Title: One Last Chance
Fandom: Supergirl (2015),
Rating: High T
Parings: Future!Kara/Non, Past-ish!Non/ Astra, FutureAlex/Maggie
Characters: Non, Kara, Astra, Cat, Max, OCs
Background: Begins in EP19 at the CatCo Scene
Summary: A dead Astra visits Non and she shows him the past, present and future as he makes his decision on whether to continue Myriad or Not. Set in Episode 19
Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl
Warning* Past-Miscarriage, Infant abandonment, Implied animals eating people, cannibalism
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"Humanity is better than this. If you really want this planet to avoid the fate of Krypton, then work with us," Kara told him.
Non stared at her in disbelief as she spoke. He opened his mouth to resort when everything froze.
No one moved.
There was no sound.
Everything was just… still.
Non turned around, moving to one person and then to another, but they were all there same. All just like statues.
"What?" Non asked.
"Hello Non," A voice came from behind him. A voice he knew. A voice he's dreamed about, a voice he knew he would never wake up to again.
Non turned around slowly.
"Astra," Non breathed out. The woman stood next to her niece. She didn't have her uniform on. Instead she was dressed in a simple white dress. She was smiling at him, and Non didn't hesitate to go to her. He stopped inches away, raising his hand, half afraid it would go through her when he moved to touch her face.
Gathering his courage he moved his hand-
And it found warm flesh.
Astra smiled even wider as she reached up to take his hand in hers.
"How?" he asked in disbelief.
Astra's smile turned sad, "I'm sorry love. But I am dead. Rao has granted me this chance."
"What?" Non asked, confused, "What do you mean?"
Astra moved out of his reach, "I'm here to tell you that this, here, is your last chance."
"Last Chance for what?" Non asked her.
"To stop Myriad," Astra told him.
"You worked towards Myriad! Why would you want this stopped?" Non asked her.
Astra smiled and suddenly they were no longer in the building. Instead they were outside, some ways from Fort Rozz. Astra pointed behind him and Non turned around. He saw himself, Indigo, Kara, and a Martian.
"Wha-"
"Watch," Astra told him.
He watched as they talked, as Kara begged him to stop. But the other him didn't listen. He watched the fight. Watched as Indigo was ripped in half. Watched as he was killed by Kara. He saw her lift Fort Rozz of the earth, no doubt throwing it into space.
"This is your future," Astra told him as she came to stand next to him, "This is where you end up if you keep by the choices you made."
"No," Non sneered, "I refuse to believe that that child would beat me!"
"And yet, you just saw it happen," Astra told him.
Non turned to her, "Why show me this?"
Their surrounding s changed and they were back in the building, Kara and the two humans still in their frozen positions.
"I told you. This," Astra indicated to the scene, "Is your last chance.
"I don't understand," Non told her.
Astra smiled, "Do you remember the book 'A Christmas Carol'?"
Non nodded, "A cruel man refused to give a worker leave on a religious holiday and then he was visited by three spectres: past, present and future. I remember. I read it to you… that year we lost-"
Non looked away, his hands clenched into fists.
"We lost another child," Astra told him, a sad smile on her face.
"What does that have to do with now?" Non asked, his eyes hard. He hated thinking of that year.
The two of them didn't immediately moved to save the planet when they crash landed on earth. They first tried to live in this new world. Tried to make a home, a family. But after years of service, years in Fort Rozz, Astra was unable to carry children to term.
One day they just agreed to stop trying.
"I'm going to show you," Astra started, drawing Non from his thoughts, "the past, the present, and the future."
"Did you not just show me the future?" Non asked.
"Yes, but this future is one where you make a different choice," Astra told him and held out her hand.
Non looked at the hand, then at the frozen scene around him before turning back to Astra, "And if I do not wish to see what you want to show me?"
"Then I'll leave," Astra said, not lowering her hand, "But I beg you, my love, come with me."
Non hesitated for a moment, but then took her hand.
The image frizzed and suddenly they were back on Krypton. The planet was being attacked by ships. On the ground civilians scampered to get to shelters. He saw himself and Astra directing people to cover.
Alura and Zor ran to them, panic on their faces.
"Astra!" Alura called.
"Alura? What are you doing out here!" Past-Astra screamed over the explosions, "Where's Kara?"
"We don't know," Alura said, tears running down her face, "She wasn't at home or at school! Her teacher said she had planned to go to the barracks to visit you."
"I haven't seen her," Past-Astra said and she turned to Past-Non.
"Neither have I," Past-Non told her.
"There has to be something you can do," Alura begged her sister.
Non watched himself bring his fingers to his lips, whistling sharply. Non took a deep breath as he watches his War Beast arrive, the large dog-lion type creature stopping next to his past self.
Past-Non dug something out of his pocket, a small decorated cloth. Non remembered that… he still had that.
Kara had taken several art craft classed back on Krypton. Her parents knew the young girl had an affinity to the arts and had already planned to get her apprenticeship after finishing her Family Craft.
One of the things the child had made was a decorative cloth she had given him just before his first fight in the planet's Warrior Trials.
Past-Non held out the cloth to Alyanra, his purebred kaani, and she sniffed at it. She lifted her head, sniffing the air before running off in a direction.
"I'll find her," Past-Non said before running after his kaani.
"Do you remember this?" Astra said.
"Yes," Non said, "We were attacked by a species called the Apalex, a Humanoid-Lizard like race. Kara Zor-El… Kara regularly visited us at the barracks. Not because she wanted to be a soldier… but just because of us."
"Yes," Astra smiled as the scene changed.
Past-Non was on one of the Apalex's ships, Alyanra in front of him, showing him the way. Past-Him turned a corner and ran into several Apalexes. Past-Him and his kaani didn't even hesitate to attack the creatures. Non watched as they ripped the creatures apart.
One of the Apalex sneaked up behind him, ready to kill him when it suddenly cried out. Past-Non turned around, his short sober in hand as he decapitated the other soldier in one stroke.
Non saw Kara behind the creature. The girl was no older then maybe 8 and she had kicked the creature in the leg, causing it to reveal it position. Past-Non looked relieved to see her.
"You stupid girl," Past-Non half spat at her as he picked her up, holding her close, "Where were you?"
"I was on a Transport Station when the explosions started. The vezzar like creatures came on board and I hid under the seats," Kara told him, holding onto him tightly, tears running down her face.
"Ssshhh," Past-Non said, rubbing her back, "I've got you. Let's get you back to your parents."
Non watched as the scene changed again. It was after the war now. Past-Non stood in front of a grave. His kaani, Alyanra had perished during the attack.
He loved that animal. She was more than a pet; she was his partner. Non watched as Kara took Past-Non's hand, the younger man looking at her.
"I'll miss her," Kara told him.
Non couldn't stop his mouth from forming a smile. It was a regular argument between him and Kara. She wanted to play with his War Beast, acting like she wasn't a dangerous animal that could easily tear Kara's head off. Then again, Kara never could stop herself when something dangerous was around.
"You might not have seen it, but Alyanra did play with Kara regularly," Astra told him.
"I knew," Non whispered.
"You did?" Astra asked, surprised.
"It was amusing to watch," Non told her, "She would play with the Beast in front of the newer soldiers. Their faces… they watched in fear as the child held no fear while she interacted with the kaani."
"Reminds you of something?" Astra asked and Non turned to her, "Kara fights you, you who are one of the most dangerous being she's ever fought, and she holds no fear of you," Astra told him.
"Is this why you showed me this?" Non asked her.
"No. That was a nice addition," Astra said, "How many times did you ask me to kill her? How many times did you tell me you would kill her? How many chances did you have?... but you never did. You hesitated. Every. Single. Time… Non, you will never be able to kill her."
Non looked away from her. Refusing to acknowledge her words. She was right. He always hesitated when it came to Kara. Even now he tried to changed her mind, get her to understand why he continued with Myriad…but kill her?
"Then I'll lock her away," Non sneered, "She can't do anything then."
"But she'll never stop fighting you," Astra told him.
Non took a deep breath and turned to Astra, "Is that all?"
Astra smiled sadly at him, "Here, yes."
The surrounding fuzzed again, and they returned to the present, to the frozen scene in CatCo.
Non looked at the child- woman that Kara had turned into. She became what she never wanted to be… a soldier.
She was never meant to fight a war. Not because she was weak, no, but because she was the personification of Krypton's values: Home, truth, peace, cooperation, imagination, purity, justice, restraint, hope, sincerity, and unselfishness.
"Now the present," Astra told him.
Non snorted, but waited for his dead wife to change the scene around them.
The world fuzzed and suddenly they were inside Fort Rozz. Indigo was at the console; the long range communicates active.
"I hated her," Astra told him, "I know she was just a mission to you on Krypton. That you had to find out what she was up to… but to go the lengths you did…"
"What do you want to show me here," Non asked her.
"I want to show you the person you're trusting," Astra told him and the scene unfroze.
"And you're sure this Kryptonian is under your thumb," a voice came from console.
"But of course," Indigo said, "He is so easy to manipulate," Indigo smiled cruelly, "I've sabotaged Myriad enough that the humans would be able to break out from under it. He will be forced to kill them and then I'll bring not just Myriad to you, but Fort Rozz as well. A prize above no other, Grandfather."
"Good. Insure the male doesn't suspect anything," the voice, a Braniac, said, before cutting communication.
"Not a problem," Indigo said to herself, "Non is pathetic. So blinded by revenge that he will never realize my true plan."
Non felt anger rise in him. He wanted to kill her, rip her apart. She- she- she was just using him! Manipulating him. All those sweet words and complements… all the those plans she tempted him with…
"Do you see now?" Astra asked him.
"So I kill her and fix Myriad," Non sneered, "It wouldn't be too hard."
"You still don't understand," Astra said and the scene around them changed.
Non didn't know where they were. One of the human's homes perhaps? There was cry. An infant. Non looked around, trying to find the source. Astra pointed in a direction.
Non followed the crying, coming upon a baby, left in the middle of the floor. It was crying, screaming. Non moved to pick it up, but his hand just went through the child.
"Where are it's parents?" Non asked, turning to Astra.
"In the next room," Astra told him, her face set to a cold look. Non frown, going to the next room.
He saw the humans on their computers, doing what Myriad told them to do, fix the planet.
They just sat there, not hearing their child cry.
"Myriad has the people working to find a way to save their planet, telling them to ignore everything else," Astra told him.
"What of the child," Non asked in horror.
"It will continue to cry. It will get hungry and with no one to feed it… it will die," Astra told him.
"What!" Non turned abruptly to her.
"The humans don't have robots to care for their children when they can't. If the child cannot fend for itself, it will die," Astra told him, "And not just that."
"What do you mean?" Non asked.
The scene changed again. They were in another house, this one had a human kaani mutt- dogs, they were called dogs.
"This is what will happen if Myriad continues for some days," Astra told him.
There was a carcass on the floor, pieces of cloth around it. The carcass couldn't be larger than 4 feet. Next to it were the dogs, chewing on the bones.
Non stepped back, feeling bile rise to his mouth.
"Myriad doesn't affect animals," Astra said, "And they to need to eat… Myriad is designed to make sure the victim takes care of themselves, but only at the most basic level."
The scene changed again. They were in one of the human stores, the shelves empty, the humans where tearing into each other as there were no other food.
"What's happening?" Non asked, stepping back.
"The humans are still under the Myriad. All humans are working to save their planet… but that means their factories have shut down. No one is working to produce more food, or other needs. They are falling into an economic recession," Astra told him, "Myriad will save the planet, there is no doubt in that… but in response, it will destroy humanity."
"This was not what I wanted," Non said, "This is not want we wanted!"
"But this is what you get," Astra told him and the scene changes and they were back in CatCo.
Non still felt like he was going to throw up. He sat down, head between his knees as he took deep breaths.
He didn't think about those things. On Krypton they could automate everything. Food production, Child rearing. Very few Kryptonians had 'pets' and even they could be cared for by the Kelexes.
Here. Here, they had no one. The humans weren't advanced enough that their planet could go on while they work to fix their world. Children would die, the humans would be reduced to savages…
Was it worth it?
"How," Non started, his voice croaking and he swallowed the bile that was trying to escape, "There has to be something to stop this."
"There is," Astra told him.
"What?" Non begged, "What can be done?"
"Take Kara up on her offer," Astra told him.
"You're joking," Non said, sneering slightly, "Work with them," Non pointed at the two humans, "With these people? These two are the best of their world and all they do is help the populace amuse themselves to death."
"Show them a better way," Astra told him.
"I doubt that would work," Non said.
"It will," Astra told him, "Let me show you."
The scene changed around them again.
They appeared in the middle of National City, the humans walking around them. Non watched as ships flew overhead. The cars on the ground looked different, no longer having an exhaust port at the back of the vehicle.
"When is this?" Non asked.
"Ten year into the future," Astra told him.
"Ten years?" Non asked her.
"Longer then what you would want, but without you it would take decade more before they reach this point. By then their land would be poisoned, just like ours were after our last Civil War," Astra told him.
Non walked in a random direction, looking round. He walked into one of their food shops and was amazed at the stasis chambers. Stasis chambers could insure the food never spoil, that it was always fresh until it was meant to be eaten. No longer would food go to waste.
"There's more," Astra said behind him and the scene changed. They were again in a house. The same one where the crying infant was.
Non watched the now ten-year-old girl playing on a virtual reality game, she stood on a platform, a helmet on her head, as well as virtual reality gloves and boots. She was moving around as she played, never once standing still. He listened to her talk to other people, an obvious translation unit in use.
"There are no more language barriers. Children are not only encouraged to move around, but to interact with anyone in anyway," Astra said before smiling, "The humans still enjoy their leisure activities, but they have made them to insure interaction and physical activity."
Non moved away, going into the kitchen, seeing a home stasis unit. He walked around the home, finding the bathroom.
He remembered the first time he saw a shower, cringing at the waist of water. On Krypton, because of the limited water they had after their wars, they created Sonic Showers. They used sonic vibrations to remove filth from not only them, but from everything else as well. Water was never used to clean things.
And here he saw it. A Sonic Cleaner in the bathroom. And he knew if he went back to the kitchen he would find one for their dishes and in the laundry one for their clothes.
Non turned to Astra, eagerness in his voice, "What else?"
Astra smiled and the scene around them changed.
They appeared in a garbage area. Non looked around, and saw a strange machine where the garbage was taken to. He watched as the trash was taken into the machine. He moved forward, checking to see what happen to it. He felt like choking when he saw the material being broken down to base material. And when he said base material, he meant protons, neutrons and electron.
These base materials could be taken and reconstructed, creating almost anything from rocks, to plastic, to natural resources.
It was part of a terraforming machine. Non knew Jor-El had been working on this, but he never completed it before Non was sent to Fort Rozz. Non doubted he ever did complete it.
"How?" Non asked in shock. With this machine, this method of recycling could change everything. No longer would trash take up needed space, no longer would it poison the land and the air.
"Maxwell Lord," Astra told him, "The male human you dismissed so casually back at CatCo."
"He figured this out?" Non asked in shock.
"Back in your time he has already started," Astra told him, "Just a few weeks earlier he figured out how to create synthetic kryptonite. Which, I believe you are well aware, is but pieces of Krypton. Pieces of our ground… he may not know it, but he is already on his way to a terraforming device."
"Already," Non repeated in shock.
"Yes," Astra said, coming to stand next to him.
"This… this is what happens if I listen to Kara Zor-El?" Non asked.
"Yes," Astra said and then she smiled at him. It wasn't a sad smile. It was something like relief or happiness, "There's more."
"Power, food, water, land, resources," Non listed, "What else could there be?"
Astra looked him in the eyes, and gently took his hand, "You."
Non frowned as the scene changed around him.
He was in a house; one he has never seen before. Non looked around, his eyes catching photos on the walls. He walked to them, shocked to realize this was his house.
He looked down at himself. No longer was he wearing his military uniform. He was in some kind of human suit. His jacket was draped over one of the couches, his tie was loosened slightly, and his long sleeves rolled up.
"Daddy!" a small female voice called out. Non turned around, just in time to catch the little girl who jumped into his arms. She was 7, maybe 8 years old. She had long ash-blond hair that was pulled into a braid and light blue eyes. Blue eyes he's seen before.
"Hi daddy," the girl said.
"Hello," Non breathed out, unable to take his eyes of the child- his child in his arms.
"Non? Are you back?" Kara called out as she came out of the kitchen, a young boy, maybe 3 or 4, in her arms. He had brown hair that passed his ears and hung slightly in his face. In his arms was a momoko soft toy… Kara's old momoko toy.
"Kara?" Non asked.
"You're surprised to see me?" Kara asked, smiling at him, "Here I thought I wouldn't see you till tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Non asked, still unable to look away from her.
"You and Max figured out some equation for that transporter thing your building, right? I was sure you two would be testing it all night," Kara told him, moving towards him.
"No," Non said, unsure of what was happening.
"Are you ok, love?" Kara asked, putting her son- his son down and taking his daughter out of his arms.
"I'm- I'm fine," Non said, blinking a few times.
Kara looked at him confused before turning to their daughter, "Izzy Bug, can you take Nemo to your room."
"Yes, Mommy," Izzy said, taking her brother's hand, leading him down the hall.
Non frowned and turned around, looking at the photos again. Photos of him and his children. Him with other children, the same children were with that one human female that was with Kara the night of Astra funeral. Photos of him and Kara. Him with the DEO, with Max.
This was his future?
"Non?" Kara called him, "Non, what's wrong?"
Non turned to the woman, almost gasping at the love and compassion in her eyes.
"Just tiered," Non said.
"You're tiered," Kara asked in a teasing voice, "I had to go to a council meeting with the System of Planets earlier. And those people just don't stop talking."
Non felt his mouth twitch slightly, "I'm sure you did fine."
"Of course," Kara said, winking at him before throwing her arms around his neck, "But I hate going to those things without you."
Non couldn't stop looking at her. This- this was his future. This could be his future.
"I'm sorry I left you alone," Non said.
"It's fine. I know how easily you two lose track of time when your scienceing," Kara said, kissing him quickly.
"That's not a word," Non said, his brain frozen as he tried to understand what was happening.
"Non," Kara said, looking slightly annoyed, "Are you really going to argue with your wife?"
Wife? Non swallowed before his head shook without permission, "Never."
"Good," Kara said, smiling, "Since you are here. Alex invited us to dinner with her and Maggie. The Nucleus Amalgamation worked. They are going to have a biological child."
"They are?" Non asked.
"Yes," Kara said, grinning, "And it's all thanks to you."
Kara moved to kiss him again-
"EEWWW," they heard. They both turned to the hallway, seeing Izzy pulling a face while covering Nemo's eyes with her hand.
Kara laughed, moving towards them, "Ew? It's not ew when you get kisses."
The children shrieked and ran off, Kara laughing louder as she chased them.
Non just watched them as they left his sight. He couldn't move as he tried to process what had just happened.
"You're happy," Astra told him, suddenly back next to him.
"Me?" Non asked.
"Future you," Astra corrected.
"This is my future?" Non asked, looking back at the photos, trying burn them into him mind.
"This could be your future," Astra told him.
"By betraying you. Your memory?" Non asked her, looking at her
Astra smiled sadly, "I love you Non. I always have, always will. But I would never ask you to give up a chance at happiness."
Non frowned and Astra waved her hand, the scene changing around them again.
They were back at CatCo. Non looked at the male human, still reeling from what he now knew about him. He turned to Kara, his possible future wife.
"How did it happen?" Non asked Astra.
"You showed her the side of yourself you've only ever shown me. You helped the planet heal. You cared not only for her, but for the things she cared about," Astra told him.
"Do I love her… future me?" Non asked.
"Yes," Astra told him, a happy smile on her face, "And she loves you."
"I-" Non broke off, rubbing down his face, "What now?"
"Now you make your choice," Astra told him, as another Non, slightly see through, appeared where he was when everything froze, "You can continue and die. You can lock her up and destroy humanity, or you can take her offer… and be happy."
"You want me to take her offer," Non sneered at the dead woman.
"I can't make you choose Non. You have to do that on your own," Astra told him, "You have to choose and keep to that choice with everything you have."
"What do I do?" Non asked, rubbing his forehead.
"Once you've chosen, stand where you were and time will continue," Astra told him.
Non turned to her and she walked towards him, "I love you Astra," Non told her.
"And I love you," Astra told him, kissing him one last time before she disappeared.
Non looked at the scene around him. He remembered the crying baby, the war on Krypton, Indigo… his children.
Clenching his fist, Non took a deep breath. He moved to the other him, moving into position.
And time reset slightly
"Humanity is better than this. If you really want this planet to avoid the fate of Krypton, then work with us," Kara told him.
Non looked at her, swallowing. He turned to the other two, Maxwell Lord narrowing his eyes at him and the other woman showing no fear as she stared him down.
"Non?" Kara asked, so similar to how she did in the future.
Non turned to her. Kara was frowning, walking towards him, as she glanced around the room. He turned to the other humans, they had stopped working, some looking like they were about to break out of Myriad's control.
"She'll kill them," Non said, the words spilling out.
"She?" Kara asked.
"Indigo," Non told her, "She's in Fort Rozz. Myriad… it can be used to kill everyone."
"Are you going to?" Max asked him, stepping forward.
Non looked at him before turning back to Kara, "I- I'm connected to every mind in this city… I can hear children crying, too young to care for themselves."
"Non?" Kara asked, putting her hand on his arm.
"If I let them go now, She'll kill them," Non told her.
"What can we do?" Kara asked him.
"Fort Rozz had a special cage designed for her," Non said, "But it was damaged in the crash."
"Can you fix it?" Kara asked him.
Non shook his head, "Not without her realizing I am."
"Winn was able to upload a virus onto her last time," Kara told him.
"Winn?" Non asked. Kara moved, stopping behind one of the humans under Myriad. Non looked into his mind, impressed by his potential. He took out the Omegahedron and released the human from Myriad.
Winn gasped, jumping away from the computer.
"Winn? Winn are you ok?" Kara asked.
"That was weird," Winn said, seeing Non and backing up.
"No, Winn, it's fine," Kara told him.
"You're going to help us?" Maxwell asked, surprise and suspicion in his voice.
Non looked at Kara, not taking his eyes of her, "Yes."
"Why?" Maxwell asked. Kara turned to look at Non as well. Non moved to Kara, stopping right in front of her. They looked each other in the eye.
"Alyanra," Non said, and Kara covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide.
"I knew," Non told her, "I knew you played with her."
"You knew?" Kara asked in surprise.
"I trusted you with her then," Non told her, "Do not make me regret trusting you now Kara Zor-El."
Kara took his empty hand in both of hers, bring it to her chest, "You wouldn't."
Non closed his eyes, the photos from the future flashing in his head as he took a deep breath.
He opened his eyes, "Then… we have a city to save."
Kara smiled at him and Non felt his heart jump.
And he knew he made the right choice.
00000
Kaani- Kryptonian dogs. Purebred kaani's are as big as lions and have some lion like physical characteristics. Mutts are the size of human dogs and look much more like dogs.
Apalex- Random Aliens I made up.
Vezzar- Kryptonian lizards, big, almost like dragons. Extinct, were common in Ancient Krypton. The Queen usually had one as a pet.
Non and Children- In the comics Non had a soft spot for children. He showed so much compassion for them. Caring for them, protecting them.
Momoko- Very similar appearance to Spidermonkey from Ben 10 Alien force. Difference is they have fangs with venom sacks, and six pure black eyes. Two large one were human eyes are. The others are diagonally up, away from the nose. Two middle sized ones, then then two smaller ones. They are common creatures in the sector of space Krypton was found in.
Family Craft- After General Education is completed, the Kryptonian started their First Craft, also called their Family Craft or House Craft. Very few Kryptonians choose their First Craft to be different from their House Craft. Those who do are considered Traitors or Betrayers of their House. These Kryptonians are usually shunned by society. Only regaining their Honour if they raise high in their Craft.
Kryptonians can choose to learn extra different Crafts.
Warrior Trials- Similar to a martial arts competition.