Title: When Heroes Rise
Fandom: Supergirl, elements of Superman Unbound, Justice League, Young Justice, and Green Lantern
Parings: Kara/Non, Past Astra/Non, Implied Alex/Max, Past Lucy/James, Implied Lucy/Green Lantern OC, Winn/ Female Kryptonian OC, Alex/J'onn (Hank)
Characters: Kara, Non, Cat, Max, Alex, James, Lucy, Winn, Hank (J'onn), General Lane, Eliza, Jeremiah, Clark, Marth Kent, Jonathan Kent, Green Lantern OC, Kryptonian OCs, Carter, Bat-clan , Conner Kent, Adam
Episode 19 - Non doesn't send Alex out to fight Kara
Summary: Instead of encouraging the people of National City, Kara decided to remind someone else of who they were.
It changes Everything.
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Kara watched Max as he calibrated the broadcasting controls. She was surprised when she and Cat were able to convince the man to give up his bomb plan. After all if Max reminded her of anyone it was the very man they were fighting against.
Kara smiled softly, her eyes sad, as she thought about her memory of Non. Of the man he used to be. Fort Rozz and the Phantom Zone changed him and Astra. The prison made them forget who they were.
If only he could remember…
Kara walked over to Max, "Can you get this to broadcast on Fort Rozz?" Kara asked.
Max looked at her like she was crazy, "Only if I know the frequency."
Kara grabbed a pen and quickly scribbled a frequency on Max's hand.
"Please do," Kara said.
"Are you sure?" Max asked.
Kara though back to the War of the Nightwing and smiled slightly.
"I don't want to fight you child"
"Yes," she said softly, "I know what I'm doing."
Kara turned to Cat as she set up the camera, pointing it at the back screen in the corner of the room.
"I'm ready here," Cat said and Kara nodded, standing in front of the camera, looking at Max. He nodded at her and Kara turned to the camera, taking a deep breath. Cat held up three fingers, two, one…
"I was 5 when my parents sent me to the ruins of Xao. Deep in the catacombs…
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….where so many other children were," Kara said.
Non turned to the sudden broadcasting, Alex and Indigo next to him doing the same.
"There were dozens of us, fearing for our lives as the Apalex attacked. I think we feared them more because we didn't know what they looked like. They came in ships, destroying anything and everything they could.
We were there for weeks, cowering between the kryptonians of old, the corpses of the dead, the engines of the ship running constantly. Ready to take us, the future of Krypton, our depository and our history away from the planet," Kara said, pain on her face. Non watched the transmission, remembering the war.
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Winn could feel the grip on him loosen as he watched Kara on his screens. She was on all the screens. Her face was morphed to pain, like the memory was the cause of thousands of nightmare. Thousands of sleepless nights. She paused at several words, like it was difficult to get out.
He moved his hands away from the keyboard, realizing it was him doing it, not the weird mind control.
"We were there of weeks," Kara repeated, closing her eyes as tears started to form, "I was so scared. We all were. Near the end I noticed our caretakers talking among themselves or to others beyond the catacombs via transmissions. We lost the war. The Apalex had won and were moving to enslave the planet…
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….Our High Council already in talks to surrender to the invaders peacefully," Supergirl said before taking a deep breath, whipping her eyes before breathing deeply again.
Sam Lane and his men watch the transmission. He figured the alien had a point to the message, but he didn't know yet what it was. He was tempted to call and shout at her, telling her to get the bomb done with but he couldn't. He couldn't stop watching this powerful being seam so… human. Like a little girl, lost and afraid.
"They didn't want peace," Supergirl said, shaking her head slowly, tears still evident in her eyes, "They wanted slaves and workers and whores. That's all they wanted. They wanted the people of Krypton as mindless drones, following their every command without question."
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Non frowned at what Kara said. He remembered sitting in the healing chambers as he watched the Apalex beat the members of the High Council. Treating them like livestock and mindless animals. Next to him the human female, Alex, Kara's 'sister' looked at him as the young Lord talked. Indigo didn't seem interested in the transmission, walking around the console repetitively.
"Then they got into the catacombs," Kara said after a moment of silence, her eyes hard and anger threatening to burst from her. Not anger from loss or hate or even love. No, anger from fear.
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Cat watched as Supergirl clenched her fists, her arms shacking as she talked.
"They killed the caretakers, killed many of the children there. They killed them one for one. Taking their time with each," Kara said, closing her eyes, "I was so scared."
Cat wanted to reach out to the young woman. She must have moved because Max grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her back as Supergirl continued to talk.
"I was one of the last," Supergirl said, "They took hold of me… I was 5 years old and I was going to die. But then I didn't." It wasn't a happy face she pulled, no. It was tears running down her face as she struggled to keep hold of herself, "One of them recognized my house crest," She reached up, touching the S symbol, "Knew I was from the House of El. They laughed and decided to send me to the mother ship, to their leader. In a few years, they said, I will be of use… The future High Lord of Krypton. Nothing but a whore… That's what they wanted….
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…They took me to the ship. Stripped me down and beat me to the ground. They left me other things to wear when they were done with me. Clothes of a concubine," Kara said and the glass in James hand shattered.
Slowly the people in CatCo stood up from their desks as they watched Supergirl cry openly, tears of frustration and fear run down her face. James took a step closer to the centre screen, coming to stand next to Winn. It was only then that he realized that he didn't feel the control anymore.
Non was losing his hold… or was he letting them go?
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Non growled low in his throat as the female next to him cried openly her hand over her mouth. He remembered walking into Astra's ward, her crying heavily. He held her as she told him what happened to her niece. The girl she saw as her own daughter.
"I don't know how long I was there when the explosion happened," Kara said, finally a small smile on her face, "The ship rocked as areas exploded. The men in my cell ran out, the alarms calling for them to abandon ship. I was chained to the wall, no way for getting off… I was so scared. I cried out for my father and mother. I cried out for my Aunt Astra. But it wasn't them that saved me," Kara said looking up, right into his eyes.
"A single soldier. A single man, half dead as his ribs were piercing his lungs and one of his arms broken almost beyond repair. A single soldier, going against the order of the High Council. Stealing a broken Winged glider in the middle of the night. No shield. No weapons. Hardly any propulsion. He took the ship and crashed it into the mother ship. Right into the ships engines…
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…. He left his ship, bleeding from the crash. He ran through the enemy ship," Kara said as she closed her eyes.
She opened them, looking through the camera right at Non.
"Did you really think I would forget your face Non," she said softly as she took a deep breath.
"You… you broke through that door, bleeding on the ground as you cut the chains on the wall. You took me into your arms and I can still remember the words you told me. 'Thank Rao your safe my little girl. I've got you Kara. I'm going to get you out'," Kara said pronouncing her name right for possibly the first time in over 12 years. 'Care-ra', that's how you pronounce it.
"You picked me up. Broken and bleeding as you were and got me into an enemy glider, getting us back to the planet. You attacked the rest of the fleet, destroying them as I sat on you lap," Kara said.
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Non lowered his hand, the Omegahedron slowing down to a stop. His control of the humans gone.
"What are you doing!" Indigo shouted as she near the man. Non turned to her.
"She's manipulating you! Using your emotions against you!" Indigo shouted, grabbing for the wrist of the hand containing the Omegahedron.
"And now," Kara continued, "Now you act like the very beings you fought against. You enslave the people, turning them into your 'think tank'. The easy way out…. You align yourself with a Brainiac, the very tribe of Coluans that stole Kandor from Krypton."
Non ripped his arm out of Indigo's hand, staring at her.
"Is this true?" Non asked her.
Indigo shrugged, obviously not caring, "My Grandfather likes collecting cities, leaving them shrunken in his own personal zoo before destroying the planet."
Non stepped away from her.
"I still need you Non," Kara's voice ripped through his mind, "I still need you. This planet need you… they need the Nightwing. Defender and Hero of Krypto. They need the man who did anything he could to save people, save individuals. They need the man that took a squadron without permission to save another planet because of one person on that planet. They need the man that stood up for what's right, before he lost his way."
Non closed his eyes, grabbing Indigo round the neck as she lunged at him.
"I have had enough of you," Non told her, "Back into your cage."
The Omegahedron activated and Indigo shattered, reappearing in a tube on the far left, stuck there as she pounded on the walls, her voice cut off. Non dropped the Omegahedron on the table as he bent over it. His eyes were closed again as he tried to grab hold of himself.
"You were my hero…
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… You save my life and you never stopped seeing that little girl Non. That's why you haven't killed me. I know that now," Kara said sending hand signals to Cat, telling her to get images of humans helping others. Cat nodded and headed to her station, grabbing as much imagery as she could.
"This world… yes, it a bit primitive and they fight over the silliest things, but they have their moments. They're still young Non," Kara said as the images Cat got overlapped Kara, her voice still coming through.
Humans helping each other. Different races saving each other. Different religions defending the other as they worshiped. Dogs at their masters graves, human grabbing animals from forest fires. Children comforting soldiers. People hugging and crying. Videos of people doing right played across the screens of National City.
"Not everyone hates. Not everyone closes their eyes and does nothing. People care and fight for what they care about. They do amazing and unbelievable things every day!...
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….These are the true heroes of earth! These are the people who create the miracles that go down in historical records! These are the people that fight and die for what they believe in!"
Supergirl half shouted at the screen as the people of National City watched. For once they didn't see race and religion or culture. They saw people. Humans doing the right things.
This was a being they had their hope in, calling for the man that enslaved them to remember who he was. She still had hope that person he was is still there. She had hope that they as a people can convince him to do the right thing. She had the hope … that everything was going to be alright.
"I need you. I already lost my planet. My parent. Astra. Non," came the breathless voice, "Please," she begged, "We can do this together. I need your help. I still need you."
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James and Winn stood outside the old CatCo broadcasting station, hundreds of people next to them. James saw Lucy head toward him, her father next to her. He moved through the horde of people, hugging her tight as General Lane nodded at him.
Behind them they could still hear Kara. Many people getting out their phones as to watch the broadcasting.
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Alex gently placed her hand on Non's shoulder. He tensed, but nothing else.
"I…" she started, "I am so sorry for what I did. I have… I have regretted Astra's death the moment I did it. I… hurt her. My little sister. I hurt you and that wasn't necessary."
Non turned to her, looking her in the eyes the images continued behind him.
"But my sister still needs you. This planet needs you. We don't understand your passion for this. We wouldn't until it's too late. You can show us a different way," Alex told him. Non smirked.
"You do not believe in me," Non told her.
"No. But Kara does. She sees something we can't. Are you going to turn her into a liar?" Alex asked.
Non reached to her face, cupping her cheek softly.
"My wife would have liked you," he said softly.
"Let's go to her," Alex said, grabbing the hand on her face, holding it tightly.
Non just looked at her.
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Kara whipped the tears from her eyes as she took several breaths. She nodded to Cat, allowing the woman to switch back to her face. As they do a shout went out outside. Kara rushed to the window, Cat following with the camera. Kara looked to the people cheering outside. They were out of Myriad's control. They were safe and alive.
"Look up," Cat said. Kara looked up as saw the kryptonians around them, Non in the middle, looking right at her. Slowly Kara floated up, Cat training the camera on her.
Kara floated toward Non, unsure. He held open his arms and Kara didn't even hesitate before she curled into the man.
"I still believe Myriad is the way to go," Non said, pulling away slightly, but not letting go. He gently traced her face with his hand, "but something tells me you will not give up fighting me if I continue my plan."
"No me. Not anyone," Kara tell him, "Work with us. It will take long and you'll get frustrated more than once, but… "
"No fighting," Non said.
"I can't lose you too," Kara said to him, dropping her forehead against his. Non sighed, holding her closer.
"You frustrating child," Non growled out and Kara smiled.
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It wasn't perfect. General Lane wanted to arrest Non and his army, but Kara wouldn't let him. She stayed between them as the shouting continued.
"I'll take responsibility for them General," Kara sneered out, standing right in front of Non, wearing one of his kryptonite shields over her Supergirl uniform. She was holding one of Non's hands; keeping him behind her as she used the other hand as she talked.
"I will not have this city under his control again!" Lane shouted.
"We'll get rid of it," Kara told him.
"We will not," Non said, his voice growling slightly.
"Yes," Kara said, looking at him as she stressed the word, "We will."
Non sneered and looked away.
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Winn loved the kryptonian computer. He always felt constricted with the technology they had on earth. Felt like he could do more if given the chance. Now… now things were different. He could see the code of Myriad, impressed by it. It looked like it was created from scratch, some things missing.
From what he understood about kryptonians they didn't have IT people. Kara and Non can put together a space ship, connecting all the wires, but programing? No. they had Coluana for that. Brainiacs. But seeing as the only Brainiac was currently evil, they had nothing. Explains why it took them so long to implement their plan.
The kryptonians must have written the code from scratch, not really understanding what they were doing. That explained why Kara was able to override it so easily.
"Amazing," Non said as Winn worked, "You have the ability of a Brainiac."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Winn said as he reached over to his right shoulder, rubbing slightly. Before he could even use the console he was injected with kryptonian nano-bots. Which he needed to be able to use the technology. He can't actually feel them, but his mind was telling him he could.
Slowly, Winn deleted all the information on Myriad. Once done he looked at Non, Kara by his side as she held his hand, and General Lane.
"All gone," he tells them. He could see Non's shoulders sink as he lost the last thing connecting him to his wife. Winn would feel bad if Non didn't make him jump off CatCo.
Kara held his hand tighter and she placed her head on his shoulder.
Lane nodded and left the building, probably too alien for him.
Non stepped forward, pressing a few button as Indigo became visible. She said something, but they couldn't hear her.
"Would you be able to enter her programing and extract information from it?" Non asked.
"I can try, but I've never really done something like that," Winn said as he started typing on the console, "What are you looking for?"
"The location of Kandor," Non said, "The last city of Krypton."
Winn might really not like Non, but he can understand this. Understand looking for a home. So he nods and goes back to the codes.
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Alex and J'onn, who was thankfully still alive, left again. While they were no longer considered traitors, Alex still wanted to get her father from Cadmus. J'onn left with her after talking with Non about something. Kara hugged her sister tightly, Eliza doing the same. Eliza was taking Alex's place as DEO's bio-engineer until the Alex came back. She also wanted to be closer to her second daughter and at the DEO she would get immediate updates about Alex and J'onn's progress.
Kara welcomed her foster mother with some hesitance. No one wanted their parent at the place they worked. But Eliza didn't take any crap from the kryptonians, not even Non. It ended up that whenever people had a problem with the kryptonians they would go to her.
Within a week, the kryptonians were properly scared of the human woman. Not even Non crossed her.
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Supergirl returned to defending the city. A few of the other kryptonians went around the world, helping with situations, but National City was Supergirl's. Superman, once he was released from the mind control had stayed for a few photos with his cousin before he returned to Metropolis.
No one in National City minded. Their hero, their hope, was Supergirl.
It did surprise them, however, to see Non floating some way away each time Supergirl was around, almost like he was protecting her. He never interfered, never helped.
No. That was wrong.
Non, or The Lieutenant, as the people started calling him, would help if Supergirl asked for it, never before. And Supergirl was never arrogant, easily asking for help if she needed it.
One reported had asked, and Supergirl only laughed at the question, telling them it was such a kryptonian action, she didn't think about it. Non knew she could handle things on her own. And she knew there was no shame in asking for help.
Eventually the City got use to Supergirl's Dark Angel, as they called him in secret.
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Non and the kryptonians did several interviews with Cat Grant. They told her about their planet. About how it fell apart. About how they mined to their core and how they as a people were the cause of their planets destruction.
They explained that the Earth was on it's way to destruction, much like Krypton was. Most people listened.
Each of them told Cat their story, of what they lost, of what they will never get back.
Their culture was gone. Their religion almost forgotten. Their people endangered.
They wouldn't wish that on anyone.
Some of the Kryptonians would join the ecological protest around the world, Supergirl floating nearby to make sure they didn't accidentally hurt anyone or that no one would try and attack them.
The fact that they were at these protest also circled the web, made people aware of just how serious they were.
It helped.
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Supergirl sat uncomfortably on Cat's couch as Non stood behind her. Cat handed them some drinks, alcoholic. Kara smiled slightly as she took the drink, Non hesitating slightly.
Cat smiled as sat across from them. Kara looked out to the office, a few people still pausing to look at them. Non and Cat's glares quickly sent them moving away, but Kara knew it wouldn't be long before they came back.
"So," Cat said as she pulled out her phone, pressing the record button and placing it on the table in front of them, "How are things going?"
"With what?" Kara asked.
"Well. There are still Fort Rozz aliens out there. And I understand you're trying to find a kryptonian city. Among other things," Cat said, blinking innocently.
Non snorted from behind Kara, walking around the couch to sit beside her.
"You mean have I decided to attack your pitiful people again," Non said, taking a sip of his drink, pulling a face at the taste.
"Lieutenant!" Kara said.
"Lord El?" Non said, not at all afraid. Kara sighed, treating her drink like a shot.
"Why 'lord'?" Cat asked drawing their attention.
Non and Kara looked at her.
"We don't… we don't have pronouns like humans do in kryptonise," Kara told her, "The word for Lord is the same as Lady. The word for wife is the same as husband. The word for king is the same as queen. When it comes to titles, there is no gender diversity."
"We translate it to Lord for the humans' benefit. We understand that 'Lady' does not have the same cultural meaning as 'Lord', that a Lady is below a Lord. Kara, is the head of the House of El. If she Joins- marries, her husband or wife will not be above her," Non said.
"I see. I do understand you don't have the same diversity as humans do. Especially when it comes to religion. Everyone worships this," Cat looks at her notes, "Ra-o?"
"Rao, and yes," Non said.
"We had a war on our planet. A world war. It was the religions fighting against each other. The children of Rao won. We destroyed any and all information of other religions and actually killed many of our people," Kara said.
Cat gapped slightly in shock, "That's a bit, um-"
"Unexpected?" Kara said, smiling without humour or kindness, "The past of Krypton is a bloody one. We got to where we are through death and loss. We don't… I don't recommend it."
"Of course," Cat said, looking over her notes, "I heard something about a 'Birthing Matrix'?"
Kara grinned slightly, "Kryptonians can't get pregnant."
"Oh," Cat said surprised, "I'm sorry-"
"It's fine," Kara said, "Because our religious war we poisoned ourselves with our weapons accidentally. The children born biologically were weak and died either within the womb or within the first few weeks of life. We realised that we had to do something."
"It was the House of El that found the solution, raising them above the House of Zod, who held the title of Great House after the war was won. They created the Birthing Matrix, a machine that takes the DNA of two kryptonians and combine the nucleus. With it, scientist were able to introduce new genes that made the children stronger healthier, smarter. 'Perfect' biological beings. The machine choses the best biological traits from the DNA and combine them into one being. The child is grown in the pods and once properly grown, they will be removed and given to the parents," Non told them.
"We haven't had a biological birth in almost 500 years," Kara tell them.
"So, let me just ask this, even with your wife dead, if you had her DNA, you can have a child?" Cat asked. Non grew quiet and Kara grabbed his hand.
"Your people don't have the technology to create a Birthing Matrix," Kara said softly, "Unless we find a way. Or unless we find Kandor, we are the last of Krypton," Kara said softly.
Cat signed, standing up to refill everyone's glasses.
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Maxwell Lord calmly walked through the DEO, heading to the Elder Danvers' Lab. He knocked before entering.
"I'm not old," Eliza said, surprising Max. The woman seems to know what people were thinking without explanation.
"Sorry," Max said, raising his hands, not even bothering to deny his thoughts.
"What can I do for you?" Eliza said, pulling of her gloves as she walked closer to the man that seem smitten with her eldest daughter.
"I was wondering if you have some of Non and Astra's DNA," Max said bluntly.
"Why?" Eliza asked.
"I have a present for him," Max said.
"That's unlike you," Eliza said.
"It completely selfish," Max said, "What man will attack the people that gave him his child?"
"You figured it out?" Eliza asked, turning around.
"I think so, yes. I need Kara to go over it, but I'm pretty sure I did," Max said.
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The last thing Max and Non expected was to get along.
Max had been looking over the technology on Fort Rozz, muttering to himself when Non came in, sitting down next to the man and explaining how the machines worked. Non didn't actually expect the human to understand him, but he did. He asked questions and he made connection and he understood.
Max didn't expect the kryptonian to continue sharing his technology. He was surprised to learn that Non was a scientist at one point in his life, even learning under the chief scientist of Krypton, Jor-El.
But the two men talked and theorised and work together.
Max learned that to qualify for the System of Planets, they had to increase their technological and astrological advancements. And Non couldn't just give them the technology. They had to figure it out themselves. He could 'help', but that was it.
To be part of the System of Planets meant they would have a Green Lantern look over their system and that they could send the Fort Rozz criminals to the Universal High Court to be re-evaluated.
They could be part of the universe more intimately than ever before.
It would take time, many humans were afraid of aliens, but they would be fools not to try and get in. To learn about the universe, really learn.
Max was, surprising Kara and Alex when she heard, completely on board.
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"Where are we going?" Non asked the young Lord as she pulled him blindfolded through the DEO. Of cause he knew where he was, he recognized the smell of the underground area. He could also remember the way to every area inside the building, so in honestly he knew she was taking him to her sister's lab. Empty until she, the Martian, and her Forster Father returned.
"Don't pretend you don't know," Kara said, he could hear the smile in her voice.
"Then what purpose is the blind fold," Non asked, moving to take it off. Only to have his hand slapped.
"No peaking," came the smug voice of Maxwell Lord, his, according to the annoying Human-Brainiac Winslow, best friend.
He was lead into the lab, held still in front of what he knew is wall. The blind fold was gently taken off him by Kara and Non looked in front of-
A Birthing Matrix.
A crude replica, but functional if the child inside was any evidence.
"How?" Non breathed as he rested his hand on the glass.
"We found the information in Kal's fortress. It took some, but I was finally able to understand what it was and Max and I built it," Kara said, holding out a flash drive, "This has everything on it. From the original plans to the video of us building it."
"Is this?" Non asked again, not even looking from the child.
"Your and Astra's? Yeah," Max said.
Non turned to look at them, a unreadable look on his face. He turned to Kara, a smile on her face. He grabbed her head, kissing her on the forehead. She replied by wrapping her arms around his back, a small noise coming from her throat as she relished in the affection.
"Thank you," Non said. He pulled away and turned to Max, who threw up his hands.
"Human, no kissing," Max said. Non snorted, ignoring the human's gender issue and hugged him as well.
Non turned to the child, a piece of Astra he will always have. A hand slipped into him, the feel of the uniform unnecessary for him to know it was Kara.
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The kryptonians basically threw a party when they found out about the Birthing Matrix. They set up a large bon-fire in the middle of the dessert and invited as many people as they could. The humans who came were unsure to what was going to happen.
Dancing and singing and eating weren't what they expected.
James stood next to Lucy, who was still director of the DEO, as he watched Kara and Non dance. It wasn't a dance he recognized, obviously kryptonian as they swirled around each other and clapped and threw each other and picked each other up and moved so fast he was sure they accidentally went into super speed.
Kara, while still at work every day, spent most of her free time texting the kryptonians and Alex and even Max. At least now he understood the Max thing. But…
"You see it too?" Lucy asks next to him, she too watching Non and Kara. They were laughing and shouting and sometimes singing in a language he didn't understand.
"Yeah. I don't think they do," James said. He waited too long. Kara had moved on and she didn't even realize it.
"They're always holding each other at the DEO. There's actually a betting pool when they're going to realize," Lucy said.
"What do you say," James asked, wondering if he still had a chance with that amazing woman.
"I think Non is still grieving Astra. Properly this time, with no War keeping her alive for him. Kara's made peace with her Aunt's death, but she doesn't even realize her feeling for him," Lucy said.
"Then I guess it's too late for me," James said.
"I'm sorry Jimmy," Lucy said, honestly sorry for the man.
"Nah. It's my own fault. I kept away from Non after the whole building jumping thing and Kara was always around him. I pushed her away," James said.
"No one blames you for staying away from a man that almost killed you," Lucy told him.
"Winn doesn't," James said, pointing at the man in the middle of the dancing, his partner one of the kryptonians.
"Winn's got new toys to play with," Lucy replied with a slight smile and James grins.
They were surprised when Non an Kara grabbed their hands, James ending up with the male as Kara and Lucy danced away. It was still one thing that was weird to him and the other humans, the Kryptonian's complete disregard for gender expectations.
"I don't really know what to do," James was able to get out before he was spun around.
"Just dance," Non tells him.
It might take James years to accept Non, but like Kara always says, little steps.
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Kara sits in her apartment, alone for the first time in months. Max had come and stolen Non to go scienceing. Her sister was still looking for Jerimiah and Eliza was stuck at work, working on one of the Fort Rozz criminals they were after.
Kara looked out to the city. She hears a fire, but Hel-Ul was already there to help. It was rare that they would do anything in 'her' city, but it seems like they think she need a night off from being Supergirl.
Kara smiled, drinking her Sweet Milk.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Kara looked through the door, surprised to see Lucy. Setting her half full glass down, she opened the door, hugging the shorter girl.
"Hey," Kara said, allowing the woman in, "What are you doing here?"
"I was thrown out of the DEO by Vasquez. Apparently I need a break," Lucy said, half in disbelief.
"You work harder than Alex did," Kara said as she closed the door.
Lucy huffed as flopped on Kara's couch, looking around.
"Where's Non?" Lucy asked.
"He doesn't live here," Kara tell her.
"Yeah he does," she tells Kara and she blushes.
"He's with Max doing something, I'm not sure what," Kara said.
"I thought you were a scientist?" Lucy asked.
"I studies Kryptonian Science on Krypton. I never finished it. Non's helping me finish my education, but it'll take a few more years," Kara said, holding up a bottle of blue milk, "Sweet Milk?"
"That's blue," Lucy said.
"Yes," Kara said poring Lucy a glass. Taking her own she moved to the couch next to Lucy.
"What's in this?" Lucy asked sniffing the milk.
"Do you honestly want to know?" Kara asked.
"Before I dink it. Yes," Lucy smiled.
Kara fidgeted with her glasses, smiling with amusement, "Our war killed thousands of animal species. We didn't have creatures that gave milk on Krypton. So our scientist engendered our females to lactate from puberty onwards. We have to milk ourselves every few days."
Lucy stared, glancing at the blue milk in her glass before looking at Kara.
"This is breast milk."
"Yes."
"This is your breast milk."
"Yes."
"It's blue."
"Our breast milk is blue."
Lucy looked at the milk again, putting it on the coffee table before closing her eyes and taking deep breaths.
"Are you ok?" Kara asked.
"Just… wrapping my head around it. Give me a minute," Lucy said, eventually opening her eyes and picking up the glass again. She brought it to her lips before pausing again.
"I can drink this right? I'm not going to die right?" Lucy asked.
"It's safe," Kara said and watched Lucy take a swallow. Lucy paused.
"Tastes almost like ice cream," Lucy said, taking another swallow.
Kara smile at the girl. This was what she loved about Lucy. She encouraged her to be herself. To be Kryptonian. She didn't tell her she was weird or tell her to stop; she tried to understand and went on with her life. She regularly asked questions about Kryptonian culture and even tried new things, like this.
"I'm not being weird right? This is normal. Drinking a person's breast milk?" Lucy asked.
"It's completely normal. We heat the milk; add some things to it before cooling it again. Everyone drinks it, no matter what age. From new borns to people on their death beds," Kara tells her.
"Explains why you like ice-cream so much," Lucy said, finishing the milk.
"Yeah. So what's up?" Kara asked.
"My sister and your cousin are finally getting married," Lucy said.
"Yeah I got the invitation. I'm not sure who to bring with me though," Kara said, "Winn got one too."
"Take Non," Lucy said. Kara gave her a look.
"Non thinks weddings are stupid," Kara tell her.
"What do you guys have?" Lucy asked.
"We have Joining Ceremonies. It's a bit more... scientific then human weddings. It's still religious, but," Kara bit her lip, "You know about our nano-bots right?"
"Yeah, Winn told us. You guys get them at around 3 years of age, it's actually what protected you from Myriad, but not Clark," Lucy said.
"Yeah. Another thing that we can do with our nano-bots is link them to someone else's," Kara said, "Joined couples do this and sometimes close friends."
"What does that mean, I mean what can you do with it," Lucy asked.
"It's not mind reading. We can sense our partner and sometimes feel their emotions. We... we can fell when they die," Kara tells her.
"That means," Lucy said her eyes wide.
Kara nodded, "Non felt Astra die. Felt her bond with him get ripped away."
"Wow. I didn't... I didn't think...," Lucy said, unsure what to say.
"It's hard when you realize," Kara said.
"Yeah," Lucy said. They sat a bit, just enjoying each other's company.
"You know you love him right?" Lucy asked.
Kara smile sadly, "I have loved him since they moment he rescued me from that ship. He met me once before that. He and Astra weren't even Joined yet. He didn't know me. He was from a low House, low enough to dislike the House of El for the fact it was the highest house alone. But he came for me. I never forgot that."
"A true knight in shining armour," Lucy said and Kara snorted, remembering the fairy tales.
"A soldier bleeding on your floor," Kara countered and Lucy smiled sadly, but nodded in agreement.
00000
In the end Non did go with Kara to the wedding. Max had crafted him the human identity of Frank Martin, laughing at something they didn't understand. Non had to dye his hair brown and grow some facial hair as well as put on some glasses, his grey hair too recognizable.
James and Lucy decided to go together while Winn took one of the kryptonians, Sal-La, or Salla as he called her. Non took the time to remind Kal of his kryptonian origins and while neither he nor Lois had nano-bots, it didn't mean they should have a proper Joining Ceremony. Lois, so much like her sister, agreed before Clark did, telling her husband they were doing it.
They had the Joining Ceremony two weeks later.
Kara had taken the designs of the robes to a seamstress, who was more than happy to make the clothes for Supergirl. There weren't any press, the Ceremony happening in the back yard of Clark's parents' farm.
Eliza and Martha took care of the food, easily getting along. Martha and Johnathan were also not intimidated by the kryptonians, and welcomed the former Fort Rozz criminals. Weeks afterwards it wasn't unusual for the kryptonians to help around the farm or keep an eye on Smallville.
Some of Clark's Justice League friends were able to attend, their attendance too unusual to be at the wedding. Kara met Batman, Bruce Wayne, as well as his three foster sons who joined Carter in following her around. Bruce had offered her a job, but Cat quickly threatened him for trying to steal her ex-assistant and new junior editor.
Of course this was the first time Kara heard about her promotion.
Kara returned to work the following Monday, still surprised by the turn of events. She still had to train Cat's new assistant, a tall male that didn't really take Cat's crap. He stared at her whenever she was in an insulting mood, honestly not caring about the woman's fits.
The office called him a male Pepper Pots after the Iron Man movies and Greg was quickly nicknamed Pepper. The man had blushed about that, but not much else.
Kara laughed when they found out Pepper was an alien. He wasn't a Fort Rozz criminal. Instead he was an undercover Green Lantern come to check on earth. He was given a device that man him look human and sent to National City. He was to stay and see how well the planet was advancing.
Pepper said he had no intention of interfering with their activities, only acting if someone else came from outer space or if an intergalactic law was broken.
Lucy jumped at learning Intergalactic law.
000000
Non looked at the 5 month old fetus. She was developing nicely and already Non could see she looked like Astra. No one else could see it, but they left it as parental vision. Something only the parent could see.
He was encouraged by the doctors to talk to the fetus, something uncommon on Krypton. Then again, the Birthing Matrixes were held in the Science Centre. On Krypton he wouldn't even have seen his child before it was ready to be 'born'. Here, the humans talk and sing to their children. Their scientists have proven that the interaction was helpful to their developing children.
At the moment he was reading a kryptonian 'fairy-tale'. In the beginning he felt silly for doing so, but Eliza had set up a device showing the girl's brain activity, how it reacted when she heard her father's voice.
He felt arms wrap around his shoulders as he watched the tank. He reached up with one hand to grab hold of Kara's hands. She stayed silent as he finished the story, reacting much like a child at the appropriate parts, laughing and booing as he read. He could see the new voice, the familiar voice, caused his daughter to react, the brain scans spiking each time Kara made a sound.
"I always loved that story," Kara said and Non could see the spike happen again. Kara reaching over, surprised by the human book.
"Your Cat helped package the story. I had sent her a few of our fables and she is getting them published," Non said.
"Miss Grant is ecstatic every time she gets information about Krypton," Kara said, letting go as she sat next to him.
"She had given us much help with proper publicity," Non said.
"Regretting your words all those... wow," Kara said suddenly, "It's almost been a year, hasn't it?"
"8 month, 24 days," Non said.
"You keep count," Kara said, reaching for his hand.
"Yes," Non replied as he interlaced their fingers. He dropped his head on her shoulder as he sighed.
"The human- Brainiac believes he might be able to use Indigo and track the Skull ship. He is also designing a virus that could completely destroy Brainiac," Non said.
"Winn told me," Kara said, "When do you want to do this?"
"You will come with us?" Non asked her, looking up to her face.
Kara smiled, "Always. I'm not leaving you Non. Not now. Not ever."
Non blinked at the woman. Woman, not a child. She hasn't been a child in a long time.
"Do not make vows you cannot keep," Non said.
Kara held his hand tighter and Non felt his heart tighten as well. He closed his eyes, listening to his daughter's heart beat as well as Kara's. They were in sync.
00000
Winn waits.
He waits because that was all he can do. The humans of earth also wait; wait for their kryptonians to return.
A week ago, Superman, Supergirl, Non, Salla, and all the other kryptonians left to find Kandor.
It had taken Winn months to program the Kryptonian space ships properly, getting help from Batman. He had made the virus and now...
Now all they could do is wait.
Winn waits for Kara and Clark and even Non. He also waits for Salla, the older female kryptonian that tried to learn code to help him with the programing. The female that gave him this cool communicator that was also a tracking device just before he left.
It was Lucy and Eliza that told him she gave him a Courting gift. That she gave him something to remember her if she didn't return.
Winn turned to Lois, really the only person who understood what he was going though.
So they wait.
Winn kept an eye on Iz, the 7 mouth old fetus daughter of Non. Non had asked him to care for her if he and Kara didn't make it back. Winn promises- no he gave the man his vow that he would.
So he watches his Goddaughter and waits. He waits for his best friend and his girlfriend. He waits for childhood heroes and new friends.
Winn waits.
0000
Kara looked at the shrunken city of Kandor before handing it over to Pepper. He was taking it and all the other cities to Oa, the Green Lantern home world. The council will find suitable planets for the cities, each in an environment that belonged to the original planets.
In total there were 57 shrunken Cities. They didn't know how long it will take before they find a 'New Krypton', but the fact that there will be one one day… that was enough for now.
The Council understood that they wanted to keep in contact with the Citizens of Kandor and sent a device to allow them to communicate over the large distance.
Kandor, no longer 'frozen in time', will be able to grow and advance once more.
Kara stood next to Non, taking his hand as Pepper left.
They didn't lose anyone, Winn's virus doing more than they could imagine.
Now...
Now they were heading home.
00000
James watched as Supergirl, not Kara, stormed into Cat's office, shutting the door before talking rapidly. Everyone was watching the hero that came up via the elevator instead of the balcony like she normally did.
She had a weird looking knife in her hands.
Cat sat her down, giving her a drink before sitting next to her and they talked, just talked.
An hour later, Non came though the elevator too, heading to Cat's office. He opened the door, not caring about interrupting them, standing by Supergirl as he told her something important. A few moments later he gets a massage from Lucy.
Alex and Hank were back.
With Jeremiah, an 8 year old clone of Superman and a 4 month old half Martian baby.
Well, someone was busy.
00000
Alex didn't even know she was pregnant. She didn't even know she and J'onn would be biologically compatible, but it seemed like shapeshifting DNA could result in a baby.
She gives birth in Cadmus after they had been captured. They take her child, a little boy and she doesn't see him for two months.
The 8 year old half kryptonian clone of Superman was un-expecting. The fact that he smashed through the walls trying to find her was a miracle. He had seen her child and stole him from the lab.
He helps her find J'onn and Jeremiah. They leave, blowing up the compound in the process. They are found by the Justice League outside. They are cared for and Alex cries on J'onn when her child if fine.
Normally she wouldn't dare cry over anything, but she was a mother and her child was taken from her. She was allowed. She cried even harder when they tell her that Jeremiah was alright as well.
The kryptonian boy doesn't let go of her hand.
Superman is uncomfortable around him at first, but Alex kicks his ass.
Conner Kent was aloof, but the sweetest boy she's ever met. He reminds her more of Kara then Clark, but Clark and Lois, now married, have started the 'adoption' process.
It takes two months before she can go home. And things are even more different then she expects.
00000
Jeremiah takes his granddaughter into his arms, his grandson in his lap. The just born child was bigger than human babies, but she was Kryptonian, it was expected. He saw his grandson turn green as he too stared at his cousin.
Kara was his daughter no matter what anyone said.
And Izzy was her's, no matter her DNA.
He looked up at the people around him. Eliza was next to him stoking Jerry's check, causing the boy to turn his skin back to caucasian. Alex and Kara were on his other side, neither girl letting go of his arm or leg. 'Hank', J'onn stood behind Alex, talking to a woman called Lucy Lane, the director of the DEO. She was telling him about the Fort Rozz criminals. Behind Kara, not letting go of her shoulder was Non, Jeremiah's granddaughter's father. It was he who put the child in his arms, presenting her as his granddaughter. Another man, Maxwell Lord was next to Non, talking science.
By the end of the room was a flushed Clark Kent, holding on to Conner's shoulders as he talked to Tim Drake-Wayne. The boy's father, Bruce standing nearby as he was absorbed in his tablet. Next to Clark was Lois, his wife. She was arguing with a Cat Grand who invited herself to the room. Next to her was a young boy, probably twelve, his name Carter, who was talking to Tim's older brothers Dick Grayson-Wayne and Jason Todd-Wayne.
On Carter's head was a hand belonging to his older brother, Adam, who was talking to James and Winn, Kara's friends. Next to Winn was an older Female Kryptonian, Salla, who held onto Winn's hand.
Kryptonians and DEO agents came in and out, talking to people inside before leaving, all of them welcoming him warmly.
This was his family. It's grown since he last saw and it's a bit weird, but it was his.
00000
End.
At the end I realised how big the 'family' grew and I needed to put in a variation of Stiches famous line "This is my family. I found it all on my own. It is little and broken, but still good."
I read a fic where Kara and Alex became closer after watching the first Lilo and Stich movie, a head canon now for me.
I was watching Non when I watched Myriad. I don't know if anyone else saw it, but I saw that Kara and Alex were getting to him. If they only had more time and if Indigo wasn't there, they would have gotten through to him.
But, alas, shows only get one redemption story per series and for Supergirl it was Astra, now dead.
I don't know if I'll add to this universe. I might do a few one-shots, but no promises.