291 Different Ideals #291
Kara couldn't help but wince, unable to do anything as she watched Grayson go off on her cousin without even giving him a chance to speak or defend himself.
She knew Kal needed to hear some of what Grayson said and understood why the latter was frustrated, as her cousin tended to act careless quite often, and it would always cause problems. Unlike Kal and Coner, Kara was not that naive to believe she could solve every problem in the world without shedding blood.
The Kyrptonian blonde took to Batman and Wonder Woman's teachings and guidance more than Superman's, but even she wouldn't go as far as to arrange for someone's death as Grayson did to Lord.
If she were in Grayson's shoes, Kara would have snapped Lord's neck and lived with the consequences as she couldn't even comprehend the concept of sharing the burden with others, especially regular humans.
Her late parents and teachers always taught her that doing the right thing was not supposed to be easy and that she should always be ready to suffer the consequences of her deeds, good and well-intentioned as they might be.
She couldn't help but think that Grayson was taking the easy way out. It felt like he was trying to avoid responsibility and accountability for Lord's death instead of standing by his deed and suffering the consequences.
"Fuck you! I don't have to sit here and take shit from you, I just saved your life and this fucking city," Grayson said after an intense slew of obscenities and insults he directed at the man of steel.
"You know what? The next time you show up here again and start tearing shit up, I'll just fucking kill you," Grayson said through gritted teeth, absolutely livid. "Clearly, That's how you wanted this to end..." He angrily added, giving the man of steel a dirty look.
Superman seemed ready to keep arguing, but Kara quickly cut him off. "I think that's enough arguing for one day. It's been a long day, and we all need some time to cool off before we say any more things we don't mean," She said, putting a hand over her cousin's shoulder as she gave Grayson a meaningful look.
"She's right. The ordeal is over, and we can all live another day to reflect on our actions. For now, that's all that matters," Wonder Woma said as she moved to stand between Grayson and Superman.
"It's better for everyone that we go on our separate ways now until we meet again," She concluded as she grabbed Superman by the arm and flew away towards Metropolis, Leaving Kara and Grayson alone.
"For all it's worth... I agree that Lord had to die..." Kara softly said, to which Grayson remained silent as he sensed a 'but' coming, and sure enough. "But he didn't have to die like that..." She added, shaking her head.
"Just because there's an easy way out doesn't mean you'll always have to take it..." Kara concluded, causing Grayson's expression to sink instantly at her words.
"An easy way out? Is this really what you think that was?" Grayson asked, taking a deep breath to himself, only to let it out as a bitter chuckle. "I'm really sorry you think that," He added, clearly disappointed as he shook his head.
"I need to go," He concluded and teleported away without giving Kara a chance to reply.
...
Gray's hideout
"The fucking easy way out, she says..." I muttered, heavily sighing as I plopped into my couch in a bad mood. "What the fuck is that even supposed to mean...?" I remarked with a scoff.
I didn't regret what I did, and I never will. Having Deborah kill Lord was the most optimal solution to the problem without playing into his hands and giving him what he wanted.
It might be the easy way out, but that's not why I did it. There was no way I'd compromise everything I'd been working so hard to build since I got to this world by ruining my reputation merely to pat myself on the shoulder and say I did it right.
I couldn't let Wonder Woman kill him either, as that would cause turmoil in the superhero community and, by extension, chaos for everyone, which wasn't ideal for my plans.
Say what you will about superheroes, but each one was like a wall holding back a dozen villains who'd gladly burn down the entire world only to get a kick out of it.
They were necessary to maintain stability, and I couldn't risk having them fall out of public favor, not before I had a suitable replacement, at the very least.
More than anything, I had time, but I could never have enough. I could accomplish anything with enough time, but only if I could focus on my work and plans without dealing with every villain myself.
I did what was right, and I'll never regret it, but unlike Wonder Woman, I would never let anyone give me shit about it. Maybe I was acting immaturely and throwing a tantrum, but I'd still do it again if I had the chance.
Maybe I went too far by telling Superman I'd kill him if he started tearing down my city again, but I don't regret that statement either. Gotham was already a mess without a super-powerful Kryptonian rampaging all over it.
I was willing to give him a free pass as everyone could make mistakes, but there will be no seconds. I had no intention of pulling back my punches should something like that ever happen again.
As for Kara, I could only say her words cut deep. I definitely didn't expect or want her to back me up against her cousin, but telling me I took the easy way out like I'm some fucking coward was too much.
'At least she had the tact to wait until we were alone...' I mused but didn't get to overthink it as my phone started ringing, cutting my chain of thoughts.
I frowned as I checked the caller's ID and realized it was Kara before throwing away the phone.
I didn't know if we'd be able to recover and salvage our relationship, if you can even call it that, after everything that's happened. But I knew I was too pissed off to have a rational conversation.
"Interesting. Is this what humans commonly call sadness, or is it possibly heartbreak?" Brother-Eye's robotic voice filled the area, causing me to bang the back of my head against the couch in annoyance.
"Great... that's all I need..." I muttered, getting the urge to fly into space the destroy the satellite hosting the damned thing.
...
Metropolis
Inside Kara's apartment
Kara couldn't help but sigh, rubbing her forehead and putting away her phone as the call went unanswered. She raised her head, forcing a smile as Wonder Woman sat beside her, setting two cups of hot cocoa on the table.
"I... what should I do, Diana? What should I have done...?" Kara asked as she turned to Wonder Woman. "Was I in the wrong? I don't even know what to think right now..." She bitterly added.
"It is never wrong to speak your mind, dear child..." Wonder Woman said, putting her arm around Kara's shoulder and drawing her closer. "You can do nothing now but give it some time for you and him to think," She calmly added.
"I don't know the finer details of your relationship, but there is truth in the young man's words," Wonder Woman said with a sigh. "He is not like us, which isn't necessarily bad as long as we don't expect him to follow the same principles we do," She continued.
"Clearly, you don't see eye to eye with some on some matters considering your ideals," Wonder Woman said, her tone comforting and soothing to Kara's ears. "If you two are to salvage your relationship, then one of you must compromise," She continued.
"Either you agree to accept his way of doing things, or he changes it for you. Otherwise, it's best to break it off early for both of your sakes," She added, sighing as she noticed Kara's confused expression.
"Whatever you decide and no matter what happens... I know you'll make the right choice if you follow your heart," Wonder Woman added, fondly smiling as she caressed Kara's hair. "And I know that I'll be just proud of you as I've always been," She continued, kissing the Kryptonian on her head as a mother would kiss her daughter.
"It's been a long day. Get some sleep. It won't be too late to keep thinking about it tomorrow," Wonder Woman said as she let go of Kara and stood up. "Like you, today's events have given me a lot to think about..." She added as she headed for the exit.
