The world was hot and cold. Her mind also chimed in with extra facts. The feeling of pain overshadowed the oddity of the feeling on her skin.

It had been years since she felt like this. The feeling of bruises and strained muscles. A familiar feeling. A good feeling as training was more mental than physical.

The energy flowing through her allowed her to feel it. The first time in years. The reason she had lived longer than many of her peers.

The Warlords of Okaara had beaten it into her. The value of life. The value of self. The power present in all living things.

In this vast universe, there were always those who had something and those who would take it. Regardless of pain inflicted.

Thus one had to be true to the world. True to nature. True to one’s self.

Princess Koriand’r was the crown princess of a fallen world. A Citadel enslaved world where she was but a prize. One that exchanged her for a more peaceful resolution. Her life and servitude in exchange for the citizens.

She had escaped when rebel soldiers rescued her. They placed her into an escape pod and launched into unexplored regions of space.

Where she landed on Earth. Where she landed on Val Verde. A new land. A new home.

Green eyes opened and adjusted to the bright light of the local star. The Sun. Its very energy empowered her now.

Koriand’r looked down at the object given to her. A piece of paper. She unfolded the crumpled mess. She remembered Johnny’s soft touches.

The words were simple and clear.

She took in a deep ‘breath’ and began the warm-up exercises she had ingrained into her by O’Elra, her trainer. It limbered her up and readied her body and mind.

Turning to the gate, she ripped the paper. Then ignited it as she waited for the transporter to turn on. She had people to save.

Her mind and heart softened as she thought about her friend Johnny. Of her friend Candice. Of her newest, bestest friend Kara.

She was ready to return and fight once more.

—

The warthog screeched to a stop. The wild driving had done some serious damage to the undercarriage. I wondered if Candice had ruined the brakes again. This crazy woman went through car parts like soldiers went through ammunition.

Fenris was staring into the blue sky above. A convenient hole poked through the otherwise pristine ceiling. His haggard face looked older than I had ever seen it.

We all considered him ‘The’ Hero of Val Verde. Well, the second greatest hero if you believed my predecessor. The cocky jackass. It was so easy to command from behind a desk.

“You’re here,” Fenris sighed as he gave a half-hearted wave. I waved back.

“You had fun?” I asked as I walked over and he grunted in reply.

Usually taking off your helmet was against protocols, but who was going to reprimand him?

I thought about his second in command but dropped the thought. We had other issues to worry about. Issues like the giant bomb Fenris was sitting on.

“Kara, please rip off the back platform thing. There is an emergency Doom-Tube Beacon under it,” I said and she moved. The teleportation anchor that could move an object to a large gate.

Spiritual death by running away, or physical death by enemy weapons. I smirked as I already made my choice.

It was pettiness that drove me. To risk everything so that I could kick Cobra in the shin. With luck, I would hit them in the balls, but I didn’t know how important this operation was to them.

“Then can you please freeze this to the bomb?” I asked as I looked over to the strongest member of my group.

Kara nodded as she tore off the platform to reveal the beacon. She sheared off the bolts with her hands and winced at how effortless she made it look.

Healthy girl. Which meant that Kori could do something similar. Thank god I could bribe them with sweet fruit drinks and a pristine breach property.

The super blond lifted the beacon and moved to the N2 Mine. Fenris moved and watched as she plopped the beacon down, and used her freeze breath to stick it on.

“Sue, please move this to…” where was I going to teleport it to? The Sky Gate Satellite was out of the question. As was any base on Val Verde. “Move it to the Moon Gate.”

I sighed at the thought of losing the gate and the various goods there, but it was an acceptable loss.

“Gate unresponsive…” Sue replied. I could imagine her glaring at that 3D holographic screen of hers. She hated it when her tools didn’t work.

I growled. This day was getting rougher with every minute. This left only one I could think of. “Canary One.”

“… Understood. Powering up the gate, linking and teleporting,” Sue replied.

Canary One was the gate heading out to the Kuiper Belt. Where my off-world mining operation was to start. This could set us back by months.

Though to be fair, it was better a late start than premature death.

The world went white. Then I heard it.

[Kraka… Booom!]

I felt the world shift as pressure smashed down onto me. My breathing stopped as I couldn’t draw in a single breath.

Then Kara was there, hugging me to her as she used her body to shield me. I could smell her fruity shampoo she loved to use. Funny, I couldn’t breathe but I could almost taste that smell.

My mind went into overdrive. This was it. My final moments. My selfish revenge had doomed us.

I leaned into Kara, and I screamed into her ears. My thanks. My love for her and Kori. I kissed her cheek and embraced her with all my might. It was a moment of comfort as I… as we face the end.

Kara was going to be the final survivor, and thus I wanted to let her know we appreciated her. Her and… wait what did happen to the Justice League!? They promised to be here!

Also, wasn’t I supposed to get vaporized in the first millisecond of an N2 Mine detonation? Something, something superheated plasma in a 1-kilometer radius?

The lights dimmed down, and I blinked away the spots. The first thing I saw was Kara’s red face. Her usually pale face was now a cherry red as she held onto me.

I looked into her blue eyes. They were wide, and her beautiful eyes stared into me. I shuddered as I took in my first breath in what felt like days.

I tried to apologize but I was short of breath. I decided I shouldn’t cling to her, so I tried to step back. This was a mistake.

My world swam as I tried to move. Kara held onto me. Her arms tightened as she locked me into place and leaned back a little, allowing her to fall onto her.

I leaned into her as she held me steady. I miss power armor. The thought had me make a face, and she giggled. I felt it more than heard it though.

My eyes landed on the N2 Mine. The light was cheerful and blinking. Blink. Blink. Red.

It stopped blinking.

My hand moved. I tried to scream into my throat communicator. Scream out Sue’s name.

I didn’t know if I even made a sound.

[Boom]

—

[Pop!]

My mind came back into focus. I could feel my ears popped as my internal pressure stabilized with the air. I stared at the hole where our doom was sitting seconds ago.

Sue had come through and teleported the N2 Mine away.

I grimaced in pain as Kara as she was squeezing me. I was surprised that I didn’t meet my end like a tube of toothpaste. Though the discovery that Kara not only smelled nice but was very soft to hug.

It surprised me, that preconception. Her invulnerability had me thinking she would feel like metal, not skin. How weird. In the comics, she had plenty of boyfriends.

[Roar!]

Wait. I heard that! I could feel it and hear it.

I perked up and Kara was giggling at me. I must have looked like a meerkat as I tried to look at the source of the sound.

I wasn’t deaf! I wasn’t dead!

Everyone else was alive, and we could now deal with that Type-3. My good cheer drowned and my face fell.

[ROAR!]

Kara turned us both around to see the source of the sound. This roar was deeper and louder.

This was a new Type-3. It was about the same size, but less fleshy and more bolted on metal. It was an amalgam of bio-terror weapons and a military tank.

A walking weapon that was also carrying the largest Gatling gun I had ever seen. It had to hold it in its two hands. On its back sat a bulky ammo drum.

I sighed. We had nothing left but dutiful soldiers. The soldier I have to order to fight. I tasted ash in my mouth, and the bile rising.

No. They wouldn’t fight alone. Fenris, Candice, Kara, and Kori could not deny me again. I would go out with them, guns blazing.

“Avengers!”

My mind blanked as I heard that scream across a loudspeaker.

“Assemble!”

Heroes were dropping onto the ground. I recognized them. Thor. Vision. Wonder Man. Scarlet Witch. Iron Man.

I saw him.

My breathing quickened. My heart thundered in my chest. My brain went into overtime and my vision swam.

I tensed and growled. Kara reacted and she floated up to block my view. She hugged me to her chest to calm me down.

Iron Man!

My heart raced. He was responsible for Carmen! For all those school children…

I knew better. I knew that I knew better. My mind listed many things.

It was a battle. A war. He couldn’t have known the heartlessness of Baron Zemo’s plans. His public showcase of the tragic actions that heroes chose to do.

Widespread PR about how the Avengers shot missiles at the innocent. At the murders of 85 children, and wounding or crippling another 280.

Then my mind registered Kara. Her arms around my head. My face into her warm, and comforting chest. I heard Kara’s heartbeat thundered in my ears.

I took in ragged breaths. I focus on that rhythmic pulse. She whispered to me, but I could not register her words. Only her support.

In the back of my mind, a small part of me registered a nonsensical thought. This was definitely the third worse day of my life.

————

Chapter 40: It somehow got worse.