Supergirl: The Last Daughter of Earth
Chapter 9
Alex sat alone in the open garden of the school campus, staring up at the sky. The red shade to the sky was still disconcerting to her, even after having been on Krypton for two years, living as a Kryptonian orphan, adopted by her father's cousin and her husband, according to the story everyone knew.
Alex Zor El had been Alex Arn Zee, of Xan City, as far as anyone knew. No one questioned the story, since Xan City and it's neighbor, the city of Erkol, had been embroiled in a constant conflict for more years than anyone wished to count. The conflict might as well have been called an isolated civil war, and there had been heavy casualties on both sides as long as the bitter feud had been going on. As a result, the people of other city states generally avoided both the two cities, and their citizens, as much as was possible.
According to the story, Alex's family had been among the latest casualties of that conflict, leaving her the sole survivor of her family, so her father's cousin, Alura Zor El, and her husband Zor El, had adopted the then fourteen year old girl, and she'd been living with them in Argo City for the past two years.
It was a foregone conclusion that the conflict, and the trauma of losing her family, was largely responsible for Alex's odd behavior, moodiness, and generally strange disposition that manifested itself from time to time. The teachers of the school she and Kara attended generally liked and empathized with the young girl, and the majority of teenagers, her "peers," generally made fun of her, picked on her, and derided her at pretty much every opportunity. Insults, mean pranks, blatant scorn and typical teenage cruelness were the order of the day, most days.
Gee, imagine that. A planet where teenagers are the living, breathing definition of asshole, thought Alex bitterly and sarcastically as she continued to look up into the sky. That's just so weird. Teenagers aren't like that anywhere else in the known universe, no siree Bob. Those crazy kids on Krypton are truly odd ducks. Yeah, right. You'd think that would be one difference light years from Earth, but no, it seems to be a universal constant. Yay me.
It was so strange, not seeing birds; at least not birds like there were on Earth, moving through the sky even occasionally. There was a creature called a flamebird, but it was a bird only by the loosest definition, and it only made its presence known at certain times. Alex thought it was weird how the oddest little things brought back such powerful memories of her home. Yet, it seemed as if the planet conspired to drive her mad with so many triggers for memories, and thus the usually suppressed feelings they evoked. It was like the planet itself hated her as much as the kids did.
It was during a free period, so Alex liked to come out to the garden to think, and just to be alone. Unfortunately, a very well travelled pathway between different buildings ran right beside the garden, so there were often disdainful and crude dipshits passing by, usually making some venomous and hateful comment or something. That was one of the few things that was like home. She, herself, was rarely the target of such things on Earth, but she'd seen many, many kids who had to suffer through it, like Kenny Li. He was such a sweet guy, as well as a good friend, and he helped her pass more than one class by tutoring her, yet their peers tortured him relentlessly for being a geek, or nerd, or even just "not cool," as if they were the coolest bunch of pricks in the universe.
Kara, on the other hand, was fairly popular in school. Oh, there were some that didn't like her, and made rude comments now and then, but they were few and far in between, unlike the experience Alex had every day. For that, Alex envied her little sister. Not in a mean or malicious way, she just wished she didn't stick out like a sore thumb, comparatively speaking.
Of course, not every kid in school hated her, or berated her, but there were times when it sure as hell felt like it. Generally speaking, it was the crowd that would consider themselves "cool," even though they didn't know what the slang term meant. The popular kids were generally the self absorbed, spoiled little shits that thought they were Rao's gift to the world, but thankfully not all of them. A fair number of them were actually decent, even kind, to her, it was just that the bad seemed to far outweigh the ones that didn't most of the time.
As Alex sat thinking, Kara, and her best friend, Thara Ak Var, came out, and after a moment, saw her. Kara knew that Alex often came to the garden, especially on rough days. They didn't have every class together, so when they were in separate classes, they'd generally meet in the garden before the following class. On particularly rough days, Alex would spend as much time as possible in the gardens, staying to herself.
Thara, being Kara's best friend, was actually one of the teens that didn't torment Alex. She was actually quite fond of her, and dismissed her occasional quirks as being the result of having such a hard life until that point. The three girls would often talk and hang out after school, or during breaks, and their friendship was strong, stronger than any relationship Alex had beyond Kara and her family. Thara often joined Kara in staving off those that would say mean things about Alex, much to Alex's chagrin. She hated seeming as if she needed to be protected, with powers or not.
After they'd discovered that Alex had developed powers, she and her family agreed that she would conceal them, and not use them where they would be obvious. It was for Alex's own protection, she knew, but she felt as if she were cutting part of herself off from existing. She knew that they weren't trying to keep her from being herself, or to be a hindrance in her adjusting to Krypton, but it still hurt her deep inside to feel like she had to ostracize herself even more, though she never said anything about that to her new family. She knew that they were right, and it was for the best, especially if she should get especially emotional about the thoughts, feelings, and even dreams she'd have about Earth now and then. Alex didn't want them to feel guilty, and hurt their feelings, because they were trying to help her and do what was best for her.
She was shaken from her thoughts when the two girls approached her, and Thara said, "Hello, Alex. How are you doing today? Things have seemed pretty quiet lately." She wore a smile, and her attitude was upbeat and friendly, as usual. Despite the fact that she smiled a lot, Alex never once felt she was putting it on, or a fake. She knew and believed that Thara was simply a relatively normal, happy, and friendly person, and that she actually considered Alex a friend, and wasn't just being nice for her friendship with Kara's sake.
Kara greeted her sister with a hug, and sat down close to her on the bench she'd been sitting on, as Thara also sat down. Alex had made peace with the fact that Kara was a huge hugger a long time ago. Alex had never really been much of a touch person until she came to Krypton, preferring to only make prolonged or frequent physical contact with her family, and even then, that was only sporadically.
Kara, however, was extremely tactile oriented, and would hold her hand, hug her, or just be near her many, many times during the course of a typical day. It seemed to be her subconscious way of showing Alex she was unconditionally accepted, and loved, by at least one person, and it was an expression of the amazing empathy the girl had. Even when they'd disagreed on something, Kara had always treated her kindly, with compassion, and unwavering sisterly love, regardless of what was happening. Until she'd met Kara, she honestly had never thought there was any such person that was so accepting and selfless in the entire universe, that such a thing was as mythical a creature as a unicorn. Kara proved her wrong every day, and Alex was quietly grateful for that.
She mustered a smile and hugged Kara back while replying, "I'm okay, I guess, Thara. I'm just taking some quiet time. Is everything going well for you today?" Her Kryptonian had vastly improved in the past two years, and she spoke fluently enough, and with so little accent, that no one seemed to suspect she hadn't been speaking Kryptonian her whole life. She had studied the language and culture exhaustively, determined to make sure no one ever suspected any different, and thereby keeping her family safe. She had been dead set on making herself as Kryptonian as possible, to be above reproach.
"Oh, yes," answered Thara jovially, the very picture of teenage contentment, with little to no troubles clouding her thoughts at all. "I passed my history exam with absolutely no trouble, and even impressed the speaker on criminal and civil law later. He said I should become a peace keeper." She seemed proud of herself, but not in a smug or arrogant way. She simply took modest pride and pleasure in achieving something she felt was momentous.
A peace keeper, or peace officer, was the Kryptonian equivalent of a policeman, or other law enforcement organization. Alex smiled and nodded, silently agreeing with her and giving her both acknowledgement and congratulations on her good fortune so far that day. I don't know if she'd be tough enough to be a peace keeper or Sagitari, she's so nice and friendly. But there's no doubt in my mind that she'd be fair, and would investigate everything with an obsessive thoroughness, Alex thought. Though, to be fair, I know there's a lot more strength behind that friendly, almost bubbly exterior she shows. She's tougher than she looks.
Kara smiled brightly, and patted Thara on the back supportively, and responded, "That's amazing, Thara! I think he's right, I think you'd make a wonderful peace keeper." Kara knew Thara much better than she did, so apparently, she had similar thoughts to what Alex was thinking at that very moment.
She turned to Alex, and grabbed her hands up in her own, giving them a squeeze. Her eyes shone bright, and she seemed excited. "Ner An asked me out on a date for this weekend!" she bubbled. Ner An was a boy that she had had a crush on since she was ten, and was often a topic of discussion between the two girls. He was one of several, but he was one that Kara favored more than most of the others.
Still bouncing, she continued, "And it seems that his brother Den has wanted to ask you out since last year, so be expecting him to try to talk to you during…" Kara trailed off as Thara cleared her throat, and nodded towards the door leading into the building, and as the shuffle of several students walking out became audible. The group was part of the self important crowd that thought themselves so much above Alex. Kara's expression immediately morphed into something less pleasant.
The passing students slowed as they saw Alex, Kara and Thara sitting together, and two of the girls, the sisters Tora and Mina Kor Vex, as well as a boy named Gan Ur, paused. The Kor Vex girls were both wealthy, and their father was a member of the Lawmaker's Council, and so they had been raised in an arrogant, conniving environment, where contempt and backstabbing were practically an art form. Gan Ur was a cruel, wicked young man, whose parents both were high ranking members of the Military Guild, and truly believed there were few people that were worthy to even speak his name and seemed to think that everyone lived to service his every wish and whim, a truly arrogant and nihilistic creature.
The two sisters were tall, thin, and athletically built, with wiry, strong muscles, and fluidness about their movement taken from years of dance and similar past times. Mina wore her nearly white blonde hair just above the collar and slicked back into a well kept coif, while Tora wore her similarly colored hair to her shoulders, pushed back and styled, and each had piercing green eyes. Their skin was milky white, and porcelain like, with nary a blemish in sight, which they either never engaged in enough physical activity to gain any, or were obsessive about hiding them with clothing and cosmetics. In either event, both girls were pretty, but their cruelty and disdain for everyone not in their circle made them ugly.
Gan Ur was built like a well oiled machine. He was tall, large enough to be imposing, but slender enough to suggest the capability for very quick and precise movements. His muscles were solid, and extended, exhibiting both strength and flexibility. He was considered the best athlete at the school, participating in a number of sports, which no doubt he felt accented the military training he'd go through when he presumably joined the Military Guild like his parents. It was clear he enjoyed making everyone feel they were inferior and that they were somehow weaker than him, whether they were or not. He enjoyed the illusion of invincibility and superiority he'd cultivated over the years.
His golden hair combed straight back and as slick as the crystals at the tops of mountains, mixed with his blazing pale blue eyes, made his impression of being the pinnacle of Kryptonian perfection starkly apparent to all looking at him. Well, "the pinnacle of Kryptonian perfection" in his mind, anyway, thought Alex curtly. His mind, and the minds of his little groupies, and his bitchy assed little girlfriends there.
The two sisters circled Alex, and incidentally Kara and Thara, slowly, like two hawks circling a mouse, both sneering with smug expressions. "Look, Gan, Mina, its lonely little Alex, poor little orphan girl," said Tora, stopping in front of Alex. The sadistic smile she wore was as sharp as a phased energy beam. "How does it feel to be brought to a real city, and kept like a rodent, hidden away by your new family that just loves you oh, so much? It's funny, you've been here for two years, and other than here, I've never seen you out. You don't go shopping, you don't go to any entertainment, you stay hidden away like the miserable insect you are."
"I think you're wrong, Tora," said Mina, stopping beside her sister, and casting a self righteous glance over the three girls. "I don't think she stays hidden at all. I think her new family keeps her hidden away, because they're ashamed of the weirdo that they took in. I mean, look at her. She's slow in class, she can't answer questions anyone with half a grain of intelligence could answer easily, she goes and hides when she doesn't have to be around people, and she's just strange in general. She comes out here and stares and stares at the sky, like she's never seen the sky before. Most of the time, she seems lost in her head, probably wondering why she's even still alive."
"Stop it!" exclaimed Kara in a surprisingly quiet voice. Her fists were clenched tight, and she was actually shaking in anger. "You'd better stop talking like that about her, I mean it. She's done nothing to you, and hasn't said anything about you, any of you. Leave her alone." It was all she could do not to scream at the top of her lungs. Meanwhile, the other kids that had exited the building with them had stopped and were watching. Most of them were laughing, and pointing at Alex, and saying nasty things about her too, they just weren't as brave and loud as Tora, Mina, and Gan.
"Really? What are you going to do, Kara Zor El? Drown us in your angry little tears?" asked Gan snidely. He stepped up to where the two girls were and shrugged. "She's a freak, I know it, Tora and Mina know it, they all know it," he pointed at the kids listening and saying mean things as they listened. "And, honestly, you know it, too. You pretend that you like her, that you don't get angry and upset about the weird and stupid stuff she says and does. She's a low life piece of useless and rankless shit. She should be living in the trash with the rest of the rankless scum, not attending a good school in a city where those with a rank and guild get a good education and live a good life. She thinks she's become someone because she got adopted and she got a respected House name with a ranked family. She's just the same useless trash with a shiny new label now."
Thara was angry for Alex; she hated seeing her be treated like this day after day. Truth be told, this was actually nicer than the sorts of things they usually said or did to the poor girl. Usually, they were a lot worse. Thara thought it was a wonder they hadn't hurt her so badly they drove her to suicide. It seemed to be exactly what they were trying to do, though, whether they admitted so or not.
They tore her down in every way possible, insulting her like they were at that moment, making nasty comments and encouraging others to do the same about some odd habits that she had, berating her for not being actual family to the House of El, and just about anything else you could imagine. Their seeming hatred for her was completely and totally irrational; she couldn't see the slightest shred of logic behind any of it.
Maybe they felt threatened by her in some way, though she couldn't imagine how or why. Alex was quiet, sure, but sweet, kind, and was a lot stronger than Thara thought she herself would be, if this kind of thing happened to her like it did to Alex every day. Krypton was supposed to be an enlightened world, a veritable utopia where such behaviors and thoughts should never have even been considered, let alone voiced, and the things they would do to Alex like shaking a bag of rodent droppings into her food during lunch, or something else ridiculous like that should never be done, or tolerated. However, here it was, in all its resplendent cruelty, the bad core at the center of the fruit.
That was it that was the final straw. Kara had heard enough, put up with enough out of them for the day. Alex had had to endure this all day every day, from the early morning hours when Rao was low in the sky until the evening, when it was close to going down. Almost without fail, they kept going until she and Alex finally got inside the house. They never let up, they never stopped, and they just kept going. That was going to change, Kara thought, and it was going to change right then.
Alex had simply been listening, letting them get it out of their system. It hurt, of course, but she couldn't knock them across the city, as much as she wanted to, not without causing an insane amount of trouble for her family. She could see Kara's fists shaking, and she reached out to touch Kara's arm, saying, "Kara, just ignore them, that's what I—"
As Alex was saying that, she was abruptly cut off when Kara swung her fist hard and fast, and caught Gan in the mouth. Blood exploded from his nose and mouth, and the boy reeled from the most unexpected punch from the small girl before him. "I said stop talking about her like that!" roared Kara in anger.
As Gan stumbled backwards, off balance, he was trying to catch onto something, anything, to break his fall, but it didn't matter. Kara was on him instantly, and she punched him twice more in the face on the way down to the grass covered ground of the garden. She stomped him hard in the stomach, and then whirled towards Tora and Mina.
The two girls' expressions had gone from snide, cruel amusement to absolute shock, and a healthy amount of terror as Kara's eyes burned into them. "You think you're so perfect, so important, and that you stand far above anybody and everybody else. You think you're Rao's gift to the world, that nobody is as good as you. You're not, not at all. You're pathetic is what you are," she growled in a low voice, with her fists still clenched.
The two girls looked at each other as the very angry Kara approached them with slow, measured steps, stalking them like a predator stalking its prey. Mina's face twisted in hatred, and she swung hard and fast at Kara, but she never learned how to defend herself, or do anything for herself if she could get someone else to do it. Kara easily sidestepped the punch and whirled, her elbow struck the back of Mina's head and she went down, her face meeting the grass with a loud oof. It was obvious to onlookers that Kara had studied at least some in the martial art klurkor.
Tora tried to back up, but found herself backed against the hedge that ran along that part of the garden. She'd already seemed at least a little frightened to start with, but when she saw how effortlessly Kara dispatched her sister, that look got a lot more pronounced. Kara was seething, "You have no right to talk to, or about, Alex like that, not now, or ever."
Before anything else could happen, three teachers burst through the door leading out to the garden and demanded to know what was going on. Students were detained and questioned, and several widely varying stories were given. They were rounded up and collected, and were all taken to the Administrator's office to explain what happened and why.
Outside the Administrator's office, Kara and Alex sat, waiting for their turn to tell their side of the story. Alex turned slightly, and tilted her head, saying softly, "You didn't have to do any of that, you know. You shouldn't get yourself in trouble because of me. Let them say what they want, and do what they want. They're not worth the time and effort. They hate me so much because they hate themselves, I think." She paused for a long moment, and then squeezed Kara's hand with a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, though, all the same. It was nice."
Kara squeezed her hand back, and shook her head. "Yes, I did. They had no place or right to talk to you or about you like that, or to do the things they've done to you all this time. Besides, you didn't really think I was going to just let them keep going, did you?" she asked, as she leaned against Alex's shoulder. She knew it wasn't like Alex couldn't defend herself, or her own honor, but it was her place, she felt, because she was Alex's sister, and the House of El's philosophy was "stronger together," and the virtue of hope.
She knew that no matter how nonchalant Alex tried to be about it, the truth was it hurt her very deeply, and just magnified the guilt and loss she had still burning inside her from the destruction of her world. Even then, two years after she'd come to Krypton, she still woke up with nightmares and such, and she still struggled with the feelings of grief when she thought no one was around. It didn't happen as often as it did at first, but it had never really stopped, and she doubted it ever would, not completely. She always told Kara she was fine, and Kara pretended to believe her, because Alex needed her to let her deal with it on her own, no matter how much she appreciated Kara's help. So, she just found ways to let Alex know that she was always there for her, no matter what.
"You're my sister, Alex," continued Kara, and as was her way, she wrapped Alex in a tight hug. "You'd do the same for me; I know you would, so how could I not do it for you? What kind of sister would I be if I just let that go on without saying or doing anything?"
"You'd be a sister that's not in trouble right now, and will probably be in more trouble when we get home," Alex answered with a light smile and a soft laugh. She returned Kara's hug, and for whatever reason, feeling that unconditional acceptance and love that sisters can give each other always seemed to make every bad situation more tolerable, and made it better.
She was imagining how the talk they were sure to have when they got back home was going to go, and she didn't imagine it going very well. Alura and Zor El were very understanding, and very supportive, but she was afraid they may think Kara went to unnecessary extremes. She couldn't help but smile a little though, because unnecessary or not, she was sure that particular bunch would think twice before openly doing that sort of thing again, and besides, just the shocked and then terrified looks on their faces was well worth the price of admission.
