133 Chapter 133: Supergirl; Kara Zor-El
The entire Earth erupted in commotion. Reporters reveled in their wildest frenzy as television broadcasts, news channels, newspapers, social media, blogs, and video platforms flooded with information about the Justice League's defeat.
The Justice League Tower had always been a prominent hub for the world's superheroes.
Modern technology had captured the shocking battle at the Justice League Tower perfectly. Although the footage might not have been seamlessly continuous, due to being recorded from different cameras and angles, the sheer impact of the events had been conveyed. The powerful shockwaves that had rocked the air had all the evidence needed to prove the Justice League's downfall.
On the internet, some people mourned the tragic fate of Superman. They were the faithful followers of Superman, dedicating themselves to him both mentally and physically since his arrival. They regarded Superman as their sole protector and had long forgotten their own human potential to avoid danger and forge ahead. In their eyes, none of this mattered, for in times of peril, their god among men would save them, and they wouldn't need to concern themselves.
Scores of Superman's devotees flocked to Metropolis, laying flowers at the feet of Superman's statue and praying for his safe return.
Meanwhile, a significant number of netizens engaged in discussions, speculating that it was Superman who had caused all this. They believed that the Justice League, and even its other members, had suffered unjustly. All this had happened because of that shadowy figure who had trampled over Superman. He wore a costume identical to Superman's, down to the 'S' on his chest.
Various speculations and theories were tossed around on the internet, fueling heated debates.
The Flash, taken away alongside Superman, cast a pall over Central City. Most people prayed for his safety, hoping that the Scarlet Speedster would return unharmed.
A minority blamed Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Cyborg, and others, accusing them of squandering billions of dollars on the Justice League, which had ultimately failed to protect anything. The Hall Of Justice had been destroyed, and numerous soldiers had lost their lives.
Most people fervently wished for them to regroup and continue fighting to protect humanity.
Aquaman, wounded, silently retreated to the depths of the ocean, rarely mentioned by anyone.
Only Batman, emerging from Gotham, received an unusual reception. Gotham City's criminals believed that Batman had brought disgrace upon them. They flatly refused to acknowledge such a Batman, who had once captured them and held them captive.
Gotham's criminals hastily formed an alliance, openly criticizing Batman and disowning their Gothamite status. They shook burning bat flags from rooftops, declaring that as soon as that black figure appeared in Gotham, they would show him how powerful Gotham's criminals truly were. They wanted to make it clear that they weren't as weak as Batman.
...
In the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, Palo Alto.
Stanford University.
Kara Zor-El, her golden hair gleaming like strands of polished gold, had it modestly braided into two twists on her left and right shoulders. She wore oversized, slightly blurred eyeglasses perched on her nose, concealing her delicate features.
A creamy-white knitted sweater enveloped her petite frame, and two long, slender legs clad in black leggings peeked out from beneath the sweater. On her feet, she wore a pair of women's ankle boots.
Kara, who always kept her head slightly lowered, appeared like a small-town girl navigating the big city, harboring an inner sense of insecurity that her appearance might be somewhat outdated.
"Class dismissed."
After the teacher, who was well into their fifties, announced the end of the class, the calm classroom quickly became lively, with students bustling in the aisles.
Kara tidied up the books on her desk, her face expressionless behind her oversized glasses. She clutched her books, trying hard to appear as an introverted girl with few words.
In reality, Kara, who had arrived on Earth two years ago, had little desire for extensive communication with Earth's humans.
Everything on Earth felt unfamiliar to her.
While the people here might view her as old-fashioned, in her heart, Earth was the epitome of old-fashioned.
She didn't even know what her cousin was up to, flying around to save humans all the time. He seemed so human.
Though Kara had saved Earthlings, she didn't have a deep affection for them. Even now, two years later, she still didn't have a clear sense of direction for her future. Her cousin, Superman, who had grown up on Earth, seemed more like a sanctimonious jerk to her.
Being far from home, her blood relative, only made her feel more disconnected from Earthlings. She couldn't accept that her cousin had transformed into a member of this species called humans.
She felt out of place among her surroundings.
"Justice League is in a tough spot!" A student wearing revealing clothing and holding a smartphone near the classroom door commented while watching the news.
Kara, coming out with her books, perked up her petite ears. Justice League? Wasn't that the superhero organization her cousin had created?
Just as Kara was about to approach, curious to learn more about what remained of this Justice League, a muscular male classmate rushed by, bumping into Kara's shoulder. Kara stood her ground, while he stumbled and nearly fell.
"Watch where you're going, country bumpkin!" The male classmate sneered, pointing down at her with a rude gesture, before quickly walking away with his friends.
Kara remained calm, her interest in the Justice League fading. With her cousin being so powerful, what could possibly go wrong? He probably saved someone somewhere and ended up in the news as a superhero again.
Kara thought to herself, carrying on with her day. The notion made her chuckle inwardly.
She clutched her books to her chest, walking down the stairs and away from the crowd.
The collective breaths of the people in the crowd made her feel uncomfortable.
She found an open stretch of grass, sat down, and placed her books nearby. Her legs, encased in black leggings, were crossed, and her hands slipped under her thighs as she hugged her legs, resting her face against her thighs.
A sense of sorrow washed over the girl, and her momentary respite from grief vanished.
"Mom, Dad, where are you..."
"H'el, where are you..."
Behind her thick glasses, Kara felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation in this place. Everything here was so different from Krypton, offering her no sense of belonging.
Her blood relative, her cousin, who had no idea, was constantly flying in the sky, saving Earthlings. What on Earth was he doing?
Why didn't he think about saving Kryptonians?
Her joys and sorrows were disconnected from the entire Earth and, even more so, from her cousin, who was also a Kryptonian.
On this entire Earth, she was alone.
"Why did it have to turn out like this?"
The moment her father had forcibly placed her on that spaceship was still vivid in her memory.
She missed her father, her mother, her friends from Krypton, and the laughter with H'el. Why had everything so cruelly vanished?
"I miss you all so much..."
Tears welled up in Kara's eyes, and she hugged her legs tightly, burying her face deep within them. The tears flowed down her thighs, dampening her leggings.
No one could understand her loneliness and helplessness.
Stranded in a foreign land, her only blood relative should have been her companion, but he was a complete foreigner.
She was truly alone, truly helpless.
No one could help her.
After a while, Kara managed to compose herself from her sorrowful state.
This kind of scene had occurred countless times over the past two years, deepening Kara's longing each time.
Unfortunately, the distance of longing couldn't be crossed through the light-years of the cosmos.
After her sadness, she still had to continue living.
After a quick touch-up, Kara wiped away the traces of tears on her leggings and stood up. She picked up her books again and headed towards a coffee shop. Pushing open the glass door, she ordered a hot cocoa and overheard everyone around discussing the Justice League.
It seemed that this time, the Justice League's situation was sparking even more intense discussions than ever before.
The discussions around Kara were filled with various chaotic topics about Superman being defeated, how weak Superman was, Wonder Woman only being pretty, Green Lantern being knocked out, and even The Flash being captured, along with the Washington water pipe system bursting. She couldn't make sense of it all.
Kara, perplexed, turned her head towards the television hanging on the wall. Her expression froze, her mind went blank, and then a tsunami of emotions began churning in her head, leaving her stunned in place.
Clear as day, it was H'el's face on the screen, a black figure proudly standing, his cape billowing, and his face coldly looking down.
It was H'el!
There was no doubt, it was the H'el she knew.
The next moment, the television suddenly switched channels, displaying a live military discussion from Washington. Two military experts were giving their opinions on the recent events, and their differing views led to an on-air brawl, causing laughter.
"Switch back to the previous news channel, please," Kara said stiffly, her neck craning, her eyes filled with an incredulous look that made it hard to believe she was witnessing H'el.
She had never expected to see H'el again!
Her immediate reaction was not one of joy but rather disbelief. She wondered if this was reality, and her thoughts surged with waves of shock. The possibility of seeing H'el again was beyond her imagination.
The waiter, who was busy preparing the hot cocoa, glanced at Kara but ignored her words. He had seen this black figure's face dozens of times already, and almost every time, some brainless women would say how handsome and cool he was. It irritated him so much that he found it more interesting to watch the military commentators brawling.
The waiter went about his business, ignoring Kara.
All the sorrow that had accumulated over time, her loneliness in a foreign land, and her pent-up frustration, all of it was now converted into an incomprehensible fire.
"Boom!"
Kara slammed her fist onto the bar counter, sending wood splinters and rocks flying, causing the surrounding voices to suddenly choke. All eyes turned to her.
"I told you! Switch back to the news channel!"
Kara raised her fist, her thick braids coming undone, golden strands of hair cascading behind her. Her knitted sweater swayed without any breeze, and her slender legs, encased in leggings, stood tall. Filled with anger, a massive aura seemed to encircle her, and her glasses fell onto the bar counter, revealing her fiery red eyes.
The entire coffee shop fell deathly silent, and you could hear a pin drop.
The waiter was so frightened that he collapsed to the side. Trembling, he picked up the remote control and pressed several buttons in succession until he finally switched back to the news channel Kara wanted.
Kara's face remained expressionless. She turned to see the content she wanted to see and once again witnessed the familiar H'el on the screen. Confirming that it was indeed her former acquaintance H'el, tears of joy welled up in the corners of her eyes.
*Boom!*
She shot straight through the roof, creating a massive shockwave that sent people tumbling, and she flew towards the Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic.
"I missed you so much, H'el!"
°°°
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