The Future - SuperFlash [2]

Chapter 7: Reaching For Hope

The residual shock of being teleported onto Brainiac's Skull Ship and finally coming face to face with the mastermind had worn off, replaced by the realization that they finally had a chance to end this once and for all. Brainiac simply stared at Barry and Kara as they stood ready to fight, an almost disappointed look making its way across his features as he clicked his tongue. "All I want is the survival of your world. You must realize I have to do this for Earth's survival. For it's legacy."

He sighed heavily as they began their attack, attempting to flank the alien from either side and overpower him, but it was to no avail. Mechanical tendrils shot up from the floor, ensnaring them and dragging them inside of the cell Nia was being held in. The Collector Of Worlds cocked his head slightly to one side, studying their futile attempts to break free.

The three heroes worked in tandem, attempting to escape from their prison. "It is truly fascinating watching all of you work together to fight the Inevitable. I am merely preserving this planets beauty, before you wretched humans can destroy it. I cannot fathom why you do not understand that."

Barry turned to look at Nia and Kara who were giving everything they got, but the energy shield surrounding the tendrils wasn't budging. Kara was throwing fist after fist at the cell, slashing it with it her heat vision, Nia was doing everything she could with her powers but she seemed physical exhausted. He swiveled, looking out of the ships view port and seeing that the pillars were moving into position. Time was running out. He began vibrating, the lightning surrounding him completely, making it impossible to see the man in the scarlet suit underneath. He slammed his fist into the tendrils, letting the lightning disperse at the same time Kara slammed her hands together, forming a thunderous boom and Nia released a huge burst of energy. A few moments later the mechanics of the ship unraveled and fell to the ground and the energy shield faded away from the sheer force of their combined powers.

He and Kara moved quickly, immediately slamming Brainiac into the wall of his ship and unloading a flurry of hits. They stopped when the Coluan simply chuckled. The couple let him fall to the ground as they looked out at the planet below them. Kara and Barry were frozen in place as they gazed upon the desolate planet that remained before them. They had no idea what to make of what had just occurred.

Barry dropped to his knees next to Nia and Kara as the twelth level intellect whispered the horrifying confirmation that he was successful in his venture. "Oh God." Barry whispered, covering his mouth with his gloved hand. They had failed.

Kara was frozen in shock, staring down at the crater that was once National City before her ears started ringing, and she screamed out in pain, dropping to the ground. "Kara!? What's wrong!? " Barry asked, confused and concerned. The scarlet speedster turned to look at Brainiac. "What did you do to her you son of a bitch!"

"Voices. Billions of them." Kara whispered weakly, pointing towards the ceiling of the ship. Nia and Barry raised their eyeline to see hundreds of thousands of minituraized landscapes shrunken down and put in spheres levitating above them. All the civilizations Brainiac had collected from across the universe, that's where all the voices where coming from, all the people were still alive, trapped inside of his displays.

"It is beautiful isn't it?" Brainiac waved his hand, and the displays floated down to their eye level. They looked over the little displays. Gotham, Metropolis, Atlantis, Gorilla City, and thousands of other civilizations from across the Universe used as his personal decorations. That's when Barry noticed the tiny figures of other heroes that were left behind when Brainiac transported him and Kara here standing miniaturized inside the display case for National City.

The trinity of heroes were speechless, they had failed Earth. All that remained on the planet was the cities the coluan deemed unworthy of preservation and the craters where cities once laid.

Their focus shifted to the Coluan as he regained his balance, an almost remorseful look taking over his features. "Forgive me." He said grimly as he unsheathed a peice of kryptonite, bringing Kara to her knees once again as its effects immediately worked their way through her Kryptonian biology.

"Stop!"  Barry screamed, his eyes beginning to tear up as he looked at Kara’s agonized face as she writhed in pain.  Not before long he felt his concern morph into something else entirely. Anger. His entire body tensed as he clenched his fists, wanting nothing more than to crush every bone in Brainiac’s body and drive his hand through his heart. But he couldn't. Not only was he using Brainy as a host, he wouldn't stoop to that unfathomable level of despair.

Instead he began running to unarm the being of his weapon and thus stop Kara's excruciating pain, but his venture was ceased as he felt two tendrils wrap around his frame tightly. He easily phased out of the metal, but soon found himself ensnared in yet another energy shield, unable to escape. "You must know, at first I only meant to preserve this worlds beauty, but alas I am dying and you, Barry Allen, are the key to my survival. I am sorry for what Kara is experiencing right now, but she cannot get in the way of my destiny."

Barry grimaced as he felt needles began peircing into his skin, attempting to extract the very speedforce from his body. He looked over at Kara and let the tears fall as she reached out for his hand despite the pain she was enduring. He extended his hand but he could only rest it on the energy shield. She reciprocated, laying her hand on the material that held Barry. He met her eyes, seeing all the love she wanted to say to him and that made even more tears fall from the crevices of his eyes. "I love you." He spoke softly, and he saw Kara's mouth replay the words back to him, wishing he could hear that angelic voice.

Barry's attention snapped back to the coluan as Brainiac stumbled against the wall of his ship, the energy shield dispersing as Brainiac struggled to regain his equilibrium. "I wont let you hurt them anymore!" Nia shouted, her voice seeping into his head like daggers.

"How?" He whispered in bewilderment, clutching his forehead. "My mind is impenetrable! A simple Earthing is no match for my intellectual capabilities." He spoke arrogantly and winced as he felt Nia prod and poke at his mind over and over. Barry sped over, grabbing the Kryptonite off the ground quickly. He phased his hand through the ship and dropped it onto the Earth below, looking over at Kara in relief as she slowly regained her strength.

Nia walked up to the Coluan, placing both of her hands on his forehead as she tried to break through his minds barrier completely. "I've put him to sleep, but his mind is strong, so I have to make this quick."

"Make what quick?" Barry asked, slinging Kara's arm over his shoulders and helping her to back up to her feet.

"I'm going to save Brainy." She said as she closed her eyes.