The ship, and it's little speech system. It grew "louder" and "louder", trying to find someone who would understand it's distress signal. Given enough time, it probably would have found one. However, fate was not so kind, and in her ears, she heard the track begin to drag, and wind, and ultimately, sputter out. Apparently, the ship hit just a BIT harder than one would have liked, undoubtedly the retrofire systems were damaged in the initial explosion of Krypton.
"Communication failure. Engaging environment radar drone." See, Earth had been probed before. It was confirmed the planet was habitable to Kryptonians in their current state of being around a red sun. But there WAS a backup system. The transuit was meant for short term survival, but since the distress signal wasn't going to retrieve any hope, as it seemed at the moment, it had to make sure this environment was habitable enough for Kara to survive long term. The back slope on the top of the ship opened up, and a cylindrical pole, maybe one and one half feet shot straight out into the air, the pop and whoosh jilting Kara as she spun around to see what was happening. A ping sound went off, as the cylinder breaks in half, and two flexible sheets around a circular silver orb unwinds and spins to life. Blue eyes watch in wonder as the little fan spins up high into the air, and hovers around. Small circles at first, then wider, taking samples, and observing topography. Several minutes pass until is spins back down to the ground, and plops next to the downed ship.
"Respiration quality air has been detected. Atmosphere is stable to support life. Caution. Radioactive elements have been found. Removal of transuit is not recommended." And then, Kara would speak her first words.
"
Of course it's not recommended," a sarcastic, and definitely pride filled voice came from the muffled speaker of the helmet. She looked around, and tons of glowing green rock was all around her. In her many years of education, this rock was not actually on the database. "Must be foreign," she mumbled and the HUD on her helmet began to flicker to life, giving her a breif map of the area around her. Lots of green. Whole lots of it. She knew how to read the maps, being part of her education while on the ship, and was not impressed with what she saw. It basically said there WAS life similar to what was left behind from the probe long ago, it was just a good long distance away. There was also a little caution light: and it basically denoted she had 25 minutes of stored crystallized air left. A frown of more resembling frustration struck her face. An arrow lit up on her HUD, and with a sigh, she began to walk along it's path. She walked down what seemed like a beaten down path, really being a road, with what seemed like a stomp more than anything else, kicking up dust with her gray boots.
23 minutes pass, and she looks at her flashing two minute warning light. A grumble as she thinks how dumb it's going to be for her to die from asphixiation when there WAS air out there. The drone knew it, but that damned radioactive substance kept her from opening the helmet, and letting some air in. But no, she had to "breathe," if that's what you want to call it, this thick smog that tasted of hell.
"
Forget this!" A frustrated Kara yells out, and begins to claw at the transuit's helmet locks. There was no warning. She must've been out of range of her ship. That kind of made her heart sink, the ship was kind of like family. Well, the only family she ever knew. Which was funny to think about, since the ship never taught her anything about her family, or her planet. Very odd, probably didn't matter. Why would it? It's not like she was THERE, she was HERE, on some planet apparently filled with this radioactive element that she was about to rip this helmet off to let in and kill her. Better than suffocating to death if it's quick.
The last lock disengages, and a heated blast of pressurized air bursts forth, as the HUD disengages, and she pulls the helmet off. She takes a deep, deep breath, and coughs. Then buckles over and vomits. The air was weird. Too weird. Made her nautious at first. But... it was odd, the nausia was spreading over her body. Well, not TECHNICALLY nausia, but it's feeling. This must be what the radiation feels like. I just HAS to. The feeling just raged on, but it wasn't going to stop her. Maybe... maybe if she got to the town, they might be able to help her. She began to push on, holding her stomach, her body lurching. That is, until a truck came along. Kind of a brown truck. She didn't even recognize what it was. She thought it was just some monster of some sort and initially stumbled over backward trying to avoid it at first. A few rolls later, and she was vomiting again as the door to that truck opened, and a man came runnjing out to see just what the hell was going on.
"Hey hey! You okay there?!" He yelled out to her. She was a little confused, it wasn't the language she was taught in, but she KNEW the language all the same. And in a slightly sarcastic voice, she responded, "
I think I'm dying, what does it look like?" The man rushed over, and picked her up. He was a portly man, wearing a red hat, and a flannel shirt half tucked into jeans, and brown work boots. He wore huge sunglasses, and was sweating heavily from his bald scalp under his hat. He's probably dying too, she figured. He heaved her, heavier than he expected, and put her in the inside of the truck. "Good thing yer hair's short there, miss. Don't want it done gettin' stuck in the door." She didn't really hear him, but when he closed that door, the burning, the pain, the nausea, it just began to dissapate. The windows were a little dark, but hell, trading some sight for comfort was much better. The driver got in the other side and looked at her, "What the hell were you doin' out there? Dressed up like that? You some sort of space woman or somethin'?" His questions were odd. Very odd. But probably merited. Her transuit WAS much different than his clothing.
"
Maybe... Why don't we burn in here?" She asked him, half groggy. He just quirked one of his graying brows and said,
"Burn? What are you talkin' bout?" His face jiggled as he talked. She found it a little funny looking, but wasn't exactly in the mood to laugh. "Oh! You must mean the heat. Been one hellavuh hot one today. I swear, if it weren't for these UV tintin' patches on these here windows, I'd be frying up too. In that suit, I bet you're a hundred degrees at least. Name's Jeff, Jeff Williams. Pleasure to meet you miss."
"
Kara." She said to him.
"Karen, you say?" He mistakenly heard.
"
Sure, whatever." She was tired, and just a little annoyed by the sound of his voice. But man was it good to be in the truck, not burning. "What's UV anyway?"
"UV? You been under a rock or somethin? I figgered you knew, being all dressed up in that there NASA gear. It's Ultra Violet radiation girl. Comes from the sun. This here coverin' protects us from most of that there sun's rays. Hell, I took a few classes, I aint so dumb myself, ya know."
Sure, just sound like an idiot, she thought as she looked out of the window. There were these giant poles, with wires on them, leading somewhere. And soon, she saw where. Building slowly came into view. There, they could help her. That is, until some sort of animal ran out in front of the truck she was in.
"HOLLEE CRAAP!!!" The driver yelled as he swerved around the canine. Bad call too, as he hit one of those big brown poles. And guess what? Kara had decided NOT to follow the actions of the driver, and wear a seat belt. So out she went, cruising through the windshield, and out to an incoming pack of more canines.
The driver, suprised, dazed, and groggy coming out of his airbag, saw Kara getting mauled by those dogs. He fumbled around the back, eventually pulling out some form of shotgun, and opened the door, knowing that the coyotes were already there trying to eat the injured, if not dead, Kara. But when he got out, something totally different was happening. It started by one coyoted cruising over his windshield, a thick snap from the dog, and a cracking in the windshield itself. One coyote had it's jaw around her left arm, and the others were on her legs. With her right hand, she grabbed the dog by the leg, and ripped it off, throwing it. She followed suit with the other dogs, and the dogs, knowing there's no food there, retreat.
"Damn girl!! That was some power you had behind that throw!!" And she turned to him, a look of pure anger upon her face. It was kind of funny, in a way. This man was just happy to see her alive, but now, was terrified, seeing her angry, and knowing what she just did to eighty pound dogs. "N-now, miss. I don't mean you no harm," he said tossing the shotgun away, not wanting to upset her any further.
"
Wait, I'm not-"
"Seriously, I won't be tellin nobody miss space lady. I just want to get back in my truck, and go home. I promise not to-"
"
Wait!" a rather impatient Kara started to yell out.
And this is where the man just decided to bolt for it. He took off, down the mesa. And Kara sighed, he was the only one she knew at the moment, and needed him to take her to some sort of medical area to help her.
"
Huh?" Now thinking about it. The feeling had gone. Instead, she felt... peppy. Hyper almost. Like she just woke up from a rather refreshing night of rest.
She was quite puzzled, until she heard barking, and a rushing sound. Barking? She looked up, the dogs had NOT left. And their new meal was the older man who left behind his only weapon. She took off in a run. She really didn't think he was going to get hurt. Until the first dog got on top of him. And she saw a red mist spraw from under the yellow weed patch they were in. She picked up speed. She knew what blood was, and that blood coming out was dangerous. Some of the dogs saw her coming in, whined, and just took off. But not the dog that claimed his prize, he didn't even notice. And he probably wouldn't know what just kicked him into next week, or what broke his ribs, or just what would spell out his unfortunate doom as Kara's boot found contact with the side of the dog. If she thought this action would kill the dog, she most definitely wouldn't have done that, but she thought it was stronger than that.
Breathing hard, she looked out at the motionless dog that took a few rolls at a couple hundred yards away from her light punt before it stopped. And then heard some scrambling. The old man was now MORE scared than before, as she was still looking pissed. He was backing up on his hands and feet, scrambling, and whispering prayers beneath his breath. Kara tried to hold out her hands and calm him, but he just... dissapeared. No, no. He fell, there was a deep river right next to them. That's that rushing sound she heard earlier. And man was he tumbling fast. Well, she already knew she was a heck of a lot more durable, and mindlessly, jumped after him. Her only thought really being, "
Why the hell does a town get built THIS close to danger?" She got down faster, she was a bit more aerodynamic, and grabbed onto him holding him close. But actually took care not to crush him. Apparently, things were fragile where she was. And then just clenched her eyes, fully expecting to hit a bunch of rocks and dying or something. Clenched. Waiting. Expecting. Waiting. What the hell was the damn hold up?!?! And she opened her left eye slowly. She saw the rock, less than five inches from her face, her hair touching the ground. And she WAS upside down. So what the hell was going on? She looked down at the old man, who was looking like he was having a stroke with the situation, and then noticed she was not being held up by anything. She was stuck mid-air. Her eyes opened wide in suprise, but that quickly ended as she just fell, and rolled over, opposite direction of the old man.
He stood up first, grabbing several areas of himself, trying to check himself. "Y-you saved my life?! You jumped off that edge after me and saved my life!" He was in massive suprise. His glasses were gone, and shocked green eyes took their place. "Y-you were holding us in the air! How'd you do that?" And she rubbed her head, it didn't hurt, but her hair was messed up, and for whatever reason, that bugged her.
"
I...don't know. Listen. I don't know where I am, but I do need help. Can you please take me back to the town?"
"Well... sure. But my truck's up there. Maybe you can... umm... fly us back up there?" And she just stared at him, slightly annoyed, and looked up. The sun beat down upon her, and the steep was quite high. A sigh as she stood up and closed her eyes. The original feeling was quite weird. But she barely was able to mimic it, and she felt the ground dissapear beneath her.
"Hey!! Wait up!!" A voice, kind of far off yelled at her. And she looked down, and saw the man at least twenty feet below her. Her eyes opened wide, and she faltered, but she lowered herself slowly, and grabbed him by under his arms, and began to float up again to the steep. She just decided to fly to his truck, but was not happy to find it in it's condition.
"Broken... My truck's broken!" The poor man yelled. And she sighed, grabbing him from behind the arms again, and began to lift into the air. It seemed super easy to her now. Well, almost super easy. She still had a few problems.
"
Look. I'm going to need some clothes and a place to stay..." She began to complain.
"Sure thing! I live in that there town, you can stay with my family there."
BANG!!!
"
What was that?!" Kara was looking around desperately.
"What was what?"
"
That bang?" She looked down at him. Then she began to hear screams.
"Huh?" He was confused. But she had no time. Narrowing her eyes, she instinctively just picked up speed, lots of it. And was now rushing towards the town. There was a group of men, all wearing clothes similar to the old man, but they were young, and bearing guns. One person was already on the ground as she set him down from a little further off. She could see them, but they couldnt' see her. She closed her eyes, and shook her head, her eyes hurt. And when she opened them, the men were far away. A bit suprised, but not as suprised as they were going to be when she got there. I take that back, she was MORE suprised. Remember than nanobot transuit? Yeah, JUST ran out of power. What do nanobots do when they run out of power? They fall apart. And that's JUST what they did. And left a very buff, and very exposed, Kara. She first noticed it when she got a little cold, and then when everybody saw her. Jeers and catcalls came her way as the old man grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her into some sort of building.
"Cover yourself up there!!" he complained. Though he wasn't exactly telling her to her face. She didn't really seem to care as she looked around. Lots of different things to wear were here. But they were all...flashy or something. Weird looking. The old man looked around and said, "This here's one of those movie stores. Just...put something on, I'll buy. She looked around a little, the teenage cash register just blatantly staring at her. She turned to him.
"
Problem?" She asked him.
"N-n-no!" He panickedly yelled.
"Then mind your own business!" she snapped back.
Then she saw it, out of the corner of her eye. It was a sign.
Another bang, but she had another priority at the moment.
'Space Woman' It was this weird white slip that had a huge oval hole in the middle. He did say she was from space, and in a way, she was comfortable with that. She quickly put it on. It slipped around her easily, and fit her form quite well. It slid all over her arms, some up her neck, but left her legs exposed.
"How about some shoes?" The kid blurted out, staring at the hole in her costume. She frowned and nodded. The kid scurried out to the back, and brought back some boots from a female mod something or other, and matching gloves, both in blue. She slipped them on, and when she stood up, the kid was holding two items he was hooking together. A rope and cape.
"
What are those for?"
"Aren't you in a movie or something, trying stuff on?" He lied. He just wanted to see her in them for his own fantasy. She just grabbed them forcefully from him, and slid it around her body. Snug fit. Whatever.
"
Whatever. I have things to do." And she stormed out, taking out to the air again, and closing the gap. There was now a few bodies on the ground around those men. They were yelling about something about money or whatever dumb reason they had. But man did they go silent when they saw this woman coming through the air.
"What in the wide world of sports?!" One yelled as he pointed his gun and shot. Kara went down. Guess she didn't really have THAT much control after all. However, she stood up, and checked her costume, she was still unscathed. A grin as she looked up and curled up her fists. They began to fire, but the pellets just disentigrated against her. She stomped forward, and placed her hands around the gun, bent them, and threw the gun, with the human, away. The other three dropped their guns and held up their hands. She didn't care, people were dead, she was pissed, she was confused, and that man's voice was STILL annoying her. She grabbed one of the guy's shirts, and raised her fist.
The press had actually been there all along, and when the "danger" had ended, they stormed her. She dropped the man, and the police took the group, the paramedics going for the bodies. The people were shoving things up into her face and she was disgusted. The old man came shoving through. She didn't understand, but superhero's were a new thing here. And people asked her for her "superhero name." The old man would help.
"Don't you all see? This here girl's filled with all sorts of power! She's Power Girl!" People recanted the name, and yelled it at her, asking more questions. She didn't know, but she did kind of like this attention in a way. "Come on Power Girl, now pose!" The old man urged her. She knew what that meant, and she was getting caught up in the moment.
She just pulled up her arms to show off some of her brawn.
"Good bye confusion, hello Power Girl!"
