It's time for another chapter!

I visited Kristin Wells' office that evening after most of the staff had gone home for the day. I decided that I would drop by unannounced by her window then wait to be let in. It was a classic maneuver that I used on Lex Luthor all the time. I did not attempt to break in. Nor did I attempt to attack. I just waited patiently for her to notice. Which fortunately did not take long.

"You might as well come in." She whispered in Krypotian. "The balcony is open. It's not locked. Not that it would do any good anyway. It is made from earth materials. Inferior, I know, but they do a good enough job."

I landed then on the balcony then opened the door cautiously. It was, indeed, not locked. Nor was it booby-trapped. It was just an ordinary door. As I entered, I got a good look at Kristin Wells. The build was about right. The hair was a bit whiter than I remembered. And her face seemed like she had aged another twenty or thirty years since I last saw her. It caught me off guard. I did not expect her to age so much in such a short time. She was Krypotian, after all. One scan of her proved that. She was Karsta Wor-U.

"Kal-el, we meet again." She said formally.

I nodded. "Karsta Wor-U, I did not believe that we would ever meet again."

I kept my greeting formal, but I tried to indicate my double meaning. She promised to leave Earth and atone for her crimes. Now, she was back and running a criminal organization that was littering the streets with Kryptonian technology. I was not pleased to see her again. I hoped that the message got across. Unfortunately, sarcasm did not translate well into Krpotian. It was possible that she did not understand my true meaning or she chose to ignore it.

She nodded. "Indeed, I had not intended to return."

"What changed your mind?"

"Fortune. Or misfortune. It really depends on who you are speaking to." I waited for her to explain. She smiled. "You see many of my detractors recently met with a cruel fate. Their civilizations were lost. Their people died. And of those who left alive," Karsta switched to English. "As the humans like to say, they had bigger fish to fry."

I tensed. "You didn't?!"

"No, I didn't. Give me some credit, Superman. I don't destroy civilizations. Not anymore anyway."

I crossed my arms then gave her the evil eye. People tended to chafe under such scrutiny. Revealing the truth to me. "Any more?"

"You know my story, Kal-el. You know what I did and why I did it. I regret my past and I will atone for it. I have already given my word. Why question me now?" She demanded.

"Because, you have already broken it." I answered in English. "You said that you would return and stand trial for your crimes. Now, you are here: Pretending to be human, selling Krypotian tech to the streets, and working for League of Assassins. What do you expect me to believe?"

"What I expect is to be given a chance to prove myself. I am here to help Kal-el. Just as you are. I will help humanity become what it is destined to be. Only I will go about it in a different way. You are destined to lead in the light. While I will toil in the dark."

"You are nothing like me."

"Surely, that is not true, Superman. After all, we both live as human beings. And do not try to convince me otherwise. I know who you are, Superman. I know who your wife is. And I know that you are about to become a father." Karsta smiled. "I believe congratulations are in order. May your little half-breeds live a long and healthy life."

I do not know what came over me. One moment I was interviewing a suspect. The next I was slamming her against the wall. Her shelves came crashing down, awards, and other useless trinkets fell to the floor. Many of them broke or shattered. Not that she cared. None of them meant anything to her. They were the achievements of a human. Karsta was not human. She didn't give a damn that I had just messed up her office. Nor did she fear me. I could see that in her eyes. Instead, she relished my loss of control. She marveled at her achievement. She had made Superman attack her. She now knew for sure how to control me. All you needed to do was go after Lois and our children. That's it. I would putty in her hands.

"Superman, please don't hurt me." She mocked. "I am a defenseless old woman. I am no match for you."

I released her. "You are hardly defenseless."

"True. I am still Krypotian. I can hold my own in battle." She sighed. "Still, I am a shadow of what I once was. Years of fighting have taken their toll. You should beware, Kal-el. Time catches up to all of us. The way you are living you will be lucky if you have the lifespan of a human!"

"You know for a woman who purports to be humanity's savior you have an awful low opinion of them."

"I have seen the worst of the worst, Superman. I saw it last time with the thieves who stole my herbs. And I see it this time when this city's underbelly buys my products. I've seen how they clamor my goods. Hoping that it will outdo the old primitive designs from Apocalypse. And they are not wrong. Kryptonian tech is centuries ahead of Apocalypse." Karsta laughed. "If only they could get a hold of it. What I send out is a pale imitation of the real thing. Designed only to whet their appetites. Nothing more."

What she said seemed accurate. At least, it matched up with what Lois and I had found so far. That didn't mean that I believed her. I still had no real motive. Why was she doing this? Why did she really come back? What happened out there? How did she get into contact with the League of Assassins? And how did she get control of Intergang? I could not let her off this easily. I had to keep pressing. I had to keep my cool and get what I could from her. This battle was far from over.

I decided to switch tactics. Talking to her as Superman wasn't getting me anywhere. I was only getting half-truths. I shifted my posture and attitude. I forced myself to relax. I left the costume as is, but I allowed my inner nerd out. I landed on the floor then took a seat. I tried to be as non-confrontational as possible. Karsta was now speaking to Clark, not my Superman alter-ego.

"I'm sorry, I seem to be going about this the wrong way." I admitted. "I know most of what you are telling me. What I can't figure out is how these guns will save humanity and why you are working with Intergang and the League of Assassins."

Karsta relaxed ever-so-slightly. It was almost as if she was waiting for me to ask that question. "It's quite simple. I use these guns to get me control of Intergang. Which worked beautifully. Now, I will slowly take control of the other crime organizations. Only those who are loyal to me will get the best weapons on the market. They will be forced to obey me. To do as I say." She smiled. "That's when they will learn the true place of perfection. They will work to fight crime and protect the city or else they will become the hunted."

I raised my eyebrow. "Don't think that plan is a little naive? You will have a rebellion on your hands before you know it."

"Perhaps, but that's where being a Krypotian comes in so handy. They will find that I am extremely hard to get rid of."

I had to give her that, Karsta was extremely hard to kill. Far more powerful organizations than Intergang had tried to kill her and failed. She was a survivor. I had a feeling that even if she did not have her powers she would be able to get herself out of trouble. She was a relic from another time and place. Still, I couldn't allow those weapons to flood the streets. A lot of lives would be lost if they did. Something that she did not seem to be concerned about. Sure, most of them would be the worst of the worst, but it didn't matter. Two wrongs do not make a right. I could not allow her to turn Intergang into her personal army.

"I will not argue on that point. You are an extremely versatile individual."

She smiled. "Thank you, Kal-el. It means a lot to hear you say that."

I gave her a puzzled look. I did not understand why my approval meant anything to her. We were not friends or allies. Nor were we family. At least I think we're not family. Krypotian bloodlines tend to get murky. Particularly among the great houses. I honestly don't know who I am related to sometimes. It honestly doesn't matter either way. What she thinks of me really doesn't matter. I would assume that it would be the same for her. Clearly, this was not the case. It mattered to her a great deal that I approve of her operations. It would explain how helpful and forthright she has been. Even if she had not told me the complete truth. She wanted my approval.

Although, it did not explain her crack about my children or why she would threaten my family. She seemed to have a very low opinion of humanity. Which was incongruent to what she insisted was what she wanted. You cannot save what you revile. It just doesn't work. I didn't understand the real reason why she was here.

"Have I said something odd or bizarre?"

I looked at her for a moment. She seemed genuinely puzzled by my reaction. I decided to go with it and see if I could shake something out. "Maybe, I'm not sure. Karsta, what do you think of humans?"

"What an odd thing to say." She said. "They are a decent enough people, I suppose. A little backward and primitive, but decent. They remind me of how our people used to be a long time ago. Violent, aggressive, and fearful but also brave and bold. Assuming that you give them the right motivation, that is. In short, they are 'a work in progress.'"

"And you intend to help them realize their potential." I intoned.

Karsta smiled, "That is a perfect way to describe it. I wish to help humanity become what they were meant to be. They are unique, Kal-el. My travels have proven that. They have potential. This planet could transform so easily. It could become so much like Krypton. All we need to do is put in a little effort."

That's it for now. Thank you for reading and reviewing!