Chapter 15: For the Girl Who Has Everything and a Glimpse of Home
[ADAPT SYSTEM: Host in danger. Threat: Kryptonian combatant (Non's physical strength). Adaptation: Doubled physical strength and durability.]
Adam intercepts a punch from one of Non's soldiers, his body momentarily hardening, then delivers a powerful counter-shove, sending the soldier sprawling. "Seriously, dude? You really want to do this right now? I'm trying to save a friend here!"
The silence from Kara's apartment was deafening. Too quiet. Adam felt a cold dread creep up his spine. He'd tried calling, texting, even sending a carrier pigeon (okay, not really, but he was getting desperate). When Alex called, her voice tight with panic, telling him Kara was unresponsive, covered in a strange, alien plant, Adam knew. The Black Mercy. Of course. Because a perfect dream world is the most insidious torture.
He rushed to Kara's apartment, finding Alex and Winn already there, a frantic energy filling the air. Kara lay on her couch, a beautiful, pulsating alien flower wrapped around her, its tendrils gently caressing her face. A serene, almost blissful smile played on her lips, a stark contrast to the terror in Alex's eyes.
"It's… it's the Black Mercy," Adam said, his voice grim. He knew the lore, the devastating effects. "It traps you in a perfect dream. Your deepest desires. It's a living parasite. It feeds on your life force while you're lost in paradise."
Alex spun around, her eyes wide. "How do you know that?"
"Long story," Adam said, waving a dismissive hand. "But trust me, I've seen this before. In… a very detailed documentary. The only way to break its hold is to shatter the illusion. To introduce something that contradicts the perfect dream. Something painful. Something that reminds them of their real life, their real pain." He looked at Kara, his heart aching. "It's going to be brutal, Alex. But it's the only way."
Alex stared at him, then at Kara, then back at him. She didn't understand how he knew, but there was an undeniable authority in his voice, a desperate urgency that resonated with her own fear. "Pain? What kind of pain?"
"Something that rips her away from Krypton," Adam said, his voice low. "Something that reminds her of her loss. Her responsibilities. Her love for this world. For you." He paused, then looked at Kara, his voice filled with a desperate plea. "Kara! You need to fight it! This isn't real! Krypton is gone! Your family is gone! Alex is here! I'm here! You have a life here! A future!"
Alex, seeing the desperation in his eyes, felt a flicker of understanding. She knew what she had to do. "I have to go in," she said, her voice firm. "I have to make her remember."
As Alex prepared to enter the dream world, the D.E.O. alarms blared. "Non!" Winn yelled, pointing at a monitor. "He's attacking the D.E.O.! He's coming for Kara!"
Adam cursed. "Of course he is. Just when things couldn't get more complicated." He looked at Alex. "Go. Save her. I'll handle this."
Alex hesitated for a second, then nodded, trusting him implicitly. She disappeared into the D.E.O.'s medical bay, where they had set up the equipment to connect her to Kara.
Adam rushed to the main D.E.O. floor, grabbing a discarded alien rifle. He might not have constant superpowers, but he had his Adapt System, his meta-knowledge, and a fierce loyalty to the people he cared about.
Non and his soldiers burst into the D.E.O., a wave of Kryptonian fury. Adam didn't hesitate. He opened fire, aiming for the less vital areas, trying to slow them down, to buy time.
A massive Kryptonian soldier, one of Non's enforcers, charged at him, a blur of muscle and alien rage. Adam braced himself.
[ADAPT SYSTEM: Host in danger. Threat: Kryptonian combatant (Non's physical strength). Adaptation: Doubled physical strength and durability.]
The soldier swung a massive fist, aiming for Adam's head. Adam intercepted the punch, his body momentarily hardening, the impact feeling like a dull thud against a concrete wall, not a human skull. He felt a surge of incredible strength, doubling his own. With a powerful counter-shove, he sent the soldier sprawling backward, crashing into a console.
"Seriously, dude?" Adam quipped, shaking out his hand. "You really want to do this right now? I'm trying to save a friend here! And I'm pretty sure your health insurance doesn't cover 'getting punched by a surprisingly durable human.'"
Non, seeing Adam's unexpected resilience, paused, his eyes narrowing. "Who is this human?" he growled.
Adam just grinned. "Just a guy who really hates alien parasites. And people who mess with his friends." He continued to fight, moving with a speed and strength that belied his human form, intercepting attacks, pushing back soldiers, buying precious seconds for Alex.
The fight was brutal, but Adam held his own, his Adapt System activating whenever a direct threat materialized, making him a surprisingly formidable opponent. He worked in tandem with the D.E.O. agents, a strange, temporary alliance forged in the heat of battle.
Finally, a scream echoed through the D.E.O. Kara. She was awake. The Black Mercy had been broken.
Non, enraged, roared. "She is free! Retreat!"
As Non and his forces withdrew, Adam felt the surge of power from his Adapt System recede, leaving him exhausted but exhilarated. He rushed to the medical bay, finding Kara, pale but awake, wrapped in Alex's arms.
Kara looked up, her eyes finding Adam. She saw the exhaustion, the lingering adrenaline, but also the relief. She remembered. She remembered his voice, cutting through the blissful illusion, reminding her of her real life, her real love.
"He was there," she thought, a fresh wave of emotion washing over her. "Even in my deepest dream, my greatest vulnerability, he was there. Fighting for me. Calling me back."
Adam and Alex exchanged a look, a silent acknowledgment of their shared struggle, their reluctant alliance strengthened by the ordeal.
Later, when Kara was recovering, she found Adam sitting quietly in the D.E.O. cafeteria. She sat beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Thank you, Adam," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "You… you saved me. You brought me back."
Adam put an arm around her, pulling her close. "Always, Kara. Always. You're stuck with me. For better or worse. Mostly worse, if my sarcastic comments are anything to go by." He chuckled softly. "So, idyllic dream world, huh? Mine usually involves unlimited pizza and no Mondays. Yours sounds a bit more… alien. And with less pizza."
Kara laughed, a genuine, heartfelt sound. The laughter was tinged with tears, but it was real. She felt an even deeper connection to Adam, realizing he was there for her even in her deepest vulnerability, pulling her back from a perfect lie.
"He's my home," she realized, closing her eyes, leaning into his warmth. "My real home. Here. With him."
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