Chapter 24: Spatial Crossing
Jay had anticipated the depths of Kord Creative Technologies might run deep, but the hostility he faced upon arrival was unexpected. There was no pretense of threats or warnings—they acted with brute force.
He didn't know how many before him had faced such violent measures for prying, but they had met their match with him. The two lab-coated assailants who tried to inject Jay with some substance found their syringes snapped against his impenetrable skin. Before they could react, Jay had already nonchalantly pushed them away with ease.
Kevin, the so-called head, realized that this intruder wasn't so easily dispatched. As he shouted orders to apprehend Jay, he was the first to create a wide berth between himself and this unforeseen adversary. The lab erupted into chaos as scholars in white coats revealed themselves to be mountainous men with substantial physiques, some leaping down from the second-floor railing with thuds that reverberated through the floor.
Jay frowned slightly; burly as bulls, the lab's personnel seemed out of place. They approached Jay in a half-circle formation, cracking their knuckles exaggeratedly, like wolves cornering a helpless sheep. Unbeknownst to them, the true predator was encircled in their midst.
Jay could easily handle them all in the blink of an eye, but he preferred subtlety over showmanship. However, before he could ponder further, a new variable entered with a familiar sonic boom.
A red and blue blur tore through the lab ceiling, landing with a force that sent the assembled men staggering back. Super boots dented the floor, her cape settling gently around her, Super Girl stood radiant, her golden hair shining like the sun.
Jay's surprise mirrored that of everyone else: "Kara!?"
What followed was a sight to behold. Burly men, mountains in their own right, were unnerved by the presence of a slight young woman. Their bravado dissipated, and the symbol on her chest—a grand "S"—ensured no one found humor in their retreat.
With a deep breath, Kara unleashed a powerful gust, sweeping the men off their feet like leaves in a storm, sending them crashing into corners and collapsing equipment under a flurry of papers.
"Kara? Why are you—weren't you supposed to return to Nairomi?" Jay finally got a word in.
"I was worried about you."
"You were following me?"
A slight blush colored Kara's cheeks. "No, I... I heard about your father's disappearance. I knew you'd do something, and... Okay, maybe I was following you."
At least this meant she cared. Jay found some solace in that. "Thanks."
Kevin, meanwhile, scurried upstairs to the large arching machine. Breathing deeply, he leapt into the pulsating purple vortex.
Jay and Kara reached the device simultaneously, halting before it. "Looks like some kind of transport device," Kara noted. "But I can't see where it leads."
"Maybe they brought me down here to throw me into this thing," Jay speculated. "They seemed too familiar with it. Maybe they've done this to others, too."
"So you think there might be a prison on the other side?" Kara queried.
"I don't know, but it's the only lead I have," Jay admitted. "You know you don't have to come with me. We don't know what we'll face on the other side."
"I didn't come all this way to turn back now," Kara stated firmly.
"Thanks." Jay turned back to the vortex. "Ready?"
"Let me just take a deep breath." Kara inhaled twice. "Okay, ready."
They exchanged a nod and together, jumped into the swirling mass. As Jay contacted the pulsating purple light, it felt like an unseen hand yanked him into a different realm. All around him, wild energy roared like beasts, the mingling of electricity and light assaulted his senses.
He hoped Kara was faring better.
After an undeterminable time tumbling through the energy stream, Jay crashed down amidst a pile of cluttered refuse, the impact shattering some machine into unrecognizable parts.
Kara landed near him seconds later, her hair a mess and her expression groggy, as though she'd ridden a universe-spanning roller coaster.
"So, where are we?" Kara shook her head clear.
"Good question," Jay stood, amidst a sea of scrap. Looking around, they were surrounded by mounds of debris, stretching as far as the eye could see.
"It looks like a junkyard?"
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