Gotchard in DC Ch 27

The sun shone, the sky was blue, and white clouds drifted lazily overhead. The sunlight filtered through the trees, creating patches of warmth on the people below. It was one of those perfect days that just begged for an outing, and Isaac, never one to miss an opportunity, had made good on his promise from the night before, taking Rachel to the amusement park in National City.

After hitting some of the classics—carousel, roller coaster, the works—Isaac saw the faintest hint of a smile on Rachel's usually stoic face. It was progress.

"Isaac, what's that?" Rachel asked, her eyes, usually so guarded, now full of childlike curiosity.

Ice cream in hand, Rachel walked beside Isaac, her gaze darting around, taking in the sights and sounds of the amusement park.

But then, a strange, imposing building caught her attention. A long line snaked out front, hinting at what lay inside. She tugged on Isaac's sleeve, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"Looks like a haunted house. Wanna go?" Isaac replied, looking at the building in question. He couldn't quite make out the sign, but he had a pretty good idea of what it was.

Rachel didn't say anything, but the sparkle in her eyes said it all. Isaac hesitated for a moment before relenting and gesturing towards the haunted house. Together, they started walking towards it.

As they got closer, Isaac's eyes widened. Standing near the entrance, casually leaning against a railing, was Kara Danvers. Her golden hair was loose, and she wore a white T-shirt with the iconic 'S' shield and black jeans, a cup of cola in her hand.

"Kara? What's up? Why are you alone?" Isaac asked, a mix of surprise and slight apprehension in his voice. He hadn't expected to run into Kara at the amusement park.

Despite the complex emotions swirling within him, and a nagging sense of foreboding, he couldn't just ignore her. After all, they were classmates, friends, and it was only polite to say hello. He walked over with Rachel in tow.

But as he got closer, something struck him as odd: Kara wasn't with Alex. The Alex Danvers, who was so protective, so hyper-aware of her sister, had actually let Kara out of her sight? That was… strange.

"Hey, Isaac!" Kara exclaimed, her face lighting up as she spotted him. "I was supposed to meet Alex here, but she got called away for something. So, it's just me for now. Oh, and who's this with you?"

After quickly explaining her solo status at the park, Kara's eyes fell on Rachel, who was partially hidden behind Isaac, staring at her with an intensity that made Kara a little uneasy.

"Oh, right, let me introduce you," Isaac said, stepping to the side to reveal Rachel. He ruffled Rachel's hair, a smile playing on his lips. "Kara, this is Rachel… she's like a little sister to me. Rachel, this is Kara, a good friend of mine."

Hearing the introduction, Kara took a closer look at Rachel, who seemed to be around middle school age. She smiled warmly and extended a hand, her usual vibrant energy radiating outwards. "Hello, Rachel! I'm Kara. It's nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you, Kara," Rachel said, her voice soft but clear. She took Kara's hand, a hint of a smile gracing her lips.

Sensing the warmth and kindness emanating from Kara, and her overall cheerful demeanor, Rachel felt a little like she was standing in front of a miniature sun. Perhaps influenced by this, she actually initiated a conversation. "Kara, are you going to the haunted house too? Do you wanna come with us?"

After a few more minutes of chatting, and seeing Kara's success in engaging Rachel (even if it was mostly Kara doing the talking and Rachel responding with short answers), Isaac had an idea. "Yeah, come on! I was actually kinda scared to go in by myself," he said, playing along with the situation.

Hearing Isaac's invitation, Kara blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered, her smile widening. "That sounds great! I was a little scared to go in alone."

However, inside, Isaac couldn't help but roll his eyes. Seriously? You're a Kryptonian! What are you scared of? Ghosts should be scared of you.

The inside of the haunted house was dark and spooky, with eerie sound effects and actors in costumes jumping out at every turn. It was, as intended, a tense and frightening atmosphere, and all three of them were definitely feeling it.

Although he couldn't quite figure out why Rachel and Kara were so on edge, Isaac himself was starting to feel a little freaked out. Especially with Kara clinging to his arm for dear life, her grip tighter than he expected.

But then, just as they rounded a corner, a wave of dizziness washed over him. The scenery twisted and blurred, and when the three of them regained their senses, they were no longer in the haunted house.

Instead, they found themselves on a vast, barren plain. The sky was a sickly color, and the air was thick with an indescribable sense of dread.

"Where are we?" Kara asked, releasing Isaac's arm and looking around, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"I have no idea," Isaac said, his frown deepening. "But it's definitely not the haunted house anymore."

His senses on high alert, Isaac scanned the surroundings. He didn't know how they'd ended up here, but he knew that caution was paramount.

"Hey, we're not the only ones," Kara said, pointing off into the distance. "Look over there."

Following her gaze, Isaac saw a group of people huddled together, their faces etched with fear and confusion. They were clearly the same group of tourists who had entered the haunted house with them.

"Alright," Isaac said, taking a deep breath. "Let's go meet up with them, figure out what's going on, and find a way to get out of here."

He was about to lead Kara and Rachel towards the group when a low rumble echoed through the air. Four figures descended from the sky, landing a short distance away, drawing everyone's attention.

Leading the group was a strange woman with grayish-white skin and reddish-brown hair. She wore a metal arm guard on her right arm and was dressed in… rather revealing attire. Behind her was a green, lizard-headed monster with feminine features, clad in metal half-plate armor.

The third figure was a tall, menacing creature with a cat-like face, fangs, and long hair covering half its face. It was encased in black metal armor. And finally, there was a being whose body seemed to be made of pure, light purple energy, vaguely humanoid in shape.

Isaac couldn't help but gulp. This was definitely not part of the amusement park experience. "Okay, things just got a whole lot more complicated."