SuperCorp Chronicles

Chapter 136

Quick update: Tara Markov/Terra is portrayed by Peyton List and Rose Wilson/Silverstrike is Dianne Doan.

"Brainy, how much time do I have?" Supergirl asked as she raced towards an incoming object that the Watchtower had detected entering Earth's atmosphere, traveling at high speed and burning up and its trajectory had it headed straight for National City, though it was moving too fast for its scanners to determine exactly what it was.

"Approximately 10 seconds to make contact with the incoming object before it hits downtown, causing unknown amounts of damage and risking the lives of the public. Given your current speed and trajectory, you should make it in time for an intercept." Brainy said over the comms.

"Good. I feel bad enough I had to leave Kora while she's still adjusting, but I'm the closest hero who's qualified to deal with it in the vicinity." Supergirl said as she raced towards the projectile, which she could now see without her super vision, since it was basically a big ball of fire.

She quickly flew towards the object and quickly used her freeze breath to put out the flames before moving to get in front of the object and began pushing back against it to slow it down.

The heat rolling off the object was intense, even after her freeze breath smothered the flames. Supergirl braced her shoulders against the scorched metal, boots digging furrows through the air as she pushed. The impact rattled her bones — whatever this was, it was heavy, far denser than any satellite or debris she'd intercepted before.

"Almost... got you..." she muttered, teeth clenched as she forced the object's descent to slow. The shriek of metal grinding against the atmosphere faded into a low, ominous hum.

"Kara," Brainy's voice crackled in her ear, "I am detecting a rapid increase in internal energy signatures. You may be dealing with—"

The object shuddered violently.

"—something alive."

Supergirl's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yes, according to my scans, there appears to be a lifeform inside the object. It appears to be some kind of transport pod. Due to the limited resolution of the images and the pod's speed, I can't determine exactly where it came from." Brainy said.

"I'll try to get a better look at it after I finish guiding it to a place where it can't hurt anyone." Supergirl said as she did her best to redirect the pod to the outskirts of the city, which was pretty much just empty space and let it crash into the ground, digging into the dirt as it did as Supergirl did her best to slow it until finally it came to a stop.

"Well, that wasn't too hard." Supergirl said as she finally took a good look at the pod and was stunned at what it was.

"Supergirl, are you okay?" Brainy asked over the comms.

"Yeah. And the pod, it's Kryptonian." Supergirl said.

"Repeat that, did you say Kryptonian?" Brainy asked, hoping he'd misheard her, since he remembered some old stories he'd heard in the future about one of Supergirl's enemies. He just hoped he was wrong about it. But he doubted it.

"Yes. Be prepared to tell Argo City that we're sending another refugee their way." Supergirl said, right as the top of the pod burst off and Supergirl didn't even have a chance to see who was inside before a blur of crimson flew out and sent her flying back.

"What the hell?" Supergirl asked as her attacker planted their foot on her chest.

"Kara Zor-El. I bet you never thought you'd see me again." the voice of a young woman, who sounded around Supergirl's age, said as Supergirl looked up to see a blonde woman standing over her.

"Who are you?" Supergirl asked, since while there was something familiar about this woman, she just couldn't place it.

"I shouldn't be surprised you don't remember me. After all, you forgot me easily enough. It was your job to protect me and you failed." the woman snapped and after seeing the symbol on her chest.

"Astraea." Supergirl said after hearing that, Brainy closed his eyes, since his worst fears were confirmed.

"So you do remember me?" Astraea Vox of the house of Vox, said.

"You were just a child the last time I saw you." Supergirl said.

"A child you were supposed to protect. But you failed." Astraea said as her eyes glowed with power, only for Supergirl to fly up and send her flying back.

"You don't have to do this Astraea." Supergirl said, since she really didn't want to fight this kid, but it was clear that she might not have a choice.

"Yes I do. You abandoned me and left me to die, forgetting I ever existed." Astraea said.

"That's not true." Supergirl protested.

"Admit it. You didn't even give me a second thought. You left me to rot while you became a hero. You were supposed to protect Kal-El and me. You failed on both counts." Astraea said as she launched herself at Supergirl, ramming into the girl of steel at full speed and breaking at least two of her ribs.

"I didn't know you made it off Krypton. I thought my pod was the last one to escape before the planet exploded." Supergirl tried to justify.

"Liar." Astraea roared.

"It's true. I spent over two decades asleep in the phantom zone before my pod made it to Earth." Supergirl tried to explain, but Astraea wouldn't hear anything about it.

"You don't deserve to wear this symbol." Astraea said as she used her vision to blast the S off Supergirl's chest and damage her suit.

Supergirl screamed in pain as she felt the blistering heat pierce her suit, since Kryptonian heat vision was one of the few things that could hurt a Kryptonian on Earth. But the pain of Astraea's accusations hurt even more. Especially since Supergirl knew there was a little bit of truth to what she was saying.

"Supergirl, hold on, reinforcements are on their way." Brainy said over the comms, only for Astraea to pull her comms out and crush it.

"No help is coming for you." Astraea sneered as gripped Supergirl's cape tightly and tore it off.

"Astraea please, don't do this." she begged from the assault, voice cracking.

"Don't you dare beg me. Fight back. Show me the great hero you've become." Astraea snarled at her.

"No, I won't fight you. It doesn't have to be this way. We can still be part of each other's lives. Like our parents wanted." Supergirl said, gasping heavily through the pain.

"No. You lost that chance when you chose to lose me. You abandoned me. A child." Astraea said.

"I was a child too. I didn't know." Supergirl began, only for Astraea to cut her off.

"You didn't want to know. You spent the time sleeping peacefully in your pod while I was forced to be awake and dwell in the darkness. In the shadows." Astraea snapped as she blasted Supergirl's leg with her heat vision.

"I didn't choose for any of this to happen." Supergirl protested.

"You chose Earth over the two people you were supposed to protect. How can you protect this planet if you couldn't even protect us?" Astraea asked as she used the remnants of Supergirl's cape a start to choke her out, only to be stopped when she felt two smaller individuals slam into her, knocking her away and she turned to see Powergirl and Darkstar standing over their mentor.

"Get away from my sister." Powergirl said angrily.

"We need to get her out of here. She needs help." Darkstar told her.

"There is no escape from my wrath." Astraea said, only to be knocked back by Powergirl's heat vision.

"Let's go." Powergirl said as they each grabbed one of Supergirl's arms and flew her to safety.

Astraea is portrayed by Milly Alcock.