Without You

Chapter 6

Whatever Kara had expected death to look like, this wasn't it. She stood in the field from her dreams, the red sun shining down on an endless sea of green. Her white dress fluttered in the breeze.

Even with everything that had just happened, she felt a strange sense of calm, serenity almost. As if all were right in the world.

Kara strolled down the path, one hand reaching out to lazily brush against the wildflowers. A sudden brightness blinded her, and she instinctively raised a hand to block the light. When she lowered it, two doors had somehow materialized not ten feet from her.

The door on the right, she realized with a start, was her door. Or rather, hers and Mon-El's. It was the door to their apartment. But it didn't seem attached to anything, merely planted there in the gently waving grass.

In contrast, Kara was sure she'd never seen the other door before in her life. It was simple, a white frame holding six large panes of glass. A bright light glowed from within, but with none of the intensity from before. Instead it was soft and warm, not unlike the red sunlight that settled upon the field.

She reached out and experimentally grasped the handle. Immediately, a warm, sunny presence seemed to fill her head, as if Rao himself were speaking to her.

Peace, the voice whispered. And just like that, Kara understood. If she walked through that door...the people of Krypton would be waiting.

She almost went through right then and there.

But.

What could possibly be behind the other door?

Kara sighed and reluctantly stepped back. Cautiously, she pressed her hand to the panel next to her apartment door, bracing herself for another voice in her head, but none came.

The door slid open with a beep.

And Kara nearly fell apart.

On the other side of the door was her. The real her, lying motionless on the ground in an ever-growing pool of blood. Mon-El still crouched at her side, head bowed, shoulders shaking with sobs.

Kara took a step forward as if in a trance, one hand stretching towards the doorway almost of its own volition. She wanted to reach him, comfort him, touch him.

When her fingers reached the doorway, the air seemed to ripple, as if she were disturbing the still surface of a pond, before she passed through to the other side.

But wait...something was wrong. For one, blue synthetic fabric wrapped around her arm from where the dream world stopped and the real world began. Her supersuit.

Even more disturbing, a strange chill was beginning to creep up her arm, spreading past her elbow. Kara wiggle her fingers and realized with a start that she could see the ground behind her hand. Through it. She looked almost...

Ghostly.

Kara snatched her arm back, cradling it to her chest. She knew where that door led.

As if to help set the mood, thunder rumbled above, disturbing the once-peaceful meadow.

Choose, a voice boomed.

Kara swallowed hard. As much as she wanted to see Mon-El again, she knew there was only one path he would approve of.

She took a deep breath and let it out. Slowly. She grasped the brass doorknob.

Wait.

What was that sound?

Kara jerked her head as the faint sound of voice reached her ears. Squinting, she could see two figures in the distance. One was gesturing wildly, the other standing still and stoic as a statue.

Her gaze flitted back to the door to Peace.

...maybe just a minute to satiate her curiosity. After all, the door wasn't going anywhere.

She advanced across the field, their voices becoming louder and clearer as she finally arrived where the two figures stood.

"—completely ridiculous! Do you know what those two have been through to get to each other? Evil parents! Arranged marriages! Identity crises! And what, after all that you're just going to kill her? What kind of universe-overseer are you?"

"Music Meister?" Kara gasped. They both spun to face her, the interdimensional being's face lighting up.

"Kara! You haven't chosen a door yet, thank stars!"

The Monitor merely frowned, in annoyance or confusion, she wasn't sure. "Kara Mon-El. What a surprise."

Kara blinked rapidly, her gaze darting back and forth between the two. "I don't understand. What are you guys going here?"

"Attempting to upset the cosmic balance, apparently," The Monitor deadpanned with a glare in Music Meister's direction, who scoffed.

"Yeah, I think you mean saving everyone's asses."

"Leave," The Monitor bit out, "Before I send you back to the sixth dimension myself."

Music Meister raised his hands in resignation, before throwing one last look at Kara.

"Don't give up, kid. This doesn't have to be the end." With that, he was gone, fading away into the wind.

Kara dropped her eyes to the ground, the reality of it all sinking in as the dream faded away. She caught sight of the band of silver wrapped around her finger, catching the warm sunlight. Her wedding ring.

With a sharp tug she threw her head back, pinning the Monitor with a determined gaze. "Is there nothing I can do?"

He regarded her.

And let out a sigh.

***

There was a burning pain in her chest, a dark, heavy weight suffocating her. But sure enough, it slowly began to recede, and Kara's eyes flew open as she took her first breath in what felt like an eternity.

"What—how—?"

Kara lunged forward, wrapping Mon-El in a bone-shattering hug. She could feel his heart pounding, tears falling into her hair as he gripped her back just as fiercely.

"A second chance," she whispered, burying her face in his shoulder as she inhaled his scent, one she thought she'd never breathe in again.

She had six months to beat Brainiac.

And this time, they were going to win.

Together.

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