11Kenny and Kara's ship burst through the atmosphere of Moonshalla with lightning speed. They did have one of the faster vehicles in the base, provided that only Kenny drove it. His sister's recklessness was well known among their superior heroes. Her need for action had led to one or two mishaps with the ship.
In the passenger side of the cockpit, Kara bounced about, mostly because of excitement rather than their ship's turbulence. She took in the sight of infinite stars spread out in front of the windshield. The teen thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of freedom.
Kenny reluctantly had taken his spot at the controls. He pressed a button to decrease acceleration for their own safety. Having permission to navigate the ship did not always mean that he was perfect, and he knew that. Maybe if Kara felt the same, she wouldn't be pushing him, like now.
"Why'd you slow down, Kenny? It will take us forever to get there."
Kenny's frustrated stare was meant for Kara, even if he kept it glued to where the ship was headed.
"Are we in a hurry? I don't think so. So just be happy that I'm taking you out here in the first place."
Kara responded with a pouty look, which Kenny found to be so immature. The only reason she was at Moonshalla was so she could be taught a more serious outlook on life. Hopefully, the end result would be better use of her powers.
"You taking me? You're not in charge of my life."
"Maybe not, but I'm technically in charge of the ship, including where it goes. So I will make some rules here. When we get to Thanos, we can look, that's it. Got that?"
Kara faced straight ahead and sighed. Even if she expected Kenny's adult attitude, she still found it aggravating. He had to experience some of the pleasures of being a teenager, powers or not, before it was too late.
The trip lasted maybe a few minutes, and the twins discovered the dark moon of Thanos up ahead. Kara bounced even more, already itching to unhook her safety belt. Kenny insisted they wear the belts, just like "normal" people.
He immediately sensed the grimness of this place. Moving closer just made his throat tighter and tighter. Even his heart was afraid to emit very many beats. Life like theirs was not welcome here, Kenny knew. If it was not for Kara's persistence, he would turn back right now.
He turned on the landing sequence and prepared for the tough task ahead. This moon's merciless winds swept the ship like it was a puny tin can. It took all of Kenny's skills to finally land onto the rocky terrain.
"Suits on," he spoke with authority.
"Yeah, yeah," was Kara's flatulent reply.
About half of the heroes at Moonshalla could not breathe in space, the Vulpix twins included. They put on the specially made suits that could not only withstand the pressure of the atmosphere, but also the fire power produced by the twins.
The door slid open with its usual whooshing sound. Kara headed out first, landing hard on the ground, so her red hair was already ruffled in her space helmet. Kenny followed behind more cautiously.
The area was vast and barren in their eyes. Nothing really interesting to see, until they had traveled several yards. Kara rushed ahead before Kenny could take it all in. His eyes still had to adjust to the weather, even when shielded by the helmet. Thanos was that cruel.
But, after discovering what was getting Kara so pumped, cruel was an understatement. They arrived at a smashed in area of the magnificent glass dome.
"I don't believe it," Kenny spoke in awe. "This glass is supposed to be ten times stronger than that of bullet proof steel. What could have broken it?"
The twins were fortunate not to see what had done damage to the exterior. But they were struck with the sight of harm it had done to human flesh.
Gore drenched bodies painted a scene of war and lamentation. So many dead, that there were always less than a few feet between them. Lifeless looks of horror were on even the more hardened prisoners' faces.
There was no need for explanation. Kenny and Kara's reactions matched those of Sapphire when she was here. Shock, terror, and sadness all mixed into one burst of energy. The energy took them back to the ship, so fast that their legs hardly ever touched the ground.
Kara slammed herself into the cockpit, forgetting that Kenny was here for a brief moment. She reached to shut the door behind her.
"Kara, wait!" her brother shouted, his voice stammering in panic.
He took a glance at the shadows dancing away from their location. An evil essence was locked in their dark forms. It didn't seem possible, as Kenny thought they were just blacked out portions of the stars.
He grabbed the door and ducked inside before it fully closed. Neither one dared speak for awhile. It was unusual for Kara to be hit with silence. Lacking experience, the twins had never seen the consequences of hatred. Though Kenny believed that no hero, superior or not, could handle what they had seen.
When he finally ignited the engine and sent the ship flying, he couldn't care less how fast it moved.
Earth 2 was a dense metropolis of innumerable cities that were of this modern era. There were some sites preserved for their historical value as well. Next to the civilizations were the sparse patches of woods and lakes. The planet had become more technological than it ever had before.
It almost seemed like mankind hadn't learned from their mistakes on Earth 1. Even some of the original Earth's descendants were naïve to what the generations had done to the atmosphere. The past and any memories were long gone. At least, they were for most people.
One laboratory still attempted to learn from evidence deemed so ancient. It was located in the very heart of Millecanton, a city known for its science facilities. Scientists would have compared this lab to the Crystal Lake Research Center where Jason Voorhees had been imprisoned.
One difference, however, stood in the amount of cryogenic chambers. Crystal Lake had had only one, which had been set aside for the killer's suspension before things had gone horribly wrong. This new base, named Valley Cardene, contained over a hundred.
Over many years, the process of thawing out people had become a simple task. A section of Valley Cardene was dedicated to doing such projects.
A few researchers busied about the chambers, tending to those that had desired to be frozen years, even centuries, ago. These people were immediately warmed, vitals taken, and soon led into another room for the next steps. Every day, there were many waking up from their deep slumbers.
Despite the effortless procedure, there was still the occasional one who wouldn't awaken quickly. Today the turn belonged to a young woman suspended for nearly 400 years.
One of the workers, Dr. Alma Wanamaker, spent sweat filled minutes over her bed. He knew this one would be a vital part of genetic research once woken up. The frozen woman was in good condition for having been asleep so long.
It was more than just this. In the woman's records, it was written about her above average intelligence. It dated all the way back to when she was five years old. Alma studied the documentation with a bit of confusion about certain parts. There remained an entire space of her childhood that lacked any information.
It didn't matter. She had to be awakened. Her genes of genius and beauty could be passed down and create the ideal offspring.
Alma performed every method the lab used for stirring these people from sleep. When none worked, he slammed the paperwork down in defeat. The woman must have been frozen even longer than 400 years. That had to be the main reason for her condition.
Was that possible? Had cryogenics really been around that long?
He wondered this for the longest time after his submission. Alma didn't think it had been. The earliest he knew of their origins carried back to 2010.
Alma beckoned to one of his comrades. His coworker was at a nearby chamber, fighting to restrain the occupant. This pod, unlike most others, was horizontal and low to the ground. Inside contained one of the few dogs that had been frozen by its owners.
Obviously, the animal was distressed about where it was. Its echoing barks traveled throughout the lab.
"Do you have any suggestions, Lee?" Alma asked. "I've tried everything on the subject. Has her cryostasis lasted too long?"
Lee gave the dog a sedative before turning to Alma. Eyes glazed, it fell asleep in seconds. He took the record and examined it with the same intensity.
"Dawn Peterson," he read out loud.
After a few more minutes of interpretation, he questioned the other researcher.
"Is this all the data we have?"
Alma nodded. He looked back at the suspended woman. She looked so peaceful, like she actually preferred to remain sleeping. The ice crystals covering her jeans and T-shirt were melting only slightly. They sparkled in the light from the various machines.
Her long hair was caked in frost. A trace of its blonde color just barely showed through. The frozen strands complemented her face perfectly. Only one of them was out of place, brushing against her closed eyes.
"I double checked everything. There is nothing to fill in the blanks of her childhood. The gap starts at age eight. I don't think, however, that it affects us now."
Another coworker piped up from the other side of the room. He was in charge of plugging all the info into the computer. He produced a placid frown.
"She's from Crystal Lake, New Jersey. On the former Earth. Right?"
He knew this after pulling her profile onto the computer screen.
Lee took a quick glance towards the chart. He narrowed his eyes, unsure of the question's significance.
"That's right. Why?"
The man shrugged like it was obvious. He adjusted his name tag. The letters spelled out S. Freeman.
"Well, that explains it."