Kara Zor-El acknowledges that Superman is indeed her cousin. She then shares her secret: how she survived the destruction of Krypton.
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Back at the Fortress of Solitude, Superman and Kara sat across from one another in a living room to the side of the main room. Coffee mugs filled with warm Kryptonian drinks rested on a low table between them.
“Before Krypton’s sun went nova,” Kara explained, “My father built a device to encapsulate Kandor, our home city.
“Unfortunately, the planet’s explosion damaged the device’s shielding. The artificial ecosystem held, but wouldn’t last for long.”
“That’s where the crystal histories end,” Superman said. “So, how’d you all survive?”
“Like your father Jor-El, my father always had inventions lying around,” Kara said. “One of them was an apparatus for shrinking objects.”
Off Superman’s curious look, she added, “Shrinking was one of many of my father’s pet projects. He used to shrink things, make them toys for me. He’d never tried it on such a large scale, but in desperate times…”
“The smaller the people, the longer the sustainable atmosphere and ecosystem,” Superman surmised.
Kara nodded. “His device worked, but not quite as father had planned.”
The teen girl picked up a mug and took a sip of the arm liquid within. Superman gave her a moment but felt there was still much more to the story.
Kara eventually continued.
“Kandor — its buildings and its people — all shrunk to miniature size as intended. But soon after, we all went into stasis. We were alive, but asleep, in a perfect ecosystem that sustained us. We probably would have remained that way forever, if not for…”
“Darkseid.”
Kara jumped as her cousin said the name. She nodded weakly. Something dark came over her.
“Who is he to you?” Superman asked.
“Our savior,” Kara said. In a darker tone, she added, “Our jailor.”
Superman remained silent, letting Kara take her time. She eventually continued.
“Soon after Darkseid’s scientists revived us, we learned that Darkseid’s minions had found Kandor floating in space and took it back to him as a trophy. His scientists eventually learned that radiation from a yellow sun would revive us.
“That same radiation gave us powers.”
“As the Earth’s yellow sun does now,” Superman said.
Kara nodded in acknowledgment and then continued. “Darkseid was, I guess, curious about our newfound powers. He figured our small size held us back from true power. He stole some of the children, myself included.
“His scientists restored us to size, but then he insisted we fight for him.”
Superman couldn’t hide his disgust. “And your powers. Could you use them to fight him?”
“Of course, we tried,” Kara said. “Many of us were beaten down by his other warriors, his Female Furies, led by Big Barda. But Darkseid knew that, inevitably, his Furies would kill us all. Why waste such potential?”
Superman watched the pain in his cousin’s expression. It convinced him to hate this Darkseid all the more.
“He told us we could either serve him as warriors or watch him crush Kandor.”
“He forced you to become…” Superman’s words trailed off. He didn’t know how to say what he needed to without possibly offending Kara.
“Murderers,” she said for him.
Kara’s blunt response threw Superman. He shook his head, saying, “I wasn’t going to say—”
Kara looked at Superman. He thought no one so young should have such a grave expression. She started to drink but stopped. Kara held the mug in her hands as if they warmed the ice from her veins.
Superman gave her the time she needed.
His cousin eventually continued.
“It’s what Darkseid trained me to do.”
“Violence is not the Kryptonian way.”
Kara looked sharply at Superman. “Tell that to General Zod.”
Superman flinched at the name. As he was a baby on Krypton, he had no personal knowledge of this Zod. However, the histories on the crystals had a full write up on the man. He had overseen the planet’s security.
His father Jor-El warned of Krypton’s imminent destruction, Zod was the only one in command who believed him.
When the ruling council failed to heed Jor-El’s warning, Zod and his lieutenants Faora, Non and Ursa attempted a very bloody coup.
Zod was surprised when Jor-El led the forces against him.
“I listened to the archives,” Superman said. “Zod’s violence failed. Darkseid may have given you no choice but violence. You have new choices now.”
“Maybe,” Kara said before taking a sip of her drink. “Until he comes for me.”
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
