Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Life Equation

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 39:

Argo City, Six years ago

The sixteen-year-old blonde walked into the Argo City Council Chambers with a stoic face for a meeting of the Science Guild. The eighty-two members of the Guild all rose as she entered and placed an arm across their chests, reminiscent of a military salute as Kara took the seat where her mother sat during Council meetings.

These meetings were normally a headache for her, something she had to endure to keep her scientists focused on tasks at hand. Today, she was glad for the opportunity to face them. There were problems that needed to be addressed and she would do so.

Kara’s face was emotionless, but her anger simmered close to the surface as she looked at each of those present while they quietly waited on her to speak.

“I have received all your reports and I trust you have received my responses and directions. First, let us address any questions you may have. Begin.” She said shortly.

Kara listened as one of her scientists outlined a plan to improve soil by changing the gas to mineral ratio, a harmless plan that would be an improvement over the present pedolith used in farming. Approving the theory for a small trial run, she sat back and waited for other questions or concerns.

One of her senior scientists, Ken Vow, suggested a method to improve Kryptonian secure transmissions by manipulating the hydrogen particles of interstellar gas, changing the hydroxyl radical spectral line. Kara allowed him to continue his research but made clear under no circumstances was he to test this theory until a new planet had been colonized.

Seeing no more questions, she called for Lady Gin Donn to stand. “You wish to collect hydrogen from the star in this planetary system by positioning the Flamebird on the other side of this moon, heat the solar winds at the star’s surface, use a magnetic field to collect the hydrogen and disperse the remainder into space. Do I understand this correctly?”

“Yes, Lady Kara.” The woman replied nervously.

Kara frowned, shaking her head. “And what if the magnetic field fails and the Flamebird is struck with the full power of a sun? Do you believe our soldiers would appreciate that?”

The woman was definitely sweating now, and her voice shook. “There is a black hole five light-years from our current position…”

Kara stopped her. “Yes, the black hole I have designated BX132. While I am not certain of the gravitational pull of its Event Horizon, I know it is not spinning and there are no other black holes nearby to bounce the radiation off of for us to collect, even if your plan worked. So, any energy that is not rerouted will cause a solar wave over this planetary system, perhaps taking out the moon we are hiding behind, destroying both our cruisers and Argo City.

“Tell us, Lady Donn, why do we need different methods for power collection when we have enough omegahedrons to last a thousand lifetimes and the ability to make more at any time?”

The woman glanced over her shoulder, hoping for assistance from her colleagues who had worked on this project, but quickly realized she would receive none.

“We thought perhaps this method could replicate the Phantom Zone energy we no longer have access to, so the drives of our ships could operate more efficiently.” The woman explained in a quiet voice.

“ We thought?” Kara replied, not letting the woman solely take the heat for her stupidity, eyes narrowing at the group of scientists behind the woman as they squirmed in their seats, unwilling to meet her gaze. “Well, did we take into account the rotational speed of BX132, compare it to the power needed to increase solar winds and the inability of the solar collectors to have any chance of holding the power in a controlled state?”

“Of course, we didn’t, or we would have known that your technique was flawed and deadly! Have you read the report on the Alphahedron I just completed?” Kara asked, standing and walking towards the group, her shoulders held high, her eyes flashing.

The woman nodded her head, dropping it slightly in the wake of Kara approach, the blonde’s anger unmistakable. “Of course, Lady Kara.”

“So you know of the ports I designed to charge and continue charging as needed, without risking the collapse of the nearest star. Why would we need to replace Phantom Drives when we already have a method for collecting the power of a star that could power our ships faster than ever before?

“All of you failed to take into consideration the increased neutrinos would multiple then split infinitely, destroying us and eventually causing a dark matter wave.” Kara argued as she stepped within arm’s length of the woman, her face emotionless.

The woman was wilting under Kara’s continuing barrage of evidence that her project wasn’t needed and outright dangerous to consider seriously. She wanted nothing more than to regain her seat among the mass of scientists, knowing Kara was right. Hoping for a reprieve from the blonde’s displeasure, she said, “I was under the impression that the Alphahedron was only to be used for the Solar Storm Cannon you developed.”

Kara’s face broke into a smile but neither Donn nor the other scientists saw humor in it. “You believe that I made a device that’s only application is for a weapon?”

Looking around the room, she took in all the faces, noting most looked nervous, though some looked wary. “Many of you say I am reckless and impulsive. I realize I do not get out much, but I hear everything.”

“All of you say my theories are rushed, my techniques are not traditional, that I do not follow protocol when developing technology to make my theories come to life. My favorite are the whispers from my Science Guild who say I am too young to make rational decisions.

“Yet, all of you, with all your years of so called theoretical knowledge, propose risky plans such as the one proposed by Lady Donn, wasting time theorizing about a new power source we don’t even need!

“But by all means, continue your research. Try to improve your flawed theories. While you are doing this, I will be developing practical uses for the Alphahedron in relation to the Phantom Drives and our future planet’s protective shield.”

“To that point, have any of you worked on a planetary shield? Is this an idea that any of you are discussing? Theorizing?” Kara asked, as she looked around the room. Silence was her answer.

“Obviously, none of you are because none of you believe it can be done. My father… my father shielded us from an exploding planet! And yet all of you still doubt the same shield could be used to cover a new planet. Doubting is all you seem to be good at.

“You theorize while our people need actual research that can be turned into reality now. Instead, you are replicating processes capable of destroying our people that have been proven wrong in the past. You look to the past for answers instead of developing your own. We cannot wait a thousand years into the future because we need technology now!” Kara shouted, her emotionless façade gone, her anger and irritation breaking through.

The blonde stared at her Guild, but no one met her eyes.

“I’m not going to apologize for being harsh because it seems this approach is the only one that will work to curb your blatant disregard for science that will actually help our people and not promote your own agendas.

“For instance, I had to clone water for our moisture distributors last night, or should I say this morning at 3 AM and it has put me in quite a mood. Young children get moody at times from what I understand. According to many of you, I am a child. So does anyone know why a child was needed at 3 AM because the entire balance of our small ecosystem was at risk?”

Hearing nothing, Kara pointed to a man in the third row. “Tax Mi, I am sure you have an idea. Care to enlighten the rest of our Science Guild on what transpired that could cause our moisture levels to rapidly decrease, threatening everything from the drinkable water to the plant life of Argo City?”

The man stood and cleared his throat, wiping the sweat off his forehead. “I made a slight change to the microbots that I felt would improve soil management and give us a slightly, more efficient use of carbon elements…”

“And it failed.” Kara interrupted, raising her hand to stop him before he dug himself a hole deeper than the one he was already in.

“I remember the earliest days after our escape from the Phantom Zone, Tax Mi. I recall showing you my designs for the microbots and you telling me it would never work… that I couldn’t program that many protocols into so many small machines and that I would need millions to accomplish the task, if I could even make them work. Do you remember that conversation, Tax Mi? Because I do. I remember you in your great wisdom following me around, telling me what couldn’t be done until I did it, not only to save our people but to shut you up .” Kara said, emphasizing her last statement. “Tell me, have you taken a breath of air today, Tax Mi?”

Her gaze was now solely on the shaking scientist, as he shrank under the weight of his negligence being exposed in her knowing eyes. “Ye… yes, Lady Kara.”

“Did you take a shower? Did you enjoy it? I hope so, because if I had not been woken by Kelex, I would have been forced to cut the water supply to the entire city this morning, throwing our entire balance off. I understand you met with two members of the Agriculture and Engineering Guild, ordered these small modifications of machines that, not long ago, you believed could not possibly work, and followed through with your design flaw, at no time informing me of your plans or actions.

“Do you have an excuse for going behind my back and risking our entire existence, Tax Mi?” Kara’s face was red at this point, the grim smile gone as she was outwardly scowling.

“I took initiative because I knew you were busy…”

“You took initiative because of your ego!” Kara shouted, no longer attempting to curb her anger. “You wanted to improve something that was not yours to begin with… that you thought was impossible! Please, explain to me how you can make improvements to a project you never understood in the first place!

“I will be spending the remainder of my day clearing up a data glitch that has my microbots roaming under homes when they should be collecting solar energy because you had the audacity to go behind my back thinking you could improve something that I created having no understanding of the technology! You, the great Tax Mi, wanting to claim you improved our lives by tampering with technology I made!”

“Would you have done this to my father? Would you have done this to Jor El?” She asked heatedly.

The man was looking at the floor, shaking his head.

“What would Jor El have done if you experimented with a vital part of our ecosystem behind his back? You are a wise adult with many years in the Science Guild, so you knew him well. Tell me, what would have happened if you went behind his back and made a mistake in an experiment outside of a lab, that nearly caused an environmental disaster?” Kara asked the trembling man, already knowing the answer.

Tax Mi had a difficult time speaking. His voice shaking, he muttered, “I would have been expelled from the Science Guild.”

Kara looked coldly at the man. “That would be the least of your problems considering what he could do to you. You and your two cohorts from Agriculture and Engineering can explain yourselves to the Council this afternoon. If it ever happens again, I will expel you before you have the chance to explain your mistake to the Council. Of course you may be dead along with the rest of our people, because once the water is gone, the moisture collectors that are scattered throughout the city to provide breathable air will be damaged, severing our oxygen supply.”

Taking a deep breath to rein in her anger, Kara moved back to the chair reserved for the High Councilor during the Council meetings and took her seat.

Speaking clearly and succinctly, Kara said, “When I was twelve, I was unchallenged for the position I hold. No one challenged me because none of you knew what to do. Instead, you stood in a crowd with the rest of our people, shouting questions towards my mother, asking her what would happen.

“I stepped up… I solved our problems. Despite my misgivings, I have given you free reign to research your topics of interest since that time, around seventy-five percent of which are not relevant in any way to the survival of our people.

“Over the years, I have heard your whispered doubts, your wounded pride at being given directions by a child, even as I worked to make our continued existence possible. I have done my best to grant you more freedom in your work than Jor El ever did. I now see there were reasons he ran the Science Guild as he did, and I will follow his example.”

“From this point on, all research will be assigned by me. Proposals for topics will be approved or denied by me. I will place security protocols on all systems to prevent them from being tampered with. There are to be no practical applications of work without my approval. None of you are to touch any military or environmental projects. If you go behind my back again and work on an unapproved project, you will be conducting dust studies on Scout Ships for the rest of your lives, provided you aren’t imprisoned.”

Kara heard nothing but silence. “If you wish to vote me out of my position, please do so now. I will be glad to go home and be the child I am supposed to be instead of the adult I am forced to be.

“You all wish to gain glory for yourself, you want to tell the City that you found flaws in my projects and improved them before we all died. You want to be heroes and instead you threaten our very survival with your jealousy. How long do any of you think you will survive without me? Do you all like breathing, drinking and eating? Tell me, does anyone here honestly think they can do this job? Who wants the responsibility? Say the word now!”

Hearing nothing, Kara rose from her seat. “The Argo City Science Guild, what is left of it, is mine to lead and apparently I must do so in the manner Jor El led the Kryptonian Science Guild. There will be no more dissent, grumblings, or battered egos over being assigned projects by a child.

“Do not challenge me again, any of you. If you do not feel you can follow my orders, then find another Guild to belong to. Am I understood?”

Not a word was heard. Kara’s face turned redder. “That was not a hypothetical question! Now is the time you scientists provide an answer for once! Am I understood?!”

Silence followed until Nak Vi, who had been one of Zor’s closest friends and was one of the oldest members of the Science Guild, stood and spoke. “I assure you, we do not doubt you, Lady Kara. Any slights to you will be addressed by me personally. Your leadership is unquestioned, and we will follow your orders. I trust the unsanctioned changes to the microbots were a one-off and nothing of this nature will ever be repeated. We followed Jor El, we followed your father and we will follow you… without question.”

Kara nodded her head. “Thank you, Nak Vi. My Kelex will send assignments this afternoon. Considering what we have discussed today, may Rao help us all.”

Kara walked out the back entrance quickly, still fuming. At the door, she met her Uncle Non, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

“You reminded me so much of Jor El and your mother, I am still afraid to move.” Her uncle told her.

Kara thought of laughing at his attempt at humor, but she knew he was right.

“I didn’t want to do that.” She admitted in a subdued tone.

“I know, but they left you no choice.” Non told her. “I knew this day would come. It never happened to Jor El but Jor El was not twelve when he was appointed. It needed to be done. I’m proud of you.”

“I can’t let them run wild. An unsanctioned experiment in Argo City without my knowledge and testing in a lab first, it could have been disastrous. I cannot rely on them or trust them, Uncle Non.”

Non took a deep breath and nodded knowingly. He knew she was right. Prior to Krypton’s death, there were thousands of scientists: those who worked for the future, those who excelled at theoretical physics and some even excelled at practical application. But every test, every experiment outside a lab, had to be approved by Jor El. Even Zor asked permission from his brother when he planned to experiment outside his lab. The Science Guild was the greatest strength Krypton possessed but without a firm hand, it could be its greatest threat.

He knew his niece and how she was perceived. She was a hero to the people, but that heroism bred jealousy among those in her guild, those who sought glory themselves and did not appreciate taking direction from a child, no matter how brilliant she was. Kara had done the hard work and they wanted to step on her back now to make their own names known.

This meeting had been a long time in the making. Kelex’s 3 AM call had been the final thing that pushed Kara over the edge.

“You will need them someday, Kara.” Non told her.

Kara snorted. “Need them? Need them for what? I have plans for them, things that need to be done that will not put the lives of our people at risk, that will keep them out of my way.”

“Why? Why can they none of them see it?” She asked, imploring him.

“See what?” Non asked, looking confused.

“Everything!” she shouted, raising her hands. “The entire universe! They see nothing! They either sit around and dream all day about processes that can’t possibly work or try to undermine me because of jealousy! None of them see the beauty, the simplicity of everything around us!

“You tell me I don’t have to do everything myself but who can I trust?! Them? They are waiting for me to fail so they can claim they saved Argo City from me! I have no need for them. I would be better off sending them to other Guilds where they could do less damage! I am the only one in the Science Guild I trust.”

Non stepped closer to her and pulled her into his arms. A part of him was proud of the way his niece took control of her Guild, but another part was terrified. She truly reminded him of Alura and Jor El today and not in a good way. She intimidated them, her natural presence overwhelmed them, made them feel fear. These were scientists that had not cowed to anyone in their lives but they practically kneeled before her from just a harsh look.

“Kara, you were not wrong in being upset, but your emotions rule you too often. You are the leader of a Guild comprised of the most intelligent remaining Kryptonians. You must see the larger picture. They each possess strengths and weaknesses. A part of your job is to place them in positions they can perform best. You cannot expect them to be you, your Father or your Uncle Jor.”

Kara shook her head, her disagreement obvious. “I don’t expect anything from them, and they never fail to live up to my expectations. Walk me to my lab. Because of Tax Mi, I have much work to do today, fixing something that was not broken.”

Non placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her out of the building. “You have had roughly ten hours of sleep in the past three days, Kara. You were only asleep three hours before Kelex woke you this morning. Kelex can handle the glitches. Come home and rest.”

Kara shook her head and began to argue until Non gently tugged her to the park.

“It’s in your blood, you know.” Non said, guiding Kara toward the Central Park.

“What is in my blood?”

“The fire.” Non said knowingly. “You inherited it from your mother and aunt. I watched your mother stare into the eyes of Faora Hu Ul during court and make the women flinch. I saw Zod’s eyes the moment your aunt struck him in his throat on the landing pad outside the Council chambers, the moment in battle he realized he could not beat her. She saw his fear and relished in it, even smiled.

“I saw you quiet over thirty-thousand panicked Kryptonians with one word. You have the blood of the House of Ze running through your veins, just as much as the blood of the House of El. You have their presence, their strength, their hubris and their temper. You must learn to control it, to wield it as a tool, not a weapon.

“Now come, let’s take a moment to play that game you liked… what is it called? The one with five spheres with the orbital tosses…”

“The one you played in the Academy where you were named the Division’s most valuable player? That game?” Kara asked teasingly, knowing her uncle was trying to help her relax.

“I may have played it a time or two. Perhaps we can sit by a tree and read, or I can tell you boring, horrible stories about my brother and father. You always love those.” Non suggested playfully.

Kara took a deep breath. “Fine, perhaps a walk around the park and a small nap may calm me.”

Non was pleased and took her hand, the two walking through the center of the park toward their home.

To Kara’s annoyance, everyone they saw stood still, smiling brightly at her but none approached. When she walked near them, they simply smiled and bowed their heads. The children stopped playing their games and watched her with wide eyes.

Kara was becoming uncomfortable with the responses. This was why she hardly ever walked in the park or spent much time in public. She could never observe life when life stopped around her wherever she went.

The blonde was about to suggest to her Uncle that her presence was disrupting others’ activities when she saw Tax Mi moving towards her. Judging by the regretful look on his face, she suspected he may have wanted to apologize. Unfortunately for him, a large guard stepped in front of him, placed a hand on his chest and suggested he leave.

The blonde began noticing the people around her once again and saw that some were moving but not looking at her. Instead, they were watching everyone who was looking at her. She sighed, realizing if anyone did try to speak to her, they would most likely be stopped by these guards. A game with her Uncle would be watched and recorded, and no one would volunteer to join in. It was a team sport and while Kara had a family, she didn’t have a team. She only had herself.

Dejected, she turned to her uncle. “Uncle Non, walk me to my lab. I need to give instructions to Kelex so he can begin fixing my microbots. Once I do, I promise to go home… I could use some sleep.”

Nuclear testing ground, Nevada desert

Alex and Winn stood on a slight rise, one hundred yards from the scout ship watching the ion cannons being removed from the sleek wings of Kara’s fighter.

“I can’t believe I am seeing these. We’ve never seen ships this big. The fighter is huge, and the Scout Ship looks like it could carry an army.” Winn remarked in awe, obviously trying to restrain his fanboy reaction. “How big are the cruisers again?”

“Very big.” Was Alex’s short but apt description.

“And she is going to use these cannons… and these crystals and whatever those devices are over there to make a new element.” Winn rehashed what Alex had told him. “This sounds kind of crazy. She is going to need a nuclear power source. Did she buy plutonium from the dark web or something like that?”

“Kara isn’t using nuclear power, she’s using cold fusion and said it’s safe. Honestly, I can’t wait to read up on the technology, but for now, I’m content with watching her work. I believe the large blocks on the two ends of the north and west pipes are the power sources to kick start the accelerator but I’m not an expert on physics. What I do know is, if she says it can be done, it can be done.” Alex replied, studying the giant circle of large pipes that served as the backbone of the particle accelerator Kara was building. The size of the machine was roughly one-hundred times larger than the blonde’s personal one. “You have seen the lightsaber she built. I never would have believed one of those would work, but it does.”

“Do you think she will build me a lightsaber?” the man asked, very jealous of Alex’s new weapon she had demonstrated for him shortly after he arrived at the Lake House.

“No.” was Alex’s short answer.

Winn’s thoughts were all over the place, ranging from excitement to worry. He knew cold fusion had been attempted by humans for many years and still proven implausible. He expressed his concerns to Alex.

“Winn, in Argo City, you are going to learn the word impossible has little meaning, especially when Kara is involved. Last week, I read her report on the hand-sized energy collector she made during the battle at S.T.A.R. Labs. She created it, on the fly, using loose parts lying around the lab, while in the middle of a battle and saved a woman’s life.” Alex patiently explained, her eyes never leaving the controlled chaos of the construction site. “What humans consider theory, Kryptonians have proven as fact.

“Kara told me Krypton used cold fusion as a tool 1.2 million years ago and moved on after a century to better energy sources. She said she is making do with it now to avoid a nuclear explosion.”

Seeing Alex wasn’t worried, Winn felt a bit better. A nuclear explosion was not on his to-do list today. “So… she is basically using her version of duct tape to power a particle accelerator to break open one of these omegahedrons, recreating a star in the middle and just before the star implodes, she will draw out the particles she needs, making a new element.”

Alex chuckled. “Duct tape? More like she is using a rock as a hammer. Relax and watch the light show. You are going to see something no human has ever seen. Get used to it. I have a feeling this will be a regular occurrence for us.”

The two friends were watching the construction going on by Superman and a Kryptonian special forces team, when Alex suddenly heard a sound behind her. She turned quickly, hand on her sidearm, but relaxed when she saw Non landing gracefully.

“Alex, can I speak to you for a moment?” He asked, his expression serious.

Alex nodded and the two walked a short distance away.

“Is everything going okay down there?” she asked cautiously.

Non shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea what they are doing… neither do they. They are just following Kara’s directions. She is running hundreds of simulations in the scout ship and has a confident look so I assume everything will be fine, but I have a problem I specifically need your help with.”

Alex was a little concerned at his serious demeanor. “Of course, what can I do?”

Non sighed, thinking on how best to explain the situation. “I need for you to use your ability at managing situations between two potentially hostile parties… kind of like the incident when you saved that Green Lantern’s life on the beach before Kara pounded her into a green mess in the sand.”

The General took a deep breath. “Bruce Wayne paid for the promethium tubes Kara needed without argument, but then he did something inadvisable. He informed a Dr. Martin Stein, who I am told is a renowned scientist in this world, about the project and offered him a chance to see the process for himself. I believe he is one-half of the hero called ‘Firestorm’.”

Alex was aware of Dr. Stein’s reputation and that he was considered one of the most brilliant men on Earth. It made sense he would want to see an element being born and stabilized that humans haven’t even theorized yet.

“Okay. You want me to head him off, distract him from Kara? I’m sure he will have a million questions for her, but I can try my best to keep him from interfering with her while she works.” Alex replied.

Non shook his head, wondering how much he should tell her, then deciding she would find out soon anyway.

“You have heard and witnessed how our people perceive Kara.” He stated, knowing of Kara and Alex’s trip to the Temple from his wife and what Alex would have seen.

“They see her as a god.” Alex said bluntly, knowing Non appreciated straight forward answers, rather than diplomatic ones.

The General winced, not disagreeing but hating to hear it said aloud. He appreciated her blunt honesty though.

“Zor El was beloved by the people of Argo City. His personality made him a very likeable person, open with others. No one was afraid to approach him. Kara was his sweet, brilliant, little girl whom everyone adored. She was only recognized as someone truly special when rumors grew about the attempt on her life.” Non explained. “It was after Krypton was destroyed that our people came to see her true genius. She took over the Science Guild at twelve-years-old, did everything herself, saved Argo City. You already know this.”

Alex nodded. It wasn’t a secret and she had given much thought to how Kara was seen by the Kryptonian people since her trip to Argo City.

Non continued. “Unfortunately, those in the Science Guild who worked under Zor El… there were those who were jealous of her and how she was perceived by the people. They wanted to make their own marks, be considered saviors as well. Rather than advancing our current technology, they attempted to manipulate hers, supposedly to improve it and have their names linked to her work.”

Alex cringed, having a feeling where the story was headed. “They weren’t so successful, were they?”

Non shook his head. “Many of them whispered among themselves, appreciating Kara’s technology while attempting to undermine her position. All of their attempts to improve her technology ended in near disaster. Kara reached her breaking point when she was sixteen and a man threatened the entire water supply of Argo City by tampering with her microbots and failing miserably. She called for a Guild meeting the next morning.”

“I guess Kara verbally eviscerated him.” Alex replied.

“To put it lightly,” Non agreed. “She sent the man and his cohorts to the Council who voted unanimously to have him, and his accomplices, censured. He was expelled from the Science Guild for six months and has been working as a lab assistant ever since. He will likely be one of your underlings, tasked with handing you tools if you need them.

“You have seen hints of her arrogance and defensiveness in her conversation with Lois Lane. You have not seen her true hubris when she is challenged. The pressures of trying to save Argo and our people, combined with the doubts and jealousy of those who should have been trying to help her, led Kara, at a young age, to take tight control over the entire Science Guild with an iron fist. None of them dared challenge her after that meeting.”

Alex had glimpsed that side of Kara when she spoke to Lois. She also saw the Science Guild’s reaction to Kara’s presence. She suspected Kara was like Alura and Astra in that she had a manner that made those under her naturally submissive.

“You are afraid Stein may challenge her. That Kara will… go off on him in some way that may end badly for him.” She inferred.

Non nodded, Alex voicing his concern. “She will happily answer any questions as much as she can. If he challenges her though, says she cannot do what she is attempting with this project or that is impossible, she may well kick him out of the ship. That could be figuratively or literally. Kara will turn into a combination of Alura and Astra in less than a heartbeat. I need you to keep her calm.”

“You don’t think she would listen to you?” Alex said more as a statement than a question.

“In this particular instance, no, she wouldn’t.” He replied. “I realize this is a bad position to put you in, and her behavior isn’t your responsibility, but you are one of the few people she listens to. You have already talked her into granting more responsibilities to her scientists. She accepted you as her partner and respects your opinion in science and a great many other things. You truly have no idea yet of the influence you have on her. So please, for me and Kara… and especially poor Dr. Stein, would you mediate the conversation?”

When Alex agreed, Non smiled and thanked her, making his way back to the Scout Ship while she rejoined Winn.

She didn’t have to wait long for Dr. Stein to arrive. Red Shard stopped working immediately and pulled their rifles aiming at the sky, Alex pulling her new handgun instinctively and following suit until she saw the bright flames in the sky and heard Clark assuring the Kryptonians that a friend was arriving.

As Firestorm touched ground and separated, Red Shard’s weapons had been holstered but they had removed their helmets and Alex knew why… they were prepared to use their heat vision.

Holstering her handgun, she made her way toward the older man and waved.

Stein greeted her and offered his hand. “Dr. Danvers! A pleasure to see you. We have never truly had the chance to talk.”

Alex shook it in greeting. “It’s a pleasure, Dr. Stein. I wish it weren’t the threat of a universal terror that brought us together, but I am glad for the opportunity to meet you. While I am not an expert in physics, I would be glad to show you around and explain what I can.”

She introduced Winn then signaled Kell over to keep her friend company and out of trouble while she escorted Dr. Stein around. In a quiet voice, she said, “Winn, stay away from the ships and don’t touch anything. Kell, I’m trusting you to keep Winn from touching anything, or worse, Red Shard assuring he doesn’t touch anything… can you do that?”

Kell’s assurances in hand, he and Winn made their way towards the ion cannons which Alex knew was the only tech present the young Kryptonian understood well enough to explain to Winn. Her excitable friend was in for an animated explanation of how those worked.

As Alex rejoined him, Stein smiled and began walking beside the former agent. Alex glanced back at Ronnie Raymond, seeing him talking with Superman, who was astute enough to understand the situation and was steering the young engineer away from them so the soldiers would not become involved. One thing was certain, Firestorm would not be allowed to merge.

Alex remained quiet as Stein walked around the area, visually examining the components around them. “I must say, Alex, this is very impressive. I understand Kara has a small particle accelerator. Have you seen it?”

“Yes, it’s about three feet in diameter.” She said, not going into further details. Kara had told her that, while her particle accelerator was amazing at researching the subatomic realms and for simulations, it could not handle the power output needed for this process, hence the need to build the bigger one.

“Amazing. Could I possibly speak to Lady Kara? That is her title, correct? I am not up to date on protocol when meeting a scientist from another planet and do not wish to offend.”

Alex cringed, hoping he would be satisfied with what he saw but not surprised he wanted to talk to the Kryptonian. “She prefers to be called Kara. She isn’t big on titles. I could ask her if she has time to speak. Just so you understand, when Kara faces a problem, she becomes extremely focused and it’s best not to disturb her.”

The two guards at the door to the scout ship watched the man warily as he walked up the boarding pad with Alex.

Stein’s gasp told her that he was as impressed by the alien ship as she was. While the ship looked impressive on the outside, its true beauty lay on the inside.

Alex escorted Stein through the halls towards the bridge since they had not run into Kara in any of the outlying rooms. “I guess she is running simulations on the bridge. The holographic capabilities of the bridge are the strongest on the ship from what I can tell so far.” Alex explained. “Or… she may be in quiet contemplation.”

Alex approached the door to the bridge, pleased it opened automatically and supposed her DNA had been added to programming of the ship to give her access.

The noise hit her and Stein immediately, causing them both to flinch.

Kara was not in quiet contemplation. Instead, the very loud sound of AC/DCs ‘ Shoot to Thrill ‘ was blaring from Kelex and the blonde was dancing, swinging her hair back and forth, her arms raised over her head and body swaying.

Kelex noticed the new visitors and shut off the music. Kara glared at him until he tilted his head towards the new visitors.

“Alex!” Kara greeted her. “I was just getting my groove on. Is this the famous Dr. Martin Stein? I wasn’t able to speak to you at Watchtower.”

Alex shook her head slightly, not bothering to hold back a smile. Kara was dressed in torn jeans and a short, black, Metallica t-shirt, the outfit completed by studded boots. So much for quiet contemplation.

“Sorry to bother you, Kara…” Alex began before Kara waved her off.

“No bother at all. I was just preparing myself for our project. It’s going to be so cool. I’ve seen the factories where omegahedrons are made and of course I built the Alphahedron myself, but I’ve never actually made a new element. It’s going to be so exciting! Sorry for the loud music. I’m beginning to realize what I have missed growing up. So far, I have gone through my pop phase and am moving on to my hard rock phase. I’m moving to my Seattle grunge rock phase after that.”

Dr. Stein stepped forward and offered his hand. Before they could touch, a guard was in front of Kara, blocking the man’s approach.

“ Enough !” Kara snapped at the guard. “ You know this is a common greeting among humans !”

“ He is a metahuman who can emit fire .” The guard mumbled.

“ Only when he is merged with his partner.” Kara said, her cheeks turned red from embarrassment. Looking disgruntled, the guard left the bridge. “I’m sorry. They are rather overprotective, even for bodyguards. So Dr. Stein, I have read some of your published works. Are you here to observe the fireworks?”

Martin cleared his throat. “I actually have questions about what you are planning. Perhaps if you could explain the process, I would feel more comfortable.”

Kara raised an eyebrow. “Comfortable? I assure you, there is nothing to worry about. I have run five hundred simulations and four hundred and ninety-nine were completely successful.”

“Four hundred and ninety-nine?” Stein asked nervously. “And the one that didn’t work?”

“Total destruction of the planet. Don’t worry about that little guy though. He was an outlier.”

Stein’s face was pale before Kara laughed. “Relax, Dr. Stein. I’m just teasing. All five hundred were perfect. The entire process is completely safe and quick. Once I am done, we will have twenty perfect pieces of Ilium 349. It will be a simple process to place them in the twenty most populated cities at their highest point. Should Brainiac attempt to shrink and capture any city, my ilium powered device will activate immediately to counteract his attempt. I hope when I overpower him mentally, he will be incapable of coherent thought, but the mechanical part of his brain may have a contingency to attack with methods he used before he had the Anti-Life Equation.”

Stein stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. “You said you were the most intelligent sentient in the Universe. Based off the interdimensional travel device you have developed, I have no doubt toward your claim. I must ask though, someone with your intelligence can surely see the grave dangers in attempting to make an element by creating a star, increasing its life cycle in seconds and drawing out the specific element you need before it turns into a full scale supernova.”

Kara tensed, but then forced herself to relax. “I assure it is very safe. Killing a star on a small scale is quite easy thanks to the crystals Kal brought from Uncle Jor’s lab and my tech. I will have what I need long before a lead core is made. The process is safe, or I would not attempt it.”

Stein took her in for a moment studying her face in detail and was surprised she genuinely believed this was possible and was not the least bit worried. While he may not be an alien with access to the technology these aliens possessed, mathematics was a universal language. What she was proposing was extremely dangerous.

“You plan to use cold fusion to jump start this reaction. It is the consensus on Earth that cold fusion is not possible or worth pursuing if it was. Are you certain your cold fusion process is safe?” He asked.

Kara nearly rolled her eyes. “Kryptonians used cold fusion 1.2 million years ago before it was cast aside a hundred years later for more effective means of power. I would prefer to use other methods, but I’m limited with what I have available to me on this planet. Cold fusion is the safest method of powering the reaction needed with the right stream of particles through the cannons.”

Stein took that as a slight, something he was not used to.

“Could I possibly see the mathematical properties of cold fusion?” he asked politely.

Kara shook her head. “Sorry, I can’t allow that. The second rule of interplanetary communication is not to provide technology that could change the natural course of evolution. For example, humans do not believe that cold fusion is possible and have stopped funding research. That is Earth’s decision. You are capable of figuring it out, but I cannot show you how.”

The anger was evident on Stein’s face. “I am sure, in this case, that can be put aside. As one of the top theoretical physicists on this planet, I would think sharing knowledge when conducting a possible life ending experiment would be my business.”

Kara’s smile disappeared… a cold, blank look replacing it on her face… a look that gave Alex chills and warned her that she would need to step in.

“I am sure…” Alex tried before Kara spoke.

“You are a decent theoretical physicist.” Kara cut in. “I have read some of your work and find it endearing. However, you are just that… a theorist. Do what you do best and theorize while I accomplish something you don’t believe possible. You are welcome to watch from a safe distance, but I must insist you do not merge with Ronnie Raymond until it is complete. Interfering with this process could be devastating.”

Stein gritted his teeth, losing his cool. “Perhaps I should talk to Bruce Wayne and place an end to this. I must protest this extremely dangerous act.”

Kara scoffed at the man. “Will you protest when Brainiac shrinks a city, places it in stasis and holds it forever in his trophy room? I’m sure Brainiac will understand your foolish misgivings and agree not to do so.

“As far as Bruce Wayne, he has no authority over me or what I do. No one does. I am the only one capable of protecting this planet from a creature who will not hesitate to use any method to enslave or destroy humanity. If you would like to find someone with legal claim over the entire Earth, I will meet with this person. As it stands now, I see a private citizen who believes he is right above all else and has the right to make decisions for humanity with no understanding of what he is talking about.”

“You are too arrogant and foolish!” Stein proclaimed loudly. “You are young and have no concept of how much damage this could possibly do and even if it is possible! There may be no one representative of the Earth but as the leading scientist for this planet, I believe the call is mine to make.”

“Oh shit.” Alex whispered and stepped between the two.

“Leading scientist? A physicist on Earth is akin to the blind leading the blind and stupid!” Kara told him, her cold expression morphing into anger. “Your periodic table is a joke! You believe you have the answers to this problem? Your greatest achievement, Doctor, was being the cause of an accident that allowed Ronnie Raymond to become a nuclear-powered meta who protects humanity while having to listen to your pompous ass speak in his head constantly!”

Alex reached out, touching her irate friend’s arm. “Kara, calm down. Dr. Stein is confused about the process. It’s natural for him to be nervous, not having a complete understanding of cold fusion… or causing the birth and death of a star. I am sure he means well… right, Dr. Stein?”

“She is reckless. Her obsession with Brainiac is endangering this planet, perhaps as much as he is!” Stein shouted.

Kara turned away from Alex towards Kelex, so angry she reverted to speaking in her native language. “ Get this idiot out of my ship and away from this area. I have no time for so-called physicists lecturing me on what can and cannot be done! Stun him, call the guard if you must but I want him off my ship!”

Kelex looked at the man who Alex was watching closely, her hand on his shoulder, keeping him from moving towards Kara. “Lady Kara is regretful that this conversation has become upsetting for you both. She believes it is just a misunderstanding of mathematics but gives her word this procedure is safe and cold fusion is a viable power source.”

“ That isn’t what I said! I don’t have the translation for what I want to say to him!”

“She has the upmost respect for your concerns and believes the two of you can come to an understanding on the necessity of this element.” Kelex dutifully mistranslated.

“ I want his pompous ass off this ship and out of this state, preferably, out of this country! My least intelligent scientist is a genius compared to this man! My ten-year-old assistant is a goddess compared to this idiot and his protests!” Kara continued to rant.

Kelex shook his head, his arms raised in a placating gesture. “She simply asks that you have faith in the process, Dr. Stein.”

“That is not what I said!” Kara snapped. “I forgot to speak English for a moment but that doesn’t mean you have permission to lie, Kelex.”

Stein attempted to step around Alex but was held in place by her strong grip. Glancing at the former agent in shock, he turned back to the enraged Kryptonian. “Then perhaps you would like to explain in English?”

Kara stepped up to the man. “Go screw yourself. Go back to your lab and work on the Yang-Mills theory or maybe a quantum field theory that is already so off-base it will take humanity hundreds of years just to ask the right questions instead of the wrong ones that lead to insolvability. If you are around in the next ten minutes, I will send twenty Kryptonians to encourage you to leave!”

“Kara!” Alex implored her friend. “Please, calm down.”

The brunette then turned to Dr. Stein. “To your argument, Doctor, you saw how she saved that girl in Watchtower from Brainiac’s drone. You know she drew cosmic radiation out of a mutated human during that S.T.A.R Labs debacle to save her. You are aware she developed tech that can cut through dimensions and then, with the same tech, modified missiles not designed for that purpose to save this world from thousands of weaponized androids.

“You need to have faith, Dr. Stein. I understand your concerns, but I have seen her pull off things I never would have believed possible. Trust me when I tell you, she has this.”

Kara and Stein locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity to Alex. Dr. Stein finally flinched under her cold gaze. As he turned to leave, four members of Kara’s Red Shard unit, sans helmets, abruptly surrounded him. Kara and Alex said nothing as they escorted the livid man out of the area.

Alex sighed, turning towards Kara. “So, that could have gone better.”

Kara snorted in disgust. “He can go to hell for all I care. I have no time to deal with posers. Why did you even bring him on this ship?”

Alex shrugged her shoulders. “Because he wanted to see you and I thought maybe you two might get along, kindred spirits and all that. I didn’t know he had an agenda.”

“It’s fine, Alex.” Kara said, trying to calm herself down. “I shouldn’t expect humans to be like us.”

“Us…” Alex dropped her head. “You mean like Kryptonians?”

“No, I meant like us. Me and you.” Kara looked thoughtful as she studied her friend’s posture. She asked softly, “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?” Alex asked, her raised eyebrow confirming what Kara now suspected.

“Alex, I didn’t accept you as my partner because Uncle Non suggested it. When I gave you the information on Dr. Faulkner and saw your design for the device that could save her, I was shocked. It’s why I blurted out that it was good for a human because everything I had learned about humans led me to believe they weren’t the most intelligent creatures.

“But your design was amazing. You took the information from my report and made a device to counteract the negative effects in less than a day. Based on what I knew at the time, that shouldn’t have been possible. I was intrigued so… I sort of invaded your privacy. I had Kelex get me every report, research paper and investigation you conducted for the DEO. I read your weapons designs for dealing with unknown biological entities, possible alien viruses… basically every professional work you have ever written.”

Kara took a breath, cautious at Alex’s reaction, though noting her rapt attention. Not being berated for breaking her friend’s privacy, Kara continued. “I had to know more, so I had Kelex retrieve all of your college papers up to and including your dissertation for your doctorate. I mentioned your intelligence to Uncle Non but had no idea he would recruit you, though I am glad he did.

“I am not sure about this intelligence scale the Guardians have devised, but I know one thing for certain… you are more intelligent than any member of my Science Guild. You are the first person I have had faith in since my Father died… the first person I’ve trusted. The technology of Earth holds you back but with access to our technology, your potential will be unlimited.

“People like Stein are why we have such a low opinion of humans and many other beings in the universe. He is a theorist. He could sit in a lab for decades trying to solve one problem, never succeed, never make an idea a reality or even have a good understanding of what the problem actually is. I cannot stand people like him. Perhaps I shouldn’t have reacted like I did… I am a bit keyed up, but it’s not an excuse.

“Just don’t doubt yourself, Alex. You are better than any of these so called geniuses. Now, are you ready to make a new element?”

Alex wiped her suddenly burning eyes, nodding her head rapidly. She then surprised Kara by hugging her.

The two walked out of the ship, hand in hand, to find Non waiting for them.

“The conversation did not go well, I suppose?” the man asked, having observed the angry looking doctor being removed from the vicinity by Red Shard.

Alex shrugged her shoulders. “The man can’t think beyond his ivory tower. He isn’t like us, so he will never understand.”

Non laughed, glad to see a sparkle in Alex’s eyes instead of the self-doubt he sometimes saw.

Kara asked the two to go a safe distance away and walked up to within fifty feet of the large circular tube, Kelex by her side.

“Kelex, drop my beat.”

Music blared, this time… Metallica. Kelex projected a holographic keyboard in front of Kara and she started the process with the press of a single button.

It was a low hum, not the explosion all had expected. Lights swirled from the Ion Cannons, to the crystals, to the giant magnets standing around the tubes like monuments. The colorful streams broke from the monuments back into the circular tubes, lighting the entire tube until is appeared to be made of pure energy. Four beams shot from the tube into a circular stand of twenty shields while ‘ Enter Sandman ‘ played in the background.

The laser light show stopped, the humming sound gone. In the middle of the particle accelerator, stood twenty perfect replicas of the crest of the House of El made of a silvery element no one on Earth, and very few in the Universe, had ever seen.

Non, Kal and Alex walked up to Kara, taking in the perfectly formed elements.

“Our House crest, huh?” Kal asked playfully.

“Yeah, I got the idea from this guy called ‘The Blur’.” Kara admitted, a smirk on her face. “I heard he used to burn it all over cities whenever he saved people.

“So, the Lanterns can handle getting these distributed around the world. As for us, it’s time we get you happily miserable, Cousin.”