The ship trembled as it cut through the atmosphere, the weight of their mission pressing down on everyone.
This wasn't just another mission.
It was life or death.
And with Superman gone, the burden on Connor felt heavier than ever.
Connor clenched his fists, feeling the pressure settle deep into his bones.
Superman wasn't here.
His big brother, his mentor, his example—the one person who always had the answers.
The one who could carry the world and make it look easy.
Now, it was up to them.
To him.
And if they failed?
If they made the wrong move?
It wasn't just their lives on the line.
It was the entire planet.
Connor exhaled sharply, trying to push back the gnawing fear clawing at his mind.
Then he felt a hand on his back.
"C'mon, Connor, don't worry. We can do this."
Cassandra's voice was strong, filled with the kind of confidence he wished he had.
She believed it.
Really believed it.
How could she be so sure?
Meghan stood nearby, watching but saying nothing, hesitation clear in her expression.
Did she share his fear?
Or was she just waiting for the right moment to speak?
Before he could dwell on it, another voice cut through the tension.
His eyes flicked to Donna, his old teammate from the Titans.
She sat with her eyes closed, her face unreadable, lost in her own world.
She looked… calm.
Or maybe just distant.
Was she afraid?
Was she ready?
He wanted to say something.
Wanted to reconnect, to remind her that she wasn't alone, that they had all lost people—but what could he say?
Would asking about her feelings just hurt her more?
He didn't understand emotions.
Not really.
Everything should be logical.
Cause and effect.
Action and reaction.
But emotions?
They were messy.
Unpredictable.
They made people act in ways that didn't make sense.
And yet… they were real.
More real than anything else.
He wanted to reach out.
Wanted to understand.
But for now, he just watched.
And waited.
Because soon, they wouldn't have time for doubt.
Soon, they would land on Warworld.
And then?
There would only be the fight.
Inside the ship, the tension was palpable.
Superboy sat stiffly, his jaw clenched, while Megan looked uneasy, her fingers gripping the seat's edges. Cassie was doing her best to keep morale up, but even she couldn't hide the worry in her eyes. Donna sat with her arms crossed, silent, distant.
The weight of this mission—its risks, its consequences—hung over them like a storm cloud.
And then, Barry Allen clapped his hands.
"Alright, alright, let's just take a second here." His voice broke through the heavy silence. "I don't need superspeed to see that all of you are wound up tighter than Batman in a yoga class."
Cassie let out a small chuckle, and Megan cracked a smile.
Barry gave them a knowing look. "I get it. It's a big mission. Dangerous. But let me tell you something—this isn't the first time the odds have been stacked against us." He gestured between them. "You think I wasn't nervous my first time going up against a world-ending threat? I was terrified."
"Really?" Superboy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah," Barry nodded. "My first Justice League mission? We were up against an alien invasion. I spent the entire time thinking, 'Wow, hope I don't trip and make a complete fool of myself.'"
Megan tilted her head. "But… you're The Flash."
"Exactly!" Barry grinned. "Now. But back then? I was just a guy trying not to get vaporized. And guess what?" He tapped his chest. "I made it through. Just like you all will."
Superboy exhaled, some of the tension easing from his shoulders.
Barry leaned forward slightly, his tone light but reassuring. "Look, I know what you're all thinking. What if we fail? What if someone gets hurt? What if we don't come back?" He let the words linger for a second before smiling. "But here's the thing—you will come back. Because you're all some of the best young heroes I've ever seen. You've trained for this. You're ready. And you're not going in alone."
He glanced around the ship, making eye contact with each of them. "You have each other. And you have me. So if anything goes wrong? I'll be there. And I don't let my team down."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Cassie smirked. "So, what you're saying is… we've got this?"
Barry grinned. "Exactly."
Superboy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well… I guess if The Flash believes in us, we might stand a chance."
"That's the spirit!" Barry clapped him on the shoulder. "Besides, what's Mongul got that we haven't seen before?"
"A planet-sized warship with the power to annihilate Earth?" Megan pointed out.
Barry blinked. "…Okay, yeah, fair point. But does he have speed?"
"No," Superboy admitted.
"Exactly!" Barry snapped his fingers. "And that means we already have the advantage!"
Cassie laughed. "That's a pretty optimistic take."
"Optimism is a superpower too, you know." Barry grinned. "And trust me—I've saved the world enough times to know that half the battle is believing you can."
Megan let out a breath and smiled. "Thanks, Barry."
"Hey, what are speedsters for?" He winked before leaning back. "Now, let's go save the world, huh?"
For the first time since the mission started, the team felt lighter. The fear was still there—but so was something else.
Hope.
Supergirl zigzagged through the dark expanse of space, her body a streak of blue and red against the endless void.
Missiles whizzed past her, deadly and unrelenting, their sheer numbers overwhelming.
Her hands blurred, smashing the warheads before they got too close, but the problem wasn't just hitting them—
It was the explosions.
Even one miscalculation, one missile detonating too close…
And the ship carrying her friends would be gone.
Her eyes burned as she unleashed another blast of heat vision, incinerating an entire cluster.
But there were too many.
Kara gritted her teeth, feeling frustrated.
If only she could be in more than one place at once.
If only she had something like Naruto's clone technique—
Wait. Naruto.
She hadn't seen him in a while.
He was off somewhere doing… whatever mysterious ninja things he did.
What would he be doing right now?
Probably eating ramen.
Probably grinning like an idiot.
Probably telling her, "Don't worry, Kara! Believe it!" in that ridiculously cheerful voice of his.
She let out a breath, dodging another wave of missiles, her focus returning.
Right now, there was no time to wonder about Naruto.
She had a planet to protect.
Kara hovered in the cold emptiness of space, her cape billowing as she obliterated another incoming missile with a precise blast of heat vision.
Her mind was split between the battle and the thoughts gnawing at her.
If her cousin hadn't been detained, she would have gone with Naruto—without hesitation.
She loved traveling, loved the freedom of soaring through the stars.
But right now, she couldn't afford that luxury.
She had to stay.
Duty called.
It was a sobering thought.
If she hadn't been here, if she had left Earth's defenses any weaker…
The casualties would have been far worse.
Would the Justice League have been able to hold out?
Would the planet still be standing?
A deep frown settled on her face.
This was the first time she had faced a threat of this magnitude—
Where the entire planet was on the line.
Not just a city.
Not just a small population.
Everyone.
For the first time, she truly understood the weight her cousin carried every day.
It wasn't just about winning fights.
It was about making sure people survived.
One mistake.
One second of hesitation.
And people died.
She felt the pressure squeezing her chest.
And yet…
Despite the fear, despite the overwhelming weight of responsibility—
She refused to let it break her.
Because that's what being Supergirl meant.
Then it happened.
One missile slipped past her.
Her heart dropped.
"No—!"
She lunged, but it was too late.
The missile detonated, the explosion swallowing everything in blinding light.
Kara froze, her worst fears coming true.
Had she just—
Then, a golden light flashed.
The explosion didn't reach the ship.
It was contained.
A protective energy barrier had wrapped around the ship.
Kara blinked in shock.
Then she heard it—
That voice.
"Supergirl, don't stop! I can't cover everything!"
Her eyes widened, and her panic melted into relief.
Flying just above the spacecraft, surrounded by a golden glow, was Naruto.
His arms were crossed, a grin playing on his lips.
"Why didn't you say anything if you were here?!" Kara huffed, glaring at him.
"You almost gave me a heart attack!"
Naruto chuckled, wind swirling around him as he shot out blades of chakra, slicing through the incoming barrage of missiles.
"I just woke up."
Kara blinked.
Woke up?!
"I left clones with everyone before I left—just in case their lives were in danger."
Kara crossed her arms. "And what about me?"
Naruto's smirk widened. "I didn't think you needed my protection."
Kara puffed her cheeks, feeling a mix of annoyance and something else she didn't want to admit.
Maybe she didn't need his protection, but it wasn't really about that.
It was about… having someone there.
But before she could say anything, Naruto suddenly tilted his head, his expression softening.
"I was kidding." His voice was warmer this time. "How could I forget my new best friend?"
Kara raised an eyebrow.
"I actually did leave a clone with you."
She frowned. "Where?"
Naruto grinned. "In your hair."
Kara's brain stalled.
"...What?"
"It was there the whole time. Didn't activate since you weren't in danger."
She instinctively reached for her hair, her expression bewildered.
"When did you even—"
"When I hugged you."
Kara stared at him.
"You snuck a clone into my hair during a hug?"
"Yup."
"...And you just assumed I wouldn't notice?"
"I didn't assume," Naruto said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I just figured you were too busy enjoying the hug."
Kara's face twitched, but instead of feeling annoyed, she felt… lighter.
She shook her head and smiled.
He had a way of doing that—turning stress into something manageable.
Even if he was ridiculous.
Before they could continue, the next wave of defenses activated.
A barrage of laser turrets fired from Warworld, raining down on them like a death storm.
Naruto's clones moved immediately, but after taking down so many missiles, they were running out of chakra.
Kara watched in shock as the clone inside her hair burst out, joining the fight—only to vanish moments later, its energy spent.
Naruto was burning out too.
She could see it.
His golden glow was flickering.
Then, as his energy finally depleted, the ship broke through the defenses—
And the others blasted a hole into Warworld's outer structure.
They had made it.