A scream cut through the chaos.
People ran in every direction as the traffic lights came crashing down, sparks flying from the torn cables.
Among the crowd, a woman skidded to a halt and looked back—straight at Kara.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, the woman's face twisted with confusion and panic.
Kara's eyes narrowed. The red glow beneath her eyelids flickered to life.
The woman turned and bolted.
Without hesitation, Kara launched forward—moving like a shadow, a blur of black streaking down the pavement. She appeared in front of the woman in less than a second, blocking her escape. Her eyes burned red, hot, and humming with power.
She stepped forward slowly.
"You shouldn't have run," Kara growled, her voice distorted under the red kryptonite's influence.
The woman froze, breath trembling. She shut her eyes tight, bracing for the blast.
But it never came.
A sudden gust of wind.
Boom.
Someone landed between them with the force of a comet.
Dust and debris flared out in all directions as a red cape billowed in the fading sunlight.
The woman looked up, gasping.
It was him.
Superman.
"That's enough, Kara," he said, voice calm but commanding.
Kara's expression twitched.
The red glow in her eyes pulsed brighter.
Kara didn't flinch.
In a blink, she launched herself forward—fist first—and smashed it into Clark's jaw.
The punch echoed through the street like a thunderclap.
Superman staggered back, then was hurled through the air, crashing into a building across the street. Glass exploded outward as he slammed through the windows, tumbling through cubicles and desks. Inside, workers screamed, scattering in every direction as office furniture crumpled beneath his landing.
Before the dust had even settled, Kara burst through the broken window after him, a black blur streaking through the chaos.
Clark barely had time to react—her fist collided with his face again, sending him skidding backward across the tile floor.
He grunted, rolled to his feet, and countered with a clean uppercut that cracked through the air.
WHAM.
Kara's head snapped back—but she didn't fall. Her red-glowing eyes locked onto him, fierce and feral. She hovered in place, then shot forward, ramming her shoulder into his chest and dragging him with her.
They flew through the wall like it was paper.
The next floor collapsed beneath them as they tumbled across steel beams and shattered concrete. Sparks flew. Pipes burst.
Clark groaned, flipping midair—and before he could fully recover, Kara slammed both fists into his chest, sending him rocketing downward.
BOOM.
They broke through the next floor—then the next—crashing all the way to the ground level.
Clark gasped, barely getting his feet under him.
But he didn't hesitate.
He lunged, grabbing Kara by the shoulders, and with a guttural roar, shoved her through the building's wall.
Concrete exploded as they burst into open air. Kara went flying, her black boots skimming the ground as she crashed into a parked car, denting its hood with a metallic crunch.
Alarms blared. Civilians screamed.
Clark floated out through the hole in the building, face tense, eyes locked on her.
"Kara… this isn't you."
For a second, her breathing hitched.
The red in her eyes flickered—like a candle in wind.
She blinked.
Her gaze swept across the chaos—screaming civilians, overturned cars, smoke rising in the distance. Her fists slowly lowered as her lips parted in confusion. The fury was breaking, just for a moment.
Clark took a careful step toward her. "Come with me," he said gently. "Let me help."
Kara stared at him, wide-eyed—like a child pulled out of a nightmare.
But then—
A surge of pain shot through her skull.
"Agh—!" she gasped, staggering back as her eyes reignited, glowing red-hot with rage. The red kryptonite's grip took hold again, stronger this time. Her body jerked, tense and trembling.
Clark's expression hardened. Something's wrong. It wasn't just the red K affecting her physically—this was more than that. Someone was amplifying it. Directing it.
His eyes darted across the street, scanning—
Then he saw him.
A man stood across the street, half-hidden behind a black SUV. Well-dressed. Confident. Smug. And in his hand: a strange, alien-looking device—metallic, humming faintly with energy.
Clark's eyes locked onto him.
That face.
His heart sank.
Lionel Luthor.
The realization hit instantly—burning like ice in his chest. Of course. It all made sense now.
Without hesitating, he shot forward, cutting through the air like a blade toward the man.
But just before he could reach him—
KRAK!
A hand clamped down on his shoulder from behind. Fingers like iron.
"Kara—!"
Too late.
She swung him like a rag doll and hurled him straight into the sky. His body broke the sound barrier, vanishing into the clouds.
She blasted after him.
Midair, they collided—Kara's fists striking hard against Clark's chest. They tumbled through the sky, trading blows like thunderclaps. Shockwaves rocked the city below.
Then—
A misfire.
Kara's punch missed Clark and slammed into the corner of a nearby building as they fell past it.
CRACK—
The structure groaned.
Clark's eyes widened. "No—"
BOOM.
The building collapsed with a deafening roar, crumbling down floor by floor in a plume of concrete and dust—
Right on top of Lionel Luthor.
The ground shook. A shockwave rippled through the street. Chunks of debris scattered like shrapnel.
Clark spun in the air and landed beside the wreckage, panting.
It was too late.
He thought, This man has hurt so many… but does he deserve to die?
The answer didn't come fast enough.
His eyes scanned the ruin—then found the twisted remnants of the device Lionel had been holding, sparks still twitching in the dirt.
There was no saving him.
Not anymore.
Kara let out a low growl, and dove straight at him.
Hovering just feet above the ground, Kara's eyes widened. The red haze cleared, revealing her face—shocked, confused.
She looked around.
The streets were wrecked. Glass shattered. Buildings half-destroyed.
Smoke hung in the air.
People—injured. Some unmoving.
Blood.
Kara's hands trembled as she slowly descended to the ground.
Her boots touched the cracked pavement.
"What… what have I done?" she whispered, voice hollow.
Wee-woo. Wee-woo.
The sirens grew louder in the distance.
Clark stepped toward her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Kara, you need to go," he said softly.
Her lips parted, but no words came. Her eyes filled with disbelief—grief.
She couldn't remember. She didn't want to remember.
Just then, a van screeched to a halt nearby.
Jake and Janet jumped out.
"Let's go," Jake called, urgency in his voice.
Janet approached Kara, her voice softer. "We get it. You can explain later."
Kara hesitated. She turned once more, staring at the chaos she'd caused…
or been used to cause
Kara, silent and shaken, walked slowly toward the van. Each step heavier than the last.
She didn't say a word as Jake opened the door for her.
She climbed in.
The door slammed shut. The engine roared to life.
And just like that, they were gone.