Chapitre 83: Chapter 83
(Starts before the explosion)
Lena waves over Alex and Maggie, hoping they'll see the urgency in her movements and come closer to her. They see the worry in her expression and rush over.
"What is it? Why is Kara rushing around like that? I know we should get out of here quick but..." Alex trails off, gesturing for Lena to speak.
"We need to get out of here as soon as possible. I know my mother, Sir Alex, and I know she always has something up her sleeve."
"Lillian is dead, Lena." Alex reminds her, hoping she's just being paranoid (while knowing she's definitely not just paranoid).
"But her scientists aren't. What they've build isn't. Lillian, she always had a fail safe and I know that while she probably didn't expect to die, I know she has some kind of plan in case of something like this." Lena says.
"So we definitely need to get out of here." Alex looks at her blur of a sister, her eyebrows scrunched with worry.
Lena lets out a breath and nods. "Yeah, we really do. I-"
They hear the explosion before they feel it. Maggie, Lena, and Alex are all highly trained and either have natural or learned quick reflexes. When they hear a thundering BOOM that shakes the room, they make themselves as small as possible, getting down on the ground. Lena's surprised she doesn't feel the heat of the explosion on her back. When the roaring of the explosion and the flames does down, Lena opens her eyes and looks around.
The first thing she notices is a pair of red combat boots, connected to deep blue pants. She looks up to see Kara, her face a mask of determination, standing above her, Maggie, and Alex. She's holding her cape up, which is probably why they didn't get hurt.
"Is it done?" Lena asks softly.
Kara's mask slips into one of deep concern as she nods and drops to her knees in front of three of the most important people in her life. Her eyes are wide and her lower lip trembles with fear. She can hear the pounding of hearts all over the room, can smell the sweat and the fear, but her only focus is on them.
Kara almost lost them. Her sister, her (Maggie's definitely become part of the family now). Her girlfriend, her partner, her best friend. She almost lost them. She almost lost everything. Again.
"Kara?" Lena's voice snaps her back into reality.
Kara sucks in a deep breath. Lena slowly reaches up and cups Kara's face. Kara puts her own hand over Lena's, reveling in the contact. It's only now that she realizes she's crying and her hands are shaking. Lena moves so she's sitting up and envelopes Kara into a tight hug, squeezing her as tightly as she can. Alex and Maggie have sit up by then and join in, making it a little group hug.
Kara burrows her head into Lena's shoulder and Lena doesn't mind the tears on her armor. After Kara gathers herself and wipes away the last of her tears, she scans the three of them with her X-ray vision to make sure that her cape blocked everything, to make sure they're okay. Kara lets go of Lena's hand reluctantly and floats up, her legs not quite sturdy enough for her to trust them with her weight. She scans everyone else as well.
The others are getting off of the floor, some having been thrown by the blast. Those with few or no injuries are helping the others. Some have been knocked unconscious, but not bad enough for immediate medical attention to be needed. Kara helps some people up before returning to them.
Maggie's staring at the hole the explosion made in the ceiling, exposing what this building is made of. There's two layers of rocks with a thin layer of lead in between them. There are black scorch marks all around it, a ring around it and then it thins, like arms reaching outwards.
"Why didn't that kill us?" Maggie asks, sounding genuinely confused.
"What do you mean?" Kara asks, proud of how little her voice shakes. Lena takes her hand and she tried to center herself.
"That could have killed us. It was unexpected, it was big, it was loud. But it wasn't even big enough to kill anyone." Maggie points out.
"No one was seriously injured, either." Kara adds.
"Hmm. Then why have it happen? What's the point?"
"Lillian... It could be one of her sadistic games." Lena suggests. "She may want us to think that's it before she kills us with a bigger blast. See if we're smart enough to run. But perhaps that's the pessimist in me. I think it's a warning blast."
"So we need to get out of here?" Alex asks.
"As soon as possible." Lena confirms.
A door opens and the four of them tense, but relax when they see who it is.
"J'onn! Where have you been?" Alex resists the urge to run at him and hug her space dad. They need to leave.
"There were more." J'onn says as an explanation.
He holds the door open and people begin streaming out, all looking worse for wear. More prisoners, more victims.
"Sir, we need-" Alex begins.
"To get out. Yes, I am aware. I will project the feeling of panic into everyone to prompt them to get out as quickly as possible." J'onn says.
"You can do that?" Alex asks, astounded. The scientist in her has so many questions.
"Yes. Not now, Sir Alex. You can ask me your burning questions later. Now, I have to focus." J'onn's eyes flash red for several moments.
Even Kara feels the effect, though maybe it's just her own panic and anxiety.
"Come on everyone, lets go! Lets get out of here!" Alex shouts, her voice carrying in the room. "Help those who are injured or can't move fast. We need to get out!"
People rush into action, helping others stand and walk as they move towards the nearest exit. DEO agents direct them while some push or carry along people in handcuffs. It's madness, but J'onn somehow made everyone panic without it being a frantic panic. No one is being shoved (except the DEO's prisoners), no one is being trampled if they fall. It's... organized chaos.
Lena and Kara head into it hand in hand. Kara offers to fly her out, but Lena refuses. She's firmly a feet-planted-on-solid-ground kind of woman. So they walk together, holding hands so they don't lose each other in the craziness. Maggie and Alex do the same, holding hands to stay together.
They all file outside, heading for the far tree line after Alex shouts an order to the DEO agents in the front. They need to get as far away from this castle as they can. They don't know what's going to happen.
The last people come out and spread out to get to the forest as soon as they can. The castle groans behind them, and it almost sounds like the sound was the castle itself for a moment, like it were a living creature. But then J'onn shouts for everyone to get down.
This explosion seems to rock the earth itself. Dirt and dust flies everywhere as grass and shrubs and trees are dislodged from the ground, the ones too near the blast. Dirt rains down on the frightened people, lying on the ground in the forest. Maggie, Alex, Kara, and Lena, are all positioned in a spot where they can see what's happening, even as they're lying on the ground in a protective position.
The world lights up in a blinding flash, and when the glare dies down, they can see that the once-great castle is in shambles. Where tall walls of stone once stood, there is a pile of rubble. The ground has buckled and swallowed what was left of the structure. By some incredible stroke of luck, the force of the explosion was mainly contained inside the castle. What's left of the castle is up in flames, literally.
"Kara, can you get over there and use your ice breath? If that fire spreads..." Alex trails off.
Kara nods, her expression serious. "Of course."
Kara stands and dusts her suit off. She takes off, hovering in front of a strategic point of the fire. She takes in a deep breath and blows hard. The fire begins to die down, and she keeps it up, switching from one spot to another. Eventually, the fire is just down to embers, but Kara doesn't stop. She knows a strong wind at just the wrong time and place could reignite the fire. She continues until she's satisfied and only then does she fly back to the cheering people.
Kara lands next to Lena and is immediately pulled into a hug, which is swiftly joined by two of her other favorite people.
"You smell like smoke." Lena murmurs against Kara.
"Thanks. It was the smoke."
Not a cliffhanger this time! Whoo! I almost didn't end last chapter in a cliffhanger but then my mind went "... What if you just blow something up?" And I went with it. This is how it turned out! I'm pleased with it, even though I know it annoyed/exasperated some of you haha Next chapter, more of this mess! It all goes uphill from here! Thank you all for reading and for your amazing comments! Stay awesome!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone