed today. Then, his eyes turned to the Flash's mask that was placed on a base. Looking at the picture and the red mask, Kara knelt down and began to pray. Even though it had been five years, she didn't want to lose the memory of Krypton and Rao. She prayed aloud:
"Though we go forth alone, our soul unites us under Rao's gladsome rays. We're never lost, never afraid for we shrink not under the Sun of Righteousness. Rao binds us to those we love. He gives us strength when we have none. And in the darkest places, he guides us. For Rao sees all, feels all. His love eternal. Rao, protect us so that we might protect others. And we shall rise, a fire in His heart, burning and free."
With sadness and nostalgia, she left her room to begin her similar day.
She was flying over New York, listening to people crying or wandering about. She was standing over a sad city. She intervened when something serious happened, but until now, there was nothing to report. There had been no crime in five years in New York.
Seeing nothing unusual, she returned to the Avengers' compound. She discovered Natasha in full conversation with the holograms of Nebula, Rocket, Captain Marvel, Rhodey and Okoye the Wakandese warrior. The kryptonian prepared a coffee. Listening to them, Kara admired Carol Danvers' willingness to do good throughout the universe. She was impressed by her heavy responsibility to take care of the thousands of planet that had Thanos's fingers. If she hadn't been forced to leave Earth – 38, maybe that's what she could have done. And it was interesting that Captain Marvel had the same name as her. Danvers. If only Alex were here. They would so get along, Kara was sure. As her sister was missing her so much.
Then, Natasha wished them all good luck. Kara came to the holographic picture of Captain Marvel.
"Good luck, Carol. See you soon, I hope."
The superwoman nodded and took leave.
It was Rhodey who explained to Natasha that corpses had been found in Mexico. Mafia gangs had been murdered before they could defend themselves. Apparently, it would be the work of Clint Barton. The one and only member of the Avengers that Kara had not yet met. He had a family, a wife and children who had suffered the same fate as the 50% of living beings on Earth. Kara could imagine what the Avenger was going through for five years, even she was struggling not to go crazy. Fortunately she had Steve, Natasha and Bruce to support her. Rhodey had expressed his desire to abandon Clint, but Natasha was determined to bring him back. Kara saw that she was struggling not to cry. Black Widow had told her about her past as an overworked assassin until the day Clint gave her a reason to live. A mission and a family. The kryptonian had noticed that she was on the brink, like her.
Finally, Rhodey cut off the communication. Natasha started crying as she tried to hold back her tears miserably. Kara came over to her, taking her by the shoulders. Then she spotted Steve Rogers sprawled on a shelf.
"You know I'd offer to cook you dinner but you seem pretty miserable already."
"Hey Steve," warmly greeted Kara.
"You here to do your laundry?" said the Avenger woman, who had stopped crying.
"And see friends," said the super-soldier. "How are they doing?"
"Like every day," Kara shrugged.
"I'm fine," Natasha added.
"You know I saw a pod of whales when I was coming up the bridge," Steve explained joining them.
"In the Hudson?"
"There's fewer ships, cleaner water."
"You know, if you're about to tell me to look on the bright side. Um... I'm about you to hit you in the head with a peanut butter sandwich."
"I'm not hungry. But it's very nice to ask how I'm felt," Kara replied.
"Force of habit," Steve said, taking a seat in front of the two women.
He addressed Kara:
"And the nightmares? Do you still do it?"
"I'm still doing this night, but it's okay, I'm fine," Kara assured him in a neutral tone and drinking her coffee.
After a silence, Steve spoke again:
"You know, I keep telling everyone they should move on and... grow. Some do. But not us."
"Moving on, that's what I've been trying to do for the past five years," Kara replied with grief. "I did it after Krypton exploded, but now... it's different. I can't move on. Not after you've spent a lifetime building an identity, a reason to exist. When you haven't all that anymore, what's left?
"Maybe it doesn't need to be done," Steve said.
Natasha spoke nostalgically:
"I used to have nothing. Then I got this. This job… this family. And I was… I was better because of it. And even though… they're gone… I'm still trying to be better. "
Kara smiled fondly, while Steve resumed his speech:
"All three need to get a life."
"Oh, would that it were so simple," said Kryptonian with a sad smile.
"You first," Natasha replied.
Then a beep was heard. Black Widow activated the touch screen, then a camera image popped up showing a man in front of an old brown van at the entrance of the compound.
"Uh...Oh! Hi. Hi! Is anyone home? This is Scott Lang. We met a few years ago, at the airport? In Germany? I got really big, and I had my mask on. It's Ant-Man."
Scott Lang? This name wasn't unknown to Kara's ears. She had heard about Scott Lang who was Ant-Man. A repentant thief who had a combination that allowed him to shrink or enlarge his waist, and even to communicate with the ants. She watched the man on the screen. She recognized his face that had appeared on people missing by the "snap" of Thanos.
She noticed that Steve and Natasha were staring at him, completely stunned.
"Is this an old message?" Steve asked and who was up.
"It's the front gate," Natasha explained.
So Scott had survived the decimation. But if he was not one of the victims of Thanos, where was he during all those years? And why come back only now? What did that mean?
"That's him, Ant-Man?" Kara said, her eyes fixed on the camera image."Where does he come from?"
"I need to talk to you, guys" Scott Lang added to the picture.