CHAPTER 2. Complication.
Up in the sky above Smallville in Kansas as morning became afternoon, a sonic boom echoed as a figure flew over the fields. A cape fluttered in the breeze as the blurred figure had taken in the smells of the fresh and untainted country air.
It was not a bird.
It was not a plane.
It was Superman.
The last few months had been taken one day at a time, one step at a time, in an attempt to rehabilitate the trust that Darkseid had destroyed. He scowled at the thought of that evil individual. If Kara had not stepped in; he would have likely did something that he regretted to Darkseid.
Superman dropped down to the air and in a blur, he changed into the guise of Clark Kent, Mild Mannered Reporter, Kansas Farmboy.
He walked on the ground towards the Kent Farmhouse.
There was no place like home.
With a small smile, Clark knocked on the door.
"Ma, I'm home." Clark said and Martha Kent opened the door.
"Clark, what a pleasant surprise!" exclaimed Martha as she invited her son in. "Come in and sit down, dear, I was just baking a pie."
Clark smiled. His mother always seemed to be baking a pie. It was not seem like home otherwise.
"Perry owed me some vacation time, I figured it would be a good time to take some time off." Clark said. "Plus Lois can cover anything. I just hope she doesn't get herself into too much trouble."
'Yeah, that'd be the day.'
"How are you and Lois?" Asked Martha. "You two getting along?"
Clark frowned. "What are you trying to imply?"
"She did kiss you after that entire mess with Darkseid, and I thought…"
"It's complicated," Clark said with a deep sigh as he closed his eyes.
Martha did not pursue the topic any further. She did hope her son would come to his senses, but he had been rather stubborn at times.
Yet, she held out hope.
"Your father's out working and Kara's…she said she's not feeling well." Martha stated. "The poor dear, she must have caught a bug. She's been in bed all day."
Clark frowned. Any human illness should have not really been that much of a problem with her.
"I'll go check on her, I'm surprised she's not going stir crazy." Clark stated.
Perhaps he had become paranoid.
Okay, he was nearly not as bad as Bruce, who tagged all of his protégés with a tracking device.
A free spirited teenage girl like Kara would be bound to go nuts stuck inside during the summer. He still had to keep her here. If someone like Luthor or Darkseid or even Metallo or Parasite got ahold of her, he would never forgive herself.
Clark knocked on her bedroom door. "Kara? Ma, says you're sick. Is everything alright?"
No response. Clark scanned the inside of the room with his X-Ray vision. Something did rest underneath the sheets.
And that something was pillows, with a recording device that simulated the sound of breathing.
Kara had run away.
It took a moment before he realized what had happened.
Immediately Clark blasted down the stairs towards the kitchen at a frantic speed, and saw that his father, Jonathan Kent, had joined them. "Clark, how's it going son, what seems to be…"
"Kara, she's gone." Clark proclaimed, his breath heavy, as he looked around. Maybe she did not go far.
The Kents paled.
"Oh my God." Managed Martha. "I thought she was just…she said…"
Jonathan took a deep breath. He was worried too but working themselves into a tizzy would do no one any good. "Martha, calm down, she couldn't have gone far."
Clark closed his eyes and grabbed a stress ball that he had custom made. It resembled the face of the bothersome fifth dimensional imp known as Mister Mxyzptlk that had bedeviled him a time or two. He squeezed it to calm his nerves.
He then looked around on the clutter on the table.
Kara had gone off somewhere in a fit of rebellion. She had no regard of how her actions would affect those who loved her.
In other words, she acted like a teenager.
"Vegas." Breath out Clark as he looked at the brochure that had been buried in the clutter in the table. "That's where she went."
"Clark, don't do something…just don't do something reckless." pleaded Martha.
Clark crumpled the brochure in his hand. "I'm going to go get my cousin and we're going to have a nice talk about what she did."
Clark moved toward the door.
"We should be back by dinner."
Clark opened the screen door and walked outside.
"Jonathan, do you think Kara's okay?" asked Martha as she saw Superman in the skies once again.
"Martha, don't worry, what's the worst that can happen?" Jonathan asked with a slight dry chuckle.
"I hate that question." Muttered Martha Kent. "Nothing good comes out of it."
As Jetray, Supergirl and Julie all race up back to Bellwood they look down and observe the fight going on as both Gwen and Kevin were constantly swatted away before Ben transformed into…
"-Cannonbolt!-"
"About time you got here." Kevin said dryly to the Ephedian's shoulder.
"-Yeah, It's not like it's my fault that I overslept last night and was kinda ditch with Julie behind back in Vegas two days ago and so we have to race back to get here.-" Cannonbolt sarcastically remark.
"Oh come on?! we thought you were already ahead of us!" Protested Kevin.
"-My car is under maintenance, remember?!-"
"Guys, focus! Bad guy on the loose!" Gwen pointed out to Ssserpent.
"-Right.-" Cannonbolt said. "-And besides, It's not that big of a deal, well not much as the news I'm giving y'all later anyways and seriously though, Creeps like this... uh, what do you call yourself?-"
"I am Ssserpent, the snake that walks like a man." Smugly said Ssserpent as he crossed his arms.
"-Alright, I'm running out of patience.-" Sigh Cannonbolt. "-Underoos!-" A blur came in a blinding sight through the pass above them and went straight to punch Ssserpent flying before a familiar Galvanic Mechamorph armoured American Japanese Girl came in behind him and sent him rolling to the ground before Cannonbolt ran over him.
""Is it okay if we call you Roadkill, the snake that only made it halfway across the street?" The Unknown flying blonde girl asked.
"Uggh."
"We'll take that as a yes." Julie smiled as Cannonbolt Snickers at that.
Both Kevin and Gwen are stunned to see the blonde girl with an "S" Shield on her shirt.
"Supergirl?!" Gape both Gwen and Kevin both awe and in disbelief.
"-Yup.-" Ben nodded as he transformed back to human.
"Okay how did you manage that man?" Kevin asked.
"Yeah about that." Julie landed and changed back with Ship Morphing back to normal on Ben's right as Kara landed on his left.
"That's what we're trying to tell you over the phone." Ben added.
This made both Kevin and Gwen look at each other.
( Note: I'm gonna cut off the next scene to the next chapter. )
"Shotgun! I called it!" Manny said as the new and improved Rust Bucket drove down the road with Helen, Pierce, Alan and Cooper.
"You're already riding shotgun, Manny." Helen said. "Why do you keep calling it over and over?" She added with a scoff.
"Because it's fun to yell shotgun. Shotgun!"
"Okay, Manny, that's enough." Max said. "This is a Plumber's training mission, not a-" Grandpa Max trails off as he hears a beeping from the dashboard.
"What is that?" Helen asked, standing up worriedly.
"Planetary defense alert. We just put the satellites in a month ago. An alien war fleet is heading for Earth." He turned the Rust Bucket to the direction of the alien fleet landing. "I take back what I said earlier, kids. This isn't a training mission. This is the real deal."
Max made a legal U-Turn and turned around to the site.
TIME: 4:30 Pm
The same day.
Through the sky, Superman reached the destination of Las Vegas, Nevada. Bellwood.
His super hearing picked up something interesting on a news broadcast.
"[Reporting live from Bellwood an anomaly is happening right and a group of swat team was unable to stop this but the question everyone is asking now where's the justice league?]"
Another news feed played.
"[No this just comes in, an unknown creature shows up in one of the abandoned warehouses in attacking bystander not long after two masked heroes appears and attacks the creatures however they couldn't withstand it's strength alone till a three mysterious super powered people came and one of them is the supposed alien Shapeshifter sighted years ago with the same hourglass symbol stopped the mysterious creature before it hurts anyone else.]" The broadcast said.
Superman floated in for a better look. He had a suspicion.
He hated when his suspicions were right.
'Kara.'
The Man of Steel watched, as his cousin and the groups of super powered teens fight off that snake like creature with ease.
And from what he could tell all the other kids' powers are alien and magic in nature since no tech could enhance them with such powers but what he got more intrigued is the one who Shapeshift with a flash of green light as he touches that Green Hourglass symbol on his chest.
Something Superman had a bit of an unfortunate experience with a few times in the past.
Although Magic affected him just the same as any human. Bullets, knives, cannons, laser weapons, all were not a problem, but magic was a sure vulnerability in addition to Kryptonite and red solar radiation if that redhead girl in black spandex and cat-like mask Powers is magical he doesn't know what would happen if he done something stupid he had to act fast and caution.
The feed went fuzzy, which meant something had to disrupt the cameras and cause instability.
"[Our heroes saved the day. Eyewitnesses say that they appear to be rather close. They shared a passionate kiss in the aftermath of the battle.]"
Eyes narrowed, scowl on face, arms folded, overprotected instincts engaged.
This looked like a job for Superman.
'Seems like Kara's not the only one I'll need to talk to.'
First he had to find them.
( Flashback few hours ago. )
"Guys, focus! Bad guy on the loose!" Gwen pointed out to Ssserpent.
"-Right.-" Cannonbolt said. "-It's not that big of a deal, well not much as the news I'm giving y'all later and besides, Creeps like this... uh, what do you call yourself?-"
"I am Ssserpent, the snake that walks like a man." Smugly said Ssserpent as he crossed his arms.
"-Alright, I'm running out of patience.-" Sigh Cannonbolt. "-Underoos!-" A blur came in a blinding sight through the pass above them and went straight to punch Ssserpent flying before a familiar Galvanic Mechamorph armoured American Japanese Girl came in behind him and sent him rolling to the ground before Cannonbolt ran over him.
""Is it okay if we call you Roadkill, the snake that only made it halfway across the street?" The Unknown flying blonde girl asked.
"Uggh."
"We'll take that as a yes." Julie smiled as Cannonbolt Snickers at that.
Both Kevin and Gwen are stunned to see the blonde girl with an "S" Shield on her shirt.
"Supergirl?!" Gape both Gwen and Kevin in awe and disbelief.
"-Yup.-" Ben nodded as he transformed back to human.
"Okay how did you manage that man?" Kevin asked.
"Yeah about that." Julie landed and changed back with Ship Morphing back to normal on Ben's right as Kara landed on his left.
"That's what we're trying to tell you over the phone." Ben added.
This made both Kevin and Gwen look at each other.
"I hate to ask, but what happened?" Gwen asked and the trio smirk at each who are all in disguise minus Supergirl so that bystanders don't figure out who they are under the transformation and masks.
"Yeah about that call from earlier." Ben nodded to Julie and Kara who showed their hands which had similar rings.
"We're married!" Exclaimed the threesome which causes Kevin to faint in shock as Kara and Ben go into a passionate kiss along with Julie which soon end up with Gwen fainting as well.
As they pulled away they saw their friends fainted from the news.
"I think we should ease them up first on the news." Ben chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"We should probably take them all away from this." Kara Gesturing to the hiding paparazzi in the corner of the warehouse which the fight with Ssserpent took place and Ben was glad that he's wearing his Omni armour via omnitrix and Julie now more into a much thinner non muscular suit via Ship and what's more relief that Gwen didn't forget to wore her Lucky girl outfit; and with that they ran off to Kev's car before the paparazzi swarm them with questions.
( End of flashback. )
Back in Main plaza of Bellwood.
A bunch of news helicopters were flying over the site of an alien device that was blockaded by a bunch of police squad cars. Psyphon was typing in commands on the alien device rapidly as the S.W.A.T. team aimed their weapons at him.
"Okay, buddy, last time. Either come along quietly or we're gonna take you down hard!"
"Doubtful." Psyphon said.
The S.W.A.T. team fired a laser at Psyphon that he blocked with a force shield before he threw a grenade at the police that he then detonated, causing a huge explosion that sent the S.W.A.T. team running away, destroying the ground and trees surrounding it and causing a huge crater.
"If you distract me again, I shall not be so merciful."
Psyphon then typed in more commands on his gauntlet and the device opened up and shot a blue light into the heavens, creating a large domed force field that surrounded the entire park. No one could enter or leave the park at all.
"It is done." Psyphon declared. "No power on this pitiful planet can breach my forcefield. All within may witness the historic events about to unfold."
Thunder suddenly sounded through the air despite the clear blue skies.
"The master comes."
It was that moment that Vilgax instantly teleported in, stunning all the police outside the forcefield.
"People of Earth, I am Vilgax. Shortly, you'll know me as your master."
"Per the rules of the Galactic Code of Conduct, Lord Vilgax challenges this planet's two greatest protectors to a trial by combat. To the victor, the Earth!" Psyphon announced... just as the Rust Bucket peeled up to Vilgax.
"Never gonna happen, fish face!" Manny said as the Plumbers Kids all lined up, ready to fight with Vilgax.
"Listen to the kid, Vilgax." Max warned as Alan morphed into his Pyronite form. "He knows what he's talking about."
"Max Tennyson. And a particularly motley crew of new Plumbers, I see."
Cooper glared as he used his powers to assemble his giant mech as he ran towards Vilgax.
"Cooper, no!" Max warned.
Ignoring him, they blasted every missile they had towards Vilgax, who only used his sword to slash the missiles apart, destroying them with nary a scratch on him. He then blasted the Ruby Ray of Ulo at them, only for Helen to quickly rush in and grab them before the mechs were destroyed.
"How many times do we have to tell you to watch out for the laser beams?"
"You're very fast. But are you faster than this?" Vilgax asked before firing lasers from his eyes that chased after Helen in a similar fashion to Darkseid's laser vision.
"I don't know!" Helen shouted as she dodged left and right around the trees, but the lasers followed her no matter how fast she dodged or ran. She was eventually shocked by the lasers. "I guess not."
"Helen!" Max shouted.
Helen rolled on the ground as Vilgax stood over her with his sword before he was yelled at by the Tetramand-human hybrid.
"Leave her alone, you big bully!"
Manny ran in and tried to lay the smackdown on Vilgax, only for the Chimera Sui Gereris warlord to catch him with one hand.
"Hey! Put me down!"
"Precisely my intention."
Vilgax tossed the Tetramand-human hybrid into the forest as Alan flew in and blasted him with several fire blasts at the squid alien.
He then sent out possibly the deepest breath ever to Alan, putting out his fire and sending him flying into a tree and down to the ground.
Vilgax looked around at the destruction he caused and the defeated Plumber's Kids all around him.
"Now where are you hiding, Max Tennyson?"
"Closer than you think!" Max shouted, taking off his ID mask that rendered him invisible and he blasted him with the energy cannon from the Rust Bucket, but it barely phased Vilgax and he smirked.
"Oh. There you are."
He then simply back slapped his old nemesis away, sending him crashing to the ground, unconscious. Psyphon then appeared to him with the collar for the power transfer machine, only for Vilgax to stop him.
"No. Don't waste your time draining their feeble powers. Leave them here and let them deliver my message. In one Earth rotation, I will return to this place to battle the Earth hero Ben 10, otherwise known as the Omni Force for the fate of the Earth."
"And if he does not come?"
"I will exercise my legal right and destroy this pitiful planet."
The Omni Trio along with Julie and Supergirl sat at a table at Mr. Smoothies, sipping on their drinks While Kara is now in her civies disguise as a farm girl from Kansas Smallville sitting on his lap as he sighed.
"I still can't believe you're married to supergirl!" Kevin exclaimed.
"I have a name you know it's Kara Zor-el Kent!" Kara told him.
"Right sorry I meant Kara." Kevin corrected himself.
"Not to mention with Julie as your second wife!" Gwen added.
"Hey it's not that bad when you think about it." Ben slurps on his smoothie.
"Ben, this is serious, marriage is supposed to be a serious thing. Do you think you're ready to take on this responsibility right with that kind of step in your relationship?" Gwen asked her cousin.
"Not to mention you didn't just married Supergirl but Julie as well which I need to remind you that she's still 15" Kevin sip on his smoothie.
"Oh come on guys, it's not like we could just escape it with a divorce?" Ben argued with them.
"Actually you can Ben we can assure everyone that this marriage is a mistake, you know that my dad is a lawyer he could help you file a—-" She was instantly cut off by the threesome.
"NO!" This causes Kevin to spit his drink.
"What?!" Gwen and Kevin exclaimed.
"We said no." Julie shook her head hugging her pet ship in her arms.
"What she said, we like to see how our relationship played out." Ben told them.
"Guys, It's not that big of a deal. I mean back on krypton. Marriage polygamy is not frown upon on and it's very much common back home." Kara added.
"Well first of all Kara, we're not krypton and second of all culture these days don't say otherwise." Gwen stated but Kara shrugged her shoulders.
"Look, we're not having a divorce man, it would only lead to bigger issues if three teenagers screw up in Vegas and get married."
"And besides we're not at our fault with this marriage thing, in high regards this kind of thing is actually a high honor for the Yamamoto Family and in the past centuries it was rumored that the Yamamoto used to be a wealthy family who grew in believing of multiple marriages is gonna save the family's bloodline. And if my parents heard about me being involved in such a way of marriage sure mom will be sterically for a bit but if my dad hears about my husband's wealthiness--" This brought a laugh from Kevin.
"Hahahahaha what wealth?" Snickers Kevin. "from what I could tell he couldn't even buy his own stuff."
The threesome smirks at each other which causes Gwen and Kevin to raise an eyebrow in suspicion and Gwen crossing her arms.
"Okay what are you guys that are not telling us?"
"Remember the casino?" Ben asked and the two nodded. "Well considering once we got back to my house you wouldn't believe how much prize money we won in the casino."
This leads to gaping from the two.
"How many?" Kevin asked with glint in his eyes.
Ben looks at both Julie and Kara.
"So should I tell them or not?" Kara smirks as she turns to the two and lists just how many they have won.
"Let's see, we play jacks, slots and those dice thingy." Kara Counted on her fingers. "So I'll say 567,890,789,345 Billion dollars cash prize."
"WHAT?!" Exclaimed Gwen and Kevin at out rich Ben was just playing in the casino.
"I think we broke them." Giggles Julie as she leans in besides Ben who was still back facing them.
"But that's not all, remember how we all three have alien credits?" Nod in response.
"Yeah, like our Tayden credits, one cost in American dollars is around ten bucks." Kevin shrugged. "What about it?" He asked.
"Well Grandpa just stated that our intergalactic bank account is now full with it along with other credits that are over a billion but in dollars it's….." Kevin spit his smoothie again.
"OVER A QUADRILLION DOLLARS?!" Kevin Exclaimed in full excitement.
"Well, my bank account is that high in Tayden but seeing that I'm not the only who……"
"Saved the entire universe." Gwen cut him. "We know." She sighs.
"And as an act of gratitude in stopping the Highbreed from destroying the Universe and saving them from extinction the plumbers thought of funding our team to operate as the Plumber's Earth's Division and so now I divided by money for all of us." Shows some kind of Golden card with a galactic symbol with serial numbers and their names attached on the surface of the card and Kevin quickly took his as Ben handed out Gwen's credit card and Julie's. "For being a public voluntary service in saving the universe more than we can count they gave us our own funding."
"This is the best day of my life!" Kevin quickly tucked his card into his pocket. "Ooooh man you have no idea how much it'll save my resources in building us equipment ls that we need on missions I could kiss you right now!"
"First of all ew, second of all I don't swing that way and it's my wives job to kiss me!" Ben said gross out and in addition Kara and Julie kissed him. "And third of all what equipment?" He asked.
"Oh you'll see them a bit later on." Grinned Kevin.
"Okay, that's enough we get you don't want divorce but that doesn't excuse you Ben for getting late on a mission!" Gwen pointed out.
"Oh come on! How is it my fault me and Julie got drunk in Vegas and had a little fun!" Kara grinned at him.
"Just a little honey?" Kara said with a grn as she teased him and he Snickers.
"Okay maybe there's more to it than meets the eye but that's not the point."
"I'm not kidding Ben, I'm really mad at you." Gwen told him.
"But you won't stay mad at us." Ben said. "We're family."
"And besides we got supergirl on our team!" Julie pointed out.
"Wow. Using your sister wife as leverage. Not cool." Kevin said as Julie frowned.
"You are completely full of yourself."
"Which is forgivable because we saved the entire universe." Ben said.
"You were late for a mission. Kevin and I could've been killed!" Gwen said with a glare.
"And I don't think you are cool right now." Kevin said. "I think you're obnoxious."
Everyone turned to him, shocked.
"Obnoxious. That's what Gwen used to call me all the time. Am I using it right?"
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Gwen said as she crossed her arms and turned to Ben. "But He's right." She stated. "You have been obnoxious ever since you-"
"Saved the entire universe?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow.
"See? You're doing it again."
"Obnoxious." Gwen agreed, sighing as Kara frowned and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I think they're a little right." Kara said, bracing for it. "You have been a little bit cocky lately."
"You think so, Kara?" Ben asked. "I mean, we did save all life in the universe."
"Yeah, but not by yourself." Gwen said. "Without our help and all of the heroes we recruited, you two never could've done it."
"Maybe you're right." Ben said. "But after we stopped the Highbreed invasion, I think we deserve to enjoy our success. Not just us." He gestures to his wives. "But you guys too."
"You're missing the point Ben." Sigh Gwen.
"Lighten up, guys." Ben chuckled. "Have a smoothie on me."
"Fine, I'll get you a smoothie." Snickers Gwne as she then dumped the smoothie all over Ben's head and he gasped as the others chuckled at him.
Ben turns to Gwen and picks his smoothie and uncapped it opens. "I hope you guys like pineapple!" He said.
"Come on, Ben!" Gwen said, gesturing at her red and black attire. "This is a new shirt!"
That was when Ben's Omnitrix started beeping and gasped as he set the smoothies down.
"That's the Plumbers' comm link." Ben said as he pressed a button on his omnitrix, activating the communication function.
"~{Bad news, guys.}~" Max said as the Plumbers' Kids were recovering in the Rust Bucket along with the Justice League who just teleported back to the Watchtower. "~{Vilgax is back.}~"
"What?" Ben asked. "But that's impossible. Last time, I blew him to bits under the city " He said. "How can he still be alive?"
"~{I'm sure he remembers what you did to him. Vilgax has issued a Conqueror's Challenge to you.}~"
"You can't accept that!" Kevin shouted as everyone else looked on as Kara looked worried.
"~{The Galvans and The Guardians of OA set it up to limit the destruction caused by interplanetary wars. Rather than risk mass destruction, both planets can choose a single warrior to represent them. The winner becomes the ruler of both worlds.}~"
"And Vilgeek is challenging me?" Frown Ben as he looks serious and confident. "So when and where do I kick his butt again?" He asked.
"~{It's not that simple. After he recovered from his final loss to you five years ago, he's since conquered ten worlds and absorbed the powers of those worlds' champions after he defeated them. He's not the same warrior you fought before.}~"
"Grandpa, you may doubt my fighting skills in hand to hand combat. But you forget who you're talking to, I'm Ben Tennyson nothing is impossible when it comes to me remember?" Ben exclaimed as he glanced at Kara and thanks to her super hearing he knows what he's talking about and she slightly blushed at that.
"~{I'm not doubting your capabilities Ben but If you're so sure about getting through this hero's challenge, I just wanted you to know that to be careful and good luck.}~" Grandpa Max told him.
"Thanks Grandpa, and don't worry I'll think of something else to ensure I win." He said.
Finding two teenagers in the insanity that was Las Vegas now in the odd city of freaking Bellwood was harder than Superman imagined.
He remembered two years ago, when he had found Kara. A distress signal from many light years away reached him at the Fortress of Solitude
( Flashback )
Two years ago, the ship traveled through space. Superman noticed that the distress signal had led him past Krypton. He saw a few shattered pieces of his home planet. His ship's shields managed to protect him from the harmful radiation, as he landed on a world covered in ice.
He followed the distress signal to its origin. It came from a laboratory. Snow and ice covered what once appeared to be a countryside.
He stepped out. The powers had received under the yellow sun diminished, but he had enough super strength left to force open the frozen doors. With another step he walked his way inside the lab.
He walked over and saw three pods. One contained a man who had long since perished, the glass cracked, frozen. The next pod had contained a woman, also deceased but not to the same state.
The third pod contained a teenage girl, but he read the vitals. She was still alive, if she barely clung onto life. She had the signs of a malnourished person and lapsed into some kind of coma and if not given medical attention soon, she would die.
Superman hastened his efforts, and discovered there were no other survivors. He removed several bits of debris from the lab, to clear his path. He managed to take the pod, careful not to damage it, and moved back to his ship.
If he could get the girl to the fortress in time, he might have a chance.
The winds blew, as the ship lifted off, as Superman activated the warp drive.
As it departed, a purple energy crystal was picked up by the ship, pulled through the warp with it.
The ship had taken a hit, damaged slightly from the speedy travel. That could wait, Superman had more important matters.
The crystal landed in the frozen ice and snow, submerged and unnoticed by the Last Son of Krypton.
Superman travelled to a handsome structure, deep beneath the Arctic Ocean. It was preserved with fascinating wildlife from other lost worlds and had technology hundreds, if not thousands of years beyond what humanity was capable of. Superman managed to fly the life pod directly to the Fortress of Solitude.
"Identify." Ordered Superman. "And scan."
"This pod contains Kara Zor-El, daughter of Alura and Zor-El, the brother of Jor-El."
Superman stopped in his tracks. This was the absolute last thing he ever expected. He had a lump in his throat that he swallowed.
"My cousin…I can't believe this."
Physically and emotionally she had not aged a second since she had gone into the pod. Even if many years had passed. She was fifteen years old.
"She will perish if her nervous system is not charged soon. The recommended course of action is to bombard her with yellow solar radiation."
He scooped up the girl in her arms. Normally, he would feel a bit awkward about her lack of dress for many reasons, but anything along those lines could go out the window. She was about to die, there was no time for modesty.
Superman secured her to a table. It was likely that she could have an extreme reaction when she was jolted awake. The girl could hurt herself before she assimilated her powers.
He pulled the switch and Kara was bombarded with the simulated yellow sun radiation.
( End of Flashback )
"We'll worry about The League later, right now our big priority is Vilgax and I'm pretty sure Superman is looking for you, Kara." Gwen pointed and Kara paled at that.
"Oh no." Kara gasps wide-eyed.
"Alright, Let's get to the headquarters and prep." Gwen said as they got to Kevin's Car.
"By the way Kara, You never actually told us how you Got to earth Kara." Sighing she began telling her life story. "My birth name is Kara Zor-El. I was born on a planet called Krypton, but I spent most of my life on an outpost, a colony called Argo, with my mother and father. My father was the official representative to Argo, his name was Zor-El. My mother is named Alura, she was a botanist. Father was the brother of Jor-El, one of the most foremost scientists in all galaxies. So he had a lot to live up to."
Kara paused, and drew breath, before she continued.
"Jor-El was married to Lara. Aunt Lara was the only person who could pull Uncle Jor away from his laboratory."
She chuckled at the memories, what few she had.
"They just had a baby, Kal-El. Before it happened."
As they all listened with great attention but had one thought.
'Krypton, Krypton, rings a bell, where have I heard of that name before?'
Yet, for the moment Ben and the others had a mental block. They could not make a connection.
"Before what happened?" Prompted Ben and Kara explained it, as she lived it, two years ago from her perspective, decades ago in real time.
( Flashback. )
Years and years ago, the countryside of Argo had been ravaged. Mass destruction was obvious, and casualties mounted by the hundreds of thousands. A large portion of the planet had been totaled. The natural beauty of the world had been completely annihilated.
All of this was because of one sadistic madman who had gone mad with power.
A tired man with light blond hair, with the subtle signs of grey surveyed the damage that had occurred. The red sun rose over the country side. He held in his hand, a purple crystal. His eyes never left the crystal. He was careful not to drop it.
"It's done." Zor-El stated as he sighed at the damage. "For what it's worth."
"How many?" Asked his wife, Alura, a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.
"-Too many.-" Whispered Zor-El grimly. The couple spotted their teenage daughter, who gazed into the sky, a far off look in her bright blue eyes. The girl dressed in white and blue robes, with her hair tied back, she reflected about what happened.
Fifteen year old Kara Zor-El turned around and saw the aftermath of the carnage. She had seen it happen before her eyes. From her bedroom window she helplessly watched as Zod launched the weapon.
The Nova Javelin obliterated pretty much everything within its blast zone. Her father's shields protected them, but the decay in the air twisted her stomach.
The aftermath of the massacre somehow had been worse than the actual events.
The Javelin had been the topping of the savage actions over the past number of years. Entire libraries were scorched to the ground to prevent anyone from finding something to use against him, orphanages were blown sky high, and despicable poisonous fumes had been launched into some of the most populated cities.
The terror known as General Zod would kill all of his men if it got him a personal victory, to bring people to their knees.
After some of the things she saw in these past couple of years, she should be broken. But she knew in her heart that tomorrow would come. Somehow there would be a fresh start.
She had hope.
"Father, is he really gone?" Kara asked.
"Trapped in the Phantom Zone, in a solitary cell, to live with his crimes for eternity." Said Zor-El, as he held the crystal. "The Krypton Science Council was slow to act as always. Thankfully Jor smuggled this past Zod's security in time."
Zor-El placed the crystal down on his lab table. He was not his brother, as he was constantly reminded of, but he had his own intelligence.
"I think we need a vacation, to get away from this." Suggested Alura.
"I think we're going to Krypton, I'm sure Kara would want to meet her new cousin." Zor-El said.
"Oh, that'd be so cool!" Kara shouted, whose eyes danced with glee and she jumped up and down.
Zor-El frowned at her. "Kara Zor-El, you're a noble daughter of the House of El, please conduct yourself with decorum."
Kara remained still at her father's warning but she turned her eyes to slightly roll them. Her mother caught the gesture and turned to reprimand Kara.
She had been saved from a lecture when Zor-El's equipment came to life and a communication had arrived.
"What is it?"
"It's Jor-El, Krypton is about to blow up, those idiots won't listen to him at all, and...no…."
"What's wrong?" Kara asked as her curiosity had been grabbed.
"Kara, go to your room, your mother and I need to talk." Zor-El said and Kara stood, with a questioning look. Zor-El added in a stern tone. "Now."
Kara did as she was told, well mostly anyway.
"What is it?" Alura had asked.
"If Krypton blows up, Argo is doomed. The planet won't be able to sustain another hit after Zod's Nova Javelin." said Zor-El darkly. "The feedback will kill the survivors."
Zor-El punched up the simulation on his computer.
"-It's worse than I thought.-" whispered Zor-El, taking a deep breath.
"Is there anything that can be done?" asked Alura.
Zor-El turned around. The first indication would be to go off to Krypton, retrieve Jor-El, Lara, and the baby, and get as far away from the blast zone as possible.
The one problem is Zod destroyed all transport off of the planet, and it would take months to fix.
Months they did not have.
He read the last little bit of the message. Brainiac had told the Council that there was no danger. They believed him over Jor-El.
Somehow, Zor-El knew that nothing good would come trusting the running of the world to an AI.
Alura nudged her husband. "Zor?"
"No."
"I have an idea."
Kara stood in the doorway of the laboratory. Alura had a frown on her face. "Kara Zor-El, I thought your father told you to go to your room! This doesn't concern you."
"Mother, this is the end of the world, I think this might concern me." Kara stated fiercely, not backing down. Her arms were folded, and feet were planted firmly on the ground. She took a moment to compose herself. "What about the shields, divert them, limit their scope, to keep us safe…and send a signal to someone, to save us. Beam a message off of a distant star or something and hope it reaches someone in time."
"It may work yet." Zor-El stated after a moment of thought. "It might take a few years…"
"What about Jor-El and his family?" Alura asked.
Kara snorted in a very un-lady like manner. "Please, knowing Uncle Jor, I'm sure he's figuring something out right now."
Zor-El had to agree with his daughter's assessment of the situation.
He had to get the necessary ready and soon.
"Kara, your idea might work." Zor-El said as he grabbed his daughter's hand. "I need you to be brave, alright? You could be the only one left."
"You'll save us all." argued Kara in a firm voice.
"I hope you're correct, my daughter." Zor-El told her. "But you're our most important treasure, our best hope for the future of the House of El, even if it's in another world."
Kara had a look of embarrassment on her face.
"Great Rao, no pressure or anything." muttered Kara as she watched her father prepare everything.
Mother and daughter were alone.
"Mother." Kara started but Alura put up a hand to stall her.
"Kara Zor-El, it seems like only yesterday when I held you in my arms." Alura said as she reached out to stroke her daughter's cheek. "Yet, I see you getting closer and closer to growing into a beautiful young woman. If something dire should happen to Jor-El and Zor-El, you're the next in line as the Head of the House of El."
Kara had no idea what to say for a moment. She responded with a tone of confidence and optimism. "Mother, we're getting out of this, you know that, all of us. Then we'll find them. The House of El won't ever die."
"I sure hope you're correct." Alura told her with a sad smile.
"It's ready," Zor-El said. "Kara, you go in first, and then Alura, and then I'll send the message."
Kara rushed over and hugged both of her parents. She held back the tears. She had to remain strong, and brave, in spite of all that had happened.
"It will be okay." Kara said as she stepped inside with a smile. "We'll be safe tomorrow. Then we'll find Uncle Jor, Aunt Lara, and Baby Kal."
The field placed her in stasis as she mouthed the words. "Everything will be okay."
( End of Flashback )
Kara continued her story back in the cafe. "So, Father, managed to get the stasis pods working. I was in there, I thought that I would wake up the next day, and we would all be safe."
A sigh escaped her lips and Ben's hand on hers gave her strength to continue. "It did not go as well as I had hoped."
Kara's eyes flickered open. The last thing she remembered, she was stepping into the pod as her father activated the shield around them. Then everything after that, well there was nothing after that.
"Good, you're awake."
Kara turned her head frantically. She just woke up in some strange place she did not recognize. She was naked, strapped to a table, and some weirdo in tights and a cape was standing over her.
Kara screamed and she began to curse out the strange man in Kryptonian. She was flustered, and red in the face.
"Kara, calm down…"
In a rage induced fit of strength, the girl snapped the metal straps. She did the only thing that made sense.
Kara slugged the tight wearing weirdo in the face and made a mad dash for the door.
Still weak, she collapsed. The cold made her shiver.
Kal-El turned around as he rubbed his head. Getting punched in the face by a teenage girl was a new experience for him. He moved forwards and Kara got a good look at the symbol.
Not only had this guy strapped her to a table, but he wore the symbol of the House of El on his person.
This just served to piss the girl off even more.
"Just who are you…and why in the name of Rao are you wearing the crest of the House of El? Answer me or I swear I'll kick your butt into the Phantom Zone."
He stared at her, and the angry look in her eyes caused him to speak in a pacifying tone.
"Kara, I'm your cousin, Kal-El." Stated the man.
"Kal?" Kara asked, before she gave a slight strained laugh. "Kal-El is a little three month old baby! You're just some caped weirdo with a disturbing obsession of strapping teenage girls to lab tables. And you wear your underwear on the outside of your clothes. Who does that anyway?"
She looked at him with a disgusted expression. Who was he trying to fool anyway?
"Kara, listen, a long time has passed." He said. "I had to strap you to the table, so you wouldn't hurt yourself after I woke you up."
Kara just sat on the ground, cross legged and arms folded. She looked up with a narrow and distrustful look in her eyes. Her lips curled into a frown.
The caped man sighed. This conversation was going to take a turn for the worst unless he explained quickly. "You were in a coma and really malnourished. I had to use yellow solar radiation. It's been a long time. No time has passed for you but for the rest of the world, the universe, much time has passed."
She looked up at him, in disbelief but she had another question. "Where are my parents?"
"I'm sorry, they're dead." He said in a somber voice and Kara just looked at him and turned around. "I couldn't save them. They were long gone by the time I got there."
She said nothing.
"They must have used most of the power on your pod to give you a chance to live, Kara."
Tears were in her eyes. She was cold, naked, and wanted to go home.
There was no home.
It was all gone.
The man in the cape gently managed to grab some spare clothes and handed them to her. They would have to do until he could get her a wardrobe that would fit in on Earth.
Kara put on the clothes, they were baggy especially on her stick like frame, but at least things were less awkward between the two.
She caught a glimpse of herself and wanted to cry. She looked like a small girl who had played dress up in her father's work clothes.
She remained focused and looked at the man. "Prove to me you are who you say you are."
The caped man had steered her into the next room.
Kara turned her head to look into the next room. She saw the technology around the lab, and her eyes widened.
Only Jor-El's son could make something like this.
"I believe you." managed Kara, as she looked around, awed. "What is this place?"
"The Fortress of Solitude, it's in the Arctic, created by technology leftover that my birth father sent over with me to Earth." explained Superman.
"Earth." Kara said in a low tone. The planet had been like Krypton was millennia ago; rough and rather crude in its technology, but her father believed that it had great potential.
"So, that's how I got here." Concluded Kara. She paused, before she spoke again. "Umh Guys."
Ben just had a far off look in his eye. An entire planet destroyed in a flash, just like that. Two planets had been destroyed in fact They were alive one day and then they were dead the next.
He kind of felt like a jerk as he always gloated about him saving the universe but how is that benefit Kara she just lost an entire world.
'Wow you're such a selfish Jerk Ben!'
"Kara…I…really don't know what to say." Managed Ben in a shaky voice. "That's…how do you deal with something like that?"
"The future is in front of us, Ben, every day." Kara said as she gently cupped his chin in her hand and kissed him. Ben seemed a bit reluctant to initiate any intimate activity when sober. Even if it was something as small as a kiss.
She resolved to work on that.
Kara continued. "Worrying, angsting about what happened before; it doesn't do you any good. It only hurts you and drags everyone down with you. The world can be a harsh place, but we can work to create our own happiness. And your future is yours to make. Not defined in any prophecy, even."
Ben and the others were quietly thinking how lucky they are to still have some families and friends and a home.
'Man, I hate being drunk!'
He now knows Kara knows all his secrets as a Ten Year old hero with a watch that gives him the ability to turn into aliens with different powers and uses them to save people for many years.
'If that didn't scare her off, nothing will. You did go to Vegas and hit the jackpot, Potter, in more ways than one.'
"Anyways enough about me shouldn't we be focusing on Vilgax right now?" Kara asked and she's right they have more pressing concerns than their past. It's the future they need to worry about and to kick a certain squidface in the butt.
DATE: September 11, 2005
TIME: 6:40 pm.
At Kevin's Car the Gang are all seated in as they look up at the large computer screen to see Vilgax get blasted by their grandfather at point blank range.
"That's gotta hurt." Ben said.
...And then their grandfather getting slapped aside by said squid alien warlord effortlessly.
"Or at least you'd think it would." Julie said, wincing.
"He's more powerful than ever," Gwen said.
"No kidding. We barely used to beat him in the old days."
"But we're ten years old back then." Gwen told Ben, who just shrugged in response.
"Um, you guys see how easily he took down Max and his new Plumbers?" Kevin asked. "I doubt you can Handle that one alone, Ben."
"But those were the rookies." Ben said. "We're the A-Team. I've taken Vilgax (and you on one occasion) down before and I'll do it again."
"And if we can take down the Highbreed and-"
"Save the whole entire universe!" The rest of the team chorused.
"We know." Gwen said, folding her arms.
"...I can handle this."
"But it's a Conqueror's Challenge." Kara reminded her Husband. "If what Max said is any indication, the four of us can't help you per the Galactic Code of Conduct."
"So I still think you're gonna need an edge," Kevin said, walking away as the video shut down and pressed a button on the keyboard that lifted a garage door open and they looked inside to see a huge machine of some sort before them.
"Okay, what is that for?" Ben asked.
"You know your Omnitrix?" Kevin asked.
"Yeah?" Ben asked, nervously.
"We're gonna hack them."
"Huh?!" Ben asked, slightly disturbed.
"I don't like the sound of this." Muttered Gwen under her breath.
TO BE CONTINUE.