Chapter 65 - Interlude 2

So... Turns out I couldn't write for a few days, then had a complete blank for both of my FF, I did manage to write a few pages for my original story and get started on another Naruto FF I've in my head, but, for the life of me I couldn't think of how to write the chapters for Supergirl or Will.

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Finally, I managed to get my thoughts in order and start on this chapter yesterday, but I've barely touched the next chapter for Will, I'm really sorry about that.

Still, this chapter is finished and, for those who read Will, I believe the next one for that will be coming in short order.

I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

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Koriand'r caught the apparatus of conveyance 25 meters into the air, allowing herself to be driven back so as to not halt its momentum immediately and cause harm to the occupants. Inside, a family of five gaped at her, the parents bent over their seats desperately holding on to their three children in the back.

With a reassuring smile, she lowered the vehicle to the ground and turned to glare at the culprits, her eyes shining green with righteous fury.

"Hnnnhh... Son, nice punch," the young woman said in a mocking voice, wiping some blood from the corner of her mouth as she tried to get up.

She was blonde, wearing a white vestment and fingerless, leather black gloves. At her side, a similarly dressed man was smirking in amusement, a sibling, Koriand'r guessed from their resemblance.

Superboy had punched the woman after she threw the transport, making sure to send her bouncing away from any other civilian that could be taken as hostage, but she must have been far more resilient than he first estimated.

Superboy growled, rushing her and delivering a much stronger punch while she was still out of balance. "Lady, I'm not your son!"

Koriand'r approved, the other Titans would have likely hesitated to attack a downed female, but a fracas with lives at stake was no place for chivalry or uncertainty. 

She loved them for it, but their insistence on the 'being nice' could be inconvenient.

The villainess caught his blow with one hand, the impact sending a shockwave through the street that broke several windows, then she grabbed his fist and pulled him closer, attempting to headbutt his nose. "And I'm no la… uff!"

Before the headbutt could connect, Superboy delivered a devastating knee to the pit of her stomach, sending her body tumbling down the street. Seeing his sister actually losing, the young male finally acted, shouting and rushing at Superboy.

Pointing her hand, Koriand'r hit him with a starbolt, the power greatly curtailed for she did not know if he shared his sister's enhancements. He stumbled, but recovered almost instantaneously and turned towards her.

Superboy used the brief distraction to switch targets, kicking the man's legs from under him and grabbing the back of his head, smashing his face into the asphalt as hard as he could.

"Why you little!" the young villain screamed, his nose barely bleeding despite the strength of the blow. Muscles flexing, he started to push back against Superboy.

"Yeah! Now we're having some fun!" The woman screamed, leaping in the air from more than a block away and telegraphing a powerful stomp towards the heroes.

Eyes shining green, the Tamaranean princess concentrated the power of her starbolts into a single hand and flew up, disorienting the villainess with a blow to the chin, then grabbing her leg and flinging her to the side towards the water.

 "Tuppence!" the man screamed, managing to push Superboy off his back and delivering a powerful right hook to the hero.

Superboy blocked the strike with his forearm, having to take a step back from the effort, then he dodged a second punch, using one hand to guide the offending limb to the side and retaliating with a blow to the liver. 

Seeing that Superboy had control of the fight, she flew towards Tuppence, reaching the woman as she was about to surface and pushing her back down into the water.

Regardless of the short confrontation, it was clear to Koriand'r that the siblings were faintly stronger and distinctively more resilient than she was; however, they lacked both skill and experience.

She could defeat them in a prolonged engagement, but it would be dangerous to civilians and cause too much collateral damage. Unnecessary when there was a better alternative.

Separating under the murky waters, Koriand'r simply stared at the villainess, knowing that the advantage of time was with her. For a moment, they did the staredown, then Tuppence correctly decided to disengage, swimming up and away in desperation.

Using her flight, Koriand'r moved through the water, grasping the woman's ankle and pulling down, preventing her escape. 

Five minutes later, the Tamaranean princess dropped Tuppence's shaking body down on the beach, the villainess coughing and throwing up water as she tried to recover her fading strength.

To the side, Superboy too had subdued his enemy, putting the man in a joint lock that he could not escape without breaking his own limbs.

"Tuppence!" The boy shouted with relief at seeing his sister was safe.

"Shit… Tommy… coff," Tuppence managed to say amongst her coughing. "Was hoping… you weren't caught."

Seeing the interaction between the siblings, the manner in which they cared and worried about each other despite possessing such malignant personalities… Koriand'r could not help being reminded of her sister. 

She missed Komand'r, she also wondered if her sister was safe and dearly wished their own relationship was nearly as good.

Twisting Tuppence's arms, Kori used one of Kara's reinforced hands of cuffing to lock them together, a massive metal cylinder that enveloped both hands and went up her elbows. 

"Hey, great job!" The Flash said as he appeared by Superboy's side. "I thought you guys may need some help but it seems I wasn't needed! Want me to finish this up?"

"Who… huff… are they?" Superboy asked, dragging the man to his feet while keeping him subdued.

"Tuppence and Tommy Terror," the Flash answered. "I know, a little gauche, but they've been on a rampage through two states, committing about a dozen crimes every time they show up and disappearing before one of the League can catch them. This is an escalation though."

"Greetings, friend Flash!" Koriand'r waved at him with a smile. "Will it not cause you trouble? To escape for so long they must be quite cunning, yes?"

"Naa," the Flash shook his head, with an amused smile. "Now that they're caught, the siblings are not nearly fast enough to get one over me, or run away for that matter."

"Thanks," Superboy said, stepping away from Tommy after locking the man's arms. "We have a weekly meeting with the Titans."

"No problem, I'll just bring them into one of the League's cells until we have their restraining collars calibrated," the Flash said, putting an arm around Tommy's left shoulder, then changing sides in the blink of an eye when the boy tried to headbutt him. "Hey, if I'm late, good luck with your presentation."

Putting each villain over one shoulder, the Flash gave them a small salute and disappeared in red blur, moving much faster than Koriand'r could follow even with his burdens.

Floating up, she offered Superboy a hand and was mildly surprised when he took it, he had always refused such assistance before. As she pulled him up, the Tamaranean felt his body becoming weightless, then he started following her on his own but never releasing her hand.

"Joy! Friend Superboy, you are becoming much better at flight!"

 "Still can't really pick up speed," Superboy said, massaging the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Not with so many buildings around, too much risk I'd destroy them, but I can move freely now."

"Congratulations!" Koriand'r said, glomping the boy with her most heartfelt hug. "Are the lessons with The Superman helping?"

"Ah… right, the lessons…" Superboy turned away from her, stepping on the edge of the building and looking through the city. "I had to reschedule it."

"Again? Is… everything alright?"

Superboy released a long breath, eyes losing focus as he stared at the elevated panorama of the city for nearly a minute. Staying by his side, Koriand'r did not interrupt, letting him gather his thoughts and only offering her support. 

Finally, with a tired voice, he spoke again. "I'm… not really comfortable being alone with him yet," turning towards her with a confused look, he continued. "I thought it was what I wanted but…" 

"May I inquire why?"

"Cadmus," he growled, hands closing into fists. "They created me to take his place if something happened and, as part of my training, there were telepathic scenarios I had to face, memories and challenges meant to make me a weapon… a lot of them had him going bad."

Superboy seemed lost, his eyes distant as he remembered the implanted memories so Koriand'r held his face on both hands and kissed his forehead, snapping him out of it. "Friend Connor, I hope you do not think of yourself as a weapon, you never were regardless of what they wanted."

"I know, I… It's just, sometimes that's difficult to remember, even if Dubbilex wiped all the mental triggers they put on me, the memories are still there. When I'm alone with him, they keep repeating in my mind, it's almost all I can think about."

"Then we will remind you," Koriand'r said, releasing him and stepping back. "As many times as it is needed, we will remind you, that is what friends are for."

"Thanks."

"Please, would you mind some company on your next training session? I know Kara loved the first one and, assuredly, it is a good reason to pull her away from the house for relaxation. Left alone, she would just keep on working, yes?"

Connor seemed to think about it, but eventually he smiled and nodded. "I-I guess I can live with that."

Touching the control device on her wrist, Koriand'r summoned a teleportation platform, one constructed specifically for the Titans' use, then they stepped on top of it and disappeared from the city, going back to the mountain.

They were almost at the mission room for the Titan's meeting when a yellow blur came running out of it, moving faster than a speeding car. Snapping his hand down, Connor caught the creature, lifting it into the air with a frown.

"Alright, who forgot to drain the reserves on one of the rabbits again?" He asked as he walked inside, carrying the creature by the base of its ears. "Also, why's it wearing a costume?"

Inside, the Titans were already waiting for them, as well as Red Tornado, Giovanni Zatara and a young girl.

"Don't hold him like that!" M'gann protested.

"Why?" Connor asked as he handed the habit to Kori. "It's a super rabbit, it's not gonna get hurt."

"I'm afraid you're only half correct," said The Zatara as he greeted them. "You see, Kid Flash was very skeptical of my credentials so I decided a practical demonstration was best to correct it."

Extending the costume wearing rabbit in front of her with both hands, Koriand'r could actually see the resemblance on the creature, and its diminutive costume fit perfectly in the little furry body. "Awwww, you look so cute!"

Looking at the young girl wearing a magician costume, Connor turned to Robin and lifted an eyebrow. "He hit on her?"

"He hit on her," Robin nodded with a smirk.

"In his defense," the young girl said with a smile. "It was only a compliment, a very respectful one, Daddy is just overprotective."

Robin's smirk disappeared, briefly turning into a worried look before he caught himself. 

"Now that you're all here, I suppose we should get started," Zatara said, waving a hand towards Rabbit Flash. "Lepsid."

With a puff of white smoke, Kid Flash appeared between her hands, his face red with embarrassment, he turned towards Zatara and lifted a finger.

"This doesn't pro…" Pausing, he saw the girl's smile turning into a frown and thought better of it. "Alright, maybe it was magic, but I'm not totally convinced."

"Friend Kid Flash, if it is any consolation, Kara says magic is merely an exotic power source," Koriand'r said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It has yet to be fully understood, but she already has several devices that can harness it."

"I'd very much like to see them," Zatara said with a worried face. "Magic can be extremely dangerous when abused."

"... It was a consolation," Kid Flash said, then shuddered. "But now I'm just worried again."

"Anyway," Zatara said. "Zatanna, this is the entire team. Titans, this is Zatanna, my daughter."

"So, she's hoping to join the team?" Kaldur'ahm asked, looking at Red Tornado and Zatara.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Zatara said. "Although Captain Marvel has convinced me Zatanna could benefit from training with the Titans, I'm not certain this should be more than a temporary arrangement."

"The Titans have made very clear their desire to make their own decisions," Red Tornado said. "But the League is offering them guidance and training, I don't see a problem if she joins those lessons." 

"Honestly, I thought we were gonna have Speedy join first," Kid Flash said through their mental link.

"Speedy has a guaranteed place on the team," Kaldur'ahm said. "But I'm not sure how soon he'll be ready for that, the fact that we didn't realize he was captured must still hurt. It may be best if we consider new members without waiting for him."

"I don't know," Kid Flash said. "Wouldn't it hurt more if it seems like we're moving on?"

"I talked with him," Robin said. "He's not… okay, but he wouldn't hold it against us. I vote yes."

Frowning, Connor spoke. "Does she ever want to join? Zatara doesn't seem like he's very happy about it." 

"Oh, she wants to join," M'gann said. "I didn't mean to peek, but she's really loud about that."

"Are you guys having a psychic conversation?" Zatanna asked. "Cuz I can't decide if that's cool or really rude."

"Apologies, it was simply a newfound proclivity, we did not intend to exclude you," Koriand'r said, focusing entirely on Zatanna and deferring more serious thoughts for later, there was something more important to do. "Teeming fascination! Please, do you share your father's powers? How experienced are you? Do you enjoy mustard? Do you wish to be my friend?"

"...Is she always like this?" Zatanna asked, overwhelmed by the barrage of questions.

"More or less," Robin shrugged, stepping closer and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, let's go to the lounge, no sense in just standing here."

"Dude, not cool, I saw her first!" Kid Flash said through their mental connection. "She even liked the compliment!"

"I'm just being friendly while you're being rude again, say it out loud," Robin answered with a smirk.

"Alright, you can cut them off Megan," Kaldur'ahm said, but he had a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Already did," M'gann confessed, floating closer and accompanying everyone out of the room.

Zatanna lifted an eyebrow, but didn't comment on the secret conversation. "Do you guys have anything to eat here?"

"I believe there's some pizza in the fridge," Kaldur'ahm offered.

"Nope," Robin shook his head. "Kid Flash ate that earlier."

They reached the lounge and M'gann quickly flew into the kitchen. "I could whip something up! But what?" She eagerly suggested, trying to think of a dish. Then she turned towards the Tamaranean. "Hello Megan! We were just talking about it yesterday! That didn't sound too complicated to make and you said both you and Kara loved it."

Koriand'r turned to the Martian in surprise. "Friend M'gann, I admire your boldness but, I do not think Kara would approve without being present. Furthermore, the experience was very messy."

"What?" M'gann asked with brief confusion, then her face went completely red. "No! I didn't… I mean the food! The food, not how you…" 

"Well, now I'm curious," Zatanna said with an amused voice.

"Can we please drop this conversation?" Connor begged. "I don't want to picture whatever you did with my cousin."

Wisely, the rest of the boys choose to remain quiet.

"Oh, in that case, I do believe we have enough here," Koriand'r nodded. "Want me to show you?"

"Don't!" Connor stopped them again. "Whatever it was, I don't wanna know. I like eating, don't ruin it for me."

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna like it here," Zatanna commented with amusement.

.

—--

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Several hours hence, Koriand'r stood in front of the Justice League, her back straight as she gave them an explanation.

"Unfortunately not, the Citadelians are not merely sentient but sapient clones, however they are genetically defective, their intelligence, imagination and empathy are culled to an alarming degree." 

"Would it be possible to fix them?" The Batman asked. "Could your people reach a peace agreement if we did so?"

"On Tamaran, we did not have the technology to do so," Koriand'r confessed. "Some of the records Kara procured from the Psion ship also indicate there was a failed attempt, fixing it would require an intact sample and that has been lost millennia ago."

"And the other races under Citadel rule?" Wonder Woman asked.

"The Branx and the Gordonians are savage, violence is an essential part of their society and, in the instance of the Gordonians, so is bondage," Koriand'r explained. "Notwithstanding, unlike the Citadelians, they are not entirely incapable of kindness or love.

"The Psions are much worse, they are inherently amoral, their race has no values beside scientific discovery and are, without exception, sadistic, sparing no efforts to make their experiments as agonizing as possible."

"Thank you for answering our questions," the Aquaman said after she was done. 

"I hope you understand our hesitation," the Superman said with an understanding voice. "The war on the Vega system could result in the genocide of several races, we simply wish to explore every possible avenue."

20 of the 21 planets on the Vega system were under Citadel control, several races being either allied or subjugated under their thumb. Defeating the citadel's forces could mean the end of several of them.

"I do not request that you take on this obligation," Kori nodded. "Defeating the Citadel should not be your responsibility, I only ask for assistance with freeing my people." 

"I'm sorry, despite my wishes, I can't take part in this," the Captain Atom said. "Although I'm retired, my presence would still connect the US military to a foreign war, I can't do that."

The Aquaman too shook his head. "Although it's my right, I won't commit my people to a war they don't agree with. Atlantis has voted against taking action."

Koriand'r felt as if something struck the pit of her stomach, her prowess visibly draining as her hair lost color and the light of her eyes diminished. As a Princess, she understood the necessities of making hard decisions, but she still hoped…

"Thanagar is, tentatively, interested in an alliance," The Hawkman said. "We desire to reestablish lost connections on the Vega system, but our government can't accept Citadel rule. A new, independent political power would be appreciated. However, we need more information before fully committing."

For a moment, the rest of the League traded glances, then they each gave a small nod.

"Princess Koriand'r of House Tykayl," Batman said, acting as the current leader of the Justice League. "The Justice League is not a universal force, it was formed to protect Earth and we simply can't extend that protection to every planet in our sector, much less the galaxy, but we also can't close our eyes to something like this.

"Unfortunately, the League can't move with such little information on the current state of your homeworld. Wonder Woman has agreed to act as our scout and, if necessary, ambassador to the Vega system. Once she's back in a month, the League will move."

For once in her lifetime, Koriand'r did not know what to say, merely standing still as the emotions hit her with full force, her hair nearly bursting into flame as hope was rekindled.

When she managed to gather herself, most of the Justice League had already left the meeting chamber, having let her gather her thoughts uninterrupted. Her feelings were overflowing, to the degree that it was difficult to control her own powers.

"Princess Koriand'r, a moment if you please," The Aquaman asked from outside the room.

The man still had a hook in place of his hand, his hair had grown long and he had a blonde beard that was starting to gain mass, making him appear older than when they first met. Floating closer, she could not contain her smile. "Yes?"

"Princess, when you first arrived, I didn't give you due respect, I thought you were foolish and ignorant. I'm afraid I have to apologize."

"I am ignorant," Koriand'r nodded. "Albeit, as a princess, I am as well educated as anyone here, even now there are several Earth's customs that I can never fathom."

"But it doesn't excuse me. I should never have treated you the way I did when we first met. Thankfully, my wife was able to correct me as soon as she learned about it. I apologize."

"I accept your apology," Koriand'r nodded. "I also understand your position and do not blame you for it. Rare is the king that respects his subjects to such an extent."

"Thank you, I wish you good luck in your battles."

With her heart feeling lighter than it had been since arriving on this planet, Koriand'r returned home, seeing Kara half asleep on the sofa, Dexter using her chest as a pillow.

The feline lifted his head, giving her a soft call before jumping off Kara's chest, fully waking her lover in order to weave between her legs.

"Hey, how did it go? Do I need to corre… uff!"

Koriand'r smashed into Kara, turning the sofa over as they fell to the ground with a giggle, mouths locking together into a deep kiss that lasted for a lifetime, both hands caressing her entire body.

Then Koriand'r found the emergency control under her lover's shirt and pressed it, making Kara's clothes explode into a cloud of nanomachines to leave her completely naked. Kryptonian technology was truly wonderful!