2649/The acquisition of Kandor, last city of Krypton

The acquisition of Kandor, last city of Krypton
Date of Scene:	27 July 2020
Location:	The Fortress of Solitude
Synopsis:	The Superfamily catches up with each other and world happenings, they settle on a plan of action.
Cast of Characters:	Kara Danvers, Clark Kent

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Kara Danvers has posed:
The three circles begin to spin along different relative axii' about the platform that the bottled city of Kandor rests on. Now that it's safely here, safely in the Fortress of Solitude, safely protected by a Kryptonian shield. The hum of the shield is re-assuring to her. The twin micro suns that power this place are quite capable of keeping Brainiac away from it.

The humans may believe he is defeated but Kara has been having nightmares even since she had the revelation that may be he was involved in the destruction of her home. It has now been one and a half years since that horrifying moment in her mental continuity.

Kara stands before the now glowing white orb of power, the three circles moving so quickly as to be imperceptibly different from a sphere. She folds her arms and watches it for a while, silently. Sometimes she feels close to the humans, but right now, they feel as alien as she is to them.

Clark Kent has posed:
Kara's hearing is sensitive enough to pick up the distant rumble of a dying sonic boom as Superman decelerates toward the polar hideaway of the last children of Krypton. He hasn't been up and flying much lately, still recovering from his offworld ordeals, but some time in the Fortress might be exactly what he needs to return to full strength. The world is still facing too many challenges to number, which means he can't afford to delay his recuperation if he wants to be able to contribute.

His footsteps are soft as he approaches the chamber, but his appearance won't be any surprise. His cape swirls lazily around his boots as he stops, looking curiously at his cousin and the new treasure she has just finished installing. "Kara?" he greets her curiously. "What is..." He takes a closer look at her face, and his question about the city behind her is forgotten. "Are you alright?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
It's true, Kara Zor-El has a habit of jutting out her chin just a little and her eyes hardening when she upset with something. It can be as small a thing as Kal El regurgitating his dinner when babysitting him, or when humanity puts their faith in the technology of a murderer.

She snaps out of her thoughts and turns to look to her cousin, then approaches and gives him a hug. "Humanity. They are trying sometimes. I am trying cousin, I really am. I am part of a team called the Titans, but it's the little things that add up, that make me think may be Power Girl is right and I should not trust them," she says in Kryptonian, one of the few places on Earth where she feels it most appropriate to simply be herself.

"This is the city of Kandor, still trapped in Brainiac's bottle. For now I am simply satisfied that it is safe, the last of our civilisation. When things have cooled down, we should go visit and discuss future plans with its residents," she says motioning to the object hidden behind the glowing force field. Though, it is more than just Kandor that has her holding this agitated posture.

Clark Kent has posed:
Kal-El might not have gotten the benefit of years spent growing up alongside his cousin, but he doesn't need that to pick up on her signs of distress. He lifts his arms and puts them around her when she approaches, mantling her shoulders for a moment before backing away and placing his hands on them, looking down into her eyes with concern.

"There can be no peace without trust, cousin," he answers her, his Kryptonian noticeably more stilted and less fluent than hers. Another advantage he missed out on. "Please, tell me what has happened."

But then she starts on her explanation, and for the first time, maybe ever, Superman is visibly distracted from someone's distress, glancing over her shoulder at the bottle in question. "K-- Kandor?" he sputters, disbelieving. He drops to his more reflexive English. "From Krypton? How is that possible?" Keeping one hand on her shoulder, he gently steers her through a turn as he takes a few steps toward the bottle "How many people...?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara turns as Kal starts to realise the gravity of it. "Yes, from Krypton. I don't know, Kandor was a pretty big city so may be millions. Too many for Earth. Not that we could ... any way. The humans, they are trying to reverse engineer Brainiac's technology to unshrink their Mutant Town - Bushwick. They think they have control over it but that is.. unwise.," she explains and steps back over to the glowing orb, tucking her hands behind her back. While Kal's Kryptonian was learnt by listening to a computer and recordings from his father it does make her think of her uncle a lot, Kal has picked up all his verbal mannerisms.

"And some of these people are involved are also the same people who cloned you." She clicks her vowels angrily at this, making it clear she knows about Conner now and does not approve. She is aware it is a cultural thing but is not sure the wisdom of the ages is wrong. There were probably good reasons why clones were considered abominations, much like advanced AI. "But the implications are what bother me most. Brainiac went to Krypton. Brainiac stole Kandor. No one said anything about it in the days leading up to Kryptons destruction." Tears begin to fill her eyes, her hands in tight fists, "Brainiac May have murdered Krypton."

Clark Kent has posed:
"Millions..." Clark echoes, almost unwilling to say the word lest the pressure of his breath break it -- destroying the thing he had never considered possible and is even now having difficulty believing is true. He stands next to Kara, looking into the bottled city with wonder. He might still be speaking English, but he understands Kara perfectly well. And that is what finally draws him away from the promise of Kandor again: he turns back to his cousin, hearing the anxiety in her words and knowing he's the only one she can turn to right now.

"I wouldn't bet against the ingenuity of the people of Earth," he tells her. "This planet's people are capable of the most incredible things when they set their minds to them." Still, her note of caution rings true. "Krypton thought they had control, too," he reminds her. "Any people are capable of hubris. Still, we're here to help this world not make the same mistakes."

As she continues, though, his grounded concern gives way to confusion; he steps back from her, searching her features for an explanation. "Cloned me? What do you mean? Brainiac...?" Unlike Kara, Kal wasn't raised with the Kryptonian cloning taboo, so the second point cuts far more sharply. "Krypton was destroyed by its own mistakes. If Brainiac observed the cataclysm and decided to steal a city as it began, that hasn't changed." He draws her toward him for another tight embrace as her eyes fill with tears. What she's saying is too much for him to follow, but her feelings inspire a protective, brotherly instinct to comfort her and help her face what has so upset her.

Kara Danvers has posed:
There are some things she cannot say to Kal, that are too much of a burden to place on him. Like how where ever she goes, people see the \S/ on her chest and think of him and his heroic deeds. They don't see her, they don't see Kara Zor-El, just the Kryptonian there to save the day. That she is trying to lead this crazy double life, where neither version of her can just be her. That she already knows what it was like to live a normal life and now is forced not to.

"That's what Brainiac said about Earth too, that it was doomed by its own people. I told him Humanity is changing and they are fighting for their future. If it can be true of Humanity, then it could have been true of Krypton too.," she says not willing to submit to the notion that their people could be so flawed as to destroy themselves like that. Even if it is true.

"His name is Conner, he is a clone of you. One of the Titans told me, she said she was part of the cloning process. I have not met this abomination yet," she says in her oddly accented English, "But there was an extremely strict policy of no clones on Krypton. Any cloning was met with exile to the Phantom Zone, they are without soul, without pity, without humility, without remorse or empathy. They are empty monsters," she says parroting the rhetoric of Krypton at the time. "He is a danger to everyone on this planet, especially because of the powers the sun here gives us."

Slowly, she is starting to calm. His familial touch helping. There is no one else on the planet that she can turn to, even if it is still weird that he's so much older than her now. Though, Power Girl is becoming family too. Kara is slow to trust.

Clark Kent has posed:
Over Kara's head, Clark's eyes drift back to the bottle and he takes a deep breath. The grim line of his mouth says that he knows he's about to take an unpleasant, but necessary action. "What, then, of Jor-El?" he asks, his stilted Kryptonian diction unintentionally giving his words an ominous cadence. "I understand how you feel, Kara -- I wish I could believe our planet was attacked, so much. As horrible as it is, that would still make it easier. But if it was Brainiac, how could my father have seen it coming?" He shakes his head slowly. "It just doesn't fit."

He gently releases her now, again ducking his head to look her directly in the eye and give her an encouraging smile. "But do you know what does fit? You do. My father may have taken precautions, but he never stopped speaking out -- never stopped believing that the people of Krypton could be better. Just like him, you believe it of them, and now you believe it of humanity, too. That faith in people, Kara, in their potential: the House of El would be so proud to see the woman their daughter has become."

He rubs her shoulders bracingly, then cracks a grin and says, "Just as proud as I am to have you for my big cousin, so I should know."

He takes a step back and straightens up, then continues, "So... This Conner. What can you tell me about him?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
~~ "Your uncle Jor-El is right Kara, our planet is doomed. This is the only way I can save you," Kara remembers some of the last words her father spoke to her as she was fading in to sleep, drugged and trapped inside the space capsule built from Jor-El's designs. She shakes her head snapping out of it. "You're right.. it doesn't make sense. You're right. I guess.. I suppose then.. Brainiac has done us a favour, by saving one of our largest cities," she says and stares off in to the distance.

She smirks a little at Kal's pep talk and she switches back to her Swedish-like English again. Almost like a switch indicating her faith in humanity. "It's because of that, that I worry they are making a big mistake trusting Brainiac's technology. I have seen what humans can do, they can shrink and grow things too - Hank Pym and his daughter Nadia. They should trust in themselves."

She steps away and takes in a big breath, walking on the balls of her feet, one hand touching crystaline consoles gently. "I don't know much about him, only that he exists. I intend to have a serious conversation with Caitlin about it. I know I have no rights to demand the laws of Krypton on this planet, except if it is a Kryptonian breaking the law.. but Caitlin. She confided in me, I think she knows she did wrong."

Clark Kent has posed:
Kal nods, gravely considering his cousin's opinion on the use of Brainiac's stolen tech. "I know I've been out of contact, so I don't really have a right to weigh in, but for the record: I think you're right," he says finally, the journalistic term of art coming naturally to mind. "Still, this is their world, and the bottles contain their people. Within limits, we have to let them make their own choices and learn from their own mistakes. Are people considering keeping Brainiac's shrinking technology? Or worse, mass producing it? That might be a situation where we should consider intervening."

As for the question of Conner, the whole matter leaves him perturbed. "Now that you mention it, I think I might have seen him," he says, brow furrowing. "Back in Metropolis, during the shadow attacks -- I guess I didn't make the connection." He takes a deep breath, looking uncomfortable, before he decides he won't allow himself the self-deception and amends, "I guess I didn't want to make the connection. If he's as dangerous as you say -- and let's not forget, we're dangerous too -- I probably should make a connection."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara smirks just a touch, "They held a meeting. I ....may have listened in a little. It is clear that they do not want this technology weaponised. The Titans are very much of the opinion that it should be destroyed once the work is done. And yes, that fine line between helping and staying away. I take the time to listen now, to see if people can handle a situation on their own before I jump in to help out."

Kara imagines 'meeting' Conner and the desire to lock the monstrosity up and throw away the key is intense within her. But, her cousin has turned out to be far more level headed than she. She takes a little too much after her mother and father, which is saying something for the House of El. "If you do, just ...keep in mind we may need to banish him. Try not to get too attached."

She pinches her nose bridge and sighs. "Sorry, I know I'm coming on strong today and you've been going through a lot too. Sometimes it feels like this world is constantly on the brink, it's stressful, because that's how things were right before I left Krypton. I don't want this planet to suffer the same fate. Even to the last, my father was trying to create a specialised force shield around Argo city.. but I suppose if he thought it would have worked he wouldn't have sent me away. And.. Power Girl, the other me.. well, she says I will never see my mother and father again." There is a gulp, but it seems she's had some time to digest this concept.

Clark Kent has posed:
"'Feels like?'" Kal echoes with a teasing smile. "If the world isn't on the brink, that's how you know it's all an illusion and you're under some kind of hypnotic mind control." He's joking, but also, given his career, maybe not joking so much. "But believe me, I know how stressful it can be. Just remember that you're not the same person as Power Girl. The things she has experienced are not the same things you're going to experience. Just like humanity itself, you can chart your own future."

Speaking of which, "And that's what I'm talking about," he says approvingly. "The people of this world might be taking a big risk, but they're aware of it, and they're not letting their greed for Brainiac's technology blind them to it." He crosses his arms across his broad chest and chuckles. "It sounds like you're a lot quicker study than I ever was. The balance between trust and intervention took me forever to find -- and some days, I'm still looking."

His brows furrow again, and his head tilts to one side, as he considers her warning about Conner. "I'm aware that a confrontation with anyone powerful enough can turn into a problem," he says evenly. "But I'm also not going to go into it looking for a reason to make it one. He didn't ask to be what he is. If he's capable of making his own decisions, he can decide what it means." He blinks, then gives her a broad grin. "Besides, You've got a duplicate, kind of. That seems to have worked out OK."

Kara Danvers has posed:
She shakes her head and tosses her hands out as if it was a world of difference apart, which it is - actually, a dimension of difference apart. "She's not a clone, she's from another dimension. Kal, this is serious. It was a high crime on Krypton to make a clone."

She relaxes her shoulders and then smiles. "You know, when you rescued me from Siberia after I blew up half the forest.. I almost didn't believe it was actually you. After all I had just been stuck in a dreamy haze for decades and the last time I'd seen you, you were bouncing on my knee. But it was the way you talked, it reminded me of our extended family. I did briefly think that perhaps you were a clone. I'm really glad it was you, anyone else and I might have gone to war with them... and I had no idea what I was capable of yet."

Clark Kent has posed:
"I understand that. I didn't clone anybody," Kal says when Kara answers his levity with greater seriousness. "And to be honest, it makes me feel very uncomfortable that a clone of me exists... or even can exist. Someone must have gotten a genetic sample somehow..." He trails off and frowns, not really eager to explore the implications there. "I didn't even know he existed. If this clone is a mindless weapon with my powers, that's a very big problem, and the Phantom Zone might be the best solution. On the other hand, if he's capable of making his own choices?" He shrugs. "Who am I to take that right away from him, if he's not using it to harm others?"

Moving past the tense topic then, he gives her a loose grin. "I'm sure glad you decided not to go to war," he says. "You were plenty capable, even then. Definitely not someone whose bad side I would want to be on."

Kara Danvers has posed:
She chuckles a touch and shrugs her shoulders to him. "Experience trumps raw wattage," she says. She is learning. The training she's done with the Titans in preparation for the fight with Brainiac really started to drill that home. Especially the training on how much force one should use. It's a difficult balancing act.

"You grew in to this hero thing Kal, you're a natural at it. Me? I'm still just a science nerd who now lives on a planet where all the technology is weird, they have thousands of languages instead of one, and I have super powers. I'm sure eventually it won't be a novelty to me, but it's //still// a novelty to me," she says as she looks at her cousin, so stoic and dashing. She can't help but admire him, but also imagine what it would have been like watching him grow up on Krypton.

"Before we visit Kandor, one day, we will have to have a looong talk about Kryptonian culture. Rao guide us we might even have sensible conversations with their leadership if we handle it right."

Clark Kent has posed:
Kal shakes his head regretfully. "You know I love you, Kara, but the downside of that is that I won't hesitate to tell you when you're flat out wrong," he says with a sigh. "And that's exactly what you are, if you think you weren't born every ounce a hero." He gives her a broad, encouraging grin. "You're learning and growing into what you can do, just like I did -- like I do every day. I had a head start by chance, but that's all."

It's amazing how their roles swap when she starts talking about Kandor. It's suddenly a lot easier for her to remember the fumbling child he once was as he asks, "Do you really think we'll be able to talk to them?" he asks, shifting on his feet nervously. "Do you think they'll find the whole Superman thing disrespectful?" He gestures to his outfit. "I don't really know what to expect." He frowns, reflecting on his only experience with Kryptonian culture -- the starfaring equivalent of a correspondence course.

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara looks a little shocked as she is told unequivocally by her cousin that she was born a hero. She can't really argue back against such conviction. She must just accept it as it's given to her, with folded arms no less. At least Power Girl isn't here, the way they mirror each others body language is just freeeaky.

"Ahha," she says with a bit of a chuckle. "Honestly, it might help quite a bit. The battle armor of House El. It'll set the tone, let's just say that." Perhaps he's never heard of it described that way before. "But, they don't know that Krypton is gone, it'll be a shock to everyone there. They only know they were abducted and beyond that, probably very little about what has happened since. I remember a couple of days before everything went totally crazy news was reporting the disappearance of Kandor, but dad was so busy trying to set up his shield emitters I didn't pay too much attention to the news."

Clark Kent has posed:
Kal steps back and turns to face the city again, the hem of his cape carrying the motion a bit farther than he does. "I hope they see it that way," he says, confidence uncharacteristically shaky. He stoops to peer into the city, perhaps using his impossible vision to see into it in a way a human couldn't. "Maybe we should start with the fact that they're on an alien world, that Brainiac has been defeated and they were rescued. Work up to the truth about Krypton gradually, rather than hitting them with all of it at once."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara shrugs a shoulder and nods her head, "May be. If they're not being jerks. But who knows what faction has taken control since they were abducted. We might want to dress to their attire and get a lay of the land before we reveal ourselves as being Kryptonians from outside the city. That revelation in and of itself may be huge. At least we will have our powers, if things go south."

The idea that 'things could go south' might be a bit of a revelation for Kal too. "Or may be they will be so utterly relieved to know we've rescued them that they'll be ration and let us help. I was thinking, if we can figure out how to do it - we could find a quiet world, create some autonomous crystal constructions and do as Hank Pym suggested in the meeting, take the people and their possessions out, instead of trying to restore the entire city. But, I'm getting very ahead of myself now. Observation is Causality," she smiles though, "This is the biggest hope I have had since I met you and then Power Girl. Brainiac dangled the city in front of our faces to dishearten us, but instead he emboldened us. Though, strangely, he was ready for us -- he had Kryptonite. I took it front on. That.. really hurt."

Clark Kent has posed:
It's true; Jor-El's educational course focused on preserving what he found noble, or at the very least instructive, in the Kryptonian culture. The idea that the people of his birth planet might react badly to his appearance strikes Kal as a touch pessimistic. Still, he's well aware that Kara's experience with the Kryptonian culture far exceeds his own, so he doesn't question her caution directly.

He doesn't say anything, in fact, until she mentions being hit with a Kryptonite-enhanced attack. He turns to stare at her, dark brows lowering in protective concern. "Kryptonite? If he had Kandor, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised he had minerals from the planet, too. What happened?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
My side of the fight? Well. I was up in space holding my breath when the first wave of drones flew in. I got in a fight with several of them and they dragged me down to New York. I hit the ground hard, but so did they. So, I destroyed them and heard the other teams making their approach to Brainiac's ship in the t-jet and a quinjet."

She seems quite proud of her actions and is happy to recount them, "I saw Power Girl up there drawing attention of the drones away from the jets, so I joined in. It was sort of but not quite what we'd practiced in the danger room at Titans Tower anyway. Once Tony's weapon took down Brainiac's ship, we all attacked in earnest."

She floats up a little, resting a booted foot upon her inner knee as she describes the action. "I landed on the bridge first, followed quickly by Power Girl and Captain Danvers. The Avengers quinjet landed soon after. Also, the Hulk. Tony Stark was there remotely with one of his iron man suits. Brainiac dangled Kandor in front of our faces and used the distraction to hit us with ... well I'm not quite sure how to describe the beam weapon he used. It //hurt// though. Burnt me," she motions over her arms and face.

"But once you settle in to the pain and realise it's not killing you, well, you can push back against it. I don't need to tell you that. I destroyed one of his beam emitters with my laser eyes. There was a lot going on at once at that point. I knew Tony was hacking the system so he had to be protected. Two gigantic drones were bearing down on him, so I really pushed myself and cut one in half with my heat vision... that really drained me. The hulk? he nudged me to keep fighting."

She smirks and says, "The hulk is a big sweety. Any way, I got back up and marched forward to finish off Brainiac, the others had done a real number on him, so much so that he was glitching and broken all over. He resorted to his last defence, a big chunk of Kryptonite.. and me, I walked right up to him as he exposed it. The Hulk - he //ate// the Kryptonite and Tony flew me back to the Titans Tower."

Clark Kent has posed:
Kal crosses his arms and smirks as Kara goes through the stages of the battle. "Wow, all of that sounds intense," he says, eyebrows rising appreciatively. Then, with a twinge of regret, he adds, "I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help, but I'm glad you could jump in to fill the gap. Sounds like you really represented the family well."

The final point in the story does get an alarmed look from the once-younger Kryptonian. "He /ate/ it?" he says in disbelief. He blinks at her for a couple of seconds, then raises one finger to his nose. "Is it too late to call 'not it' on pooper scooper duty?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara snickers and lifts her chin a little, "There's more to the story. I did spend a few days feeling pretty ill. Kryptonite is awful stuff. That's the first time I've been hit with such raw stuff before. It felt like I was having a thousand mini-heart attacks and every part of me was on fire. Troia seemed to know what to do, almost like she'd seen it before," she lifts an eyebrow to Kal accusingly, well, may be not accusingly but knowingly.

"So, bed and sunlight and water. I started to feel more like myself, then I heard the Hulk way off north in pain. I went to him and he was still afraid the stone would hurt me. I looked inside him and it had turned black, inert. When I told him it was safe now, he puked it up and together we smashed it. Very cathartic. So, now I know it's possible to drain the dangerous radiation from the rocks, I'm not sure if the rock itself is toxic.. but the downside is that I'd never want the Hulk to go through that pain again. Poor guy."

Clark Kent has posed:
Kal nods slowly as she describes her symptoms. "Yeah, that's the stuff," he says grimly. "Sounds like a bad bout of it, but I'm glad to see you're up off your feet again." A slightly wry nod to her choice to float around the room. "Unfortunately, a lot of our allies have had to learn the first aid for Kryptonite poisoning. Can't decide whether I'm more grateful or embarrassed that they've all committed it to memory, though."

The news that Hulk's digestive tract managed to negate the Kryptonite's harmful properties surprises him just as much as it did her. "I've never heard of anything leaching the radiation out of Kryptonite, though. I wouldn't mind talking to some of the Avengers scientists and seeing if they might be able to replicate the process. Sure would make me feel a lot safer -- for all of us -- if we could disarm the Kryptonite we do recover instead of just burying it and hoping it never gets out again."

Kara Danvers has posed:
She nods her head at the sentiment, the thought had crossed her mind too. "It might be beyond their science. It's a shame we can't help with the process. The very thought of being near any of it again makes my tummy turn. Any time I try and talk physics with people on this planet they stare at me like I'm speaking an alien language and at that point I might as well be talking in Kryptonian. Their view of the universe is.. so weird." Now that her story of heroics is done she settles back down on to the floor. Story time requires some level of dramatics.

"So.. we wait for something horrible to go wrong with Brainiac's technology, avoid saying "I told you so", then do our best to try and help. That's ...job #1 I suppose. You're going to track down this Conner clone and.. uh.. 'talk' to it? I think I will find some time with Caitlin and talk to her about what they did too. May be I can find out how they got your DNA."

Almost forgetting, she snaps her fingers together, "Ah yes. Also, I had a bit of a heart to heart with my doppelganger. We've decided to be sisters and.. I asked her to be family. Then I hugged her. I don't think she saw that coming - you'd think she'd see that coming."

Clark Kent has posed:
"We should be on hand, ready to help any way we can," Kal suggests, his tone and quirked eyebrow gently chiding Kara for the joke that they would just wait for something horrible to happen. Still, he goes on to make a joke of his own: "But yes, 'I told you so' will just make them grumpy /and/ in danger."

Then he nods, a little more serious. "I do want to find out what Conner has to say for himself. We don't know his situation -- he could easily be more of a victim in this than anyone. At the same time, I would also appreciate you checking things out on your end. Caitlin sounds like she would be our best source of information on what happened, and it's probably better if I don't just show up out of the blue; it might make her feel like I'm accusing her of something."

The thought of Kara ambush-hugging Power Girl does bring an amused smile to his face. "That is one of your go-to moves," he agrees. "You'd think it would be in your dossier or something. Glad to hear the family circle has been growing while I was away." He nods to the bottled city, so close by. "In more ways than one, maybe."

At that, he rolls his shoulders, sagging just slightly. "It was great talking to you, Kara. I'm just... really exhausted. I might need a few hours of bed, sunlight, and water myself."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara nods her head, clearly amused by most of what was just said. She gives him a hug too, a little too tight but nothing the man of steel can't handle. "Okay cous, you look after yourself. I don't want to have to do this on my own." She smiles and glances back once more to the shielded city, then takes flight, shooting out of the Fortress of Solitude and back to Metropolis where her mundane life as Kara Danvers awaits...