Hello, again!

Absolutely no idea just where the original went off to, but here's to help set up for later on with Kara and Apokolips.

Don't own Harry Potter or anything from DC Comics/Studios. Or anywhere else for that matter.

No pain, no gain

Kara could still hardly believe the day she just had.

After learning a thing or two (like English), Clark had shown up with a woman he introduced as Lois Lane and taken the girl shopping to help her settle into a new life on Earth.

XXXXX

"I'm so glad to be out of there." Kara told the couple. "Don't get me wrong, it's a great place, but-"

"-being cooped up forever isn't for everyone." Lois finished with a smile. "Clark and I are exactly the same."

Kara returned the smile before reverting her attention to the shops they were passing, getting Lois to smirk. "Liking what you see, huh?"

Kara didn't bother trying to deny, which got a chuckle from Clark. "While it isn't a good idea to just try and buy everything possible, you do have plenty of time to see just what interests you. And, let's be honest, it's only really thanks to my mother and later Lois here that I've looked this good."

Lois playfully swatted the man, getting all three to laugh.

But it was only once they got into the stores that Kara realized just what Clark meant by that.

So...many...She nearly moved at super speeds to try and see everything, if Clark didn't have a hold of her as Lois got one of the assistants to help attend.

While yes, the inevitable load was lighter than most would've expected, it still showed that Kara (and Lois somewhat) were typical girls when it came to shopping.

One particular purchase ended up making Clark pinch the bridge of his nose as he thought Morgana's gonna be all over her, I just know it.

The two-piece ensemble was only 'tied' together by a simple ring over her stomach, with the bottom being a black skirt that stopped just low enough to be considered remotely decent in public (and even then it was somewhat pushing it), while the top was more of a black halter wrap crop with a cut exposing her valley.

"At the very least, Kara," Clark finally told her. "only wear that around the Menagerie. I'd much prefer not giving Mom a heart attack any time soon."

"I agree." Lois nodded, flushing a bit.

The pair instantly figured out what Kara was doing when she teased "Well, you never said I couldn't get anything exclusive for that place, now did you?"

"Great, my cousin's a tease." Clark grumbled, only for Lois to respond with "We don't need to go that far just yet."

Though, to be nice, Lois did bring up the idea of food to help get Clark's mind off of the dress.

Kara did take a moment when she saw the food being hot dogs. "They're not really..."

"No." Clark explained. "For most people, they're only called that because they look similar to the body of a Dachshund. Otherwise, no dog."

That cleared up, Kara was certainly grateful once she tasted it with mustard.

XXXXX

The evening was left to Clark and Kara alone as Lois took the purchases off to set them up for Kara's arrival to her new home, which she still didn't quite know the exact location of.

She let it drift to the back of her mind as they took a leisurely stroll through Metropolis Park. "It's so beautiful here. Not like that other city."

"Well, it is called 'The Crime Capital of the World,' even though it's sister city, Bludhaven, is even worse." Clark told her, catching her attention. "No, really, some have even said that they could determine what day of the week it was by what crime was happening outside of their apartment."

"Whoa." Kara fell silent upon hearing that.

Thankfully, Clark was quick to figure out a way to divert her from that shock. "Any ideas on what you plan to do. It would be helpful to get things set up now if you decide on becoming a hero."

"Would I need to wear eyeglasses like you?"

Clark shook his head. "Only if you want to. The glasses are just really my way of having a life without the cape. Superman is known to have superior vision, but Clark is known for having glasses. It's actually harder for people to make the connection than you realize, but that just makes it easier to keep it a secret."

"That's why Batman never takes off his lead-lined cowl." Kara deduced.

"You noticed the lead. I didn't know your x-ray vision had kicked in already."

"You didn't ask." Kara went still and silent right after that, having laid eyes upon a sizable statue of Superman. But it was the boy waiting for them at the base that got Clark's attention.

"Bakura?"

"Hello, Clark, Kara." The boy returned. "I'm sorry for the unexpected meeting, but something has come up about Kara, which forces our hand in getting her trained up fast."

"And the Menagerie is not the only one with concerns." Another voice, a female, came from the trees.

Turning to the voice, they saw Diana and another woman walk out, grave expressions on their faces. "This is Lyra, a seer living on Themyscira. Clark, we think Kara's life might be in danger."

"What?" the cousins exclaimed while Bakura blinked.

Lyra nodded. "Unfortunately, I can't give much in the way of details, just that someone will soon end up dead, and that it involves Kara. She's going to need help to ensure that this fate can be changed."

"That actually correlates to what I'm here for, actually." Bakura stepped into the conversation. "We actually found just what makes Kara's potential greater than yours, Clark."

"My potential?" Kara wondered out loud.
"You actually have a limited capability to absorbing magic, making that inherent Kryptonian weakness less of a threat to you." Bakura told them, shocking all four. But he wasn't done. "However, that brings in another issue: what if Apokolips decides to go after her instead of the rest of us."

"Apokolips?" Clark asked, a minor stern tone in his voice.

"Steppenwolf's home world." Bakura explained. "A somewhat recent addition brought up just how infamous the place is to the rest of the galaxy, and her potential could lead them straight to trying and get their hands on her. She needs to learn how to fight back before that can remotely happen. But with Diana actively here for her, she does have an option of just where to go for her training: the Menagerie, or Themyscira?"

That in particular ultimately got Clark to back down, it being ultimately up to Kara as Bakura put it. "She'll still be able to live with Mom?"

"While it would be easier to have her live on the island if she chose that route, I don't see why not." Bakura shrugged. "Either way, she'll get trained, we get more details, and less chance of something going wrong even worse than they currently seem."

Kara stood silent through the conversation, and a few minutes afterwards, looking between Clark, Diana, and Bakura. She eventually landed on Bakura with a determined expression. "Themyscira, if you don't mind."

Bakura nodded. "Themyscira it is."

I think I'll go ahead and bring it up now: two people with a particular connection to Diana will be showing up on Apokolips once they get there.

Until next time. Please let me know what you think.