Chapter 2
The whole city was feeling the sudden loss of power, causing some issues and damage that I managed to zip around and fix. But when a shockwave from the sea sent out tremors causing even more structural issues and dangers the whole team had to get involved. Hulk even made an appearance and saved a bus load of kids from going off a bridge. If that doesn’t earn the un-jolly green giant some goodwill points I don’t know what will.
Once the city and people were out of immediate danger we discovered the cause of the tremor and power outage. There was a landmass growing 800 miles off the eastern seaboard. And it wasn’t stopping. Satellite readings couldn’t get a clear picture on it for some reason. But what it did show us was that it was expanding towards the US, causing atmospheric disturbances and tremors all along the coastline. That was only the beginning of the danger it posed. If this thing kept growing it would soon destroy the eastern coastline area completely. If not the entire continent. Same matter can’t exist in the same place at the same time. Basic law of physics. And seeing as how this landmass was created using one of the construction crystals from Krypton, it looked to be taking priority.
Stark and Skye managed to get the picture a little cleaned up and we were able to determine that there was a helicopter parked right on the landmass, a Hammer owned helicopter. He and the others wanted to take a Quinjet over and arrest him, but I talked them out of it. Stating that since he was in possession of Kryptonian tech that this was my problem and I will handle it. They argued with me, reminding me that as a team my problem is their problem. Especially Nat and Darcy, reminding me I’m part of a bond now and I don’t have to shoulder anything alone. While the guy’s words and theirs touched me greatly, I managed to convince them to hold back until it was necessary for all of us to deal with Justin Hammer.
So I flew in alone and landed on the earth colored landmass. It had rock formations and sprouting all around it, some small and flat. Others looking like long giant stalagmites, giving off a cliff and mountain like appearance to the ever changing and expanding landmass. The ground was littered in puddles, dead fish and seaweed. Pretty much everything you would expect to find on the sea floor was brought up when this thing reached the surface.
I found Hammer and his goons on a raised portion to my right. Heading over to confront him I began to feel a little queasy, but ignored it and faced off against him, demanding the return of my crystals and that he surrender. His reply was a punch to the chest that sent me rolling down from his perch and stopping on the ground. As I laid there, pushing myself up on to my hands and knees, I felt even sicker and weaker. My eyes went wide upon realizing the cause of it as I looked down at my scrapped and bleeding hand.
Hammer had infused the crystal with Kryptonite before depositing it in the ocean to grow. This whole landmass is one dirt covered slab of Kryptonite. And while the earth coating is offering some protection against the deadly radiation, it wasn’t stopping the effects. My strength and powers were fading fast, allowing Hammer’s goons to knock me around as if I were a normal girl. They kicked and punched and even tried to drown me. I tried to fight back, calling on what strength I had and the tricks Steve and Nat have been teaching me, but it was doing me no good. The Kryptonite was sapping my strength and focus by the second. Hammer was dancing around, gloating that he had finally won one over against Stark and his friends. To be honest I was vaguely aware of his words, as I was too busy being beaten to death to actually pay any attention to them. But I did get the point when he got up behind me and drove a Kryptonite shiv in to my back right before he pushed me off of the edge and in to the sea to die.
I remember struggling to stay afloat. With dwindling strength and a wound in my back, causing me to bleed out, I was finding that difficult. I was falling beneath the dark choppy waters, succumbing to the darkness and feeling like I do right now. That I was floating in nothingness…that I was dying.
But it was not to be the case just yet.
~~~
Suddenly I was on my side on a metal grated floor, coughing up gallons of salt water, a scream tearing through my already aching throat as something was ripped out of my back.
“I’m sorry,” I heard Darcy say softly before kissing my wet cheek.
Blinking my eyes I saw her kneeling beside me, handing off what look liked a pair of pliers holding a bloody green crystal shard to Nat. She in turn dropped the shard in to Tony’s open metal hand. A portion of armor on his other arm opened and he placed the shard inside before it closed back up. With the Kryptonite contained in his armor, behind the fancy shielding it has, I felt my strength slowly begin to return and the wound in my back slowly close up.
“I’ll add this to your collection once we get home,” he told me as the face plate of his helmet lifted to show a smug grin on his face.
“Please tell me you didn’t dive in and save me.”
“Why yes I did.”
“You are never going let me live this down, are you?”
“No I am not. Maybe this will teach you to look before you leap and never turn down help from your friends,” he advised, holding out a hand to help me up. Once I was on my feet I leaned in and placed a kiss to his cheek.
“Lesson learned. And thanks.”
Tony smiled softly at me, but I was soon turned around to see an angry and glaring Darcy pointing a finger in my face.
“Don’t you ever fly off on your own like that again, you hear me!? You’re lucky JARVIS and Skye were tracking you or else we never would have found you.
“Sorry sweetie,” I said softly, taking her hand in mine and placing a kiss to the back of it.
Darcy’s anger soon drained and she was wrapping her arms around me, resting her head on my chest. Nat came up, giving me a similar warning with her eyes before squishing Darcy between us as she joined in on the hug. I could feel their relief flooding through the bond and held them both tighter in my arms, placing a kiss to the top of Darcy’s head and cupping the back of Nat’s.
“You’re wet and smell like SeaWorld on a hot summer day,” Darcy declared, causing Nat to shake in laughter and me to roll my eyes before letting them go.
Taking a look around I saw we were in the prototype for Tony’s new Quinjet for Avenger use only. Real state of the art and roomy, loaded with all his latest tech. My first time flying in it and probably not my last, even though I can fly and probably faster than this thing. This is more like riding in Nat’s car, a stylish and relaxing change of pace.
“Hate to spoil the reunion mood, but the landmass is still growing. According to what you’ve told us, as long as the crystal is in the water and attached to the earth, it will continue to feed on and absorb the minerals around it to grow. We estimate five hours before it strikes the eastern coast,” Tony spoke up, causing us to turn and face him. “As much as it physically pains me to say this kid…I got nothing. Bruce and I are still wracking our brains, but so far we have no idea how to stop it. Fury can only keep the military from sending in nukes for so long.”
“All they’d be doing is wasting missiles. They’d destroy part of it, but according to Jor-El, as long as the seed crystal is still in place it will be able to repair itself,” I told him, letting out a long pained sigh as I realized what I’d have to do.
Turning around I headed to the back, smacking the ramp release and opening the back of the jet. Wet salt laced air came rushing in, blowing my hair and cape back behind me and startling the others.
“What the hell’s going on back there,” I heard Uncle Clint shout out.
“Just what I was about to ask,” Nat shouted as she went to steady Darcy, both of them looking fearfully at me. They clearly could sense my intentions through the bond. As much as I’d like to shut it off right now and save them any pain, I selfishly kept it open. Needing their presence for both comfort and strength.
“I’m going back,” I told them strongly.
“Kara, are you insane? You’ve barely recovered from your injuries and are not at full strength,” Nat reminded me shakily.
“Not to mention that huge chunk of dirt has a deadly Kryptonite center. Going back there could kill you,” Darcy stated frantically.
“It’ll kill a whole lot more than just me if I don’t go back,” I reminded them, stepping forward and placing my hand on Darcy’s face. “I have to do this sweetie. You both know that I do.”
They did. In their heads they knew if we had any chance of stopping this it was up to me. The bond and their hearts, including my own were screaming at me not to though. In the end my head won out. Leaning forward I pressed my lips to Darcy’s, pushing all the love and feelings I have for her in the kiss. Pulling away I gave one to Nat, pulling her head in after pulling back and resting our foreheads against each other.
“I love you both so much,” I breathed, quickly kissing away their tears as I stepped back to the open ramp, taking what I pray is not my last look at their faces as I smiled brightly. “Goodbye.” With that said I jumped back and floated out of the jet, leaving them behind.
~~~
I flew up past the heavy cloud cover to the bright sunny blue sky above. Throwing my head back and closing my eyes, stretching out my arms, I soaked in the warm invigorating rays of the sun. I could feel my strength growing as whatever wounds I had remaining instantly healed. Opening my eyes I looked down at my now fisted hand, feeling renewed and recharged. I shared my strength with Nat and Darcy. They returned it with all the love and faith they have in me. Smiling at their thoughts and feelings, I shared one more ‘I love you’ with them before closing off the bond. They don’t need to feel what’s about to happen to me and personally I can’t afford the distraction. Otherwise I risk changing my mind.
I flew up for a second then quickly moved downwards, breaking through the clouds like a shot and leaving a single ray of sunlight to follow me down. I made a beeline for the ocean, firing off my heat vision along the way. The twin beams of laser like heat pierced right through the water just like I did, cutting a hole in to the seafloor that I flew right in to. It closed up and cooled once I was in.
The heat and pressure of being below the earth’s crust didn’t bother me at all. I was a girl on a mission and nothing was going to stop me. Once I reached my destination I flew up until I could brace my back under the newly formed patch of earth. Pushing up with all my might, I slowly began to lift the piece of earth that was connected to the growing landmass.
I’m sure it must have felt like an earthquake to Hammer and his men on the surface. But I didn’t care. If they were smart they’d run to the chopper and make their getaway. Or at least try to. Once they were in the air I’m sure Iron Man would be there to apprehend them. In fact that is exactly what I saw once I broke through the surface of the water and looked outward.
Rocks from the bottom of the landmass broke off as I continued to slowly lift it away from the water and up. I’m sure it must be a sight to behold, a rising chunk of land the size of a small island flying up in the sky. With every chunk of earth dislodged, a crystalline extension of Kryptonite was exposed. My strength was starting to waver so I pushed up harder and tried to move faster without cracking the landmass in half. Kryptonite crystalline spikes were still growing and moving dangerously closer to me from all sides, but I didn’t stop. I could feel the air getting thinner and new soon I would reach my destination.
I just had to hold out a little while longer.
Looking to my right, I could see the curvature of the earth and the stars and knew I had reached space.
Time for one last act.
Calling on whatever strength I had left, I dug my fingers deep in to the dirt still around me and straightened myself out while continuing to go up. Than with one final exertion I pushed the landmass forward, allowing inertia to carry it safely away from earth and hopefully the moon as well.
As I floated there in space, watching it drift away, I couldn’t help but feel I was saying goodbye to a piece of home. It was an alien like piece of land after all, despite being grown from the earth. Maybe that is what the landscape of Krypton looked like? Strange the thoughts that go through your mind as you slowly begin to lose consciousness right before falling back in to Earth’s atmosphere.