Who: Clark and Karli Where: Earth-96, Metropolis When: February 22, 2019 to March 12, 2020 What: Red Portal Adventures (Part 1) Rating/Warnings: Canon Typical Violence Status: Complete
The air screamed past her ears, ripping at the exposed bits of her skin. What little she could draw in with shallow, panicked gasps were little daggers of ice pricking her lungs. When she could pry her eyes open in the barest squint, all she could make out was snatches of light and dark blue and the occasional snatch of green.
She was falling. Hurtling to the ground after feeling the hard pinch of instantaneous travel.
Karli remembered, then: walking from the bodega at the corner near the Consulate, a shopping bag held loosely in her hand, smiling when she saw a familiar face coming from the opposite direction—and then red.
A portal.
One of those damned red portals.
Karli tried to scream, for all the good it would do while she was falling end over end, but the wind whipped the sound right out of her mouth. Oh, god, she was about to die, and all she could do focus on the profound sense of loss pounding in her gut. She'd never see Rogue, never help Sam or Bucky, never tell—
Tears were plucked right out of her eyes and froze to her cheeks. She couldn't make a sound that carried, but it didn't keep her from whispering a regretful, "Clark…"
Sharp hearing picked up the whisper, despite the rush of wind against them. He'd seen Karli on the street near their building, lifted a hand to wave and then the portal had appeared between them. The red light was closer to Karli than himself and its pull hadn't been focused in his direction, but he decided in that split second that he couldn't let his young friend face another new world alone. So he'd flown straight into the vortex, a hand thrown in front of his eyes to shield them from the strobe effects of the light inside the interdimensional tunnel.
It took a brief moment to adjust once he was through to the other side, but instinctively he recognised the resonance of the place. Impossibly, he was home. On his own Earth. Below he could see the shoreline of Metropolis and easily picked out Richard's plane bobbing against its jetty. Then beside the water; their home, toward which Karli plummeted rapidly.
A burst of speed had him diving after and easily catching her, a reassuring smile on his face as he gently floated them both down into the yard. "I've got you."
As soon as Clark's arms were around her after matching her speed, Karli still didn't try to open her eyes until she felt the pull of gravity and the whipping wind ease around her. Even then, they rolled blearily, couldn't focus on much other than the fuzzy shape of Clark's face and the sky, the tops of trees. Relief meant she could let go, so she did with a whispered, "Dad."
From the kitchen, Richard had heard the tell-tale sonic boom that had him rushing from the house and out onto the porch. The last thing he expected was to hear what the young woman said, but his concern won out over his stab of curiosity when she very clearly passed out, going limp in Clark's arms. He approached slowly, cautiously, Clark's name in his mouth before he course corrected at the last moment. "Kal-El?"
A soft smile came to Clark’s face at the name she’d called him, and though her faint was a concern, a swift unobtrusive check of her vitals assured him she was okay. Cradling her closer, he turned toward the house, hearing Richard’s approach before the man appeared. He’d recognise his heartbeat and light footfalls anywhere. But the sight of those blue eyes almost floored him. It had been so long, and he’d missed his family so much, despite trying his hardest to carry on as normally as he could.
"Richard," Clark’s smile brightened, and it was obvious by the way he stepped forward that he would have hugged him had his hands been free. "It’s fine, you can call me Clark around Karli. Would it be okay for her to stay with us a while? I have so much to tell you." His eyes shifted to the house, picking out Jason’s window. "All of you."
Richard's gaze went from the girl—Karli—to Clark and ended with a wry expression settling on his face. "Clearly. Been a busy day, huh? And yeah, of course, she can stay if you trust her."
After he'd led the way back in, he registered the state with which he'd rushed from the house: dish towel over his shoulder, flour on his cheeks and probably in his hair, too, bare feet only just now registering the cold of the ground outside, old sweatpants and a college shirt worn soft with age. He danced in place a little to get some warmth back into his feet before gesturing toward the living room. A longer look at the girl revealed what looked like low grade burns over her face and across her hands. Richard frowned, concerned. "Should I grab the First Aid kit?"
"More like a busy year," Clark mumbled as he followed Richard into their home. "Thank you, I do trust her, she’s very special." He was glad Richard was taking this all in his stride, but hadn’t really expected anything else.
Leaving his shoes at the door as he stepped over the threshold, Clark laid Karli gently on the sofa in the living room. "She’ll heal soon… she uh— has certain abilities of her own." Clark’s gaze swept over Richard’s form, taking in everything from the comfortable clothes to the bare feet, and he couldn’t keep from pulling the slighter man into a swift embrace. "I have missed you."
"Woah, hey!" The exclamation came on the back of a surprised gasp, but Richard didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around Clark's broad back almost as tightly. He was frankly baffled by the whole thing, but this wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last. Such was life living with (and loving) the Man of Steel, his wife, and their son. "You didn't give me time to miss you, since I just saw you this morning, but I think I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless. Jason took Lois to Taipei for a few ingredients for Sunday night dinner, but they should be home any minute now."
"This morning," Clark repeated, his mind turning over the conundrum of parallel universes and time differences between them. It really did appear that life here had carried on as usual in his absence, that he was in fact existing in two places at once, and he'd just replace himself when he returned. Releasing his hold on Richard, he stepped back, touching a streak of flour which had run its way through his love's hair. "You've made dumplings?" Clark didn't really need to ask, the other man was an excellent cook, far surpassing his own competency level.
"Clark?" "Pa!" Two of the voices he'd missed the most had him turning on the spot and smiling in greeting as Jason and Lois appeared from the hall.
"Lois." She was treated to the same tight hug as Richard had been and Clark closed his eyes as he held her, listening to the beat of her heart, feeling it against his own chest. "I missed you too."
Jason looked between his parents and cocked his head, confused. "Why's Pa acting weird?" He addressed his Dad, turning wide blue eyes on Richard. "And who's that girl on the sofa?"
Before Richard could admit he was making xiao long bao and scallion pancakes, the other two-thirds of their family arrived and the subject was lost for now. He stood back while they reunited, and shared a slightly baffled look with Lois that was clearly picked up by their son. "I was hoping your Pa was about to be forthcoming with a few answers." His lips quirked up, along with a single brow. "She called him 'dad'."
At that moment, the very sofa girl in question jolted awake, eyes flying open before she sat upright and skittered to the edge of the couch. Karli was in a weird house, where she only knew one person. Her skin was tingling a little, itching in places, and she only had to glance down to see the pink patches fading quickly to their normal tone. Right. She'd been falling. Clark had caught her. She looked up again, warily and then curiously, because the younger bloke looked like… "I'm Karli. Are you Jason?"
"Dad?" If anything, Jason was even more bewildered after the little tidbit of information, but he could wait for an explanation. Or if not, his x-ray vision would tell him if she was human or half-Kryptonian like himself. Her sudden return to consciousness cut short his wait, and he looked at her with as much curiosity as she was showing him. "Hi, Karli." He smiled, the expression made him look exactly like a younger version of Clark. "I'm Jason, yes. I guess Pa has been telling you all about me?"
"I might have mentioned you a few times." Clark admitted, looking a little bashful as he stepped out of Lois' arms. He couldn't help but be proud of their son, it was only natural. Looking at each member of his family in turn, his gaze settled on Karli and a twist of anxiety curled in his chest. "Karli, this is my home and this is my family. Lois, Richard, and you've already said hello to Jason."
Her attention flicked between Clark and each member of his family, and a tight ball set up residence in her chest. There was an ease to Clark now that she only noticed because she'd never seen it before. He was home. And she wasn't. Karli nodded slowly in greeting and then released the vice grip she'd had on the back of the couch so she could stand. Lois, she noted, was smiling at her with a bemused expression, like this was something Clark did on the regular, bringing adopted young women home with him. After all, what other explanation was there for her dazedly letting the D-word slip?
"This sounds like a long story, Smallville." Lois went up on tip-toe to kiss Clark's cheek and then touched the back of Richard's hand. The gestures were small, but spoke volumes. Karli was struck all over again with just how much of an outsider she was. Again. "Why don't we get some tea going for our guest, and you can tell us all about it. Jason, do you want to stay out here or help?"
"A really long story," Jason agreed, handing his Pa the bag of ingredients he’d brought back from Taipei. "I’ll keep Karli company," Here he smiled at the young woman in question, "You can tell me your version."
Clark took hold of the bag, watching as Richard headed back into the kitchen with Lois. "I’ll be right with you." He called after them, lingering for a moment to make sure Karli was okay with Jason’s proposition. "I’m just out there if you need me, I’ll try and fill Lo and Richard in as best I can without confusing them even more. If Jase asks too many questions, tell him so."
"I won’t! I promise." Jason interjected, nudging his father toward the kitchen, "Go on, before Mom tries to help Dad cook." Clark shook his head with a laugh, but disappeared into the kitchen without further prompting.
For just a second, Karli considered asking Clark not to go. But that was patently absurd. He'd just be in the next room. With is family. (Where he belonged.) And if he could hear her from thousands of kilometers away, she had no doubt he'd be keeping an ear on their conversation from the kitchen. Her gaze went from his retreating form to that of his son's, and she let her mouth quirk a little. "You aimin' to be a reporter like your Da? Seems like you might be chomping at the bit to ask me things."
"Da… I like that." Jason smiled, gesturing for Karli to take a seat again if she wanted, before plopping down on the floor with his back to the sofa and stretching his legs out in front of him. "Pa sounds a little too country, considering I grew up in Metropolis, not Smallville. But in answer to your question, I think three reporters in one family is quite enough. I wouldn't mind writing for the sports column maybe."
He shrugged, looking over at her, "Speaking of family… you don't seem all that bothered my parents are a polycule, which is fab. I could tell Da was really nervous about it. You two must be close if he's that bothered by your opinion.
"Which leads to my chomping at the bit question; are you part Kryptonian like me?" Probably a roundabout way to ask if she was his sister, but he didn't want to be too blunt and come off as rude.
Try as hard as she might, Karli couldn't make herself look at all casual as she perched on the edge of the couch. Nor could she really relax. Her limbs felt like they were on a hairpin trigger. She took in a slow breath, something, anything to ease the pounding in her ears. On the other side of it, she managed a smile that was a little deeper than a smirk, but still not all that easy. "Pa, Da, 's all the same, so long as you know it in your heart. Or whatever." This level of sentimentality wasn't her forte. "What would you do, then?"
She scooted down until she sat on the floor with Jason, still keeping no small amount of distance between them. Truth was, she hadn't know about Richard, or at least not his part in their little fam, but she wasn't fazed in the slightest about it. Karli shook her head and pulled her knees up to hug her legs. "We don't talk much about where we're from—for him, probably because it hurts too much. For me, it's just because there ain't much good to tell. But your Da has a big heart. It's not so strange that he's share it with more than just you and your Mum."
No need to beat about the bush then. She admired him for that, appreciated the forthrightness. "Nah, I'm human enough. Earth-born, at least, but not a normal human. If you're a bit like your Da, you probably already gathered that much."
Jason cast a glance in the direction of the kitchen where he could hear the adults talking, despite their lowered voices. "I do know. They’re both Dad to me. Da wasn’t around for the first five years of my life. He’d gone to try and find any other survivors from Krypton. But Dad was here with Mom, coping with my weird health issues." He waved a hand, "Wow, I’m veering wildly off topic. TMI, too. I’m not sure what I want to do yet. I feel like I should help people, like Da does. Maybe try and find cures for diseases. I’m taking biology, but I got a scholarship because of Baseball. Everyone expects me to follow in my parents’ footsteps. But I don’t think reporting is for me. What do you do, are you at college?"
As she joined him on the floor, he smiled, glad he wasn’t alone in liking to sit down there. But in contrast, Karli curled up, while he stretched out. Jason knew it was probably all kinds of uncomfortable for her, to be thrown into a family situation that wasn’t usual. But she was handling it well. "I’m sorry to hear that." Jason’s brows pulled together in a thoughtful frown then, as Karli’s words sank in properly. "It sounds like you’ve known each other for a long time, but you’ve not been here? Da said he missed us, like he hadn’t seen us for months. So were you on another planet?"
He chuckled a little and shook his head, "I’ve been told not to use my powers on people unless it’s a medical emergency. I can see you’re a quick healer, are you a meta-human? That’s really cool if you are."
"Sounds like you'd make a good doctor—or a nurse. Always heard they did more anyway." Karli gave him a wry smile and tipped her shoulder into his before straightening again with a small shake of her head. Having some insight into how Clark had found out about his son made it easier to understand why she caught him with this sad look sometimes, so full of regret that she didn't ask about it. Thought it might hurt too much to bring it all up. "University? Nah. Didn't get much past year 8 when my world went to shit. School wasn't doing much for me anyway. Learned a lot more from the company I kept. Never really considered higher education. I get by just fine without it. And what I don't know, I can usually fake it."
She shrugged at his apology. He meant well by it, she knew, so it didn't perturb her as much as it might have otherwise. "He was already there when I showed up. We wound up living down the hall from each other. I think it's been a couple of years for him? But, no. Not another planet. Another Earth. In a different dimension. It was my Earth originally, but I was from a few years in its future when I got pulled in through the same portal that brought your Da. Clear as mud, innit?"
Leaning in again, she settled her arm against his in a companionable way. Weird how he already felt like family, but she didn't suppose it would be any other way for Clark's son. She'd seen a few people talk about metas on the network, so she had an idea of what Jason was referencing. In a way, she supposed she was one, but still she replied with, "No, 'm not a meta. Wish I could say I came by my abilities naturally, or even honestly, but at least I got them for good-at-the-time reasons.
"On my Earth, back in World War II, there was this super soldier program. Only had one successful test subject: Captain America. Fast forward several decades, and someone finally managed to crack the serum and successfully recreated it. Enter me and my mates, and our desire to do right by way of doing wrong." Karli frowned, because she knew what happened next thanks to Sam and Bucky. Cold flooded her insides, and she squeezed her legs tighter. "If I'd stayed in my time, I would've died."
A pleased grin came to his face at the brief contact, taking it as a sign Karli was feeling more comfortable around him, and in their home. "Actually, I'd much rather become a nurse, and you're the first person who's suggested that, other than my folks." For a second he puzzled over what year 8 meant, then quickly cross referenced it to the education system he knew. "Sounds like you have a lot more street smarts and real world skills, which honestly are invaluable. A degree is just a piece of paper and definitely not for everyone." Jason smiled, realizing how much he sounded like Uncle Perry in that moment.
"A couple of years." He repeated softly, glancing toward the kitchen again, where a quiet had suddenly fallen. "That's… He must have been lonely. Thank you for looking after him. It's good that you found each other." The multiverse theory had wigged him out when his Father had first told him about it. What if his different versions were bad or had made awful choices? But for there to be a world where he didn't even exist, that was interesting.
Sliding over a little closer as she leaned against him, he felt completely comfortable in her company. It was nice to have someone his own age who he could be himself with, who knew their unusual family secrets and wasn't bothered by them. He listened with interest as she explained how she had come by her abilities and the snippet of history from her world. It might have sounded fantastical, had his own father not been an alien and his godmother an amazonian princess.
"Then I'm glad you were taken from your time, and I really hope that pesky portal doesn't send you back. Or if it does, it sends Da with you, so he can turn back time to save you."
Didn't seem much use in rehashing the gratitude cycle again, so Karli merely inclined her head in acceptance of it. She still wouldn't have said that she'd been there for him as much as he had her, but she'd tried a lot more with him than anyone else for a long while, but especially after Walker and his ilk had gone away. Truth told, she'd felt safer then, even when Sharon went through the portal and came back with the memories of their shared time. But she wasn't about to lay that at Jason's feet. She knew and trusted Clark. That sort of connection took time, and she had no idea if she'd have that.
She offered him a wry smile and an even drier chuckle. "Well, he's already done that. Not turned back time, but definitely saved me. A couple of times now."
Her attention snapped to the doorway, where Richard appeared a couple of seconds later. Benefit of heightened senses, although she had no doubt that Jason had known about his approach well before she did. She didn't miss the way his eyes were rimmed red or the blotchy flush on his cheeks. His smile was still warm, though, and it wasn't hard for Karli to imagine how easy it had probably been for Clark to fall just in love with him as he had Lois. "Dinner is still a couple hours out. You kids want a snack?"
"Yeah, he does that." Jason responded with a wry little smile, saving people was literally his father’s day job. But he seemed to do it outside of office hours too, he couldn’t not help people.
Jason’s attention went to the door as he heard his Dad’s approach, smile melting into a slight frown as he saw the obvious signs of a recent upset on his face. He’d been parted from Clark for two years, without even knowing; it was a difficult truth to swallow. No doubt all three of his parents had been emotional. "I’d love one, but you know my appetite." Letting his smile brighten again, he looked at Karli, "How about you?"
She hadn't been called a "kid" in so long that it kind of stopped her brain for just a moment. Just like being around Clark, it loosened something long held tight in her chest. It was a feeling that never went away altogether—she had too much life under her belt to let it go completely—but sometimes it eased. Let her feel like she could take a breath without having to worry about the next one. Karli blinked her way out of her thoughts and offered first Jason and then Richard a small nod and even smaller smile. "Yeah, I could snack."
~*~
"Jason Marley El-Kent-Lane-White, I swear to Rao, if you've been in my room, I'm so gonna kick yer ar—head in!"
"Why would I go in your room?" Jason chuckled, peering out of his own bedroom at his feisty sister. "Is my Christmas present in there?" He slid his glasses down his nose, as if about to use his x-ray vision. "You know Grandma and Grandpa used to wrap Da’s presents in lead foil to stop him peeking?"
Karli glared from her own doorway, scowling at Jason with her arms crossed. It was harder to hang on to her annoyance than it would have been even just a few months ago. Especially not when that goofy tilt of his smile had rooted itself in her heart in a totally familial way. "If lead paint weren't banned for good reason—and don't get me started with the lead water epidemic that's still a problem—I'd have made my own run to the hardware store when I first moved in. Someone's been in there, though. You're just the first suspect."
"Before a sibling war starts," Lois’ voice floated up the stairs as she traveled up the last four steps to the landing, "Your Dad— Richard," she tacked on for Karli’s benefit, still unsure how the young woman felt about herself and Richard. "Had to go on a dish retrieval mission. In both of your rooms."
Jason looked apologetic for a moment, pushing his glasses back up and emerging fully from his room. "Yeahh, I bet he found most of them in there," He chuckled, pointing back over his shoulder at his own mess of a room.
"I fully believe that. I also believe your clothes are ready to go in the dryer." Lois replied, a little teasing smile on her face. "The boys will be back soon and they’ll nag more than me."
"It was one mug at most," Karli put in mulishly, but still glanced into her room. Most of what she saw were her accumulation of secondhand books mixed in with a few textbooks. A handful of photos were wedged into the sides of her mirror. They were Polaroids from this funky yellow retro camera she'd gotten from Richard "just because". Trying to refuse it had been a no-go; if she thought Clark's puppy dog eyes were a force to be reckoned with, she had no chance against Richard White's. But Lois was the same way, in reverse. They all still got on, though, in a way she hadn't with very many others since the Snap.
She chose not to think about that aspect very often.
Instead, Karli left her doorway and descended the stairs to Lois's side where she gave her sidelong hug. The gesture was a lot less awkward and more freely given than even three months ago. "I can promise I'll take better care to bring down anything I take up."
As Karli paused at her side, Lois returned the hug and pressed a swift kiss to her cheek, the gesture something she'd done often with Lucy whilst growing up. "Thank you. There are brownies fresh from the oven on the counter, help yourself. Richard's work, not mine, don't worry. I just took them out of the oven. The smell will lure your Dad back home almost as fast as an apple pie."
"Brownies?!" Clark's voice drifted through the house as the front opened, Richard's chuckle joining it as the two returned home.
Karli glanced up the stairs toward Jason, mouth forming a familiar devilish smirk, one borne from the innate sibling competition that had formed between them in a surprisingly short amount of time. This was a race to see who could get a hug from Clark or Richard faster when they got home. She took exactly one half step away from Lois—the only other warning of her plan besides her smile—and then launched herself from the landing and down the stairs toward Clark. "Welcome home!"
Oh, it was on. Jason scurried from his room and along the landing to the stairs with a tiny burst of speed, careful not to knock his Mom over as he raced after his sister. She had a head start and got to the foot of the stairs just before him. He skidded across the wooden floor of the hall, gaining a little time with his slide and allowing him to tackle Richard in a hug just as Karli caught Clark. Luckily both Dads knew this competition of theirs and had set their bags on the floor already.
"Oof." Clark’s exclamation was mainly for effect as he caught Karli easily and hugged her tight. "Happy Christmas Eve!" Smiling at both of the youngsters, he rested his arm across her shoulders and reached over to ruffle Jase’s hair. Beneath the chocolatey smell of brownies, he could discern Tide and Lavender Downy. "Did you wash your scrubs?"
His son whined and ducked out of the ruffling, "Just have to dry them, don’t worry, laundry won’t get in the way of eggnog and It’s a Wonderful Life."
Leaning into Clark was just as easy as it had been with Lois, and this was one of those moments where she really wondered at it. Yes, she'd cobbled together a family during the Blip, and it had been just as much about necessity then as it was now, but the current one lacked the desperation clinging to the whole thing. After all these months away, the hurt of missing home had lost its sharp edges, but one element continued to prick at her heart: Rogue. If she was there, this whole new life would be postcard perfect. But Karli knew it didn't work like that. Just that sequence of thoughts made her squeeze at Clark's side a little bit before she pulled away and went in for a Richard hug. "Never actually seen or had that, believe it or not. Had boiled custard, though."
Richard brushed a kiss against her temple before she stepped away, and he gave his family a look of almost devious glee. "You know what this means, right? We get to make a list of all our holiday traditions and figure out which ones you haven't done so we can make sure you get to experience your firsts with us."
Karli flushed, felt it from the roots to her hair down to her chest. "You don't have to, really. I'm just happy to be here."
"Maybe we don't, and we'd never do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, but I hope you let us. It's been a while since we've had very many firsts, but I'm really glad you were brought into our lives so we could give you a few of your own." It came as no surprise when Richard was tackled into a hug again. Emotion was overwhelming her all over again, but at least she managed not to cry outright, even when Richard rubbed soothing circles into her back, kissed the top of her head, and murmured, "We love you, Karli."
Clark knew how much Karli must be missing Rogue, having missed his family for the majority of his time in the other world. As she squeezed his side, he gave her a little smile, stroking her shoulder in reassurance as she was wrapped in Richard’s arms. (A very warm place to be nestled.) Clark’s own arms were empty for a millisecond then Jason was squeezing him tightly, attempting to lift him off his feet as usual, making Clark roll up onto his toes.
"Perfect!" Clark’s smile was bright as he agreed with a nod to Richard’s suggestion. He and Karli shared little Christmases together, but nothing on the scale of activities his family usually managed to cram into three days.
Lois joined them just in time to hear the plotting and heartwarming moment between Karli and Richard, taking hold of Clark’s hand and smiling fondly at her new-look family. "You’re stuck with us now." She added, with a little laugh. "Who’s turn is it to make the eggnog this year?"
"Ah, I think it’s mine." Clark picked up the almost forgotten grocery bags and headed through to the kitchen. "Someone without Kryptonian or Enhanced physiology might want to check how strong it is though. We don’t want a repeat of 2010."
Karli relieved Richard of the bags he'd picked up after all his hug-giving, plucking them from his hands as easy as anything, and followed Clark. "Wait, wait, what's 2010? I need to hear this story. How hungover were your mum and dad, Jason?"
She knew where all the groceries went by now, although there were quite a few new things to go with this time of year, but they'd be used soon enough. "Can I help? Maybe not with the alcohol content bits, obvs, but I could do the taste testing some. Eliot used to make me drinks when I brought home duty free."
She paused at the memory, throat closing a little. Eliot. With the whirlwind of the last long while, she'd almost forgotten about that, about her friend. She wondered if he was okay, if he was still happy with Quentin and Margo, and if the club was going well.
The tube of cinnamon rolls came very close to exploding in her hand, but she set it in the fridge quickly when it gave a little too much. "If it's a tradition of one, though, maybe you could put me in charge of something else?"
"So hungover." Jason replied gleefully as he followed them through to the kitchen, Lois and Richard shaking their heads but not protesting the statement.
"Me and Da were the only ones up before ten. Then we had to cook dinner while Dad directed us from the couch. Mom drank an entire pot of coffee by herself before attempting to help. I wasn't old enough to know they were hungover, I just thought they were really, really tired for some reason."
Clark's smile didn't leave his face as he listened to his son tell all the gory details, and he moved around the kitchen as freely as Karli did, putting things away and retrieving what he'd need to make the nog. As she closed the fridge, he took her hand in his and gave a gentle squeeze, "I'd love your help." He had noticed the slight pause speaking Eliot's name had given her, and he knew how missing people hit you in sudden waves. "If we have the ingredients here, perhaps we could attempt to reproduce one of those cocktails too, start a new tradition."
"I'm liking the sound of this," Lois chuckled, perching on one of the counter stools to watch them while they worked. Jason had disappeared into the laundry room to swap the clothes from washer to dryer, but he yelled "me too!" for good measure.
Karli snickered, but not meanly. She may not have been able to get drunk with more conventional alcohol, but she'd been around plenty of people who'd drunk themselves to distraction during the Blip. There'd been too much to do and not enough time to do it in for her ever indulge, and then the serum had made the choice for her. "Lois, Richard, I promise I'll make sure your husband isn't too heavy handed."
She smiled at Clark, knowing what had gone unspoken between them, and gave him a grateful nod. "I think I can whip up some slightly magical, without having an actual hint of magic it at all."
Even with two of their members—now three—unable to enjoy much more than just the taste, the Lane-Kent-White's bar was very well stocked. "Something cranberry? For the season? We didn't do much for the holidays for the first couple of years, but I remember a friend—Danny—making this grand cran-apple relish that was bloody divine. Had orange zest and all."
Here she was prattling on about recipes and ingredients. It was a state of affairs she'd stopped wondering about as much as in the early days. Those were spent waiting for another red portal to pop up and suck them back in, but days had turned into weeks, and then months. And now she'd just finished her first semester and was making cocktails for people she thought of as family. It made her pause again, but this time for a good reason. "I know you keep reminding me that I don't gotta say it, but thanks for having me. For taking me in."
Clark smiled right back at her as he separated the eggs, it was a recipe he knew by heart, though this time with Karli’s careful observation he was sure it wouldn’t be quite so potent. "Well, you have the run of the drinks cabinet to make whatever you like."
Lois watched the two of them for a moment, fascinated by the way they moved around the kitchen, always aware where the other was and working together fluidly. It definitely showed that they had known each other much longer than they’d been back in this world. "Cranberry is a good choice. I think we have juice in the fridge. Unless Jason drank it all already."
"I didn’t!" Came from the laundry room in reply.
As Karli thanked them again, Clark’s smile grew, "You’re welcome, as always."
At some point while making and pouring drinks, Karli had lost track of Richard. It wasn't until she heard his triumphant "ah-HA!" from the closet in the hall where they kept some of the annual holiday decorations that she realized it had been a minute since she'd seen him at the stove. She looked up in time to see Lois roll her eyes toward the heavens from her place at the door, and thought she heard twin sets of groans from her and the direction of the laundry room.
She understood why just a moment later when he turned around the corner, wearing a face splitting grin and some kind of hat that looked like it was constructed with brightly colored pipe cleaners. It hung far over his head and ended with a bunch of cheap plastic mistletoe. He looked far too proud of it as he stood next to Lois and bounced on his toes. Karli felt the amusement bubbling up inside her at his ridiculousness, but she managed to keep a straight face as she said, "Please tell me you at least get permission before soliciting physical displays of affection. And how often does the fam indulge this outdated custom?"
The groans from Lois and Jason were enough to clue Clark in and he chuckled as Richard appeared wearing his mistletoe hat. He knew their son wasn't fond of his parents' PDAs, and Lo found the whole thing cheesy. But it was tradition and Clark enjoyed the often theatrical kisses from his husband. It wasn't often he was swept up in someone else's arms and he relished every opportunity.
"At least one of us is always working New Year's so there's no midnight kisses." He explained as Richard sidled over to him. "So the hat comes out on Christmas Eve to make up for it."
Once she'd added a pinch of cinnamon and a curl of orange peel to the drinks she'd made, Karli set them on the counter even as Richard slid in between Clark and the kitchen counter. She just caught a glimpse of the way Richard grabbed two fistfuls of Clark's shirt and yanked him down before she was turning away with a secret smile and a pronounced roll of her eyes. "Absurd," she muttered, even as warmth spread through her chest. "Jase, I have no idea how you've put up with it all these years. Bless you for your patience."
From behind her, Richard was humming happily. It ended in a soft chuckle, clearly muted by being occupied by another set of lips. "Sorry, not sorry."
An arm around Richard’s waist guided him over to the counter where their drinks were waiting, and once Jason returned, Clark lifted his glass, "Happy Christmas, Family."
A boom outside had his head tilting in question for a split second before he smiled, tagging on an additional toast as a bundle of pup energy bounded into the room. "And here's to Krypto being home for the holidays too."
~*~
Brainiac’s drones were causing chaos in Metropolis, a familiar sight for Clark, and the city itself seemed less surprised than it had been the first time around. But the havoc and destruction were just as unwanted and he found himself in the midst of the danger zone battling the automatons while trying to keep collateral damage relatively low. But he wasn't alone in the endeavor this time, Karli was nearby, helping frightened citizens to cover, and Clark couldn’t help the pride in his smile as he caught sight of the El Family crest emblazoned on her own supersuit.
The moment was short lived as an ambulance was flipped into the air by one of the drones’ energy weapons concussive force and he flew forward to catch it. The battle was getting dangerously close to Metropolis General, and he had the niggling feeling that this in itself was a diversionary tactic. Or even a trap. Did Brainiac somehow know that his son was on placement at this particular hospital at this particular time?
It was late in the evening and Jason should be home, at least that’s what Clark hoped as he set the ambulance down carefully by the emergency room loading bay.
I'm still on shift. Don't let Da panic and fly in all powers blazing.
The message was sent during a momentary pause in the action and Jason didn’t expect Karli to answer, he realized after he’d hit send that she probably wouldn’t be able to look at it if she was busy with brainiac bots. Still he’d needed to say something, it was awfully inconvenient to be working right where the situation was unfolding, he couldn’t switch into his own suit and fly into the fray. Not when he had patients to watch over.
While she hadn't inherited the El's abilities, Karli was no stranger to the familial trait of throwing herself right into whatever fray came up. The costume had been more a matter of necessity, because she'd proved early on that a lack of one wasn't going to keep her from helping Clark and Jason in any way she could. After her stubborn persistence wore down the family's resistance to the idea, there'd been training sessions between classes and Jason's shifts. One of her proudest moments was the day Clark had presented her with her own suit.
Since it was Kryptonian in design, the armor wrapped around her comfortably and moved like she was in nothing more than workout clothes. But it could take a hit and stored the inertia as energy she could unleash how and whenever she needed to—like now, when she used it to slam one of the bots into its fellow and watched as they went down in a tangle of metal arms and sparks.
She didn't have time to feel any satisfaction, not when there were people still in the way. "Bit less filming and maybe more running there, friends," Karli called out to the cluster of folks with their phones out. The comms in her ears chimed, and she paused just long enough to tilt her head to activate the message. Her heart dropped when the nearly silent message played out.
There was no doubt Clark heard it too.
The robots were making their slow, but steady advance toward the hospital. "Find and take out the control unit." She kept her voice low. "I'll cover the civvies, Superman. All of 'em."
It was easy for Jason to say not to panic, but when you were a parent and both your kids were heroes in their own right, it was kind of difficult not to when they were under attack. Karli's suit was doing its job perfectly and he smiled across at her, the expression confident, and probably more for the crowd than anything else. "On it, Superwoman."
The name had been coined by Richard when he'd reported on Karli's first official rescue. They'd agreed that Lois should probably not hoard all the super stories, just in case people got suspicious. It might not take much to link the new hero to Lane's adopted daughter, not with the accent and distinctive hair.
Using his heat vision, he sliced a couple more drones into pieces. Then gave her a little nod before rocketing into the sky in search of Brainiac's control center.
Nothing could have prepared her for the life she was living now. She'd been an estate kid, lived through the disintegration of half the universe, been thrust into a worldwide political movement she somehow managed to find herself in charge of at the tender age of nineteen, only to get yanked from her life, to a place where more people knew about her future than she was remotely comfortable—and now she was a bona fide superhero.
The only thing missing was the cape, but she'd been a hard no on that feature.
She'd just get tangled up in it since she was Earth-bound.
A cape was the last thing she was thinking about anyway as more bots converged on the area. Karli tore through them like they were tissue paper. Thank god this universe didn't have vibranium, or she'd be completely screwed. The crowds were finally thinning out, which was great, but humanity as a whole was far too fascinated by spectacle for all of them to have the sense enough to leave.
Half a block away, one of the cars parked on the side of the road exploded when a stray energy bolt hit it. The force of the blast was enough to shatter some of the windows in the building next to it. Karli staggered backwards, but stayed on her feet. She heard it, then, a woman screaming, "My wife! My wife! She's trapped! Help her! Please, someone help her!"
She didn't hesitate, even while black smoke was rolling her way. The heat was intense, but she saw immediately what had happened: a section of falling awning from the storefront across the street had pinned a woman to the ground. Karli sprinted over to her, assessing the situation as she approached. Although bleeding from a head wound, she was clearly breathing. "Ma'am? Ma'am!" she barked at the other woman who had cried out—she was pale with shock and terror. "I need you to grab under her arms? Can you do that for me, love?"
It was probably the symbol on her chest helping the woman focus, but her gaze snapped to it, and then she was nodding and crouching, doing as Karli instructed. She had to hand it to Clark, but his family crest was a lot more effective than the Flagsmasher mask ever was. "On three…" Karli wedged herself between the sidewalk and the metal frame at her back. "One… two… three!"
Unlike Jason or Clark, the strain of levering up that much weight was very real, but she managed to keep most of it off her face. The structure lifted up by a few precious inches. It was enough. She held it up until the wife was free and then carefully lowered it again. Last thing they needed was for more debris to rain down on their heads. "Can you get her to the hospital? It's just up the way."
Once she received a shaky nod and they were moving on, she sent a quick voice text to her brother. "Injured incoming. Make sure they're both checked out. I don't like the heart rate on the conscious one."
Karli searched the sky for her Da, hoping he was having any luck.
"Thanks, Sis. Keep yourself undamaged, don’t want to be stitching you up too." Jason made his way to the front of the emergency room, waiting for the walking wounded Karli had sent his way. There were plenty to attend to, though thankfully their injuries were minor. No majors yet, he very much hoped it would stay that way. A glance out of the window had him mirroring his sister’s search of the sky for their Da. With any luck this would be done soon.
Strangely, the drone hub was unguarded and once aboard, Clark realized why. Everything was automated, and Brainiac himself wasn't there. A screen flickered to life as he stepped into the control room and the visage of his nemesis appeared. "Too late, Kal-El, my little distraction diverted you from the true target of my attack, and sadly your cousin is away on Lantern business." There was a smirk on Brainiac's face as he ended the transmission and Clark felt his blood run cold.
National City was the target, not Metropolis.
Blasting his way out of the control center, he tore it apart and sent the wreckage into the sun, then sped back down into the atmosphere, tapping the communicator in his ear as he went. "Control has been destroyed, the drones should deactivate, and no more should bother you. Brainiac wasn't there, he's after National City, I have to stop him collecting the city."
"Don't get yourself collected instead, Superman." Sure, Karli said it with a bit of a smirk, but she was deadly serious. All up and down the street, the bots were dropping like their strings had been cut. The loss of their mechanical hum and the clank of their metal bits just made the approaching sirens that much louder. No cries for help, though. That was something. "I'll assist with clean up. Check in at the hospital, see if I can do anything there. Be safe out there. Come get me before you can't."
Karli had been right to worry about the conscious wife in the couple who’d limped in. Shock had set in, but they were in time to treat it before things got too bad. There weren’t too many additional injuries in the crowds and the final half hour of his shift slowly ticked down. Metropolis was safe, Karli was fine and their Da was… well, he could take care of himself. Jason just hoped he would be back in one piece. One normal sized piece, not a miniature sized Superman.
Spotting Karli as she walked into the E.R. he made a beeline for her, "Both women are doing fine, thanks to you." He smiled, but his eyes took in every centimeter of his sister to make sure she was fine too. Karli wasn’t quite as indestructible as him, but he knew she recognised her own limits— for the most part.
She recognized that subtle sweep, but she didn't call him on it—not when she was still in the House Colours. "Thanks to you, too." Karli smiled at her brother. It was tired, right around the edges in a way only family would recognize. His quick scan probably picked up a smattering of bruises here and there, but no breaks or fractures. Nothing a long soak at home couldn't cure. "We couldn't do what we do without everything you do on a daily basis."
A TV was on in the ER waiting area, and when a glance at it didn't reveal any breaking news out of National City about the place being shrunk or Superman being involved in a knock-down, drag-out fight, she let a slow breath. The danger wasn't passed yet, but no news tended to be good news when it came to their kind of thing. "No casualties? We got here as soon as we could."
While he wanted to pull her into a hug, with all the other people in the room, he definitely couldn’t do that. Instead he flushed bright red at her praise and shook his head, "I’m just doing my job."
Looking across at the screen as she did, he watched for a moment, sharing her relief when no shocking headlines splashed across the screen. "Just a couple of broken bones from a car accident one of the drones caused before you arrived. Nothing serious." Jason heard a familiar heartbeat as another family member approached the hospital and he gave Karli a little grin. "Hope you’re ready for your post action interview," He whispered, "Da just got here."
Giving a little wave, he allowed his friend Miya to pull him away, chuckling a little as he noted the look she gave Superwoman. Somebody had a crush, but now wasn’t the time to comment, they had patients to attend to.
Her lips quirked as she watched her brother leave, as much from his presence as for the welcome news of Clark's return—even if it meant she had to make nice with the media. She didn't sigh, because Richard and Lois made sure to include "the public face" in her training with Clark and Jason. It was her least favorite part, but she knew it was important to keep their strange and wonderful little family safe. The fact that she delayed the media circus a little bit by checking in on the waiting area and offering a few words of support while deftly turning away any effusive praise that came her way was just putting her lessons into practice.
Finally, though, she made her way out of the hospital and easily found the crowd surrounding her Da. She almost hugged him around the middle, but instead stood close enough to put the back of her fingers against his briefly before the questions turned to her.