Lois nodded as she watched the thin object sail across her spacious condo. “All women on Earth do and I have it on good authority that most other alien women wear something similar,” she stated as she crossed the floor to the other side of the kitchen to pick up the discarded item. “And since you are no longer wearing the Kryptonian biosheath that so expertly regulated your hormones and body you will need one of these too.”
Kara looked at the item Lois held her in lithe hand and scrunched her nose up at it. “It is a cloth composite material --”
She started to say more but Lois, quite frustrated after three hours of the never ending argument, interrupted her. “It’s called a tampon, Kara...” Lois said with a sigh of frustration. “It's called a tampon.”
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#2
JUL 11 |
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“Two of a Kind” Part Two
New Troy, Metropolis
Delaware
It had been Lois’ suggestion to Clark to give Kara an apartment in Metropolis. Clark had initially wanted to keep her housed in the Fortress of Solitude, thinking that it would offer a familiar surrounding for the lost girl to help ease any feelings of loss and homesickness Kara could feel. But in her short dealings with the girl Lois had noticed that Kara wasn’t given to sentimentality and had taken the destruction of her home planet and death of her parents quite well, regarding it with a short ‘interesting’ before moving on to other things. So Lois felt that the girl would rather, at least, desire some contact with people while she acclimated herself to a new culture.
And for the most part Kara took meeting different people pretty well, though Lois wasn’t sure if her intentions were purely out of social interest or as part of some sort of social experiment instead. Two days ago in a Starbucks, Kara had, without concern to social politeness or emotional embarrassment, spent a full two minutes verbally dissecting another woman’s breast implants after her x-ray vision detected some sort of ‘weird plastics’ in her chest. Lois hadn’t noticed immediately as she waited to pay for the two lattes but had been mortified when she had. Another lesson soon followed on when it was appropriate to not only use her new powers to violate another’s privacy but when to learn how to keep certain observations to herself.
In the end, however, it wasn’t like Kara didn’t have regular access to the Fortress after she had spent damn near three million on their credit card buying parts off of eBay and craigslist to build a door that accessed the tesseract the Fortress of Solitude occupied, where she studied Earth culture tirelessly for several hours a day, though Lois learned there was a difference in obtaining knowledge and application of knowledge. When it came to having a mentor on Kara’s level of intellect the robotic guardian and life-long caretaker of the House of El, Kelex, was there to banter with and guide the girl in her areas of confusion.
But then the colorful slang Natasha Iron’s had reprogrammed the robot with was yet another obstacle to Kara’s progression. “Yo, Big Blue, what’s happenin’ all up in this beyotch?” the girl asked as she caught up to Superman over the mid-Atlantic.
Superman shook his head in slight amusement and made a mental note to have Natasha fix the caretaker of his Fortress as soon as possible. “Just headed back from South Africa where Galactic Golem was attacking one of LexCorps space monitoring facilities.”
Kara wore casual clothes as she soared above the clouds with her more colorful attired cousin; a pair of low-riding jeans and a short bare midriff ‘Mythbusters’ t-shirt. No matter how many times Clark had tried to explain to the girl that the show wasn’t really a comedy; out of all of the television she had studied in the genre like ‘Seinfeld’ or ‘Community’, the ‘Mythbusters’ show was the only one Kara connected with and found laugh out loud funny. “Cool, so where are we headed now?”
“Actually, we’re going to the Fortress of Solitude. There’s a place inside I want to show you to help with your training. Now that your powers are near their peak it’s time you learned how to subconsciously restrain yourself,” Superman said as they crossed over into the Antarctic where he hid one of the very few points of entry into his secret sanctuary. “You’re going to feel like you live in this cardboard world where even the slightest mishap with your powers could have severe consequences to the places and people around you.” He looked at the girl. “And you’d be right.”
She understood intimately where he was going. It took her hours after feeling this swelling of strength grow inside of her to stop crushing every TV remote, book, keyboard or phone she handled. “There’s a secret zone inside the Fortress? I thought I was aware of everything inside.”
Clark smiled at the thought of the impending revelation as they neared the top of the tallest ice covered mountain in this part of the world. Hidden away on an icy ledge was an obsidian colored soccer ball sized sphere that was decorated with glowing neon orange lines and circles that intersected at the poles. His powerful fingers slid into the lock like a bowling ball and he shifted several pieces around until they lined up in proper order. The sphere began to hum.
“You haven’t seen anything, yet.” Superman stated as the object miraculously inflated and sucked them inside.
Fortress of Solitude
With a sigh he rested his head on his front paws as the lower half of his body still occupied part of the red and yellow dog house. Krypto’s vibrant sky blue eyes flickered around the room, following the moments of a floating golden robot that made its normal rounds inside his master’s expansive abode. The robot was continuously checking on the functions of the Fortress and the maintenance droids that kept it pristine.
With a clack a red bowl was lowered to the floor next to his ear by a facsimile of his master that was filled to the rim with dry dog food specially formulated by Kelex to not only provide the best nutrition for the Kryptonian canine, but to prevent him from becoming board with monotonous flavors. A hand came down and gently rubbed the top of his head where it met the ear.
“That’s a good boy. Eat your food and we’ll play catch later, okay?”
Krypto puffed a big rush of air out of his nose, not enthused by the robot copy of Superman. Pushing himself up the super dog sniffed his bowl and took a tentative taste of the dry brown balls. Even though Kelex put continuous thought into his diet very little would work to turn around the animal’s depressed mood. He was lonely. Not even a routine visit to the bottle city of Kandor excited him anymore.
Then his ears twitched, picking up a faint hum that filled the cavernous sanctuary.
[Well, this is freakin’ curious. Blue didn’t mention he was droppin’ by the hizzle today.] Kelex said in his colorful dialect that Natasha Iron’s programmed into the personality interface in his central processing unit.
The yellow lights around the entrance flared bright and the controls flashed their warning that two people prepared to come through. Krypto stood up and walked to the edge of his terrace, his nails clacked quietly on the metal surface, preparing to see who the visitor was. His head tilted as the locks on the metal door turned until they slid into the proper order and the circular door slid open.
Krypto caught the scent instantly and his tail excitedly swung back and forth on instinct. The dog had a surprisingly violent reaction to Kara Zor-El when he first encountered her, going so far as to use his heat vision and other potentially lethal attacks on the girl. Something about her bugged him, like her essence was slightly off. Now, he flew off the terrace and crossed the gap to the higher level as the silhouette’s solidified into actual people, and tackled Kara with passion to furiously lick her face.
Kara laughed. “Krypto!”
Superman smiled as the pair rolled around on the floor before he spun to come eye to pan-spectral ocular array with Kelex.
[Wassup, my brother?]
“I’m going to show Kara the Interplanetary Zoo. Can you prepare the archway to send us there?” Superman asked as Kara stood and Krypto had taken to his usual spot next to the girl whenever they were together.
[Sho’nuff. Gimmie three minutes and I’ll meet you on the flip-side,] the robot responded as he floated away.
“There is a zoo here?” Kara asked interestedly as she pet Krypto on the muzzle. She had read about zoos and had even visited the zoo in Metropolis. It had been a very short visit, however, as Mothers apparently don’t like to be informed that when a sign says ‘Please do not allow children to stand on the habitat’ that they should actually do it. Lois had stepped in before the woman could do much more than call Kara a bitch. Kara had chuckled and shook her head. She was not a female member of the genus Canidae, so how could she be a bitch?
Superman nodded. “I’ve collected examples of all sorts of animals from across universes and dimensions. Even a few of the animals you saw at the zoo before you left.” He smiled at her and his ice blue eyes twinkled.
Kara had learned that this was called teasing and she smiled in response. “I look forward to seeing all the examples of animals and plants you have in the zoo.” She followed Superman silently with Krypto by her side. Eventually, they entered the zoo and Kara could hardly look at everything at once. Somehow, he’d gotten a drang and the reptile sat coiled as if ready to strike, but the glass enclosure it was in prevented that.
She crossed to another exhibit, this one of African elephants and marveled at the exacting detail that went into the habitat the pachyderms were in.”This is fascinating...” Kara said with enthusiasm. “You even replicated the grasses...”
Superman nodded. “It took a lot of time and research, but I did it for science and posterity. You are welcome to come here whenever you’d like. I’d like you to keep care of it for me.”
Kara smiled and nodded then wandered off to go look over her domain, such as it was. Krypto looked up at the Man of Steel and Kal-El said, “I have some business to attend to, boy. Take care of her until I get back.”
The dog nodded and scampered off after his mistress.
Bludhaven, New Jersey
“And you really think I’m the best choice for this?” asked the man dressed entirely in black save for the navy blue symbol that stretched across his muscled chest and down his arms to the tips of his fingers. He had just smashed one of his escrima sticks across the nose of a masked attacker while using the other to block the fist of another who just didn’t know when it was in his good health to just stay down. Nightwing would show him the error of his ways as he executed a perfect kick to the side of the man’s head that dislodged several key bones in his inner ear and cost the man the hearing in that ear on top of his consciousness for the next half hour.
Superman hovered over the fight by several feet, knowing that the other hero wasn’t in any immediate danger that would force him to lend a hand. Besides, Clark enjoyed the show enough not to ruin it now. “Honestly, I couldn’t think of anybody better. Kara’s got tremendous power, but she’s naive and slightly arrogant in her intellect and newfound powers. If she goes even a hair overboard she could cost somebody their life. Unlike me, she didn’t have an entire teenage life to learn how to adapt to her powers or to have the values I was taught ingrained into her.”
Nightwing slipped his escrima sticks into their holsters after taking a quick minute to observe the alley and make sure the six men who failed to rob the jewelry store next door laid still. “I can’t teach her how to use her powers.”
“I’m not asking you to, Nightwing, I’m asking you to teach her value…the meaning of being a hero. It takes a lot of courage and skill to do what you do. Let’s be honest, if I didn’t know I could bend steel or stand in a hail of bullets and shrug it off like a light sprinkle, or do half of the things I can, I don’t know if I could have jump as easily as I did into this life,” Superman explained as he helped Nightwing bind the men together. “I need a person of tremendous moral courage to help guide Kara so she doesn’t grow sloppy or cocky; somebody who without her power can make a difference and move mountains in their own way.”
Superman stepped up to Nightwing and put his hand on the heroes shoulder. “And frankly, there isn’t another hero on this planet that I have more respect for and confidence in than you...or Bruce, but I don’t want to terrify the poor girl. I want to inspire her.”
Dick looked at Superman square in the eyes and remembered the day when he had broken off from Batman to become his own hero. He had struggled to find a proper name for himself, but he refused to continue on with the Robin moniker. It was just too closely associated with Batman. In the end it had been Superman who had given him the Nightwing identity based on ancient Kryptonian lore about their own crime fighting duo. The honor Dick felt at the gesture still swelled in his chest nightly as he donned the costume.
“Well, I have been giving some thought to putting the band back together, dusting off the Titans possibly,” Nightwing extended his gloved hand. “I’ll do it. It’ll be my honor to help train your cousin.”
Superman smiled as he grabbed Dick’s hand and gave it a shake. “Thank you. It really means a lot to me.”
“When do I start?”
“It’ll be a few months from now. She’s going to live in Metropolis and split her time in the Fortress until she’s educated and knowledgeable enough about Earth’s cultures to get by. She’s still pretty rough around the edges.”
Nightwing smiled as he pulled his gas charged grapple gun. “Having dealt with Batgirl I understand what you mean.” He pushed the button and with a pop the claw propelled out to catch a railing on a rooftop above. The cable began to wind back into the gun and lift him from the ground. “When you’re ready I’ll be here.”
Superman watched as Nightwing disappeared into the shadows. With one last survey of the bound men, Superman lifted into the air and back to Metropolis. There was one more man he needed to see.
Star City, California
Clark Kent exited the taxi and paid the driver including a generous tip. Turning as the car drove away, he looked up at the Ashram. He should have called but he had no idea how to relate to Connor Hawke. His father had been much easier, but the few times that he’d met Connor the Kryptonian had been impressed by the differences he saw between father and son.
Grabbing the leather case he had brought with him he approached the front of the Ashram. With his success to convince Dick Grayson to act as mentor and guardian of sorts in developing Kara as a hero, Connor Hawke was his hope to act in a different role. Both he and Lois agreed that Kara needed someone her own age to help her complete the transition, to guide her in the ways of the youngsters of Earth, and Clark, whether he liked it or not, was not a youngster, or as Kelex would remind him, “You ain’t a homie, Blue. You need to learn to chill.”
The search for the proper guardian and mentor for his cousin had been long and tiring. They’d considered every costumed hero – and some reformed villains – they could think of that was Kara’s age. Captain Marvel Jr., Freddy Freeman, was going to college at Ivy University, so he was out. The others were either busy or parts of teams that he didn’t want to break up. Finally it had come down to three: Connor Hawke, the Green Arrow; Dick Grayson, Bludhaven’s own Nightwing; or Kon-El, or Connor Kent.
Lois and he had considered his cousin quite seriously but the combination of him being a raving horndog and also a member of the Teen Titans ruled him out. Taking a deep breath, Clark knocked gently on the door of the Ashram.
The leader of the Ashram, Master Jansen, smiled up at the taller visitor. “You are the man who is coming to visit Connor?”
Clark nodded.”Clark Kent. I’m a reporter with the Daily Planet.” He held out his hand.
Master Jansen bowed.”You will forgive me if I have never heard of you, Mister Kent. We do not read newspapers here.” He moved back to Clark could enter the dim but surprisingly cool room. “If you will wait in the garden,” he pointed out the doorway to a lush garden with benches and tables, “I will tell Connor you have arrived.”
Clark entered the garden and sat down at a table where he placed the case. Opening the leather case, he took out a manila folder then placed the folder on the table in front of him. This was all the history he’d been able to compile on Kara, including a picture.
Connor Hawke entered then and Clark rose. “No need to get up, Clark,” Connor said, smiling a half smile of either amusement or annoyance. “You brought me out of my meditation. What can I do for you?” His smile grew as Clark looked around. “Everyone’s out of the Ashram but Master Jansen and he won’t listen in, Superman.”
Clark nodded and opened the folder. “About six months ago, I discovered I have a cousin. Her name is Kara.” He paused to let Connor read a few of the pages. “As you can see, she needs a lot of help but she’s learning quickly.”
Connor nodded and paused when he got to the picture. Smiling through his hair, which was longer than he’d like it, he said, “So, this is your cousin. She has all the same powers you have?” He was interested in helping his dad’s friend but he couldn’t bring an uncontrollable girl to the Ashram. Actually he probably couldn’t bring her to the Ashram at all.
Clark nodded. “She does, but she’s learned to control them and she’s learning to use them in the proper context. I think we went through about sixty television remotes before she got the hang of it. She’s very intelligent but also blunt. Lois and I were hoping a person of her own age could help her.”
Connor squinted at the Man of Steel. “Wouldn’t a girl be better suited to this? Mary Batson? Or Natasha Irons? Surely they could teach her how to be a woman and stuff like that.”
Clark smiled. “Lois has taught her how to be a woman. We want her to learn how to be a kid. And we also want her to learn from someone who is mature and can relate to her intellectually.”
Connor chuckled deeply. “I don’t know about mature, Clark, I am related to Oliver Queen...” His father’s death still struck a nerve even though the two hadn’t been as close as they might have been. “Would Kara come to the Ashram?”
Clark shook his head. “For now she’s going to be in Metropolis. I want to take some time finding her a place of her own. Every place has too many superhero types. It makes you wonder why crimes are still committed.”
Connor nodded. “Well, it’ll take me a few weeks to get everything together and find a replacement for the classes I teach here, but as soon as I can I’ll come. Your Kara is quite a looker. It would be a pleasure to help such a lovely lady.”
Now it was Clark’s turn to chuckle. “Well, Connor, every Green Arrow needs his own Black Canary...”
Metropolis
It had taken Lois months to get Kara to try out eating meat. As a Kryptonian she was largely used to a diet of fruits, vegetables and water. That wasn’t so much as a choice for their culture as much as it was necessity. It was easier to cultivate plants and trees inside than it was to raise and care for livestock. Animals as a whole had begun dying out on Krypton after much of the planet had begun fusing into crystal following the Clone Wars thousands of centuries back. In modern day Krypton the only animals that could be domesticated had survived and everything else could only be found in history books.
Kara’s enthusiasm with the Zoo and experiencing the variety of life on Earth had excited the girl, but the thought of consuming such a primitive and unclean assortment of animals had turned her off completely. Ironically, one of the last few arts that existed on Krypton was based around their food. But, to Clark, it did make sense that one of the few things Kryptonian’s would allow themselves to draw pleasure from was from something they needed to help sustain themselves and only do it once every decade or so. Kara was a natural in teaching Lois a few things about cooking entirely with vegetables and fruits.
So, today, it was round number thirty and this time Lois pulled out all of the stops and prepared a dish she both loved and was intimately familiar with preparing: beef bourguignon. If Kara didn’t like this then there was no helping the poor girl.
Clark looked over at Lois who in turn looked anxiously at Kara who split a piece of beef with her fork before stabbing it and scooping up a few strands of noodles with it. She brought it to her mouth and, with a few slow, tentative bites...she nodded her head in approval and readily finished her piece. “I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but Lois actually managed to create a meat dish that isn’t totally revolting. It must be the red burgundy that helps flavor the beef,” she excitedly explained as she took another bite.
Lois smirked at the review, not sure how to accept Kara’s critique. Her husband just shrugged. “It’s a win, Lois. I knew you would eventually win her over.”
“Thanks...I guess,” she grinned and took a sip of the merlot she served with dinner.
“So, why did you both wish to see me today?” Kara asked as she took the last bite on her now very cleaned plate. She would certainly be going for seconds.
“Oh, well, I wanted to talk to you about something. It involves something I want to show you.” Clark excused himself from the table and went to a closet in the living room to retrieve a cardboard box. He carried it somberly back to the table and set it down. He laid a hand carefully on the lid as he talked. “As you know, on Earth the symbol I wear represents a lot. Like on Krypton it represents hope, but it also stands for truth, justice, liberty and the promise of a life without evil or fear. It’s almost an ideal. This symbol is a responsibility that I used to bear the burden of alone, but I now share with others…like part of a family.”
Clark lifted the lid off and looked inside for the first time in nearly a year and was greeted by the familiar ‘S’ shield. “One of the family members had to quit and it has left a hole that I haven’t been able to fill until now.” Just saying the words took Clark back to the day he had received this package in the mail with a letter from Linda Danvers telling him that she couldn’t do it anymore. The losses she’d suffered where too great and, frankly, she didn’t feel like she deserved to wear the shield anymore. He tried not to take it hard and it had taken everything in his being to not try to convince her to reconsider despite her request that he not. But he knew Linda and knew that when she made up her mind she was final on the decision.
He reached inside and pulled the carefully folded red cape out of the box. “It’s been a treasure getting to know you, Kara, and to help you acclimate to this world in much the same way you taught me about my culture. You’re family to me, and Lois, and it’s time I offered you a place next to me as a role model for this world.”
Kara stared wide-eyed as Clark reached the cape to her and, for once, her words were caught in her throat knowing how much this meant to her cousin.
“Kara Zor-El, would you become Supergirl?”
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To Be Continued In:
The New Titans by David Golightly
Supergirl by Jeffrey Rist
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