#and metropolis zone to face it as well since its a zone w a bit of surplus capital accumulation (as much of that as there is over there)

[redpenship]

thought everyone should know that i had a reference map for everything in buzzsaw and after using it for several months i only just recently realized that i put the east pacific islands in the atlantic

[wayward-delver]

Made in Abyss X Smash Ultimate:

(DLC Wishlist/Discussion)

This one was just for fun and shouldn’t be taken completely serious otherwise we’re all gonna lose our humanity. As much I’d love to see Made in Abyss somehow miraculously get into Smash, I am well of how impossible it is.

Ok, we all knew what was coming, no bother denying it; you joke about DLC, you might as well spill the beans and say what you really want. I’ll make it clear that of course, I don’t want Waluigi, he’s an assist trophy and at his core a rather dull character in the face of his brother. Steve holds no strong attachment from me since I do not play Minecraft and I feel like his moveset wouldn’t interesting enough to warrant my attention,(basically a 3D G&W). 

Now that’s settled with, let’s discuss who I truly want for DLC despite the stupidity of it:(Left to Right)

1.) Ratchet & Clank: This game holds a special place in my heart for being one of the first game I’ve ever played and one of the only franchises where I faithfully played through every game in the main series, even some of the spin-offs. The amazing characters, brilliant writing, great stories, fun/engaging gameplay, and vast and creatively deadly variety of weapons. I’d go on all day about why I love this series so much and why the movie disappoints me so much,(I will say the remake was fun though). Now to move potential he’s got everything a fighter can ask for: 

His omniwrench would the staple of his melee attacks on both air and ground,(with any one of his shotguns/whips as smash attacks). His dash attacks could incorporate the Razor Claws.

Recovery (Up B) is an easy pick, just use Clank heli-pack to gain sufficient height than slowly glide down for a period of several seconds over a far horizontal distance. Drawbacks being wind-up time and having no defensive qualities.

Grapples would be simple tethers and throws with Omniwrench.

Neutral B would simply a blaster shot with minimal flinch damage that continues fire if held.

Side B would definitely be his signature boomerang wrench throw, homing in on Ratchet on its return and doing decent knockback with either hit.

Down B would have clank throw of his time spheres down talk cause a 5 second AoE that slows down opponents caught in the blast while dealing zero damage or knockback.

Their Final Smash would see Ratchet calling his ship to strike his opponents, sending them hurtling into space to be bombarded by various weapons in their arsenal before getting by clank in his giant form.

Ratchet’s skins can be all of his default outfits through the serious ending with a robot version of in reference to Dr. Nefarious’s evil scheme.

The stage would be Metropolis city on Kerwan.

2.) Rayman: This one is a bit more realistic than the last one seeing the series has had strong ties with Nintendo consoles and even sporting a Rayman Spirit in-game,(take that as you will, at least it’s something). Rayman also falls under the nostalgia factor, but nowhere the extent of Ratchet since I was pretty late to the series,(My favorite game being Legends). No doubt he’s one of the higher picks among Smash players and I can see why; he’s funny, energetic, a great platformer/fighter, and has a truly unique/iconic character design. 

I’m not too familiar with the entire series though, so keep it basic with the moveset:

Rayman is a fast lightweight fighter that primarily uses melee attacks such as fast punches and kicks on both the ground and in the air. His smash attacks would be moderately slow wind-up punches and kicks with exceptional knockback and range. Dash attacks would have him spinning forwards at high speeds with little damage and knockback, but great for setting up a brief stunlock.

His grapple is a far-reaching chain arm tether with decent throwing power.

Recovery is a simple helicopter hair flight with similar mobility to Krool, but deals no damage and goes much higher.

Neutral would have him shooting burning fists at his enemies and can be charged up for increased power.

Side B has him rapidly shooting from his plunger gun, which can be a great edge guarding tool.

Down B turns one of his hands into a guided missile that will extremely powerful, leaves vulnerable to attack.

Final Smash has him uppercut the nearest players sending them to a zone where they’re dog-pilled by all his friends before unleashing a synchronized charged strike sending them flying into the stars.

The stage will be set in the Rabbids colosseum, where the audience holds signs and banners representing characters and series. 

Rayman's colors would be based on the many characters of the series.

His taunt will feature a lum.

3.) Okami, Amaterasu: Ok this is sure to please many fans since she’s quite often requested and very popular on her own. She also has a much higher chance than the rest since she’s a part of Capcom like Ryu/Megaman. Personally speaking though, I want her to join for the sake of how amazing and artistically beautiful the game the is. The mythology, characters, story, music, art style, and the gameplay just screams traditional Japanese culture/painting in the best way possible.

I list the moveset down here, but someone else already did a much better job than I ever could. @panaran

3.) Hollow Knight: Ok this steps far down in terms of likely solely because it’s an Austrailian indie game. Otherwise, this would be one of the biggest crowd pleasures in the line-up. A legendary title for its striking animation, unique world/story, deep lore, magnificent soundtrack, and memorable/diverse cast of characters. I love for all these reasons, but I truly support cause it’d represent to the newest milestone in gaming history, indie studios.

I’d go over moves again someone also solved that problem for me.

4.) Kid Icarus Viridi: Of all the characters, she has the most right to be a playable character. She and her home franchise are so deeply rooted in Smash that they literally are the commentary for the game. Don’t say no moves cause Palutena was never playable in their game, but she still got in. And about her being on a stage, Chrome is a Final Smash and piranha is a stage hazard. Mii costumes also don’t prove anything since many characters have them. This would also be the first in-person appearance she’ll make in any game, something she was denied in her in Kid Icarus Uprising. Personally, however, I want Viridi cause she’s basically the Peridot,(Steven Universe), or the Max,(Camp Camp), of Nintendo. The sassy, cynical, and destructive little gremlin that talks shit to everyone but in end is a complete tsundere with an adorable nerdy side and heart of golden amber beneath her thorny exterior. 

(Not my waifu, goddess or not, she’s a ‘child’ and I am 19, it’d be messed up)

Her moveset would be difficult to decipher since she doesn’t fight in-game, but I can draw up a few ideas

Viridi won’t be as angelic/divine as Palutena, preferring to walk and run in a more grounded manner with a trail of plants sprouting behind her as she moves. She’ll be one of the lightest characters in-game due to her small stature, making her very nimble but easy to launch.

She’ll be more we versed in melee than Palutena, incorporating her staff/agility into her fighting style. Using many fast and disjointed blows at once like Mii swordfighter, but her smash attacks would instead unleash vines from the ground that would strike opponents.

Her grapple would be a vine tether she could use to constrict/launch enemies.

Her Recovery would be another vine tether that goes farther and does higher damage than Ivysaur.

Neutral B she’d fire a lightning blast at her opponents,(a reference to her ally Phosphora).

Side B Viridi would slash forward sending a small twister that can launch enemies,(Slower and larger Mii Sword)

Down B is a parry using Clobbler in a similar manner to Toad.

Final Smash is, of course, a rush down that sends foes into ground-zero of a Reset Bomb strike.

Taunts will be her making witty remarks and poses, often times waving her staff around like a wand.

So that’s my wishlist, do you like and if you have a character for smash. By all means, share it with me in the chat or reblog.

[argyle-s]

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME CHAPTER 12/38

Rating: Mature

Read at Ao3

Start at the Beginning

Kara has a talk with Astra and a talk with James. Cat gets her interview with Supergirl.

Thanks to @ifourmindbeso for her great work as a beta. Any remaining mistakes are entirely my own.

Chapter 12 – Don’t Be Scared, Truth Is Hell

“Hello, Little One,” Astra said as Kara touched down next to her.  She was sitting in the same spot Kara had occupied the last time they talked, perched at the edge of the cliff, with her feet dangling.  Kara sat down next to her and slipped one arm around her, hugging her gently.

“Hello, Aunt Astra.”

Astra slipped an arm around her and returned the hug.  “I’m honestly unsure if I should be hugging you or fighting you at this moment, but I find I have little stomach for battle.”

“That’s good and bad,” Kara said.  “Good because I don’t want to fight you.  Bad because there is a war coming and I want you on my side when it arrives.”

Astra pulled back, looking at Kara.  “What do you know of war, Little One?”

Kara sighed.  “More than I want to, Aunt Astra.  More than I want to.”

“I’m not sure it will matter.  Your device does as you said, and none of my scientists can find a way around it.  Myriad will not work, and this world is doomed.”

Kara shook her head.  “No.  This world can still be saved and as I said before, Krypton was too far gone before you even realized there was a problem.”

“You sound so sure of that.”

“Because I know things you don’t.  Our death wasn’t quite the reckless suicide we’ve been led to believe.”

“What do you mean?” Astra asked, and there was a sharpness to her tone.  Kara could tell the underlying emotions.  Disbelief, curiosity, maybe even hope.  The hope Kara understood.  Hope that Astra would no longer have to carry this guilt.

“We may have held the knife, but the Brainiacs were the ones who pushed it in.  They modified our mining data, sabotaged our equipment and hid what was happening from us, right up until the end.  Our leaders were far from blameless, but the death of Krypton was assisted suicide at the very least and I’d call it a bought and paid for murder.”

Astra shook her head.  “I dislike the Coluans a great deal, Kara. Especially the Brainiacs.  But we cannot push our own guilt off onto others.”

“I have proof,” Kara said.  “I know who paid them.  I know why their employers wanted us dead.”  She turned to look at Astra.  “I’m not just offering you a chance to save this world, Astra.  I’m offering you a chance to find *justice* for those who orchestrated the death of our race.”

Kara climbed to her feet.  “The ecological problems of this world are easy to solve.  Teach them to make omegahedrons and betahedrons crystals, and we would gain decades to work out the issues with recycling.  We even have technologies that could help with that.  Give them sub-light propulsion technology and they have enough asteroids to mine that they’d never even be tempted to start core mining.”

“You cannot think it would be that simple,” Astra said.

“No,” she said.  “I don’t.  But I do believe in the humans.  This is not Krypton, Aunt Astra.  Many of them recognize the harm they’ve done to their world and work to mitigate and reverse the damage.  Even their leaders, at least, some of them, are involved in the effort.  We can help them, encourage them, give them the wisdom that can be gained from our mistakes.  But taking away their free will…  That’s not right.  You were on the verge of committing a horrible crime.  Worse, you were on the verge of attracting the attention of enemies this world is not prepared to fight.”

“What do you mean?” Astra asked.

“Did you seriously think that no one would take notice if you turned on a device that could sway the will of an entire species?”  Kara shook her head and dug the spy beacon out of her boot.  Astra held her own up, and Kara touched them together, turning the light off.

“I had not considered it,” Astra admitted.

“The humans have a saying.  One that far too few of them take to heart.  ‘Don’t cling to a mistake because you’ve spent a lot of time making it.’”

“Wise words,” Astra said.

“Yes, they are,” Kara said.  “You’ve spent decades on Myriad.  That is a *lot* of time.”

Astra climbed to her feet.  “What would you have me do?”

“You’ve looked down on humans, judged them, condemned them, plotted how you would save them and rule them.  But you haven’t lived among them or come to know them and understand them.”

“And how would I do that?”

“Surrender,” Kara said.  “I know it goes against every instinct you have.  I know you want to fight until the bitter end.  But please, Aunt Astra, Surrender.  We can integrate you into society.  Find you a home, a purpose.”

“Your DEO will put me in a cage,” Astra said.

“At first,” Kara said.  “for a few days.  But if you give your parole, if you swear to obey the laws of this world, the director would be willing to help you.  The help would not come freely.  You’d be expected to work with the DEO, to help defend this world from those who would harm it, but that’s what you and your soldiers were sworn to do on Krypton, as well.”

Kara could see the conflict on Astra’s face and she knew she’d pushed far enough for one night.

“I have work in the morning,” she said.

“Work?” Astra asked.

“Yes,” Kara said.  “I help out at the DEO and with crime prevention, search and rescue, and emergency response, but that’s something I do because I can and because I want to.  I’m not compelled.  I have a job, a place I go to during the day.  Duties and responsibilities.  I have friends there, people who care about me.  A boss who is amazing and who makes me proud of what I do.”

“You’ve found a vocation,” Astra said, a little smile in her voice.

Kara shook her head.  “No, Aunt Astra.  I’ve found a life and I will protect it.  Even from you.”  She took a few steps forward and slipped both arms around Astra, hugging her tightly.

“/ukiem w rrip , eh ,astruh,/” she said.  “Please, think about what I’ve said.”

“I will,” Astra said, hugging her back.  “/.ukiem w rrip , eh shod kir/  Next time I light the beacon, you will bring your proof that our world was murdered.”  There was no question there, and Kara recognized it for the demand it was.

“I will,” she said.  “Good night.”  With that, she let go of Astra, and lifted into the sky.

Kara was sitting on the balcony off the bullpen, working her way through her fourth big belly bacon double cheese burger as she watched the city.  It had been a good morning.  Cat was in meetings for most of it, which had let her slip away to handle a small tenement fire before it had gotten out of control and she’d lifted a sinking Cabin cruiser out of the bay after its hull got ruptured by a snapped tow line.  It made her feel useful, but it had burned a lot of calories, and even with her reputation for packing away insane amounts of food, she thought eight burgers and two jumbo chili-cheese fries might raise an eyebrow or two.  Especially since she’d gotten a whole chocolate cake for desert.  It was only a five-inch cake, practically a cup cake, really, but she knew Cat was already at least a little suspicious.

Honestly, she didn’t know how humans survived on two thousand calories a day.

She was so busy enjoying her lunch, and the sights and sounds of the city that she almost didn’t notice James approaching.  In the end, it was his cologne that did him in.  She’d learned that scent well in the original timeline.  The brand was a Metropolis exclusive.  The store custom blended the stuff and would not ship it.  James had brought a couple of bottles with him and she knew he’d eventually get Clark to start shipping the stuff to him.  She didn’t blame him.  It really did smell fantastic.

“Hey,” he said.  “Mind if I sit?”

She shook her head.  “Go ahead,” she said after she swallowed a bite of her burger.  “Just don’t expect me to share the food.”

James raised his hands in mock surrender.  “I wouldn’t think of it,” he said.  “I think the closest I’ve ever come to death was the night I ate the last slice of pecan pie at Clark’s.”

“You know, on Krypton, we sentenced people to eternity in the Phantom Zone for lesser crimes than pie theft.”  James laughed, and Kara inwardly cringed at the smile he was giving her, because she recognized it.

He took a breath and looked at her with what she’d always thought of as his serious face.  “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” she said, then took another bite of her food, chewing slowly.

“Did I do something wrong?”

She swallowed.  “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he said, “You’ve been snippy with me on more than one occasion.  You got me in trouble with Cat when I was trying to help you, and just now, when I smiled at you, you cringed.”

Kara frowned.  “Sorry, I thought I hid that better.”

“You hid it pretty well,” James said.  “If I hadn’t known Clark for as long as I have, I never would have noticed.  But you and he both get the same look on your face when you’re uncomfortable and trying not to show it.”

Kara picked up her drink and took a swig of the grape soda to give herself time to think.

“You know I’m gay,” she said.

“Yeah,” he replied.  “I got that last night.”

“You also know that I have better than average senses.”

He nodded.

“So…  It’s a little uncomfortable knowing you’re attracted to me,” she said.

“Um…”

“Look, I get it,” she said.  “Biological response.  Not something you can help.  Really, I understand.  But every time I hear the tempo of your breathing shift, or your heart rate spike…  Some guys are good at boundaries.  Winn, once I told him I was gay, went out of his way to make sure he didn’t say or do anything that could be considered a romantic gesture.  Made sure I knew he wanted me to tell him if he ever did anything he shouldn’t, so he wouldn’t do it again.  So, I’m fine around Winn, because I know, even if he does find me attractive, he’ll never act on that.  He’s going to respect the boundary I put in place.”

Of course, she’d been a bit firmer establishing that boundary in this timeline than in the original one, where she’d honestly been completely oblivious to most of his attempts at flirting, right up until he kissed her.  She suspected he’d dealt with it better this time around both because it wasn’t a rejection of him, specifically, and because she’d laid down the law early enough that he hadn’t gotten his hopes up for over a year.

“You’re worried I won’t?” James asked.

She shrugged.  “Sorry,” she said.  “Like I said, Winn was great about it, but it took a while for me to be sure he wasn’t all talk about respecting my sexuality, but we kind of started with a clean slate.  You and I…  It’s harder, because you are already in my personal space, and I didn’t invite you there.”

“I’m sorry.  I, um-”

“No, it’s not your fault.  Clark shouldn’t have told you without getting my permission.  I get why he did what he did, but it doesn’t stop this from being awkward.  You’re somewhere I didn’t invite you, and it makes it difficult to trust that you won’t push for more.”

“That’s why you got so angry about me trying to help you with Cat,” he said.

“Yes,” Kara replied.  “You were white knighting me,” she said.  “I know it’s because Clark is worried about me and I know you’re trying to be friendly so I’m trying to have patience, because I know you must be a great guy if Clark let you in on his little secret.”

“Is there anything I can do to make it better?” James asked.

“You can tell me you respect that I’m gay and I don’t have to worry about you trying to pull a Chasing Amy.”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

“Ben Affleck movie,” she said.  “Gay girl gets to be friends with a straight guy.  He tells her he’s in love with her.  Suddenly, she’s not gay anymore.”

“Yeah, I saw it.”

“Right.  Pull that declaration of love crap, and I will give my cousin his best friend back by punting you to Metropolis.”

James nodded.  “I think I can live with those terms,” he said.  “I just… I want to help.”

Kara smiled.  “That’s good, James.  That’s a good thing to want, and I want your help.  I *want* to be your friend, because like I said, I’m pretty sure you have to be a really great person.  Clark is an amazing judge of character.  I’ve just lost too much to have to worry about losing a friend because of something like a misplaced crush.”

“Fair enough,” he said, holding out his hand.  “Friends?”

Kara reached across the table.  “Friends,” she said.

It was just after sunset when Kara landed on Cat’s balcony in full Supergirl regalia, carrying a small package under her left arm.  A quick check with her X-Ray vision confirmed that Cat was still inside working, so Kara unpacked quickly.  The package held two freshly-washed tumblers, a gallon of bottled water, and a bottle of Scotch, plus an ice ball mold.  She sat out the tumblers, then opened the water and filled the ice ball mold, then gave it a quick blast with her freeze breath.  She lifted the lid, and dropped a perfect sphere of ice into each of the tumblers, then set the gallon of water and the mold under the coffee table, before turning to the Scotch.

She opened the box, and took out the bottle, enjoying the ritual.  Green glass, wrapped in a black label.  Ardbeg.  10 year, because Uigeadail never tasted quite right to her and Corryvreckan was peppery and Cat hated peppery Scotches.  She broke the seal, taking her time, smiling as she remembered the first bottle of Scotch she’d ever opened.  She’d been working for Cat for a week, and the decanter was almost empty.  She’d knelt down, and opened the cabinet, and been confounded at the assortment of bottles there and almost afraid to turn and ask Cat what she’d prefer.  Almost as if by magic, Cat had spoken up, telling her to open a bottle of Macallan 18.  It had been such a simple moment, and one that nearly broke her when, years later, she’d been digging through the rubble of the CatCo building, after Jeremiah had torn it down and she’d found a case of Macallan that had somehow still been completely intact.

She reached up, wiping the tears from her eyes before she uncorked the bottle, and poured two glasses, then sat the bottle to the side before reaching into her boot and pulling out her phone and typing out a quick text.  “She’s waiting on the balcony for you, Ms. Grant.”  She hit send, then checked to make sure her phone was on silent before tucking it back into her boot and picking up her drink and taking a sip.

A moment later, the door to Cat’s office opened and Cat stepped out, the surprise on her face carefully concealed.

“It’s you,” she whispered.

Kara dipped her head slightly in acknowledgement.  “I hope you don’t mind,” she said.  “Your assistant said you were a Scotch drinker.  I can’t really afford Macallan 18, but I didn’t want to show up empty-handed.”

Cat lifted an eyebrow.  “Most of the time, the person doing the interview supplies the drinks,” she said.

“I know,” Kara replied, “but this isn’t most of the time, Ms. Grant.”  She gestured at the couch across from her.  “Please, sit.”

Cat slipped her hand into her pocket and extracted her phone.  “Do you mind if I record this?”

“Not at all,” Kara said.  “In fact, I insist.  As long as you abide by the terms of our agreement.”

Cat sat down, placing her phone between them, and tapping the record button on her voice recorder app.  Then she picked up her glass of Scotch and took a sip.  “Mmmm… This is good,” she said.

Kara reached out and turned the bottle so Cat could see the label.  “Ardbeg 10 Year.  I used to have a friend who was fond of it.”

“Used to?” Cat asked, jumping on the detail like her namesake pouncing on a mouse.

“She died,” Kara said, leaning back.

Cat’s face fell, and Kara could see the honest consternation on her face.  “I’m sorry.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Ms. Grant, but if you stop to offer me condolences every time I talk about someone I lost, this will be a very long interview.”

There was a look on Cat’s face Kara didn’t quite recognize, but it was gone after a moment and Cat just gave a small nod.

“I suppose we should start with the basics then?  Who are you, where are you from?”

“I’m Lady El.  Eldest of my house.  Daughter of Zor-El, Life Engineer, Second Degree of the Science Guild of Argo, and Alura In-Ze, Chief Adjudicator of Argo.  Granddaughter of Seg-El and Nimda An-Dor through my father, and In-Ze and Myara Bar-Ul through my mother.  Kal-El, the man you call Superman, is my first cousin.  Zor-El, and Kal’s father, Jor-El were brothers.  I am sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t give you my common name.”

“Why not?”

Kara took another sip of her Scotch, and pointedly ignored the question.

“I’ll take that at a ‘no comment’,” Cat said, a slight smile on her face.  “But you said you were the eldest of your house.  How is it that Superman, your cousin, has been our there for over a decade, and we’re only hearing from you now?”

“Are you?” Kara asked.  “I thought you were a better journalist than that, Ms. Grant.  Or did you think those wild fires last September just decided to blow themselves out just in time to save eight people?  Or that the mud slide in the middle of the summer just decided to freeze itself solid one day?”

“That was you?”

“Yes.”

“But why stay hidden?”

“Because, I may have been born thirteen Earth Years before Superman, but things aren’t as easy as dates on a Calendar.  He and I left Krypton less than two minutes apart.  I arrived here two and a half decades later than him.  My ship was thrown off course, and I fell into…” Kara frowned.  “You don’t have a term for it,” she said.  “The closest translation is ‘Phantom Zone’.  It’s a kind of stress point in the fabric of space time.  Time loses meaning.  It seems to move at the same rate inside as out, but it doesn’t, not really.  A person in the zone might live there for every moment of a thousand years, and when they left, they would remember every second of it, but their body would not have aged a day.  I spent twenty-four years in there, drifting and dreaming.”  She took a sip of her Scotch, then sat the glass down.

“Then… I wouldn’t call it a miracle.  More like sheer luck.  Something triggered a reboot of my pod’s systems.  Once the computer was back on line, it restarted the engine, and brought me here.”

“Twenty-four years adrift and you’re thirteen years older than Superman,” Cat said.  “That would make you about fourty-nine.”

“Fifty-one, actually,” Kara said.  “The small drives that fit in a shuttle pod can only reach about a thousand times the speed of light, and Krypton was two thousand light years from Earth.  I was born in nineteen sixty-four, by your Calendar.  September twenty-second, if I’ve done the math right.  But I spent twenty-six years of that asleep.”

“But you remember Krypton?” Cat asked.

“I do.  I remember the mid-day festival in Kryptonopolis, the mourning song for the lost city of Kandor, and the Mass of Rao Transitioning at the temple of the long twilight in Argo City.”  She looked down into her glass.  “I remember watching as it was wiped from the stars, taking my home, my culture, fifteen thousand years of recorded history, and thirty billion souls with it.”

She lifted the Scotch to her lips and drained the glass, then sat it down on the coffee table, and looked up at Cat.  “Krypton might be a subject for another interview, Ms. Grant.”

She could see the sympathy, the compassion in Cat’s eyes and she wanted to fall into them.  It was too easy to confuse this Cat with her Cat, with the woman she’s spent hours talking to, the one who’d listened to her bitch about Snapper Carr and Nick Farrow and taught her the best ways to jerk them up by their sexist little short hairs.  The woman who listened as Kara mourned for Lena and talked her through the guilt she felt at being unable to save her friend from the hatred of her own family.  This Cat wasn’t her Cat, this Cat was the potential that her Cat had grown out of and Kara had taken a far more active hand in nurturing that potential this time around, but sometimes, it hurt to look at, because they weren’t there, not yet.

“So, there will be other interviews?” Cat asked, and Kara felt herself smile as she watched Cat’s mask slip back into place.

“Maybe,” Kara said.  “As long as what you write is honest.  I’m no more interested in a puff piece than I am a hatchet job.”

“Why me?” Cat asked, and Kara felt the surprise hit her that Cat would even ask.

“I’m not sure I understand the question?”

“Why give me an interview?” she said.  “I mean, I was half way into twisting James Olsen’s arm to get it, but somehow my assistant got you here with a phone call.  If you are Superman’s cousin, why not run to his little groupie?”

Kara laughed so hard, she almost fell off the couch.  “Oh,” she said.  “If you ever call Ms. Lane that to her face, please, please make sure someone is filming it.”

“You know Lois?”

Kara shook her head.  “If Supergirl and Lois Lane had ever met, don’t you think there would be a three page spread in the Planet about it?”

“Probably,” Cat admitted.  “But you still haven’t answered the question.”

“I don’t want to be a footnote,” Kara said.  “If I went to Ms. Lane, all I would ever be is Superman’s cousin.  A detail in a story about a Lost Boy who made good.  That’s not what I want to be.”

“What do you want to be?” Cat asked.

“Worthy,” Kara said.  “Thirty billion people died on Krypton. and I’m one of the last who remembers.  I’m the only one who saw them die, the only one who has walked the streets of my home and lived among you.  People sacrificed, people died, so I could stand here, alive, free.  So that I didn’t burn with my home or get dissected in a lab somewhere.  I want to help people. I want to be worthwhile.  I want to prove that those sacrifices weren’t in vain.  That the world is a better place because I’m in it, because when the day came, I stood up and fought to make it that way.”

Kara stood up and walked over to the balcony rail.  “People are out there, calling me a hero.  I don’t feel that way.  Being strong, flying, heat vision, freeze breath, those things make me able to do more, give more, but they don’t make me a hero.  A hero is someone who helps when they don’t have to.  Someone who sacrifices their time, their sweat, their blood, even their life, to help, to make things better, even if just for one other person.

“I was sent here to protect my cousin, to be his hero, and I failed.  It wasn’t my fault.  I know that.  I was already asleep when my ship malfunctioned.  One minute, I was racing down the launch track after my three-week old cousin.  The next he was standing over me, a grown man of twenty-four.

“I can’t do what I was sent to do, but I can still help.  Still find a way to be worth the sacrifices made when I was given that pod and worth the sacrifices people here on Earth made so I could have something resembling a normal life until I was ready to put on the crest again.”  She turned around, to look at Cat.  “That’s what I want.”

Kara looked at her, and she could see tears glistening in Cat’s eyes, and without really thinking about it, she walked over to the small bench seat and opened it, taking out a box of tissues and bringing it back to Cat.  Cat looked at her for a moment, then at the tissue, then back up at her, and Kara realized what she’d done, and wanted to kick herself.

Cat, though, took a couple of tissues from the box, and delicately dabbed the unshed tears from her eyes.

“I hate this time of year,” Cat said.  “My allergies always act up.”

Kara nodded as she sat back down.

It took Cat a moment to finish composing herself, then she turned back to Kara, and Kara waited for the inevitable, except it never came.

“Any long-term goals?” Cat asked.

Kara nodded, feeling a little shocked, but remembering the plan she had for this interview.  “I’d like to prove to the people of National City, to America and to the whole world, that aliens aren’t something to be feared.  That we can live here and contribute.  It’s a bit daunting though, when I see the current crisis with the Syrian Refugees, how reluctant people are to help them, and they are human.  It makes the idea that someone might extend us formal amnesty, much less asylum or even citizenship, that much further away.”

“I don’t know,” Cat said.  “Superman’s been granted citizenship.”

“There are exceptions to every rule Ms. Grant.  You know that.  My cousin, me, we look human enough.  We even look like the common conception people have when they think ‘American’, so granting us citizenship isn’t that much of a stretch.  What about the aliens who can’t pass as human?  What about the ones with green skin and red eyes?  What about the ones who have horns, or four arms?  How many of the beings Superman has had to fight were only hostile because they knew there was no place here for them?  That they would never be allowed to walk around freely?”

“That’s an interesting question,” Cat said.  “It sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought.”

Kara shrugged.  “It’s something that sets me apart from my cousin.  He arrived here as an infant, two years old chronologically, but physically and mentally, barely three weeks of age.  Earth is his home.  He’s never known any other.  I’m a refugee.  I will never not be a refugee.”

“What about things that would make you feel more at home?” Cat asked.  “Marriage, family?”

“Maybe someday.  I haven’t had a lot of luck with dating.”

“No?”

“Off the record?” Kara asked.

Cat nodded.

“I mean it, Ms. Grant.”

“You have my word,” she said.

“You remember the answer I gave about the Scotch?” Kara asked, and again, Cat’s face fell.  “Different person,” Kara said, “same answer.”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

Kara took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  “Do you think you have enough for your article, Ms. Grant?”

Cat nodded.  “I think so,” she said.  “I… can I have my assistant call you if I have any follow up questions?”

Kara smiled as she stood up.  “She has my number,” Kara said.

“I don’t suppose I could get it too?”

Kara smiled.  “I won’t say no, Ms. Grant, but I will say not on the first date.  I’ll think about it after I see what you write.  Good night.”  She didn’t wait for a reply.  She just kicked off and flew into the night.

Translated from the Kryptonian

ukiem w rrip , eh ,astruh,

I love you

ukiem w rrip , eh shed kir

I love you, Little One