Chapter Text
“Lena, he's just going to betray you,” Kara said exasperated. She pushed her hair back only messing up her bangs.
“I'll see it coming. I know I can't trust Lex. Unlike you. I'll stand in front of those cameras and smile with you Supergirl but Kara and I? We'll never be friends again. She betrayed me and I will never trust her again,” Lena seethed. Here eyes narrowed as she looked at Supergirl.
“I'm here with you in place of Lex to accept this award. That's it. Then you can go off and help stop a fire or prevent a car crash or maybe you'll put on your glasses and pretend to be human. I don't really care, the less time I spend with you the better.”
“Fine, if that's how you feel,” Kara said and Lena was called out on stage. Lena was introducing Supergirl for an award she was receiving for an event pre-Crisis. She had seen the footage of her saving the hundreds of National City citizens and listened to Alex tell her of the event but it wasn't in her memory and never would be. What she remembered was seeing Argo disappear from existence, from Kal fading in her arms, to losing every shred of hope. That's what she remembered. Alex didn't know she still had nightmares. Ones of a burning Krypton had been replaced with everything being wiped from existence again, again, and again. Ones that she woke up screaming from. She talked with her cousin briefly about them. He was in the middle of something with his sons and the conversation didn't get anywhere except a “you should talk to Alex about it” and a “go see your mother”. She had gone to see her mother. It was one of the first things she did upon returning and when her memories were restored she understood her daughter's tears. But Kara couldn't leave Earth to go to Argo with Lex around again. So she chose to stay and had been keeping a close eye on Lex.
Five minutes into Lena's speech on Supergirl's heroine and their close friendship Kara heard something. She looked past the people and miles away saw it. It was a ship entering Earth's atmosphere just outside the city. She grabbed one of the stagehands and told them she had to go. Lena was swiftly told that Supergirl had to leave for an emergency. Lena apologized to the crowd and ran out of the auditorium through the lobby and outside. She could see the ship landing and saw Kara's red cape as she flew towards the spaceship. And using her watch she stood right next to Kara as the main door to the ship opened.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, “It's not safe. Go home.”
“Maybe you aren't up on recent events but I work with you now, my brother owns the organization you work for,” Lena said. Several men marched out of the ship and Kara slowly moved forward.
She stood in front of Lena glaring at the men standing in front of the ship. The symbol on the ship and the men's uniforms looked oddly familiar. She'd hadn't seen the insignia on her travels with her father but she knew it from somewhere.
“You know them, you recognize their ship,” Lena said her icy tone gone.
“I remember them... they visited Krypton. I was eleven maybe twelve and someone who worked for the King spoke with my parents,” Kara said.
“What are they doing here?”
“I don't- I-,” she said stumbling to find her words, “You should go Lena. Please.”
“You know what they're doing here.”
“You need to go Lena,” Kara said and when a blonde man in a different uniform than the others stepped out Kara stood completely in front of Lena blocking her from view. He began to move towards Kara when Lena pushed past her friend and spoke up.
“Who are you and what are you doing on Earth?” she asked. Kara pulled her back and glared at Lena.
“My name is Liam and I am a King on the planet of Nibiru,” he said looking at Lena then he looked at Kara. She moved forwards standing inches from this Liam. He looked human but then again so did Kara. Lena watched the two interact. Kara was stiff and there was a nervousness she hadn't seen come from Supergirl. Liam took Kara's hand and brought it to his lips. He spoke to her in a language Lena couldn't understand, something she presumed to be Kryptonese.
“I left Argo yesterday evening,” Liam said.
“My mother told you I lived on Earth,” Kara responded, “I'm surprised you know my language so well. And that you aren't Elias. That's whom I'm betrothed to.”
“He married someone else after Krypton... my brother died about six months ago. And one month ago one of my scouts stumbled upon Argo. He didn't see you but he saw your mother or at least saw your house crest.” He looked down upon the symbol on her uniform.
“House of El,” he said, “Kara Zor-El I do not wish to remove you from your home. But there was an agreement between your parents and”
“And your parents. I know. I know. I just. Argo is of no threat to you your highness and it is certainly no threat to them. If you were there you know. It is small, it has no way of attacking anyone and it couldn't protect itself for them,” Kara said, “Why should an agreement made decades ago be-” but then she heard the vehicles and her sister's heartbeat. She heard their guns and then heard the weapons of the soldiers.
“Stop!” she cried in English stepping back. She turned away from Liam and locked eyes with her sister.
“Stand down. Stand down,” she said and the DEO agents lowered their weapons with the order from Alex. Kara turned back towards Liam.
“Tell them to lower their weapons and we can continue this conversation in private.” With a few movements of his hands and whispered words to what Kara assumed was his General the soldiers lowered their weapons and returned to the ship. The door closed behind them.
Kara, Alex, Lena, Liam and his General traveled to the DEO. Lex was there to greet them as he had seen what was going on due to tv reporters. The General spoke in broken Kryptonese but Kara could tell he was doing so, so only she could understand him.
“He does not trust us,” he said.
“He does not trust aliens,” Kara said, “You were right to accompany your King.”
“You help protect these people. From him?”
“It's complicated. Recent events have changed things,” Kara said.
“Kara what's going on?” Alex asked when they were in a conference room. Brainy was in there with them and Lena and Lex were outside watching through the glass walls.
“When I was twelve years old my parents arranged my marriage to the prince of Rifar of the planet of Nibiru. King Liam wasn't who I was supposed to marry. His brother was but then Krypton died and he married someone else but now he's gone.”
“You think you're going to just marry my sister? How did you find out she was even here?” Alex asked.
“One of our scouts stumbled upon Argo. We spoke with Alura and learned that Kara survived Krypton's destruction. I was not planning on continuing with the arrangement but my people have expectations of their King. I was only recently crowned. I know about what recently happened. Only so many do but if the people of Brenham find out that there are heroes protecting Earth-”
“They'll see Earth as a threat,” Kara said, “The offer of arrangement was to protect Krypton, I will honor it if you can protect Earth.”
“Kara, no, this is ridiculous. We don't need protecting from this Brenham,” Alex said and Kara turned around to face her.
“No, you don't mess with Brenham. They don't fear Nibiru but they're indebted to them so they won't dare attack them. They won't hesitate to attack Earth if they think we're a threat.”
“Well they didn't think we were a threat before.”
“You've barely managed to get off your own planet. Why would you be considered a threat?” the General questioned.
“Nibiru makes alliances with other planets to protect them,” Kara said, “They have been for nearly a century. Krypton was on Brenham's radar when I was a child partially because of my father. If you don't do what they want, you're enslaved or your planet's destroyed.”
“What like they're the Empire?” Alex scoffed.
“You thought I refused to watched Star Wars because of what happened to Alderaan but it was more than that. It was because of Brenham. I heard my parents whisper about them. I never heard them talk about Krypton exploding because we weren't taking care of our planet. But I heard them talk about Brenham. I heard the fear in my mother's voice, even in Non's. So when Nibiru sent an Earl of Rifar offering protection they did what they thought was right for Krypton. I was consulted of course and I agreed. And if you can protect Argo and Earth I will go with you.” Kara turned away from her sister towards Liam.
“No! Kara you aren't going with this-” Alex said turning her sister back towards her.
“Alex, this isn't up for discussion,” Kara said with such sharpness it caused Alex to step back as if she'd been slapped. Then her eyes narrowed.
“No, you're my sister. You don't just get to up an leave without there being a discussion. You don't get to just marry a guy- a stranger no matter how noble it is. If Brenham comes for us we can fight them, we will fight and we will win.”
“The probability of winning against the army of Brenham is .0001%,” Brainy said finally speaking up.
“We've beaten worse odds,” Alex said.
“I need you to go to Argo and speak to my mother. And after that I need you to keep an eye on Lex. Work with Kal, don't let him win. Help keep Earth safe.”
“No, Kara, no you aren't leaving.”
“Alex, I don't want to go but there was an agreement,” Kara stated taking her sisters hands, “You'll be okay. I'll come back and visit.” She hugged her sister and then stepped back despite Alex's attempts to keep ahold of her.
“Will you help protect Earth and Argo?” Kara asked.
“Yes,” he said offering his elbow to Kara. They walked out towards the balcony with Alex following them.
“Go to Argo, speak to my mother. She can tell you more,” Kara said, “Tell Eliza that I'm grateful for everything. Alex, I'll be back as soon as I can okay?”
“Please, don't go,” she said, “There's a chance that they won't even notice us.”
“With the others and Lex?” Kara asked. She hugged Alex one more time whispering a goodbye. She turned to Lena.
“What's going on?” she asked.
“I'm leaving, Alex will explain everything,” Kara said, “Goodbye Lena.” She didn't wait for a response as she flew towards the ship. There were still DEO agents guarding the area having roped it off.
“I really didn't want to take you from your home,” Liam said. Kara bit her lip and nodded trying to hold back threatening tears.
“This wasn't supposed to be my home anyway,” Kara said as they entered the ship.
“We'll be arriving on Argo in about twelve hours or so,” he said and Kara looked up at him, “Our unity ceremony will be held there. It is tradition and your mother would very much like to see you.”
“Then what we go to Nibiru and I'll be your queen?”
“You'll be the queen of Rifar and like me you'll sit on the council for our planet. And Earth will no longer be in danger of attack from Brenham.”
“Are you sure?”
“Should they attack Earth they would be attacking Nibiru which would cause them to break their oath of two millennia. Even they were not foolish enough to do that.”
“Why are they indebted to you? I never learned the details.”
“That is a story for another time,” Liam said, “Would you like some drinks once the ship has departed?” Kara nodded sitting across from her future husband slowly coming to the realization of what she had done as she watched out the window seeing everything she was leaving behind.