[Future Flashback]
(Note: Not part of the main story. For thought only. The next chapter enters the main plot.)
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In the depths of the universe, on the desolate and lonely planet Vormir—ruined, decayed, and devoid of all life—there remained only one thing: a shiny red skull.
After Thanos used the six Infinity Stones to perform the Snap that wiped out half of all life, Black Widow Natasha Romanoff and Hawkeye Clint Barton traveled through the Quantum Realm using Pym Particle technology, arriving at a parallel Marvel timeline in the year 2014.
They attempted to retrieve the Infinity Stones and save the half of Earth's population slaughtered by Thanos.
Other Avengers—Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Ant-Man, Thor, Rocket Raccoon, Rhodey, and Nebula—were scattered across different locations and timelines to acquire the remaining stones.
Natasha and Clint were specifically tasked with obtaining the Soul Stone.
However, the Red Skull on Vormir revealed the grim truth.
To gain the Soul Stone, one must trade a soul for a soul.
To obtain it, one must sacrifice a loved one by casting them into the endless abyss—only through death can the Soul Stone be born.
Tch! What nonsense!
Upon hearing this, Natasha's first reaction was to try falling in love with the Red Skull so she could toss that bastard down instead.
Clint suggested calling in Captain Rogers—since enemies meeting face to face might get heated, maybe it would work—but sadly, they never acted on it.
No matter what they tried, the Red Skull, Johann Schmidt, remained in an enlightened, monk-like state of calm, expressionless as if his parents had died—unmoving and indifferent.
"You can jump around all you want," his demeanor seemed to say, "but if you're not trading a soul, get lost."
The two finally accepted the truth: there was no way in hell either of them could fall in love with that thing.
At first glance, his ugliness was suffocating. On closer look—it was even worse!
They fought each other fiercely, both determined to sacrifice themselves so the Soul Stone could be obtained and half the universe could be restored.
In the end, Natasha gained the upper hand.
With Clint watching helplessly in despair, Natasha willingly leapt off the cliff.
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As his comrade was about to fall to her death, Clint cursed his own powerlessness.
At that critical moment, a brilliant streak of light pierced the clouds—a young woman with wavy golden-brown hair came hurtling down from the heavens at astonishing speed.
She was graceful and breathtakingly beautiful, tall and perfectly built.
A white, flame-like aura surrounded her as she wore a blue bodysuit, golden phoenix-shaped pauldrons, a dragon-head belt, and a vivid crimson cape.
In the blink of an eye, before Clint's disbelieving eyes, she saved Natasha's life.
"Hey, friends, I think you could use a little help~" the young woman said with a charming smile and playful tone.
Her power was overwhelming—Natasha couldn't even resist—as she was lifted effortlessly in a princess carry and flown back up the cliff.
The Red Skull was dumbfounded. He decided to just observe silently—he'd never seen something like this before, and it was terrifying.
Her strength, her speed, and her outfit all resembled someone from the DC Universe: Supergirl.
Except there was no short skirt, no familiar black stockings, and no Kryptonian symbol of hope, the S insignia.
Natasha and Clint were full of doubt and vigilance toward the sudden appearance of this "Supergirl."
Of course they were—who would expect someone from DC to suddenly show up on a Marvel set?
This was the Marvel Universe, not some crossover multiverse. Where did this Supergirl even come from?
Until this "Supergirl" strangely gave them a thumbs up, flashed a mischievous smile showing her white teeth, and spoke a curious line:
"My friends, you are the real heroes."
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Heroes Acknowledged