Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Life Equation

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 36:

Despite having taken off his red sun cuff this morning, Clark’s head still ached, and he felt nauseous. He had stumbled away from the bed in search of coffee and took in the state of the house.

It looked like a bloodless massacre, the bodies of his friends laid out in random places, completely oblivious to the world.

At some point, Alura had changed into one of Kara’s short denim skirts and a very tight top. He remembered her dancing on top of the bar with Kara at one point. She now lay on a couch with Krypto stretched across her.

Dinah and Alex had fallen asleep on top of the pool table. Arthur was passed out on the slightly elevated karaoke stage with Mera curled into one side while Hal Jordan was curled into his other, the hand wearing the green power ring clutching a beer bottle. He could hear J’onn’s strange sounding Martian heartbeat coming from one of the bedrooms.

Making his way to the kitchen, he found everything he needed to make coffee and proceeded to stumble through the motions of preparing the industrial size coffee maker and flipping it on to brew. Sighing, he turned and leaned against the counter, massaging his temples as he stared at the large table where Non snored among beer pong cups, and the kitchen table chair Oliver had passed out on.

He thought his vision might be failing him so walked closer to Oliver, observing the man as he slept and saw he was not going color blind. Oliver would not be happy when he woke, but Clark admitted he kind of deserved it. The man also wondered what it would take for Non to remove the words Kara had written in a red sharpie on his forehead.

Taking his coffee, the man wandered through the house in search of the two missing people from the party.

He found them in the hot tub room, a shirtless Kell passed out on a lounge chair with Kara lying on top of him in a ridiculously small bikini.

Clark froze for a moment, taking in the sight. He checked the rest of the room and saw a deactivated Kelex unit, limbs splayed out on the ground in a corner. Apparently, the AI hadn’t gotten the chance to stun Kell again last night.

Not sure if he should wake them or not, his choice was made when he heard Non groaning in the kitchen. Before Non could use his X-ray vision, Clark had Kara in his arms, and sped her into her bedroom, placing her gently under the covers of her bed.

“Kara!” Clark whispered sharply, seeing that the superspeed trip to her room hadn’t woken the girl in the slightest.

Kara didn’t move.

“Kara! You need to put on real clothes before your Mother or Uncle find you like this in bed!” he whispered harshly in her ear.

Hearing nothing, not even Kara’s trademark snoring, Clark put his finger in her ear and began twisting hard. Kara sat up quickly, the covers falling down and Clark turning away as quickly.

“Kal?” His cousin asked, barely awake, eyes unfocused.

“Good morning, Lady Kara.” He said sarcastically.

Kara took a moment to clear her head. She had taken the bracelet off last night. She remembered that much but still felt horrible, her mouth feeling like cotton and her stomach a bit nauseous.

“Where is Kell? I remember deactivating Kelex before he could stun him again, then the two of us were in the hot tub and then the lounge chair… I must have fallen asleep.”

“Passed out, Kara.” Clark disagreed. “It’s called ‘passing out drunk’. What the hell were you two doing laid out on each other half-naked?”

Kara gave him a bewildered look. “Having… fun? Practicing, that sort of thing.”

“With your clothes off?” Clark asked her incredulously, trying to forget how fast the previous night had turned into an all-out frat party. “Where did you even get that… swimsuit?”

Kara used her X-ray vision to ensure no one was looking their way, and Non and her Mother were only beginning to stir, she looked back to her cousin then stood, the blanket falling off. With Clark’s back to her, Kara moved into her closet and opened a small bag, taking out a tiny gadget she placed on the door and activated. A blue glow spread across the door and the walls and remained.

“Okay, the room’s soundproof now.” The blonde assured him and threw on one of her longer shirts and pajama pants. “You can turn around.”

Kal turned slowly, ensured that Kara was indeed dressed.

“As far as the swimsuit, I got it from Victoria’s Secret. Beaches will be a must have on New Krypton and I plan to be ready for them.” Kara explained. “As far as me and Kell, Mother and Uncle Non were passed out. I cut Kelex’s power and Kell and I enjoyed the hot tub. I’d never been in one. We decided to get out before we passed out and drowned, then I fell asleep on top of him.”

Clark shook his head. The longer Kara was on Earth the more customs she had adopted apparently. “You think your guards didn’t see you?”

The blonde shrugged her shoulders. “I’m tired of worrying about them. They are supposed to be discreet so they can mind their own business.”

Clark threw his hands up. “You are their business… literally!”

Seeing the disbelieving look on her cousin’s face, Kara laughed. “I do appreciate the save though. That would have been difficult to explain to Mother.”

Clark crossed his arms, surprised at her nonchalant attitude. Perhaps she was still drunk. “And Rao?”

“Did you invoke the name of Rao ?” Kara looked at him sharply. “I’m sorry, Mister ‘ I got my girlfriend pregnant before marriage’ . How many bikinis does Lois own?”

Clark looked away for a moment. “I’m just saying you have your culture, your customs…”

Kara smirked at the man. “And I suppose it is custom in Kansas to get your girlfriend pregnant before marriage?”

Clark opened his mouth, then closed it. “Point taken. So, what are your plans for today? More work on Myriad? Meetings with your Science Council? Or can you take a day off maybe?”

Kara hadn’t really thought about today. She only had one task she planned to complete when she woke but that would not take long. “I need an hour or so this morning, but the rest of the day is free. Have something in mind?”

Clark looked with his X-Ray vision, happy to see Alura and Non in the kitchen not paying attention to the two. “Since the new Metallo screwed up our last patrol, I thought the two of us could do a little work together this afternoon… just us.

“We will be in the Metropolis, Gotham area and can be in Smallville in minutes if Brainiac enters the system. I don’t think either of us want to be followed by twenty bodyguards and Hal Jordan. If they are needed, they can be there in minutes, but before this Brainiac thing starts… I’d like to spend some time together, just the two of us… and I’ll need your help to convince your mother and uncle to get the others to stand down.”

Kara snorted. As much as she loved the idea, she knew it wouldn’t happen. Kelex would already be furious that she deactivated him last night, not that she cared. “I would love to, Kal, but no one could convince my mother and uncle to let it happen.”

“That’s why we need to team up against them.” He explained. “I’ll open the discussion, point out how we need more bonding experiences, how you can work on strategy if it comes to combat with Brainiac, things like that. You do what you do best and pout. You have an amazingly effective pout.”

Kara shrugged her shoulders. Her pout hadn’t worked on her family in years, but she had nothing to lose. “Okay, lead the way and we will give it a shot.”

While the quiet discussion between the two super cousins was going on, Non and Alura were in the kitchen, slowly recovering from overindulging the night before… despite having removed their red sunlight bracelets.

Lois Lane approached the two, looking entirely too pleased with herself. “So, wild night? I liked the skirt you had on last night, Alura. Why did you change?”

Alura groaned and poured another cup of coffee. “Can we not talk about last night? It never happened.”

Lois smirked and held up her phone. “Yeah, see that’s the thing I’ve learned in my life the hard way. It always happened, we just wish it hadn’t. Clark mentioned to me last night that he wants to take Kara out crimefighting, alone. No guards, no Kelex and no Green Lanterns, just the two of them having a little fun, protecting the innocent, that sort of thing.”

Non snorted and shook his head. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Yeah, it is.” Lois had expected this and was prepared to argue her case. “I am prepared to present the following as ‘Exhibit A’ to the court. If I can direct your attention to the evidence: the pictures and videos I took last night. I believe I can convince you to plead out rather quickly before I would need to present this evidence to a jury.”

Lois handed the phone to Non who began scrolling through the photos and videos. Both he and Alura were very pale when they were done.

“Lois, I’ll be deleting this. There is no way this phone is ever going with us to Argo.” Alura told her, trying to appear confident though her voice was shaky.

Lois brushed it off with ease and placed a hand on Alura’s shoulder, her predatory smile sending a chill through the Chief Justice. “First rule of reporting: always have a backup. I don’t need to take that phone to Argo City. You see, I figured out that you guys aren’t smarter than me, you just have better toys. Then I thought, ‘You know what? I have better toys, too!’. I sent every last video and picture to Kelex last night.”

Non crossed his arms and leaned back on the counter, a knowing smirk appearing on his face. “You think Kelex would allow pictures like those of Kara and Alura to be seen in Argo City?”

“Well, unfortunately for you two, your Kelex isn’t the only one on this planet. Jor El’s lab is on Earth and his Kelex is programmed to serve only two people, me and Clark.” Lois winked at the man and his smirk faded as he slowly realized he was well and thoroughly screwed.. and not in a good way because his wife was going to kill him if she ever found out. “When I spoke to him, Kelex assured me that he could send these along the very same, very secure Kryptonian transmission lines Kara has been using to communicate with Argo City. Once the signal establishes contact, he can break into the Argo City net and put these videos on every holo screen in the city. You can contact him yourself if you don’t believe me. Go ahead… order him to delete the videos and see how that works out for you.”

“You wouldn’t.” Non told her, but the doubt was obvious in his voice.

Lois’s eyes flashed in disagreement. “Let Clark and Kara go off by themselves, have a little fun and these cute little pixels go away as if they never existed. Refuse to let them go alone and I will have the first major story for my new Media Guild in Argo City. I honestly think the term ‘primitive’ will be thrown around repeatedly and not in regards to me. Your call.”

The three stared at each other in silence, Lois with a deadly poker face and Alura and Non losing nerve by the second. Non still sported ‘ Kara rocks’ on his forehead and Alura could imagine the yelling if even her sister found out that she had been wearing a miniskirt, dancing on a bar with Krypto. She shuddered to think what her fellow Kryptonians would think.

“She is serious, Non.” Alura whispered.

Non broke his stare with Lois and looked towards the floor.

Clark walked into the kitchen with Kara who was already pouting. Clark poured a cup of coffee and moved to face the General, Lois at his back. Clark cleared his throat while Lois stared pointedly at the two Kryptonian leaders. “General, I was wanting to discuss something with you concerning Kara. I was thinking that, maybe this afternoon, the two of us could patrol the east coast region, alone… as in without her overzealous guard or Hal Jordan… or anyone. We wouldn’t be far and can be back in under a minute.”

Lois, standing innocently behind him, raised her cell phone and smiled at the General and High Councilor.

“Just take her.” Non told Clark in a defeated tone. “Don’t let her get in over her head. I’m trusting you, Kal El.”

A surprised Clark and Kara looked at each other in total shock, then looked to Alura who was staring intently at the floor, still very pale. “Alura?”

The woman took a deep breath, never looking up from the floor. “Protect her, Kal El. Non… tell Zol he and his troops will stand down until they return. If they won’t follow your order, tell them I decreed it.”

Not questioning her uncle or mother’s suspect behavior, Kara squealed and hugged Kal.

“Give me an hour!” she shouted then rushed off to get dressed for the day and tell Kell… though she’d have to wake him first as he was still passed out on the lounge chair in the hot tub room.

Kal turned with a happy smile to hug Lois before leaving to give the stand down order to Hal. Seeing her smug expression, he realized she had something to do with the ease of his and Kara’s escape. Chuckling knowingly, his expression showed his appreciation as he hugged her close. He kissed her soundly and headed off to find the soon-to-be unhappy Green Lantern noting that Alura and Non made a stumbling, if not hasty exit.

He greeted Alex as she made her way into the kitchen, apparently still trying to wake up and in obvious need of coffee. She paused momentarily, blinking her eyes rapidly as she stared at Oliver Queen who was still passed out in a kitchen chair. Seeing her eyes were not playing tricks on her, she openly laughed and shook her head, knowing the Green Arrow would not be happy when he woke and hoping she was around to see it.

“Good morning, Alex.” Kell greeted her on entering the kitchen. Rather than grabbing coffee, he opened the fridge and grabbed a gallon of water which he chugged quickly. “Guess what? Kara and Kal El are going superheroing alone this afternoon. I even heard Kal El threatening Hal Jordan not to follow.”

Alex thought perhaps she misheard him and was still drunk. “How did they convince Alura and Non?”

Kell shrugged a shoulder. “I have no idea. It will be good for the two of them to spend some time alone together. By the way, Kara wants you to meet her in the Scout Ship. She said there was something she wanted to give you.”

“A new weapon? Upgraded rifle? Nanotech armor?” the woman asked excitedly.

“Again, I have no idea. She said to give her thirty minutes and ask you to come out. That was forty-five minutes ago.”

Alex put her half-empty coffee cup on the kitchen bar and practically ran to the Scout Ship. It took her a moment to remember where the door to the cloaked ship was, even tripping over the boarding ramp once, but her focus was on finding Kara.

To her dismay, the lights in the ship were off. “Kara?”

“Back here.” A voice called out, sounding muffled. Alex tried to remember the layout of the ship still bumping into a few doorways.

“Could you turn on the lights?” Alex asked, voice raised.

“No. It would ruin the mood.” Kara called back, her voice clearer.

Alex rolled her eyes but eventually found a room with a bit of light and could see Kara in the back, wearing a white, hooded robe.

“That’s far enough.” Kara’s voice told her.

Alex stood still as the white robed figure moved towards her slowly in the dim light of the room’s night time lighting. When Kara was eight feet away, she heard a hiss as a bright, blue light lit up the room… a blue light that emanated from a four-foot, concentrated beam coming from a cylindrical object held firmly in its creator’s hands.

“Alex Danvers, this lightsaber once belonged to Anakin Skywalker. He used it to behead people, killing over a hundred innocent children as well as unarmed combatants in his attack on the Jedi Temple. He lost it to Obi Wan when his arms and legs were cut off and his body was covered in burns. ” Kara’s voice echoed solemnly from within the hood. In spite of herself, Alex felt Kara drawing her in with her performance as the glow of the blade reflected the awe in her brown eyes.

Kara continued in the same, reverent tone, recounting the CliffsNotes version of the winding and confusing storyline concerning Anakin’s lightsaber. “Obi Wan eventually gave it to Anakin’s son, Luke. Luke fought one battle with it against his father who was still inexplicably alive and known as the Sith Lord, Darth Vader. Darth Vader cut off Luke’s hand holding the lightsaber and it fell from a floating city into a gas planet far below. Because of a huge plot hole, it ended up in the hands of a short, large-headed woman with tiny eyes who owned a bar. She passed it on to the granddaughter of the most evil man the galaxy had ever known who used it against Anakin’s grandchild and this saber finally won a fight.”

In true storytelling fashion, Kara finished her tale. “Now, I pass it down to you. Carry it with you always and fight with the honor it is due… even though it doesn’t have the best streak of luck.”

The lights turned on and Alex stared at the shaft in Kara’s hand and the blue blade emitted from it. Kara deactivated the blade and handed the surprisingly lightweight and well-balanced hilt to Alex.

“You did it.” Alex whispered, slowly coming out of her story induced trance.

“Yeah, totally knocked it out of the park. This really isn’t a replica of the Skywalker saber. This is a Kara Zor El original design, specifically made with your hands wielding it in mind. ” Kara admitted smugly. “I was wrong about one thing though. I said it couldn’t block energy bursts from weapons, but I figured out how to compress the energy of the blade into solid state in response to other energy bursts. It can block beams, but I would still recommend you duck instead. It is completely stable… although, if it ever becomes warm in your hands, drop it and run.

“I also designed a glove for you that holds a specific magnetic link to this blade only. If it is within thirty feet, it will return to you. So, have fun!”

“You are the freaking best!” Alex exclaimed, grabbing Kara in a full body hug before jumping back to study the intricacies of her personalized lightsaber.

Kara brushed the praise off, smiling widely at the joy in her friend’s exuberant reaction. “It was easy once I had the right metal. I took it from one of the galley cabinets. Play around and see how it feels. I can adjust the balance if needed.”

Before Alex could thank her again, Ninna walked boldly into the room. Instead of speaking to Kara, which wasn’t unusual because her guards never did, she approached Alex.

“You are hot. When we return to Argo, I do you.” Ninna told the brunette.

Alex’s jaw dropped as she looked at Kara bewildered. Kara caught the meaning as well and immediately sought to smooth things over by addressing Ninna directly.

“ In regards to what you just said, you must speak to me for once to clarify your intent. ” Kara told her guard. “I hope that was just a bad translation because you just told her that when we get to Argo, you plan to have sex with her. Please tell me that wasn’t what you meant?”

Ninna’s eyes widened in dismay as she looked at Kara, breaking all protocols in her distress. “I meant to say, ‘She is incredibly beautiful! I want to begin courting her in the Earth custom by asking her on a date!’”

“ Not quite what you said, but I’ll explain.” Kara assured the embarrassed soldier. She turned to Alex.

“The intent was lost in translation. What she meant to say is you are very beautiful and when we return to Argo City, she would like to ask you on a date and court you by the customs of Earth.”

“Yeah, ok, that’s good,” Alex let out a deep breath, relieved. “Why didn’t she wait to ask me on Argo?”

“I called… dibs?” Ninna said, sort of understanding what Alex was asking.

“ Okay, that’s enough .” Kara stopped the woman before her broken and confused English could get her into more trouble. “ Ask her when we get to Argo City and Kelex or I will translate. I’m sure she will consider your request.”

Ninna smiled at Alex then walked off. The blonde and the brunette looked at each other.

Seeing that Alex was unusually flustered, Kara explained what she thought the issue was with Ninna approaching her now. “I think she’s worried about competition once we get to Argo, so she’s making sure she’s first in line to court you. She has a good point, you will be highly sought after once it is known you are available.”

Alex felt greatly flattered but still surprised. “I… But… I’m not… Really?”

Kara smiled easily, knowing that, while Alex was becoming more comfortable with the idea that she was capable of the job Non had envisioned for her and that Kara had faith in her abilities, she still had moments where her life-long, self-doubt reared its head.

“Yes. You are smart, beautiful, can hold your own with a Red Shard unit and you are an El… Ninna sees you, respects you and wants to properly court you before anyone else gets a chance… you are a catch, Alex!”

She could see Alex was considering what she said but knew the woman would take more convincing.

“I mean, what else can I say? Oh! I know… chicks dig lightsabers… so, you’re welcome.” Kara pointed out grinning brightly, causing Alex to relax her concerned expression and laugh.

An hour later, Kara and Clark were in the air, Kara wearing the skirted outfit her Aunt Lara had made for her.

She took a look around constantly, all over. “I don’t get it. I really don’t see them anywhere. How did we convince Mother and Uncle Non to hold them back? I didn’t have a chance to even pout.”

Kal El was in disbelief himself, keeping Lois’s suspected involvement to himself. “I have no idea. Alura had a talk with Hal who did not look happy but agreed to stay at Watchtower. I may have had a word with him as well. The whole thing was strange but let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth, right?”

Kara agreed, not knowing what horses had to do with this but wasn’t going to look to closely. Finally, she and her grown baby cousin were on their own, about to fight crime and save people. Supergirl was going to make another public appearance and Kara couldn’t wait to read what trash Cat Grant would write now.

Watchtower came on their coms as they were making their way along the coast. “Boy Scout, Robin Hood finally woke up and wants to speak to Girl Scout.”

Clark snorted and had her put him through.

“Kara!”

“Good morning, Oliver.” Kara greeted him brightly.

“What the hell did you do?” the man asked angrily.

“You’re going to have to be a little more specific, I’ve done a lot of things since last night. Did Alex show you the lightsaber I made?”

“Why the hell is my skin green!?” Oliver shouted.

Clark shook his head, having seen Oliver that morning and guessing this would be his response.

“Why the hell did you convince my mate to not wear his armor, dress him up in some ridiculous outfit and then allow him to be shot? He is mine and when you take something that is mine I expect it to be brought back in the same condition. You are lucky. That formula will only last another five or so hours. I could have made it last for weeks!”

“You did this last night? You made some chemical concoction that affected my skin color while you were drunk and slipped it to me? You were so drunk you could barely stand!”

“Be glad I wasn’t sober. I could have really given you something to think about, Queen.” Kara laughed wickedly. “I’m out here fighting for justice and stuff and I need you on standby, because if I run into a rogue Kryptonian, I may need you to fire an arrow at his head for a distraction. Girl Scout out.”

Clark shook his head and smiled. “I thought Oliver would take that well.”

Kara grinned but said nothing. She let her arms drop to her side as she flew horizontally next to her cousin.

“So,” she started. “Can you fly without your arms I front of you? Because I can.”

“You don’t want to do that, and you definitely don’t want to talk if you do.”

Kara didn’t see the big deal. She looked ahead and saw the Metropolis skyline coming close. “Why not…”

Kara nearly choked and began gagging, stopping in midflight. Clark floated in front of her with his arms crossed and shoulders shaking to hold in his laugh.

“When we fly quickly, it is best to look ahead with our arms in front. Our arms not only guide us but can break the air in front of us, making wind move over and under us. You just hit a swarm of bugs. Looks like you swallowed a couple. A few are wiped out on your forehead.”

Kara wiped her forehead, seeing that she did have some sort of smashed up black gooey dots wiped in her hands. The girl frowned, not happy with this development.

“What are bugs doing so high?” she asked in an accusing tone as if Clark had placed them there.

“We aren’t that high, Miss Genius. The closer we are to the city, the greater chance you will run into obstacles. Keeping your hands in front of you allows the air including the bugs floating on it to flow over and under your body.”

Kara almost argued about an incorrect theory of aerodynamics but spit instead, feeling tiny bugs still in her mouth. Finally cleaning her mouth out as best she could in an unladylike fashion, she glared at her cousin. “You couldn’t have given me these pointers before we took off?”

Kal shrugged his shoulders. “I thought you knew to keep your arms in front of you. It was one of the first things I taught you.”

Kara grumbled, turned and took off. Moving at superspeed, she didn’t have the reaction time necessary to avoid the flock of birds that had been flying towards them when she was clearing her mouth of tiny winged insects. The poor gull exploded when it came in contact with her head.

Kara stopped in the air and closed her eyes, waiting until the wings of the flock were gone.

“You should probably go slower when you start again and look where you are going…”

“Shut up, Kal El! I swear you have that same judgey tone as your father! Wipe these bird guts off my face.”

Kal looked at her, trying to hold in his laughter. Sneaking his phone out of his boot he snapped a pick of Kara with feathers in her hair.

Moving closer to her, he grabbed her cape and wiped her head. Once reasonably clean she opened an eye and glared at him. “Couldn’t have used your own cape?”

The man scoffed. “And get it dirty? Do you think you can manage to fly two miles to Metropolis without hitting anything else? I can carry you if you want.”

Kara took a deep breath and calmed herself. She had already swallowed bugs and killed a bird. It was probably time to take a step back. Waving her hand toward the city, she nodded to her cousin. “Lead the way, Cousin.”

Kara flew behind Clark at a much slower speed. The two slowly circled Metropolis, Kara taking in the sight of the city she had never seen from this view during daytime. While she found the architecture amazing, she also noted the smog and noise, something she never wanted to see or smell in Argo City.

She also noted a lack of crime, or at least the sound of crime. “So, where are the hot spots for criminal activity?”

Clark shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve been away for a few days, so criminals usually become more comfortable but still tend to hit at night. Despite my presence though, Metropolis is one of the grandest and richest cities in the world. That makes it too tempting a target for criminals. Sometime they will cause a distraction in one part of the city, while the major crime takes place in another. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.”

Kara could see the reasoning in this, but wondered what they were doing here, if there was no crime. “So you just fly in circles?”

Clark shook his head slightly. “I’m usually working at the Planet and respond from there. When I started out, I became involved in everything. I learned that everything doesn’t need Superman. My mom stressed that to me constantly. She made me take days off and had a list of emergencies I was allowed to assist during those days.”

Kara snorted, imagining Superman being forced to take days off by his mother. She wished she could have met Martha and Jonathan Kent. They had done an outstanding job obviously. “She sounds like a great mother. My mother constantly tries to get me to take time away from my work. I get why. I guess mother’s worrying is a universal thing.

“So, is there some place we can hang out and listen for crime? Maybe a hotdog stand or a place that has nachos? Pizza could be good. Is there some pizza place in danger of being robbed?”

“Follow me.” Clark told her, grinning at her exuberance.

A minute later the duo landed on a sidewalk in downtown Metropolis. Several people began taking pictures immediately, and though a crowd gathered around them, no one approached.

Kara followed Clark to a hot dog street vendor who did not appear surprised to see them.

“How you doing, Superman? The usual?” the middle-aged, slightly overweight and greying man greeted them.

“Good morning, Joe. Yeah, I’ll have three. Supergirl, what would you like? I’m buying.”

Kara did not hesitate. “Four chilidogs, extra cheese and mustard and four of the bacon wrapped franks with avocado, bell pepper and sliced onions, please. Also, a Cherry Coke if you could.”

The vendor raised an eyebrow, impressed. “A woman who knows what she wants and has a more refined pallet. Supergirl taking your place here, Superman? Maybe you can clean up Gotham. I think she has this.”

Clark laughed, enjoying Joe’s good natured ribbing. He had eaten hundreds of hotdogs from this man in both his identities. “That’s why we are here. She’s getting a feel for this life.”

The man handed over the dogs to the heroes.

“Seems like she has it down. She did stop that monster from S.T.A.R. Labs while you were out screwing around with your Justice League buddies.” Joe pointed out playfully, winking at Kara.

Clark rolled his eyes and handed cash from his boot to Joe. “Speaking of leagues, don’t flirt with her because she is out of yours. Take care, friend.”

“Bye, Joe,” Kara waved. “Nice to meet you.”

“Stay safe, you two.” Joe called out as they lifted from the ground.

The cousins took their bags to the sky, Kara moving very carefully since her arms were full and she had no desire to kill innocent bugs or birds. The two landed on the roof of the Daily Planet and sat against the base of the giant globe.

“Do you eat like this on Argo City?” Clark asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“Nope.” Kara said with half a chilidog in her mouth. Once she swallowed, she turned to her cousin. “The animals and plants I cloned are perfectly healthy. Everything in the food provides optimal health. That along with a vitamin supplement plan, allows us to slowly age. Here we don’t age at all because the sun is constantly regenerating our bodies to peak efficiency. On Argo, we eat at a much normal, slower pace. Here, though, besides the new foods, I seem to be constantly hungry. I suppose my metabolism has peeked as well to keep up with the regeneration of my cells.”

Clark laughed and wondered how many times he could convince Kara to break her carefully crafted Kryptonian nutrition plan and bring them back to Metropolis with her little device so he could still enjoy his favorites. He didn’t think it would take much effort given how she was enjoying the foods and beverages she had tried so far.

The two ate in silence, staring out over the city’s skyline. Once they were finished, Kara stood up and reached out her hand, helping her cousin up. The two walked hand in hand to the edge of the Planet’s roof.

“Can we speak in Kryptonese? I don’t want Watchtower listening in.”

“Of course.” Clark assured her.

“ You don’t have to. ” Kara told him, a troubled look on her face.

“ Have to what? ” Clark asked, confusion showing all over his.

“ Uncle Non wants you to help Kell, be a cop or something. You don’t have to. I’ve read your work. You are an incredible writer. I know you and Lois make a good team and she is going to need help. You can be her partner in the new Media Guild, create it together. Uncle Non said you could start this police force or whatever it is, but you don’t have to. A farmer, a reporter, a pilot, a poet, you can be whatever you want.”

She reached over and took his hand, squeezing tightly, as she continued to explain. “In the past, families tended to stick to traditional occupations that ran in the House. Now though, so many young Kryptonians are orphaned and they are growing up without House traditions. They aren’t held down by the restrictions of the past. That’s what I want for our new home. It is one thing America and some other countries on this planet have right. You can be whatever you want to be, no matter where you came from or who came before you. I just wanted you to know that and I will support you in whatever you want to do with your life.”

Clark felt a sting of a tear in his eye, the sincerity and determination in her voice, catching him off guard.

“ Kal, you are a gifted reporter. You and Lois can be the eyes and ears of our people and give us all a voice. Uncle Non tends to get excited about his plans sometimes. He has a gift for placing the right people where they can best succeed but he doesn’t know you like I’ve come to know you though he’s right about one thing. You have the heart of a protector, but there are many ways you can protect our people besides enforcing our laws. Times are changing. What was, is gone.”

Kara took a deep breath and smiled. “When Alex and I visited Argo City, I met a young girl outside my home. Her father is in the construction guild and her mother is in the agricultural guild, but she wants to be a scientist. Many children want to be scientists now but something about this girl drew my attention when I was talking to her. She didn’t know it was me, so she was more open. She told me she had reverse engineered one of my microbots in her room. She didn’t need a lab to do it. It is against the law to interfere with any technology vital to the ecosystem in Argo City, so she was taking a risk by doing so. I like a girl who isn’t afraid to break the rules in the name of discovery. I have a feeling that she might be the next Head of the Science Guild.

“ That’s the world I want to build. One where anything is possible, and anyone can become great. We hold onto the good and we let that which never mattered pass.”

Clark placed an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her tightly. After a few moments of silence, Kara spoke, so quietly that if not for his super hearing, he may not have heard.

“ When J’onn and I connected our minds, I saw something… I relived something. Something Brainiac will use against me. Kal, have you ever doubted your god or been angry at him? “

Clark was taken back by that question and he wasn’t sure how to answer. “ Are you asking if I ever believed there wasn’t a god? “

Kara shrugged her shoulders. “ Have you? I have. “

Clark was shocked but schooled his face. He had prayed with Kara, listened to her voice speak to Rao, and envied her connection to her god.

“ What did you see? ” Clark asked.

“ I relieved a memory. I saw J’onn’s worst moment and he saw one of mine. It felt so real as if it were happening in the moment and I couldn’t stop it. After we escaped the Phantom Zone, Argo City was hell. The air was foul, it was dark, the bodies of our dead were decomposing, nature had died, our temple was destroyed, the water… we never worried about that in the Phantom Zone. Nothing changed there. We worked by portable light, those that were left. Our shield held our matter together in that place and we were able to make headway in repair. The air was plentiful because natural processes didn’t move. It was eerie. But once we were gone, everything was in motion. It was a living nightmare. “

Clark shuddered, not wanting to think about how bad things could have been once they escaped. In his mind, Argo City popped out of the Phantom Zone and Kara rebuilt it. The reality of rebuilding it had never crossed his mind, or perhaps he had put it out of his mind.

“ I swore to the people I would save them. Then I went to my lab. “

“ And you saved them. ” Clark reminded her. He was concerned because she was not bragging. She must have seen something unbelievably bad in her mind.

“ Once I was alone, I fell to the ground. I stayed on my knees for hours and I cursed Rao. I told him he wasn’t real. I told him I would never worship him again, that he was evil. I didn’t know in that moment if Rao was real or not, but I hated him. I yelled at my father for dying. I screamed because I was frustrated that I had to do it alone. I hated everything about my life. I broke, Kal. I felt my soul breaking. “

Kal turned towards Kara and pulled her close to him, her wet cheek resting on his chest.

“ It took a long time for me to believe, or even speak to Rao. It hurt to think about my Father, so I did my best not to. I wouldn’t look at holograms of him. I refused to go to temple, blaming work.”

“ You were thirteen, Kara. ” Kal reminded her, running his hand through her hair. “ Nobody should have that pain placed on them so young. “

“ It took me a long time to return to the temple. I stayed away for over a year. A Priestess named Sah Ra, came to my lab one day and refused to leave until I either let her in or I came outside. Most everyone in Argo City left me alone and no one asked to come inside my lab. She wouldn’t be denied though. I thought perhaps the bodyguards I was not supposed to know about would send her away, but she remained. “

Kara was trembling now and Kal squeezed her tighter. “ I walked outside and tried to tell her I was busy. She actually grabbed me by the arm. I was shocked. No one beside my family had touched me in so long, I was afraid for her, afraid she would be arrested or hurt so I moved beside her quickly. She took me into the temple and brought me to a secluded alcove cut off from the rest. “

The blonde took a deep breath. “ She didn’t have to ask me anything, she just looked at me and told me to talk. I broke down. I told her everything I was feeling inside, every doubt, all my anger at Rao, my waning faith. I told her things that were unheard of by other Kryptonians, things that would shock the people if they knew what their supposed savior was ranting.

“ She held me, talked to me, but she never judged me, never tried to change my mind, not for the first few days. I spent more time in that alcove than I did at home or my lab. She was always waiting for me. She helped me come to peace with what had happened, with myself and eventually, with Rao and my father. “I… I never apologized to Rao. I abandoned Him. What if he has abandoned me? What if Brainiac finds out my past doubts? What if he finds the hatred I felt and uses it against me? “

Clark held her back, keeping his arms around her but looking her in the eye. “ You never abandoned Rao, Kara. You were hurt and you lashed out. I know because I did the same. When my father died, I was so hurt that I questioned everything. I was supposed to do great things and then suddenly the man I always relied on to guide me, was gone. I was incredibly angry. I didn’t believe in anything. I hated the world, asked why I should save others when the ones closest to me die and I could do nothing. I went to a very dark place in my life. “

Kara sniffed and took a deep breath. “ How did you come back? “

“ You had your Priestess and I had my Martian. J’onn visited with me almost every night for months. I would stay strong for my mom when she was near me but when she was away or asleep I would let it all go. He would go to the fields with me and listen while I yelled, he would let me fight him to release my rage, he would hold me when I broke down. J’onn was the reason I didn’t give into the darkness. He was the one who kept reminding me of who I was and who I would be. If J’onn wasn’t there, he made sure Oliver was. He kept me from falling.”

Kara understood. She knew Clark’s animosity had run deep, and it had more to do with than Kryptonite. He was so close to J’onn that what should have been a minor disagreement became a betrayal to Clark who saw J’onn as a father figure.

“ I found my faith again. ” Kara told him. “ I made peace with myself and with Rao. But what if he turns his back on me, the way I turned my back on him? “

Clark was quiet for a moment, a bit indecisive but deciding to tell her what had happened while she was saving the young girl from Brainiac could only help. He wasn’t sure what Kara’s opinion of magic was. He honestly wasn’t certain of his opinion, but he had seen things that could not be explained by rational science.

“ Rachel Roth. “

“ Who? ” Kara asked, wondering why that name made an appearance.

“ Rachel Roth is a young girl Dick Grayson has taken under his care. I believe Bruce told me she had just turned sixteen a few weeks ago. She has… amazing power. She has abilities not even Zatanna has. Rachel can teleport, release her darkness into the world in physical form, almost bend reality. She has many demons inside her yet fights them every day because she is a good person.

“ While you were saving that girl from the parasite, Rachel and Dick showed up at Watchtower. Bruce wanted to know if the girl’s soul was still in her body or if she would be a healthy but lifeless body when you finished. “

Kara could understand that reasoning. She had the same thoughts herself. She rebuilt the girl’s body, her brain, but would she truly still be there.

“ Rachel has the ability to astral project. She went into the training room and saw the girl’s soul was still present. She was sent back to her body quickly because she was so surprised. She told us you were wrapped in a red aura that was warm and so bright she could not look for long. She saw your father standing next to you, whispering in your ear. Your mother said Rachel had seen the true form of Rao working through you.” Clark explained. “Rachel had never seen your father, she didn’t know what he looked like, but she described the man standing next to you in detail… it was him. You may have turned your back on Rao in anger and grief, but I promise, he never turned his back on you, Kara. He never will and your father will always be by your side. That’s what fathers do. They love you in your worst times, no matter what. You are not alone. Remember that. Brainiac cannot take that away from you. “

Kara felt chills sweep over her body. There were many times in her life where she felt as if she were not alone, even in the solitude of her lab. She could swear at times she could smell him, hear his voice, feel him near her as if he were looking over her shoulder. She couldn’t think on these things clearly at the moment, knowing she needed to consider these revelations when she was alone.

Kara cleared her throat and stood up straighter. “ The vendor, Joe, why was he so comfortable around you? Others stared at you in awe but never approached. He acted as if he were an old friend. “

Clark shrugged his shoulders. “ I stop by many places for food, or to help villages or towns hit by disaster rebuild, visit homeless shelters. Many of the regulars aren’t surprised to see me. Sure a few are always surprised but once they get to know you just a bit, see you as a person and not an icon, they become more comfortable.

“ For instance, there is a village in South America I saved from a drug cartel wanting their land a few years ago. I visit there once a month or so. Everyone calls me Kal El. I try to make myself available. The more people see the real you and not the larger than life image, they become more comfortable. “

Kara laughed and shook her head. “ I wish it were that easy. “

“ It is that easy. Kara, you are at a disadvantage. You grew up isolated and then revered by your society. Even before the destruction of Krypton, it is apparent that many in the Universe knew what you were capable of. You were taught by your father and private tutors. You were assigned one friend. It’s hard to develop social skills with that kind of upbringing. As for me, I had Smallville. “

Kara laughed, unable to disagree with what he said about her childhood. In the short time she had known him, he seemed to see through and understand her in a way no one else could. “ Smallville, huh? I would guess you were pretty popular. That must have helped. “

“ I was a nerd. ” Clark told her bluntly. “ A 6’4″ nerd. I was a farm kid who didn’t play sports, a guy that couldn’t allow himself to be too smart or I would call attention to myself. I stuttered when I was around pretty girls. I wasn’t the Homecoming King, I promise. That gave me an advantage in life. I learned how to deal with difficult people, recognize the good in people, experience my own pain and triumphs, learn to handle joy and sorrow. I learned to be one of them.

“ Kara, you are the most revered Kryptonian alive, maybe ever, but you are not one of them, at least not yet. “

His words hit a chord in her.

“ I fit the definition of a socially awkward nerd. ” She tried to argue.

“ No, you fit the definition of a religious icon, a savior, an angel of Rao.” he told her bluntly. “You never had a choice. It was thrust upon you. That can change though. You can be one of them if you let yourself. You told me I could make the choice for what I wanted for my life… Kara, you can do the same thing, don’t let yourself be caged by other’s expectations of you. “

Kara shook her head. “ I think it’s too late for that. “

Clark disagreed. “ Kell doesn’t seem to think so. I don’t. Alex and Lois don’t. We get to see a side of you the world should see… that every world should see. When we return, I will help you become one of them. I have some experience blending in with the people. All you have to do is be yourself. Walk among them, touch them, talk to them. Stop hiding in your lab and experience life. Show them the person who is saving them is just a person. “

Kara hugged her cousin. “Thanks, Kal El. We can speak in English again. Your accent is horrible though your grasp of the language is improving.”

“Your use of slang is fifty years out of date.” He retorted.

Before their playful bickering started up again the two heard a woman screaming in the distance and men yelling aggressively near her.

“Over there.” Kara pointed to the South. “Four, maybe five miles away. We have to go.”

Clark nodded. “After you, Supergirl.”