Through the Looking Glass | Superman and Lois

5

John Henry Irons and his daughter, Natalie, came running out of the barn where their RV was parked as Clark returned with Nicole in tow. Their faces told the whole story.

"So it's true," John asked. 

Clark nodded. "The Aroni have just past Jupiter and are headed through the asteroid belt right now. They'll be here soon, which means we need to be ready."

John nodded and headed back to the barn with his daughter following closely. He was sure an alien invasion warranted putting a pause on the hunt for the man who killed this world's John Henry Irons. While he and his daughter got their suits ready, the Kent family had to come up with a game plan, one that they would bring the Irons' in on to come up with.

Unsurprisingly, Sam Lane's arrival was announced by Clark who had been expecting him since they had discovered the alien fleet headed their way. 

"He isn't happy," Clark informed everyone. Lois nodded and ushered those under eighteen into the house while the three adults stayed outside with the head of the DOD. While the strenuous conversation went on outside (one that you didn't need super hearing to hear. Out of boredom and sheer curiosity, Nicole began wandering around the house, ending up in the basement as she continued to look around. She was startled when a voice appeared behind her.

"There isn't much to this place," Jordan commented, stepping off of the last step. Nicole nodded and tried to ease her racing heart from being startled.

"I know," she replied, though she didn't entirely agree with him. Her perspective was a little different, though, seeing as she no longer had a house to call a home. "I just wondered how similar this house is to mine."

Jordan kept his hands in his jacket pockets as he looked around. This was the only farmhouse he knew so he wasn't entirely sure what he would have been looking for, or even what his interdimensional sister was looking for.

"So," he began his question. "This is how it all started on your Earth?"

Slowly, Nicole nodded. "Yeah, but we didn't know the invasion had happened until they were already everywhere. The Aroni had already infiltrated high places of government and had outnumbered us by the time we knew what was happening."

Jordan was hesitant to ask his next question, unsure if it was appropriate given the circumstances. Nicole noticed the look and said, "Just ask the question."

"How, um..." he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "How long did it take before your Earth fell?"

It was ever so slight, but Jordan picked up on the shift in her face and body language when he asked that question. Before he could recant and apologize, she answered.

"By the time they began their attack...two days."

Jordan swallowed the lump in his throat and tried not to give away his anxiety upon that news. Given Nicole's powers, however, she picked up on his increased heart rate. She immediately tried to reassure him.

"But, because of my warning, the DOD found the fleet sooner and they know what to look for and what to warn the public of--should it ever come to that," she told him. "You guys have a better chance than my Earth ever did."

Jordan nodded, and he stepped forward about to ask another question when two blue-skinned people appeared in the basement with them. Nicole's eyes widened as she realized who they were and what they were here for.

"Get out of here," she warned. Just as Jordan made a move up the stairs, one of the Aroni latched on to him. He winced in pain before disappearing altogether. Before Nicole could fully react, the other Aroni latched on to her and a fiery pain coursed through her veins. Just before everything went dark, she watched the two Aroni go from blue-skinned aliens to her and Jordan, down to the clothes. She tried to cry out for help, but her vision went black and everything fell silent before she could.

With the two now out of the way, the Aroni looked at each other with triumphant smirks before getting into character when the basement door opened. They looked up at Jonathan, who said, "Dad's calling for us."

The two nodded, eyes flashing green just as Jonathan turned down the hall, everyone else unaware that two of them had been replaced.