The Lee Insane family had a long history of raiding and terrorizing other races, often wearing white one-piece uniforms and white masks. Upon arriving in the 31st century, Bro lived with his father, Paragus, on a jungle swamp planet away from everyone else. "Bro, you're not the same as everyone else. You're better. You, listening to me, boy?"

Eventually, Mara-El rediscovered where Paragus and Bro were hanging out and forced them into Imperial service. Paragus and Bro were brought to a starbase initially for processing. However, there was a problem. Brainiac 5 and Paragus discussed the issue in private, away from Bro. "Your son is different. His Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the ASVAB, puts him at 5. To be trainable, humans or aliens must be at least thirty-five, or thirty with a waiver. It's not on an absolute scale but a relative one. In this case, ninety-five percent of the Imperial population, human and alien, scored higher than him. He'll need to go to a special school...or back to the jungle."

"He might be on the slow side, but that's only because he's lived his whole life in the wilderness. He'll get up to speed in no time," Paragus said confidently.

"The Imperial Royal Family has taken an interest in your son. I may be able to close the gap with intensive instruction if the two of you cooperate," Brainiac 5 said.

"I'm not going to suck your dick," Paragus refused.

"You'll do whatever I require," Brainiac 5 narrowed his eyes at him.

New Mon

Paragus and Bro were set up on New Mon, the Insane home world. They were given a fairly large house and mostly left alone. Paragus attempted to get his son, Bro, to learn how to read without much success. "Father, what's a vacation? Where mother went to?" Bro asked ignorantly.

Paragus frowned as he recalled the painful memory. "Son, vacation is where you go somewhere...and you never come back," he said and then shed a tear.

Paragus entertained guests of all sorts, hoping they would inspire Bro in some way. To this extent, it worked. Bro was exposed to music, dancing, and different cooking techniques. Ignorant of music fundamentals, Bro actually enjoyed Taylor Swift's music, which the Imperial government actively sought to ban. When Bro went to school, he had to be driven there because he couldn't drive.

Despite the school, Bro learned quicker in the trees at home. Additionally, Bro would get bullied at school constantly. They would throw rocks at him that would simply bounce off his frame. Instead of killing them easily, Bro assessed the situation and decided to leave. The Insane bullies got more uppity and started using cars and speeders to go after him. Bro was still able to outrun them, never once attacking them back.

At one point, Prince Mon-El noticed Bro tearing through an entire football team to get away from some bullies. "What the fuck?" Mon wondered.

Bro was instantly recruited to the Jin-Saiyan Football League. Once given the ball, he was unstoppable. No Insane player was able to outrun him or tackle him. He was the fastest, strongest player on the planet. "He might be the dumbest son-of-a-bitch alive, but he sure can run," Mon said, amused.

At some point, there was a controversy on the Insane home world. The "cursed ones", the Insane that had darker skin, wanted to go to school with the general population. Mon-El happened to be an enlightened leader, but things like "rights" were a foreign concept in Insane society. If one wanted something, they had to fight for it. And if one couldn't fight for it for lack of strength, they needed a proxy to do it for them. This is where Mon-El came in.

"It shall be Insane policy that the cursed ones may fight for the honor of schooling or may enlist the standing army to fight for them on their behalf," Mon ruled. As a result, the standing army and national guard viciously fought each other, mostly for the excuse of just fighting. As the two sides beat the shit out of each other, Bro got in the middle of it, assisted a cursed female to her feet, and calmly escorted her inside the school. The incident was caught on live TV, creating a firestorm of controversy.

Annoyed by the debate, Mon hired a low-ranking Insane to assassinate the local governor and take him out of action, which he did.

Earth-Metropolis

Bro was frequently summoned by Mara to Earth. He waited outside her palace in the pouring rain, not asking the intercom to come inside. Mara eventually arrived with an umbrella and noticed he was soaking wet. "Your box of chocolates," he said, giving them to her as an offering.

"Come inside," Mara said, giving him an odd look. "Take a shower here," she ordered. Mara quickly caught on that she couldn't offer Bro things. She had to order him to do it. Mara waited for Bro to finish his shower and only gave him a towel on purpose.

Bro placed the towel around his waist and entertained Mara in her room. "Have you ever had a dream, Bro? I want to be famous. I want to be a crusader. I want my voice heard across the galaxy. I want to reach people on a personal level, one-on-one, and bring them kicking and screaming to Christ." Bro said nothing to that.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Bro?" Mara asked curiously.

"In my econ class," Bro recalled, referring to a female classmate.

Mara gave him an incredulous look. "Do you want to touch me, Bro?" she asked seriously.

"Like a fight? Our last one was fun," Bro smiled. In that fight, Mara nearly got herself killed by provoking Bro on the jungle planet.

"I want to give you a hug," Mara said ambitiously and then did so. Bro was a total statue to her. Mara kissed him on the cheek and then dismissed him.

New Mon

Bro continued to play football well, but tended to leave the stadium after running through the endzone, disqualifying himself from coming back to the field. So, his team put all of their guys at the endzone to stop him, no easy task. Mon invited Bro and his champion team to his palace. There, Bro filled up on beer instead of eating. After consuming a twenty-four-pack, Bro was a little uneasy.

Mon shook hands with each football player, asking them questions as he did. "Congratulations, how does it feel to be Insane?" he asked each of them. "How do you feel?" he asked Bro.

"I got to pee," Bro replied as he came up to him and then rushed to the latrine.

Mon chuckled, amused. "I think you do."

After five months, Bro got himself an Insane degree, which was given little to no recognition across the galaxy. After the graduation ceremony, Mon met up with Paragus and Bro. "Son, have you ever given any thought to your future?" he asked Bro.

"Thought?" Bro wondered.

"Jesus Christ," Mon said, stunned, but quickly recovered. "You're joining the Insane Army. That's an order."

At the Insane Army Academy, Bro was treated like shit by virtually everyone: the bus driver, his peers, and the instructors. He took it in stride with a respectful, cheerful demeanor. "I'm Bro, Bro Lee," he introduced himself to the bus driver.

"I don't give a shit who you are, slime ball. You're the lowest form of life on the planet, not even a scum-sucking maggot. Take your seat. You're in the army now!" he yelled at him.

No one would give Bro a seat except for one Insane, a cursed one. He had a significant overbite and appeared to be of similar intelligence to Bro. "My name is Ben-Blu, but people call me Buba for some reason."

"My name is Bro-Lee, people call me Bro," Bro replied.

"Let me talk to you non-stop about catching shrimp," Buba said.

"Okay," Bro allowed.

The Insane Drill Sergeants took special notice of Bro. "Lee, what is your sole purpose in this army?" he asked him.

"To do whatever you tell me, Drill Sergeant," Bro replied.

"God damn, that is a most excellent answer. You're a God damn genius, Lee. You're God damn gifted," the Drill Sergeant said sarcastically.

As it happened, Bro adapted to the army extraordinarily well. He was able to easily do the physical training and mundane repetitive tasks of putting his bed together, getting dressed in his uniform, and handling weapon components. He was also immune to any trash-talking the Drill Sergeants or his peers could throw at him. Bro continued his friendship with Buba and learned more about catching shrimp and how to cook shrimp. Bro appeared to have deep memory recollection, making up for his lack of understanding of complex concepts.

After several weeks, Buba taught everything he knew about shrimp to Bro.

Random Planet

While on leave, Bro tracked Mara down on a random planet, where she was evangelizing at a large stadium. The locals were not impressed with her speeches. They heckled her and tried to get at her. Mara had sufficient drones to guard her and was powerful enough, herself, but Bro overreacted to the situation. He went into protection mode and caused a huge scene. Mara watched passively as Bro took on the entire crowd of weird-ass aliens. On one hand, she was pissed off he was hindering her evangelistic efforts but, on the other hand, this was deeply arousing to her. As things got out of hand on a stadium level, Bro picked up Mara and brought her out of danger unnecessarily.

Afterwards, Mara and Bro had a chat. "You can't keep doing this, Bro," she scolded.

"They were trying to grab you," Bro pointed out.

"A lot of people try to grab me. Sometimes, they have faith that touching me heals them," Mara said.

"Does it work?" Bro asked curiously.

"Well, no, but then I use a medical scanner to heal them immediately, and then primitive cultures think I can heal them," Mara explained. "And then there are those who want to persecute me. I need to be persecuted, Bro, so I can gain more treasure in heaven. I need to experience being stoned, whipped, and smothered," Mara said, wide-eyed.

"I can't let that happen. It's my duty," Bro told her.

"Bro, you don't even know what duty is," Mara said dismissively. "Go back to your unit. You're dismissed."

"Bye-bye, Mara," Bro smiled as Mara took off in a shuttle.

Cong

Bro returned to his unit and found himself on a tropical planet that the Insane were wanting to conquer. The natives were presenting a fairly hard resistance with constant ambushes. The Insane got themselves a foothold and an airbase. The Insane weren't taking the war too seriously as they were playing loud music, barbequing, and smoking weed. Bro and Buba reported to Lieutenant Dan-Lor. He quickly assessed that both of them were borderline retarded.

"Stick with me, learn from the guys that have been on the planet for a while, and you'll be alright. Also, pay attention to your socks," Lt. Dan told them. Dan had a long family tradition of the male heir getting himself killed in random wars on random planets. His father had died on a beach, his grandfather had died in muddy trenches, his great-grandfather had died on the plains, and his great great-grandfather had died on the ice. So, Lt. Dan was looking to get himself killed in this adventure.

Lt. Dan led frequent patrols in the jungle, hoping to get ambushed by the enemy and perish. He took zero precautions or noise management. He blasted holes in the ground to get after the Cong tunnels. As for the weather, it started raining and then it didn't stop for four months. Buba discussed plans for Bro to join him in the shrimping business. With Mara giving Bro mixed signals about his place in the hierarchy, Bro agreed.

Bro also sent frequent text messages to Mara with a simple, "Sup?" and got no reply.

Eventually, the rain stopped, and the battle began instantly. The Cong lit up the forest with plasma fire. The Insane fired back with ki beams, including Bro. As the Insane squad was overwhelmed, Lt. Dan ordered a retreat so he could have his last stand. Bro ran back to the safety of the beach but then thought better of it once he realized Buba hadn't followed him. Bro went back and found the wounded Insane all over the jungle. He picked them up and brought them to the beach. Bro returned several times, saving an Insane warrior each time. He then found Lt. Dan severely wounded and working the radio.

"Why the fuck are you here?" he demanded of Bro.

"I've got to find Buba," Bro said simply.

"Get out of here, that's an order," Lt. Dan told him off.

Bro ignored him and then carried Lt. Dan away. "The fuck you doing? Stop! You're depriving me of my glory, asshole. Stop, you dumb bastard!" Lt. Dan shouted at him. Bro took him to the safety of the beach and then went after Buba, finding him severely wounded. The Congs were advancing on their position hard. Furious, Bro snapped and fired green spheres of ki energy into the forest. The Cong were incinerated in the blasts. Bro kept firing, creating nuclear-sized explosions all across the planet's surface. Green domes of energy created instant holes in the planet's surface before fading. The Cong in the tunnels could not escape. Bro went into berserker mode as lakes and farming fields were vaporized. Finally, he regained his senses and brought Buba to the rally point.

However, Buba was mortally wounded with a baseball-sized hole in his gut from plasma fire. "Hey, Bro, why did this have to happen?" he said of his own injury and the devastation of the planet.

"You got shot," Bro said flatly.

"We cursed ones never get any glory, only the blame. We're not looked upon as equals. We're never remembered. I just want to go home...and go shrimping," Buba said and then died on the spot.

It was then that Bro realized he got shot in the ass.

New Mon

At the hospital, Bro was given all the ice cream he could ever eat. He offered some to Lt. Dan, only to get shut down. Lt. Dan had lost his legs in the battle and was perpetually pissed off. Bro hung out with all the other wounded Insane warriors. As it happened, the Cong were a bit too close to the Dominator Empire's border. The Dominion sent a cease-and-desist letter to Kara along with a new trade deal, which she instantly agreed to. Kara then arm-twisted Mon into ending the Insane campaign there. The Insane were a bit disgruntled to be pawns in Galactic politics and for having achieved little glory.

Bro was totally chill with things and learned how to play ping-pong at the hospital. Bro became an instant genius at ping-pong with excellent hand-eye coordination. He practiced nonstop, even with himself. At night, Lt. Dan ambushed Bro out of his bed.

"Now, you listen to me, you, retard. I was supposed to die with my men out there. I was supposed to die with honor. Now, look at me. I'm a fucking cripple. What is an Insane with no legs supposed to do, huh? You fucking cheated me. You rescued all the men and destroyed the enemy completely. All the fucking glory went to you and you alone. You're an asshole," Lt. Dan scolded. "You understand?"

"No," Bro shook his head.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to me. I had a destiny. I was Lieutenant Dan-Lor," Lt. Dan said tearfully.

"You still are Lieutenant Dan," Bro assured him.

"I fucking hate you," Lt. Dan said scornfully.

Soon thereafter, Mon gave Bro the Medal of Honor and was promoted to E-5 Sergeant. Bro, oblivious to the emotional situation, tried to give the good news to Lt. Dan, but he was already gone. Bro showed up at Mon's palace with several other awardees. "The Insane owe you a debt of gratitude. I understand you were wounded. I'd like to see your battle scar," Mon said.

Without hesitating, Bro turned around and pulled his pants down to show him. "God damn, son," Mon said amused and walked off. The whole thing had been captured on Live TV.

As Bro took a tour of the Insane capital, he got caught up with a Pro-War gang that wanted to continue the war. He was brought to an outside gathering of thousands of Insane, all clamoring for a galactic war with the Dominion. "Fuck Kara, Fuck the Dominion, Fuck the Cong, Fuck it all!" the Pro-War leader shouted and got a thunderous applaud.

Bro then took the stage, where he saw the huge crowd around a long rectangular pool that led to a large obelisk that represented Mon's dick. Many in the crowd had xenophobic, racist signs. "Tell us about the war," the Pro-War leader requested of Bro.

"The war with the Congs?" Bro asked cluelessly.

"Fucking Congs!" the Pro-War leader shouted into the mic and got instant applause.

"I went to war because they told me to. That's all I have to say about that," Bro said simply.

"Right on, Bro. You said it all," the Pro-War Leader assured him.

Bro then noticed Mara, who was casually walking on the water. Bro got through the crowd and went out to meet her. With his legs submerged in the pool, Bro and Mara were equal height. Mara gave Bro a hug in front of thousands of Insane. The Insane gave thunderous applause as their princess embraced, perhaps romantically, a great war hero.

That night, Mara invited Bro to an Insane Christian Church, which was not...entirely orthodox. "For our struggle is not just against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms!" one cursed Insane man said to Bro, misquoting Ephesians.

"He's cool. He's cool. He's one of us," Mara said to him.

"Let me tell you about us. Our purpose here is to protect our cursed asses from the onslaught of the alien swine who would kill our leaders, rape our women, and destroy our communities," he said pissed off. "We are for this war, yes, but we demand cursed ones be on the front line, so they, too, can have eternal glory on the field of battlefield. We want to brutalize and kill just like any other Insane warrior.

"Who's the baby-killer?" another leader asked, unironically.

"This is Bro...Bro-Lee," Mara introduced him. "This is Wes-Lee."

"Right, the retard of our clan," Wes-Lee said rudely.

Mara slapped him for the insult, and immediately, the fight was on. Wes fought back against Mara, only for Bro to be right on him. Bro beat the shit out of him which caused other Christian Insane leaders to jump him. Mara backed out of the fight as it became pandemonium. The church was wrecked, and Bro engaged everyone present. Men were thrown through walls, the altar was busted open, the cross fell, statues crashed to the floor, and the windows were blasted out.

Mara finally took Bro aside to calm him down. "I knew it was a mistake bringing you here. You can be such a hassle sometimes," she scolded.

"No one should hit you," Bro said super-seriously.

"Walk with me," Mara ordered.

The two walked about the Insane capital. "You look nice in your uniform," Mara remarked.

"I'm glad to be here with you," Bro smiled.

Mara couldn't help but smile back. The two talked late into the night about what Mara was up to and how she felt about her family. Bro simply listened as she prattled on.

The next morning, Mara ditched Bro to go back on her crusade. "Hey, things got a little Insane last night. It's just this war and your lying bitch mother got my blood riled up," Wes apologized.

"Maybe you should talk to your mother," Bro advised Mara, having listened to her rant about her last night.

"Bro, we have very different lives, you know. I'm a princess, a crusader, a diplomat. I am beyond the Insane, the Galactic Federation. I'm at God's table right now. You're just a tool, a common soldier. So, go be a soldier. It's what you're good at," Mara told him.

"I want you to have this," Bro said, giving her his Medal of Honor. "I got this just by doing what you told me to do."

"Why are you so good to me?" Mara asked, confused.

"You're my princess," Bro said simply.

"I will always be your princess," Mara smirked and then went with her crusade.

Domina

Bro was sent to Domina to compete in the sport of ping-pong against the Dominators. In order to preserve good relations, Bro was instructed to simply contest the Dominator champion to a draw, which he did. The Dominators watched stunned as Bro was able to keep the volley going, not too strong, not too weak, with the Dominator champion for hours non-stop.

For his diplomatic efforts, Bro was interviewed on Live TV about his experiences with the Dominators. Kon was there to keep the conversation going since Bro often spoke in short sentences and didn't socially interact. He wore his white princely uniform. "How was the Dominion like?" the host asked.

"No one owns anything," Bro said.

"No possessions?" Kon doubted. In truth, Dominators did have possessions, but philosophically speaking, everything was owned by the emperor cuz he was a living god.

"And they never go to church," Bro added.

"They never go to church, either?" Kon asked, shocked and appalled. In truth, the Dominators had their own temples and religion, simply not Christianity, as Christian missionaries were banned.

New Mon

Bro was invited back to the Insane capital for defeating every other race in the galaxy aside from the Dominators in ping-pong. "You, enjoying yourself in the Insane capital?" Mon asked him.

"Yes, Sir," Bro said respectfully.

"Where are you staying?" Mon asked.

"In the barracks," Bro said nonchalantly.

"Oh, hell no. You'll be staying at the M Resort Spa Casino," Mon informed him.

As it happened, Bro didn't get a spa, a massage, gamble, go to any shows, or order room service, even though he was given an unlimited budget.

Present Day-Earth

Bro's diplomatic mission was not extended, and he was called to Earth by Mara. After mediating a dispute between Kara and Mara, Bro went off to go shrimping. At first, he wasn't successful. Meanwhile, Mara took DARE rather seriously by enlisting an Insane Death Squad to jail users and execute drug dealers. Furious that Bro wasn't making a move on her, Mara channeled her anger into a campaign to rid the entire Galactic Federation of the drug trade from an arbitrary list. Even if the drug grew naturally on the planet in question for generations, cultivators were still fucked.

Bro got caught up in a fierce storm but managed to keep his boat from sinking. The other boats were not so lucky; the shrimp business had collapsed overnight. This gave Bro a practical monopoly. Normally, this would make Bro a rich man instantly, but the economy didn't work that way. All the shrimp Bro collected were taken by the state to be distributed. Bro was promoted to E-6 senior clerk in the Ministry of Industry sector. He didn't seem to mind that his compensation was low relative to his output.

New Mon

Bro was informed his father was sick and so rushed back to the Insane home world. Paragus was in bed looking old, frail, and fucked up. Bro simply had a blank look on his face, not sure how to feel. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm dying, Bro. Come sit near me," Paragus said weakly.

"Why are you dying?" Bro asked, confused.

"It's my time. I have a rendezvous with Death. It will be my last fight, but I'll make it count," Paragus said dryly. "It was destiny that I be your father. I did the best I could."

Bro simply nodded. "You have to do the best with what you were born with. You were born with a power level over nine thousand. Your mother died giving birth to you. She knew that would be her fate, but she chose to take the pregnancy to term. My job was to protect you, protect you from King Mon and Queen Rhea, protect you from yourself. Now, you must fulfill your own destiny," Paragus said.

"What is my destiny?" Bro asked cluelessly.

"To get married, have a family, and defend the families of others. Bro, women are like a box of chocolates. If you eat just one, you won't know if there was a better one in the box. But if you eat all the chocolates, it will make you sick of chocolate altogether and make you a queer incel. And then there are chocolates with nuts in them, avoid those ones," Paragus taught.

"I've chosen my chocolate," Bro told him.

"The princess?" Paragus assumed. "She's been trying to get your attention, Bro. She threw herself at you...and then avoided you. What are you waiting for?"

"I don't know how to love," Bro admitted.

"Yes, you do, son. That's why you're here. Despite all the times I mistreated you, disciplined you, shocked you, control you, been a general asshole to you, you're here at my end. If you can give that to me, you can give far more to her," Paragus said.

Paragus' heart then stopped, and he passed away. Bro bowed his head in sadness but knew what he would do next.

Earth

Bro finally decided to be more assertive. He requested that he be involved in Mara's missionary works. Mara instantly waived Bro needing to go to officer cadet school and made him her an O-1 aide in the central government. Mara and Bro built churches and established hospitals throughout the galaxy. On Bro's request, Mara shifted a large deposit of precious metals to Buba's family. Bro was still a bit quirky, like mowing the lawn at Mara's palace, despite that being a junior enlisted task. Mara found it endearing and let him do as he pleased.

Bro stood guard as Mara slept, went on long walks with her, climbed trees, and talked. Mara gave Bro a pair of Air-Kara tennis shoes and taught him how to dance. At one point, Mara broke down and started crying. "What's wrong, Mara?" Bro asked, confused.

"I'm surrounded by people...but I feel so lonely," Mara said tearfully.

"Well, I'm here," Bro said, obviously.

"You were with me, but we're not one," Mara replied.

Bro said nothing to that and walked back with her to the palace.

That night, Mara finally came out and said it. "Will you marry me?" she asked. "I'd make a good wife, I think."

"You would," Bro nodded.

Mara gave him a frustrated look. "But you won't?" she questioned.

"You don't want to marry me. I'm not...smart like you are," Bro frowned.

"Do you love me, Bro?" Mara pressed. He nodded. "Bro, you may not be a smart man, but you know what love is and that's enough for me."

"Okay," Bro consented.

Mara gave him an incredulous look but quickly recovered. "Let's go upstairs."

Bro followed her to her bedroom, and the two got into bed. Mara got on top of Bro and kissed him, the two of them still fully clothed. Mara's blood was on fire for him, but she had her moral safeguards. "Since we're engaged now, I think it's okay if we sleep together...in the same room...in different beds," Mara said and then went to the second bed in the room.

The next morning, Mara half-expected Bro to make a move, but he did not. He was fast asleep in the other bed. Mara started to have cold feet. She figured Bro wasn't making a move because he was just socially inept and saw her only as a commanding officer, not for any moral reasons. She also wondered if she was Insane enough for him, being a hybrid. She had been given assurances by Brainiac 5 that in alternative timelines, she did end up with him. Bro was no Prince Charming, an intelligent, handsome, charismatic leader. He was more like a pet dog. Mara could see herself keeping Bro around as a pet while she looked for a better option. It also occurred to her that she should just remain single and live a life of chastity.

Confused and conflicted, Mara decided to bail on Bro and go on another crusader mission. Bro woke up, found Mara missing, and waited. When Mara didn't return and didn't reply to messages, Bro decided to put on his Air-Kara shoes and go for a run. With Insane endurance, Bro just ran across North America without eating and only drinking water.

Eventually, his running caught the attention of the Daily Planet. "Why are you running? Are you doing it for Galactic Peace? For the environment? For animals?" they asked him.

"I just like running," he replied.

Bro started attracting a crowd of other runners. Bro kept his running to a human-level pace so they could keep up. "Here's a guy who has his act together. Here's a guy who's got it all figured out. I'll go anywhere with you, Bro," one man said to him.

Bro quickly developed a cult of runners as he ran across the continent. Bro didn't provide any insights, but people started attaching their own interpretation of meaning to him. Bro took his running cult through the plains, the mountains, the swamps, the forests, and the coasts. Finally, in the middle of Utah, Bro stopped. After forty days of no eating and non-stop running, Bro looked a bit fatigued.

"I'm a bit tired. I think I'll go home now," he told his running cult. He then flew off, leaving them behind.

Mara took notice of Bro's running fast, believing it to be some kind of penance or a protest against her. In either case, it impressed her. She finally sent him a text to meet her in Metropolis. When Bro accepted, Mara was giddy with excitement, but it quickly turned to bored frustration. Instead of just flying to her destination, Bro attempted to get to her by bus and couldn't figure out how the schedule worked. The human bus takers eventually helped him out. That was the charm of Bro. He was so dumb that it required human intervention, which, in turn, made them feel empowered.

Mara invited Bro into the palace and handed her a box of chocolates. "I only ate one...because I knew the others wouldn't be able to top it," Bro said to her.

"That's...really romantic, Bro," Mara said, impressed. "I documented your run."

"I ran for a long way for a long time," Bro nodded.

"Listen, Bro, I want to apologize for giving you mixed messages. I love you a great deal, for what you've done for me, my family, the church, the empire. You're brave but gentle. I know what we've had our differences...especially when you kicked my butt. But you are a fine specimen, the only Insane warrior that isn't what humans describe as a sociopath. You are everything my parents and my brother are not. But you're also not a sexual deviant like my aunt. You are...exactly what I want, and our children will have incredible power. At my side, we could rule the galaxy and make things the way they ought to be," Mara said passionately.

Bro merely nodded. "And yet, I feel compelled by culture and biology to submit to you as my husband. You frustrate me, Bro. At first, I figured you were just trying to be hard to get, putting me in a state of suspense, boiling my Insane blood. But it became clear that you only see yourself as my servant, not my ruler. You know you're not at my level, so you hold back. Any other Insane warrior, regardless of their skill level, would have made a move, would have made a thousand moves to a thousand different females, knowing he might be successful one time. I love your humility and hate it at the same time. Do you understand me, Bro?"

"Yes," Bro confirmed.

"The solution is simple. I'm going to role-play in my head that you're a charismatic, intelligent, dashing Prince Charming, and you will be more aggressive. In time, you will be what I want you to be, and I will be more aggressive with you," Mara said with hungry eyes.

They were interrupted by a nanny bringing in Kameron. The young girl was blond, Super Insane at birth, and a challenge for the drones to deal with. Kara had asked Mara to babysit her for the moment. "Kameron, this is my very good friend, Bro-Lee. Can you say hi?" Mara asked her as she held her up.

"Yeah," Kameron nodded.

There was a long, awkward silence as Kameron said nothing after that. "Can I watch TV now?" Kameron asked.

"Sure," Mara said, putting her down and letting her run off into the next room.

"You're a mom?" Bro asked, confused.

"Not yet," Mara said, staring directly at him. "She's my younger sister. Her name is a combination of my parents' names. Isn't she beautiful?"

Bro stared at the Insane-Kryptonian hybrid girl, and the thought of having children of his own suddenly occurred to him. "She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"Let's not stroke her ego more than it already is," Mara rolled her eyes. "You two want to hang out?"

Bro nodded and watched some children's programming with Kameron. Mara eyed the two, seeing them get along so well. Maybe Bro could be a good dad after all.

Mara brought Bro and Kameron to the park. Kameron navigated the playset without fear of injury while Bro and Mara talked. "Bro, I'm sick," Mara revealed.

"Like a cold?" Bro asked concernedly.

"It's love sickness. It's getting in the way of my work, my training. I need a solution. I want you to stay with me and go wherever I go. I want you to be mine and mine alone," Mara said seriously.

"Okay," Bro agreed.

"Say the magic words," Mara ordered.

"Will you...marry me?" Bro asked finally.

"Okay," Mara smiled.

New Mon

The capital stadium was packed with tens of thousands of Insane. Prince Mon and Prince Kon were present in the top box. In the center of the sandy stadium floor, where countless gladiator games had been conducted, was a table made of Black-Star Alloy. Bro and Mara came out to thunderous applause from the Insane audience. They both wore Insane armor, spandex suits, capes, and boots. The two approached one another at the center table.

Bro placed his elbow firmly on the table and held his hand up, inviting Mara to an arm-wrestling competition. The rules were simple. If Bro allowed Mara to win, he was agreeing to the marriage. If he kept Mara at a draw or defeated her, the engagement was over. However, Bro couldn't lose too quickly or else he would be disgraced by all those present. Furthermore, Mara was expected to use her full power. If any of these conditions were not met, the marriage could face annulment.

Mara placed her elbow on the table and clasped her hand with that of Bro. There were many ways in which a couple could fight each other this way. Mara and Bro simply decided to arm wrestle to avoid things getting out of control, with thousands of attendees' deaths and the potential destruction of the planet.

"Begin!" Mon said, his voice booming through the stadium.

Mara tightened her grip and tensed up. Bro's arm didn't budge one millimeter. Mara nodded to Bro and then went Super Insane, her hair flashing yellow and becoming spiky. Mara stared at Bro with icy blue eyes and forced his arm down a few inches. Bro, still in his base form, continued to resist her. After a few seconds, his strength matched hers, and he forced her arm back. The crowd cheered, pleased that Bro wasn't going to fold so easily. Bro then started pushing Mara's hand to his side. Mara tensed up and went Super Insane 2. Static discharges sparked around Mara's aura and the table. Mara then forced Bro's arm the other way.

Mon and Kon watched passively to see how this would turn out. The ground shook underneath Mara, and individual rocks from the floor began to rise and then disintegrate. If Mara were to actually lose, it would be a huge embarrassment to the royal family. The stadium rattled from the energy Mara was pulsing. She screamed as she put all of her effort into her arm, her muscles bulging, veins highly pronounced.

Kon frowned as he wondered whether Mara had surpassed him. Mon looked calm as he focused on their ki signature. As expected, Bro's ki rose to the same level as his opponent. Once he reached Mara's level, he would then be able to surpass her with his superior size. Bro then shocked Mara as he forced her arm the other way, even in his base form. The audience chatted amongst themselves as to what to make of the match. Would Bro of the Lee family embarrass the House of Mon-El and get revenge for a thousand-year injustice? Would Bro keep to racial purity by declining a hybrid, no matter her rank, as an example for others to follow? The doubters who thought Bro would instantly fold were silenced. Bro was keeping up with Mara at Super Insane 2. The only Insane that could resist such a power were Prince Mon and Kon.

As it appeared that Bro was about to slam Mara's hand down on his side, he suddenly gave up. Mara snapped his arm to her side, winning the match. She then quickly powered down to her base form, panting and sweating. The crowd gave a surprised applause; the engagement had been accepted. Bro and Mara kissed passionately with the table between them. In his box, Mon gave a sigh of relief.

Mara clutched Bro tightly. "I want to make love to you every night, get pregnant with your baby, go to church with you, cook and clean for you, and have you discipline me when I do something wrong," she said enthusiastically.

"Okay," Bro smiled.

Earth-Metropolis

The wedding of Mara and Bro was held at the Metropolis Cathedral. Pope Barney was the presiding minister. The royal family members, Kara, Kon, Saora, and Kameron, were together. The Olsen family was currently in England, with Alex still at the Imperial Academy and Kelly being stationed nearby. However, even if they were available, Mara would have snubbed them anyway. The Vindicators were present by rank unless they were already couples, which was becoming more frequent. Imra was with Garth, Brainiac 5 was with Nura, Rokk was with Lydda, Jo was with Tinya, Projecta with Val, Drake and Dawnstar, Gim and Yera. The other Vindicators were single at the time.

Bro wore his Insane ceremonial uniform up front while Mara was in a bridal white dress with Mon, who was also in his Insane ceremonial uniform. "If this ends up being a bust, I'm not giving you away again," Mon told Mara.

"Understood," Mara rolled her eyes.

"And I'm not releasing you, merely renting you away," Mon clarified.

"When I'm married, Bro is my first-line commander, no longer you," Mara told him off.

"And he will answer to me," Mon said, obviously.

"I can't wait for him to overthrow you," Mara said sincerely.

Mon chuckled at that. "Seriously, though. Despite being a patriarchal misogynist, I'm having an emotional moment here."

"Oh, father, it's because you are a patriarchal misogynist that you feel this way," Mara reminded him.

"Good point," Mon said as he dabbed his eyes.

"If I have a son first, he is to be the heir of the empire," Mara said seriously.

"Of course, unless he's a queer or something," Mon allowed.

Mara bristled at that and started having second thoughts about all this. "What if the angels disapprove of this?"

"Did they say you couldn't?" Mon asked curiously.

"Well...no," Mara said, befuddled.

"Fuck'em," Mon assured her.

The theme to Superman then played as Mon escorted Mara down the aisles to Bro up front. As they got to the end, Mon paused and reluctantly let go of Mara's hand. He then took his seat next to Kara, who was already a teary mess. Bro and Mara then took a knee in front of Pope Barney. At some point, Pope Barney gave his homily.

"Jacob worked for seven years to marry his true love, Rachel. On his wedding night, he drank so much that he was tricked into marrying Rachel's sister, Leah, instead. So, Jacob had to work another seven years to marry Rachel, which he did. With Leah and Rachael...and two concubines, Jacob spawned the twelve tribes of Israel. Bro, you have labored hard to get to this point, and now it will most certainly pay off. Mara, Leah and Rachael, only together, are the complete package in marriage. Leah was fertile, but Rachael died in childbirth after only two children. Rachael was loved, while Leah was not. Since it is neither practical nor moral, in this age, for a man to marry more than one woman, today's wife must be the full package of love and fertility. From this marriage of Bro-Lee and Mara-El, a new twelve tribes of Israel will be spawned, descendants more numerous than the stars, conquering the entire galaxy. Millennia from now, they will look back and honor your commitment to each other and your service to Almighty God. Amen," Pope Barney declared.

"Do you, Bro-Lee, have a good, free, and unconstrained will, and a firm intention to take as your wife this woman, Mara-El, whom you see here before you?" Pope Barney asked.

"I have, Holy Father," Bro replied.

"Do you, Mara-El, have a good, free, and unconstrained will, and a firm intention to take as your husband this man, Bro-Lee, whom you see here before you?

"I have, Holy Father," Mara answered.

"Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages," Pope Barney declared.

At the reception, Bro found Lt. Dan among the crowd, walking, and with a Cong fiancée with him. "Lt. Dan," Bro said, surprised.

"Hello, Bro," Lt. Dan smiled.

"You've got new legs," Bro realized.

"Yeah, titanium alloy cybernetics," Lt. Dan nodded. "This is my fiancée. She's a Cong."

"Lt. Dan, this is Princess Mara," Bro introduced.

"Hi," Mara said awkwardly.

"Look, Bro, I was an ass. I didn't thank you for saving my life, and I was a bitch. If you'll have me, I would be proud to serve you, Your Majesty," Lt. Dan said sincerely.

"Majesty?" Bro wondered. Mara nodded to him. "Absolutely, Lt. Dan," Bro said happily and shook Lt. Dan's hand, nearly knocking him off balance.

During their honeymoon, Bro was at Mara's bedside. She was completely exhausted, unable to even move. "Bro, were you ever scared when you were on Cong?" Mara asked curiously.

"Not really. Sometimes, when it would stop raining, I'd look up and see the stars. Then, it was nice. Just like when the sun goes down at the bay, and the water sparkles. Like that mountain lake that was so clear it was like two skies on top of another. Then, in the desert, when the sun comes up, I couldn't tell where heaven started, and the sky began. So beautiful," Bro recalled.

"I wish I could have been there with you," Mara said sincerely.

"You were," Bro smiled.

"Well, we're going back to finish the job," Mara said, wide-eyed.

During their simple honeymoon, Bro and Mara played ping-pong, fished at the lake, and read the Bible together. Still, throughout their time together, Mara wondered if God and his angels had abandoned her. It was then that she saw a single white feather rise from the ground and float off in front of her and seemingly disappear into the distance. Mara smiled tearfully, put her hands together, and nodded to the sun.

Author's Notes: Forrest Gump is just an awesome film on so many levels. It has the greatest hero and the greatest villain in cinematic history. It's interesting how both conservatives and liberals feel vindicated by this film for different reasons. After so many seasons of writing about Mara growing up, this seemed to be the right story to use for her love story.