Chapter Three: Origins
A scared man was ushered down a large cavernous hallway. The hallway was illuminated by a dozen candles, a dark and sterile, cold and unemotional presence could be felt by all.
The man looked forward. A stairway led up to a figure in black robes. A hood obscured his pale face. Only red eyes and pale hands were visible. He sat perched and looked down upon all who came before him.
The most feared Dark Lord in all of magical history turned to acknowledge the man. Lord Voldemort considered him and sensed the thoughts in his head. The silence had been broken by one statement. "I understand you have information for me."
Voldemort spoke in a soft voice. All had to listen carefully to him and what he said.
No one was fool enough to dare tell him to speak up.
The young man gulped and trembled. His heart beat sped up. He knew exactly who he was brought before and why his life might be measured in mere moments.
"Information that I can either rip from your underused mind or you can willingly give," added Voldemort. He paused for a brief second, to allow the man to mull it over. "The choice is in your hands."
"Sir, please, please, please, I was keeping an eye on Potter for Mr. Malfoy like he intended, and I lost him," stuttered the young wizard.
"You let him slip through the cracks," remarked Voldemort as he peered down at this useless waste of oxygen. "You foolishly allowed yourself to drop your guard. I'm most displeased."
Voldemort shifted through the fool's memories. This individual had decided to attend some Muggle entertainment and left his duties for half of a day. More than enough time for Potter and any help he might have had to escape. Voldemort remained silent before he spoke.
"I see. You've failed. I'd wish you the best in your future endeavors, but I'm afraid there are none."
A green light left the wand and seconds later, the man went stiff. He dropped to the ground, dead.
Voldemort shifted, and pondered the situation. He had to learn more.
"Nagini, dinner."
The snake slithered around its prey and proceeded to feast on the unremarkable young wizard.
Kara and Harry sat in a small café, away from the hustle and bustle of the insanity of Las Vegas. Remus was in a corner booth, out of the light.
The two had their coffee and soup, as Harry looked around, and pulled his wand out. He performed the necessary charms, before he spoke to Kara. "There, no one should disturb us. You said you needed to tell me something big."
Kara took a deep breath. The moment of truth arrived. She decided to spit it out before she lost her nerve. "You see Harry…I'm not from around here."
Harry gazed at his new wife. He appreciated her beauty. He had never seen anyone more perfect.
"You're from Kansas, I know you told me, you're Kara Kent, well were until we married, you live in a place called Smallville," said Harry as he reached forward and held her hand. He offered her a reassuring smile, and a nod. "I do remember that."
Kara just smiled at her husband. Then she took a deep breath and spoke to him. "Yeah, about that, that's not exactly the truth. My name is Kara Kent, my adopted name here on Earth. When I said I'm not from around here, I'm not from this world."
Harry looked at her. That did explain a lot. She was an alien.
The Dursleys would never approve, and neither would The Ministry.
The thought made Harry smile.
Who cared what those idiots thought?
She was still beautiful, and wonderful no matter where she came from.
She seemed to be waiting in anticipation for a reaction.
He maintained the grip on his hand and squeezed it to encourage her. "Kara, please finish your story."
She took a deep breath and spilled.
"My birth name is Kara Zor-El. I was born on a planet called Krypton, but I spent most of my life on an outpost, a colony called Argo, with my mother and father. My father was the official representative to Argo, his name was Zor-El. My mother named Alura, she was a botanist. Father was the brother of Jor-El, one of the most foremost scientists in all galaxies. So he had a lot to live up to."
Kara paused, and drew breath, before she continued.
"Jor-El was married to Lara. Aunt Lara was the only person who could pull Uncle Jor away from his laboratory."
She chuckled at the memories, what few she had.
"They just had a baby, Kal-El. Before it happened."
Harry listened with great attention but had one thought.
'Krypton, Krypton, rings a bell, where have I heard of that name before?'
Yet, for the moment Harry had a mental block. He could not make a connection.
"Before what happened?" prompted Harry and Kara explained it, as she lived it, two years ago by her perspective, decades ago in real time.
Years and years ago, the country side of Argo had been ravaged. Mass destruction was obvious, and casualties mounted by the hundreds of thousands. A large portion of the planet had been totaled. The natural beauty of the world had been completely annihilated.
All of this was because of one sadistic madman who had gone mad with power.
A tired man with light blond hair, with the subtle signs of grey surveyed the damage that had occurred. The red sun rose over the country side. He held in his hand, a purple crystal. His eyes never left the crystal. He was careful not to drop it.
"It's done," said Zor-El as he sighed at the damage. "For what it's worth."
"How many?" asked his wife, Alura, a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Too many," whispered Zor-El grimly. The couple spotted their teenage daughter, who gazed into the sky, a far off look in her bright blue eyes. The girl dressed in white and blue robes, with her hair tied back, she reflected about what happened.
Fifteen year old Kara Zor-El turned around and saw the aftermath of the carnage. She had seen it happen before her eyes. From her bedroom window she helplessly watched as Zod launched the weapon.
The Nova Javelin obliterated pretty much everything within its blast zone. Her father's shields protected them, but the decay in the air twisted her stomach.
The aftermath of the massacre somehow had been worse than the actual events.
The Javelin had been the topping of the savage actions over the past number of years. Entire libraries were scorched to the ground to prevent anyone from finding something to use against him, orphanages were blown sky high, and despicable poisonous fumes had been launched into some of the most populated cities.
The terror known as General Zod would kill all of his men if it got him a personal victory, to bring people to their knees.
After some of things she saw in these past couple of years, she should be broken. But she knew in her heart that tomorrow would come. Somehow there would be a fresh start.
She had hope.
"Father, is he really gone?" asked Kara.
"Trapped in the Phantom Zone, in a solitary cell, to live with his crimes for eternity," said Zor-El, as he held the crystal. "The Krypton Science Council was slow to act as always. Thankfully Jor smuggled this past Zod's security in time."
Zor-El placed the crystal down on his lab table. He was not his brother, as he was constantly reminded of, but he had his own intelligence.
"I think we need a vacation, to get away from this," suggested Alura.
"I think we're going to Krypton, I'm sure Kara would want to meet her new cousin," said Zor-El.
"Oh, that'd be so cool!" shouted Kara who's eyes danced with glee and she jumped up and down.
Zor-El frowned at her. "Kara Zor-El, you're a noble daughter of the House of El, please conduct yourself with decorum."
Kara remained still at her father's warning but she turned her eyes to slightly roll them. Her mother caught the gesture and turned to reprimand Kara.
She had been saved from a lecture when Zor-El's equipment came to life and a communication had arrived.
"What is it?"
"It's Jor-El, Krypton is about to blow up, those idiots won't listen to him at all, and...no…."
"What's wrong?" asked Kara as her curiosity had been grabbed.
"Kara, go to your room, your mother and I need to talk," said Zor-El and Kara stood, with a questioning look. Zor-El added in a stern tone. "Now."
Kara did as she was told, well mostly anyway.
"What is it?" asked Alura.
"If Krypton blows up, Argo is doomed. The planet won't be able to sustain another hit after Zod's Nova Javelin," said Zor-El darkly. "The feedback will kill the survivors."
Zor-El punched up the simulation on his computer.
"It's worse than I thought," whispered Zor-El, taking a deep breath.
"Is there anything that can be done?" asked Alura.
Zor-El turned around. The first indication would be to go off to Krypton, retrieve Jor-El, Lara, and the baby, and get as far away from the blast zone as possible.
The one problem is Zod destroyed all transport off of the planet, and it would take months to fix.
Months they did not have.
He read the last little bit of the message. Brainiac had told the Council that there was no danger. They believed him over Jor-El.
Somehow, Zor-El knew that nothing good would come trusting the running of the world to an AI.
Alura nudged her husband. "Zor?"
"No."
"I have an idea."
Kara stood in the doorway of the laboratory. Alura had a frown on her face. "Kara Zor-El, I thought your father told you to go to your room! This doesn't concern you."
"Mother, this is the end of the world, I think this might concern me," said Kara fiercely, not backing down. Her arms were folded, and feet were planted firmly on the ground. She took a moment to compose herself. "What about the shields, divert them, limit their scope, to keep us safe…and send a signal to someone, to save us. Beam a message off of a distant star or something and hope it reaches someone in time."
"It may work yet," said Zor-El after a moment of thought. "It might take a few years…"
"What about Jor-El and his family?" asked Alura.
Kara snorted in a very un-lady like manner. "Please, knowing Uncle Jor, I'm sure he's figuring something out right now."
Zor-El had to agree with his daughter's assessment of the situation.
He had to get the necessary ready and soon.
"Kara, your idea might work," said Zor-El as he grabbed his daughter's hand. "I need you to be brave, alright? You could be the only one left."
"You'll save us all," argued Kara in a firm voice.
"I hope you're correct, my daughter," said Zor-El. "But you're our most important treasure, our best hope for the future of the House of El, even if it's on another world."
Kara had a look of embarrassment on her face.
"Great Rao, no pressure or anything," muttered Kara as she watched her father prepare everything.
Mother and daughter were alone.
"Mother," started Kara but Alura put up a hand to stall her.
"Kara Zor-El, it seems like only yesterday when I held you in my arms," said Alura as she reached out to stroke her daughter's cheek. "Yet, I see you get closer and closer into growing into a beautiful young woman. If something dire should happen to Jor-El and Zor-El, you're the next in line as the Head of the House of El."
Kara had no idea what to say for a moment. She responded with a tone of confidence and optimism. "Mother, we're getting out of this, you know that, all of us. Then we'll find them. The House of El won't ever die."
"I sure hope you're correct," said Alura with a sad smile.
"It's ready," said Zor-El. "Kara, you go in first, and then Alura, and then I'll send the message."
Kara rushed over and hugged both of her parents. She held back the tears. She had to remain strong, and brave, in spite all of that happened.
"It will be okay," said Kara as she stepped inside with a smile. "We'll be safe tomorrow. Then we'll find Uncle Jor, Aunt Lara, and Baby Kal."
The field placed her in stasis as she mouthed the words. "Everything will be okay."
-X-
Finding two teenagers in the insanity that was Las Vegas was harder than Superman imagined.
He remembered two years ago, when he had found Kara. A distress signal from many light years away reached him at the Fortress of Solitude
-X-
Two years ago, the ship traveled through space. Superman noticed that the distress signal had led him past Krypton. He saw a few shattered pieces of his home planet. His ship's shields managed to protect him from the harmful radiation, as he landed on a world covered in ice.
He followed the distress signal to its origin. It came from a laboratory. Snow and ice covered what once appeared to be a country side.
He stepped out. The powers had received under the yellow sun diminished, but he had enough super strength left to force open the frozen doors. With another step he walked his way inside the lab.
He walked over and saw three pods. One contained a man who had long since perished, the glass cracked, frozen. The next pod had contained a woman, also deceased but not to the same state.
The third pod, contained a teenage girl, but he read the vitals. She was still alive, if she barely clung onto life. She had the signs of a malnourished person and lapsed into some kind of coma and if not given medical attention soon, she would die.
Superman hastened his efforts, and discovered there were no other survivors. He removed several bits of debris from the lab, to clear his path. He managed to take the pod, careful not to damage it, and moved back to his ship.
If he could get the girl to the fortress in time, he might have a chance.
The winds blew, as the ship lifted off, as Superman activated the warp drive.
As it departed, a purple energy crystal was picked up by the ship, pulled through the warp with it.
The ship had taken a hit, damaged slightly from the speedy travel. That could wait, Superman had more important matters.
The crystal landed in the frozen ice and snow, submerged and unnoticed by the Last Son of Krypton.
Superman travelled to a handsome structure, deep beneath the Arctic Ocean. It preserved with fascinating wild life from other lost worlds and had technology hundreds, if not thousands of years beyond what humanity was capable of. Superman managed to fly the life pod directly to the Fortress of Solitude.
"Identify," ordered Superman. "And scan."
"This pod contains Kara Zor-El, daughter of Alura and Zor-El, the brother of Jor-El."
Superman stopped in his tracks. This was the absolute last thing he ever expected. He had a lump in his throat that he swallowed.
"My cousin…I can't believe this."
Physically and emotionally she had not aged a second since she had gone into the pod. Even if many years had passed. She was fifteen years old.
"She will perish if her nervous system is not charged soon. The recommended course of action is to bombard her with yellow solar radiation."
He scooped up the girl in her arms. Normally, he would feel a bit awkward about her lack of dress for many reasons, but anything along those lines could go out the window. She was about to die, there was no time for modesty.
Superman secured her to a table. It was likely that she could have an extreme reaction when she was jolted awake. The girl could hurt herself before she assimilated her powers.
He pulled the switch and Kara was bombarded with the simulated yellow sun radiation.
-X-
Kara continued her story back in the cafe. "So, Father, managed to get the stasis pods working. I was in there, I thought that I would wake up the next day, and we would all be safe."
A sigh escaped her lips and Harry's hand on hers gave her strength to continue. "It did not go as well as I had hoped."
Kara's eyes flickered open. The last thing she remembered, she was stepping into the pod as her father activated the shield around them. Then everything after that, well there was nothing after that.
"Good, you're awake."
Kara turned her head frantically. She just woke up in some strange place she did not recognize. She was naked, strapped to a table, and some weirdo in tights and a cape was standing over her.
Kara screamed and she began to curse out the strange man in Kryptonian. She was flustered, and red in in the face.
"Kara, calm down…"
In a rage induced fit of strength, the girl snapped the metal straps. She did the only thing that made sense.
Kara slugged the tight wearing weirdo in the face and made a mad dash for the door.
Still weak, she collapsed. The cold made her shiver.
Kal-El turned around as he rubbed his head. Getting punched in the face by a teenage girl was a new experience for him. He moved forwards her and Kara got a good look at the symbol.
Not only had this guy strapped her to a table, but he wore the symbol of the House of El on his person.
This just served to piss the girl off even more.
"Just who are you…and why in the name of Rao are you wearing the crest of the House of El? Answer me or I swear I'll kick your butt into the Phantom Zone."
He stared at her, and the angry look in her eyes caused him to speak in a pacifying tone.
"Kara, I'm your cousin, Kal-El," stated the man.
"Kal?" asked Kara, before she gave a slight strained laugh. "Kal-El is a little three month old baby! You're just some caped weirdo with a disturbing obsession of strapping teenage girls to lab tables. And you wear your underwear on the outside of your clothes. Who does that anyway?"
She looked at him with a disgusted expression. Who was he trying to fool anyway?
"Kara, listen, a long time has passed," he said. "I had to strap you to the table, so you wouldn't hurt yourself after I woke you up."
Kara just sat on the ground, cross legged and arms folded. She looked up with a narrow and distrustful look in her eyes. Her lips curled into a frown.
The caped man sighed. This conversation was going to take a turn for the worst unless he explained quickly. "You were in a coma and really malnourished. I had to use the yellow solar radiation. It's been a long time. No time has passed for you but for the rest of the world, the universe, much time has passed."
She looked up at him, in disbelief but she had another question. "Where are my parents?"
"I'm sorry, they're dead," he said in a somber voice and Kara just looked at him and turned around. "I couldn't save them. They were long gone by the time I got there."
She said nothing.
"They must have used most of the power on your pod to give you a chance to live, Kara."
Tears were in her eyes. She was cold, naked, and wanted to go home.
There was no home.
It was all gone.
The man in the cape gently managed to grab some spare clothes and handed them to her. They would have to do until he could get her a wardrobe that would fit in on Earth.
Kara put on the clothes, they were baggy especially on her stick like frame, but at least things were less awkward between the two.
She caught a glimpse of herself and wanted to cry. She looked like a small girl who had played dress up in her father's work clothes.
She remained focused and looked at the man "Prove to me you are who you say you are."
The caped man had steered her into the next room.
Kara turned her head to look into the next room. She saw the technology around the lab, and her eyes widened.
Only Jor-El's son could make something like this.
"I believe you," managed Kara, as she looked around, awed. "What is this place?"
"The Fortress of Solitude, it's in the Artic, created by technology leftover that my birth father sent over with me to Earth," explained Superman.
"Earth," said Kara in a low tone. The planet had been like Krypton was millennia ago; rough and rather crude in its technology, but her father believed that it had great potential.
"So, that's how I got here," concluded Kara. She paused, before she spoke again. "Harry?"
Harry just had a far off look in his eye. An entire planet destroyed in a flash, just like that. Two planets had been destroyed in fact They were alive one day and then they were dead the next.
He kind of felt like a git as he wallowed in his own self-pity. Here was Kara, her planet and everything she knew destroyed. She seemed to live her life just fine. And he was being broody because he had a death sentence on his head because of a prophecy.
"So bloody selfish, Potter."
"Kara…I…really don't know what to say," managed Harry in a shaky voice. "That's…how do you deal with something like that?"
"The future is in front of us, Harry, every day," said Kara as she gently cupped his chin in her hand and kissed him. Harry seemed a bit reluctant to initiate any intimate activity when sober. Even if it was something as small as a kiss.
She resolved to work on that.
Kara continued. "Worrying, angsting about what happened before; it doesn't do you any good. It only hurts you and drags everyone down with you. The world can be a harsh place, but we can work to create our own happiness. And your future is yours to make. Not defined in any prophecy, even."
Harry knew that really did tell her everything now. He didn't share the prophecy with anyone else. Not with Sirius, not with Ron and Hermione, not with anyone else.
Only with his new wife, who he had shared everything with.
'Bloody alcohol.'
Harry had another thought.
'If that didn't scare her off, nothing will. You did go to Vegas and hit the jackpot, Potter, in more ways than one.'
"Kal-El took me to Jonathan and Martha Kent, they're really nice, they managed to help me adapt to life on my new home," explained Kara as she had a fond smile. "It took a long time for me to recover from my little stint in stasis."
She continued a more mischievous expression on her face as she shifted to give Harry a full look at the curves she finally had been developing over the past few months. "Although I've developed nicely and hey, I'm still a growing girl."
She paused to give a devious smile and stretched. Her shirt tightened a little bit and exposed more of her tanned and toned midsection. Harry could not tear his eyes awake from the exposed flesh at all.
"Just imagine what I'd look like in a few years."
Needless to say, the statement had the desire effect on Harry and Kara leaned in to give him another light kiss.
"As for Kal and I, well we're not really having the best relationship these days."
"Why?" asked Harry.
"There were things that happened, and Kal, Clark Kent to his friends by the way, he's just…" said Kara as she struggled to find the words to convey her thoughts properly. "He seems to think he's always the only one that knows best. He made me stay there, in the house, all summer, and forbade me against anything."
Her eyes narrowed in frustration. "He seems to think that I'm some child who he needs to throw in a playpen so I don't stick my finger in a light socket or something. He's the one who let his guard down and now, he's treating me…"
"Like he's the only one who knows what's best and you can't make your own decisions," said Harry darkly. And Kara's eyes widened and she nodded.
Harry felt a bit of irritation that was tied into his wife's frustration of how her cousin was treating her.
'Great, another one, as if the old man wasn't bad enough, I have to deal with this Kal-El bloke. And when he finds out, I bet he's going to pull an over-protective act.'
Harry's scowl darkened.
The temper threat level of Harry Potter raised from calm blue to a warning yellow.
'I'm not going to put up with that shit.'
"I don't mean to haul all of my problems onto you, but it's just driving me nuts that Clark would just keep me grounded like this," said Kara. "Literally and figuratively."
"No, problem, we're married, we kind of fell into this together," said Harry, but he turned and made a snap decision about what to do now. "So we better get back to this Smallville place, tell the Kents what we did, I guess. And I think Clark, Kal-El, whoever, and I might be having a friendly nice chat."
Kara frowned. Why did she have a feeling of sudden and potential doom?
He removed the silencing charms and Kara and Harry walked over to Remus.
"Moony, are you sober enough to Apparate?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, I think so," said Remus as he shook his head. "Most of it is gone."
"Good, Kara and I are going to meet her parents and her cousin," said Harry and Remus sensed a slight note of irritation in Harry's voice. "We'll fly, Kara can do that without a broom use a tracking spell to follow our path, and we'll meet. I have a feeling I'm going need your help to explain the rings and you're credible when you're sober."
Remus decided that he did not have it in him to question one word of that.
"Nice to know I have a mostly consistent track record, Harry,' said Remus. "I need to use the loo real quick, and we should go."
"Okay, we'll wait outside, take your time," muttered Harry as they exited the café and Kara gasped as she heard a familiar sonic boom in the air.
"Harry, there's Kal!"
Harry's back was turned as he heard someone land on the ground. "There you are, Kara. What were you thinking running off like that? And as for you, I want to have a word with you about…"
'I'm really not putting up with that shit.'
"Oh you want to have a word with me well I want to have a word with you!" yelled Harry as he turned around and he took a step back. Not in fear, not in intimidation but merely in shock and surprise.
Harry lived in the magical bubble for most of the past five years. He barely had any idea what was happening in the Muggle World at any time since he had been at Hogwarts.
Yet, Harry knew who Superman was. Uncle Vernon had ranted about him a time or two. Vernon called him a flying freak with a cape, who bullied normal people with his powers. He mentioned someone named Luthor as a victim, but Harry had long since blocked his uncle out by this point.
"Kal, don't overreact," said Kara as made a dash to position herself between Harry and Kal. "This is Harry Potter, we met yesterday, and don't hurt him, he's my husband."
Out of all of the things that Superman expected to hear, that did not even rank in the top ten. Common sense left the building at this point regarding the Man of Steel.
Immediately, he grabbed Harry under one arm and Kara under the other arm, and jumped into the air to take flight.
They looked like two children who had been warned not to go into the neighbor's yard and been caught.
Harry Potter was normally a very forgiving person. He let a lot slide in his life.
Getting picked up by his wife's cousin and blasted off into the sky without his consent like he was some disobedient child at Mach Three was not one of those things that he took too kindly to.
If he had not been a wizard and had not the ability to survive things he should not, he would be in rather serious trouble.
Superman or not, Harry was not going to put up with that.
It took every bit of his extremely limited self-control not to hex him in that Big Red "S" of his.
Harry Potter temper threat level had jumped past orange, spiraled towards red, and was on the way to Caps Lock Rage territory.
-X-
Remus had walked out, just in time to see a flying man scoop up both Harry and Kara up off of the ground.
Immediately, he just managed to tag the fluttering cape with a tracking spell.
It was just as well. He did not relish having to explain this to Sirius.
-X-
Snape dropped a Muggle newspaper on the table, which showed a picture of Potter and some blond haired girl fighting a strange glowing woman. "Headmaster, I've found Potter. He's in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States."
"Harry doesn't seem the type," said Dumbledore in surprise but he read through the article. "Oh my, we might be a bit of a fix. Harry used his magic while in Vegas to fight this Livewire woman. That is strange name, if I do say so myelf, but that's America for you."
Snape sneered. The United States of America was a nexus of insanity as far as he was concerned and a place where no sensible person would spend one second of their life in. They seemed prone to foolish and reckless acts of heroism. No sense for the subtle.
It was an entire nation of Gryffindors, Snape's worst nightmare come to life.
They had no official magical government, rather a department stuck within the Muggle government, the Department of Meta-Human affairs or something like that.
Potter would fit in. Perhaps they should leave him to his own devices.
"I think it's a time to cut Harry's vacation short and return him home," said Dumbledore. "Come, we're going to fetch him and deliver him to the Burrow. Maybe we can catch a show while we're there."
Snape groaned. "You don't mean…"
"Vegas, Professor Snape, I'd always been curious what it was like and if half of the stories are true."
"Of course, Dumbledore, let me get my cloak," said Snape, in a resigned and disgusted voice.
'Potter must die.
The Man of Steel soared high over the fields of Kansas, straight to Smallville. The two teenagers were tucked underneath his arms.
Superman touched down and released Harry and Kara from his grip. Kara balled up her fist, she was about ready to give her cousin an earful and potentially a mouth full of her fist, but she had been beaten to the punch.
The next sentence could be heard all across Smallville.
"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR BLOODY PROBLEM?"
Highest Harry Potter temper threat level achieved.