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Somewhere between the trip from Krypton to Earth, Clark’s shuttle had been damaged. More specifically, the part of the ship that held all the records his parents sent with him. There were thousands of audios that were destroyed or damaged, and everyday Clark wondered what was on them. The robots once said it was likely the records of their language, their culture, his parents. The Fortress had an ai of his father, but that too had fragmented information when it came to Krypton.
Clark wanted desperately to know about where he came from. Kara told him bits and pieces, but she was quick to grow angry over the fact Clark had to ask in the first place. When he first tried to speak Kryptonian to her, she had sputtered, got red in the face, and left in anger. It took weeks to coax her to teach him the correct pronunciation.
But now, suddenly there were two more Kryptonians on Earth. And friendly ones at that.
Wally West and Dick Grayson were humans; they were born on Earth. But they were a reincarnation of the gods Nightwing and Flamebird. They had to know everything about Krypton. Clark felt like he hit the jackpot.
If only he had the courage to talk to them about it. Lois called him a coward for the way he always found a way out of talking to them, but really, who could blame him? Kara had once spoken highly of the deity Flamebird, and the files on the Kryptonian gods were one of the least damaged. Nightwing and Flamebird were supposedly close in rank to Rao. He had never really believed in the gods, but now with proof, it made their myths all the more impactful.
He felt defeated as he got out of the elevator and headed to his and Lois’ apartment. She was going to be out of town for the next few days, and it wasn’t like Clark could call Bruce and talk about how his son was an ancient god. As far as Clark knew, he was the only one who really knew the truth. Dick and Wally had always been on the weirder side, and Bruce had voiced worries about it multiple times in the past, but this went past weird.
“Hey,”
Clark yelped and dropped his briefcase. Wally waved from his couch, and Dick poked his head out of the kitchen to smile at him. There was a sports game on the television and chips laid out on the coffee table.
“How did you...” Clark trailed off and then sighed. “Right, Bats. What are you two doing here?”
“Thought we could hang out.” Wally shrugged.
Dick walked out of the kitchen with a platter of meats, cheese, and fruits. “Plus, you’ve been avoiding talking about the Kryptonians in the room.”
The way he said it wasn’t scolding in the slightest, but for some reason, Clark felt like a boy getting told to not go out after dark again. He ducked his head and rubbed a hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just don’t know how to bring it up.”
“Yeah, we figured.” Wally said. He lifted his arm, and Dick snuggled up against him. “We don’t bite.”
“Unless we really feel like it.” Dick replied.
Clark ended up sat in the chair adjacent to the couch, watching as the Gotham’s hockey group went up against Central City’s. When a break started, Dick’s eyes shot from the tv to Clark. His gaze almost felt predatory, which is something Clark had always thought. He had always looked too old, even when he was nine.
“Spill.”
“I want to know what it was like.” Clark said before he could think twice.
Wally and Dick looked at each other for a moment before turning back to Clark.
“Well, we only had a few lives at Krypton.” Wally admitted and almost looked remorseful. “In the beginning, there was nothing. My...brother and I, we were in a cycle of creation and destruction.”
“Krypton was mostly a planet of scientists and warriors.” Dick continued, “Everyone was trained in battle. Kara is a prime example of their regimen for the young. She is very skilled.”
Clark had seen that many times. She could take him if she really wanted to; he knew. “But...What was it like?”
“It wasn’t perfect. In fact, the people there were often clouded in suspicion and greed.” Dick said, “But the culture outside of battle and brains was astounding. They had a variety of art and enjoyed cooking as well. There are many recipes I can teach you.”
That was something Clark hadn’t even dared to hope for. He wondered what his people ate.
“We can’t find some ingredients here, though.” Wally chimed in. “But we can try our best.”
“Oh, I miss the fruit.” Dick said, smiling. “Krypton had wonderful fruit you couldn’t find elsewhere. It came from the water; it had a different type of minerals in it.”
They spent the night discussing old tradition, art, holidays, and everything in between. By the time the moon rose in the sky, Clark had more knowledge of his home than he had ever dreamed of. When Dick and Wally left his apartment with a promise of doing this again sometime, Clark had to sit there and process all the information they had given him. Then, he pulled out his phone and dialed Kara’s number.
_-_
Kara was frequently angry. This was something she had struggled with since she entered her shuttle and watched her home planet be destroyed. Many things made her angry. Earth made her angry. The people made her angry. The food made her angry.
Clark made her angry.
But Clark was family. It wasn’t his fault that he got here before her, and it wasn’t his fault that he grew up with no real knowledge of Krypton. She really had no right to be angry with him. But every time he asked her about home, her home, she couldn’t help but be angry.
It wasn’t fair that she was truly the last Kryptonian. Clark knew nothing of their culture or their customs. He hadn’t even known the language properly. He wasn’t a soldier, not like she was. Not like Kryptonians were. A part of her resented Clark for not having that struggle, and she knew it was wrong of her. But he didn’t suffer like she did. Earth was his home, and it wasn’t hers.
Kara had never felt alone until she arrived on Earth. Sometimes she thought that she shouldn’t have been sent there in the first place. Why was she the only survivor? Why couldn’t it have been her mother or father, or even a different soldier. But it was her on Earth. It was her having to learn Earth customs, and their language. It wasn’t fair.
“Long night?” Clark asked as he floated up to her. Another thing she had to adapt to was the powers. It all came so easy to Clark, but he had grown up with them. He had learned how to open doors without crushing the handles when he was young, and she was still learning it.
“I guess,” She said. She didn’t like that Clark could find her anytime he pleased. Sometimes she left the planet to escape. She figured he would try to find her after she avoided his phone calls. “What’s up?”
“Do you remember the tale of Nightwing and Flamebird?” Clark asked.
Kara scoffed but otherwise tried to keep her temper. “Of course. Why?”
“I have some people I’d like you to meet.” Clark said.
She ended up following him into Bludhaven. She knew of the heroes here, Flamebird and Nightwing. A speedster and a human. She didn’t know why Clark wanted her to meet them. Clark floated into an apartment building through the widow, and Kara did so after a little hesitancy.
Inside were two young men. They weren’t alarmed at their entrance and simply greeted them. The dark-haired man was nose deep in a file, the table in front of him strewn about with papers and a coffee mug. The other one was watching a tv show on mute.
“Hello, Kara Zor-El.” The red-haired man said. It took her a second to realize he was speaking Kryptonian.
“What’s going on here.” She snapped, turning to Clark. Her vision tinted red. “You taught them the myth and now you taught them our language?”
Clark rose his hands in surrender. He looked nervous.
“Don’t be alarmed.” The black-haired man said, sounding perfectly calm. “Kal did not teach us what we hadn’t already known.”
His smile was kind, but there was something about his eyes, the way he held himself, that alarmed her. He was trained, and normally humans were somewhat capable, but not capable enough to make her sweat. She hadn’t heard him move from the table.
“I’m Dick Grayson.” He said, “But you know me as Nightwing.”
It took some time for her to be coaxed into sitting. The two explained their story, and when she didn’t believe them, started to tell her facts about Kryptonian history that Clark couldn’t have known.
It hit her like a brick. She wasn’t the last Kryptonian. These men in front of her were the first Kryptonians to ever exist.
She did the only thing she could think of: she fled.
_-_
“She has a lot to process,” Dick said, patting Clark’s arm sympathetically. “I would give her space.”
Clark ended up leaving dejectedly. Wally couldn’t blame Kara, not really. He understood the grief she would be feeling, and the guilt of surviving. Krypton’s destruction was a tragedy, and she was the only one who was present to remember it.
Wally and Dick had been on a different planet that cycle. Wally remembered when news of Krypton’s destruction reached them. Once you live long enough, you come to terms with the fact that everything has an end. Wally, especially, knew everything ended as it was once his duty to bathe everything in fire. But there had still been grief. That had been their true home.
“We should check with them soon.” Dick said, sliding up along Wally’s side. He ran his hand up his back and smiled sweetly. Wally held his hand and reveled in the warmth.
“I feel for Kara.” Wally admitted. He knew they both did.
Dick’s eyes softened. He ran his fingers along Wally’s cheek and gave him a soft kiss. Then, he took his hands and started to lead him to their room. Their bed was cool when they got under the covers. Dick ran his fingers up and down Wally’s arm, a soothing motion they have done for longer than Wally could remember.
There were a lot of things he didn’t remember. He didn’t remember a lot of their lives. Some of them were so peaceful they didn’t have a lingering impact. Some were too brutal for his mind to allow him to remember.
But Wally remembered.
Their first time being reincarnated had been a blessing, they had thought. Rao had blessed them to have another life together, one without duties and betrayal. They had found each other, and their memories had come rushing back. They fell hard and fast yet again, and before they knew it, Flamebird had fallen pregnant.
It was everything they wanted. A peaceful life and a family to call their own. They had aged, which was not something they had done in their original bodies. They had smile lines, their skin winkled, their bodies ached. They grew old. Then they were found, and Vohc had slaughtered them yet again. They were born again and realized that what they thought was a blessing was instead a curse.
That was the first and last time they had children.
“Dick,” Wally murmured. “Do you think we could...”
“No.” Dick replied. “Not again.”
Wally knew everything came to an end. But sometimes, Dick didn’t accept it.
_-_
It was a while before they agreed to join the Team again. Originally, they had not seen the point. Wally was recovering from his time within the speed force, and Dick refused to leave his side. The Team was rebuilding itself from all the lies and damage, but they were doing fine without them.
Batman and Superman tried to get them back once, and Aqualad tried several times. But Dick had stuck to his guns and refused to even think of it before Wally recovered. Now, they were on the emergency contact list. They did light patrols around Bludhaven, and sometimes they would part ways to assist their respective families, but that was the extent of their heroism.
Months after the incident, Dick and Wally were requested to assist with the new trainees. They were going as League representatives instead of Team members. Dick didn’t know if that was easier or not. He knew the original members harbored at least a little resentment towards them. Dick had lied to most of them and then abandoned them during the aftermath.
“When can we leave,” Dick asked, and no, he wasn’t whining.
Wally laughed at him, his face lighting up in the way that give Dick butterflies like this was their first life all over again. “When we are done.”
It was strange with so many of the original team being part of the Justice League now. That had always been the goal for all of them. Artemis hadn’t said much to them since they arrived almost an hour ago.
“Nightwing, Flamebird.” Conner said as he approached. Though he was part of the Outsiders, most of them still joined Team related training.
“Hello, Superboy.” Dick said smoothly.
“Cut the shit,” He replied blandly, “Who taught you to speak that language?”
Dick and Wally glanced at each other. “So, Kal taught you?”
Conner glared slightly. “Kara, actually.”
Figures. Clark’s pronunciation was awful before Kara came around. “I see.” Dick replied. “Well, this isn’t really the best place to discuss it.”
“You should come over.” Wally put an arm over Conner’s shoulders and whispered an address.
Conner left, if a bit reluctant, after one more suspicious look.
“I knew we shouldn’t have agreed to this,” Dick said.
“Big baby,” Wally replied, and left to go help Bart with a maneuver.
_-_
Conner showed up at Clark’s apartment at the time Wally told him. Clark looked surprised to see him but greeted him kindly regardless. They had come a long way, and Conner was grateful for it.
“Dick and Wally told me to come here.” Conner said after he could finally get a word in. Lois had offered him tea and snacks, and scolded Clark in between about not telling him Conner was coming over.
Clark made a face. Lois looked happy at that.
“So, you know?” Clark asked.
“No, I don’t know.” Conner scowled. “Why did you teach them Kryptonian?” When you didn’t teach me, was left unsaid. Conner knew better than to voice being upset about it, lest he strain their relationship yet again.
“I didn’t.” Clark said, surprised.
Conner knew Kara would never teach outsiders to speak it. If Clark hadn’t taught them, Conner was at a loss for who did. Before he could reply, Dick and Wally were let into the apartment by Lois. They gave her wine and a bag of her favorite snacks, to which Lois asked why they were buttering her up.
The explanation lasted for over an hour, with Lois interrupting every now and then asking questions and pout about not being able to write this down.
At the end of the explanation, Conner simply said, “Well, that explains why you two are so weird.”