One Call Away

Intro

My name is Kara Zor-El. Twenty-four years ago, my planet, Krypton, was in serious peril. My cousin, Kal-El, was sent to a planet called Earth for his own safety and protection.

You may know his story.

The story you don't know is that I was sent to protect him.

Kara jumped at each explosion that happened around her. She was young but old enough to know that her planet and everything she'd ever known was dying right in front of her. Holding her mother's hand, she dashed to the pod bay and watched as her aunt and uncle sent her cousin away.

Looking up at her father, she saw that he was scared but trying to hide it. "Your pod's coordinates are interlocked with Kal-El's. You will follow him to Earth."

"I'm not afraid, Father," Kara told him honestly.

In reality, she was sad. She knew that these were the last moments she had with her parents, and although she knew it was for the best, she did not want to say goodbye.

Holding her hands, her mother knelt to her level. "The trip is long, but you'll sleep most of the way, and we'll be with you in your dreams. You'll journey to Earth to look after your baby cousin, Kal-El. Because of the Earth's yellow sun, you'll have great powers on this planet. You will do extraordinary things."

With tears now building in her eyes, Kara gripped her mother's hands. "I won't fail Kal-El or you."

Kissing her daughter's head, Alura spoke confidently. "I love you, Kara."

An explosion hit close to the bay, causing the ground to shake violently. Kara held onto her mother as tightly as she could, and looked out at her crumbling home.

"You must go now," Alura told her.

Nodding, Kara walked to her pod before hesitating. Then she ran back into her mother's arms and held in a sob as she held her family for the last time.

"Go!" Her mother finally pulled away and watched as her daughter ran to the pod.

Sitting inside, Kara felt the shield go up around her and sat back as it took off. Turning, she watched as her parents left her field of vision, and her life changed forever.

Things didn't exactly go according to my mother's plan. Krypton's destruction sent a shock wave that knocked my pod off course and into the Phantom Zone. A region in space where time doesn't pass. I slept there for twenty-four years until somehow I got here.

When I arrived, I was still a thirteen-year-old girl. But in that time, my cousin Kal-El had grown up and revealed himself to the world as Superman. The most powerful man in the universe.

My cousin wanted me to have the same safe human-type childhood he did. So he placed me with my adoptive family, the Halsteads. Eliza Halstead, my adoptive mother, was a scientist who once helped him understand his own super abilities.

They had two sons, Will and Jay. And despite being born on different planets, though they weren't aware of that, we all shared one thing: we knew our lives would never be the same again.

My cousin didn't need my protection. I didn't have a mission anymore. But even though I had all the same powers he did, I decided the best thing I could do was fit in. After all, Earth didn't need another hero.

I work, for now, in the technology department at CatCo Worldwide Media. An online and print empire built by my boss, Cat Grant. The most powerful woman in Chicago...at least, for the next few days.