Roughly four months after they had been conceived, Kon and Mara were ready to be born. Kara, Mon, and Brainiac 5 were present for the event. "Let's put our differences aside for now," Kara said to Mon.
"Apologize," he demanded.
"I...regret nearly killing you," Kara said half-heartedly.
Mon gave her a skeptical look. "Let's just get this over with."
Brainiac 5 unlocked the door to the pods and allowed the would-be-parents to see their children. With accelerated growth, they were now ready to be born. Kara gazed upon the two with wonder. They both had black hair like their father. Their eyes were closed but, presumably, they would be dark brown. Kara felt a chill go through her that her two children would end up Insane...like their father. What had she done?
"Health status?" Mon asked getting to business.
"Perfectly healthy, no birth defects or abnormalities. During my tests, they absorbed solar radiation at the same efficiency as Kara," Brainiac 5 reported.
Mon gave a concerned look thinking these two spawns of his were merely Kryptonians that only appeared Insane on the outside. Kara eyed the two children with trepidation. She had created these two to fill the hole in her heart but now things were a little different. She had an empire to run and wasn't too keen on having Brainiac 5 act as a nanny.
"Well...who should be born first?" Kara asked ending the awkward silence.
"Females have no rights in Insane culture so it doesn't matter," Mon said dismissively.
"What the fuck?" Kara said under her breath. "Alright, let's give this important occasion some dignity."
"Attention to orders," Brainiac 5 rang out. Immediately, Kara and Mon went to attention.
"The Supreme Leader of Earth, acting upon the recommendation of the Minister of Defense, has placed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, integrity, and abilities of Kon-El and Mara-El. In view of these special qualities and his/her demonstrated potential to serve in the higher grade, is promoted to the permanent grade, Prince and Princess, and shall be born, effective date October 13th, 3017," Brainiac 5 declared.
"Nice," Mon approved.
Kara slowly pressed the button emptying Mara's pod. Mon did the same at nearly the same time emptying Kon's pod. The pods were drained of fluid, the tube connecting to their abdomens disconnected, and then the pods opened up. The two newborn infants immediately began to cry expelling the fluid from their lungs. Kara gently held Mara in her arms while Mon simply placed Kon on a medical table for an examination.
With Mara in her arms, Kara felt an intense love and affection for the infant. "My little Insane monster," she said adoringly.
Brainiac 5 noticed Kara's sudden change in demeanor. "I can give you a medication that will assist in breast milk production."
"Yes, please," Kara said thrilled at the idea.
"Power-level?" Mon requested of Brainiac 5 referring to Kon.
Brainiac 5 made the measurement with a scanning device. "Just over nine thousand," he said. (Average adult human is around 100) "Of course, not all of that power can be released in kinetic energy or physical ability."
"Understood," Mon said spooked. In the history of his race, no Insane warrior had ever been born with that kind of power level before. It dwarfed his own power level at birth. He had been a teenager when he had successfully reached that power level. No doubt Brainiac 5's use of solar radiation in the pods had given this result.
"Sounds like he can take care of himself," Mon said resentful, jealous, and freaked out. He then walked off without a word.
Kara ignored Mon as she held Mara in her arms. "You're all mine now," she said smiling.
Kara lost interest in the war in America and governing as she took the two infants with her to Midvale. The children became a guarded secret since Kara and Mon were not officially married, were supposed to be rivals, and the assassins would try to get to the children to strike a blow against Kara. As it happened, on the same day as they were born, a miracle supposedly occurred in Portugal. Tens of thousands of Christian worshipers claimed to see the sun literally dance in the sky with no scientific explanation. Making matters more curious, the three children who had been seeing Virgin Mary visions had predicted the day exactly. Brainiac 5 searched for an explanation thinking the birth of the twins had somehow been leaked despite all of his precautions.
At the Vatican, Brainiac 5 and several cardinals saw the dancing sun slightly lower in the sky. With his vision, he saw nothing unusual from the sun. Satellites also confirmed nothing unusual coming from the sun. Yet, all of his cardinals claimed to have seen the same thing. Realizing the danger of these three shepherd children to his control of the church, Brainiac 5 ordered an investigation and that the children be interrogated.
Brainiac 5 then brought forth his Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith made up of a dozen cardinals from around the world. To represent two arbitrary sides were Cardinal Marco and Cardinal Lucio. "Before we begin...," Brainiac 5 said to them all.
"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema!" they all professed.
"We have all read the scriptures, I hope. What say you about Mary, the mother of God?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"Holy Father, St. Paul is clear that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That must include even Mary, herself. There is also no proof and highly improbable, Mary, a married woman, remained a virgin her whole life," Marco said.
Brainiac 5 gestured to Lucio to give a counterpoint. "St. Paul is making a generalization about humanity. Obviously, there are exceptions such as Christ...and Mary. It need not be in the scriptures, Holy Father. It is only logical that Jesus is born of a woman, a tabernacle, so to speak, that is free of sin and corruption. It was also customary during these ancient times that an older man marries a young woman for the purposes of family alliances and protection and that she remained a virgin while with him," Lucio said.
"My esteemed colleague forgets logic when he makes an argument from silence. This is infinite regression for if Mary must be pure, her mother must be pure, and her mother must be pure, etc., etc., etc. Simply because the scriptures do not state whether or not Mary had relations with her husband does not mean she definitively did not," Marco pointed out.
"Seeing as how it's an open question, I say we opt to believe she was a virgin to give humanity a pure example," Lucio argued.
"This whole conversation is turning Mary into a goddess that will overshadow our Lord and Savior," Marco argued.
"Devotion to Mary only enhances devotion to Christ. As the floor rises so does the ceiling, Holy Father," Lucio replied.
"It is true I have elevated a great many cardinals and bishops with the expressed intent of building up my own authority and prestige," Brainiac 5 allowed. "However, I caution against the mythology of turning Christ into Zeus with many subordinate gods underneath him."
"Of course, Your Holiness," they both replied.
"What if the miracle and visions are a deception?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"We should discover it immediately and destroy the fraudsters!" Marco said passionately.
"A lie could still be beneficial to us. It has greatly increased the morale and faith of our believers. Should the lie never be discovered, it could still be useful to us," Lucio pointed out.
"If we go along with this and the lie is discovered, we look corrupt or foolish!" Marco shouted.
"When and if," Lucio doubted.
"And if it's true?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"Even if it's true, we should downplay it. If God wishes to communicate to his faithful in grand displays, it should be a vision of Christ. Then, we should act. If this be our policy, God will understand and act accordingly," Marco said.
"You act as if God is a diplomat who knows who and when to speak to. He has spoken to these children to humble us as with every hero in Biblical history. God will not speak to us, the powerful, the learned, the righteous. He will speak to the poor, ignorant, and sinful. Humanity may not even be worthy of a vision of Christ and so Mary is sent in his stead," Lucio said.
"Visions are classified as not worthy of belief, not contrary to the faith, worthy of belief, and dogmatic. The children have been interrogated, given truth serum, and hooked up to a lie detector. They have been professionally scrutinized and there is no indication they're lying. Still, it does not make their visions true. Therefore, these visions are classified as not contrary to the faith at this time," Brainiac 5 ruled.
"As to the question of Mary, it will be pronounced as dogma only when the church congregation believes it to be true with a 90% poll with no threat of schism. The clergy shall not endorse one position over the other. The faithful must come to this conclusion naturally through prayer, reason, and debate. As of right now, it remains theological speculation," Brainiac 5 ruled.
"Yes, YOUR HOLINESS!" the cardinals shouted as the meeting adjourned.
Metropolis
Just outside the Hall of Justice was a statue of Alex Danvers newly built. "I declared an edict that there shall not be statues of any kind as they could be used for idol worship," Brainiac 5 said of the statue.
"Yeah, well, I don't give a fuck," Kara replied.
"Looks like that doctrine will have to change," Brainiac 5 typed the change on his datapad.
Kara, Mon, and Brainiac 5 assembled in a large open space with a round table and sat down. "So, we need a name for our superhero club," Kara said.
"Legion," Mon suggested.
"We're not really a legion though. It's just five of us," Kara rejected.
"The Super Friends," Brainiac 5 suggested.
"Ha! GAAAAAY!" Kara laughed.
"That is pretty gay," Mon agreed.
"We could use previous super-hero organizations from the past," Brainiac 5 offered.
"Like what?" Kara asked.
"The Justice League, for example," Brainiac 5 brought up.
"Fuck, no," Kara rejected immediately.
"Did I offend?" Brainiac 5 asked confused.
"She wasn't invited into their league and in retaliation, she beat the shit out of them," Mon told him. "I propose we call ourselves the Vindicators."
There was a long pause. "What are we vindicating, exactly?" Kara asked.
"Our own existence for starters. Do you have any idea how much tax money we're getting?" Mon said dryly.
"We're vindicating...hope...in superheroes again," Kara said warming up to it. "What do you think, Barney?"
"I have no preference for any name," he replied.
"Vindicators, it is," Kara smiled. "I feel like we accomplished a lot today."
"There's a war raging just outside the city, FYI," Brainiac 5 reminded them.
"I'm going to be with my baby," Kara said, suddenly getting the mother's bug.
"You mean babies, right?" Brainiac 5 asked patiently.
"I can't handle two at the same time. I'll just take turns," Kara said having no intention of giving Kon any attention. "Send a drone to take care of them when I'm busy."
"And so it begins," Mon chided.
"Like you give a shit. Insane children are just put in a pod where they play extremely violent VR games all day with no parental nurturing," Kara pointed out.
"And I came out just fine," Mon said defensively.
Kara then touched her breasts. "I've never felt so full in my life. Through my body, I can feed and nurture another being. It's so wonderful."
"This feminine glorification grosses me out. I'm going to leave now and conquer Europe," Mon said and then disappeared.
"The war?" Brainiac 5 reminded Kara.
"Just...take care of it," Kara said dismissively.
London, England
While Kara was in Midvale and Mon was coercing territories to join his new French Empire, Brainiac 5 leaked a scandal to the press that ended up becoming a worldwide sensation. The so-called rumor was that Queen Kara of the British Dominion would wed Mon-El, the Emperor of France. While the foreign press found that interesting, the British establishment freaked out for several reasons: Mon-El was an alien warlord with a checkered past meaning the royal family as a whole would be alien, it was considered by some to be a form of bestiality since they were different species, Mon was not religious nor a baptized Christian, and he was the Emperor of France which rubbed the British the wrong way. Others thought it was a great idea with them being a power couple, unifying the British and French Empire, and the marriage possibly civilizing the two of them. Still, there was great fear and disappointment in the British elite circles. Had Kara decided to marry a human, it would give humanity some influence in the running of their planet. There was also fear that any children of Kara and Mon would be total monsters.
Mon found the news amusing upon being told about it and Kara was completely oblivious as Brainiac 5 had hacked her Internet and communications to keep her from knowing. A total news blackout occurred around the village of Midvale. Mon made no attempt to inform Kara of the rumor in the press.
Brainiac 5 created the British Broadcasting Corporation and immediately they started reporting on the marriage rumor. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation formed soon thereafter and they also started reporting on the marriage rumor. Still oblivious to the situation, Kara addressed the British Parliament in London to give the Queen's Speech. Members of Parliament gave her wide-eyed looks as she was about to give her speech thinking she might say something extraordinary. The press was also there excitedly awaiting any sign the rumor could be true.
"My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, my relations with foreign powers continue to be friendly except with those I'm currently at war with...obviously," Kara said dryly.
"My Government has followed with concern the political situation in the Far East, where peace and tranquility are so essential to the important interests of My people in that part of the world. It is My hope that the negotiations now in progress between China and Japan may result in a satisfactory solution. My Ministers, while maintaining their determination to support the international agreement for non-intervention in Spain, will continue to take every opportunity to mitigate human suffering and loss of life in that unhappy country," Kara continued.
"I trust that before the end of the present year the Treaty of Alliance with Egypt will have been ratified by Myself and the King of Egypt and that it will prove to be the means of loyal cooperation between our two Governments and peoples whose destinies are inseparably bound together by common aims and interests," Kara said. "A meeting of the Imperial Conference is to be held in London next month, and I am confident that the opportunity thus afforded for discussions between representatives of My several Governments will once more prove its value in promoting a closer understanding between all My peoples."
"You will be asked to approve the drafts of various instruments which are required to implement your decision that the provisions of the Government of India Act affecting the Provinces and of the Government of Burma Act shall come into operation next month. I have every confidence that the great responsibilities which will devolve upon the representatives of the people of India and of Burma will be faithfully and effectively discharged," Kara informed them.
"I deeply regret the serious disturbances which have taken place in Israel during the last six months, and which made it necessary to dispatch additional troops. I welcome the recent improvement in the situation and the Royal Commission, which I have appointed, will leave England this week to undertake their inquiry. I sincerely trust that their examination of the very difficult problems which will come before them will lead to a just and permanent settlement," Kara remarked.
"The work of strengthening My defense forces is being pressed on with the utmost energy and is now making rapid progress. My Government is satisfied that the measures they are taking are essential to the defense of My Empire and to the ability of this country to discharge its international obligations," Kara said turning to the military.
"I am gratified to note that the general trade and industrial outlook continues to be favorable and that there is good ground for expecting that there will be further improvement. My Ministers will continue to foster industrial activity at home and, in the belief that the attainment of general prosperity here depends on further expansion of our overseas trade, maintain their efforts to promote the freer exchange of goods throughout the world," Kara said turning to the economy.
"The position of the shipping industry is receiving the careful consideration of My Ministers, with a view to deciding what measures are required to secure the maintenance of a mercantile marine adequate for the needs of the country. My Ministers will continue to promote by an active and constructive policy the development of home agriculture and fisheries. You will be invited to consider proposals for the furtherance of reorganization in the coal industry, and for the unification of coal royalties under national control," Kara said as she went through the shipping, energy, and agricultural department goals.
"Encouragement will continue to be given to the development of the existing public health services. Vigorous action for the provision of housing accommodation to replace slum dwellings and abate overcrowding will be maintained," Kara said turning to housing.
"Close attention will continue to be given to the improvement of conditions in Scotland. My Ministers are examining the Report of the Committee on Scottish Health Services and among measures relating to health, a Bill for the development of Scottish maternity...services will be introduced," Kara said and then noticed Parliament giving her odd looks.
"Other measures of importance will be laid before you and proceeded with as time and opportunity offer. And I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your deliberations," Kara concluded.
The speech was well-received as it lacked any specifics but covered every aspect of government. It had been written by Brainiac 5 in advance. Parliament was slightly confused that Kara didn't even bring up the marriage issue. The press started to discuss amongst themselves whether the rumor may actually be false. Mon wasn't even present for the speech.
Eventually, Kara got wind of the rumor and immediately summoned Brainiac 5 to Buckingham Palace to chew him out. Brainiac 5 began his weekly meeting with Kara by informing her of recent developments. "After long negotiations with the Egyptians, we now have control over the Suez Canal," he reported.
"Cut the shit. What the fuck is this?" Kara asked referring to hundreds of press articles on the marriage rumor.
"I may have leaked a possibility to see what the reaction would be," Brainiac 5 said coyly.
"You bastard. Just because I have sex with him, have children with him, and occasionally live with him doesn't mean I'm going to marry him," Kara told him off.
"The children will eventually be discovered. If you're not married, the children will be seen as illegitimate by the church and society. You must marry Mon and quickly so we can make a plausible pregnancy press release," Brainiac 5 said.
"A shotgun wedding? I never thought it would come to this," Kara said dismayed.
"Why did you agree to have children with Mon?" Brainiac 5 asked curiously.
"I wanted something to fill the hole in my heart. I have a black hole of grief inside me and I've tried to fill it with lovers, children, friends, and allies but it never seems to be enough," Kara said honestly.
"Regardless of whether the decision was rational or not, the decision has been made. Either you marry Mon or you marry some other male suitor and pass your children off as his," Brainiac 5 replied.
"I wasn't almost married once...," Kara recalled. "But he betrayed me," she said referring to Lex Luthor.
"You only need to be married to Mon for as long as he lives," Brainiac 5 reminded her.
Kara caught his meaning. "As a husband, he could be a valuable asset."
"If you agree to it, I will manage the fallout with Parliament," Brainiac 5 promised.
"He will marry me...or die," Kara concluded.
Without telling Mon of her intentions, Kara took a tour of Wales and found a steel factory completely abandoned. Nearby, the town was in total poverty. "Something must be done about this shit," Kara said outraged.
The remark made was given very little mention in the press since Kara was an absolute monarch and would often critique many industries and ministries in the government. The British cabinet had more important things to talk about than the poverty in Wales. "Queen Kara has made her intentions known to me officially that she plans to marry Prince Mon-El," Brainiac 5 began.
"Fuck no!" several cabinet ministers objected.
"Your objections?" Brainiac 5 requested of them all.
"The Queen must be forever virgin, chaste, and an example for all in sexual purity," the Ministry of Health said.
"I think the ship has sailed on that front," Brainiac 5 said dryly.
"The Chinese and Japanese will not accept a joint British/French Empire ruling the planet," the Foreign Minister brought up.
"Prince Mon-El is in France today, he'll be in Russia tomorrow," the War Secretary said dismissively. "The combined firepower of these two will make us the most powerful empire on the planet. I suggest we use them."
"What's the point of firepower if we're being oppressed and dominated by aliens and robots...no offense?" the Home Secretary asked.
"None taken," Brainiac 5 allowed.
"If she were to marry a human, we would at least have some influence in the government. And any children produced, if possible, would be half-human. Now, it's assured we, humans, will be second-class citizens on our own planet forever," the Home Secretary continued.
"You mean third-class citizens underneath the drones...no offense," the Finance Minister said dryly.
"None taken," Brainiac 5 allowed.
"The Dominion will not sit still for this. When they hear about this, we will lose whatever cooperation we have gained. There are religious considerations here," the Colonial Secretary said. "What does the Holy Father say about this?"
"I'll ask," Brainiac 5 replied giving nothing away. "What say you, Minister of India?"
"India will be pissed-off regardless of what the Queen does," he shrugged. "They think we're oppressing them. We brought them aqueducts, sanitation, roads, education, wine, public order, the fresh-water system, and public health. I mean, what the fuck?"
"Here, here," they all said.
"Scotland will secede unless the Queen marries a Scot," the Scottish Secretary said.
"Firstly, you will attempt to secede regardless of anything the Queen does. Secondly, there are literally no Scotsman anymore. You're all one ethnic group," Brainiac 5 corrected.
"Prince Mon-El is an uneducated ignorant imbecilic savage that should not be anywhere close to the throne," the Education Secretary said.
"Whatever our misgivings, the Queen should have the right to marry whoever she wishes. If it's good enough for us, it's good enough for the Queen," the Lord Admiral declared.
"It's bestiality. The dominion will never accept this and it will create a world war," the Dominion secretary said dramatically.
"Wouldn't the Queen marrying a human...also be bestiality?" Brainiac 5 asked obviously.
"Well...shit," several cabinet ministers realized.
"We must find her a Kryptonian husband...somewhere," the Air secretary suggested.
"Should the Holy Father grant a papal dispensation that the marriage is permitted under Christian law, would that be satisfactory?" Brainiac 5 asked. The cabinet grumbled somewhat unsatisfied even if that were the case. "I will bring your concerns to the Queen...without naming names, of course."
Brainiac 5 brought the cabinet's concerns to Kara during their meetings at Buckingham Palace. "Those mother-fuckers!" Kara raged. "I want their names, I want their ass!"
"I respectfully decline," Brainiac 5 replied. "
"Okay, I got it. I'll have a morganatic marriage, alright. I will remain as queen, Mon will be my consort but not king," Kara suggested.
"I'll bring it up but they'll probably say no," Brainiac 5 replied.
"Just give me a papal dispensation that it's okay," Kara ordered.
"I can't do that," Brainiac 5 replied.
"Why the fuck not, you bastard?" Kara asked wide-eyed.
"I am only your Prime Minister. You'll have to ask the Holy Father for that," Brainiac 5 said.
Kara merely stared at him. "Can you give the Holy Father a message for me?"
"Of course," Brainiac 5 agreed.
"Inform the Holy Father I better get that papal dispensation or Rome burns to the ground," Kara told him.
"I'll be sure to tell him, but I must remind you that the Holy Church is in this world but not of this world," Brainiac 5 reminded her.
"That sounds like bullshit," Kara doubted.
The British press went into a frenzy as the rumor about Kara ended up being true. The British cabinet met on the issue and rejected Kara's morganatic marriage proposal overwhelmingly. The Archbishop of London, a human bishop appointed by Pope Barney I made remarks on the crisis. "Some of us wish that she gave more positive signs of her awareness," which was British for "She done fucked up."
The issue came before the Vatican after Kara put in the proper paperwork. Pope Barney I consulted with his Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith on this important question. As per usual, Cardinal Marco and Lucio took opposing sides.
"If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry," the cardinals declared before the discussion began.
"What say you?" Brainiac 5 asked them.
"Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal is to be put to death," Cardinal Marco said seriously.
"Prince Mon-El is not an animal," Cardinal Lucio said obviously.
"I beg to differ, my esteemed colleague and brother," Cardinal Marco scoffed.
"So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt," Lucio recited. "And what greater love is there than marriage?"
"You've twisted the meaning of these words out of context," Cardinal Marco accused.
"But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion," Cardinal Lucio pointed out.
"That verse only pertains to those of the same species and, perhaps, to only humans," Cardinal Marco argued.
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" Cardinal Marco recited. "Prince Mon-El is a heathen, an unbeliever."
"For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy," Cardinal Lucio recited.
"So, Prince Mon-El is in a state of grace?" Cardinal Marco asked incredulously.
"Let's not get too crazy," Brainiac 5 interrupted. "Interfaith marriage is valid but not sacramental."
"If that be the case, we need not endorse this marriage. It's a matter of British jurisdiction. We would only be concerned with it if the marriage ended in divorce and one or both parties wanted to remarry," Cardinal Lucio recommended.
"I feel we need to make a statement of faith on this matter," Cardinal Marco insisted.
"As to the validity of the marriage, that will be decided according to secular British law. Should the parties wish to make this a sacramental wedding, Prince Mon-El will be required to convert. When and if that occurs, we shall revisit this question," Brainiac 5 punted.
"Yes, YOUR HOLINESS!" the cardinals declared.
London, England
With Pope Barney I punting the issue back to England, Brainiac 5, acting as Prime Minister, held a meeting with Kara. "The cabinet said no to your morganatic marriage. As I see it, you have three choices: You can dissolve this relationship, marry against the advice of your advisers forcing them to resign, or abdicate."
"The cabinet, the entire Parliament can resign for all I care. Fuck'em," Kara said angrily. "I will dissolve their ass."
"It's conceivable I would lose my majority if you dissolved Parliament," Brainiac 5 reminded her.
"Then, I'll continue to dissolve Parliament until the people give me one that's friendly. Or I'll rule without Parliament," Kara threatened.
"I will forward your sentiments to the cabinet," Brainiac 5 promised.
At an emergency cabinet meeting, the cabinet was noticeably pissed off and wouldn't back down. A few days later, the cabinet sent a message pleading with Kara not to abdicate and reconsider. "I'm...actually impressed. The balls of these men to challenge me like this," Kara said amused upon reading the message.
"At this point, you lose face if you back down. However, should Mon perish in an unfortunate accident, the situation would resolve itself," Brainiac 5 suggested.
"I want a vote from the entire dominion on this question," Kara demanded.
Via holograms, the Prime Ministers of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and Ireland were consulted on the question. All five advocated abdication over a royal marriage or morganatic marriage. New Zealand suggested it could support a morganatic marriage under vague circumstances. The five of them combined added up to 48 GDP points. The UK, Metropolis, New England, Alaska, Africa, Middle East, and Indian territories currently amounted to an additional 100 GDP points. The deciding vote would be the UK at 33 GDP points.
As a matter of pride, honor, and liberty Kara was infuriated by the amount of opposition she was receiving from around the world. It was also only a matter of time before some human spy determined that Mara and Kon existed and released that information to the press. Brainiac 5 floated the bill in Parliament where the marriage was voted down by over two-thirds. Regardless of what the other territories had to say, the British Dominion had a majority vote against the marriage.
Kara proceeded to make a speech to the entire dominion to make her case on live television. "At long last, I am able to say a few words of my own. I have never wanted to withhold anything. You all know the reasons which have impelled me into this marriage. But I want you to understand that in making up my mind I did not forget the country or the empire, which, as your Queen, I have for several months tried to serve."
"But you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as Queen as I would wish to do without the help and support of the man I love. And I want you to know that the decision I have made has been mine and mine alone. This was a thing I had to judge entirely for myself."
"I have made this, the most serious decision of my life, only upon the single thought of what would, in the end, be best for all."
"This decision has been made less difficult to me by the sure knowledge that my husband-to-be, with his long training in the military and with his fine qualities, will be able to take my place forthwith without interruption or injury to the life and progress of the empire should anything happen to me."
"During these hard days, I have been comforted by friends and colleagues. The ministers of the crown, and in particular, Mr. Dox, the Prime Minister, have always treated me with full consideration. There has never been any constitutional difference between me and them, and between me and Parliament. Ever since I became your Queen, I have been treated with the greatest kindness by all classes of the people wherever I have lived or journeyed throughout the empire. For that, I am very grateful."
"For the longest time, I prayed to have a companion, and, believe it or not, a ship fell from the sky and landed in my city while I was having a party with friends. We went down to get it. You know what it was? It was an Insane man, with black hair and white skin, and I named him Mon because he came to me on a Monday. And you know, my friends, like all friends, loved that Insane man, and I just want to say this, right now, that regardless of what they say about it, I'm going to keep him," Kara declared.
Kara then came before Parliament to speak to them on the issue. "I intend to marry Prince Mon-El, the Jin-Saiyan. We were comrades in arms a thousand years ago. We have had our differences, we still do. I assure you, he's far more dangerous to this world apart from me than with me. Only I can tame his Insane impulses and focus them towards a better world for humanity. I know that many of you are disappointed that an alien is your queen, that this alien queen now marries an alien consort. You feel your world slipping away from you but for thousands of years, humanity has fucked it up. Whether it be war, disease, resource distribution, and the environment, you've fucked it up. If the galaxy knew of your history, you would be a laughingstock," Kara told them.
"It is time an alien queen with an alien consort showed you the way, and we shall. Now, I fully intend to create human colonies all across the galaxy. And on those colonies, you can do whatever the fuck you want. I mean, I'll still be queen remotely, but I, honestly, won't give a fuck what you do. So, for the price of one world, this world, I will give you countless other worlds if you stick with me," Kara told them.
"So, indulge me a little. We have accomplished so much together already. Do not jeopardize the progress we have made these last several months," Kara beseeched them.
"Your Highness, we trust in you but not your Insane consort-to-be. He is a ruthless ignorant barbarian. If you are to wed this man, you must produce an heir immediately," one MP declared.
"Here, here," Parliament agreed.
"You...ask a heavy price," Kara said awkwardly.
"Can it be done?" one MP asked.
"I'm confident it can be done," Kara cringed.
"Has he even accepted your hand?" one MP asked her.
Kara ignored the question and left leaving Parliament uncertain as to how they wished to proceed.
Germania
Mon ignored the controversy around the world and had a good laugh about it with his military buddies. He continued to gain the allegiances of individual principalities one by one with either threats or displays of violence. Kara suddenly landed near his camp with a thud. Mon came out to see her in his Insane armor. "It's been quite the challenge conquering this continent without killing anyone," he said to her.
"You know why I'm here," Kara said seriously.
Mon smirked at her. "All of that drama for nothing. I have no intention of following human archaic marriage rules. Suffice to say, we've mated and that's all there's to it."
"I know the Insane tradition. You're mine if I defeat you," Kara said.
"That only pertains to Jin-Saiyan women," Mon evaded.
Kara frowned as he was resisting her. "Then, I'll simply kill you. I have what I need from you."
"I could say the same about you," Mon replied back.
"You going to run?" Kara taunted.
"I can take you on now that I have new powers," Mon said confidently.
"Your words may be tough, Mon, but I wonder if you can truly back them up," Kara doubted.
Mon then went Super Insane in front of her in a flash of light. The ground began to shake and the nearby trees were blown back. Kara waited patiently for him to power up to max. "Well...well, what a surprise," Kara said condescendingly.
"And I'm just warming up, you clown," Mon declared.
"I'm the mother of your children. Show some respect," Kara ordered.
"You'll be the first of many," Mon taunted.
Kara kept her cool and gestured for him to attack. Mon immediately did so with a flurry of punches. Kara merely dodged all of Mon's punches. After several shadowboxing sessions, Mon put his fists together and tried to slam Kara's head missing completely. "It looks like you're not so super after all," Kara mocked standing behind him.
Mon went for a punch missing her completely as she took to the air. "You're blind and delusional if you think you can beat me," Kara mocked as she landed back down on the ground.
Mon powered up his golden aura and then fired down on the planet. Kara dodged the blast easily enough. The beam caused a massive explosion to the ground. Mon eyed Kara flying in the air and fired a constant volley at her. No matter how he aimed, Kara was able to evade his fire. A trail of explosions followed Kara rattling the ground underneath. Mon kept it up until Kara suddenly appeared right in front of him. Spooked, Mon instantly teleported high in the air away from her.
"That's it! Fuck this world!" Mon said as he fired on the planet.
Kara blocked the beam with her leg and forced it into space where it harmlessly dissipated. Mon tensed up slightly intimidated by the ease of Kara being able to deflect his most powerful attack. "I've spent way too much time playing around with you. Don't worry, the pain of marriage will subsist in a short time," Kara mocked.
Kara suddenly flew towards Mon and headbutted him to the chin faster than he could react. She then kicked him down to the ground where he fell into a lake. Kara expanded her aura forcing the water around her to move aside. Kara set her boots on the bottom of the lake with the water flowing around them in a large circle. Mon was on the ground hurt and dumbfounded. Kara pulled him back to his feet by his hair. He had lost his Super Insane form.
"I must say, I'm very disappointed in you, Mon," Kara said as she punched him hard to the kidney. Mon cried out in pain devastated by the blow. "The bottom line is that you're just as stupid as all the other villains that defied me."
She let him fall to the ground and then kicked him to the side. Kara then kicked him into the air and then kicked him again so that he was above the surface of the lake. Kara intercepted him in the air and elbowed him hard to the gut. Mon fell to the ground with a thud. Kara casually landed next to Mon and picked him up again by his hair. She punched him repeatedly to the back creating all sorts of internal injuries. Mon coughed up blood but refused to give up. Kara punched him to the back repeatedly, turned him around so she could punch him in the face, and then went back to his back again. After treating him like a punching bag, Kara threw him aside.
"My, my, what do we have here? A fallen prince? Oh, dear," Kara said as she went over to him. "I don't know why but I care enough about you to put you out of your misery." Kara then fired a heat vision beam through his chest armor and out the other side puncturing his lung. Mon coughed up blood mortally wounded.
"You know, you playing hard to get is going to get you killed," Kara told him.
"Kill...me," Mon gasped
"What?" Kara demanded.
"You've always been like this, the first time I met you. Always ready to meet the next challenge. You move so fast, that it makes your enemies appear like they're standing still. It tore me apart. How could a low-class Kryptonian accomplish so easily what I had struggled my whole life to achieve? Then, at last, it happened. I transformed after living every moment of every day with the singular purpose of surpassing you, I finally became a Super Insane, myself. The prince had reclaimed his throne and fulfilled his destiny but no matter how strong I became, your power still exceeded mine. At first, I believed it was your accidental exposure to a yellow star for thirty years...but it did not explain your thrill of battle, killer instinct, and Insane attitude," Mon said weakly.
Kara merely listened as Mon was slowly bleeding out. "It was your loved ones, your instinct to protect them that spurred you on and pushed you beyond your moral limits. You're better than me, Kara. You are the best. I can never surpass you and my object of revenge is gone. Just let me die and free yourself of me," Mon said depressed.
Kara gave him a sympathetic expression realizing he had been in pain this entire time. As much as she had lost her friends and family, Mon had also lost what he considered to be his purpose in life. Kara knelt down next to his prone body. "You will grow stronger, Mon. At some point, you will surpass my base form and when you do, you'll be able to impregnate the most powerful being in the universe."
Mon gave her an odd look. "That's right. You'll be able to accomplish what no male in the universe can do and when you do impregnate me, you will own me completely. Isn't that worth training for? Isn't that worth living for?" Kara asked him.
Mon simply nodded. "Now...in accordance with Insane tradition, you're going to marry me publicly. Even if you have mistresses I know or don't know about, I will always be your wife and your queen. If you do this for me, I will do my best to be as Insane as you are," Kara told him.
"I...consent," Mon said softly and then passed out.
Author's Notes: This episode goes over the historical events of the Miracle at Fatima (1917) and the King Edward VIII abdication crisis (1936).
*Whether Mara or Kon was "born" first is intentionally unknowable with either one claiming to be the firstborn. Aside from replacing the K and M in their names, Kon-El is an actual Superboy character and Mara Jade is a popular Star Wars character.
*Pope Barney I isn't going to just be a Catholic clone. I intend to have deliberations on matters of faith. Pope Barney I has to contend with an Evangelical Queen and lacks theological sources outside the Bible.
*Vindicators is from Rick and Morty.
*Kara's speech to Parliament is lifted from King Edward VIII's speech. Her televised speech comes from King Edward VIII's abdication speech and Nixon's checker's speech.
*Jin Saiyan tradition in AOS states that the female proposes to the male but only succeeds if she defeats him in battle. Since that is generally unlikely, the male must intentionally allow the female to win to show that he consents to her. Otherwise, he kicks her ass and humiliates her. This preserves the male patriarchal pride so that they never have to face marriage proposal rejections. However, in Kara's case, she is actually stronger than Mon and, therefore, Mon really has no choice if he were to follow tradition.