2014.02.23 - Just Be Good

A bizarre formation juts out of the snow and ice, strangely symmetrical crystals that cross over one another to form the massive structure of the Fortress of Solitude. It’s been a few weeks since Superman paid a visit and longer still since he brought somebody here. But as peaceful as the Kent Farm can be, the Man of Steel figured Miss Martian could use a visit to a place a little more spectacular.

“I come here sometimes,” Superman calls over the howl of the wind, gesturing at the Fortress, “I thought you might like to see it.”

M'gann's eyes are wide as she takes in the beauty and splendor of the landscape, and the formation that appears before her. Her hair fluttering in the breeze, she turns to look at Superman with a big grin, "This place looks amazing. It's so pretty."

While it's been a delightfully busy week for Kara, she's taken this bit of time to make a trip up to the Fortress for a couple reasons. One is the new suit design she's working on and another is some crystal sculpture that she made here when she first landed on earth. It would look great in her new apartment. Plus it's a great place to snack since her cousin eats like she does sometimes.

“Its Kryptonian architecture,” Superman explains as they land on the stretch of tundra outside the Fortress, “It’s made from a kind of crystal that grows into a pre-programmed shape.”

He leads the way through the great arch into the Fortress itself, a slight smile on his lips as super-senses inform him Kara is also visiting. He calls out, voice echoing off the cavernous inside of the crystalline structure.

“Hello, Kara.”

M'gann's eyes reflect the crystal structure's beauty as she looks all over the place, "Gosh. I mean, the red plains of Mars are lovely, but... It does lack something that rainbows, prisms, and crystals have... All the colors..." She pauses, "There's... someone else in there," her ears picking up noise. But, Superman keeps moving forward, so she follows in his wake. Kara. That's usually a female name. She looks around, wondering who this person is, but also fascinated with the structure itself.

Hearing the voice of her cousin and detecting the presence of another with him, Kara pulls her head out of his pantry, her arms loaded with a few (dozen) snacks. "Hey Kal! I came to get some stuff. Hope you don't mind. Ran out of food at my place and the cafeteria on campus is major yuckfest this weekend. Who's that with you?" She drops her snacks on a table and then proceeds to float into that Indian style floating seat she likes to do sometimes.

“This is M’gann,” Superman says by way of an introduction, rounding a corner to the main chamber where Kara is, “She’s staying with Ma for a while.”

He looks back at his new Martian friend, smiling broadly at her reaction to the Fortress and holding out a hand to gesture at his cousin, “This is my cousin, Kara.”

M'gann smiles at the beautiful woman shyly, tucking a lock of her deeply maroon hair behind her ear as she is introduced to her. "Hello, Kara. It's nice to meet you," she says softly, offering her hand to her. That's what's polite to do!

Smiling brightly, Kara floats, still in that strange sitting position, to M'gann and accepts her hand. She says "Good to meet you too, M'gann. So how are you liking Smallville? Too quiet for you yet?" She floats back over to the table and selects a cheesecake danish and takes a bite.

As the pair get acquainted, Superman takes to the air and lands on one of the crystalline platforms high above. He places his hand on a flat surface, prompting the crystal to light up and a holographic depiction of Kryptonian DNA to float in the air before him. He manipulates it critically, removing and replacing pieces here and there as though re-shaping it to something different.

M'gann shakes her head, "Oh, no. Smallville is beautiful! The farm is such a peaceful place, in its own way. Very calming. And, Mrs. Kent is so warm and wonderful. She makes me feel very welcome." She dips her head slightly and looks at the toes of her shoes. Poor little Martian is painfully shy! As Superman rises up to the high platform and begins manipulating the crystals, M'gann's fascinated with the holograph that appears, her eyebrows lifting high. "Wooooooow," she breathes with a smile. "So beautiful."

Kara follows her cousin with her eyes for a moment and then looks back to M'gann. "Yeah...she is that and then some. How did you meet my big blue boyscout of a cousin, anyway? You're not exactly human, are you? Not that that's a bad thing since Kal or I hardly qualify either." She giggles a moment as she waves to her pile of snacks "Help yourself if you're hungry. I hate winters in Metropolis. Never quite enough sunlight for my tastes."

Superman clicks his tongue, critically examining the strange half-Kryptonian strand of DNA that he's staring at. He touches the crystal again, producing a holographic keyboard full of Kryptonian symbols which he begins to type on. After a moment he deactivates it, letting the crystal glow dimly while it runs whatever program he set it up with.

Satisfied, the Man of Steel steps off the platform and lands near Kara and M'gann once again.

"Kara, have you heard of a man going around calling himself Power Boy?"

M'gann flushes at the question, but nods, "That's fair. I'm from Mars. I met Superman when a band of filthy ruffians attacked the Tick... And, when he found out that my parents passed away and I've been on my own, well... He offered to take me to meet and stay with Mrs. Kent at the farm. I've been helping out, there. It's a lot of fun." She smiles softly.

She looks up as Superman does his thing with the DNA model and then drops down lightly to rejoin her and Kara. Power Boy. Hm, not a name she's heard, before.

Kara shrugs gently and says "Power Boy? Nope. Then again you know I don't spend a lot of time doing the superhero thing. Frankly it's frustrating enough trying to unwrap my mind around human math. It's so.....BASIC and frankly kinda useless. No wonder they haven't gotten too far off this planet. They can't even figure out basic quantum field mechanics and ....wait..." She turns back to M'gann "Did you say Mars? Like the planet?" She looks at Kal El. "J'on's Mars?"

“Mhm, J’onn’s Mars,” Superman answers Kara with a nod of his head, stroking his chin thoughtfully, “I’ve already contacted him but I think he must be busy. I’m still waiting to hear back. I thought M’gann might benefit from a helping hand. We mightn’t be from Mars but we can still relate to where she’s coming from.”

When Kara doesn’t know who Power Boy is he lets the topic fall by the wayside. There’ll be more investigation to do there, no doubt, but no point in bringing any more of it up right now. The computer will give him some of the answers he needs before too long, anyway.

“J’onn J’onzz is a Martian like you,” Kal explains to M’gann, not wishing to leave her in the dark, “Though I think the circumstances that brought him here might be different. I feel there’s a lot the pair of you could teach each other.”

M'gann's expression shows she has no real knowledge of this J'onn. "Yes, Mars, the planet. I'm Martian," she says quietly. Suddenly, her stomach hurts. And, she feels a keener sense of nervousness. Is there another Martian, here? Her brow furrows and she looks off to one side, nervously chewing her bottom lip. ...No one can know. No one.

"No one.." M'gann says softly, lost in thought... "Oh," she says to Superman. "Perhaps," she nods lightly. But, it's very clear to see that she is very uncomfortable with the idea of meeting this J'onn J'onzz. "Perhaps..." she says quietly, her brows furrowed lightly.

Kara grins brightly and says "He's not as creepy as Grumpyass either." She knows that Batman doesn't distrust her as much anymore but at the same time, she's well aware that he's not her biggest fan either. "Hey so are you gonna be sticking around? I've got a small apartment in New York if you ever want to visit. It's not much but it's nice. I'm a student at the University there...mostly as a cover but also to try to figure out a legitimate way to slowly introduce new ...well...rather old Kryptonian science concepts to these humans. Sometimes it amazes me that they haven't blown each other up entirely. Sheesh."

Superman’s brow furrows at M’gann’s reaction, though his knowledge of Martian biology is limited and he doesn’t seem to pick up on her anxiety or uneasiness. He puts on his best, reassuring voice when he finally speaks again.

“There’s no rush, M’gann,” he insists, “You’re welcome to stay at the Farm or here as long as you like. I understand if this is all too much too suddenly. We’re not trying to overwhelm you.”

M'gann smiles at Kara, not knowing who 'Grumpyass' is, but glad this J'onn isn't creepy as he, whomever he is. "I'd like to stay, yes. I wandered for a long time before deciding I would find a place to be," she says softly in reply. "I would like to visit your apartment. I'm looking forward to going to school. I've...never been, so I think it will be fun," she says, still sounding slightly distracted.

Then, to Superman, she smiles hesitantly, "Thank you. I just...wasn't expecting other Martians to be here. I didn't know what'd happened with the War, but I thought I was the only one here... I'm concerned...it may make me miss my parents and remind me of what is now lost," she says, sounding mostly believable. Mostly.

War. Dead parents. Loneliness. These are things that Kara knows all too well. She's been on earth for a few years now but she still misses Krypton. Unlike Kal-El, she was practically an adult when she left chasing after her infant cousin. Damn wormholes. She stands from her floating and walks over and lays a reassuring hand on M'gann's shoulder. "Hey now...lets not dwell too deeply on what can't be changed. The future lies before us and as Kal is fond of saying...in our hands. Technically I'm older than he is...technically. Interdimensional Quantum Physics and Prolight technology though is something even I can't figure out yet." She giggles.

“Well, I can tell you this from experience. I thought I was alone here for a long time before I found Kara. I’ve found more people as well, over time, and it’s a good thing. Like Kara said, she remembers more about Krypton – that’s where we came from – than I do. She’s shed light on a lot of things.”

Superman offers another smile, “But this is entirely your decision, M’gann. We’re just here to help you, not to push you in directions you’re not ready to go in.”

“Is there anything you’d like to know about us?”

M'gann smiles gratefully at Kara, lightly touching the hand that rests on her shoulder. "I know. I cried for years about losing them. I was a ghost, almost literally--intangible, invisible... Wailing, late at night when no one was around. And, I wandered aimlessly. I would fly for days and just drop to the ground, instead of landing. I was pretty...well, very sad. So, I just don't wish to return to those days of pain. But, I will, of course, meet this J'onn J'onzz..."

She smiles up at Superman, "I appreciate that you're not pushing me to do anything. I admit that I feel fragile, still, at times, despite my naturally durable being." At the question, she pauses, "May I call you Kal, as well? I know you're Superman, of course, but... If it's all right with you, I'd like to feel less..formal."

Pulling her legs back up, she floats now next to M'gann. Kara looks at her cousin and chuckles "I think I'm the only one that keeps calling him Kal. It's what I knew first long before he ever became Superman. Does Diana still call you Kal? I haven't seen her in a while too, come to think of it. Might need to make a trip out to the Island at some point soon."

“You can call me Kal if you’d like,” Superman nods, “Like Kara said, she’s the only one who really does. But it /is/ my name and I answer to it.”

The whole name thing is something he opts not to delve into for the time being. He’s already heaped quite a bit on M’gann in the last few days as it is.

M'gann smiles, nodding, "Thank you." Though she's just been given permission to use it, she still seems too shy to use it. Looking to Kara, she smiles, "I will admit I'm not educated in worm holes, space/time theory, or things of that nature... But, it's good to be reunited with family. You seem happy, and that's a good thing." After a moment, she turns to Superman, "If Kara is the only one who calls you Kal... What does everyone else call you?" She looks confused. "Does even Mrs. Kent call you Superman?" she asks, her eyes wide.

Kara giggles at first and then eventually is full on laughing! She can't seem to float and laugh at the same time though and promptly falls out of the air and thumps onto her butt. She still giggles for a bit and then finally says "I don't think I've ever heard Ma call him Kal! Go on, cuz...tell her your name..." She giggles again.

Superman looks thoughtful for a moment. He mostly considered this would be coming sooner rather than later but he thought maybe he'd have more of a say in it. He takes a deep breath, clearing his throat and answering at last.

"Mrs. Kent calls me Clark. She's my mother ? that is to say, she and her husband found me when I first came to Earth as a baby. They named me Clark."

He lifts a hand, scratching the back of his head a little nervously, "But that's a secret. So I'd like it if you'd keep that to yourself."

"Oh, of course! I would never tell your secret, ever!" M'gann's earnestness is almost unbearable, but she seems to feel very strongly about keeping Superman at ease. She smiles, thinking about what Mrs. Kent must've thought when she found little baby Kal... a miracle, a surprise. And, all the more, as he grew up. "Thank you...for trusting me," she says and impulsively hugs Superman around the waist. "I won't betray it!" she says, again. She releases Superman and clasps her hands behind her back and chews on her lip, "But...is there something wrong with this person called Power Boy? Does he need help?"

There's a quiet tittering ring from Kara's belt. She reaches behind her cape and takes out the smartphone she keeps there. Seeing the caller, she answers "Heya Debbie..." she pauses a moment and then says "Wait...you mean that's tonight?! Aw man...I was gonna visit with my cousin and his new friend." Another pause then "Okay fine, I'll be there. Just make sure you bring the cookies and Dew. I'll help you Ace that exam on Monday." She touches the screen and then looks at Kal and M'gann. "I gotta go. Debbie is having issues with Calculus. She's panicking because if she doesn't Ace this test, she's gonna lose her scholarship." She pouts slightly and then says "I'll come by the farm later and get you, M'gann. Show you how to get to my place and get you a key if you wanna stay in town sometimes."

“Bye, Kara.”

Superman waves as Kara departs, looking back to M’gann as she asks her question. He offers an ‘it is and it isn’t’ sort of expression before shrugging his shoulders and answering.

“Maybe. I get the feeling he’s related to me just not ... yet. Like he might be from the future. That was his DNA I put through the computer. I’m analyzing it to see if it’s recognizable but something tells me it might be mine. He claimed he was from the House of El but seeing as there’s only me and Kara ... ”

M'gann smiles at Kara and nods, "Certainly. I look forward to that. I wish you and Debbie good luck with calculus." She watches as the pretty blonde woman flies off, leaving M'gann alone with Superman. She looks to him and nods, listening as he speaks. "Well, that certainly seems confusing. What makes you feel as though it's yours? Can you not...compare it to your own?" she wonders, thinking it through logically. "If he claims he is from the House of El, and you feel as though the DNA is yours, or similar...perhaps he is from..." She breaks off and blushes, realizing what she was about to suggest is due to the soap operas she's watched. "...an affair?" she whispers very quietly, not seeming sure of herself, at all.

“Well,” Superman continues, “He told me he was from the future. His reason for not telling me exactly who his parents were was that he didn’t want to alter time in some way. It’s a bit far-fetched but, well, so are people appearing from alternate dimensions.”

He gestures up to the platform where the computer is still working, “He’s definitely from the House of El. There are genetic traits unique to them based on the records I have of the great Kryptonian houses. But he’s not all Kryptonian. He’s got a Kryptonian parent, I’d guess.”

M'gann lifts her eyes to the fascinating crystal computer, still working, computing, figuring... "If you knowing who his parents are would alter time, perhaps it would unmake him? Like in Back to the Future!" she offers, excitedly. "Like, when Marty McFly had that picture of him and his siblings, and they were disappearing as his parents weren't successfully getting together..." She trails off with a sheepish grin, "But, that's in a movie... Probably not realistic."

“You may be right. There’s a lot about time travel that we don’t understand and I don’t want to risk anything like that.”

It seems that for the first time Superman has started to have reservations about investigating this Power Boy. He furrows his brow, casting a doubtful glance back towards the computer.

“I just need to know he is being ... honest. This symbol,” he gestures to the S-shield on his chest, “Is important to me. There are certain responsibilities that come with wearing it.”

M'gann nods, "It would be very unfortunate for this Power Boy, especially, if that were to happen. Like I said, though, I know very little about time travel, paradoxes, and things like that." She looks at the symbol on Superman's chest, the shield, the S-shield... "Absolutely. I can see that. It represents you and what you stand for. Goodness, justice, fairness... A better world. Protection for the innocent... You're concerned he doesn't stand for those things?"

Superman offers another shrug.

“He hasn't really done anything to suggest that he doesn't. It’s a complicated issue.”

He waves a hand. Power Boy and the mystery around him can wait until later as far as he’s concerned. He’s not going anywhere after all.

“Do you have any other questions?”

M'gann tilts her head to one side as she contemplates the question. After a moment, she shakes her head. "Not that I can think of, but I'm probably not thinking hard enough," she giggles, biting her lip. "But, thank you for bringing me here. For showing me this beautiful place. And, for everything you've done for me, so far," she says softly. "I really don't know how to thank you, but I am very grateful."

"You can thank me by doing the right thing," Superman states simply, gesturing towards the archway that leads to the tundra outside, "Though I'm sure you don't have to be asked. Just be good."

M'gann smiles and nods, "That, I can do." She gives a little wave as she lifts off the ground, "I'll go see what needs doing at the farm," she smiles and flies higher and higher before she levels out and begins flying /quite/ fast, in the direction of Kansas.