Chapter 10: Ready, Aim, Fire Part 1: Kara Zor-El

"You, Christian!" Imperiex shouted. "Halt in the name of Brainiac!"

Kara sped away from several of Brainiac's guards as they pursued her. She looked up and noticed a statue. Seeing gray paint on the ground, Kara quickly rubbed it all over herself and stood by the statue to make it seem like she was part of it. When Imperiex investigated, Kara stepped on Imperiex's head, knocking him down, as she sped off.

"After her!" Imperiex shouted.

()()()()()

At the farm, Dick and Imra were up a tree wearing leaves to blend in as Kell observed them.

"I love climbing trees, but I never thought I'd be one." Imra said.

"You missed a spot, Imra." Dick said with a smirk as he plucked a leaf from the tree and put it on Imra's mouth.

"Dick, any sign of the courier?" Kell asked.

"Not yet." Dick said plainly.

"Well keep looking." Kell said plainly. "And fix your camouflage. I can still see you."

Kell then turned to Garth, who had grown a few inches.

"Garth, why aren't you in position?!" Kell snapped at Garth as he rushed to the opposite sight of his position with bows and arrows.

"I'm going!" Garth groaned. "Don't get your jeans in a bunch!"

"How am I supposed to work with a bunch of amateurs like this?!" Kell asked Clark, Lois, and Ayla angrily.

"What's wrong with Kell-El, Clark?" Ayla asked. Kell seemed a lot snippier than usual.

"Well Ayla, the courier we're waiting for is me and Kell's cousin, Kara." Clark explained.

"She's a freedom fighter, and a Story Keeper for Krypton, and Kell-El wants to make a good impression." Lois explained.

"Here she comes!" Imra shouted from the tree.

"Positions everybody!" Kell said at once as everyone prepared to defend themselves and Kara.

Kara, a blond girl with blue eyes like Clark's, rushed to their position, chased by several guards.

"She's not gonna make it!" Dick exclaimed.

"I'll activate the emergency barricade!" Kell shouted as he fired his heat vision at a bundle of barrels, but he instead hit a wall, singeing it slightly.

Working quickly, Clark took off his glasses and singed the rope himself, releasing several barrels that blocked the soldiers' path.

"You Christians can't escape Brainiac's justice forever!" Imperiex shouted as he slipped and fell while the others hid.

()()()()()

Inside the farm, Clark hugged his cousin Kara.

"Kara." Clark said with a smile.

"We're so glad to have you with us." Lois said happily.

"Not as glad as I am, Lois." Kara said, catching her breath after her extended chase. "For a moment there, I didn't think I'd make it. Now, where's my little cousin?"

Clark went to check and found Kell singeing a sand bag with a bulls-eye on it with heat vision.

"Kell, don't you wanna see, Kara?" Clark asked.

"I can't believe I missed that shot." Kell groaned. "She's going to be so disappointed."

"Everyone misses a shot now and then." Clark points out.

"You don't understand, Clark." Kell sighed. "Dad and Uncle Zor-El were the greatest leaders Krypton ever had. They'd never have missed."

"There you are!" Kara called out as she came over to them with Ayla. "Kell-El!"

"Kara, watch this!" Kell shouted as he singed a tree. "I don't understand!" Kell said angrily. "This never happens!"

"Well, you hit the mark when it counted." Kara said comfortingly. "You saved my butt back there."

"I thought Clark hit the tar-" Ayla began to say before Clark quickly covered her mouth.

Kara then looked Kell over and smiled.

"You and Kal are the image of Uncle Jor-El. Except for your eyes. You have Aunt Lara's eyes." Kara said, and Clark had to agree with her. "I also bet you're every bit the leader they were too. That reminds me, I have something for you."

Kara reached into her pouch and held up a necklace with the S-Shield on it.

"Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough." Kara said. "Our family crest. Kal got his when you were only a little kid."

Kell put the necklace on.

"Thanks Kara." Kell said with a smile. "I promise I'll be worthy of it."

"Kara did you and Clark really lead an uprising in Tamaran?" Dick asked as he suddenly popped up.

"Did you really defeat an entire garrison of Brainiac's troops?" Imra asked as well.

"Tell us about the freedom fights on Krypton!" Garth called out.

"That's enough!" Kell snapped. "Kara doesn't have time to entertain a bunch of children!"

"Well of course I do." Kara said with a smile at Clark's young charges. "Kell, you remember the way Jesus said we should treat children?"

"What?" Ayla asked. "What did he say?"

"Well Ayla," Kara said as she sat down and picked Ayla up and set Ayla on her lap. "One day, Jesus and his disciples were on the way to Jerusalem. It had been a long, hard journey. The disciples had become irritable and were quarreling with one another.

"During a stop and meal at a welcoming house, Jesus asked, 'What were you arguing about earlier?'

"As it turned out, they had been arguing about which one of them was the most important.

"In response to this, Jesus picked up a young boy that giggled, and Jesus said, 'I have already told you that my kingdom belongs to people who are like this child.'

"The disciples knew how important children were to Jesus because of something that had happened on another occasion. Jesus was teaching as the disciples tried to keep the children out.

"Noticing this, Jesus said, 'Let the boys and girls come to me. Don't stop them. Anyone who does not accept God's kingdom like a little boy or girl will not get inside.'

"So you see, Kell-El, Jesus holds children in very high regards."

"As do I, Cousin." Kell said grandly. "What good is a leader without followers? Alright everyone, break time's over. Attention!"

All the children stood erect.

"It's time to show Kara how efficiently we can set up for tonight's meeting. Move out!"

All the children walked off.

"You know Kara, I think Kell might have missed the point of your story." Clark observed as Kell ordered the children around like an army sergeant.

"I think you're right." Kara said plainly.

()()()()()

At Brainiac's New Metropolis palace, he was observing a model of New Smallville as Brainy watched in silent disgust.

"Now let's see…" Brainiac pondered. "Where shall I build my new Pantheon? Try to the south, Ron Karr!"

Ron Karr picked up the model of the pantheon and walked off as Imperiex arrived.

"Hail, Brainiac!" Imperiex called out.

"Ah, Imperiex." Brainiac said offhandedly. "I understand you lost another Christian courier in New Smallville's market district."

"Brainiac," Imperiex defended. "The district is riddled with secret passages and tunnels. It's impossible to accurately patrol… So what if we burned it to the ground?"

"Hm…" Brainiac observed. "That would provide a perfect spot for my pantheon. Don't just stand there, Ron Karr!"

"But Brainiac, a fire in the market district could kill hundreds of people!" Brainy protested.

"Wonderful." Brainiac said with a wicked grin, which after becoming a Christian, Brainy noticed more and more. "Imperiex, have you a plan?"

"As a matter of fact," Imperiex said as he held up the model of a huge canon. "I call it, The Wrath of Brainiac."

"Impressive." Brainiac observed as he put a small charge in there and fired at the model of New Smallville's market district, setting half the thing ablaze. "Most impressive."

Brainy quietly slid over to a servant friend of his, Reep Daggle and knelt down low to avoid being heard.

"You must get word to Clark." Brainy whispered. "He's holding a meeting tonight in the market district. I'll do what I can to stall Imperiex, now go."

Reep nodded and sneaked off, Brainiac absorbed in the simulation of the market district burning to the ground. Brainiac sickened him to his very core these days.

Uh-oh. It's never good when Brainiac's happy.