<Crater Lake National Park, Oregon>

“Where on Earth are those two??” Eliza grumbled to herself as she glanced at her watch for the umpteenth time, even as Fred Danvers packed away the tents into the back of the large-sized SUV. “They told me half an hour, but they’re already fifteen minutes late… ”

“Come on Eliza, don’t worry. This place is safe, with good signages and marked paths all around. Gorgeous weather too! I personally wouldn’t mind spending another day or two out here.” He smiled while gesturing towards the entire scene around them. The weather WAS indeed beautiful today, and from the parking area located close to the top of Cascade Mountain they could actually see the pristine blue of the lake water fromt their vantage point. Trees and small hills surround the crater all around. Being a visitor hotspot during holiday seasons, this place marked a serene scene for all who are looking for a natural getaway from all the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle.

The Danvers had spent three days here, a promise that both Fred and Eliza kept, not just for their own sake but also for their daughters. It was especially poignant, as this was the first time all four of them went away somewhere together. As a family. Initially Eliza was a little unsure, given that they hadn’t even considered if their newest member of the family was even fond of the great outdoors.

That fear would be unfounded, and the three days just went by like a whistle, as Kara took to everything like a great new discovery. She couldn’t stop asking questions, looking and hearing out things along each and every path that they took, as if trying to soak in everything around her and unwilling to miss out on anything that nature has to offer. A few times she had run off on her own along side paths, and had turn up again somewhere else along the path calling up to them from various locations. Her energy seems to know no bounds. 

Fred especially was heartened by how the two young women bonded together during their entire trip. So much so that Alex and Linda actually wanted to stay on. But both parents had to return to their day jobs tomorrow, so it was not to be this time. It was Linda who went and begged Eliza for an extra half-an-hour to go around the place, just as they were packing to leave. To go on a nearby hiking trail for a long last look before their long-trip home. Alex for once acted like the elder sister that she was, volunteering to accompany and give Kara some company to make sure her younger sister doesn’t go all ga-ga again with everything and forget about the time again.

At least, that was the initial idea.

“Well, I hope Alex will at least be responsible and paranoid enough to ensure both of them don’t do anything stupid. They better have a great explanation when they turn up.”

“Speak of the devil.” Fred pointed towards two heads, one dark-haired and another fair-haired which bobbed upwards and loomed larger as they ran up the final steps towards the waiting area. Linda in front of Alex as made their way towards Fred and Eliza as if they know what was already in store for them.

“Sorry Mom. We caught sight of an elk and deer while navigating the walking path, and tried to get a closer look. Guess it wasn’t really as near as we thought it would be.” It was Alex who spoke first even in between her gasps as she tried to catch her breath, whereas Linda was like a buzzing hummingbird who was seemingly unable to standstill, grinning from end to end as she threw their rucksacks into the back before helping Fred to slam the boot down with a “BANG!”.

“This place is AMAZING!! I mean, seeing all the wildlife upclose from where we were? There are literally no words that could adequately describe this place! Can we come back again sometime soon please? Maybe we can try the other lookout points, the one further and higher-up. That will give us different vantage points with of the small islands. Perhaps we can even see more wildlife, more birds up there… ” The young blonde woman just went ahead at a hundred-miles an hour, gushing and blurting about everything without skipping a beat, barely noticing Alex ribbing her and dragging her into the backseat with Fred smiling and Eliza groaning.

Driving along the twisty and windy road was always going to send passengers to sleep. The same happened when the ever chatty Linda and the tired out Alex conked out after only about fifteen minutes on the road. Even Eliza slowly dozed off, leaving Fred alone driving the vehicle as they made their way downhill.

As he drove on however, he started to realise that the large and heavy car was becoming increasingly difficult. Getting around the last two bends was a bit more work as he tried to keep the car steady, even as he pumped the brake harder to manage the speed. Perhaps due to the weight of the car, going downhill on a gentle slope still meant that the momentum was still there, and to manage their speed he tried to downshift to manage their descent.

But the weird thing was, even though having downshifted manually, the vehicle’s speed didn’t seem to decrease despite the additional friction and drag from the gear change. Instead, it was as if there were no effect. Holding onto the steering tightly, he just about navigated the next bend at a speed that he thought was at least 20 miles an hour faster than necessary. Pumping harder on the brakes only had marginal impact on their speed now.

“Come on… ” Two drops of sweat dropped onto his trousers as his mind raced through the possibilities, unnecessary. Bad ones. He needed get them down the hill in one piece, but with the speed that they are going it’s getting more and more dangerous. Anticipating the turn, a turn on the steering with his foot welded to the floor with the brakes, he barely took the car across the right turn, but still almost veering into the opposite lane. The passing car going uphill just blared its horn angrily at his actions, not knowing Fred’s predicament.

And there was still more to come.

“Honey, slow down. You’re going too fast.” That last swerve must have woken Eliza up suddenly.

Keep calm. Keep calm.

“Working on it, honey.” A quick sideglance saw that Eliza is now holding onto the side handle with two hands, her brows now etched with concentration. A check on the rearview mirror saw his two daughters holding each other’s hands, both a little uncertain, even a little concerned.

“Don’t worry. I have it under control.” Brave words, as they entered another bend and exited it in a flash. That sent his passengers towards one side of the car before rebonding back again to their original position, pulled back by the seatbelts.  

“Dad, are you ok?” Fred’s heart ached as he heard Alex’ voice coming from behind. That however seemed to steadied him as he looked for different ways to bring more control to the vehicle. “I’m fine, Alex. Just let me focus on the road.”

Approaching yet another tight right bend, Fred this time grabbed hold of the handbrake and pulled as he turned the steering wheel, attempting a sliding move that he was previously taught but have not practiced for the longest time. The speed of the vehicle however meant that their resultant momentum was too high. With such a dramatic turn of the steering coupled with a sudden application of braking, it had a dramatic impact on the non-agile vehicle.

The large SUV slid across the road sideways and flipped over, and without even hitting the road just went straight off the cliff and downwards.

Fred felt himself floating weightlessly when the car flipped over the cliff. Time seemingly slowed as the vehicle hung in the air even as it went on a downward trajectory. The screams of the most important people in his life only made things worse, and he closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable to happen.

It didnt’ come.

Instead, when he opened his eyes after that ten seconds, he found himself sitting on the dusty ground of that shoulder of the bend, looking outwards towards the beautiful crater lake from the cliff. Stunned as he tried to reconciled how he got to his current location, Fred was quickly roused by shouts coming from the back.

“Dad??” “Fred??”

Fred Danvers quickly got up and scrambled over to grab hold of both Eliza and Alex, hugging them to himself. Tears streaked down from his face as he held both of them tight, thanking god over and over again that they were all alive.

Somehow all of them have gotten free from the tumbling vehicle as it went over.

Hang on.

They were all buckled up. He remembered that as they went airborne upside down, his quick glance around confirmed that. That’s why none of them had crashed into the roof or flung about when the car went.

Three of them… Wait. Eliza. Alex…

Oh no.

Oh no oh no oh no. No no no no no…

“Where… Where’s Linda?” Fred suddenly released his hug over the two women and quickly looked around. Somehow he didn’t notice the shadow rising slowly behind. Eliza upon seeing the scene clasped her hand over her mouth, and Alex had to point point towards his back repeatedly.

“Uh, dad. Look behind you… ”

Turning around, Fred was incredulous to see the young woman, clad in that world-famous skintight red and blue costume behind him.

The thin, blue top covered everything and hid nothing of her lithe yet toned body. Her long, wavy blonde hair cascaded downwards past her neck and onto her deceptively shoulders. Her short pleated red skirt that came down to mid-thigh, that bright red cape that fluttered behind her in the wind, and a pair of red boots completed her attire. A large <S> rune stretching across her maturing chest indicated the female’s identify; that she was now flying in the air under her own powers while holding up a 3-ton SUV with one hand like a wad of tissue paper confirmed that as well.

Funnily enough, the woman herself too looked a bit sheepish even though she was very much relieved upon seeing the three of them. Safe and sound.

After that unconfortable pause Supergirl finally spoke out to her adopted family. “Hi, uh… I uh, I think I owe you an explanation?”

While Fred continued to stare at the Girl of Steel, leave it to Eliza to have the last word.

“Told you that she’s going to be someone super. Spectacular even. So am I right or what?”

<THE END | A NEW BEGINNING?>