In their first encounter, Superman tries to convince Kara Zor-El that he is indeed the cousin she thought long dead on Krypton.
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Kara pointed an accusatory finger at Superman. “You lie!”
Superman again held up his hands in a disarming manner. He moved to stand, but Kara’s eyes lit up with the tell-tale light of her potentially deadly eye beams.
The Man of Steel remained on his knee, attempting to avoid further physical conflict.
“I understand your confusion!” Superman began, this time matching her use of the English language instead of their native Kryptonian.
“Confusion?” Kara asked. “There’s nothing to be confused about!” She pointed again at the “S” on Superman’s chest. “That is the symbol of the House of El, the wisest, most influential family on the planet Krypton. A planet destroyed decades ago!”
“It was your father’s wisdom that saved the city of Kandor!” Superman said.
The Man of Steel’s words distracted Kara. Seizing on her hesitation, Superman added, “Heeding the warnings of my father Jor-El, your father Zor-El built an independent ecosystem for Kandor! The entire city became space worthy.
“When Krypton was destroyed, Kandor survived… but was ultimately lost in space.”
Kara sneered. “You could’ve learned that from a history book! Then you profane the death of my cousin by assuming his name?”
She fired a beam of energy at Superman. He barely rolled aside, avoiding damage. The car behind him wasn’t as lucky. Kara’s beams sliced through it, their heat igniting the gas in its tank. The car exploded.
Superman leaped into the air and spun to face the blast. The bulk of debris smashed against him, doing his nigh indestructible body no harm. He threw out his cape and moved at superspeed to smack down debris that past him.
With the threat contained, Superman turned back to Kara.
“You have to stop this!” he yelled. He pointed to something to Kara’s side. She glanced in that direction and saw an adult woman and a child cowering behind an intact car.
Superman saw the teenaged super girl’s expression soften.
“You care for these people,” Kara began, “though you don’t even know them?”
“I know they don’t deserve to have their world turned upside down because we can’t talk this out!” Superman replied.
Kara thought on this. “They’re not warriors,” Kara said. “And yet you defend them.”
“It’s what true warriors do.”
Kara looked at the woman and child, seeing the fear in their eyes. Superman could swear she saw something else there, something that drew compassion from her.
Unfortunately, when she turned back to Superman, any sign of compassion had disappeared from Kara’s expression. “You may defend them,” she said, “but their world will fall to Darkseid just the same.”
Superman floated over to Kara. She defensively drifted away from him. He frowned, but pressed on with the conversation, still having to yell over the car fire raging behind him.
“Yes, I learned our history from a Kryptonian archive, but that doesn’t make my identity any less real,” Superman said.
Kara fired her eye beams again, attempting to burn the “s” from Superman’s chest. Neither he nor his costume took any damage. Kara stopped her attempt.
Superman played as compassionately as he could without looking snarky. Kara remained frustrated but didn’t press her attack. “I knew you were out there somewhere, Kara,” he continued. “I just didn’t know where to look.”
Kara and Superman exchanged a glance.
In the next second, Kara swooped down and picked up a part of the destroyed car. She then flew up, slamming the debris into the Man of Steel. He rolled with the blow, crashing into yet another car.
Stunned, he slumped to the ground.
Kara flew over to him, raising the debris for another blow.
“Or you just decided not to look!” she yelled.
“So you admit you believe I’m Kal-El,” Superman said through a split lip.
Kara lowered the car debris. Maybe he was getting through to her.
Finally.
“Now that I’ve found you, you don’t ever have to think you’re alone again,” he said.
“I am not alone,” Kara snapped, throwing her metal weapon away for emphasis and destroying yet another set of cars. Superman frowned at her needless destruction but was glad she hadn’t thrown it at him.
He didn’t know how much more of her he could take.
“I have Darkseid,” Kara said.
“You mentioned him before,” Superman said in a questioning tone.
“He is the ruler of Apokolips, conqueror of countless worlds. I am his greatest warrior. As such, I have earned the position of his herald.”
“And as his herald, what do you do?”
“I prepare worlds for conquest. Which is why I know this one will fall.”
The red energy returned to Kara’s eyes.
“Wait!” Superman said, throwing up a hand to stop her.
Kara hesitated, allowing Superman to continue.
“The archives don’t reveal what happened to you once Kandor broke free, or how this Darkseid person influenced you, turning you into…this. I want to know.”
“What right do you have to know?”
“I have a right as a fellow Kryptonian. If you give me a chance, I can prove my lineage.”
Kara, her eyes still alight with energy, glared at Superman. “You showed compassion for those people. That reminds me of how my people once lived.”
The teenaged girl who’d beaten Superman to a standstill hovered in place. Superman waited for her decision.
“I will give you one chance to convince me you are really Kal-El.” Kara’s energy-laced eyes narrowed. “Or you will be the first to fall before Darkseid’s wrath.”
Superman spit blood, then slowly nodded. “Then there’s something I need to show you.”
To be continued…
While writing this fanfiction, I used Green Ronin’s Mutants and Masterminds, 3rd Edition RPG, to leave some things to chance. Check it out!
Like this fanfiction? Check out Mark’s original “Shadowdance” saga books!
Author’s Note:
The characters Maria Hill, Captain Marvel/ Carol Danvers, SHIELD, Abigail Brand and Nick Fury are Copyright Marvel Comics
The characters Superman/ Clark Kent/ Kal-El, Supergirl/ Kara Zor-El, Darkseid, Maggie Sawyer, Solomon Grundy and Parademons are Copyright DC Comics
I don’t own any of the characters as this is fanfiction, done for fun and as a creative exercise
