Avenging Justice:

Two Worlds Collide

Part XXIV

Earth, Kansas, Smallville

Miles above satellites rearranged, their monitoring systems updated to look at other areas for a few hours. Below in the lower atmosphere, a teen girl floated among fluffy white clouds. Dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and overalls, hair tied back in a ponytail, Kara Zor-El is in the moment. This was a peaceful state, a place away from everything, and something she never imaged she could do.

Kal had brought her here to his adoptive parents. The brooding man in the bat cowl had followed, his eyes always watching her. The Kents had welcomed her like family, making her feel warmth exuding from them. Which was a direct opposite of Batman, who gave her the feeling of someone studying a potential enemy. She wondered which people were more indicative of Earth's people, the warm loving couple or the suspicious man on a quest.

She had a lot of catching up to do, and more than just adjusting to her younger cousin being older than her now. There was the language, which thanks to Kal, had been a bit easier. However, she learned English was just one of many languages on this world. It was something interesting, wonderful and completely baffling about this world. Then came her abilities, which she was enjoying right now.

It had taken a few tries, before she had stopped crushing anything she grasped. Kal made it look easy, but he had been here for years, and had time to get good at it. She needed to adapt now, and it was frustrating. Why did she need to do this, why couldn't people build stronger things for her and Kal? Even with that, she could hear her mother's share rebuke. Ever a leader, she had taught Kara that society didn't mold itself for another, but rather the one found their part in society.

For her cousin, that was being this world's champion. Racing across the globe to save them, giving them an ideal to look up to, and to look at the skies with hope again. Kara wasn't sure this was the life she wanted, there was a lot of weight that went with such a mission. Yet, with her abilities, what would be her part in this society. Home was gone, there was no place for her to go.

"Bruce says he can't keep the satellites busy any longer," Kal's voice came from her side.

She frowned, being snapped out of her thoughts. There floated her cousin, looking the consummate hero in his Kryptonian armor and family crest. His crest was similar to hers, and to the people of Earth, it looked like an "S" in a shield. His flowing red cape, whipping in the drafts coming around them. She wondered if he realized why they wore those capes, or did it as an attempt to have a connection to his long lost home.

"I'm coming, just a few more minutes," she groaned.

Kal El smiled, and she knew what came with that smile, "I'm sorry Kara, we can do this later. You seem to be taking to your powers rather quickly."

"Whatever," she growled as she sped to the ground.

Pulling up a the last second, she still hit the ground harder than she liked. In a mile radius she heard car alarms go off, and she silently cursed her clumsiness. Even as Kal came to console her, she didn't want it. She just wanted to not be this! She waved him off and ran for the barn, a place she learned was great for getting away from everyone.

Kara didn't cry, though she wanted to. She didn't beat her hand against the barn, because she didn't want to cause the Kents any hardship. She resisted the urge to stomp her feet or yell, because goodness knows what that would cause. Instead she was just bottling it in, rage and helplessness filling her, and making it all worse.

"You know, bottling all that up isn't good for you," a new voice said, and it made Kara turn quickly. "Lois thought you might need someone a little more like you to talk to. I'm, Diana."

How this person had snuck up on her was beyond Kara, and her words didn't make much sense either. Though statuesque, there wasn't anything that instantly told her, that this woman was anything like her. As far as she knew, Kal and her were the last Kryptoninans, period. However, the dark haired woman didn't seem to hesitate or fearful. Though the question would by why should she, unless she knew the secret?

"Apologies, Diana, I'm not in the mood for company," Kara said as she turned back, tuning her hearing to the woman's steps.

Diana took a step forward, "Sometimes we think one thing, need another, but don't know how to get that across. I know, I've been in your shoes, relatively speaking."

"I'm not so sure that you do," Kara grit her teeth, knowing that despite their best intentions, this wasn't going to work. "Just say what you need to say. Then leave me please."

"A little bit of solitude wouldn't hurt, but it is very easy to get lost when alone," Diana replied. "I know, I left my home, joined the World of Man, and lost all that I held dear. Just like you I can't go back."

Kara groaned, "What all did they tell you?"

"Just enough to know you are special, but I want to hear from you," Diana came around and put an arm around Kara. "A warrior is more than strength and endurance; a warrior needs heart."

Kara tried to pull away, but was surprised when she couldn't. Shocked, she looked up at the taller woman, with the knowledge that she wasn't like the others. She did manage to pull away, but it took her actually trying. Instead of getting aggravated, this Diana just folder her arms, like a patient mother with a child. Who was this woman?

"I know you're not from around here," Diana continued. "Your accent still needs work. Though, I'm one to talk. I still carry mine, but I get confused for an international model most days. It's a handy veil, because nobody expects someone like that, to be mighty."

Kara had to ask, "Who are you?"

Diana gave her a wide knowing grin, "To Man's World, I am Diana Prince, and the heroine, Wonder Woman. I am, Princess Diana of the Amazons, daughter to Hippolyta and Zeus. So, of all the people on this world, I'm one of the ones that you don't really have to hold back with."

"That sounds impressive," Kara still didn't know what all this meant, literally still foreign to her.

Diana laughed, "I supposed you haven't gotten to Earth's history and mythology yet. My people are great warriors that have fought threats to this world before, those the people of today would not believe.

That being said, we both suffer from the same problem. We both can't go home again. Mine because I left to be an ambassador, to return one who made it through our veil. Yours is more tragic. Sent across the sea of stars, and finding your one direction, to be completely gone."

"So, he told you," Kara seemed to deflate. This woman was going to pity her too.

Diana shrugged, "Lois told me, but yes he told her. Despite all his abilities, his most difficult task is something he can't outthink or out strength. At once he wants to help someone, reach out, but at the same time guide you as only one like you can do. You'll find him full of wonderful advice and information, but he doesn't have all the answers. Which is why he went to the woman he loves, to learn how to reach a young woman he cares about."

"He barely knows me!" Kara said a little louder than she had intended to.

Diana put an arm around her again, "That doesn't matter. He's formed bonds with many people on this world, become their hero, and yet you are the closest to knowing a home he'll never see. Not only are you a member of his family, but you can bridge the gap between what he knows and what he imagines."

"So, this Lois sent you to talk to me, figuring you'd be better at it," the teen Kryptonian sighed.

The Amazon princess answered, "Actually you could talk to him about most anything, and you'd find a warm, open and caring person. Lois just figured that making a connection with another woman, like yourself, who could empathize with you, would be easier for you."

"So here you are," the teen laughed.

Diana nodded, "So, I am here. That and I can help you with what you need to learn. Your cousin isn't the only one that had to learn to control their strength. And I had to learn quickly, as I didn't grow up around people like these. Those like me, are heartier than these in the World of Man."

With that Kara leaned in. Slowly the walls she had created began to fall back, and she talked to this other woman. It was easier than with Kal, because just like she said, she understood the stresses she was under. She cracked a joke about accidentally breaking a car door once, and her friend, Steve Trevor, had made up some excuse for her. Kara found herself going on about her own struggles, and wishing to spend more times among the clouds.

"Superman loves being among the clouds too," Diana said. "He says it brings everything into focus. No matter the deadline he's under, the struggle he's going through, he finds solace looking down upon the Earth. You should talk to him more about it; seems you two share that."

"Thank you, Diana," Kara meekly said. "I think I'm beginning to see what he sees in this Lois."

"You don't know the half of it," Diana laughed. "It takes a special person to capture your cousin's heart. "

The two spend the rest of the day talking, training and soon Kara was beginning to feel more confident. With Diana's help, she was learning how to control everything she did, to blend in with humanity. There were insights that she had, that Kal didn't. Part of that was because of how she had entered the world, versus how he had. Diana had been thrust into this world, much like Kara had.

Yet, despite this this Amazon had kept her caring, loving nature. Even after finding that things weren't as she had been told, nor were they as easy as her ideals made her believe. Diana had found that there were good people, bad people, and those that were somewhere in between. Some tried to use her, some tried to fight her, but most began to look up to her as they did Superman.

Through it all, her one compass, was her own heart. It was the courage and compassion that had made her the hero she was. Kara could think of quite a few worse things that she could have turned into. With her power, her abilities, Diana could have ruled the people she protected. Just as her cousin, Kal, could have taken over this whole world. He hadn't, nor had Diana, they had become protectors. Kara immediately felt humbled, but also quite proud.

Her uncle, Jor El would be proud that his son had become a champion, not a conqueror. She had met him enough times to know he valued knowledge, and using that knowledge for the betterment of all. This was similar to her own parents, who valued service to others more than service to one's self. It was another thing they shared. In fact, the more she and Diana talked, the closer she felt to Kal.

While Diana and Kara bonded in the barn, Clark Kent looked on worriedly. He wanted to be there for her, show her the ropes, but she was always pulling away. Bruce's wariness wasn't helping, even though he was used to the other man constantly thinking the worst. Their first meeting had been one of distrust, but eventually they had overcome that. Clark had to remember, it was his humanity that had done it.

As Superman, he'd rushed back in to one of Lex's death traps, all to save Lex's driver and protector, Mercy. The woman was an orphan, raised on the streets. Lex Luthor had taken her in, taught her, trained her, and made his most loyal tool, weapon. She had tried to fight Superman while he was weakened by a red sun radiation room. When it backfired, and the building began to burn down, Superman couldn't let her burn to death.

As he rushed back in, more of his power drained. By the time he located her, he was having to stumble back out. Yet, not once did he drop her or leave her to her fate. What surprised him the most, was to see the Dark Knight to rush in as he began to falter. Batman had helped Superman get the woman out. Then, while first responders worked on the nearly dead Mercy, Batman dragged Superman a block to a Solarium. Thanks to the focused sun light, Clark quickly regained his strength.

He never thanks Bruce for that, as he had disappeared straight away. Nor did the other man allow that to come up in conversation. Clark wondered if he ever allowed anyone to thank him, or if it went against his sense of justice. Batman was the avenging darkness, the protector in the shadows, and he didn't crave the adoration Superman got showered with.

To be fair, Clark found it embarrassing, but only because he was doing what was in his power. This was how his parents had raised him, to use his gifts to help, not to hurt. Thanks to Lois, though, people had his story. Despite their best tries, none of Gotham's reporters had been able to find the Batman, or get his story. Clark offered to tell it, but Bruce had declined, with extreme finality to the matter.

"Clark, come and sit for a spell," Martha Kent told her son. "She'll be ready, when she's ready."

"Listen to your Ma," Jonathan Kent came walking in, stripping off his work gloves. Already a cup of fresh coffee appearing as if magic in his hands. "She's got to deal with things her way."

"It was so nice of Ms. Prince to come talk to her," Martha sat down with her own cup of coffee. "How are things in Metropolis?"

Clark couldn't help but feel better. His parents knew exactly what he needed to hear, and how he needed to hear things to reach him. He was lucky to have them, and besides Lois, were the only people he could count on for good counsel. He had friends, and they could give some good advice, nothing beat Ma and Pa's advice though. Maybe it was their midwestern perspective, or the perspective of guiding living things on the farm. Either way, they had a view of the world that was invaluable.

"Going pretty good," he said as he sat down and sipped his own cup of coffee. "Trying to get Lois to take some time off, maybe go on a vacation. A few stories are in the works, but nothing to get too excited about yet."

The Kents listened, and he spoke. A family like many others around the globe. Talking about dreams and the hard work that went into them. Love connected them, a wondrous gift that was to be revered. Life was short, things happened and there were things that even Superman couldn't change. Yet, he had these times with his family, and he hoped one day to have them with children of his own.

He mulled this over even as he heard his father's heartbeat erratically, before restoring its rhythm. His father hadn't told him yet, but his mother had. They had gone to the doctor, and there was a condition. With medication it could be managed, and knowing Ma, she had Pa on a strict schedule.

He wasn't worried about his father not being taken care of, but even he knew what some things were finite. Clark just didn't want that to get in the way of this wonderful memory being created. For this one moment, they were in the present, and anything in the future was far, far away.