Superman/Steven Universe:
The Shield of Hope
(Note: I'm back everybody with a new chapter for all of you. I'm glad your all enjoying this and I am going to give you alot more in the future with exciting twists and turns. Also check my Deviantart page Gadgetboy197 for some character concept art. Now Enjoy.) :)
Chapter 18
"Alright since you're hard of hearing, I will say it again." Lois groaned annoyed talking to a soldier.
Lois was currently sitting in an interrogation next to Jimmy and Greg, after the fusion and the gems left they were brought in here and barraged with questions about what just happened.
"I do not know where they are. I do not know where they are going, what they are planning, or what they are having for lunch. I do-not-know-ANYTHING! Can me and my friends please leave now?" Lois angrily asked.
The soldier was about to say something, but the door opened revealing General Lane. He gave a simple gesture to the soldier who saluted and exited the room, leaving the four in there.
"Lois…." Samuel began.
"Save it, my answer will be the same for you as it is for them." Lois interrupted, not looking at her father.
"You technically did nothing wrong, so we can't hold you here. You all will be sent back to Beach City and stay there until all this is over." Samuel said.
"Oh, so you can't hold us for breaking into a government facility, but you can hold them for saving people's lives." Lois said.
"Lois, this is two times now that you've seen first-hand how dangerous they can be." Samuel said.
"All I saw was people defending themselves from a threat you created, and even then they still made sure no one was hurt and helped those that were." Lois said.
"Lois, they aren't people." Samuel said.
"And how does what they are change what they've done!" Lois yelled at her father's face.
Samuel was going to say something else, but Greg cut in.
"What about my son? Is he a person?" Greg asked sadly making Samuel look at him with a sad expression.
"Sir…. I didn't mean him…. I didn't mean to…." Samuel said apologetically.
"It's alright General, I know you didn't mean it. I can tell you are a good man, trying to do his best." Greg said with a small smile making Lois scoff.
"I have been with the gems for a long time and I know how dangerous they can be, but I also know that they would never intentionally hurt a person. The worse things they'd ever intentionally do is be a little condescending, not respect your personal space, and destroy a wall or two. They are good general, and they'll continue to be good even if you don't believe them." Greg said with a smile.
"Mr. Universe, we will find your son and return him to you safely." Samuel said reassuringly.
"The thing is general, wherever my son is right now, I'm sure he's safer than ever right now." Greg said with a smile making the other two smile and Samuel frown.
Two soldiers then entered the room and saluted.
"The transport to Beach City is ready, sir." One of the soldiers said.
"Well then I guess were off, it's been nice dad." Lois said getting up and walking to the door. Samuel looked like he wanted to say something but said nothing.
"Hey, what are the chances of me getting my camera baaaa-and I'm just going to walk away." Jimmy said but walked away realizing Samuel wasn't listening.
"General, old timers like you and me don't have much time left in this world. If you have something important you need to say, say it now." Greg said before following the two and leaving the general in silence.
"Well, your father was nice." Greg said nervously as he followed behind Lois.
"Save it Greg. Where did they go?" Lois said biting the tip of her thumb.
"Things were getting heated with all the soldiers and Mech suits, I think they were just focused on getting away and weren't really focused on the where. I just hope their safe." Jimmy said worried.
"I meant what I said back there, they've already proved their strength to handle whatever comes at them. I'm sure they're all doing just fine, all we can do now is be patient and wait for all this heat to die down." Greg said as the three looked up into the sky.
"You better be safe, Superman, and you better take care of that kid." Lois thought looking up into the blue sky.
Northern Frozen Arctic Wasteland
It was what you would expect from a frozen wasteland: nothing but white for miles and miles on end. Dark clouds swirled overhead as snow fell heavily onto the ground making sure the coated land was flawless. The high winds and constant snow would block the vision of anyone in the area making the trek dangerous on land and in the sky. Anyone on the ground would immediately be overtaken by the winds and snow, likely to be buried or lost to the wilderness and becoming a meal for the animals who called the area home. No airplane could fly through the storm, the snow and chilling winds would destroy any engine. But it wasn't like anyone actually came up here, it was a wasteland. Most expected to find nothing but snow covered hills, mountains, icebergs, and polar bears. And they would be right for the most part, but like all great things they hide in the most unassuming and unlikely of places.
A pink streak streaked through the blizzard without any sign of stopping, the fusion still carried the bubble carrying the gems. The fusion had a huge smile on his face as his mouth hung open catching all the snowflakes he could in his mouth as they flew at high speeds.
"Wow, arctic snow tastes a lot different than Beach City snow. It feels cleaner, like that fancy Japanese water you brought home once Pearl, why's that?" The fusion asked curiously.
"Listen, I know you're having fun and we have all been through a lot. But, do you know where you are going?" Pearl asked nervously.
"Yeah, we are really far up North, there ain't much up here." Amethyst chimed.
"All we can do now is trust them. We can't head back to Beach City, and we don't really have a backup place. We can just hope that it's well hidden and that we'll have the time to think of our next move." Garnet said
"Oh don't worry guys, this place is super safe. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but one part of me says to head north, land near a specific area where everything will be fine." The fusion said with a smile.
"So what should we call you?" Amethyst asked.
"Hmmm?" The fusion hummed.
"You been a part of the world for few minutes and you need a name. I'm not just gonna call you a fusion forever you know." Amethyst said.
"Amethyst, this isn't really the time." Pearl
"I never really thought of a name, with everything that went down." The fusion said a little worried.
"I mean are you Super-Steven, Super-Quartz, Super-Universe….. Nah that's bad. What about Superboy?" Amethyst listed.
"Amethyst now is not the time, he's not an even a boy….. I think!" Pearl said annoyed.
"Hey this stuff is important." Amethyst said.
"H-how old am I? I look like I'm twenty, but I was just born. Where did I even come from, what's my name?" The fusion said, panic rising and making the gems worry.
"You need to focus, Superman I know this is all strange and you don't understand what's happening, but you need to calm your mind and let the fusion work. You're the only thing keeping us up." Garnet said as the bubble they were in began to crack.
"S-superman, that's not my name. I have a real name, no I have two names given to me by people who love me. My name is-Gasp you're-!" The fusion said the last part coming out in a different tone as if someone else said it.
"NO!" The fusion yelled as his body glowed blue and pink.
Before the gems could object Superman and Steven appeared before them with a pop and confused expressions on their faces. All their eyes met for a moment and at that same moment the bubble popped and they were all left hanging in the frozen air.
"Oh damn." Superman said simply as they began to fall.
Knowing the danger Superman quickly grabbed onto Steven and pulled him close. At the same time the gems had grabbed onto him as well expecting him to fly. Superman's mind was still a little messed up from the shock of the fusion so he wasn't in full control. Still he was able to slow their descent enough, they landed into a snowy hit with a light POMF. Comically shaped holes laid in the snow while the wind whistled, the heroes laid there for a few seconds
"I'm sorry-I-I didn't mean-." Steven said from a hole.
"No-no it was me. It was all just very surprising, I just freaked out near the end there." Superman said coming out of the hole holding Steven.
"Well that was fun, everyone okay?" Amethyst asked.
Garnet came out of the snow with a thumbs up and Pearl dug herself out with a groan. Superman looked around the area they were in.
"Hey this is actually close to where we needed to be, it can't be too far." Superman said as he stood up holding Steven
"Okay, just where are you taking us? First you fuse with my child, and now you take us to this frozen wasteland without telling us exactly what we're looking for or even-!" Pearl yelled annoyed.
"Pearl, there's an Eskimo behind you." Garnet said simply.
Pearl let out a surprised shriek as indeed a person was behind Pearl. It was as tall as her wearing a heavy winter coat with the hood up obscuring their face, snow wear covered its entire body showing no defining features or it gender.
"Uh, hello." Pearl said nervously, but received nothing from the person.
"It's good to see you. Could you let me and my friends in. I promise they won't cause any trouble." Superman said with a smile having wrapped Steven in his cape to protect from the cold.
The person said nothing, but their body movement showed happiness as they gestured for them to follow and made its way down the hill.
"You know Eskimos?" Steven asked.
"She's not an Eskimo, she's….. Well it's complicated. It will all make sense when we all get inside." Superman said as he followed the person.
"Inside where?" Pearl asked more confused by the situation.
"Inside my Fortress, come on it'll be warm in there." Superman said simply as he continued to walk leaving the gems with surprised expressions on their faces
"He has a fortress?" Amethyst asked confused, then Garnet began to follow
"Hasn't lead us wrong yet so, whynot." Garnet said, the other two simply shrugged and followed their leader.
Superman held onto Steven as he trudged barefoot through the snowy terrain making sure to keep up with the figure, while the gems followed closely behind. They trudged through the deep snow and harsh winds Steven burying himself inside Superman's cape which surprisingly kept him very warm. The gems were silent but very suspicious as they followed Superman who was following this mysterious person in the snow, he appeared to be very happy with the individual and the same being vice versa. They did not speak, but there appeared to be some kind of connection. Finally they all came up to what looked like a giant mountain of ice and snow. The figure stopped taking a moment to turn and raise a hand signaling everyone else to stop.
"Okay-this is a wall of ice, so what?" Amethyst asked as she looked up at it
"Just give it a sec. Do you mind opening up for us, my hands are kinda full." Superman said emphasizing he was holding Steven
The figure nodded and turned to the wall, it then removed it glove revealing a pale slender feminine hand. The Figure raised its hand to the mountain and then within the wall a small blue light shot out a connected with the hand. The Steven and the gems looked on in amazement noting that the light was in the shape of the diamond crest Superman had. The figure then put her slender hand against the icy wall and with that a flash of blue swept across the wall three times. After a few seconds of silence there was a low creaking and suddenly a rectangular panel opened up in the wall just slightly taller than Superman and as wide as an average door. The panel opened outward pushing away the snow and revealing a dark staircase inside. The figure put on the glove once again and stepped aside and gestured for the group to enter.
"Alright let's go." Superman said simply as he walked forward
"Wait a minute, you just expect us to walk down some stairs hidden behind a hole in a wall and not ask questions." Pearl said not taking the situation to well.
"We already came this far Pearl, what's stopping us now." Steven said from his warm bundle making Amethyst snicker a bit while Pearl blushed
Garnet simply shrugged and followed with the two coming close behind
"Is she not coming?" Amethyst asked pointing to the figure who stood in the snow
"Don't worry about her, she's supposed to be out here. Also please wipe your feet when you enter." Superman said as he made his way down the steps
The gems confused by what he said looked down and saw a simple Welcome mat with a little smiley face on the first step. Confused, but not wanting to push on the matter the gems wiped the snow of their feet and quickly caught up with Superman. They made it down a couple steps when they heard a loud creaking as the door closed cutting off the light and leaving the group in darkness.
"Um, s-should I-?" Pearl said in the darkness
"Don't worry just give it a minute." Superman said
And with that the walls around them began to glow lightly illuminating the way and showing off the long staircase down. Superman smiled as he unwrapped Steven and placed him down on the stairs.
"Don't worry it's a lot warmer in here. Also don't worry about the steps they aren't slippery." Superman said with a smile as he made his way down the stairs
Steven tested his bare feet on the steps noting that they were actually warm and strangely enough he swore he felt the steps vibrating ever so slightly. He also noted how all the icy winds from before were locked outside once the door was closed and the staircase was a nice average temperature. Steven quickly followed Superman with the gems following behind.
"So I know you're going for some kind of grand reveal here, but do you mind just dropping the dramatics and telling us where the heck we are." Amethyst said
"This is his home…. I think. His home-away-from-home. I'm not really sure there was a lot up there when we fused it hard to process." Steven said rubbing his head
"That is basically it, this is where I hang up my cape. Or plan to at least, it's sort of a work in progress." Superman said as he reached the final step which led to an ice wall
Superman then pushed on the wall revealing another door. He pushed the door open as light began to erupt from the growing opening bathe everyone in the staircase. Steven covered his eyes as they needed a moment to adjust to the light. After a moment they did and Steven walked forward through the door the gems tailing behind. And as they stepped through they all let out a gasp in amazement as they all stared wide eyed at the room before them.
"Welcome everyone, please make yourself at home." Superman said with a smile as he gestured to the room
Before them was a giant hall made entirely of a strange crystalline substance. They glistened and sparkled underneath the large light source that illuminated the entire as if it were outside under the sun. The large hall appeared to have multiple doorways leading to different place suggesting that this compound was much larger. Still in the main hall there was a large statue of two people holding up a large spherical object, and behind it was a large crystal screen with a large chair in front of it. Superman ushered Steven and the gems down the steps into the main hall.
"Wha-what is this place?" Steven asked amazed
"You already said it Steven, my home away from home. Now where is she, she know she was watching when I came in." Superman said as he looked around
"Who are you looking for?" Steven asked
"MASTER EL YOU HAVE RETURNED!" Pearl yelled in a jovial tone
"Pearl why did you say that?" Amethyst asked confused turning to Pearl
"I didn't say anything." Pearl replied equally confused
"I think that is the source." Garnet said pointing upward to the statues and the globe
Everyone looked up to see a small figure walk along the sphere looking down at them. Superman smiled, while the others had shocked looks on their faces.
"Pearl?" Steven said confused
Atop the sphere was a mirror image of Pearl long nose and all. Only she was wearing a red sleeveless toga that reached her ankles, a yellow pin shaped and engraved with Superman's crest on her shoulder holding the dress up. Under the dress she appeared to be wearing a blue under suit that had light blue wrists, a yellow v shaped collar, and red ballet shoes. The Pearl had wavy black hair that reached her back, and a golden ring around her forehead. And upon closer inspection her skin appeared to be more of a pale blue rather than Pearl's white.
"Who in the name of the stars above is that?" Pearl whispered shocked looking up at the other Pearl
"Hey Lola, good to see you again." Superman said smiling at her
"LOLA!" Everyone yelled shocked
"MASTER EL!" The pearl called Lola screamed happily as she jumped off the sphere arms stretched out, huge smile on her face, and her pale blue eyes sparkling
She flew head first to the ground with a huge grin like a dart, the gems looked worried at how fast she was coming in but Superman was calm and smiled. Right before she hit the ground she flipped in the air to land on her feet and somehow slowed down before she could hit the floor landing with a light tap. She then ran full sprint towards Superman and jumped towards him.
"MASTER EL!" Lola yelled with a smile as she leapt into his arms as she hugged him
"Lola, it hasn't been that long since I've last been here. You don't have to act like this everytime I come back here." Superman said with a chuckle and a smile
"I know Master El, but I saw what those horrible monsters did to you and those barbaric humans take you away I was so worried. Look at you your shoes are gone, your pants and shirt are ripped, and you're filthy." Lola said as he looked at Superman worried trying to wipe the dirt off his face.
"Lola, Lola I'm okay. Got a little scuffed up, but it's nothing serious. And what did we talk about you calling me Master, I'm not your master." Superman said
"Oh right, Kal-El. And don't you lie to me my spy drones saw that metal monstrosity they used to attack you. And I also saw…." Lola continued but was stopped
"I'M SORRY WHO ARE YOU?!" Pearl shouted confused looking at Lola
"Some answers would be appreciated." Garnet said
"Two-Three Pearls." Steven said looking at his hand with confused look on his face trying to understand the situation
"Oh how rude of me, I am Kryptonian Servant Shard 707V. At your service." Lola said giving a small bow lowering her head
"That names pretty long so I just call her Lola. She's my guardian and has been with me for a long time." Superman said with a small smile
"And I truly enjoyed every day Kal-El, caring for you was an unspeakable honor." Lola said standing up and looking at Superman with stars in her eyes
"Okay, bring it back Pearl. You're doing that overly excited thing again." Superman said raising his hands
"Krypton had Pearls? And this one is even fussier than our Pearl?" Amethyst asked confused and surprised
"Kryptonian Servant Shard?" Pearl said to herself trying to understand
"Um, hello Ms. Lola my name is…." Steven said
"I am aware of who you are Steven Quartz Universe. And I must say it is truly astonishing to see an organic gem Hybrid, I mean there have been theories but most say in the end the conceived would end up deformed. But look at you completely normal, I mean aside from the gem in your navel area. But other than that you appear completely human with the abilities of a gem." Lola said kneeling down to eye level with Steven getting a good look at him
"You know who I am?" Steven said surprised
"Of course I saw you save Ms. Lane and Mr. Olsen from the mutated human using your energy shield at the Lexcorp building. Truly a remarkable weapon you have, it seems to absorb vibrations and send it back with double the force." Lola said thinking out loud
"You saw that?" Steven said surprised
"Yes thanks to my spy drones, when I heard there was a ruckus at the Lexcorp building and heard reports of a flying man I immediately sent them to investigate." Lola said with a smile standing up
"Well since you saw that battle you must be familiar with us then. Hello Lola my name is….." Pearl said approaching Lola with her arm extended for a handshake
Only in that instant for Pearl face to fly to the side with a resounding SMACK, as Lola slapped Pearl across the face. Lola's own face not showing any emotion.
"OH DANG!" Amethyst yelled surprised
"LOLA!" Superman yelled equally surprised
"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. I do know who you all are Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. When Kal-El went to the water city, I was so worried so I sent more of my spy drones to make sure he was okay. And to my surprise I see you three mercilessly beating down on him and shooting him with laser arrows. Ahahahahahahahahaha." Pearl said ending with laughter, the entire dialogue and the laughter having a very dark edge to it that made Steven and the gems slightly worried
"Okay Lola, why don't you just stand over here? I am so sorry Pearl." Superman said lifting Lola up and placing a few feet away from the gems, and looking to Pearl who was rubbing her slapped cheek
"Well they did help you fight the mutant, those enhanced gems, and the metal human. So my previous action was a bit uncalled for." Lola said in realization
"ALRIGHT THAT'S IT! I WANT ANSWERS, WHAT IS THIS PLACE!?" Pearl yelled angrily
"This is a Kryptonian Citadel made completely of the crystalline self-replicating and architecturally programmable substance known as sunstone. Starting from a single shard and replicating itself by utilizing the surrounding ice, creating this residence for Kal-El. Allowing him to rest and study on important events." Lola explained receiving blank stares from Steven and the gems
"I call this place my Fortress of Solitude, it where I hang my cape." Superman said simply
"Cool!" Steven said
"Awesome name man." Amethyst said
"It is a pretty good name." Garnet said
"Okay, but….. Please tell us why you're here. What does Krypton want with Earth, why did they send you here?" Pearl said defeated making Lola's eyes widened
"Ar-Are you truly not aware?" Lola said surprised
"What?" Pearl said
"That doesn't seem possible I know Homeworld would've been aware, they would've celebrated." Lola murmured to herself
"Lola, I think Earth has been their home for a very long time." Superman said
"Hm, they do appear to be of a different allegiance and it was only 29 years ago. Based on the left over gems structures on Earth, I theorized but…." Lola continued to murmur to herself
"What are you two talking about?" Pearl said as the room went silent
"Lola I want to show them, they are good people and I want them to understand why I'm here." Superman said despondent
"I understand." Lola said with equal sadness as she walked towards the large set of stairs
"Please follow me, everything will be explained soon." Superman said gesturing for them to follow
The gems felt the mood darken, but followed the man of steel. They passed the large statues and made their way to the large Stair case walking up it. They then came to a large platform where the chair and computer sat. Lola stood in the middle of the platform and brought her hands together. The Platform then began to glow and the chair was sucked into the floor while the screen and Keyboard were moved away. Where they once were what looked like tubes emerged and overhead what looked like a crystal chandelier loomed overhead. Then next to Lola a pillar emerged, Lola then put her hand inside the pillar it seeming to phase through it and after a few seconds on rummaging pulled out a long crystalline shard. Lola held it in her hands looking upon it with a sad look. She then looked to Superman and held it out.
"It is your right Kal-El." She said with a small bow lowering her head and holding out the crystal
"Thank you Lola." Superman said with a small smile taking the Crystal and walking towards the tubes.
"She keeps calling you Kal-El, is that….?" Steven said
"Yes Kal-El is my name, the name my parents gave me, the name of my home. A name I didn't know I had for years, until he told me." Superman said holding the Crystals and looking at the tubes
"Who told you?" Steven asked
"My Father." Superman said as he placed the Crystal in one of the tubes
The tubes then began to glow blue and the chandelier overhead began to glow a multitude of colors. The gems looked up in Surprise while Superman and Lola kept calm looking towards the center of the platform they were on. Then from the chandelier the lights shot down to the center where everyone was now looking. The lights danced for second before slowing down and seeming to take a shape, the shape of a man. After a few seconds the shape became clear and the gems could make out the man features and were shocked. He looked just like Superman only older, his hair greying on the sides, and a full beard. He wore what looked like a blue overcoat that reached the back of his ankles and had what looked like a yellow belt on the front that wasn't connected to anything. On the right side of his chest was what looked to be a small version of Superman crest attached to some yellow bands that were also on his over coat. He wore tight black pants with red boots. The next most striking thing on Jor-El was the cape that hung off his back that looked exactly like Superman's.
"Hello, if you are seeing this. Then that means you are of age and it is time to learn of your past, where you are from, and why you are here." The man said in a calm voice
Steven was amazed as he looked at Superman and the man that stood in the center, taking in their similarities.
"You have lived on this planet for years, I hope they were peaceful, and that you found people who cared and loved you as if you were their own. But you have no doubt realized that you are different from the other people you have lived amongst for these many years. That is because….. You are not of the planet Earth, you are not human." The man said with a hint of sadness.
Steven although knowing this was still surprised by the sadness in his voice.
"Who are you? Where am I from?" Superman asked the projection of his father.
"You are from the planet Krypton. A planet that is much larger than Earth, but also was the third planet from our red sun, Rao. And I am your father my name is Jor-El, and you are my only son your name is Kal-El." Jor-El explained as the image of a planet that almost looked like Earth appeared, only it was bigger and with fewer land masses, though again, was much larger and circled a red sun that was larger than Earth's own.
"Kal-El, so he is of the house of El?" Garnet said.
"Wow, it's so big, and look at their sun it's humongous and red." Steven said examining the hologram.
"Krypton, oh I wish you've could've seen it Kal-El, just once, it was a planet of wonder which I truly loved." Jor-El said as he touched the hologram.
Suddenly the Hologram got bigger and bigger until it encompassed the whole room and caused a bright flash of light that made Steven and the gems cover their eyes. When they opened them again, what they saw amazed them. Everyone was suddenly not in the icy fortress, but instead what looked like a park of some kind. The sun was bright, the sky was a light orange, and people were running about. The people looked human but were dressed very strangely, it was extremely colorful with people wearing reds, blues, greens, pinks, every color of the rainbow. And each person, every man, woman, and child had a symbol similar to Superman's. They were incased in a diamond just like his, but the symbols within them were different. While his looked like a letter, the others looked like strange shapes, tools, or animals, though that probably wasn't the intent. People were smiling, and children were laughing and playing with strange toys. The whole atmosphere was just happy.
"Wow, everyone looks so happy." Steven said looking around with a smile he tried to reach out and touch one of the strange devices that flew overhead only for his hand to go right through it.
"As realistic as this all is, you aren't really on Krypton, it's all a hologram. Though this does bring back memories Uxas Park, oh I would remember strolling past here with the Master and Mistress." Lola said with a smile bringing her hands together.
"If you think that's good, you might wanna look up." Amethyst said pointing up.
And so everyone did and was blown away by what they saw. Over the Park was a city, skyscrapers that were actually scraping the sky. Thought they had a strange crystalline look to them, as well as metallic. Advanced futuristic like vehicles and alien like animals flew overhead.
"This was a park I liked to stroll, and this was your home." Jor-El said as with a swipe of his hand the landscape rushed passed all of them.
Then they were no longer in a bustling cityscape, but were now on a beach, one that was similar to the one that Steven and the gems lived on. Steven looked on in wonder at the blue sea that was before him.
"It's brings back so many memories." Lola said as she was looking in the other direction.
They turned and saw a grassy plateau on the beach, and on that plateau overlooking Krypton's Ocean was what looked like an observatory. A large circular dome attached to what looked like an alien house.
"Is that your house?" Steven asked walking up to Superman.
"I…. think it was." Superman said looking up at the structure.
"I cannot imagine living anywhere else other than this singular spot. The funny thing is I almost didn't. As a member of the scientific community, I was expected to live in one of the major cities. But she managed to convince to move here, and I'm glad she did." Jor-El said as with another hand gesture they were brought closer to the house onto a patio.
And on that Patio was a beautiful young woman, she had flawless skin, blue eyes, and wavy black hair. She wore what looked like a tiara with a small superman crest on the center of her forehead. She wore an elegant blue dress that also had bits of reds and yellow, on her chest was the Crest. Her face was youthful and filled with energy and hope as she rushed to the railing and took in a deep breath of the fresh sea air with a smile.
"This is Lara-Lor-Van or just Lara-El, my wife, your mother." Jor-El said.
"Wow, she's beautiful." Steven said as he watched Superman walk up to the projection and reached out wanting to touch it, but stopped knowing it would be useless.
"Oh, Mistress Lara was an amazing woman, a member of Krypton's artist guild. She was always making new pieces of experimental art. But without a doubt her greatest attribute was her singing voice, never before in all my centuries have I heard someone sing so beautifully." Lola said with a smile looking at Lara.
Then the door to the patio opened and from it another Jor-El, this one dressed in green, and another Lola holding a red bundle as they walked onto the patio towards Lara.
"Oh dear is that what I looked like back then, that is so embarrassing." Lola said with an embarrassed blush looking away, the others thinking she didn't look any different from then to now.
"The one beside me and the one who is showing you this now is Kryptonian Servant Shard 707V, she has served the house of El for centuries. During her time with Lara and I she has been our servant, our confidant, and our friend. And now she is to be your guardian and teacher till you are ready. There are very few I would trust with this duty, and I know made the right choice with her." Jor-El said with a smile making Lola's blush deepen.
The past Jor-El walked up to Lara and tapped her shoulder making her turn around to look him in the face and smile. Jor-El wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her close smiling at her, as she wrapped her arms around his neck bringing his head closer to hers. Steven held his breath thinking they were going to kiss, but instead just touched their foreheads together. Though it was still a touching moment that made Steven go "Aww" which made the gems smile. The past Lola then walked up to the two holding the bundle which the group now noticed was now squirming. Lara smiled as she gently took the bundle from Lola holding it gently and rocking it as small gurgling noises. Past Jor-El smiled as he leaned in and moved the covers a bit revealing the chubby face of a baby with blue eyes and a little tuft of black hair done in a curl. The baby looked at the three and giggled reaching out to them.
"Oh is that?" Steven said with stars in his eyes.
"That was you, Kal-El, when you were just a baby, you were delivered in this very building by 707V. And the moment I held you in my arms was the happiest moment in my life, and those days with you and Lara in this home will forever be treasured for me." Jor-El said with a small smile
Superman walked to the projections of his parents watching as they played with the baby Kal-El, past Jor-El letting him grab on to his finger.
"I was so young, I couldn't remember any of this, but luckily Lola was able to record many events from my past." Superman said with a smile as he watched them.
"Every moment was a treasure and you needed to know what amazing people your parents were, Kal-El." Lola said with a bow
"This is all very nice and touching, but this still doesn't the answer the question. Why are you here? Krypton was always a marvel of technological ingenuity, so what would they want with Earth?" Pearl asked trying to not to be offensive since Superman appeared to be having a moment.
"Wait a minute he just said he were so young, that you couldn't remember. And this recording is specifically telling you about Krypton as if you never heard of it? It's showing him family videos, the projection guy just revealed that he was his dad like some dramatic movie reveal. Why would you have all of this?' Amethyst asked in confusion making the group eyes widen in realization.
"You are Kryptonian…. But you haven't been on Krypton for a very long time have you. Something happened, didn't it?" Garnet asked with a slightly concerned expression, this made Superman and Lola wince a bit.
"Father, why can't I return to Krypton?" Superman asked the projection.
"There is nothing more that I would want than for you to see our wonderful planet, our massive cities, our beautiful oceans, and the amazing technology we possessed. For you to be with me and Lara at the house on the beach. But, you can't Kal-El. Because by the time you are seeing all this….. Krypton would've been dead for 2 decades." Jor-El said seriously.
Steven gasped, as Superman winced upon hearing it, Lola looked away covering her mouth a small whimper coming through. The gems stood there dumbfounded with shocked looks on their faces..
"W-what is he talking about, Garnet, Pearl?" Amethyst asked though neither of them had an answer.
"Did they finally do it?" Garnet whispered looking down gripping her hands.
"N-no how, how is Krypton dead?! They were one of these most advanced civilizations in the universe, they were able to….. Oh no it was them wasn't it they finally did it?!" Pearl said terrified as she looked to the ground.
Both Superman and Steven were confused by what Garnet and Pearl were talking about, until Lola stepped towards the two.
"I know what you are thinking, and who you are referring to, but it is not what you think. Please continue watching all will be explained." Lola said gently making Superman raise an eyebrow at her.
"I noticed it one year before it happened, strange fluctuation within our planets very core. Quakes across the planet starting small, but slowly increasing in intensity. Severe weather changes across the planet, as well as more natural disasters. Even the wildlife seemed to be fleeing from their natural habitats, I remember when Lara told be the aquatic creatures who usually inhabited the reef near out home had suddenly vanished." Jor-El said as he showed images of a Kryptonian city after an Earthquake leaving many buildings destroyed with citizens wandering the ruins. Another City that was being besieged with hurricane force winds and rain, the city flooded with citizens forced to stay on the roofs of the building bracing the forces of nature.
"I think this was the plot to a movie I saw a few decades ago." Amethyst said as she watched the destruction.
"I have seen the film, and I must say that the science used was completely fabricated." Lola said with an air offense.
"I brought what I had gathered to the Kryptonian Council. I told them that our planet's core was unstable, and that Krypton was about to face a cataclysm that would end all life on the planet as we knew it. I begged them to begin a planet wide evacuation while we still had the chance, but they didn't believe me, no one did. Thus I was left on my own and forced to make my own evacuation plan." Jor-El said as an image of Past Jor-El standing before a group of 5 people dressed very strangely and sitting on chairs looking down on him with disapproving faces.
The scene changed once more, and it was to Jor-El in a laboratory intensely staring at a screen that was showing various planets, and another that had schematics of a spaceship. Lola was in the lab as well and appeared to be bringing various parts for the spaceship, looking at Jor-El with a worried expression.
"Master Jor-El was working himself ragged with coming up with this plan, there were days when he didn't even sleep or come out of his lab. Days where Mistress Lara and Young Kal-El would be alone." Lola said sadly as he watched the scientist work furiously.
"My first plan was to get us all offplanet in a ship of my own design. On Krypton at the time any unauthorized leavings of the planet was illegal and only certain members of the scientific community were allowed access to tech from the space division. Luckily I was one such member and was able to get some of the needed supplies, though I had to acquire some parts through more illegitimate means. Luckily 707V was able to help me build when necessary, and as I was able to convince my brother of Krypton's demise, he was able to help me with the construction. At the currentrate I was working, I could've built a ship to hold all of us in what you would say 2½ Earth months. Between constructions of the ship, I spend hours scouring the Kryptonian space maps for a suitable planet for us to live on, somewhere that could support our life, somewhere safe. I thought I had time to do it all….. I was wrong." Jor-El said grimly as the scene changed to Lara sitting in the living room playing some kind of instrument.
As she did the entire house suddenly shook knocking things of shelves, cracking the windows, ceiling, and floor, and making Lara drop the instrument to the ground. As the house shook Lara heard the cries of little Kal-El, she quickly ran to his room and picked him up cradling him as the whole house shook.
"Mistress Lara, under here quickly!" Past Lola yelled as she beckoned the mother and child under a table.
Lara complied going under it with the wailing Kal-El, while past Lola stood and kept the table stable waiting for the quake to stop. And then it did, both of them giving a sigh of relief as Lara tried to calm baby Kal. Then the front door slammed open and a terrified past Jor-El ran in going to his lab.
"Stupid, stupid, how could I be so stupid!" He cursed himself as he ran into the lab Lara and Past Lola followed.
"Master what's wrong?" Lola asked worried
"How could I make such an obvious blunder, with the way in was increasing of course it could've been happening faster than predicted. Idiot Jor-El, you've always been!" Jor-El cursed as he slammed the table in his lab.
"Jor-El what's going on?" Lara asked scared.
"It's happening Lara, it happening right now! The Core is going critical!" Jor-El said through gritted teeth.
"Wh-what?" Lara said scared holding Kal-El tighter.
"B-but master your calculations, we were supposed to have at least two more cycles." Past Lola said.
"I WAS WRONG! I was in Kryptonopolis trying to acquire more materials for the craft when we were hit by a tremor that brought down the hall of the science council. I flew back here as soon as it hit and I checked every news feed Krypton had." Jor-El said as he pulled up a large screen and put it on the wall.
On the screen there were various reports of quakes across the planet, entire cities crumbling in minutes. Not only that but cities that were engulfed by humongous waves, and cities that just sunk into the Earth. Weather disasters that were still happening across the planet were killing millions. Lara looked on in horror a she watched the feeds, unable to comprehend what was happening.
"We need to take off now." Jor-El said.
"What?" Lara said.
"Right now we need to leave the planet, 707V I need you to grab all the materials we can so we can finish the craft." Jor-El said rushed as he ran over to the incomplete spaceship.
"But sir, the craft is far from completion, we don't have the needed safety precautions, did you get the navigational drive from your brother?" Lola said worried.
"I can't reach Argo City and their probably dealing with their own problems now, we just need to get it out of Planet's atmosphere, and then we can worry about the next step." Jor-El said as he picked up tools and began to feverishly work on the ship.
"B-but Master without those precautions the ship will mostly explode once it hits the atmosphere, and what about the grav-unit? I don't believe any of you have travelled to space before, the G-Force may do serious damage, and without a proper Nav-unit….." Past Lola listed off worried.
"DON'T TALK BACK TO ME YOU CURSED ROCK, JUST DO AS I SAY!" Jor-El yelled anger clear on his face making Past-Lola step back in fear turning her face towards the ground with a scared look. This moment made Pearl scowl and current Lola look on in shame.
"JOR-EL, HOW COULD YOU, YOU NEVER CALLED 707V THAT BEFORE EVER!" Lara yelled back making Kal-El cry.
"I don't need the statistics I just need to make this thing fly, we'll worry about the rest once were a safe distance away from the planet. It just needs to fly, it can work, it can work, I-it, it…" Jor-El said fear in his voice as it started to waver.
"It's….. Hopeless." Jor-El said defeated as he dropped the tool and fell to his knees sobbing.
Both Lara and Lola looked on worried and approached him kneeling down.
"707V, I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to-I-I just don't know what to do." Jor-El sobbed unable to look her in the eyes.
Lara looked at her husband with sympathy and caressed his head.
"You did everything you could Jor-El." Lara said trying to calm her husband.
"My everything wasn't enough, I got the calculations wrong, I can't finish the craft, I can't save anyone. I can't even save the two of you, I'm worthless, I'm a worthless monster." Jor-El yelled tears streaming down his face. Lara was quick to embrace her husband with baby Kal cooing trying to cheer up his father while Past Lola looked on in sadness.
"I can't even save the two of you, I can't save the two…." Jor-El said as he looked up.
"Then I had an idea, one last ditch plan to save that which I loved and maybe, just maybe have Krypton live on in some way beyond the stars." The holo Jor-El said.
Steven was surprised by what the hologram said, but then noticed how the Past Jor-El was looking at a smaller spaceship that was in the lab, it looked slightly unfinished, then saw his eyes wander to the baby Kal smiling at him, and finally to the baby's crib that had rolled into the living room.
"Maybe I can't save two, but maybe I can save one." Past Jor-El whispered he then stood up proudly and went to the computer typing new calculations.
"Jor-El, what now?" Lara asked.
"Lara, I need you to leave the lab for a while. Lola by my calculations we have at least until the sun falls until the planet goes critical, I need you to dismantle the craft, take all the unused material, and follow my new schematics." Jor-El said as Lola nodded and walked towards the unfinished ship.
"What is this Jor-El?" Lara asked confused.
"Hope, Lara, what may be the very last the House of El has to give if this fails. But if this does, there will be something. If you trust me?" Jor-El asked calmly Lara looked at him and smiled with tears in her eyes.
"Of course I do my love." Lara said caressing his face.
Steven and the gems watched as Jor-El quickly work on his plan dismantling the larger craft and adding it to the nearly finished smaller craft.
"Man, look at him go, then again the planet exploding is one heck of a fire to light under a person's butt." Amethyst said.
"He's working with passion and hope, powerful motivators." Garnet said with a smirk while Pearl quietly examined the speeding images.
Steven was amazed by what he saw, but then he turned to Superman and saw that he had a small smile and a tear rolling down his face. Before he could ask what was happening another image was shown, this time of the past Lola with her red dress removed showing off her one-piece blue suit with the Superman crest on her chest and in the center of the crest was an opening that showed a long thin crystal. Past Lola had a calm look on her face as a strange device was jammed into the gem making the other gems wince a bit. Jor-El was wearing a metallic headband and began to type away at the computer, it appeared to be that something was being put inside Lola's shard. Then Lara entered the room and saw was happening with Lola.
"Jor-El?" She asked confused.
"Lara, just in time, were done. I need something from you, but first you must see." Jor-El said as he removed the metallic headband and walked deeper into the lab Lara following.
And then the married couple walked up to the very same craft Steven and the Gems saw back at the military base.
"Jor-El isn't that the prototype of the ship you sent Krypto to space with?" Lara asked.
"Yes, upgraded with all the parts from the larger craft and the materials yet to be used. Krypton is dead Lara, it can't be saved, and I as much as it pains me to say it I can't save us. But, maybe I save one, one last remnant of this dying world. Maybe I can save something we both love." Jor-El said as he gently caressed the now sleeping Kal-El.
Lara looked down and then back to Jor-El with wide eyes "Jor-El, you don't mean?" She asked shocked.
"Krypto was just as small as Kal-El so he'll fit. This craft already has a grav-unit, and with the parts from the other ship I was able to put in a hyper-sleep module and nourishment dispenser. He'll be protected the entire trip and his body will be maintained and cared for until he lands." Jor-El said as he walked back to past Lola.
"B-but what about the nav-unit?" Lara asked
"I found a replacement." Jor-El said as he gestured to the still sitting Past Lola who gave a small smiled.
"Jor-El has just finished modifying my shard with a sunstone, I can now navigate the ship along with many other functions." Past Lola said bowing her head.
"S-707V." Lara murmured surprised.
"I swear on my shard Mistress Lara, that I will guide Kal-El safely. I will protect him with my life." Past Lola said filled with determination.
"B-b-but where can he go?" Lara asked as she brought the baby Kal-El closer to her chest.
"I found a planet, the dominant species on outward appearance and internal organ structure are completely indistinguishable from Kryptonians. Though on an intelligence level they are millennia behind us, but that may be a good thing. If they have nothing to offer then they may be left alone. They are pretty far away from any other intelligent lifeforms." Jor-El said as he pulled up a video of a human he had a beard and was shirtless with hair on his chest as he was working in a field with a hoe.
Lara gasped upon seeing the image cradling Kal-El closer "Oh sweet Rao. J-Jor-El they're so barbaric, look at them their savages! They'll kill him, they'll kill our baby!" Lara cried to Jor-El hysterically.
"They can try, this planet was on the list of potential planets that we could've gone, but I decided against this planet for a specific reason. This planet is much smaller than ours, its gravity lighter, and it's also younger so it atmosphere is radically different from ours. If you and I were to step on that planet without the proper protection we would suffer, our bodies unable to handle the environment. But Kal-El, he is only a year old, if given the time he can adapt and live amongst them without any complications. But there is something else, the planets circles a yellow sun, it shines brighter than ours because it is so young and under it he will be invincible." Jor-El said as he pulled up a set of charts and diagrams.
"I theorize that due to our physiology if a Kryptonian were put on this planet and allowed to adapt we will essentially gain Super-Kryptonian abilities. The lighter gravity and its nourishing atmosphere will allow him to move faster and be stronger than anybody else on the planet. And cells will suck up the yellow sun radiation and strengthen him further making him invulnerable and possibly mutating them to give him abilities that I can't even begin to imagine." Jor-El explained to Lara who still looked worried.
"If the natives are hostile than under these conditions he will be able to protect himself. It will take time, but I have given 707V orders to protect him if the area becomes dangerous." Jor-El explained.
"You can count on me, I won't let those barbarians lay a hand on him." Past Lola said with a salute.
"But, I didn't choose the planet solely because of the environment. I choose this planet because….. Because I believe they can be better than Krypton. They are young an un-advanced, I have seen the footage of them Lara, they are capable of terrible acts of hatred and violence. But, so were we, as I learned in recent years. But they are also capable of great love and compassio, like I also learned in recent years." Jor-El said lovingly caressing Lara cheek with her hand and gently moving her face so that their eyes met.
"It's a chance Lara, which is more than he has here with us. We need to put him in that ship and send him to Earth." Jor-El explained to Lara whose eyes began to water.
Her mouth opened and closed but no sound came out as tears began to roll down her cheeks, she was unable to come up with words as she shook her head.
"I-I….. I can't Jor-El! I just can't!" Lara cried stepping away from Jor-El and holding Kal-El closer and more tears fell.
"Lara please, out there at least he'll live!" Jor-El begged.
"Will he?! He'll be alone, Jor-El?! He'll have no one! No one like him! No one to turn to, no one to understand him. He'll be alive, but will he truly be living?" Lara cried making Jor-El pause.
"He'll never know about Krypton. He'll never know about the wondrous forests, or the amazing oceans, or the spectacular cities." Lara continued to cry some of her tears hitting rolling down Kal-El's small head.
"He'll never know about this house, or the beach, or the spectacular view….. He won't even know we existed." Lara cried looking at her baby's small face.
Jor-El looked at her crying wife with sympathy and walked towards her cupping her face and bringing it up.
"The Lara-Lor-Van I fell in love with would never be this selfish. I know you want to save our child, but you're scared, I am to. We don't know what will happen once he gets there and that terrifies me. But I am holding onto the principal this house was founded on: Hope. All we can do now is hope that our son can live a prosperous life. But we need to send him now, it's his only chance." Jor-El said as Lara looked at him with teary eyes.
She continued to cry as she looked into Jor-El's eyes, and then slowly nodded. Jor-El smiled with tears in his eyes and embraced Lara in a hug.
"He will know about Krypton, Lara, I made sure of it. I mapped my consciousness to the modifications I made to 707V, it will create a hologram of myself that will inform him of the planets history and our demise. But, I'm only going to inform him of the Science of Krypton, who better to inform him of the arts and our short time together than you." Jor-El whispered making Lara's eyes widen and she turned to past Lola who smiled.
"Who better to inform him than you Mistress Lara, and I have recorded every moment you all spent together he won't miss a thing" Past Lola said with a smile.
Lara looked at the two still smiling as Jor-El placed the device he was wearing previously on his head on her and then gently took Kal-El from her arms. Lara then walked to the chair across from past Lola to begin the mind mapping as Jor-El took the baby to the rocket. Jor-El looked as his child with tears in his eyes as he gently caressed with his face with his finger, Kal-El laughed and grabbed his father's finger playing with it. Jor-El smiled and then removed his cape wrapping it around Kal-El.
"This cape was gifted to the House of El after they saved Krypton Millennia ago, it has been passed down to the men of El who have earned it. After what I've done, I'm not sure if I truly deserve it, but I know that one day you will wear this proudly." Jor-El said as he watched Kal-El play with the cloth he was wrapped in.
Superman affectionately touched the cape he was now wearing as a smile grew on his face. Back in the Hologram Lara and Past Lola approached the two.
"I'm ready Jor-El, let's save our child." Lara said with a determined face.
"There's my Lara." Jor-El said with smile.
Jor-El then placed Kal-El gently into the craft as Kal-El curiously examined what he was placed in cooing as he did. Jor-El then opened a compartment near the front of the ship it appeared to be a slot, he then turned to past Lola.
"707V, it's….!" Jor-El said but then stopped when he saw past Lola's face
She stood there hands together and a small smile on her face, but tears were rolling down her cheeks and she didn't seem to notice.
"707V." Lara said sympathetically making past Lola notice the water on her face
"O-oh dear, I think I may be leaking. This may be due a corruption during the modification, I should run a quick diagnostic before….." Past Lola said as she tried to wipe away the tears.
Then suddenly she was embraced by both Lara and Jor-El in a hug, more tears fell down her face as she returned the hug.
"I'll miss you too." Lara said.
"You are so much more than what everybody said you were, I know you can do it." Jor-El said as he broke the hug and Past Lola nodded and walked to the craft leaning towards Kal-El who looked at her with wide eyes.
"Young Master El…. I swear on every element I am made from, that I will protect you, teach you, and be there for you in your time of need. I will never leave you, and everything I do will be for your protection." Past Lola said with a smile making Kal-El giggle.
Baby Kal then raised his hand and slapped his hand on Past Lola's cheek with a light smack, she didn't flinch but was surprised her eyes going wide. After a few seconds of silence.
"DOES THIS MEAN I'M HIS FAVORITE!" Past Lola said with a joyous smile making the everybody in the room laugh before another silence came over them
Past Lola took a breath and then turned to the two El's with an accepting smile.
"Mistress Lara….. Master Jor-El….. It has been a pleasure….. Goodbye." Past Lola said bowing her head as he whole body began to glow and slowly shrink into a small pencil length shard. Then the glowing stopped revealing the small shard with the EL crest carved into it. Jor-El caught the shard before it fell and put it in the rocket making the entire ship glow and come to life.
"You will travel far, my little Kal-El. But we will never leave you... even in the face of our deaths... the richness of our lives shall be yours. All that we have, all that we've learned, everything we felt... all this, and more we... we bequeath you, our son. You will carry us inside you... all the days of your life. You will make our strength your own, and see our lives through your own eyes, as your life will be seen through ours. The son becomes the father, and the father, the son. This is all we ... all we can send you, Kal-El. I love you." Jor-El said with a small sob as he closed the clear hatch to the ship
"We need to get this to the patio." Jor-El said urgently making Lara nod.
With the ship on a gurney they pushed it through the house and onto the patio. The quake returned this time even worse than before as more things in the home fell to the floor and broke. The made it to the Patio and aimed the gurney up and towards the ocean. Lara placed one hand on the hatch and touched her forehead against it.
"No matter what happens, no matter where you end up, never lose hope. Never stop believing in a better tomorrow, that the world can be more than what it is now. I love you." Lara said tearfully as she moved away from the rocket standing next to Jor-El.
The entire rocket glowed and then the thrusters activated, baby Kal-El looked through the hatch giving a confused coo as he saw his parents were over there and not with him. Before he could question what was happening he suddenly shot into the air, the rocket taking off into the sky as his parent looked towards the sky filled with hope.
"That's it he's gone." Lara said her voice quiet.
"He'll make it, 707V is smarter than anyone gave her credit for." Jor-El said as he leaned on the Patio's railing looking out towards the ocean.
And then he saw it, a wave towering high above the plateau the house stood on coming right for them. Jor-El looked at the wave not with fear but with acceptance, he then went to Lara cupping her face.
"Do you remember the day we first met?" Jor-El asked.
"It was at a concert I was performing for, you sat at the front row." Lara replied
"That was the day I fell in love with you. Our bonding was arranged, my father thought it was finally time for me to continue the EL line." Jor-El said.
"And my father thought bonding with a respectable Kryptonian would knock me out my rebellious 'phase'." Lara said with a laugh.
"When I heard this was happening I was in a dark place and cared very little, I never even bothered to know what you looked like. Then my mother convinced me to go to a concert that you were the star of and I thanked her for that. When I saw you on stage you were the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. Your flowing hair, the glow that seemed to emanate from you, and your dress it was all perfect." Jor-El said.
"That dress was so complex and annoying I'm surprised I didn't pass out, and that glow was just all the make-up I had to wear." Lara continued to joke as the wave got closer.
"But what really caught me was your voice, when you sang it was indescribable. The sensation I was feeling when your vocals hit my ears, I still don't know what it was. But, one thing I did know was that there was a tingling inside me, a desire to learn. To learn more about this beautiful female on stage, to learn more about this person I was going to spend my life with, I wanted to know more about you." Jor-El continued.
"You came back stage after the show, you were sweating and your knees were shaking. You asked me if I would accompany you to the Hall of Technology. I figured since we were going to be married so why not." Lara said.
"You got bored an hour into the tour, but then you suggested that we go somewhere else. You took me to one of the Nature Reserves on Krypton, and thats when my education began. I learned that you loved nature and animals. I learned that you were against the militarization of the planet, I also learned that you could walk on your hands for a very long time." Jor-El said with a laugh.
"I learned that you probably never talked to a female that wasn't a scientist, you were awkward, totally ignorant to the most basic social procedures. But you were also kind, understanding, ready to learn, and…. Hurting." Lara said sympathetically touching his face.
"That's when it happened, that when our union became more than arranged bonding. That was when I fell in love with you. And I can say without a doubt meeting you and making this family if only for a year, was my greatest achievement." Jor-El said smiling
"Jor-El, I may never have a chance to say this to you again. But….. I lo-!" Lara started but then was stopped when Jor-El pressed his lips against hers.
The roaring of the oncoming wave was deafening, but Lara didn't hearit she was in her own world. A world that was just her and Jor-El, she closed her eyes and returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his waist and him doing the same. In the final moment there was no fear, only love as the wave bared down on them. And then the feed was cut off. Steven and the gems stood there with tears in their eyes from what they just watched.
"That…. Was the most beautiful thing I…. think I've ever seen in my life." Garnet said lifting her visor to wipe her tears.
Soon another image was shown of the rocket leaving the planet's atmosphere and flying as fast as it could away from Krypton. The planet looked nothing like before as red jagged cracks were strewn across it and horrible swirling storms that could be seen from space covered it, it even looked like the planet had stopped spinning. The suddenly the planet began to collapse in on itself, even from space the landmasses could be seen getting swallowed by the planet as it looked like a stress ball being squeezed in the middle. And finally after a few seconds of silence, the planet exploded, there was no sound in the vacuum. Fragments of the once planet flew far and wide as a wave moved through the void towards the escaping ship. The ship shook violently, but stayed it's course a moved far, far away from the ruins of the once thriving civilization. Within the ship Baby Kal-El was crying not only from the shaking, but to not knowing where his parents were. He cried and cried until Past Lola's voice filled the ship.
"Shh, sh, shhhhh, it's going to be alright young master I'm here to. I know you miss them, I do too, but they are still with us." Past Lola said as she began to play a song, a song that was sung by Lara.
I have often dreamed of a far off place
Where a hero's welcome would be waiting for me
Where the crowds would cheer, when they see my face
And a voice keeps saying this is where I'm meant to be
"Mistress Lara made the melody after she gave birth to you. She never had the chance to perform this in front of a crowd, but she always sang it to you. She wanted it to be an anthem to those who felt like they didn't belong." Past Lola said as Baby Kal-El began to calm down.
I'll be there someday, I can go the distance
I will find my way if I can be strong
I know every mile would be worth my while
When I go the distance, I'll be right where I belong
Steven noticed that Superman was mouthing the words to the song. Baby Kal-El stopped crying and then slowly went to sleep.
"Sleep well Kal-El, we have a long Journey ahead of us." Past Lola said as the ship rocket through the stars towards their new home.
The projection stopped and Jor-El returned in the center of the platform.
"And that was the last moments of Krypton….. Our last moments as a family." Jor-El said sadly.
Steven walked up to Superman and tugged on his pant leg making him look down. Superman looked down to see Steven's tear filled face with snot falling from his nose as he looked completely devastated.
"I-I-hick-I am-sniff-so so sorry." Steven cried as Superman knelt down
"Thank you Steven, that really-!" Superman started but then was stopped when Steven wrapped his arms around him in hug. Superman gave a soft smile and then returned it as Steven continued to cry
"I-is that it….. Nobody else survived?" Amethyst asked distraught.
"I've been sending signals out into space on a frequency only a Kryptonian could understand ever since the fortress was formed. I've been going at it for a whole year, there hasn't been anything yet, but there still might be a chance." Lola said hopefully.
Pearl walked towards Garnet "What do you think Garnet?"
"You can't fake that emotion in their eyes Pearl, what they say is the truth." Garnet said as she could sense the sadness coming from the both of them.
"Kal-El, I know this all may be a shock to you and you are probably wondering why I waited so long to share this information. The reason is because I wanted you to live your life, before you burdened with this responsibility. The powers you have been gifted with on this planet have come with a great responsibility. And I hope that you will use them for the betterment of this planet. I wanted you to live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El; they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son." Jor-El said with a final smile before disappearing in a flash leaving the group in silence.
Steven began to wipe the tears from his face and Superman stood up.
"That's the story, I'm the last son of Krypton." Superman said receiving a moment of silence.
"I'm so sorry you had to relive that Kal-El, come maybe a shower will make you feel better. I can take the time to get you some clean clothes, you can come as well Mr. Universe." Lola said kindly.
"T-that would be nice." Steven sniffed as he followed the two.
"As for you three please make yourselves at home, I have a feeling you're going to be here for awhile." Lola said as she left the crystal gems in the main hall.
(Note: And that my interpretation of the Superman Origin I hope you all enjoyed it. And spoiler alert this isn't over there's a lot more to Krypton that will be revealed in the next chapter. I am going to have fun with that. So stay tuned for more. And if you like this story or have a question leave a review and I will get back to you ASAP.) ;)