Chapter 218: The Dangers Within Heroics Part 5

After hearing her reply, Arias showed a smile under his helm as he found the girl's conviction surprisingly strong for someone her age. Rather than fight to the bitter end, she had quickly realized that Kid Flash could not be saved and opted for a retreat. Despite her forward way of thinking, she was a slave to the belief of self-sacrifice.

That belief—that because she had power, she should use it to help those lesser than her, even if it meant risking her life—had launched her on the path of heroics. However, she had yet to taste the true depths of horror heroics could lead to.

And even worse, Arias now found her interesting enough to "teach," to shift this alignment of hers, in the most mentally tormenting ways possible for someone of her nature.

"What's your name?" Arias asked flatly, as his figure looked less imposing now.

The girl, still shaken by the events, could only wonder how the cold creature before her could speak so casually as a young man audibly died in the background, with the smell of a bloodied corpse not too far away.

A large part of her wanted to plead with him to let her help Kid Flash, but she stopped herself. She knew he was beyond saving and that, in his current state, even just moving his body could worsen his already rapidly deteriorating condition.

In the end, she answered with her name, "Kara... Kara Kent."

Upon hearing the name, Arias quickly ran through the Leviathan network via his suit and confirmed his suspicions.

"I see, to think Clark's uninspiring farm-girl cousin is actually an alien as well. It's not a detail many would look for, even if they knew his identity. It's almost like he doesn't want any attention on her."

Hearing the name Clark, Kara's eyes widened with visible concern. If he knew Clark, then he also knew the identities of Clark's parents, who raised him on Earth and helped her adjust after her own circumstances led her there too, many years later.

Seeing her grow more worried, Arias could see the deep care she had for him.

"Well then, this changes my initial plan for you."

***

At the same time, not far from S.T.A.R. Labs, a chaotic scene had arisen in the middle of the surrounding streets. Panic had spread over the explosion at the labs, and people were forced to retreat away from the area.

Sadly, this became a very tricky task as some villains who had been held at the labs didn't just want to escape—they wanted to cause carnage on the streets. Among these villains was Silver Banshee, with whom the junior Justice League members were engaged in a difficult fight.

Silver Banshee was a skeletal-looking figure with long, flowing white hair. Her skin was a pale ghostly white, contrasted with dark, hollow eyes. Her eerie figure wreaked havoc on the streets she passed through with violent and chaotic force.

Among the young team members fighting her, Miss Martian had relayed the telepathic message she had received from Kid Flash, causing them all to fall into deep worry, especially Robin.

*Miss Martian, ask him what's going on!* Robin instructed telepathically as his figure skillfully avoided the large objects Silver Banshee was casually picking up and throwing toward him.

*I can't, I can't get through to him, it's like he's...*

*No. Don't assume the worst yet, he's probably just unconscious at worst. We have to hurry over, but...* Robin refused to jump to any conclusions so soon, but given the dire situation that even they were in, it wasn't a stretch to assume that Kid Flash may have run into an opponent far beyond his capabilities.

Thankfully, in the next moment, a swift gust of wind zipped by in the wake of a fast figure flying through the air. Superman had arrived, and without hesitation, he collided his fist into the unprepared Silver Banshee, sending her hurtling back into a nearby building with immense force.

He came to a stop in the air and turned his attention to Robin. "You and your team go back to evacuating people. I'll take over here."

Superman seemed to be in a hurry to end things, but before he could fly off, Robin quickly revealed, "Kid Flash rushed into S.T.A.R. Labs and went silent. I think he might be in trouble."

Learning of this information, Superman turned his head in the direction of the labs, using his super hearing and x-ray vision to see through. And though his sight couldn't peer into the deeper floors of the labs... he only needed to look a few levels for a horrifying sight to be seen.

In a lone and heavily damaged room with lights sparking and creating small fires amidst the debris, Superman could clearly see the disfigured remains of Green Lantern. Not far from him was Kid Flash, who was in a state bordering on death. His weak heartbeat reverberated clearly for Superman to hear.

Wasting no time, he quickly opted to fly in that direction but was stopped from doing so as a powerful green beam shot from below and knocked him out of the air and into a nearby tower.

"You're finally here, huh!" An angry-sounding Atomic Skull appeared from a path with nothing but carnage in its wake. The streets were devastatingly destroyed, while numerous bodies of victims who couldn't retreat fast enough were spread out in the chaotic mess.

At this time, however, the duo of Hawkman and Hawkwoman arrived at the scene, both wielding their maces grandly as they charged into Atomic Skull and hit him in the chest, sending his figure colliding into the vehicles nearby.

Superman burst out of the building he had been launched into just a moment ago and spoke with urgency.

"Hawkman, Hawkwoman, keep these two busy. I have to—I have to—" Without even finishing his words, Superman zipped through the air in a violent burst of speed, rushing to the chaotic scene he had witnessed earlier.

Unbeknownst to him, though, a familiar foe was lying in wait.