| Welcome to Metropolis | |||||
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| What: Superman takes his cousin to Metropolis. Further plans are made. | |||||
Landing in Metropolis by night was Clark's idea for two reasons. First, it obscured the pair from the watchful eyes of bystanders. Though used to seeing Superman take to the skies, they would be far less ready to see a normal clad, blonde teenager flying by his side.
The second reason was to have Kara see the City of Tomorrow at it's most fantastic. Spires just out from the island of New Troy, reaching for the stars as if they're almost able to pluck them from the night sky. The rushing of the West and Hobbs Rivers, and the expansive of the Delaware Bay are a darker black against the black background. The islands and the mainland are still busy, always busy, with people zipping to and fro by foot, by car, by boat, and by monorail.
This is the City of Tomorrow, the most futuristic city on the planet. As the pair lower down towards 344 Clinton Street, the city takes a more quiet and comfortable setting.
Kara's been so excited this night, she's been barely able to contain herself. For most of the previous day, she's been practicing English using the books around the Kent house; and at Super-speed, she's already proving adept. And of everything she's now able to do, flying is by far her favorite! As she flew alongside Kal from Smallville to first the Fortress in the Arctic, then down to Metropolis, she's been performing aerobatics; diving, looking, spinning, and rolling, giggling and laughing all the while. She's also dressed in jeans and the 'S' shield t-shirt she got, trying to fit in with her cousin's costume.
The sight of Metropolis at night does indeed awe her. "It is beautiful!" she says with wide-eyed innocence. She's been forcing herself to use English this entire trip, rather than slipping into Kryptonian. Practice, practice, practice. "This is where you live? It is much bigger than Smallville. More like Argo City." She smiles in approval as they land on the apartment building.
Superman's boots pad along the balcony, which seems almost completely obscured in all directions by trees. Hrm. Funny how that works. Almost like he picked this apartment out on purpose.
"Well, the nice part about Metropolis is that the view is beautiful. The bad part is that my apartment is just a tad big bigger than my room back in Smallville. You take the good with the bad, of course." Superman opens the sliding door and allows Kara in. "This is it!"
It is a nice, neat, incredibly small.../incredibly small/ apartment.
Kara looks around the apartment, nodding in agreement. "You are right. It is very small." There's barely enough room for Kal here, which leads Kara to a certain conclusion. She looks at her cousin with a sad, but understanding expression. "I will need to live with Jonathan and Martha here on Earth, yes?"
Superman shrugs his shoulders, "Not necessarily, no. If you decide you'd like to live here I'd be happy to squeeze in. If that doesn't work we could get a different apartment. It won't be in as nice a neighborhood, but really....I don't think we need to worry about petty street crime.
Superman smiles, "Be right back." He disappears into the back room to change into his other costume. "If you want," he calls out. "We could basically make the living room into your bed room. I could tie up some sheets and we could go through the kitchen to get to the back rooms. I'm not here a lot, to be honest."
"Maybe," Kara says. "I would like to live here with you. But I do not want to make things harder for you." Plus, there's also the matter of Krypto, Kara thinks. "But we can talk about it. No need to choose yet." She walks over to the railing outside and looks out over the city and into the night sky. "Kal...There is one thing more we need to talk about."
"Well, like I said...I don't spend enough time here. It's not hard on me...it'll be your decision. I'd love to have you here." Kal emerges as Clark, wearing his glasses and a white dress shirt. He plops down on the couch and puts his feet up. "What's that?"
Kara moves back inside and sits on the couch with Kal. There's a serious expression on her face. "You asked me what I though about telling everyone about being Kryptonians. I think we need to tell the truth. If humans are afraid, it would be worse if they find out and we do not tell them." She smiles softly. "Jor-El did not fear the truth. The Council did."
"I think there's a time and a place. But I'm not ready to, Kara. In your mind you've only just left Krypton. While I can never know how it is you feel about what you experienced, I'd hope you'd try to consider how I must feel. For the past 26 years I've been alone, struggling with being an outsider on this adopted world. I'm not ready to tell them. I will be someday, but not now." Clark says, looking at her.
Kara nods, smiling and patting Kal on the shoulder. "I know. I am just saying my thoughts. I do know your fear. I am scared, too." She looks down at the floor, hunching her shoulders a bit. "All this strength. All this power. I do not want to hurt anyone. I am scared I will. I am scared I will not...."She pauses, struggling for the English words, then sighs. <fit in>, she finishes in Kryptonian. "I want to belong here. But I do not know how yet."
"Fitting in as Supergirl will be easy. People will try to fit in around you. Fitting in as Kara...if that's what you choose for a name...That will be the hard part. It's a big question to consider, and you won't have to decide right away. I found my life was really lonely until I began hanging out with Pete, Lana, and Chloe. Once you meet some friends, I think you'll be a lot less afraid. This is your home now. This Earth. You'll get used to it."
Kara looks up at the words of encouragement, and she smiles. "Yes. I will make friends. But your friends, do they know? Do they know that Clark Kent is Superman?" She gets a thoughtful look and pauses. "Kara...Kent. Kara Kent. I think I like that." She looks back up at Kal. "If Jonathan and Martha will let me. It is their House."
"They would be honored, I'm certain." Clark sits back and takes a long breath, "No. My friends at least for the most part. I did tell Chloe. But she's the only one on the planet aside from the Kents who know my secret. At least that I know of. I have to keep them safe, my mom and dad I mean."
Kara nods, a sober expression on her face. "Bad people would hurt them. People you try to stop. The secret must stay for them to be safe." She reaches up with a smile and plucks Kal's glasses off his face, trying them on. "How do I look?" she asks with a giggle.
Clark laughs out loud, "You look like a Kent!"
Clark sits back on the couch and lets her wear the glasses for a bit. "For me, it was important that I create a persona who wouldn't allow me to be discovered. I never thought I could wear a mask. It would seem disingenuous. Worse, if people find they cannot trust Superman, they would have a right to be terribly afraid of me."
Kara nods, getting up to look at herself in the mirror in the bathroom. She frowns; not quite a style that looks good on her. She returns to the couch and hands Kal the glasses back. "Then I will not wear a mask, also. Glasses would be a good idea, though." She thinks for a bit on what Kal said. "You act not like Superman as Clark. People do not see how much the same you are."
Clark nods, "People see what they want to see, Kara. Sometimes acting as if something is the truth makes it the truth in effect."
"I like acting," Kara says with a smile. "I was good with acting at school. But I like art better." Another though crosses her mind and she looks at Kal. "I need to go to school here? In Metropolis or Smallville?"
"I think it would be a good idea. It would teach you about the Earth, and it would teach you a lot about social cues. School was hard for me, but it taught me how to fit in. I would encourage you to do so," Clark responds.
Kara nods. She stands up and walks around the room, thinking. "Kal...I want to live here. With you. But not if this is my room." She gestures around the living room. "I need my own space. So do you. But I do not want to live with you if it makes you move. If it makes life harder." She sighs and flops back on the couch, a bit harder than she was expecting and there's a creaking sound from the frame. Kara blushes in embarrassment, then hugs her cousin, putting her head on his shoulder. "I do not want to leave you. But I do not want to make problems in your life."
It seems clear to Clark that she's not really getting this from his perspective. "I'm not just being polite, Kara. It's not making my life harder. You're the family I've never had. You're the little sister I've never had. I want you to live in Metropolis. Here. With me. I don't mind sharing. We're going to be partners. We're going to make this city and this world a better place."
Kal's words light up Kara's face, and she hugs her cousin tighter, using her full strength. "Then yes," she replies. "I live with you. But..." She looks slightly embarrassed to be making this demand. "We find a new home in Metropolis? One with two bedrooms? I need....pri..privacy? Not sheets for walls. You need your own room too, even if you do not spend much time in it. It is only fair."
Clark nods, "Well, if we want to maintain the same level of living, you might have to get a job."
"Have you thought about delivering pizza?"