"Are you sure I couldn't just—"
"Linda, for the last time," Jonathan interrupted, trying not to sound annoyed, "you are not going to pick up the truck and fly us back to the farm. We'll be there soon, anyway."
Linda sighed and looked out the window, staring out at the rows of cornfields, bored. She loved Kansas and enjoyed the peace and tranquility, but sometimes things just seemed to move a little too slow. She felt her mother's hand on her shoulder and glanced over, seeing the red-haired woman smile.
"I know how frustrating it can be," she said gently.
"It's not that," Linda replied. "I was just being practical. Think of how much money we'd save in gas."
"Says the girl who gave her parents enough money to pay off all their debts and live comfortably on the interest," Jonathan smirked.
"Time!" Linda said suddenly. "Think of how much time we'd save—and wear and tear on the tires—if we didn't have to use them!" Both of her parents just glanced at her, and Linda sighed. "Okay, I'll admit that was grasping at straws, but this is sooooooo boring just sitting here sometimes."
"Weren't you the one who said only a few days ago that you were glad things were calming down?" Martha asked, smiling.
"Calm down, yes," Linda said, "flat-lining…not so much."
"Well, there are plenty of chores to do when we get back," Jonathan replied, "and since we want to make sure you aren't going to be bored before Jimmy's party tonight, why don't you not use your powers—should keep you occupied for a few hours." Linda groaned and looked at her father, and she saw him grinning.
"Not funny," she said, smiling.
"I thought I was hilarious," Jonathan replied. He turned the truck onto a familiar dirt road. "Oh, look, we're home already." He drove the car up the drive and parked it in its usual spot. The trio got out and made their way up the walk to the house.
"Kara."
All three Kents stopped when they heard the voice, but only Linda's heart jumped into her throat as they looked around for the source.
That voice, she thought.
A man with dark hair, clothes and trench coat emerged from the barn. He wasn't quite as tall as Jonathan, but the way he held himself still gave him a strong authoritative appearance, and Linda's eyes widened as the stranger smiled warmly at her.
"Who are you?" Jonathan demanded as he stepped protectively in front of his daughter and wife.
The stranger opened his mouth, but he didn't have a chance to say anything as Linda blurred around her parents and charged at the stranger. She thrust out her hand, sending out a blast of telekinetic energy that hit the stranger with the force of a shockwave. He went sailing through the barn, splintering wood in all directions. He cut a deep furrow in the dirt a hundred feet long before slowing to a stop
"Linda!" Jonathan shouted as she blurred after the stranger.
As the stranger started getting to his feet, Linda brought both her arms in front of her like a battering ram, slamming into him. The force threw him back, sending shockwaves rippling everywhere as he landed farther away from the house. She landed next to him as he lay on the ground in a deep furrow of dirt.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her fists clenched.
"I know it's been a while," the man said, his voice thick with an Irish brogue, "but I didn't think you'd completely forget me already." His whole demeanor was unassuming, even bordering on amused.
"Trust me, I'd never forget that face," she said, her eyes narrowed, "or that voice. What I want to know is what you're doing with them." The man tried to sit up, but Linda's eyes flashed orange, and the man stopped. "Who are you?"
The man sighed patiently. "You know who I am, Kara."
"What I know," Linda said, "is the person that face and voice belong to is dead."
The man tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "Really?" Before Linda could react, he was on his feet, staring at her with a gaze so piercing the teenager reflexively took a step back, frightened. "Are you sure about that?"
Linda's fear quickly left her, and she stood as tall as possible, tensing as she clenched her fists. He was obviously fast-and he seemed to know a lot more about her than she knew about him; Linda didn't like that combination. She swung a fist hard at him, but he quickly reacted, bringing up his hand and easily grabbing her fist. Linda's eyes widened in shock, but before she could say anything, the man grabbed her arm and quickly flipped her over his shoulder; she landed hard on the ground.
"Rule number one," he said as he towered over her, his expression half amused and half serious, "never leave yourself open."
Linda paused as she stared at him, tilting her head in confusion. Movement over his shoulder caught her attention; she suddenly smirked. The man turned his head as Superman rammed into him. Linda watched as the two men went tumbling head over heels, dust and dirt flying everywhere.
"Rule number two," she said as she got to her feet, "have a backup." She sped off in the direction of the two men. She followed the path of destruction into the nearby woods, trees splintered, and Superman pinned the man against a large rock; the man made no attempt to struggle against her cousin.
"Are you okay?" Superman asked as Linda came over.
"I'm fine," Linda replied.
"Who are you?" Superman demanded as he looked back at the man. "Why did you attack her and her parents?"
"Actually, Kara attacked me first, Kal-El," the man replied. He saw their expressions when he had spoken their names, and he sighed, almost frustrated. "Look, I understand you have a lot of questions, and I'll answer them, but there's a few things I need to—"
"No, you're going to answer our questions now," Linda interrupted, "or we're going to see how durable you really are. Now, who the hell are you? How do you—"
"Ezilibommi!"
Both Superman and Linda recognized the voice right before they stiffened in place like boards. Superman automatically let go of the man as he and Linda, unable to move, fell backwards, hitting the ground with loud thumps. Freed, the man looked down at the cousins.
"You're not the only one with backup, my dear," he said to Linda before glancing behind her and Superman as someone approached. "Took you long enough."
Zachary Zatara, dressed in his usual attire, stopped near the two cousins. "Not all of us are faster than a speeding bullet," he replied, annoyed. The two men glanced down at the cousins, who stared back in disbelief; there was almost a slight smirk on the magician's face. "What do you want to do with them?"
"Let them go," the man replied. "I think I have their attention."
"Esaeler meht," Zachary said, waving his hand slightly. Superman and Linda regained the ability to move, and they got to their feet, glaring at Zachary. Linda, fists clenched, started moving toward her art teacher, but he simply held up a glowing blue hand; she stopped, but continued staring at him coldly.
"I knew you couldn't be trusted," Linda said icily. "You're nothing but a liar."
"I told you what I know will be revealed when I decide," Zachary, "not you."
"How about you start revealing things right now?" Superman suggested as he stood protectively in front of Linda. He glanced between Zachary and the unknown man. "What the hell is going on? Who are you?"
"Are you going to throw any more punches?" the man asked wryly. The cousins remained silent, and the man nodded. "Good. Now, as I told Kara earlier, she should know who I am."
"And I said you're lying," Linda said angrily. "Who you claim to be died a long time ago."
"I didn't die," the man said seriously as he gave her a knowing look, "malgranda kiri." Linda's eyes widened, and even Superman was stunned at the Kryptonian words spoken by the stranger. The stranger knew he finally had the teenage girl's full attention. "Hello, Kara."
Linda stared at the man in complete shock. Her stomach tightened, she grew light-headed, and her legs threatened to give out from under her. There was only one person in the universe who ever called her that. "Rok-Var?" Linda whispered as she stared at the man, completely numb with shock.
Martha, Clark, and Linda stood near the island, while Jonathan paced the kitchen, trying to keep his temper in check and wrap his mind around what was going on. He stared at the two men standing near the kitchen table, his mind swimming and seething. One claimed to be Rok-Var, Linda's teacher and protector on the remains of a dead planet who had supposedly died for helping her escape to Earth. The other, a magician masquerading as her art teacher, who knew more about Krypton than he cared to tell.
"You don't trust us," Rok-Var spoke up after a few moments. Jonathan stopped and stared hard at him. "And, no, I did not read your mind; it's written all over your face."
"You're supposed to be dead," Jonathan said tensely. "That's what Zor-El told Linda."
"And you believe the man who caused Kara so much pain would tell the truth?" Rok-Var asked.
"I don't know what to believe," Jonathan replied, "especially since there's no way to prove what you say is true."
"He called me malgranda kiri," Linda said. "It was his nickname for me for as long as I can remember. No one ever called me that except Rok-Var." She turned to her old teacher. "You didn't die, did you?"
"No," Rok-Var replied, "but it was close. You witnessed my fight with the woman you called your mother, but you didn't see what happened after your ship departed. She was about to kill me for what I had done, but I managed to overpower her and kill her—just as Zor-El arrived. I knew I couldn't manage against him when I barely managed against his wife."
"So, how did you escape?" Martha asked.
"I used the portal that connects Argo City to the caves," Rok-Var explained. "I arrived moments after Kara's ship departed; I managed to temporarily disable it, preventing Zor-El from following until a few years later."
"Why didn't you send Linda through the portal?" Clark asked, "and why are you just now showing up here? What have you been doing all this time?"
"First, I wasn't sure the portal would work after Krypton's explosion," Rok-Var explained. "I didn't want to risk Kara's life when her ship was still more reliable. As for what I was doing this entire time, well, part of that time was spent keeping an eye on both Kal-El and Kara from a distance. I saw Kal-El reveal himself to the world as Superman, and when Kara arrived, I watched her, making sure she was adjusting well to her new home."
"He was also meeting with me," Zachary spoke up. "We were coordinating."
"Coordinating what?" Clark asked, completely confused.
Linda's head was swimming as she stared at her former teacher. She opened her mouth to say something, but there was a sudden flash, and she was transported to the place she had dreamed about, surrounded by panicking people, the sounds of screams and the planet ripping apart all around her. She saw another flash of light, and then she was back in the quietness of the kitchen. Her parents and Clark were staring at her, concerned.
"Another vision?" Rok-Var asked, looking at her unconcerned.
Linda jerked her head at him. "How did you know—" He replied by tapping the side of his head, and the young girl was surprised she wasn't more weirded out that he knew what she was experiencing. "Clark had the dream first. He projected it to me."
"What dream?" Jonathan asked suddenly, glancing between his two kids.
"I had a dream last night about Krypton exploding," Clark explained quickly, trying to tell the story without letting on that Linda had been at Jimmy's the night before. "It was a memory, actually, I guess…and I projected it to Linda. We couldn't sleep much after that, so we spent some time on the roof last night talking." He didn't know if the stare he was getting from his father was because Jonathan didn't believe him, or if he was just upset that his children hadn't told him what had happened before now.
"It wasn't your dream, Kal-El," Rok-Var replied. "It was Kara who projected the dream to you—and it was actually a memory, not a dream."
"No, that's impossible," Linda said, wondering why her teacher—who had always made sense—was suddenly coming across as delusional; part of her was wondering if this was some sort of trick, but she wasn't getting a hostile vibe from him. "I wasn't even born when Krypton exploded. How could I dream about something that happened years before I was born?"
Rok-Var took a deep breath and stood up. "I think this might help explain everything," he said as he reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a pale blue crystal as thick and long as a ruler and held it out to Linda; it reminded the Kents of a large mineral.
"What is this?" Linda asked, confused as she looked at Rok-Var.
"It's something that belongs to you," Rok-Var answered, "something I've wanted to give you for a very long time: your memories."
"J'onn was right," Clark said softly. "You took Linda's memories."
"I did," Rok-Var said somberly.
"Why?" Linda asked, looking almost betrayed.
"All the answers you have are in this crystal," Rok-Var said. Linda glanced at her parents and Clark as if asking them for guidance, but they had nothing for her. The teenager looked back at her teacher, seeing that look on his face that always offered her comfort. She slowly reached out, pausing only for a second, before taking a deep breath and took the object from his hand. She immediately felt the energy radiating from it, building as a bright light exploded from the crystal, bathing her in a rich blue glow as her mind flooded with hundreds of vivid images.
"Kara!" Alura called out. She was a tall woman with long brown hair and eyes, but she had a hard time running after the surprisingly fast five-year-old blonde girl darting around people. "Wait up!"
"I want to see them!" Kara shouted out. She reached the railing and stood on her tiptoes, peering over the rail at the streams of richly colored fire falling down the chasm of colorful rocks. She looked up, grinning as her parents and Rok-Var hurried over. "Look, it's the Fire Falls!"
"Yes, we can see," Zor-El said as he leaned over and picked up his daughter. He was tall, with blonde hair, and he looked at the young girl with stern blue eyes, "but you need to listen to your mother, Kara."
"Sorry, Father" Kara said, looking upset as her gaze drifted down.
"Now, now," Zor-El said, using a finger to tilt her chin up, "none of that. Just mind us from now on, okay?" Linda nodded, and Zor-El smiled before kissing her forehead. "That's my Kara."
"As I recall," Rok-Var said, amused, "you were just as spirited when you were younger, Zor."
"In many ways," Alura replied, smiling, "he still is." She leaned over and kissed her husband before the four went back to watching the natural beauty before them.
"Now, what is the answer?" Rok-Var asked as he looked up from the holo-screen. He saw the eight-year-old Kara sitting at her table, looking bored as she gazed out the large window. The light from Rao shone in, causing its light to radiate through the crystalline building; the teacher sighed, smiling. "Kara?"
"Why must I learn this?" Kara asked, looking annoyed, sitting up straighter.
"Because it is your duty as a member of the House of El," Rok-Var replied patiently. "You have a great responsibility as the only heir to this family."
"But why?" Kara pressed.
Rok-Var sighed as he put his light pen down, knowing that his student wasn't going to be focused for the remainder of the day. "Do you want to see what your father is up to?" he asked.
That was all he needed to ask.
Kara bolted from her chair and scurried from the room, her boots clicking loudly on the polished crystalline floors as she ran down the halls to her father's laboratory; she opened the door and looked inside. She grinned when she saw her father and uncle working on something at one of the long tables; she ran over to them.
"Uncle Jor-El!" she shouted. The two scientists looked over, and they smiled when they saw the young girl. Jor-El looked like an older version of his brother, with hair white from age, but he easily knelt down, holding his arms open to catch Kara and pick her up.
"Kara," he said, kissing her cheek. "How is my favorite niece?"
"I'm your only niece, Uncle Jor," Kara replied, giggling.
"Really?" Jor-El asked, looking confused. "Are you sure?"
Kara laughed as she hugged him tightly around the neck. "You're silly," she said.
"Happy Birthday, Kara!"
Kara beamed as she sat at the head of the table, wearing the deep blue gown reserved for special occasions. The large dining hall had been ornately decorated for the teenage girl's birthday party, and numerous robots milled about, tending to their duties as the guests interacted with each other. Kara glanced at the stack of brightly-wrapped gifts nearby and leaned over to grab one.
"Alert, alert!" a small robot squawked as it floated over, snatching the gift from the girl's hands. "Mistress Kara is attempting to interrupt the schedule of events!"
"Tattletale," the fifteen-year-old hissed, sticking her tongue out as she sat back in her chair, folding her arms.
"Kara, you must wait until we've had dinner," Alura admonished gently as she walked over to her daughter.
"But they're my presents!" Kara protested. "I want to open them now!"
"She is too much like her father and uncle," Lara said. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and she smiled warmly as she approached the two, her belly was swollen; she appeared tired as she slowly took the chair beside the birthday girl. "Impatient."
"Why aren't they here again?" Kara asked.
"They're…doing research for the Council," Alura replied. She knelt beside her daughter. "I know you wanted them to be here, but this was something they had to do." A low rumbling filled the air as the room shuddered, causing the walls to crack and objects to fall and shatter. Alura threw her arms around her daughter as Rok-Var hurried over to Lara, protecting the pregnant woman until the shaking finally ceased.
"They're getting worse," Rok-Var said somberly, "and coming more frequently each day."
"I know," Lara replied somberly.
"Mother, what's going on?" Kara asked, scared. "Are we going to die?"
"No, of course not," Alura reassured, kissing her daughter's forehead. "I promise you will not die." Kara glanced over at her aunt, seeing the fear on Lara's face as she put a hand on her swollen tummy.
Kara's eyes narrowed as she assumed a fighting stance, facing Rok-Var as he crouched, arms up and ready. Beads of sweat trickled down her neck, but the young girl ignored them as Rok-Var motioned with her hand to attack. The young girl let out a loud cry as she charged, swinging her arm at his face. He easily sidestepped her and returned a blow of his own; she ducked out of the way just in time, balancing on her arms as she performed a leg sweep. Rok-Var jumped at the last moment, flipping backwards, landing a few feet away on his feet.
The two combatants continued for several minutes, delivering and dodging combinations of kicks, punches, and other manners of fighting. Rok-Var moved to deliver a kick to her head, but Kara blocked it, using his momentum to knock him down on his back; she brought her heel down on his face, stopping inches away.
"Very good," Rok-Var said, smiling and panting as he glanced up at the young girl towering over him, balancing on one foot as she kept her hands up.
Kara grinned, panting herself, as she relaxed and stepped back, allowing Rok-Var to get to his feet. "So, are we done for the day?" she asked as she grabbed a towel nearby to mop her forehead.
"I thought you enjoyed these training sessions," Rok-Var replied.
"I do," Kara said, "but…." She glanced at him, unsure.
"But what?" Rok-Var asked.
"But it just seems like you're trying to cram a lot of things into me all of a sudden," Kara answered slowly. "I mean, in addition to my schooling and all the training with the crystals—which I understand—you're now teaching me Klurkor."
"What's wrong with learning how to defend yourself?" Rok-Var asked, smiling. "You have an important responsibility to your family as the next guardian of the crystals."
"Nothing," Kara replied, "but what does Torquasm-Rao have to do with it?"
"Mental preparation is always important for a guardian," Rok-Var answered.
"And all these Earth languages? I'm up to thirty now."
"And you've excelled in all of them," Rok-Var replied. "You will need those languages when you visit Earth to update the knowledge banks."
"But that doesn't answer the why part," Kara said. She raised an eyebrow. "Does this have anything to do with Father and Uncle Jor-El's work?"
Rok-Var sighed and put his arm around her shoulders. "Yes," he replied.
"Rok-Var, what's going on?" Kara asked, worried.
"Kara, do you trust me?" Rok-Var asked.
"Of course," Kara answered.
"Then trust me," Rok-Var said. "We'll tell you soon enough." He kissed her forehead. "I promise."
Kara glanced at the tiny baby in Lara's arms, wrapped in a rich blue blanket with a red and yellow El Family crest embroidered on it. Even though she knew that was her cousin, the girl still wasn't sure what to make of the squirming baby with a head full of thick black hair.
"That's it?" she asked, unimpressed, her face wrinkling.
"Kara Zor-El," Lara chided her daughter. "What a horrible thing to say about your cousin."
"Sorry, Mother," Kara replied sheepishly. She really hadn't meant to let that slip out. She had just been expecting…well, she wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but she was pretty sure that wasn't it.
"It's okay, Alura," Lara said. She patted the space next to her. "Why don't you come here, Kara?" Kara carefully climbed up on the bed and sat beside her aunt. Lara carefully handed her child to Kara, helping get the baby settled into his cousin's arms. "There we go." She smiled at her niece as the baby gurgled and opened his eyes, looking right at Kara. "I think he likes you."
"What will his name be?" Kara asked softly, mesmerized by the baby in her arms.
"Kal-El," Jor-El replied proudly as he stood on the other side of the bed. "It means 'Star Child.'" Lara smiled up at her husband, taking his hand.
"Kal-El," Kara replied slowly, trying the name out; she finally nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I guess that will do."
"We're so glad you approve," Zor-El replied dryly, and he received a playful elbow in his stomach from his wife. Rok-Var snickered a little, and even Jor-El smiled.
"I'm Kara," the young girl said to her cousin, who just continued to stare at her. "I'm your big cousin, and I'm going to teach you everything about Krypton." The baby responded by burping loudly; the adults laughed, but Kara looked less than amused as she stared at the baby, who smiled and grabbed her thumb, holding tight. Kara's frown disappeared as she leaned over and kissed the baby's forehead, dropping her voice to a whisper. "I won't let anyone hurt you. Ever."
"Father!" Kara shouted in fear as she ran into her father's laboratory, looking scared. She threw herself at her father, who wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "There was another tremor!"
"I know," Zor-El said, rubbing her back, "but you're fine, now." He pulled back and looked at his daughter. "Where're your mother and Rok-Var?"
"Picking up things in the dining hall," Kara replied.
"Can you go and help them?" Zor-El asked. "I'm talking with your uncle and General Zod right now."
Kara glanced over and saw her uncle standing next to a familiar man in a highly-decorated Kryptonian military uniform. He smiled at the teenager, but she didn't return the smile; she knew he was an important figure—the commander of the entire Kryptonian army—but she still felt uneasy around him…especially when he was staring at her. It was almost creepy, and always made her skin crawl.
"I'll go," Kara replied as her father put his arms down. She left the laboratory, but she heard the voices pick up; the young girl stayed near the door, out of sight, and listened in.
"We have to tell the Council," Jor-El said.
"Jor-El, be reasonable," Zod replied. "The Council will never believe this."
"We have the evidence," Zor-El said. "Rao is going to explode—it will destroy Krypton; it's just a matter of time."
"Then share that information with BRAINIAC," Zod replied. "Let him have access to your labs and algorithms so he can analyze the data. He will be able to convince the Council of what you're saying."
"Zod, you know how we feel about that thing," Jor-El said.
"You don't trust your own work?" Zod asked.
"Whatever that thing is," Zor-El replied, "it is no longer my work. It was designed to help Krypton, not spy on everyone, collecting all that data. And the way the Council blindly follows its suggestions," he shook his head, "no, it will not have access to our labs."
"They won't believe the evidence if you show it to them yourselves," Zod replied. "You know how they are; they won't believe that there is actually something out there that is not under our control. They will put you and your entire family in the Phantom Zone. Do you really want Kal-El and Kara imprisoned there?"
"What do you suggest?' Jor-El asked. "We sit back and do nothing? We can't do that, Zod. It'd be suicide."
"It'd be worse," Zor-El said. "It'd be genocide."
"No," Zod replied. Kara heard him sigh. "Look, if you won't let BRAINIAC have access to your labs, at least give the data to me. I may not have a great mind like either of you, but I have been known to be persuasive myself. Let me talk to the Council. I can convince them to listen to you. Trust me, old friends. I won't let you down."
"Father, why can't you and Mother come with us?" Kara asked as she clung to her father. Everything in their house shook—like it was going to come apart any second; things fell to the floor, breaking. Jagged pieces of the crystalline ceiling fell and crashed to the floor.
"Because we have to stay here," Zor-El replied, his voice a mere whisper as he held his daughter close, tears filling his eyes. "There wasn't enough time to build a ship big enough for all of us."
"I want to stay with you and Mother and Rok-Var," Kara said, crying.
"If you stay here," Alura said, her voice cracking, "then who's going to watch over Kal-El? He'll need his big cousin to protect him." She tried to keep her composure, but she couldn't. She started crying, and Zor-El let go of his daughter; Alura hugged Kara tightly. "My little girl…I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Mother," Kara said, crying, hugging her tightly.
"We have to do this," Zor-El said, "now." Alura and Kara hurried over to the small spaceship nearby; Kara got in, and Alura helped her get comfortable while Zor-El went over to the control panel; he pushed a few buttons before walking over. "Now, Kara, do you remember what I told you?"
Kara nodded, sniffling. "Kal-El and I are going to Earth," she said, trying to sound stronger than she felt, "where Uncle Jor-El went."
"And where on Earth are you going to land?" Zor-El asked. "Who are you going to find?"
"A place called Kansas," Kara answered. "And I'm going to look for Hiram Kent."
"He's a good man," Zor-El said. "He helped your uncle, and he will help you and Kal-El when you get there. You can trust him." Kara nodded, and Zor-El leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Be brave, my Kara, and know that even in our deaths, we will never leave you." The doors to the laboratory suddenly flew open, and Rok-Var came running in, looking frantic.
"They're coming!" he shouted. "Do it, now!"
Zor-El rushed over to the control panel, pushing buttons. Kara watched as her teacher went over to help them while her mother came to the ship to help make the final preparations. Alura suddenly shouted in pain before falling to the floor, unmoving.
"Mother!" Kara shouted, seeing the blood soak the back of her gown. She looked up and saw Faora, Zod's second-in-command, standing next to her mother, holding a bloody dagger, smirking at the young girl.
"No!" Rok-Var shouted as he rushed Faora, slamming into her; they both tumbled to the floor, the dagger skittering out of reach just as Zod rushed in
Zor-El's eyes seethed as he produced a large dagger from his belt before rushing the general, swinging his dagger. Zod easily dodged him and tried grabbing the weapon from Zor-El. The two struggled for a few moments before Zod managed to wrestle the dagger from Zor-El's grip and plunge the blade into the scientist's stomach.
"Father!" Kara shouted. She watched Zod yank the knife out and then her father slowly fall to the floor. She turned to see Faora kick Rok-Var in the face, knocking him aside before rushing over and yanking Kara from her ship.
"No!" Rok-Var shouted, blood gushing from his nose, as he rushed over, but he stopped short as Faora turned the knife against him, holding the blade against his throat. "Why did you do this?! What could motivate you to condemn an innocent girl to die here with us?!"
"I didn't condemn her to death," Zod said as he walked over to another control panel. "I have more interesting plans for her—and for Kal-El." He pushed a large red button on the panel, and the shuddering around them increased.
Kara broke free from Faora's grip and clung to Rok-Var, scared and confused. She looked out the lab window in time to see a streak of fire shoot up from the nearby city of Kandor; it rocketed skyward, disappearing from view as the city's beautiful crystalline buildings shattered and crumbled. Tears welled up in the young girl's eyes, and she buried her face into Rok-Var's arm as she felt her entire world falling apart all around her. She was never going to see her parents ever again—and the promise she had made to her cousin would never come true.
"No!" Kara tried to run from what was left of her father's laboratory, but Faora held her tightly, wrenching her arms behind her; the girl whimpered in pain as she struggled. The vice-like pain increased, and the young girl quickly stopped moving.
"You can't do this to her!" Rok-Var shouted from where he was being held by two of Zod's men.
"I'm not going to do anything to her," Zod replied calmly. "You will."
"I will do nothing," Rok-Var growled. "I will not be a part of your sadistic plans!"
"I saved the Kryptonian race from extinction," Zod said calmly. "I would consider that more in line with a savior, not a sadist."
"You made a deal with the devil," Rok-Var shouted, "at the expense of our planet and most of its people!"
"A small price to pay for the chance to take control of our destinies and rule as gods," Zod replied. "If you join me, I'll—"
"Don't even try to persuade me to help you!" Rok-Var spat. "I would rather die first!"
"That I don't doubt," Zod said, "but are you willing to make that same gamble with her life?" He glanced over at Kara. "You know how important she is, Rok-Var. Are you willing to risk millions of innocent lives just to save hers?" He raised his eyes to meet Faora's and nodded slightly. The woman sneered as she raised her hand, swinging it down at the young girl.
"Stop!" Rok-Var shouted fearfully. Faora's hand paused, a few millimeters from Kara's temple.
"You object?" Zod asked calmly.
Rok-Var glared at him, trying to think of something to reply, but nothing came: no plan of action, no words…nothing. He sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat, his head lowering, eyes closed. "Fine," he replied softly. "I'll do it."
Zod motioned to Faora, and she started dragging Linda over to a nearby chamber. The young girl struggled, trying to break free, but she was no match for the stronger woman. "Please!" she shouted. "Leave me alone! Let me go!"
"Wait!" Everyone looked over as Rok-Var approached. He looked sternly at Zod. "Let me do it."
Zod and Faora looked almost amused, and Zod waved his hand dismissively. Faora looked like she would protest, but she released Kara; the girl immediately ran to Rok-Var, throwing herself at him as he knelt in front of her; she sobbed into his chest, clinging tightly to him.
"Please don't let him hurt me," she cried, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Rok-Var lifted her face with one hand, looking into her eyes. "Kara," he said softly, his voice struggling not to break, his eyes filled with an unusual sadness, "do you trust me?" Kara nodded. "Then trust me now." He raised his other hand, and Kara could see it held a small, pentagonal-shaped crystal with her family's crest on it. "Everything will be just fine." The crystal suddenly glowed brightly.
Then everything turned black.
The blue light crackled and quickly disappeared. Linda's eyes shot open, gasping; her heart pounded in her ears as her entire body shook. She blinked, confused, by her surroundings, then she realized she was back in Kansas; she looked around slowly, seeing everyone staring at her: Jonathan and Martha appeared concerned, Clark seemed shocked, but Rok-Var and Zachary looked calm and serious.
"Linda?" Martha asked, seeing how in shock her daughter appeared. "What happened?"
Linda just stared at Rok-Var in stunned disbelief. "What did you do to me?" she whispered.
"I understand you're probably a little confused," Rok-Var said gently as he took a step forward. "That's to be expected, given—"
"Don't come near me!" Linda shouted. She saw the flash of hurt cross Rok-Var's eyes, but she didn't care. Her head was swimming with memories of an unknown time and place, with unknown people, scrambling with the memories of the dark life she had always known. "What the hell was that?"
"Your life," Rok-Var replied. "Your real life." He saw Clark's expression and deduced the reason. "She projected them to you again, didn't she?"
"But that's impossible," Clark said, stunned, not bothering to answer Rok-Var's question. "I'm older than Linda, and I was just a baby when Krypton exploded. There is no way that Linda was alive during that time."
"Linda was born much earlier than everyone has been led to believe," Rok-Var said.
"So how come I'm still the same age?" Linda asked. "If Krypton exploded in nineteen eighty-six, and I was fifteen at that time, I should be over forty—and I'm clearly not." She paused, remembering the visions of herself floating in the tube with blue liquid, hooked up to various machines. She stared at Rok-Var, stunned. "What did you do to me?"
Rok-Var took in a deep breath; it was now or never. "Zod wanted to turn you into his puppet," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "He wanted me to turn you into the perfect soldier—one under his control. In order to do that, he wanted your…genetic information to be altered to what he considered perfection."
Linda's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief as her stomach turned to ice. "What?" she whispered, not sure if she had heard him correctly. "You experimented on me?"
Rok-Var could see the expression on her face, the one he had been dreading since arriving; Clark and their parents looked equally shocked by Rok-Var's revelation, and the Kryptonian suddenly wished he could sink into oblivion.
"How long was I in there?" Linda demanded. Rok-Var hesitated. "Tell me!"
Rok-Var jumped slightly; he had never heard her talk like that to anyone. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "About twenty-eight years," he finally responded somberly.
Linda felt as though the ground was just yanked out from under her. She felt her knees grow weak and shaky, her mind whirling. She couldn't think straight…not there. She had to get away.
Rok-Var saw the panicked look in her eyes. "Kara," he said softly, "I know—"
Linda blurred out of the house, sending papers flying and dishes crashing to the floor. Jonathan and Martha were knocked off their feet by the sudden force of Linda's departure, but Clark managed to keep them from falling over. Rok-Var and Zachary also managed to stay on their feet.
"Clark, you need to go after her," Martha replied as Clark helped them back to their feet.
"No," Clark said. "I know where she's going; she'll be okay for now." He turned to Rok-Var, his expression hard and full of anger. "Right now, I think you better tell us what's going on, "he glared quickly at Zachary, "and where you fit in."
"Believe me," Rok-Var replied, his voice a combination of sadness and seriousness, "I have every intention of doing just that."
(End of Chapter 3)