Return From The Future

The week passed in a blur. Savage, driven by renewed purpose, worked day and night to complete the time machine. On the seventh day, Savage stood in front of the machine with a proud look on his face.

"It's done," he said, voice nearly shaking from excitement. "Let's turn it on."

Together, the three gathered around the sleek, oddly elegant machine. As Savage flipped the switch, a deep hum filled the air, followed by a series of crackling sparks… and then silence. The lights dimmed. The machine sat still, lifeless.

Kara's joy crumbled into dust. "Why isn't it working?" she asked, eyes wide with panic. "Why…?"

Savage rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "The dam powering this place doesn't generate enough energy. Not even close."

Ashborn stepped forward, expression calm as ever. "So it needs more power. Got any suggestions on where we can find it?"

Savage furrowed his brow. "About thirty years ago, a group of evolved cockroaches broke into my vault and stole a zero point power generator. That's the only source on Earth strong enough to power this thing."

Ashborn raised a brow. "So… we need to hunt cockroaches?"

Kara blinked. "Why not just create another generator?"

Savage turned to her, his face dead serious. "That would take me fifty years. Care to wait?"

Kara's mouth opened slightly… but no words came out. Her shoulders slumped in silence.

Ashborn gave a decisive nod. "Alright then, let's go get your generator."

Savage nodded as well, though he looked slightly concerned. "Their nest is dangerous, more dangerous than you can imagine."

Ashborn calmly replied "That's fine."

Then Ashborn gaze moved to Kara and said "Once the two of us return with the generator, we go back. Don't panic, we are almost done" 

But Kara's face changed. She tensed. "Wait… you're going to the cockroach nest with Savage? Alone?"

Ashborn nodded.

Kara stepped forward, voice firm. "Absolutely not. I'm coming with you."

Ashborn met her eyes and shook his head. "No. You have no powers, and you'd bring more harm than good if something went wrong. You know I'm right."

Kara clenched her fists, wanting to protest… but after a moment, her shoulders fell. "Fine," she said bitterly, retreating to the living room of Savage's home. She watched the door as they left, worry filling her chest.

___________

High above the forest floor, Ashborn and Savage rode on the backs of giant dragonflies, wings humming in rhythmic pulses. The air grew thicker as they neared a cratered valley cloaked in fungus and decay, the cockroach nest.

As they hovered above, Ashborn stood, peering at the dark abyss below.

"Lower yourself," Savage hissed. "They're aggressive and deadly. If they see us…"

But Ashborn raised a hand. "Whatever happens down there… no word of it reaches Kara."

Savage blinked. "What?"

The air shifted.

The earth beneath them darkened as if the sun had been swallowed. From Ashborn's feet, shadows spilled out like a tsunami. They surged across the land, flowing into the valley like liquid night. From within the abyss of shadow, figures rose, shapes that moved like whispers, silent and dreadful, ready to obey.

Savage turned slowly, eyes wide. "You… you have superpowers."

Ashborn didn't look at him. "I enjoy my laid-back life. If the world knew what I could really do, they'd never leave me alone. It's annoying."

"And remember," Ashborn added, his voice low and calm, "Kara must never know."

Savage, still stunned, gave a slow smile. "Not a word would reach her."

The shadows surged forward and the hunt began.

___________

Kara sat in the quiet of Savage's home, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees as she rested her chin on them. The room, though warm and clean, felt like a prison. Time crawled painfully slow. Her thoughts were loud, too loud to escape.

[What if they fail? What if they never come back? What if I'm stuck here… forever?]

Her grip tightened.

She tried to push the thoughts away, tried to believe Ashborn would return. He won't leave her all alone in this forsaken place. But this was different. This time, he went into danger without her. And she hated how helpless that made her feel. Her gaze stayed fixed on the door, as if staring hard enough would summon him back.

Minutes felt like hours. Hours felt like days.

The heavy silence pressed against her chest until it became hard to breathe. And just as tears welled in her eyes, just as her hope began to fray, the door creaked open.

Kara's head shot up.

Savage stepped through, his arms cradling a glowing sphere that pulsed like a miniature sun. Its light cast soft golden shadows across the walls.

And right behind him… Ashborn.

Kara bolted to her feet, eyes wide. "You… you succeeded!"

Savage chuckled, stepping aside to let Ashborn in fully. "Thanks to him," he said, nodding at the man behind him, "things went easier than I expected. He was… more than I imagined."

Ashborn gave Kara a small smile. "Told you not to panic."

Kara's breath caught in her throat, not from worry this time, but from joy and overwhelming relief. "We're really going back?"

Savage placed the glowing generator beside the time machine, the soft hum of power already starting to resonate through the floor.

"Yes," he said with certainty. "Now we send you two back to your timeline."

Kara nodded, her eyes shining. The despair that had weighed her down only moments ago was already being swept away by the growing light, both from the generator, and from hope.

___________

The funeral of Ashborn Black and Supergirl was unlike any other the world had seen. Held in the heart of Metropolis, people from all walks of life gathered under a somber sky, united in grief and gratitude. They came to honor two great individuals.

Mourners surrounded Superman, offering their condolences in quiet reverence. Many were there for Kara, grateful for the countless lives she'd saved, the hope she'd inspired. But even more had come for Ashborn.

His employees filled the front rows, rows of faces marked by tears, silent stares, and memories too fresh to fade. Some cried quietly, others openly wept, unable to comprehend the loss of the man who had given them purpose and a second chance.

On one side stood a somber collection of ex-villains, most of whom had once been feared and reviled, but who now looked broken. They weren't there as criminals, they were there as mourners, grieving not just a leader but a friend.

To many of them, Ashborn had been more than a boss, he had been the only one to believe in them. The only one who saw them as people.

Rex clung tightly to Ace, the girl standing stoically with her arms crossed. Her eyes were dry, she spoke calmly.

"My adopted father is going to come back," she said. "I trust him."

Rex let out a sob and hugged her even tighter. Those around them lowered their eyes, heartbroken. Just as she had found someone who treated her like family, without fear or judgment, she had lost him. But the truth is, she believed he was fine. She knew what he truly is.

Lex Luthor and Amanda Waller stood to the side, their presence unexpected but not unwelcome. They had come not to manipulate or connive, but to honor their partner's memory. Lex respected Ashborn's brilliance. Waller respected the way he conducted his business. 

When the final words were spoken, the crowds dispersed, some silent, some weeping, all carrying the weight of uncertainty.

What would the future hold now?

___________

A week later, Superman still felt the ache in his chest. Metropolis looked the same, but it felt emptier. Kara's absence echoed through the skies. And Ashborn… he had been a man unlike any other.

He should've been here. They both should have. But he failed them that day.

If it weren't for the Flash and Wonder Woman intervening that day, Superman might have killed Toyman in his fury. He couldn't let go. Not yet.

But as he flew high above the city, a shimmer of white light flickered in his periphery.

He hovered in place, eyes narrowing as the light coalesced into a spiraling portal, brilliant in gold, streaked with black and white. Civilians on the streets below backed away, unsure of what they were witnessing.

Superman flew closer.

Then froze midair.

Two figures stepped out of the light.

Kara.

Ashborn.

For a moment, he didn't move. He didn't breathe. Then he bolted forward, faster than a thought.

Kara's eyes lit up as she saw him. "Kal-El," she called out, her voice breaking into a wide, relieved smile. "I'm so glad to see you again!"

Superman caught her in a tight embrace, holding her like he'd never let go. "I thought you were dead," he whispered.

Ashborn stepped out from the edge of the portal as he looked around. "How long have we been gone?"

Superman, still stunned, replied, "Two weeks. We even had your funerals."

Ashborn sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Uncle Rex won't let me walk away from this in peace… Savage should've sent us a two weeks earlier."

Superman blinked, confused. "What… happened to you two?"

Ashborn gestured toward Kara. "She'll fill you in. I, on the other hand, have a lecture to endure… and probably a few angry people to face."

Without another word, he walked away toward Shadow Corp.

Superman turned to Kara.

She smiled tiredly and said, "It's a long story."