Title: Heart of a Hero
Chapter Title: The Writing on the Wall Part 1
Fandom: Supergirl (2015), Elements of Man of Steel, Lois & Clark: Adventures of Superman, Comic book world (so many of them), Superman Unbound, New 52, Supergirl (1984), Smallville, Young Justice
Rating: Low M
Pairings: Canon only
Background: Personal interpretation of Kryptonian Culture/ History/ Social Structure/ etc
Summary: Kara knew there was only a small chance she could stop Non. He had years of experience over her. But never did she expect, even as she laid dying, that she will wake up in her bed. The same day of Alex's flight to Geneva.
Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl
Note* Warning. This will end up as Non/Kara, but it will also be a slow burn.
WARNING! Graphic description of Torture + Major Character Death + Suicide + Rape
Note* "Italics" –Kryptonese, "Normal" – English, bold = flashback
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Timeline 35
Kara landed in the power plant before walking forward. She doesn't call out to Vartox, knowing he already knew she was here. Kal had tried to stop her from going, worried for her, but Kara talked him out of coming with her. She needed to do this on her own… need to prove to people she could do this-
(She slams her fists into Lanes face over and over as tears blur her vision. She stops when she feels concrete and finally the sense of wrong covers her… Kara looks down at the alien as he clutches his broken leg. She pulls back her foot and kicks the ghost, wondering just how weak he would think she was now …)
Kara feels something slam into her and she flies forward. She sneers at herself for losing concentration. She rolls out his way before spring up and facing him.
"You don't look like Alura," Vartox said.
"You remember my mother," Kara said.
"You don't easily forget the woman that condemned you to prison," Vartox said.
"You broke Krypton's law," Kara told him, "You force a woman to have congress with you."
"I did not deserve life in prison for showing a bitch her place!" Vartox said.
"You were on Krypton," Kara said, "Her place was above you."
Vartox screamed and charged at her. Kara reached up to her cape and with one swift movement unclipped the cape and threw it back slightly. She activated her speed, punching Vartox before the first thread of the cape even touched the ground.
He flew back, crashing through one of the buildings as Kara dropped to the ground. She walked towards Vartox, who was quickly getting to his feet. She disappeared and reappeared behind him. She held out her right hand as Vartox turned around and flicked him in the chest with her middle finger.
CRACK
Vartox fell to the ground, breathing deeply as one of his ribs punctured his lungs. He glade up at her just before Kara knees him in the chin.
He falls back, unconscious as she hears the sound of a helicopter head towards them. She grabs his arm and starts to drag him out of the building as the helicopter hovers, allowing the Agents to repel down to the ground. They stop when they see Kara and suddenly look like they aren't sure what to do.
"Do you want this?" Kara asked and held up Vartox by his arm. One of the Agents came forward, taking off her helmet. Alex cuffed Vartox and indicated to the other Agents to take him before turning back to Kara.
"You stopped him," Alex said. Was she surprised? Was she shocked? Or was she afraid of Kara's power?
"Yes," Kara said and moved to grab her cape from the ground. She swung it over her shoulders before clipping it back as easily as she unclipped it. She turned back to Alex, tilting her head to the side.
"I'm not mad at you," Kara said and she could see Alex's shoulder immediately relax, "I don't like that you never told me about the DEO, but I'm not mad."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Alex asked her.
"Tell you what?" Kara asked as she tilted her head.
"About the head of house thing. The council, knowing all these things," Alex asked.
"Alex you're my big sister- you're the other part of my soul and I knew you would try to protect me," Kara said as she walked over to her sister and grabbed her gently by the shoulders, "But Alex, this time you can't protect me. This time it's my turn to protect you- and everyone else… I was afraid that if you knew- that you would talk me out of doing this."
"You're in danger. Their- these criminals are going to come after you," Alex told her, fear coloring her voice.
"I can't sit by and do nothing Alex. To do it would be wrong… it would be like people sitting back as their country was invaded… this-me doing this- me stopping these criminals… it's the right thing to do, not the easy thing," Kara told her.
"It's not your job-"
"Yes, it is. Kal made it my job when he screwed up," Kara told her, "I know what I'm doing."
"Then work with us," Alex said.
"I- Alex I can't work for the DEO… not after everything I've heard about it. I'm willing to agree to a partnership, but- but I can't be their lap dog," Kara said.
She couldn't trust them. She knew it wasn't J'onn's fault about what happened in the second timeline, she knew it wasn't anyone's fault, but every time she walked into that building her skin felt like it as on fire and she felt trapped and she needed to get out!
"Here," Kara said, handing Alex a piece of paper before pointing at the different codes written on it, "This is to connect to my radio. This one will let you communicate with me when I'm at the Fortress, and that's for my person sleeth- a kryptonian tablet."
"Ok," Alex said, "But Kara if you ever need us-"
"I wouldn't," Kara said and turned away from Alex.
"You might," Alex told her and followed after the rest of the DEO Agents.
Kara stayed, watching them fly off, watching Alex, who was watching her, till Alex could no longer see her. She then closed her eyes and turned her face to the sun, spreading out her arms.
There were many things she needed to do. One of which was figuring out why she was looping through these timelines.
Kara reached into her skirt, pulling out her sleeth and starting to scan the power planet.
The sleeth was square, the outside rims made from a thick metal binding, all of the 'computer's' processors and hardware inside. The 'middle' of from a blue see-through plastic-metal mixture. This was the 'screen' of the device.
Kryptonians would use their interactive chip to connect with it while other species would use it similar to a tablet.
Kara smiled, remembering Winn as he quickly figured out how to use the device- he really was born in the wrong centenary.
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Grev licks between her breast as Lane stands outside her cage. She tries to move, fight him, but each time she does the burning on her skin only got worse. She screams, begs someone to save her.
"Why should we?" her father's voice echo through her cell, "You're nothing but a girl. Vartox was right, little girls should learn their place."
"No! Please!" Kara screams as Grev moved in and out of her.
"Maybe this time we'll get our little soldier," Lane said while soldiers around him chant 'Breed Her' "Breed Her' to Grev.
She looks to the glass wall seeing Astra leaning against the wall, a cruel smile on her face as red veins stay permanently on her face and neck. In her hand was some of her hair, braided. Kara followed the hair and saw Non kneeled as Astra's feet, his body supporting black, yellow, blue, and purple bruises.
Kara screamed, begging for everything to stop. She screamed for Alex and Kal.
"I thought you said you didn't need help?" Alex said, her neck broken and her head almost completely upside down as part of her skin starts to tear at her neck. Her eyes were glassy, like there was no life in them and her chest didn't move.
"Please! Alex!" Kara screamed and Alex's mouth just opens and a horrible laughing sound just came out of it as the body didn't move at all.
Everyone started laughing then, even Non as Astra digs a kryptonite knife into his shoulder, twisting it round and round.
BANG BANG BANG
Kara chokes down a scream as she sits up suddenly. The banging continues as she looks down, unsurpassed to find her sleeth and paper sprayed out on her kitchen table. A bowl of melted ice-cream on the far end of the table.
Kara groans, mentally begging the banging to stop as she presses the heal of her hands into her eyes.
"Kara? Are you home?" James's voice came through the door, muffled.
"Just a minute!" Kara called as she grabs her glasses. She jumps off her stool, hesitating as she felt a dizziness come over her-
When was the last time she ate?
Kara shook her head and moved to her door, unlocking everything before opening it. James stood on the other side, a familiar box in his hands. She smiled at him, moving to the side to allow the man entry.
"James. I didn't know you knew where I lived," Kara said as she closed the door and headed to her kitchen table. She grabbed the melted ice cream, mixing it with the spoon before throwing it over to a glass.
"Clark told me," James said, a smile on his face.
"Clark needs to stop telling you things," Kara said bluntly and the smile disappears, "especially things that aren't his to tell."
"Look. I'm sorry if he crossed a line-"
"You don't have to apologize," Kara told him, waving a hand at him, "I'll be talking to Kal when I next see him about respecting people's privacy."
"You didn't want me to know?" James said, frowning.
"I don't know you," Kara told him. Not completely the truth, but not exactly a lie… she's never known James when she didn't have a crush on him, obscuring her vision and opinions of him. That and the last time they really talked he acted like it was some kind of must she should be Supergirl.
"I see. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable," James said as he watched her drink her melted ice cream. She saw him swallow before looking away.
"Why are you here?" Kara asked him.
"I wanted to give you this and to tell you I'm happy to see you become Supergirl," James said, smiling again.
"No," Kara said and his smile fell again, "I didn't become Supergirl because I owe the world anything. I'm not doing this because there's some universal law that I have to. I am doing this because I can't stand by and see people hurt when I can do something about it. Not just humans, not just 'the good guys' or innocents- no. I'm going to do whatever I can to help everyone."
Except for Lane and Grev. She's pretty sure she's going to kill them both eventually.
"Kara I don't think you have to be Supergirl-"
"Don't," Kara said, "What would you have done if I never became Supergirl. If I never used my powers to help people?"
James looked down and then away. He crossed his arms before sighing, "I would have told you had a responsibility to the people. That you had the responsibility to help them."
"Why? Because humans took me in? A scared little girl unable to care for herself," Kara asked and James looks horrified at how she says things.
"You act like the only reason I should help people is because of my powers, but you're wrong," Kara tells him, "I never wanted to be a soldier-"
"You're not a soldier-" James started.
"Yes, I am. Like the Chieftess of old, the second I put that uniform on I became a soldier," Kara tells him, "I wanted to help people with my words. That's why I choose to work for Cat Grant, not because I have powers, or following in Kal's footsteps, but because I believed I could make a difference… and that's still what I want to do. James, there are so many things I want to do, do to help where I can't charge in and punch people. There I will have to talk and talk and convince them with my words. Help them, give them hope… I'm not Supergirl because I have all these powers, I'm Supergirl because I can do so many things to help people."
"I never meant-"
"Yes, you did. You meant that I have to pay the world back for what it did for me, I don't," Kara tells him, "I don't need to help people. I have no obligation to do so. I am doing it because I want to… because it's my choice."
"I see," James said and looked away.
"Thank you for bringing this to me," Kara said, "And thank you for coming, but it's time for you to go."
James nods and moves to the door. Kara opened the door and watched him leave, closing the door behind him.
James wasn't a bad person. He just had the wrong mentality about what it means to be kryptonian. He believed something- a misguided something- and tried to push that belief onto other people- her especially. He thought he was the only one who had the right to know about who she is, even though he's just met her.
(She sees the way he looks at Winn when he realizes she told him who she was. She ignores it, she wanted him to like her. She wanted him to be proud of her. He tells her things and she takes it like it's some kind of law… she still gets mad and annoyed, but she bends for him… when she didn't need to.)
Kara sighs and takes her glasses off before finishing the ice cream.
0000
Kara doesn't train with the DEO; in fact, she almost has no contact with them at all. Winn comes over every day and talks into her ear, telling where she is most needed. Other times they go over information together. Winn is trying to learn Kryptonian coding and Kara contemplates getting him an implant. Kal did it for his soulmate- his soul brother, Batman- why couldn't she do it for Winn?
But she waits. Waits for him to get that strength he got in the first timeline. The one that says he didn't need to ignore himself, that he should care about how he feels. And hopes she could do it better this time. Want to talk to him about it.
Not put him in a situation where he is forced to 'get over it'.
She continues as Supergirl. She actually stops the fire this time, the one by the boat. She still does the other things. She lifts the ambulance; the numbers Winn tells her helping more than James's 'gently'. She still gets the snake out of the tree and she still goes with Alex when they find the Hellgrammite. She still tells them about it, but laughs when they try to stop her from helping.
"You're the one helping me, remember?" Kara says to her sleeth, J'onn and Alex on the screen.
"I don't need an amateur messing up my missions," J'onn tells her.
"You still think I'm not capable," Kara said, "Would you like to test me?"
"Actually I would," J'onn said.
"Very well. I'll send you the schematics for a red sun generator," Kara said, "Put me and whomever you want me to fight on equal footing."
"We have rooms with Kryptonite generators," J'onn tells her.
"And here I thought you wanted me to fight someone, not come in to be tortured," Kara tells him.
"What?" Alex said.
"Kryptonite burns away at my flesh like acid. Even at low intensity, it can kill me. It just takes longer. So unless your agent is willing to have volts of electricity course through them after taking an acid bath. I don't plan on taking one step into those rooms," Kara tells him, "Have a nice day director."
Kara sends the plans and Alex tells them they will have something installed within the month. It still means they don't trust her to fight the Hellgrammite, but Kara ignores them-
Astra was going to be there.
Kara talks to Kal about telling James and he looks properly scolded. James sends her flowers and an apology letter. She throws the flowers in the trash and sends a letter back with Winn, telling James to apologize to her face.
He does.
0000
Kara closes her eyes as she flys through the night sky, concentrating on finding Alex. She needed to make sure she was still the same place as last time. When she finds out that she still is, Kara speeds to the building.
She slams in, seeing Alex in the same position as the first time, "Alex."
"Kara, no, it's a trap!" Alex cried in terror.
Kara spins around, grabbing Astra's fist just before it makes contact with her.
"Hello Astra," Kara said as she lets go of the fist.
"It's been a long time Little One," Astra said as neither moved.
Kara looked at her for a few moments before turning around and moving to Alex. Alex's eyes widen as Kara exposes herself to attack, but Kara just activated her x-ray vision to see if Alex was ok.
"I thought you dead," Kara said, switching to Kryptonese, "Mother came home one day and told me you died during a raid on Krypton."
Kara stood up and looked at Astra. Astra had started moving around the room, keeping an eye on Kara. Neither women were relaxed, both waiting for the other to attack first.
"You were dead. Non was taken to an institution... that's what I believed," Kara said, "Only to find out it was a lie."
"And what did you find?" Astra asked. Not out of curiosity, but out of- anger? Annoyance? Kara wasn't sure. Whenever she saw the older woman on Krypton she was always trying to seam put together, so calm, and happy. Kara never saw her upset or annoyed or anything…
Kara swept her hair behind her ear, displaying her head-dress more clearly, "I found out my mother was the one to send the both of you to Fort Rozz. I found out that you got life… I found out what you did to get your sentence… what made the High Council seal the records," Kara said and stared the woman in the eyes.
"We were trying to save Krypton," Astra told her.
"Yes," Kara said, shocking Astra, "Yes, you were trying to save Krypton… but how you aimed to do so- that was not the best choice."
"What other choice was there!" Astra yelled, but Kara couldn't answer, "Krypton was dying and our politicians just argued. I presented them with a solution and I was treated like a criminal!"
"You think it was an easy decision?" Kara said, "The High Council argued for weeks-"
"And they made their decision at the end… like you have," Astra said and walked over to Kara, placing her hand on Kara's face, "I will not allow anyone to stop me this time- I allowed one planet to die, I will save this one."
"That's the difference between you and me. You want to save the planet. I want to save the people on it," Kara told her.
Astra gave her a small half smile, half smirk as pity shown in her eyes. She believed Kara naïve, still seeing her as a child that needs to be taught-
Astra sped her body up, moving to slam Kara though the wall. Kara made her own body go faster, dunking down backward and sliding under Astra's arm, her body close to the floor. Kara then pushed her body up, swinging her leg to kick Astra in the middle of her back with a focused force. She then pushed up from the ground with her other leg, swinging her body around as her first leg was still connected to Astra so she could use her free leg to kick Astra in the upper back using an echoed force.
After her second leg made contact Astra flew forward, crashing through several walls as Kara continued to spin her body so she could land back on her feet, her knees and waist bent as she landed.
'Because of our increased strength, depending on how we hit things different results can occur,' Non told her. Kara tilted her head to the side as she watched him while sitting on the floor. In front of them was a large rock.
'One. We can focus the force into a single space,' Non said and turned to the rock. He pulled his fist back and then punched hard, punching a fist size hole in the rock.
'Ooo,' Kara said as she leaned forward slightly. Non took out his fist and turned back to her.
"The second is when we allow the force the spread out through the object,' Non said and turned back to rock. He readied his fist again and punched again. Kara watched as he moved, trying to see if there was a difference in how he moved his body, but she couldn't pick up anything. She watched as his fist made contact with the rock and shattered it.
'Wow," Kara said as she stood up.
'There is a 'grey scale' between the two. This means you can control the intensity of the two different force transitions,' Non told her, 'But it is not just your actions that determine how the force will transmit. It also depends on the object your hitting.'
'How?" Kara asked.
'It is because everything has a different level of absorbing and reflecting energy,' Non explained, 'If I punched a pillow I wouldn't very easily be able to focus the force of my punch, because?'
'Because pillows absorb energy?' Kara guessed.
'Correct,' Non said and Kara grinned at herself, 'The opposite can be said for harder objects. Since they reflect the energy transfer, it much easier to spread the force.'
'What about people?'
'The body is similar. When you are relaxed your body doesn't absorb as much of the force, but when you are tense you do,' Non told her.
'Is that why when I'm fighting you or Anya-Nar when we punch each other we don't fly backward so much?' Kara asked.
"Yes. Because your body anticipates the attack it is not easy for your opponent to spread the force behind their hits, but still possible,' Non said.
'By catching them off guard,' Kara said.
'Correct. By forcing your opponent away from you, you are able to give yourself a few moments to work on the rest of your attack,' Non told her.
'But how do you control the force behind your attacks?' Kara asked.
'That is what I am going to show you today,' Non told her before moving to her and pulling her body into a position, 'Now the first thing you do…
Kara blinked away the memory and sped towards Astra. She didn't use the echoed force to give her more time, but to get them both away from Alex. She didn't want to get her older sister involved in the fight.
Kara landed as Astra got up, looking at her with narrowed eyes and said, "You surprise me Little One."
Kara said nothing as she reached up to her cape and with one motion removed it. She pushed off from the ground and sped towards Astra.
Fighting with Astra was like dancing. Mainly because most modern kryptonian fighting styles came from dancing. Non once said that when two kryptonians fight other races think it's an exaggerated dance till they see the blood.
Because you know what your opponent is going to do you are more likely to block or evade then actually get hit. And in this case, it was so. After Kara's double kick she hasn't been able to land a hit or had a hit land on her.
Both she and Astra have only taken a few steps as they fought and even though their entire bodies were being used to attack, it wasn't getting the fight anywhere. Unfortunately for Astra, Kara also knew how to fight like a human.
Anya hated it when she threw in 'human moves', but Non encouraged it.
'You surprise your opponent and can change the tempo of the fight.'
Kara duck and rolled out of Astra attack before jumping to her feet. She then slammed her fist as hard as she could (no, not as hard as she could, but harder than her previous punches) to Astra's shoulder.
CRACK
Kara jumped back as the sound filled the area. She didn't mean to do that. She wanted to throw Astra off her tempo, not break her shoulder.
But she couldn't concentrate on that now. Kara pushed from the ground and charged at Astra, knocking her to the ground. Kara saddled her and punch her a few times before Astra was able to get her off.
Kara rolled before looking up, realized Astra was struggling to get up. Without direct exposure to the sun, injuries like that took longer to heal. Kara pushed her power into her speed and quickly grabbed Astra by the neck and lifted her up. Kara made sure her hand was tight and holding her head still. If Astra did anything to try and get out of the hold she will cause her neck to break on her own.
"You fight like a kryptonian," Astra said as her hand grabbed Kara's wrist.
"I am a kryptonian," Kara told her, "It doesn't matter that I took a human name or have a human family. It doesn't matter that I can walk among them and they think I'm one of them. It doesn't even matter that I'm comfortable like that… I remember where I came from. I remember the past- the past that made me who I am… I don't have to completely act kryptonian, to be one."
"DON'T MOVE!"
Kara moved her head to look what was coming towards her when Astra suddenly kicked her and broke out of her hold-
Oh. She must have loosened her grip when the noise startled her.
"This is not the end Little One," Astra said as she rubbed her neck, her eyes betraying her unease.
"I am not a child anymore Astra," Kara told her.
"No," Astra said, "You are not."
With that Astra jumped into the air, holding her broken arm with her good one, and broke through the ceiling.
Oh dear. Astra left without being stabbed by J'onn's knife.
What will happen now?
"Supergirl," J'onn shouted as he rushed to her, "Are you hurt?"
"No," Kara said as J'onn turned to the other agents and told them to search the compound.
(She still remembers the look on his face as she purposely brought up a opssible family. Remembering the ones he lost when the white martins killed everyone. She doesn't do it to hurt him, not really. She does it to make him understand that Alex isn't just someone she calls her sister; she was her sister. She would do anything for the older woman…and if something happened to her (again)… Kara would burn whoever was responsible. (Including herself))
"Any other family I need to worry about?" J'onn asked.
'No' she said the first time. Still thinking, still believing Non was gone.
"Just Astra's husband," Kara tells him.
"And just how bad is he?" J'onn asked.
What a difficult question to answer. Were either Non or Astra even evil? After everything they've been through? What they did- what they really tried to do, not just the word on the official report.
Or was J'onn asking about their abilities?
"Non was Karda Marr vi'hlke," Kara said, "Which basically means he was a strong enough fighter that he was placed on the First Squadron, third in command, right under General Zod and his mate."
"So he's dangerous," J'onn said.
"Yes," Kara said.
(She sits, her hood over her head and her mask over her lower face, as she watches Non fight. Astra had to take care of some things and had left her with Non for the afternoon. The being he fights is nearly 3 times his size in every direction and is so strong. The creature had spikes all over him and large sharp teeth. It was a mossy brown/green color and its roar sounds like underwater gurgles.
Several other kryptonians were to the side, most injured as Hev-Zu treated them. They had all gone up against the beast and all that come back injured. It wasn't a real fight, but a practice- but so different from what Kara went through with Alex.
Non had stepped into the ring and when he started to fight- Kara wondered if she would have ever been able to beat him. He was strong, almost a brute as he charged at his opponent. He knew where to hit and how hard and… and it was capturing to watch.)
"Yes," Kara repeated as she watched one of the agents help Alex towards them.
"Agent Danvers," J'onn said and Alex nods at him.
"The Hellgrammite's dead sir," Alex tells him and Kara turns away from them.
The Hellgrammite wasn't hurting anyone, or at least she didn't think it wanted to hurt anyone. This was it's food source. A food source that was diminishing… if they had captured it, offered it food and just talked to it- to him- wouldn't he have been willing to help them? Wouldn't he have changed his ways? But now they would never know.
Kara glances at Alex and sees that dead look in her eyes. The one Kara's seen before. The one that said she didn't want to kill anyone, but didn't have a choice.
Alex was a soldier. A proper one. Willing to do the things that were… needed.
Then again… so was Kara.
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Extra:
Astra sat on the bench and flexed her hand. Next to her, Hev-Zu was putting away a device that could emit the yellow sun's radiation.
She had not expected the fight between her and Kara to end like that. She expected to easily overpower the young girl, but that was not so. Kara was stronger than Astra expected, and not just in power alone.
Lady El.
Astra always knew Kara would inherit the Ladyship, but she thought it would be years in the future. That she would be well in her 8th decade before Kara received the honor.
"It seems Kara-El is not what we expected," Non said as he moved towards her.
Astra was thankful for the low light, for it was still hard to look at the face of the man who betrayed her.
"Yes…" Astra said.
"Is there something the matter General?" Non asked.
"She fights like you," Astra tells him. She thought that the moment they started fighting. She hesitated several times because every time she thought she was fighting Non…
"How is that possible," Non asked her.
"It seems the 'honorable Lady El' has more secrets then we expected," Astra said, "Have someone follow her… we need to know everything about her."
"Understood," Non said and walked away.
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End
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