From Facebook
Supergirl Zor-El
Wednesday, December 30th, 2015
Since I caught that plane back in October, people have had a lot to say about me. They have called me a hero, they have called me a villain, they have called me greedy or vain, they have called me an inspiration and a menace to society. Mostly, I ignore it and try to get on with the business of trying to make the world a better place for everyone who lives in it.
Today, I feel the need to address one of the accusations that has been leveled against me. I've seen it written in editorials, blog posts and discussion forums and I've heard it said on the streets, in cafes, bars and on news shows that I think Krypton was better than Earth, and that Kryptonians are better than humans.
I won't lie. There was a time when that was true. When I first arrived on your world, it seemed like everything about it was wrong. The sky was too bright, the days were too short, the sun moved constantly, the plants were the wrong color, and then there were the people. Everyone on this world was so brash. They stood too close and had no respect for personal space. Perfect strangers would touch you without asking. You would talk about things in public that most Kryptonians were barely willing to discuss behind closed doors. Your clothes were wrong, and every time I saw someone with the House of El Coat of Arms on their shirt, or their notebook, or their backpack, I wanted to scream.
I hated this world at first. I missed my home. I missed my family. My powers, my mannerisms, my faith and my language all made me an outcast, a stranger in a strange land, and I clung to the world I knew with the desperation and love of a child, convinced familiar meant better, and different meant worse.
Disillusionment, when it came, was a bitter pill to swallow, and I had to swallow it so many times.
As a child of wealth and privilege, I never walked in the squalor of the rankless slums. I never felt the arrogance of the Houses and the Guilds as they looked down their noses at me. I was never beaten by the police for showing 'disrespect'. I never had my home or my livelihood destroyed to make room for some pointless monument to vanity, wealth and power. But those things and worse happened on Krypton, and my people did them.
When I remember my people, I remember the wise teachers, the gifted scientists, the devout priests, the gentle and loving family and the millennia of art and culture and history. I still look back with the longing and the love of a scared and lonely child who more than anything just wanted to go home. Because those are my memories, and that is the Krypton that I experienced.
It is said on my world that one of the things that distinguishes a child from an adult is the understanding that your experiences are only a very small piece of a much larger reality.
Last night, a piece of that larger reality reminded me of the other Krypton. The one outside of my childhood experiences. The Krypton where oppression and poverty and police brutality were a daily fact of life. The Krypton that wouldn't seem remotely alien to any of the inner-city poor right here on Earth.
Last night, Non, the Kryptonian kidnapped by the same Cadmus terrorists who broke Sam Lane and James Harper out of a DEO holding facility during the National City Earthquake, was found.
Some of you may wonder what that has to do with whether or not I believe Krypton was better than Earth, or that Kryptonians are better than humans, but that's because you don't know Non the way I do.
There are things that you probably do know about Non. You probably know he's a Kryptonian. You probably know that he's a criminal.
There are things you might know about Non. You might know that he was guilty of the murder of a security guard on Krypton. You might know that he was still in prison because I recommended President Marsdin not pardon him alongside the other Fort Rozz Kryptonians. You might know that Non was married to my Aunt.
There are things you don't know about Non.
You don't know that he was born ninety-six years ago to a rankless family in the slums of Erkol. That his father died at the hands of the cops who were clearing the tenement where Non's family lived so that it could be torn down to make way for a new family citadel for the House of Vex. That his mother sold everything she owned to pay for two transport tickets to Argo. That Non joined the military guild at the age of thirteen. That he sent his wages to his mother, who used them to build a business selling hand-made goods to the Houses as luxury items. That with his help, his mother became one of the most powerful and influential rankless merchants in Argo. That his mother became powerful enough to arrange a marriage to the daughter of a Great House.
You don't know that he was respected in the Military Guild. That he inspired loyalty in his troops. That he was fiercely intelligent. That he was a gifted engineer. That he was kind to me when he visited my home along side my Aunt Astra. That I used to laugh at the shadow puppets he would make to entertain me. That he was censured on five separate occasions for protecting rankless from police violence. That when he discovered that Krypton was on the verge of destruction, he sacrificed everything he had spent a lifetime building to join with my Aunt in an effort to save our world and save thirty billion lives.
You don't know that Non's mother was arrested for aiding and abetting fugitives. That she was stripped of her wealth, her business and all her possessions and died in jail without ever standing trial.
You don't know that the name of the woman Non murdered was Morla Taf-Vex. That she was barely fifteen years old.
You don't know that my mother used me as the bait in a trap that caught my Aunt and resulted in the death or capture of her entire organization. That I am responsible for Non receiving life sentences on two worlds.
You don't know the horror that is the Phantom Zone. What it's like for a person to spend decades in a cage, alone and frightened, with only the silence and the dark, endless void for company.
You don't know what it is like to land on a strange world, to have your body turn against you, to be assaulted by your own senses, be betrayed by gravity, and to be filled with an endless, insatiable hunger that gnaws at you constantly.
You don't know what it is like to spend more than a decade working towards what you believe to be a good and noble end, only to have the daughter of the woman who cast you into hell show up and render all of your work useless, and all of the blood and sweat you put into it meaningless, to convince your leader and wife that it had all been a mistake, and to find yourself back in prison, with no hope of release.
I am not writing this to excuse the crime Non committed. He murdered someone. I believed he was more than capable of murdering again. I would have felt no guilt or remorse had Non remained in prison until he died of old age.
But that is not what happened. Cadmus kidnapped him. Cadmus tortured him. Cadmus gassed him with toxic minerals from his own home world and let them seep through his body until seventy-five percent of his brain was burned and destroyed.
Kryptonian medicine is advanced. We can heal the most grievous of wounds provided the injured person lives long enough to reach the Medical Halls. We have machines which can repair the physical structure of his brain.
What is forever lost, what can never be restored, is the man he was. The man who grew up in a slum. The man who loved his mother. The man who risked his career to defend the oppressed. The man who sacrificed everything in a vain effort to save thirty billion lives.
The man who was kind to a little girl and put shadow puppets on the wall to bring a smile to her face.
That man is dead.
Some will say that is a good thing. That Non was a criminal and a murderer and the world is better off without him.
Some will say that he got what he deserved.
I do not believe that.
I look at Non, and I remember what it was like to have nothing and be in a world that is hostile to your very existence. I look at Non, and I remember a too-bright sky and too-short days, the constantly moving sun and plants that were the wrong color and people that stood too close and spoke casually of things that brought a blush to my face. I look at Non, and I remember every moment this world hurt me, and every time I wanted to scream and couldn't, and every time I didn't want to cry and couldn't stop myself.
I look at Non, and I think of Krypton, and I think of Earth, and I remember that I left one without ever facing the pain and cruelty it could inflict on you. I look at Non, and I remember that however much I loved my home and in spite of the privilege I was born into, if I had grown up there, if it had not been wiped from the stars, Krypton would not have been kind to woman I would have become.
I look at Non, and I remember the birds.
When I first arrived here, I hated this world and everything about it, except for the birds. Krypton had creatures who could fly, who filled the same ecological niche, but we didn't have birds. I would stare up at them in wonder for hours. I would sit and day dream about flying with them, about following them off to some place far away, where the leaves were scarlet, and there were sweet green fruits and the sun stood still in the sky. In the middle of everything that was so wrong with this world, I found one thing to love, and that was enough. Because love spreads. It spreads to the stray cat who sits shyly on the edge of the porch and begs for food. It spreads to the boy who was kind to you in one of your classes. It spreads to the girl you hated for years, who suddenly becomes your best friend and the center of your world. It spreads to the man you meet on your way to a job interview. It spreads to the girl who does something stupid to make you laugh when you're having a really bad day and ends up being the first girl you ever kiss, the first girl you ever fall in love with, the first person you give your heart to unreservedly. It spreads to so many people and so many things and it brings hope and joy with it.
I cannot forget that whatever else he was, whatever crimes he committed, Non had the capacity for love and hope, and I cannot forget that those things can heal even the most broken of people.
People say that I believe that Krypton was better than Earth, and I shake my head, because they're wrong. Like Earth, Krypton was beautiful, and warm, and wonderous, and majestic, and kind, and cruel, and cold, and harsh, and ugly, and terrifying. Krypton could nurture a child, let her grow and learn and surround her with love and kindness. Krypton could take a man who was once kind and loving, and break him, make him bitter, and turn him into a killer. Earth could take a small girl, scared, alone, filled with unending grief and pain and loneliness, and surround her with love and fill her with hope. Earth could take a wounded man and break him utterly, give him over to horrors, let him die, alone and screaming, at the hands of his tormenters.
People say that I believe that Kryptonians are better than humans, and I shake my head, because they are wrong. Kryptonians can be kind and loving and gentle and wise. They can soothe a crying child, they can help a sick stranger to the hospital. They can rescue a woman and her child trapped in a burning car. They can hold their sister while she grieves for the father they've both lost. Kryptonians can be cruel, and cold, and brutal, and evil. The can drive the poor from their homes. They can ignore pain and suffering. They can turn a blind eye to injustice. And yes, they can murder. Humans can be kind, and loving, and gentle, and wise. They can take in an orphan. They can make friends with a stranger. They can comfort a scared woman. They can forgive you when you've made a horrible mistake. Humans can be cruel, and cold, and brutal, and evil. They can steal from the elderly. They can mock someone for being different. They can hate someone for an accident of birth. And yes, they can murder.
As I child, I was convinced that my world and my people were better than this world and the people here. Then I grew up, and I learned the truth. Your world and my world, and your people and my people are different, but different does not mean better or worse. Both have within them a limitless capacity for good and evil, for kindness and cruelty, for mercy and brutality. Both of them are wonderful, and neither of them is without flaw.
But this world, your world, is the world we all have to live in. It is the world that Non, whoever he becomes after his brain is healed and his mind is retrained, will have to live in. I hope that Earth will be kinder to this new Non than Krypton was to the old one.
Tonight, at sunset, my people will gather above / zrhygrhahs im shahrrehth/ and we will say the prayer for the dead in honor of the Non that was. We will place a token of his life in a coffin, and we will commit his spirit to the long journey through shadow into Rao's eternal light, and we will begin the period of mourning. For eighteen days, we will remember, and we will pray to light our brother's path home.
I will not ask you to join us. Non was a stranger to you. But I will ask that you take a moment to remember a man who was as capable of good as he was of evil, who tried to make to save the world, even if he went about it in the wrong way, and who never got a chance to change, to make amends, because the hatred and cruelty of others took that chance from him. And perhaps to spare a prayer to your gods for his safe passage through their realm.
The Prayer for the Dead.
/ .non rraop w tiv ehl i ehrosho im
.nim i enaiehdo w tiv ehl :divili iovis w i giehrehd tiv ehrosh zehdh ath
.paii kryp w rraop :zehtiahzrhimuju gem
.skulir bim w tiv zil serni kryp w rraop tiv ehsh gem
.nahzhgehni ,rao, i rregrhahs w shokh/
(You have been the sun of our lives.
Our prayers will be the sun that lights your way on the journey home.
We will remember you in every dawn.
And await the night we join you in the sky.
Rao's will be done.)
"Well this is new," Cat said as she stepped out onto the balcony.
Kara looked up from her laptop and smiled at Cat. "You like it?"
"I said I wanted you to clean up the coconut tree. Not turn the roof into a day spa for it and twenty of its closest friends," Cat said.
"Twenty-three of its closest friends," Kara said, looking out over the roof of the Solarium, which was now covered in a thick, lush layer of grass and had twenty-four coconut trees spread out around it. "Nimda was careful not to disrupt the views from your bedroom or office when she laid them out."
"If that dog tries to bring them into the house…" Cat said in a warning tone.
"He won't," Kara said. "Krypto's really smart. He's just a brat. When he gets upset with Kal, he will fetch cars, then sit there and watch and laugh as Kal goes crazy trying to figure out where the car came from."
"Really?" Cat asked.
"Oh yeah. It's hilarious. He keeps thinking of Krypto as a dog, but the average Kryptonian hound's IQ is somewhere around 130, and Krypto's is probably higher than that," Kara said.
Cat narrowed her eyes. "That little shit was retaliating for me telling him to get his fuzzy ass off the sofa."
Kara snorted. "Yeah," she said. "That sounds about right." She watched for a minute, seeing the wheels turning behind Cat's eyes, and wondered how much trouble Krypto was in. Whatever revenge Cat was going to inflict, it apparently didn't take long to plan though, because Cat leaned down and kissed Kara on the top of the head.
"I missed you," she said. "I don't like waking up to find you gone."
"I'm sorry," Kara said. "I hated leaving you, but I had something I needed to do."
"What would that be?" Cat asked.
"Supergirl made a Facebook post," Kara said.
"I still say you should have let me set up a Supergirl blog on the CatCo website," Cat said.
"You already get all the exclusive interviews," Kara said.
"One of which you still owe me," Cat said. "Don't think I've forgotten."
"I'd never make that mistake," Kara said.
Cat waved her hand, and Alice vanished, leaving an empty space on the Chaise Longue where Kara was sitting. Kara took the hint and held up the blanket as Cat sat down next to her. Kara carefully tucked the blanket in around Cat, then wrapped her arm around Cat's shoulders.
"Show me," Cat said.
Kara reached for her laptop, and sat it on her lap, opening it and typing her password one-handed before passing it over to Cat. Cat took the laptop, pulled up Facebook, and started reading. Kara leaned in, tilting her head to rest against Cat's and closing her eyes while she waited.
It took a while, as Cat read the post, making small noises here and there. A younger, less experienced Kara would have been biting her nails every moment, but those days were in the past. Instead, she just took the time to savor the quiet moment, Cat in her arms, the sun on her face, and a new day in front of her.
"This is good," Cat said, waking Kara out of a light doze. Kara lifted her head and turned to smile at Cat.
"You think so?" Kara asked.
"I do, love," Cat said.
Kara smiled. "I will never get tired of hearing you call me that," she said.
"That's good," Cat said, "because I don't think I'll get tired of saying it anytime soon."
Kara leaned in, covering Cat's lips with her own and moaning softly as Cat kissed her back.
A loud bark interrupted them and they both broke away from the kiss, turning just as Krypto shot past them out onto the lawn, barking and yipping as he danced around on the grass. Kara considered heat-visioning his furry ass right off the building, until she heard something else.
"Mom?" Carter called.
"Out here, sweetheart," Cat said.
Kara smiled as Carter came into view. "Hey, buddy," she said. "Sorry I borrowed your mom before breakfast."
Carter smiled. "That's okay," he said. "I can leave you guys alone for a while if you want."
"Are you kidding?" Kara asked. "Come on. There's plenty of room." Kara lifted the blanket as she and Cat slid apart. Carter hesitated for a moment, but Kara patted the seat, and he climbed in, settling between Kara and Cat. Kara spread the blanket back over both of them, getting a slight grunt from Carter who hadn't been expecting the weight.
"What is this?" Carter asked.
"It's a weighted blanket," Kara said. "It's not too heavy is it?"
"No," Carter said. "I kind of like it."
"Me too," Kara said. "It's kind of like getting a hug all the time."
"Yeah," Carter said. "What happened to the roof?"
"I figured anyone can bring their girlfriend flowers," Kara said. "If I wanted to impress your mom, I'd have to up my game."
"Uh huh," Carter said. He looked over at Cat. "Did it work?"
"Not even a little bit," Cat said.
"Hmph! Fine. Be that way. See if I buy you any more global media empires," Kara said.
"I promise I'll be impressed if you buy me Disney," Carter said.
"How about we buy you Disney tickets?" Kara said.
"I don't think Rey hangs out in the park," Carter said. "But if I owned Disney, I'd probably be able to set up a set visit for Episode VIII."
"You know, let's see what we can do without spending a hundred billion dollars, okay?" Kara said.
Carter let out a deep sigh. "Fine…"
Kara laughed and looked up at Cat, seeing the smirk on her face.
"Hey, do you guys have to go into work today?" Carter asked.
"I'm afraid so, sweetheart," Cat said.
"Okay," Carter said, and Kara could hear the disappointment in his voice.
"I'm sorry," Kara said. "I know I've been kind of taking up all your mom's time the last few days."
"It's okay," Carter said. "I know you've had Supergirl stuff going on."
Kara stared at Carter for a moment in complete terror before her eyes shot up to Cat.
"Oh, did I forget to mention that Carter and Ruby both figured out that you're Supergirl?" Cat asked.
Kara glared at Cat for just a moment, but then sighed and shrugged. "I kinda gave it away when you kissed me Christmas night, didn't I?"
"Well, I think Maggie's family might have noticed," Cat said, "But Carter had you figured out way before then."
"The glasses aren't that great a disguise, are they?" Kara asked.
"No," Cat and Carter both said.
"The hair is a good trick though," Carter said. "Is it a wig?"
"It's magic," Kara said. "Have you met Zatanna yet?"
"The lady who moved in last week and wears a tuxedo everywhere?" Carter asked.
"That's her. She taught me a bit of magic. Watch this," Kara said. "elprup!"
"That is so cool!" Carter said as Kara's hair turned purple.
"Nrubua," Kara said, shifting her hair back to the auburn she wore in her non-Supergirl hours.
"Do you think she'd teach me how to do that?" Carter asked.
"That's a good question," Cat said. "I'd save a fortune on foundation."
"I'll ask," Kara said. "It might be a while though. She's adding magical defenses to the building, to CatCo, to the new DEO tower, and to / zrhygrhahs im shahrrehth/, so she's kind of busy, but she might be able to fit you in while she works with Leslie and Lucy."
"Leslie and Lucy?" Cat asked. "You're getting Zatanna to teach them magic?"
"Just a small illusion spell. Blue hair, black lips, white skin for Leslie. Maybe a slightly different face. Something like this. Eel Adnil," Kara said, and suddenly Linda Lee was sitting in her place. "Enough to allow her to maintain a secret identity. The same thing for Lucy. We're thinking Blonde hair."
The expression on Cat's face was a frightening thing to behold.
"Red hair?" Kara asked. "Black, greasy hair, green skin and warts?"
Kara heard a small noise from the yard and turned to see Krypto trying his best to look like he wasn't laughing at her, but the way his tail was wagging gave him away.
"Kara?" Carter asked.
Kara turned to Carter. "Yes?"
"Would you like a shovel to help you dig that hole?" he asked.
Kara stared at him, then looked up at Cat who could barely contain her laughter.
"This is how it's going to be with you two, huh?" Kara asked.
"Yeah," Carter said.
"Absolutely," Cat said.
Kara wanted to glare or pout, but she couldn't quite manage to get the smile off her face.
"Cat?" Kara asked.
"Yes, love?"
"You think we could manage a half day?" Kara asked.
"If there are no surprises," Cat said.
"In that case, how would both of you like to meet my daughter?"
"What do you think I should do?" Lena asked.
"How the fuck should I know?" Sam asked in a slightly hysterical tone as she paced back and forth in Lena's living room. It was still early yet, but neither of them had slept, and the exhaustion showed on both of their faces. "Jesus fucking Christ, we never should have gotten on that plane."
"Sam," Lena said.
Sam turned towards her. "This is crazy, Lena."
"I know," Lena said.
"I mean, I know you want to save the world and get the girl, but this is some next-level bullshit," Sam said.
"Sam-"
"I mean, it was one thing when it was just your mother and her anti-alien crazy train, but I'm a freaking soccer mom. An incredibly hot soccer mom, but a soccer mom, and you're a businesswoman, and we should be sitting on my couch drinking crappy soccer mom booze and bitching about how long it's been since either of us have gotten laid, and staring at each other and wondering if we should try dating again before we both come to our senses and remember what a hot mess we were, and wondering if we can get away with watching an episode of the Orange is the New Black so we can stare at Laura Prepon's tits without Ruby catching us. We shouldn't be sitting here discussing an interstellar war. Unless we're debating whether Rey or Padme is hotter."
"SAM!" Lena shouted.
"WHAT?" Sam shouted back.
"You need to calm down," Lena said.
"Look, I just found out that the world might end, and the only person who can stop it is a woman who thinks shopping at Old Navy and catching missiles with her face are good ideas. Give me five minutes to freak the fuck out, okay!" Sam said.
"Do you feel better now?" Lena asked.
"Much!" Sam said as she dropped down onto the sofa next to Lena. "What the fuck are we going to do?"
"I don't know," Lena said. "That's why you're here."
Sam closed her eyes. "Call your girlfriend," she said.
It was just past 7:15 AM when Astra walked into the City of Flowers. The flower shop was one of the first businesses to open in / zrhygrhahs im shahrrehth/ that wasn't run by an attendant and a group of drones. It did a thriving business in both Earth and alien flowers, and it was one of the few flower shops open so early.
"Good morning, ma'am," the blue skinned Havanian woman behind the counter said, giving a slight spread of the wings. Astra returned the gesture by flaring her arms out briefly.
"Wind fill your wings, Miss," Astra said.
The Havanian's face lit up with a huge smile. "Thank you! I am Bliix. How might I help you?"
"I require advice," Astra said. "It's my understanding that humans give flowers as tokens of affection."
"Yes," Bliix said. "But normally, the gift is given to the woman in the exchange."
"The human I wish to give them to is a woman," Astra said.
"Ah," Bliix said. "Forgive me. I find it best to state such details quickly. Human males have such fragile senses of masculinity that a woman giving them flowers is often enough to destroy their interest in the interaction."
Astra laughed. "Kryptonian men are little different. Puffed-up creatures with fragile egos. But my requirements are specific, and I understand there is something of a language to this."
"Indeed," Bliix said. "What message do you wish to convey?"
"I wish to court this woman," Astra said, "but I cannot begin for a period of time. I wish to express my gratitude for her patience, and my anticipation of the happiness our courtship will bring me."
"Oh!" Bliix said. "A complex message, indeed. But it can be done!" She closed her eyes, and her wings flapped in thought.
"Hmmm…. Hmmm…. Yes. YES! I have it. Eleven roses always tells the recipient they are truly and deeply loved. Yellow roses are for friendship. Red are for love and passion. The combination means joy, happiness, and excitement. Anemones for anticipation. Campanula for gratitude. I see it. Six yellow roses in bloom. Five red rosebuds for love that is not yet but soon will be. Six anemones to stand for your anticipation of that moment, and six campanula to stand for your gratitude that she will wait for you. It will be wonderful!" Bliix said with a flap of her wings.
"How quickly can it be done?" Astra asked.
"Very quickly!" Bliix said, bouncing lightly on her feet and twitching her wings. "Shall I make it ready?"
"Please," Astra said. Bliix did an excited little jump step as she rushed off, gathering flowers from various pots and bringing them back to the front. It was the work of a few minutes for her to arrange the blossoms carefully and neatly and wrap them.
"You need them safe to fly with, yes?" Bliix asked.
"Please," Astra said.
Bliix disappeared in back, and returned with a large box, placing the arrangement inside.
"Will you be delivering them in person?" Bliix asked.
"I will," Astra said.
"Then a card is not expected," Bliix said. She closed the box and set it on the counter.
"How much?" Astra asked.
Bliix stepped up to the register and rang up the flowers. "$80.99," she said.
Astra reached into her pocket, taking out the wallet, and retrieving one of the credit cards Kara had given her. As she handed it over, her phone rang with the tone she'd assigned for Lena. She smiled as she answered the call, wondering if Lena was early, and impatient for her presence.
"Good morning, Bright One," Astra said as she leaned over to sign the receipt.
"Astra, could you come by my apartment?" Lena said.
"I've already left the building," Astra said. "I thought we were meeting at L-Corp at seven thirty."
"Something has happened," Lena said.
Astra straightened up, fear creeping in. "Are you in danger?" she asked.
"No," Lena said. "No. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to alarm you. This is just something I would feel more comfortable talking about here, where I can be sure no one will overhear us."
"I will be there shortly," Astra said.
"Thank you," Lena said.
Astra ended the call, and took her credit card back from Bliix, returning it to her wallet, and her wallet to her pocket.
"I wish you well, now and in your courtship. May the currents carry you far," Bliix said with another flair of her wings.
Astra spread her arms again. "May the currents carry you far," she said. She picked up the box of flowers, and left the shop, leaving behind the bright, cheerful woman, and leapt into the sky, heading towards the Solarium.
Lena looked over at the door at the sound of the buzzer. She stood up, and walked over, glancing at the monitor to confirm it was Astra before she opened the door.
"Hello," Astra said as she held out a bouquet of flowers. It was a dazzling mix of yellow, red, white and purple, all stunningly arranged. "These are for you."
"Oh," Lena said, completely taken off guard. She reached up, taking the flowers, not able to stop herself from smiling. "They're lovely."
"As are you, Bright One," Astra said.
Lena felt her cheeks flush and she glanced up from the flowers, giving Astra a shy smile.
"For fuck's sake, stop flirting like a middle-schooler and tell her to come in," Sam yelled.
Lena closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, trying to decide whether the momentary joy of throwing Sam off the balcony would be worth having to explain to Ruby that she was an orphan because her mother was a smart ass.
"Please," Lena said, "come inside." She opened her eyes as she stepped back, admiring the sight of Astra walking into her apartment in one of the three-piece suits she wore so well.
"Hello, Sam," Astra said as she stepped inside.
"Have a seat," Lena said. "Vincent."
"Yes, Ms. Luthor?" Lena's attendant said.
"Place these flowers in a vase, please," Lena said.
"Of course, Ms. Luthor," Vincent said.
Lena handed the floors over somewhat reluctantly, and headed over to the couch, taking a seat next to Astra.
"You said something had happened," Astra prompted.
"My mother contacted me last night," Lena said.
Lena wouldn't have believed it was possible, but Astra's posture became even more upright, and her eyes began searching over Lena in a way Lena knew both Astra and Kara used to check for injuries.
"Are you hurt?" she asked. "Was she here? Why didn't you call me immediately?"
"It was just an email," Lena said, reaching out and placing a hand on Astra's arm. "I'm okay. I was never in any danger."
Astra visibly relaxed. "What did she have to say?"
Lena reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She opened up the email and passed the phone over to Astra.
Astra read it with a frown on her face. "Lied to about what?" she asked as she looked up at Lena.
"Play the video," Lena said.
Astra looked back down at the phone, and tapped the video, and Lena could see from the expression on her face that she knew exactly what it was the moment it began to play. She didn't even let the first words get out of Kara's mouth. She just scrubbed to the end of the video to see where it cut off.
Astra let out a sigh. "We suspected she had this, but the confirmation will be helpful." She looked up at Lena. "I imagine you must have questions."
"Uh, yeah…" Sam said. "We have a bunch."
"A moment," Astra said. "Vincent, put me through to Nimda please."
"Of course, Lady Astra," Vincent said.
"Yes, Lady Astra?" Nimda said.
"Nimda, conference please. I will need Kara, Susan and J'onn," Astra said.
"Vasquez here," Susan said.
"What can I do for you General?" J'onn asked.
"Hey, Astra," Kara said.
"I require Adult Supervision," Astra said.
"SON OF A MOTHER FUCKING PUNK-ASS BITCH!" Susan said.
"/ !.:zhaolodh w tov dovrrosho/, Susan, watch your language!" Kara said. "Carter heard that! OW! What did you hit me for?"
"Because I speak Kryptonian and know what you just said in front of my son," Cat said.
"Oh," Kara said. "I'll just go in the other room."
"Give me a minute Astra," Susan said.
Lena, Astra and Sam all waited with varying degrees of patience for about three minutes.
"I'm clear," Kara said.
"Me too," Susan said a moment later.
"Lillian emailed the video to Lena Luthor," Astra said.
The sound of Susan sighing echoed through the apartment. "What's the rest of it?" Susan said, and Lena winced at the weary tone in her voice.
"Sam Arias has also seen it," Astra said.
"Of course she has," Susan said. "Are they on the conference with you?"
"They are," Astra said.
"Kara, how do you want to handle this?" Susan asked.
"I'll go talk to them," Kara said. "We should have done it before now anyway."
"I know," Susan said. "But none of us can avoid getting blown the fuck up long enough to catch a breath."
"Yeah, which honestly brings up another point," Kara said. "It might be time to read in the rest of the Kryptonians."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Susan said.
"No," Kara said, "but I think if they knew what was at stake, they would have a much better understanding of why I'm making the decisions I am."
"I hate it when you're right," Susan said.
"I know," Kara said. "It's almost as bad as when I'm wrong."
"You said it," Susan said. "When do you want to do this?"
"No time like the present," Kara said. "My plans for the day are shot anyway."
"Can you handle it alone?" Susan asked.
"Yeah," Kara said. "I mean, I'd rather kiss Rip Hunter than go through all of this again, but when have I ever had a choice?"
"We could probably spare Alex and Maggie," J'onn said.
"I appreciate the thought," Kara said, "but if I'm pulling the Kryptonians from the field, you, Alex, Maggie and Lucy are going to have to cover the high-impact missions for the First Responder network."
"Good point," J'onn said. "I could probably get M'gann to help out."
"No, because this is the last fucking time I'm doing this shit. I'm pulling in M'gann, Koriand'r, Donna Troy, Cassie Sandmark, Gar Logan and Raven while I'm at it."
"Understood," J'onn said.
"Confirmed," Susan said. "I'll tap Diana to fill in for the first responder calls as well."
"Good," Kara said.
"Ms. Luthor, are you there?" Susan said.
"Yes," Lena said.
"I feel like I should point out that if not for my specific veto of your presence, you would have been in the room the night that video was made. I had concerns about you because of your last name, and for that, I apologize. I can only say that, given the nature of the information that was to be disclosed, and I don't just mean Kara's little TED Talk, but also the identities of a great many people whose safety and security depends on anonymity, I felt it a prudent precaution. Kara had informed me weeks ahead of that date that you had her complete and total trust, so your exclusion is *entirely* on my head, and I hope you can forgive me for that decision. I should have corrected it before now," Susan said.
"Thank you, Agent Vasquez," Lena said.
"You're welcome, Ms. Luthor. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go explain to my boss that we need to revisit the DEO policy regarding workplace consumption of alcohol if I'm going to be expected to work under these conditions. Vasquez out."
"General, Ms. Luthor, Ms. Arias, I'm going to exit the line as well," J'onn said. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention."
"Of course, Director," Lena said.
"Lena, I'll be down in a few minutes. I just need to have a word with Cat and Carter and make a few calls first," Kara said. "Call Eve and let her know you'll be out of pocket for the day. Sam, you will be as well. The Nannies can bring Ruby up to Cat's for the day."
"Okay," Sam said.
"I hope the two of you don't mind sitting through the video again," Kara said. "These in briefings involve me reliving a lot of really horrible crap, and today will be the sixth time in three months. I want to make sure it's the last."
"Of course," Lena said. "We understand."
"Thank you, Lena," Kara said. "You've always been a great friend."
"Nimda, end conference," Astra said. She looked over at Lena. "I am sorry I couldn't say anything, but this was not my secret to tell."
"I understand," Lena said. "But is there anything else you're keeping from me?"
"Nothing I am keeping from you, but something I do wish to discuss while we wait," Astra said.
"I'll just go let Ruby know I'm going to be gone for the day," Sam said.
Lena smiled at Sam in thanks as she got up to leave. Once she was gone, Lena turned back to Astra.
"We located Non," Astra said. "I'm not entirely sure how to describe his condition in your language. His mind is gone, and the memories cannot be restored. Physically, we will be able to restore the structure of his brain, but he will be like an infant. His mind will have to be completely retrained."
"I'm sorry," Lena said. "My mother did that?"
"Yes," Astra said. "With our level of medical technology, the situation is not unprecedented on Krypton. I'm told it's not entirely unprecedented on Earth, either. However, we have long since codified how it is dealt with. Legally, the man who was my husband is dead, and thus, our bond is dissolved. While this is not the way I had hoped it would happen, it means that I will be free to court you, once I have observed the mourning period."
"This is what you wanted to talk about this morning?" Lena said.
"Yes," Astra said. "To tell you that my intentions have not changed and ask if you would be kind enough to wait."
"Of course I will," Lena said. "How long will I be waiting?"
"The formal mourning period is fifteen / zehtiahro/. Eighteen of your days," Astra said. "Time enough to show respect for the dead, and to send prayers to light their journey home to Rao's light."
"Okay," Lena said. "Is it still okay for me to kiss you?"
"If we were on Krypton, I would have to say no," Astra said. "But as Kara has reminded me, this is not Krypton."
"Good to know," Lena said as she leaned forward to claim Astra's lips.
Translated from the Kryptonian
zrhygrhahs im shahrrehth
City of Hope
.non rraop w tiv ehl i ehrosho im
You have been the sun of our lives.
.nim i enaiehdo w tiv ehl :divili iovis w i giehrehd tiv ehrosh zehdh ath
Our prayers will be the sun that lights your way on the journey home.
.paii kryp w rraop :zehtiahzrhimuju gem
We will remember you in every dawn.
.skulir bim w tiv zil serni kryp w rraop tiv ehsh gem
And await the night we join you in the sky.
.nahzhgehni ,rao, i rregrhahs w shokh
Rao's will be done.
!.:zhaolodh w tov dovrrosho
Fucking Hell!
zehtiahr
A Kryptonian unit of time equal to 1.20 Earth Days.
