-----
-----
Justice League Headquarters
The conversation was wrapping up.
Everyone got up, and Jiro's group looked ready to head out.
Clark stepped in front of Kara. "Wherever you go, remember—Kryptonian blood always connects us."
Kara gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Kal. I hope we meet again someday."
Diana walked up and handed Kara an Amazonian charm. "Keep this with you. It'll protect you on your journey."
Barry scratched his head, grinning. "Hey, don't be a stranger! Come back and visit sometime—we could form a Kryptonian squad!"
Jiro raised his hand, and golden sparks spun in the air, forming a stable portal.
Through it, they could see the living room of a villa.
"Ready?" Wanda giggled and took Kara's hand.
Kara took a deep breath and gave one last look at the heroes of this world. Then she nodded.
The three of them stepped through the portal. A flash of golden light—and they were gone.
Marvel Universe — Long Island Villa
"Welcome home, sir," the villa's AI, Turing, greeted them.
"New visitor detected. Permissions updated."
Kara stood in the spacious living room, slowly looking around.
Outside the windows was a stunning view of the ocean. Smart-home systems automatically adjusted the lighting. A holographic display showed rotating pieces of art on the wall.
"You guys really know how to live it up," Kara said with a laugh.
Jiro tossed his jacket onto the couch. "Well, comfort matters when you're gonna be staying long."
Wanda eagerly dragged Kara toward the stairs. "Come on! Let's pick your room! This place has twelve bedrooms!"
Kara followed her up the spiral staircase. "You guys live here all the time? No other teammates?"
"Just the three of us for now." Wanda pushed open a door.
"How's this one? Ocean view, best sunlight."
Kara stepped in, touched the silk bedsheets, and looked out at the endless sea. "Way better than a prison cell."
Then Wanda's eyes lit up like she just remembered something. "Oh! Tomorrow I'll take you to New York! There's this dessert place you have to try. You'll love it!"
Downstairs, Jiro's voice floated up. "Don't start planning trips just yet. Come down and help with dinner."
Wanda leaned in and whispered, "He's always like this. But he's really a good guy."
Kara stepped out onto the balcony, letting the sunset wash over her face.
In this strange new world, for the first time in forever… she felt at peace.
"Thanks, Wanda," she said softly.
"And thank you, Jiro."
Wanda leaned against the railing, her red hair blowing in the sea breeze. "Welcome to our world, Kara."
Night falls.
The three of them were sitting on the living room couch. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sea shimmered under the night sky.
Kara's eyes glowed faintly with that distinct Kryptonian light.
Her super-brain was processing this entire world at lightning speed.
Everything about this dimension flooded her consciousness like a tidal wave of data.
Then—her pupils suddenly shrank. Her body leaned forward slightly. Her hand clenched the armrest without realizing it.
Wanda noticed right away. "Kara? What's wrong?"
Kara slowly looked up, eyes flicking between Jiro and Wanda—then locking on Jiro's calm face.
"You… why didn't you tell me?"
Her voice was tight.
Wanda blinked. "Tell you what?"
Kara took a deep breath. She said the next words slowly and clearly:
"Why didn't you tell me I'm a comic book character?"
Wanda froze. Her mouth opened a little, but no words came out.
She instinctively looked at Jiro, silently asking for help.
Jiro had seen this coming. He raised a hand calmly. "Easy, Kara."
"In your original world, you were a real, living person. Here, your story exists as a comic—but that doesn't change who you are."
His voice was steady. "Same thing happened to me. I don't know why I ended up in this world either. We're all just travelers across dimensions."
Kara's golden hair shimmered under the light. Her expression slowly shifted from shock to thoughtfulness.
Her Kryptonian mind raced, breaking down this new truth in real time.
"So... to you guys, my whole life—everything I went through—all the pain, the struggles… they're just a story?" she asked quietly.
Wanda quickly shook her head. "No! That's not what it means, Kara."
She looked Kara right in the eye. "You're here. With us. You're real. What you've felt, what you've experienced—it all matters."
Jiro nodded. "It's just how different dimensions perceive things. When I first got here, I didn't know anyone. Everything was brand new to me too."
Kara was quiet for a moment.
Then suddenly… she chuckled.
"Well, this is definitely a first," she said, shoulders finally relaxing. "A Kryptonian finding out she's a comic book character? My dad would never believe this."
Wanda let out a huge sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you're okay with it. Honestly, I didn't know how to break it to you."
The tension faded from the room. You could hear the distant sound of waves outside, and the lights adjusted gently on their own.
Wanda stood up. "Hang on, I'm getting ice cream. We have to celebrate this."
Kara watched her run to the kitchen, then turned to Jiro and whispered, "Thanks for being honest. But…"
A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes.
"Now I'm really curious—how do the comics describe you?"
Jiro gave a little cough. "Honestly? I'm guessing I'm like a side-version of a Kryptonian or something."
Wanda called out from the kitchen, "I just got hungry—Kara, wanna cook something together?"
"Love to," Kara called back with a smile, standing up.
She looked over her shoulder one last time. "Thanks again."
Jiro nodded and smiled. "Anytime."
Ten Minutes Later
Wanda and Kara were busy in the kitchen. The sound of clinking pots and drifting aroma filled the villa.
Wanda was enthusiastically explaining Earth's different spices, while Kara, moving at super-speed, chopped vegetables in a blur of silver flashes.
"This one's called chili powder in China, but it probably won't affect a Kryptonian much."
"I can analyze its molecular structure. Yeah, it's got a serious kick."
"Oh yeah? What about this? My homemade Hungarian paprika sauce!"
Jiro was still in the living room, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest.
"Turing, anything to report the last few days?"
The AI's voice came down from the ceiling. "Sir, Mr. Stark has attempted to contact you three times in the past 48 hours. I responded that you were currently unavailable."
Jiro raised an eyebrow. "Tony? What happened?"
Turing continued, "It's about the Hulk. Dr. Banner was surrounded by General Ross's troops two nights ago at Culver University. Based on the surveillance footage, he showed up voluntarily to protect Miss Betty Ross."
"....."