"Kara this wasn't your fault." Alex tried in a placating tone as the tech applied the sophisticated medical device to her injured leg. Kara had been pacing back and forth for the entire procedure and that was only after she had yelled at the director of the D.E.O in front of all his agents. She seemed to be really out of sorts and Alex couldn't really blame her. She had just had a very tough night, Alex had been hurt and she had been reminded of her mortality all at once. Not to mention Alex could now safely say I told you so. Needless to say Kara would be sparing with her as soon as she was back up to par. No excuses of powers could get her out of it now.
"He almost killed me. Even I need to breathe, and if I had died…he could have moved on to you. If Hank hadn't shown up when he did." She practically growled as she stopped to stare at her sister, arms crossed over the emblem on her chest. "I should have been in on it from the beginning I could have stopped them from taking you."
Alex coughed to get the techs attention and nodded her head toward the exit, he caught the hint and left without Kara even noticing. Alex reached out and was relieved when Kara gave in and took her hand, she pulled the girl over to the examination table and pulled her up beside her.
"The entire thing had been a trap for you." She met Kara's shocked blue eyes steadily. "That's right. And that man knew we were family, Kara. He knew your family motto back on Krypton and he knew we were related outside of you being Supergirl. If you had been there we might have both been taken, or worse. No offence but you were no match for him and I barely managed to take down the Hellgrammite."
Kara turned away from her and stared out the glass separating them from the bustling agents outside. "He knew my name too." She admitted quietly. "My Kryptonian name, my full name. He said he had hated me since birth. What could I have done as an infant?" Her voice was tight but she couldn't cry while wearing the S. It was only Alex in the room but the glass wasn't one way anyone could look in on them. She needed to project at least some semblance of confidence or no one would have faith in her.
Alex squeezed her hand to get her attention, once she had it she reached up and pushed back a loose strand of blonde curls that had made it's way into Kara's face. "You are an amazingly good person, Kara Zor-El Danvers. Anyone who has ever met you is lucky to know you on Krypton or on Earth. You see the best in people even when everyone else doubts them. I mean come on you actually like Cat Grant. How many of her employees can say that. No matter what anyone says of you I have never know you to hurt another person willingly." Kara chuckled lightly making Alex smile. "I will always be grateful Kal decided to leave you at my house to become part of my family."
"Even when I've put you in danger?" Blue eyes searched hers worriedly.
"I think I'm enough of a bad ass I can take care of myself. And even when I'm in a jam I know you'll always be there to help me out of it. It goes the same way. El Mayarah, Kara."
"I love you Alex." She hugged the human as tight as she could without damaging her.
"You better because I'm on desk duty which means I'm going to be eating pizza and sticky buns till I'm forced back on to active and have to watch what I eat again." Kara squealed in excitement. She always did love a good pizza.
Her expression dimmed again. "I have no idea what he has planned but I don't think it's going to be good, Alex."
"Ah it's just your usual psycho with powers after world domination. Typical Monday. At least now he will be more cautious now that he knows we have a way to hurt him." She gingerly climbed to her feet with Kara's help. She didn't voice her concern that the mysterious Kryptonian had taken off with a Kryptonite dagger. Now he had a way to harm Kara, and he had already proved he was more than capable of utilizing his abilities to his advantage. She glanced back at her sister. "When I'm back up to par your going to be training with me in the sparing room." Kara didn't offer a protest.
"It's a good idea. I think…I think I need some help with training my powers too. Any ideas?"
Alex thought about it as she found her balance and grabbed the crutch the tech had left for her to use. Advanced medical tech would speed up the healing process but it still hurt like a bitch to stand on it. "Just using them in a controlled situation is okay, and so is the other things you do as Supergirl, the not fighting alien things," she clarified. "But I think you need something to fight, something that can anticipate your actions and help you hone your skills. Something that can handle you sparing at full strength and using your powers."
"Kal is the obvious choice but…."
"He has his own troubles." Alex nodded. "Let me ask Lucy she mentioned having you test something for the military. Maybe it'll be what we need."
Kara hummed thoughtfully. "Hey Alex?" The brunette turned around awkwardly from the doorway. "Do you think… could mine or Kal's pod have anything on the Fort Rozz criminals? Could he be one of them? There could be more Kryptonians…it was our Max security prison after all."
"It's possible. We haven't been able to crack anything about it though, it's heavily encrypted. The techs say we need Kryptonian military codes. You know anything about those?"
Kara bit her lip and shook her head dismally. "I was slated for science guild. Like my father."
"Ill ask them to keep trying. Perhaps you can take a look at it anyway." Kara nodded. " I need to show you something. Something I've been working on, I think, well I hope you'll appreciate it. You mother left it for you but I only just got it up and running , it was damaged in your crash and then forgotten….anyways follow me." Kara perked up at the mention of her mother and followed Alex eagerly out of the med bay and down endless halls.
She led her to a sealed room, a palm scanner was the only way in Kara didn't see even a door handle. Alex place her palm on the device and the doors swished open. "It's set to recognize your hand as well but the AI doesn't really communicate with anyone else."
"AI?" Alex didn't answer she simply powered up the machine in the center of the room.
Kara gasped and stared at the likeness of her mother. "Mom," her voiced exploded on an exhaled as the AI's gaze focused on her.
"I am the likeness of Alura, your mother, yes. I am here to answer any questions you may have and to help you acclimate to the new world." Kara just stared at the image.
"Is it okay?" Both Alex and Alura watched for Kara's reaction in silence.
"It-its ok. Thank you." Her voice broke and she hugged her sister again.
"I'll go talk to Hank now, give you some privacy." Kara nodded gratefully and didn't look away even when she heard the doors swish shut behind her sister.
"You may ask me anything, Kara. I have been programmed to speak only to you and answer any questions pertinent to your successful integration into the Earth society."
"I can't think of anything to say." Kara admitted.
"Just ask me whatever you would want to ask your mother."
Kara took a deep breath. "I want to…" she hesitated and shook off her doubts. "I want to know if Astra was on Krypton when it exploded. If…if there is a possibility she is alive on Earth." She wasn't sure if she was right, if maybe her aunt had been off world and escaped, if maybe she knew Kara had been sent away before the explosion and she had come to Earth to find her. She wanted so bad to believe she had heard her that night in her apartment.
"Astra In-Ze was meant to accompany you. Your pod was damaged after the explosion of Krypton knocked it off course into the Phantom Zone. You were delayed in your arrival. She was meant to raise you and Kal-El on Earth."
Kara wiped at her tears. "Was she sent in another pod?"
"Astra In-Ze was imprisoned on Fort Rozz after her arrest for terroristic actions and attempted kidnapping."
Kara stared at her mother's likeness in astonishment. "Terror- what who did she try to-" Kara trailed off, remembering the last time Astra had come to visit her. The abrupt way her mother had pulled her sister out of the room and the unusual fatigue that had assaulted her that particular night. She remembered the headache she had the next morning and how both her parents were at her bedside asleep as if she had been desperately ill. Kara had a guard posted to her after that. She had only been ten but the guard had stayed until the week before her launch to Earth. "Me…she tried to take me."
"Yes."
"Why did she try to take me?"
"She feared for your safety if you remained on Krypton."
"But she was right to…" Kara muttered quietly.
"Yes she was. But her methods were drastic at the time."
"She was sent to Fort Rozz for trying to kidnap me. She was my aunt, your twin how could you not understand her fear. You sentenced her to Max prison for trying to protect me?"
"Astra was sent to Fort Rozz because of terroristic actions that resulted in the deaths of two Kryptonian guards and one Daxamite ambassador."
"I-I don't believe it. Aunt Astra always talked about saving our world for everyone. She didn't want to hurt anyone. She made it clear to me her job wasn't about hurting but protecting people." Kara went back to pacing.
"Their deaths was considered an accident and unplanned. Still it was considered an act of terrorism and she was punished within the law."
Kara exhaled sharply. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Astra had been responsible for deaths and trying to kidnap her, had been sentenced to prison.
"So who was messaging me all the time? Fort Rozz prisoners weren't able to communicate with anyone." Kara remember reading about the station one night. She had been curious about her mother's work.
Ninety percent of it was automated with only a handful of guards. It was also one way for communication. The guards got orders but until they left they couldn't communicate with family or friends. It was the same for the prisoners. Either they got released after serving their time or they remained in their solitary prison for their life. Which was horribly long in the Phantom Zone.
Alura felt it would be detrimental to your emotional well-being if Astra was to stop responding to your mail without reason. At the time she felt it was improper to explain the situation to you."
Kara wanted to rant about how unfair it was but she was an adult now hearing the truth for the first time. She felt betrayed yes, but as a child….maybe her mother had been right.
"Aunt Astra is on Earth. I heard her that night. I really-" she trailed off stunned with her own revelation. If that Kryptonian was from Fort Rozz there was a good chance her Aunt was in league with whatever he had planned. Her heart sank just as fast as the hope had risen within it. If she was right she was going to be forced to fight her Aunt. And what's worse, her Aunt was trying to kill her. How did the woman go from trying to kidnap her to trying to kill her.