Seeing Green Episode IV: Close Encounters

Chapter Three

"Kal, I'm here," said Kara, landing on the doorstep to her cousin's Fortress of Solitude.

"Great," she heard him say from inside. "It's unlocked."

She entered and made her way to where he was, stepping in little pools of water in places. It dripped from the ceiling, where the sun was peeking through. He was carefully wrapping some crystals in towels and placing them in a crate. He looked up when he saw her and asked how she was getting along. No longer able to fit comfortably into her supersuit, she was wearing a pink coat and jeans.

"Just fine, thank you. How's the packing coming?"

He regarded her carefully. "Good. Everything's good. I think we're almost ready to freeze breath it to stabilize it." He looked around at the once mighty ice castle, now sad and melted like a five-year-old's ice cream treat. "Then we can pick up the whole palace and relocate."

"Do you want me to pack these crystals over here?" she asked, pointing to a bunch of crystals he hadn't boxed up yet, glistening like a city of frozen skyscrapers.

"Um, no," he replied. He looked from her to the crystals, thoughtfully. He walked past her and over to the crystal city. He picked one of them up. "Kara, I discovered another message from your parents. I think you need to see this."

His serious tone worried her. What could her parents have to say at this point that was so troublesome? She had seen the holographic recordings of hers as well as his parents many times before, and it always gave her a mixture of emotions. Gladness at seeing them alive again, sadness knowing they were gone forever, and a freaky feeling a bit like seeing a ghost.

But there was never anything to be alarmed about.

Kal placed one of the crystals into a socket on the pedestal near the center of the great room, like someone would plug in a flash drive. A ghostly couple appeared on the dais nearby.

"Kara," her mother said, smiling but without much warmth. The recordings were made in haste, while the two were faced with an imminent apocalypse.

Her father's eyes were serious beneath his curls of hair. "We hope that this message finds you and Kal performing at your best."

"He means doing well, don't you dear?"

"Yes, Alura. I hope you are doing well and have integrated into the earthling way of life. But you must never forget who you are and where you came from. As you grow older this will become ever so important. Unlike earthlings, your body is made up of a complex structure of—"

A humongous glossy white polar bear entered the room just then, interrupting Zor-el's monologue. It growled.

"Hey!" said Kal, turning to face it, "I thought I got rid of you! Get out of here!" he cried. It reared up and roared in response. Unfazed, Zor-el continued about the differences between Kryptonians and humans. Kara watched as the bear slammed down on it's front paws, creating cracks in the weakening floor, and began to charge. Superman came at him, trying to match the bear's force with his own. The two clashed.

"Don't worry Kara, I'll take care of him. Just keep watching the recording!"

"ROOOAARR!"

Kara turned her attention back to her parents. It was easy to see where she had gotten most of her features. She had always taken after her mother. Growing up, she tired of hearing people remark on the strong resemblance. But when Oliver said it that day she brought him here to sort of "meet the parents", it immediately brought tears to her eyes, because no one would ever say it again. It truly was a complement. Her mother was fine featured and fair, with long blond hair that cascaded down her back. Large light colored eyes that were tender and caring. Her hands clasped over her gown of pale blue, Alura was saying something about the dangers of bearing earthling children and the high likelihood of miscarriage. Miscarriage?!

Kara's thoughts raced as she grabbed the crystal and slammed it to the left, thus backing up the recording.

"We have spoken to several Kryptonian doctors here and they all agree that your body will in all likelihood," her mother paused, "reject the child." Her brow was furrowed, creating that familiar vertical line. "You must remember Kara, that although you look like an earthling, you are not one of them. Your DNA structure is so complex as to be nearly incompatible."

Kara felt the blood drain from her head and she thought she was going to faint.

She barely heard her father as he joined in. "We strongly suggest that you avoid getting pregnant by an earthling, but...in the event that you do, you should refrain from using your special abilities until the child is born."

"It might help," her mother added with a frown.

Kara stopped listening as they changed over to talking about the importance of Kryptonian customs and traditions etc.

"Kal!" Kara called, not even turning to see where he was, her gaze frozen on the images of her parents. "Kal, stop playing with that bear, I need to talk to you!"

"I'm not playing with him, he—ooph! You big dumb animal!!"

Kara turned in time to see Kal get smacked by the bear again.

"I'm trying not to hurt you Bear, but if you don't leave I'm going to have to make you!" he said. Giving up on diplomacy, Kal got behind the bear, picked it up behind the shoulders, and took off with it as it thrashed furiously.

Kara unzipped her jacket and looked down at her growing abdomen, nearly four months along now. She caressed her bump, the ring on her left hand sparkling. How can my body reject something I want so dearly? Kara thought.

"That bear sure was pretty healthy for suffering such a loss of habitat." Superman said as he touched back down in the fortress. "And so angry..."

When Superman returned, she looked to him for help.

"Kal, did you watch the whole thing?"

"Most of it."

"I've been using my powers and the baby seems fine right now. But I'm worried that not using my powers won't be enough. I don't want to lose the baby!"

"Don't worry Kara," he said calmly, "I have an idea."

"What's your idea?" she asked, hopeful. I knew he would know what to do! He's so smart!

"Gold Kryptonite," he said, "I was exposed to it a few years ago by Lex Luthor. I lost my powers for a month."

"Really? You never told me..." she said. Gold Kryptonite, she thought. "It takes away your powers?"

"Yes. It will temporarily inhibit your ability to process yellow sunlight."

"That sounds perfect! That might work to save the baby!" Kara beamed.

"Yes," he put his hands on her shoulders. "But you have to be careful. Too much exposure and you could lose your powers, permanently."

Kara thought about this for a moment. She looked down at her bump again.

"I'll do it. For the baby. Besides, we'll still have you around, to take care of things," she said.

"It'll only be for a few months, till the babies are born," he said.

"What? Babies?"

"Um..." Kal pulled back and looked nervously at the ground. "It's a bit harder to see into you than a regular human..." he paused, looking up at her. "You're carrying twins."

"Twins? You can see inside of me and there are two babies? Holy guacamole!" she covered her face with her hands in distress. "First of all, I can't believe you x-rayed me without my permission and second....twins?"

"I'm sorry, I should have asked first. I had just seen your parents message and I was worried about you and I guess I just...sort of did it without thinking."

"It's alright Kal. Are they boys or girls?"

"I can't tell yet. They're pretty undeveloped. I'm no doctor, but I'd say they look like they're going to be strong healthy babies. We'll make sure everything goes alright, Kara. Don't you worry, I think I know where we can get our hands on some Gold Kryptonite," he smiled. "Well, your hands, not mine."

"Where?" she asked.

"Oh, I think I know someone who might have some."