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“Little one,” a voice says, and Kara turns to see a woman she doesn’t recognize standing nearby. They’re on the rooftop of the mansion she’d woken up in, and when she doesn’t say anything the woman comes over and sits beside her. “I have never known you to come up here,” she muses, and now that she’s closer Kara idly thinks that this omega’s scent is familiar.
Kara hums and looks back up at the two bright moons overhead. “Something annoying happened,” she says softly. “And I dunno what to do about it yet.”
A hand smooths over her hair, the first time in more years than Kara cares to count that she’s been touched by another human, and when she turns back to the woman, confused, she sees a worried frown directed her way.
“I have also never known you to speak so casually, little one,” the omega says softly. She continues petting Kara’s hair and Kara lets her, oddly soothed by the motion. “You need your rest for the celebration tomorrow, but if there is something you would like to discuss, we may.”
Kara hums. “Tomorrow’s my birthday, then?”
The omega’s brow furrows. “Yes,” she says, and now Kara can scent her worry. “Little one, what is going on?”
Kara turns away and looks back up to the sky. “You came out here cuz you’re watching me, right? I can tell you’re strong.”
Even as the woman continues to pet her hair the scent of her worry grows. “I am officially your guard, but I would have come up here regardless. Is it so odd for me to worry when my niece has gone somewhere she has always been afraid to go?”
Kara glances at her, brow crinkling, and decides that her scent being familiar makes sense if this is indeed her aunt. Well, if she isn’t, Kara is pathetically weak right now and this omega is nearly as strong as she once was, so there’s no point in worrying since she couldn’t fight back if she wanted to.
“I used to fear heights, then?” Kara muses quietly. “How silly.” She’s silent for a bit, considering her options. “If I run away before the celebration, what will you do?”
“I will retrieve you,” her aunt drawls. “Where would you even go, little one?”
Kara points towards the mountains far in the distance. “I’d go there, but I doubt I’d get there before you caught up,” she says, pouting now. She huffs. “What if I promise I’ll come back in a few months? Would you let me go then?” She can’t do it all again, not when the family she’d found won’t even know her, but she can at least try to survive in this life, she supposes. They’d be angry with her if she died after all this… already were when she’d died last time best she could tell.
A soft growl, and now her aunt has one arm around her and is tucking her close to her side. “Those mountains are teeming with monsters and dungeons, little one, I will never let you go near them.”
Kara blows out an annoyed breath. “That’s the point,” she grumbles. She holds both her arms out and glares at them. “What am I s’posed to do with these scrawny things? I doubt I could even lift a sword.”
A finger taps her forehead. “You do not need to fight. You are the heir to this dukedom and will have hundreds of soldiers at your command once your father passes his title to you.”
“That’s not gonna happen,” Kara mutters, scowling and looking out over the land spread below them now. “I can’t run away, fine. How about my parents disown me? That’ll work too.” Well, it’ll work long enough to give her time to run away…
Her aunt makes a soft sound of disbelief. “You are the only heir and your parents both love you dearly, little one. I cannot think of a single thing you could do that would cause them to disown you.” She cups Kara’s cheek and turns her head to face her, and worried blue eyes meet her own. “What is going on, Kara?”
Kara doesn’t answer, just examines her aunt’s face and decides that she probably is who she says, as their eyes are the same shade, she thinks, and her proximity is waking Kara’s wolf, which… hm, should her wolf be that interested in a relative? Well, she supposes it doesn’t matter since whatever happens, tomorrow will be her last day on this estate.
At that thought she turns back to glare at the moons overhead. “What would you do if you were given a gift you didn’t want?” Kara blurts.
Her aunt growls quietly, likely at her continuing to not answer her questions, but then sighs and rests her head on Kara’s. “What kind of gift, exactly?”
“An annoying one,” Kara says immediately. “An annoying one, that I didn’t ask for and don’t want to deal with.”
“Can you not simply return it?”
Kara considers that. “I could, I guess. It’d probably piss off the one who gave it to me, which is a bad idea, but I told her to her face I didn’t want it, so she shoulda seen it coming.”
“You truly are speaking quite strangely,” her aunt muses quietly. “And if you do not wish to… anger the one who gave you this gift, you will have to make the most of it.”
Kara considers that as well. “That’s a life sentence,” she grumbles. “I told her no several times, but I’m here anyway.” She turns and regards the omega still hugging her. “If I’m not allowed to run away or be disowned, you and my parents will hate me,” Kara decides. “I’m going to kill the king and the prince both when they show up tomorrow.”
Her aunt stares at her and Kara can scent her confusion. “Little one, your uncle and cousin are not invited to your celebration. I cannot think of any reason those two would deign to set foot on this estate.”
Kara scowls. “There’s one very good reason, and I’m not doing all that again.” She pulls away from her aunt and hops to her feet, putting her hands on her hips and glaring fiercely at the twin moons. “I told you I didn’t wanna do this,” Kara declares loudly. “So you can take your stupid gift back, and I’ll go out with a bang just like I did before!”
Her aunt is behind her, suddenly, and hugging her closely, and muttering that she had better not fall off the roof. “Little one,” she says, “even if they were to show up, the royal family is cocooned in so many protective spells I am amazed they can move about.”
Kara tilts her head back and gives the omega holding her a smile that even she knows is a bit unhinged. “Nothing can protect against a person’s magic core exploding,” she says gleefully. “Not even when it’s as weak as mine is right now.”
Even in the moonlight, Kara can see her aunt’s face turn ashen. “That would kill you,” she whispers. “And from what I have seen, it is the most physically painful way to die. Why would you even say such a thing, little one?”
Kara hums and slips away, her aunt too shocked to keep a hold of her. “It doesn’t matter anyway, right?” She drawls, heading back to the window that leads to her room. She turns and gives the woman a wan smile. “You said they aren’t coming, guard lady.” She laughs a bit too loudly as she starts to lower herself into her window. “Don’t be too surprised when they show up with six carriages overflowing with gold and jewels, and if the queen is there try to keep her away so I don’t take her out too, I don’t remember if she came or not.”
By the time Astra has calmed enough to move again, her little one is already asleep, laying peacefully in her bed and occasionally making soft sounds of distress or amusement, and Astra goes straight to her sister’s chambers, because something is very, very wrong with their pup.
“Alura! Zor-El! Wake up!” She yells, striding into their bedroom and ignoring the shocked sounds of the two soldiers who had been guarding the doors. They had of course let their general pass, but now she can hear them muttering that maybe they shouldn’t have. “Now,” she growls, lighting the sconces with a wave of her hand and then yanking their thick blanket off of them. She pauses, considering her sleepy sister and brother-in-law. “I am glad you are clothed.”
“Astra,” her sister hisses, retrieving the blanket with a flick of her wrist and resettling it over her and her husband even as they sit and lean against the headboard. “You are the one who is barging in at an ungodly hour and stealing our covers, and that is all you have to say?”
“I came for a reason,” Astra drawls, and then she recalls that reason and begins pacing, because even now she can’t make sense of it. “Something is wrong with Kara, and I do not know what,” she growls.
“She’s probably just nervous,” Zor-El says, yawning. “We’re declaring her our official heir tomorrow and she’ll have to start training under me to learn all she needs to inherit my title.”
Astra glares at him so fiercely he shrinks away. “She does not even seem to know who I am, and you think she is simply nervous?”
Her sister straightens. “Explain, now.”
Astra does, pacing all the while. She tells them of sensing Kara going to the roof, of all the strange things the girl had said, and of her proclamation at the end, and when she finishes by saying her niece had not once called her ‘Aunt Astra’ or… anything else… she was prone to, but had called her ‘guard lady’ instead, her sister and brother-in-law lose what little color is left in their faces.
“She did not recognize me, spoke as if she knew the future, and is determined to die and take your family with her,” Astra snarls, rounding on Zor-El. “I could sense no strange magic around her, and while her speech and mannerisms were different, my wolf and I agree that she is still our pup, so what has happened?”
“Did you sense anything amiss before she went to the roof?” Alura asks.
Astra gives her a look. “If I had, I would have mentioned it. I have told you all I know, and at this point I am half convinced I should let her run away and simply tail her to ensure she does not get herself killed.” She turns back to Zor-El. “You are being too quiet— what do you know?”
The man looks between her and her sister and then slumps against the headboard, one hand over his eyes. “It could be nothing,” he says dully. “But… if my brother does show up tomorrow…” He growls and shakes his head. “It’s nothing, nevermind.”
“Husband,” Alura says, voice frigid. “You will tell us what you suspect, now.”
Zor-El looks at her and shrinks away. “It’s a royal secret, and I’m no longer a royal,” he hisses. “I could be executed for speaking of it.”
“If you do not speak of it then I will execute you now,” Astra growls, and when her sister startles at that, no doubt sensing she is indeed serious, her brother-in-law frowns at her.
“She was acting that odd?” He checks. When Astra growls louder and looms over him, he sighs. “I can’t say it… makes everything make sense,” Zor-El says carefully. “But… there is a dungeon under the royal palace. Every three generations, a royal heir must enter, and… should they emerge alive, they are considered Krypton’s rightful ruler, regardless of their place in the line of succession. It’s why my nephew has been training and fighting against monsters since he was a child. The survival rate is… about three percent, regardless of how strong the person is who enters.”
“Our kingdom… has been sacrificing a child that often?” Alura whispers, and Astra can scent her horror.
“The dungeon will break if we don’t send someone in, and they must carry royal blood and be from the desired generation,” Zor-El says dully. “My brother and I each only have one child, but we… agreed when we learned of this as boys that whichever of us was chosen to rule would send our eldest child. It is… why he has so many omegas, because he wanted to secure more heirs should Kal-El perish, but… he has been unsuccessful. He told me once there is a high chance Kara will have to take the throne, but… if he comes tomorrow, and with… carriages full of gold and gems, he is likely intending to have her engaged to Kal-El and… I would have assumed it was to establish her place should the boy die, but given all she’s said… he may be planning to send her to the dungeon in her cousin’s stead.”
Astra collapses on the bed beside her sister, and it is a long while before any of them speak. “That still does not explain why she is acting as if it already came to pass,” she finally whispers.
Zor-El sighs. “I don’t know, okay? I’ve never even seen the dungeon, my parents barely spoke of it, and…” He pauses, glaring at his hands. “My grandmother did… talk about it once, when I was so young I can barely remember now. She was… one of the few who survived, and she told me… that if I ever had pups and they were at risk of being sent to that dungeon, the kindest thing I could do would be to kill them with my own hands.”
“Why did you never tell me of this?” Alura asks, and when Astra looks she sees her sister is rigid, face a blank mask and emotions impossible to scent.
Zor-El turns to her as well, brow furrowed. “I trusted my brother to keep his word,” he says, voice breaking. “The only effect if any this should have had for our pup was that she may become queen, not… whatever is happening now.” He rakes a hand through his hair, growling. “I know we made the promise when we were pups ourselves, but he hasn’t given any indication he would go back on it.”
“If you had the choice,” Astra says, “would you send your daughter or your nephew?”
Zor-El stares at her and then slumps. “I’d send Kal-El,” he mumbles. “No matter what I promised.”
“If she was glaring at the moons,” Alura says, turning to stare out the window now, “and spoke of a gift she did not want… it may be that that gift was returning to now, and it was our goddess who granted it to her.”
“She also said she was gonna go out with a bang,” Zor-El drawls. “Again, which… if she cleared the dungeon, she should have become queen.”
Astra scoffs, using her magic to more thoroughly check that her little one is indeed still in her room and relaxing only slightly when she finds the girl still asleep. “I have had to meet that side of your family entirely too many times, Zor-El, and I can assure you that neither your brother nor your nephew would give the throne to the goddess herself.” She hums. “Though given her current plan, I doubt any of them got it the first time. Kara likely killed them both and died doing so.”
“And now she is back and determined to die again,” Alura says softly, and Astra scents her grief and fury. “Husband, if all of this… is indeed what is happening… is there any way to keep them from taking her?”
“We have to keep her from killing them first,” Astra mutters.
Zor-El looks between them both and slumps against the headboard, staring out the window. “If Kara and Kal-El both die, we’ll have no one to send to the dungeon,” he whispers. He must scent their rage because he sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “The few who returned gave detailed records of the monsters within, and if they break free they will destroy this country. Even you are not strong enough to kill them all in a dungeon break, sister-in-law.”
Astra growls a curse. “I do not care about Krypton, I care about Kara.”
“If he is planning to take her under the pretense of marrying her to Kal-El,” Alura says, “her having a mate already would render the ‘proposal’ void.”
Astra glares at her sister. “However old she lived to be, she is a child now, and if they are indeed coming tomorrow, where exactly are you planning to find a suitable mate?”
Zor-El suddenly smiles. “Astra,” he muses, “you said Kara didn’t recognize you. Did her wolf?” When she stiffens and looks away, the man has the audacity to laugh. “You’re one of the few people my brother fears, so that would further dissuade him.”
She expects Alura to speak against this, but when she’s silent, Astra turns to her suspiciously and is shocked to see her sister actually considering it. “Have you not given Kara multiple lectures a week since she began…”
“Trying to woo you,” Alura finishes easily. “Yes, and she has conveniently forgotten them all, and likely all three of us as well. Yet her wolf still showed enough interest in you that yours felt it.” Her sister folds her hands in her lap, scrutinizing her. “From what you have told us, it does not sound as if our pup cares about what happens to Krypton, or even wishes to survive herself. Allowing her to have the one thing we have always forbidden her may change that.”
“Rude,” Astra mutters reflexively, and her sister waves her hand.
“We are both omegas and you at least do not have to sit through luncheons with other nobles,” Alura drawls. “Trust me, sister, I have heard far worse, aimed at me and spoken to my face.” She turns to Zor-El and taps his shoulder. “Husband, if we thwart your brother’s attempt to take our pup in a politically acceptable way, do you think he will send his pup to his death instead?”
Zor-El grimaces at that but slowly nods. “He’d probably… attempt a few kidnappings, and he still may, but… last I knew he still has nightmares from whatever Astra did to get him to stop courting her in our youth, so if it’s her he’s up against…”
Astra growls and stands, heading to the door, and when her sister asks where she’s going she turns enough to glare at her. “I am going to scout our surroundings and see if there is indeed a royal procession on its way.” She sighs and mutters a curse. “And before that I am going to wait below Kara’s window to catch her when she inevitably falls, because she woke up while we were speaking and now she is… tying her sheets together, best I can tell.” As she leaves the room she hears her sister murmur that perhaps their pup wishes to survive after all.
Kara nearly makes it to the bottom of her hastily made rope, but around the third floor of this absurdly tall mansion her arms give out, because of course they do, and she falls.
…and then is caught by a very unimpressed omega guard lady. Uh, aunt. “Long time no see,” Kara drawls.
Her aunt sighs. “Little one, did you truly think you would get far?”
“You weren’t nearby,” Kara mutters, crossing her arms and looking away. “And you also weren’t incorrect when you said exploding your magic core is painful, so I’d really rather run away.”
“That is not an option,” her aunt drawls, and instead of putting her down she starts carrying her inside.
Kara hums and relaxes against her, peering around as they go because she has no memory of living in this place and a large part of why she keeps using her window as an exit is that she isn’t confident she won’t end up lost in the depths of the mansion. She’s a bit surprised to find she isn’t embarrassed at being carried through the halls like this, as even when passing guards ogle them her wolf feels… oddly content, because her omega is cuddling her. Hm. “Are you really my aunt?”
“Yes,” the woman says, and her voice is a bit strained.
Kara turns her attention to her, brow crinkled. “If that’s the truth my wolf may be a pervert,” she muses. Her aunt stumbles but doesn’t loosen her grip on her, and Kara sighs and looks away. “Which you at least already knew. Wouldn’t your life be easier if I ran away? I can’t say I remember living here, but I know myself and I doubt I was quiet about what my alpha wants.”
“You have made it clear on many occasions, yes,” her aunt manages. She sighs and it ruffles Kara’s hair. “And if you ran away, little one, my life would be much harder because I would be following you— likely to retrieve you but to keep you alive at the very least.”
Kara hums and goes back to looking around, idly thinking that they’re going the opposite direction of the room she’s pretty sure is hers. “Do you want to keep me alive so I can be sent as a sacrifice instead of my coward of a cousin?”
A loud growl startles her, and comforting pheromones wrapping around her makes her gape up at the omega still carrying her. “I did not know of that until tonight,” her aunt snarls. “And you will not be going near that dungeon again.”
They arrive at a room that is definitely not hers, then, and two guards open the doors hastily when her aunt glares at them. Kara is carried in and gently plopped onto a large bed with two other people already in it. She scrutinizes the sleepy and not very surprised strangers and then turns back to her aunt.
“Who are these people?” Kara asks, and they both make strange sounds. She looks at them again, brow crinkling. “Well, she kinda looks like you, I guess, and he…” Kara sneers. “Reeks of the House of El, nevermind.” She pouts at her aunt. “Can’t you just put me in a cell or something?”
The omega sighs and gives her a pained look. “I am not about to put my pup in a cell, and these are your parents, little one. I am leaving you with them while I go out to check some things, because if I do not you will be…” She considers for a moment. “Not all that far by the time I return, really, but likely injured given that you would have been already had I not caught you.”
Kara frowns. “I’m pretty sure me being a weakling is you three’s fault, but fine.” She turns and regards her so-called parents warily. “Guess I’m stuck with you two then.” Kara crawls up the bed and carefully sniffs the woman who looks like her aunt before flopping down between them. “Good news— my wolf is only kind of a pervert.” She lifts her head enough to regard the omega guard when everyone chokes at that. “Hm, that or she just really likes strong people? These two are nearly as weak as I am.”
“Good luck,” her aunt says and takes her leave.
Kara stays laying down and just stares back at the two people now staring down at her, and when this omega also wraps her in comforting pheromones she finds herself relaxing into the mattress.
“Little star,” her… mother says softly. “Why do you not remember us?”
Kara blinks at her sleepily. “My head can only hold so many memories, not-guard lady.” She hums and closes her eyes. “That or I made myself forget so it’d be easier to keep moving forward, who knows?”
“Kiddo,” the man says slowly. “The dungeon beneath the palace is… large, from what I know, and those who emerge alive do so within a few hours of entering no matter how long they spend there, but the longest anyone has reported it took to clear was three years.”
Kara barks a laugh and cracks one eye open, grinning now. “Then they lied.” A finger taps her forehead and she turns to the woman, who has a strange look on her face.
“You are not lying,” her mother says carefully, “but you are being misleading.”
Kara blinks at her and then sighs. “They didn’t lie about the time it took, they lied about clearing it,” she grumbles. “Now, I’m exhausted from my failed escape attempt, so I’m gonna sleep now. Wake me up if the omega my wolf likes comes back.” She smirks when her parents both scowl at that and then promptly falls asleep, because she is indeed exhausted and long ago learned how to sleep anywhere and anytime she was able.
Just past the hills that border Zor-El’s domain, Astra does indeed find a royal procession. Several carriages are camped out for the night, and six… are full of gold and jewels, just as her little one said.
Even as her stomach sinks, she slips into the camp, wrapped so tightly in her magic that even the king’s personal guards can’t detect her, and she finds Jor-El and Kal-El both in the most heavily-guarded tent, the king pacing and the prince half awake and reclined on a sofa that makes Astra pity the attendants who had to figure out how to pack it along.
“Why are you so nervous, Father?” Kal-El asks, and then yawns. “You already told Uncle that my cousin may be queen. You having us engaged and bringing her to the palace to ‘train her in royal etiquette’ goes along with that.”
Jor-El growls a curse and glares at his son. “I am nervous, as you put it, because if something goes wrong it will be you headed into that dungeon, and when you die my throne will go to a pup I did not sire.”
Kal-El groans and throws his hand over his eyes. “Yes, yes, I am aware. If you want me coherent enough to play my part then I need sleep, you know.” A soft huff. “Also, who says I would die? Or that she will not return and take the crown regardless?”
“Please, I have seen your fighting skills, boy,” Jor-El drawls. “And that girl has never so much as held a weapon, nor will we be sending her in with one. She will not make it past the first floor.” He sighs. “Though I have learned to be thorough anytime the Ze family is involved, and she does carry the same blood as her aunt, so we will prepare for her emerging alive just in case.” He’s silent for a moment, and the next part is a muttered thought more than anything else. “My brother is too much of a coward to reveal a royal secret, so if I frame it as an assassination the Ze twins should be convinced.”
When he begins lecturing his son on how exactly to act to show his brother that he is indeed a brave warrior content with his role as a sacrifice to save his people, Astra takes her leave before she gives in to the impulse to kill them both, as such an attempt would likely end in her death rather than theirs. They are swaddled in a truly ridiculous amount of protection spells, and by the time she broke through them the whole camp would be after her head.
She returns to the mansion and cannot contain her growls, to the point that the guards outside her sister’s chambers open the doors before she’s even halfway down the long hall, and when she enters and sees Alura and Zor-El talking quietly over a sleeping Kara she ignores their questions and their shock when she practically jumps onto the bed, hugging her pup and pressing her face to her hair. It’s only after several deep inhales of the familiar scent that she and her wolf calm, and then Kara squirms enough to peer up at her curiously.
“Is the queen with them?” Kara asks. She hums and pokes Astra’s cheek. “Or did you not notice because you were too busy dreaming of all the weapons and magic stones you could buy with the so-called dowry you’ll all receive for sending me as a sacrifice?” She squeaks when Astra hugs her tighter. “You’re acting strange, omega aunt lady.”
Astra still can’t speak, can only hold her little one and shake with fury and grief, and then her sister is rubbing her back and quietly asking her what she’d learned.
“Jor-El and his son are both here,” Astra finally says, and her sister and brother-in-law make soft sounds of distress even as their pup mutters ‘obviously’. “There are six carriages filled with gold and jewels just as Kara said, and… Jor-El and Kal-El were both awake and scheming. From what they said, he only ever mentioned Kara being queen as a lead-up to this.” She pauses long enough for Zor-El to growl several curses, still clutching her little one tightly and the others’ anger rising to match her own. “Jor-El also… said she will certainly die, as she has never been trained in combat and they will send her in with no weapon. He is wary enough of me that he will be setting up an ambush for if she does emerge alive, and… he said that Zor-El would never reveal the royal secret so framing her death as an assassination would be enough to convince Alura and I.”
“I could’ve told you all of that,” Kara drawls, though to Astra’s surprise she snuggles closer and presses her face to her neck. “I’ve prolly said it before, guard lady, but you smell good.”
Normally she puts some distance between them when Kara makes those kinds of comments, but now Astra just curls around her, still trembling and slightly horrified to realize the calmest person in the room is Kara, who she can tell is already back to dozing.
“It is not even about saving his son,” Astra eventually whispers, petting her little one’s hair now and the room flooded with her and her sister’s calming pheromones. “He does not want a child he did not sire to take his throne.”
Alura reaches out and taps her head, and when Astra turns to her, her sister is watching her closely. “If you could have killed them they would no doubt be dead,” Alura says softly. “So what are you planning to do, sister?”
She looks between Alura and Zor-El several times and then sighs, dropping her head and pressing her face to Kara’s hair. “I will do all I can,” Astra whispers. “The rest is up to our little one.”
When Kara wakes up she’s surprised by a few things. First, her parents are not present despite this definitely being their room. Second, she slept soundly the rest of the night, which is odd on many levels. And third, and likely the reason she slept soundly, her aunt is still curled around her and wreathing her with her scent.
Kara turns to look at her and sees worried blue eyes already watching her. “Looking forward to the fireworks?” Kara asks.
Her aunt flinches and growls, and then kisses her forehead and pulls away, holding her gaze. “Little one, do you wish to live?”
“I’ve been trying to do just that, but someone keeps stopping me,” Kara drawls. She sighs. “Though I’ll admit falling a few stories in a body this weak may well have led to a very boring death.”
Her aunt narrows her eyes and Kara scents a bit of annoyance. “That did not answer my question. You have spoken of fleeing to get stronger and of killing yourself to kill them— so ignoring all of that, would you rather survive or perish?”
Kara considers it, and she must take quite awhile because she begins to scent the omega’s worry. “Survive,” she decides, though it’s admittedly because if the people she now hasn’t met somehow know what happened once she dies they’ll be extremely angry she chose death. “I’ve nearly died enough that survival has kinda been beaten into me. Though I did already die once, and it wasn’t too bad once the whole… core exploding part was done.” She regards her aunt curiously when her distress is strong enough to scent.
“We cannot stop Jor-El from coming here,” the omega eventually says, smoothing a hand over Kara’s hair now. “But we can keep him from taking you under the pretense of an engagement, and… we can do so in such a way that his retaliation will be feeble at best.”
Kara perks up at that and pops up, leaning on her elbow and staring down at her aunt with rapt attention. “Will it piss him off?”
“Very much so, yes,” her aunt says, lips twitching up into a smile. “He may well throw a tantrum for all to see. Mm, or pass out, I am not sure which.”
“I’m in,” Kara says immediately. “What is it, though? I couldn’t think of anything except running away. Even my plan to be disowned was just to buy time to run away.”
Her aunt takes a shuddering breath and looks away, and Kara is surprised to see her blush. “You cannot be engaged if you have already claimed a mate,” she whispers, voice trembling. “And… your uncle apparently still fears me for, ah, something I did in our youth…”
Kara puts the pieces together quickly and her wolf is suddenly very awake. She finds herself laying on top of her aunt in half a second, and when the omega startles and looks to her Kara cradles her face, holding her gaze. “I get to bite you?”
“If… you are alright with that… yes,” her aunt whispers.
Kara hums happily as her wolf rises within her, and when she starts secreting her strongest pheromones the omega goes limp beneath her. She growls quietly and tangles one hand in long hair, tugging gently and beginning to wrap the omega in her scent. Her aunt tilts her head, baring her neck, and Kara quickly darts down, her nose skimming along warm skin before she finds the place she wants. Her teeth feel sharp, then, and she easily sinks them into the soft skin, her pheromones increasing in potency when her omega whimpers softly. She thoroughly imprints her scent on her omega, and once she’s sure the claim has taken, the body beneath her relaxing impossibly farther and a breathy whine making her alpha feel very pleased, she gently extracts her teeth and laps at the wound, using the meager amount of magic she currently has to heal it.
She stays there awhile after, licking and nibbling at the healed mating bite and her omega soft and pliant beneath her, and eventually she hears a door open and registers her parents entering, which she happily ignores.
“Little star,” her mother says tiredly. “If you do not release my sister soon she will still be flushed by the time your uncle arrives, and she will not be nearly as intimidating as she usually is.”
Kara considers that, the scent of her omega’s embarrassment long having filled the room, and after nuzzling against the pretty bite mark and pressing a few quick kisses to the flushed skin she lifts her head, regarding her aunt curiously. “I shoulda asked this before claiming you, precious omega,” she muses, poking a very red cheek. “But what do I usually call you?”
Her father makes a sound of disbelief. “Kiddo, did you bite someone when you don’t even know their name?”
Kara pouts and elects to continue laying on her omega, head turned so she can see her parents. “I don’t know any of your names, or what I used to call you, or even if you really are who you say you are,” she says petulantly. “Mm, but I do know my wolf really wants this omega, and when she said we could bite her that’s all I could think about.”
“You called her ‘Aunt Astra’,” her mother says, seeming even more tired now. “My name is Alura, and you called me ‘jeju’, and his name is Zor-El and you called him ‘ukr’. If… you would like to call us other things you may, but I suggest waiting until after my sister has driven your uncle away.”
Kara decides this jeju person is correct, and she lifts her head and kisses her omega’s cheek. “You’re mine now, Aunt Astra,” she says happily, and when her aunt’s flush returns with a vengeance she smiles and nuzzles against her neck. “All mine,” she whispers to herself. “My precious omega.”
“What language was that?” Her ukr blurts, and Kara glances at him and just hums, settling and wrapping both arms around her omega’s waist.
“One you don’t know, I guess,” she drawls.
“I may not be fluent in every language,” Zor-El says, glaring at her now. “But I was a prince for awhile so I can at least recognize them all, and that isn’t one I’ve ever heard.”
“Then you shoulda talked to more people,” Kara declares.
“Little one,” her omega says, petting her hair now. “Our goal is to anger the members of the House of El who would see you dead, not the one who is partially responsible for your being alive and who raised you these past years.”
Kara pouts. “I don’t remember that last part anyway,” she grumbles. She cuddles closer to her omega. “And I know I gotta wait til I’m grown for certain things, precious omega, but I get to be as clingy as I want now.” She makes a soft, happy sound when she can sense her aunt is perfectly fine with that, and when she yawns her parents both shake their heads.
“You need to get ready for your party,” her mother drawls. A thoughtful hum. “Or would you rather your uncle find out about this in the privacy of our quarters?”
Kara sighs and finally rolls off of her omega, sitting on the bed and glaring at her parents. “You’re worse than Alex,” she grumbles. She startles when her aunt is suddenly sitting beside her, cupping her cheek and turning her face to meet her gaze much as she had on the roof.
“Little one, who is Alex?” Astra asks.
Kara starts to answer and then stops, brow crinkling. “No one who knows me now, I guess,” she whispers, and her sorrow must be strong enough to scent because her omega immediately hugs her, wrapping her in her scent.
As soon as Astra releases her, Alura is there, smoothing her hand over her hair and then hugging her as well once she stands. She kisses her forehead before stepping away. “Alright, little star, let us get ready then,” her jeju says softly.
Kara mumbles an agreement and barely even pays attention as she’s brought to her room, mind spinning now with all that hasn’t happened and that she can’t bear to live through again, and she’s so spaced out that the maids helping her get ready eventually quit asking her questions she doesn’t know the answers to (she knows nothing of dresses or makeup or jewelry) and get her ready in relative silence.
Astra stays near her… alpha pup’s side as the party wears on, waiting for the uninvited guests and doing her best not to laugh at Kara’s blatant apathy towards all the nobles stumbling through their introductions to her, the girl only being civil because Alura is also nearby and alternating between glaring and coaching her through each interaction.
When there’s finally a break Kara just stands there blankly, and Astra ends up leading her to the buffet table… and then loading up a plate for her because her little one also stares at the food blankly.
“Thanks, I think,” Kara mumbles, taking the plate warily and giving the food an uncertain look. “None of this is going to explode, right? Or have gross fillings?”
Astra blinks at her. “Little one, I do not know what you had to eat in a dungeon, but surely those types of things did not happen at the palace?”
Kara’s eyes widen and she quickly shakes her head and stuffs a pastry in her mouth, and before Astra can question her more she’s eating faster than is healthy, and it takes all she has to get the girl to slow down.
“Why were people bothering me when they could have been eating?” Kara asks, entirely serious, and when Astra and her sister both smile at her she pouts. “It’s a genuine question.”
“This party serves to introduce you as this dukedom’s heir,” Alura explains, smoothing a hand over Kara’s hair and smiling when the girl leans into the touch. “They are hoping to leave a good impression, and, ah… they are likely also hoping their children leave a good impression.”
Kara stares at them both blankly and idly starts eating a cookie.
“They are hoping you will end up taking one of their children as a mate,” Astra drawls. “Your wolf’s nature is not yet known to the public, and most nobles have many children so are reasonably certain at least one will be a good match.” When Kara just raises her eyebrows at her, giving her neck a pointed look, she sighs. “I chose the uniform that would terrify a certain uninvited guest most, and it happens to have a high collar so at the very least it will be a… dramatic reveal.”
Kara hums happily and tucks herself against Astra’s side, and as more nobles flock over to introduce themselves the girl is more talkative, at least in between bites of pastries.
It’s just as the lunch proper is about to begin, most guests slowly filtering towards the tables, that one of Astra’s guards sends her a signal. She alerts her sister, and Alura swiftly moves to the ballroom’s entrance with her husband.
Alura calmly announces to everyone that the King and Crown Prince will be entering soon, and servants smoothly make the necessary preparations as the hall falls silent. A royal guard enters then, a pompous one Astra recognizes and sneers at, and when he finds everything perfect for a royal visit and that not a soul is surprised by his arrival he frowns and stumbles through the introduction.
Jor-El and his son enter, and both are also surprised to see everything perfectly in place— a rug for them to walk in on, the nobles arranged accordingly and bowing, and even preferential seats prepared at the head table.
“Brother,” Jor-El says, turning to Zor-El and his eye twitching. “It is as if you knew we were coming.”
“I don’t know why you didn’t stay the night with us, your majesty,” Zor-El says easily. “We have plenty of rooms available, and I’m sure they would’ve been far more comfortable than the hills just outside our estate.”
Even as he grins and leads the royals to their seats, the nobles lining the carpet exchange furtive looks, and Astra hears one young man quietly ask his father what the king is hiding from the duke if he’d rather sleep in a tent than in a bed.
Astra and Kara are standing near the tables already, and when the royals reach them the king doesn’t so much as look at her but moves forward as if to hug her little one, who quickly ducks behind her.
“No thanks,” Kara drawls, and for half a second rage is plain on the man’s face. His son, however, nearly laughs before quickly adopting a neutral expression.
“It seems our little star is a bit shy,” Alura says easily. They’d all known Kara wouldn’t indulge the king in the least, and Astra is just glad her alpha pup hadn’t attempted to fight the man or use her scent to force him to kneel, as it is… far stronger than she had expected.
“She seems to like Astra just fine,” Jor-El grinds out, and when he finally looks at her he stiffens, because she had of course chosen the uniform most similar to the one she had worn back when she’d trained in the palace and had to scare him off.
“Well, General Astra has been her guard for quite some time now,” Zor-El says. “Shall we eat, brother?”
The meal is, to date, the most awkward Astra has ever sat through. Jor-El and Kal-El both try to engage Kara in conversation, and her little one eventually tires of simply staying silent and turns to her, blatantly ignoring them and instead asking her questions of the estate and the kingdom and various other things everyone likely assumes she must already know, and even as the royals grow angrier Astra ensures she answers her questions with as much detail as possible because she has no doubt her alpha pup has truly forgotten most of it.
Once the meal is done, Jor-El quickly stands and says he has a present for the ducal house, and they all watch quietly as chest after chest of gold and gems are brought in and laid in the center of the hall. He turns to them expectantly and frowns when they’re all still sitting.
“Your majesty,” Alura muses. “Whatever could be the occasion for all this? Surely our little star does not need such extravagance for her birthday.”
Jor-El’s eye twitches. “As I said, Duchess, this is a gift for your house,” he emphasizes the last words, looking to his brother now.
Zor-El leans back in his seat, brow crinkled. “And why would we need a gift on our pup’s birthday? Seems a bit odd, really.”
The king gestures for his son to stand and Kal-El hurriedly complies, turning to Kara and holding out his hand. “We came here today so you and I could be engaged, cousin,” he says, giving her a genial smile.
Kara blinks at him. “No thanks.”
Kal-El falters but steps closer. “I know I am nearly a decade your senior,” he says carefully, “and we will of course not consummate the marriage until you come of age.” He glances at his father. “Ah, we brought the dowry now as it would be best if you moved to the palace to begin your training as the future queen.”
Kara scowls at him. “I don’t care about any of that, and I already have a mate, so get lost, coward.”
Kal-El flinches at that and backs away, only stopping when he literally runs into his father, who steadies him with a hand to his shoulder.
“Kara,” Jor-El says, glaring at her now. “You have only just come of age to begin officially training for your position. I understand this is a bit overwhelming, but to lie about having a mate is uncalled for.”
Kara gives him a dead-eyed stare that makes Astra’s wolf want to wrap her in her scent, and she has to refrain, instead staying in her seat quietly while her alpha pup hops to her feet and moves to her other side, tugging the collar of her uniform down and giving the royals a sharp smile.
“Aunt Astra is my mate,” Kara declares, meeting the king’s shocked gaze. “She belongs to me, and is far superior to you and your cowardly heir.” She wraps her arms around Astra’s shoulders in a hug, resting her cheek on top of her head.
Astra reaches up and cards her hand through Kara’s hair, giving both men a cool look. “My little alpha will not be going near the royal palace so long as I live, your majesty, so I suggest you take your leave.”
Alura sends all the gold and jewels back to the carriages with a flick of her wrist. “It seems you are all packed, your majesty,” she says smoothly. “Please do have a safe journey home.”
Jor-El is looking between them all with shock, and Zor-El claps a hand on his shoulder. “I’d offer to let you stay the night, brother, but I don’t think any of us would be comfortable with that,” he says lightly. He turns to Kal-El and gives him a sharp smile. “I wish you luck.”
Kal-El pales and grabs the king’s arm. “Father, do something,” he hisses. “If we leave without her I will have to—“
“Silence,” Jor-El growls. His face goes from red to puce as he rounds on Zor-El. “You told them, did you not?”
“Told who what?” Zor-El asks easily. “Ah, is it that Kara has claimed her aunt? It’s my wife’s fault, really.”
Alura comes very close to whacking his arm despite this being the story they’d decided on, and she instead turns a practiced glare to Kara and Astra. “I made the mistake of promising our little star whatever she wanted once she became old enough to start training under my husband, though given that I did so when she was a toddler asking for a pet dragon I did not expect her to remember, or to use it to claim my sister.”
“I will prove it,” Jor-El seethes, voice echoing in the large hall. “I will prove you have betrayed the royal trust, brother, and I will see you executed!” He grabs Kal-El’s arm and storms from the hall, and once the door has closed behind him Alura and Zor-El calmly tell everyone that the garden is lovely this time of day and they really should all get some fresh air.
Kara barely waits until all the guests have filtered out to start laughing, and she ends up clinging to Astra even after she stands. Her little one clutches her tightly, giggling and hiding her face against her for a long while, and again she whispers things in a language none of them recognize.
Time passes very quickly. Kara spends her days cuddling with her omega whenever possible, and eventually her jeju and ukr when they start sulking. In between that she eats delicious foods and takes boring classes her tutors are very confused at having to reteach her, and at her insistence she is also allowed to join the soldiers’ training, albeit for a very short amount of time each day as she builds up her strength.
Her uncle, it seems, has decided to play a game of chicken, ensuring his son’s presence is well documented and clearly hoping Zor-El will cave and bring Kara to the palace. He sends a handful of kidnappers for her and assassins for her family and her aunt and her soldiers easily handle them all. Still, he does not send his son to the dungeon, and around three months after her party, her father growing increasingly worried and her omega and her mother both working to strengthen the estate’s defenses, Kara stands abruptly from the small dining table they have family meals at and goes to the window that faces the direction the palace is in.
Astra is by her side quickly, and when Kara doesn’t react she smooths a hand over her hair. “Is something wrong, little one?”
Kara hums, laying her hand on the glass and squinting into the distance. “The dungeon should be breaking around now,” she says quietly, and her parents are beside them in half a second, also watching the horizon worriedly.
“Can you sense it somehow?” Zor-El asks, his fear strong enough to scent.
Kara makes an annoyed sound. “My omega will not let me fight real monsters so my magic is pathetically weak, ukr. Even if I had that ability, it would not work at this distance.” She hums and lets her mother tuck her against her side.
“Then how do you know, little star?”
“I saw the countdown when I was tossed in,” Kara says easily. “As soon as we arrived at the palace the king and prince took me straight to the portal and tossed me through. Given the travel time, today is the day.”
“Little one,” Astra says slowly. “If you… entered the dungeon immediately, how did you learn a language Zor-El does not recognize, and how did you meet someone named Alex whose… not knowing you causes you such sorrow?”
Kara looks to her omega and then goes back to gazing out the window. “Unlike the others who returned, I actually cleared the dungeon,” she says quietly. Kara breathes on the glass and draws a symbol in the fog, the crest of the House of El. “It took me nearly a thousand years, and I did not age a day all the while.” Even as her family freezes, Kara spots a flash on the horizon— a brilliant red glow despite the sun long having set. “And Alex does not know me anymore, so may well kill me now that they are all free.”
“Now that who is free, little star?” Alura whispers, the arm around her painfully tight.
“All of the goddesses and gods and other divinities the House of El locked away at Krypton’s founding,” Kara whispers, and in the deafening silence, a wave of magic flows over and through them, and when she blinks she can see the colors of mana in the air, the magic of the world now exponentially greater than it was. “Most will be happy they are free, though several will seek revenge on our house.” She gives her family a wan smile. “Luckily they will do so based on blood, so the only ones here who will die are ukr and I.”
Kara slips away and goes back to the table, moving her plate of meat and vegetables aside and pulling an entire cake towards herself.
“I may as well have something sweet before I die again,” she muses, taking a large bite. She immediately spits it out, the icing spicy and burning her mouth, and grabs for her drink, hesitantly sipping it and then spitting it out as well, the bitter liquid only making matters worse. Kara sighs and sits back in her seat. “Messing with a person’s food before their execution is a bit rude, Ruby.”
A little girl materializes in front of her and launches at her, hugging her and giggling so much Kara has to settle her on her lap. “Kara! You fell for it again!”
Kara’s brow crinkles even as her family ogles them both. “Again? Do you remember me?”
Ruby’s mouth drops open, and when she speaks she switches from the divine language to the human one Kara taught her. “Course I ‘member you, you’re my big sister!” She hops up and flicks Kara’s forehead, and when she winces the girl frowns. “How come you’re so weak, Kara? You used to could punch a mountain down when you would fight with Mama!”
Kara rubs her forehead, grimacing, and before she can answer a hand lands on her head, and a burst of magic soothes the bruise she could already feel forming and the burning in her mouth all in one. She tilts her head back and hums. “If you also aren’t killing me, do you remember as well?”
Sam tuts and kisses her forehead. “We all remember you, kiddo. Lena changed your time, not ours.” She grins then, poking Kara’s cheek. “You are pathetically weak, though. I can’t believe you made it past the test dungeon like this.”
Kara pouts. “It’s not my fault I’m sheltered. My family is at least letting me train now, but my omega refuses to let me kill monsters until I can stand against her in a fight for at least ten seconds, and I don’t think that’s ever gonna happen.”
Sam gapes at her, and then there’s a loud bang and Alex appears beside her, glaring at Kara and both hands on her hips.
“Why the fuck do you have an omega? You’re a kid!” Her sister looks ready to burn some things down and is already looking between the two present omegas suspiciously.
Kara pouts. “I’m over a thousand,” she grumbles. “And I didn’t know only my… or, this world’s time, I guess, was affected. I couldn’t handle fighting for a thousand years again, or you all not knowing me and hating me, and we had to scare off my uncle somehow.” She hums and reaches out, latching onto Alex’s sleeve. “And I’ve apparently been wanting to bite her since my wolf started waking up, so if you hurt her I’ll never speak to you again, sister.”
Alex deflates. “Fine,” she grumbles. “But which one is she, and also I’m not letting you do any fun stuff with her until you’re actually an adult!”
Ruby lifts her arms and Alex scoops her up. “Mama,” the little girl says, patting her cheek. “What’s ‘fun stuff’? You mean Kara can’t play games or eat yummy foods with uh… her omega?”
Sam barks a laugh and ruffles the girl’s hair. “Your mama’s just being a brat, Rubes, feel free to ignore her.” She props her arm on Kara’s head and surveys the three humans still watching them all in shock. “Kiddo,” Sam says casually. “In terms of blood all three of these people are your parents.”
“So they were telling the truth, good to know,” Kara muses, ignoring when her jeju and ukr both groan. “And it’s not my fault she’s my jeju’s identical twin.” Kara pokes her sister’s side and then points to Astra. “She’s my precious omega, and my aunt, and aside from when I bit her the most we do is cuddle, which my jeju and ukr also wanna do with me, and it’s surprisingly nice.” She glares at Ruby then. “And none of them mess with my food, which is also nice.” Ruby sticks her tongue out and Kara immediately copies her.
Alex points to them both. “Children. Cuddling only,” she drawls.
Astra puts her head in her hand. “I am aware,” she growls. “And I was doing perfectly fine ignoring my pup’s advances until she did not even know who I was and suddenly had a traumatic past she refused to speak of.”
Kara quits making faces at Ruby and looks back to Sam then. “How did all that work out, anyway? You’re all free, obviously, but…”
“Monsters aren’t flooding the land, if that’s what you mean,” Sam drawls, hugging Kara now and resting her head on top of hers. “Everything you did after going through the portal was unchanged. All the monsters are dead, all of us are free and healed. We had to wait for the dungeon to break before we could come to this world, and when we sensed what happened when you returned Lena decided to send you back. We weren’t sure if the dungeon would break and let us out early or not, but either way we all wanted you to live.”
Kara hums and easily catches Ruby when the little girl flies back to her. “Knowing all my work wasn’t undone would have been useful,” she decides.
Alex growls and nearly flicks her before Sam grabs her hand and reminds her of how fragile Kara is now. “She had to send you back as quickly as possible because you did something fucking stupid,” Alex snarls, bending down and getting far too close to her face. “Destroying your magic core also destroys your soul, and it took all of us lending Lena our power to keep you intact long enough to send you back.” She straightens then and smirks. “I lent a bit more power, which is probably why you’ve started talking like me now.”
Kara’s nose scrunches up and she turns to her family. “I’d like to start relearning how I normally talked, please.”
“Rude,” her sister says.
Kara glares at her. “You’re the goddess of combat, and I haven’t even been allowed to spar with a real weapon yet. Talking like you is gonna get me killed.”
Alex perks up at that. “Your omega is the one training you, right? Let’s see…” She vanishes and reappears by Astra, and even as she reaches for her the omega is already reflexively dodging. Alex makes a surprised sound and grabs her arm anyway, and then she’s suddenly behind her and hugging her around her shoulders much as Sam still is Kara, resting her head on Astra’s. “I like her,” Alex says sleepily. “Mm, you being related to my best warrior in this time period makes a lotta sense.” She rubs her cheek against Astra’s hair. “If you hadn’t claimed her I’d be asking my wife if I could.”
Kara growls and glares at her sister. “Stop making my omega uncomfortable.”
Alex huffs but releases a very stiff Astra and resettles beside her. “I wasn’t expecting her to be the closest she can be to my avatar without my damn blessing,” her sister grumbles, flushing and looking away when Ruby starts giggling. “Rubes, go back to messing with Kara’s food.”
“You actin’ like Mommy does with my sister,” Ruby chirps, clapping.
Kara has no clue what any of that meant, and Sam sighs and tightens her hold.
“You already know we all have a domain of power,” Sam says carefully. “But when a human is… at the pinnacle of that domain, we can get a bit… clingy. Your aunt is the strongest warrior this realm currently has and you…” She sighs. “Even now that you’re weak your self hasn’t changed, so you still stand at the pinnacle of both my and Lena’s domains.”
Kara considers that. “I know your domain is magic, but… what’s Lena’s?” She’d met Alex first, as soon as she’d chosen to continue rather than exit once she’d cleared the test dungeon, and met Sam second, a few floors later, and Lena… was sealed on the final floor of the dungeon, and Kara had known her only long enough to wake her before the dungeon was cleared and she was ejected into an ambush, all alone for the first time in centuries and surrounded by people who reeked of hostility and bloodlust.
The room ripples and Lena appears, bending down to kiss a very excited Ruby’s forehead before cradling Kara’s face and looking her over with worried green eyes. “My domain is humanity,” she says softly, thumbs stroking Kara’s cheeks. “You chose to continue past the test dungeon because you did not wish any others to be sacrifices in the future, and you were the first to ever do so.” She smiles and kisses Kara’s forehead and both her cheeks. “You even won over the divinities who most reviled humanity.”
“I wasn’t that bad,” Alex grumbles, and when Kara peeks around she’s annoyed to see her sister is again cuddling her omega, though at least she’s just holding her hand and pressing herself against her arm this time. “I even took the kid as my little sister, come on.”
“After trying to kill me,” Kara drawls. “At least a dozen times.”
Alex pouts. “We all tried a few times. Except for Lena…”
Even as Astra and her parents growl, Kara is distracted by a small hand patting her cheek. “Kara,” Ruby says, very serious. “I sorry I poisoned you.”
Kara kisses the girl’s forehead. “I’ll take poisoned cookies over eating rancid monster parts any day, little goddess of cuisine.”
Ruby claps happily and kisses her cheek. “You not the closest to bein’ my avatar yet but you gettin’ there, I think.”
Sam makes an annoyed sound. “Kid, it’s bad enough that I’m gonna be fighting my best friend over you, don’t add my daughter into the mix.”
“I have no clue how to not do that,” Kara drawls.
“Like food less,” Alex drawls.
“If that is the case you will all be ‘fighting’ over my little one soon enough,” Astra muses. She flicks Alex’s forehead when she pouts. “And if you try to harm my alpha pup again, goddess of combat or not, I will find a way to kill you.”
Alex gives her an absolutely dreamy look and turns to Kara. “Can I have her? Please?”
“No,” Kara growls. “She’s mine. You already have Sam.”
Alex pouts. “And you already have Lena.”
Kara blinks. “I what now?”
Sam finally releases her, clutching her own waist as she laughs, and when Kara looks helplessly to Lena, the goddess is flushed and staring out the window.
“That’s how you woke her up,” Sam finally says. “Kid, did you never realize what the spell I taught you does?”
Kara thinks back and then scowls at Sam. “You masked it,” she grumbles. “You hid its true intent under like a dozen layers, and I didn’t have much time. You cheater.”
“Kara,” Ruby says sadly. “You not wanna marry Auntie Lena? But she so nice!”
Kara huffs and gives the child a look. “I already promised you and your mommies I’d do whatever was needed to free you all, Rubes. I haven’t actually known your aunt more than a few minutes, but I’m mostly annoyed your mommy hid the spell’s true intent from me.” She looks away, pouting. “And that I didn’t realize.”
Alex hums. “Lena, you can’t do fun stuff with Kara til she’s an adult either.”
Lena immediately glares at her. “I didn’t even enter this marriage willingly. I’d literally been asleep for thousands of years.”
Sam gives a shameless grin. “And the best way to wake you up was to bind you to the person who stood at the pinnacle of your domain.” She turns to Kara then, frowning. “That was my plan all along, but I didn’t think even the House of El would send a literal child.” She looks to her wife. “You killed the man who should have entered the dungeon slowly, I hope?”
“I’d’ve gotten here a lot sooner otherwise,” Alex drawls. “You know I love to watch my little sister get tricked by Ruby.”
When Sam looks to Lena, she rolls her eyes. “And I handled the king,” Lena drawls. “Really, Sam, I’ve had plenty of time to stew in our defeat, do you truly think I would let the opportunity to enact revenge on a descendant of the Els pass by?” She glances to a very pale Zor-El and sighs. “Your brother and nephew are the only ones we planned to kill. You raised the child who finally freed us, and Kara managed to win over even the most stubborn of us on her journey through the true dungeon.” Lena hums and turns back to Kara. “I did leave Krypton’s queen alive, as she truly had no knowledge of their plan or even of the dungeon, but I also had her agree that should you desire the throne it will be yours.”
Kara immediately makes a face, and Ruby gasps and pats her cheeks. “You gotta be queen so Auntie Lena is queen, Kara,” the little girl whines. “Uh, and your auntie omega too I guess.”
“Fine,” Kara grumbles, glancing at her omega and then facing her… goddess. “I’ll take the stupid throne, but only cuz… the gift you gave me was pretty good after all, and I was kinda a jerk about it.” She looks away, flushing, when Lena smirks. “I’m not being queen til I’ve reached adulthood though, and I’m keeping my precious omega no matter what, and you need to hang out with me sometimes before we have to run a kingdom so I can actually get to know you.”
“That sounds alright to me,” Lena decides. She steals Ruby and holds the little girl close, smiling when Astra escapes Alex’s hold and immediately hugs Kara to herself when she stands, growling quietly. “General Astra, I promise you we mean her no harm.”
“Anymore,” Alex mumbles. “I, uh… was kind of a brat at first.” She winces when Sam smacks her arm. “You were too.”
“I was giving her a crash course in magic that admittedly should have been… gentler,” Sam decides. She gives Astra a sheepish look. “We hadn’t had Ruby yet and uh… I hadn’t met a human child in a few thousand years…”
“I am amazed our little star survived,” Alura whispers.
Kara startles when Cat appears, already draped all over her jeju. “She’s very stubborn and excellent at politics, dear,” the goddess purrs, nuzzling against Alura’s face. “She gets it from you, of course.”
Zor-El immediately pouts. “Am I not at the pinnacle of anyone’s domain? That’s not fair.” Her ukr is definitely whining.
“Ohhh you are,” Sam drawls, giving the man a sharp smile. “Jack is currently raiding your little home lab to see what all magitech devices you’ve come up with.” She laughs when Zor-El mutters a curse and starts running to his lab. “You’ve got an interesting family, kiddo.”
Kara smiles very proudly and burrows closer to her omega, wrapping her in her scent to help her calm. “I like em all okay,” she mumbles, flushing when her aunt hugs her closer and kisses the top of her head. Kara smiles the biggest she has since she woke up three months ago. “And you all are my family too, so… I’m really glad you’re all here and… remember me too.”
Ruby immediately zooms at her and hugs her tightly, and her omega releases her long enough for Alex and Sam to squish her in a hug as well, and even Cat hugs her, and when she hesitantly asks Lena for a hug too the goddess obliges, surprise strong enough to scent.
“Sam told me a lot about you,” Kara says, kissing her cheek even as she feels heat rise to her face. She huddles against her omega when Astra quickly hugs her from behind, calming and managing to smile at the surprised goddess. “It’ll be fun to get to know you for myself, and I’m glad Ruby is getting to know you too.”
Lena gives Sam a very intense look, and Sam groans. “Ugh, fine, she can be your avatar. Mm, if she has any pups that could be mine I get to give them my blessing though.”
“Deal,” Lena says quickly, and she darts forward, kissing Kara’s forehead. A warm light floods her, and when it fades she feels… significantly stronger. “It will take time and effort to regain your previous strength, but this at least should keep you safe and help you along,” her goddess tells her, smiling when Kara quickly thanks her and mumbles that now maybe Ruby won’t accidentally kill her.
“My turn,” Alex singsongs, appearing beside them. She flies enough to kiss Astra’s forehead, and Kara feels the warmth flooding the body still tightly hugging hers. When Alex settles beside them, she smirks. “Good luck lasting ten seconds against her now, little sister.”
Kara pouts but before she can come up with a retort to that her jeju gasps and she looks over to see Cat kissing her forehead and her whole body glowing slightly before the light fades.
“Uncle Jack kissed your ukr too,” Ruby chirps, clapping. “You’re all like us now, kinda, Kara!” She pouts then. “I wanna meet my avatar too.”
“You’ll find em some day, Rubes,” Sam says, petting the child’s hair. “What they just did takes a lot of magic, so it’s probably best to wait for now.”
Ruby sighs. “Okay, Mommy.” She hugs Lena then, nuzzling against her. “Auntie Lena, you gotta play with me too, not just my big sister!”
“Hm, as long as you don’t play any tricks with my food,” Lena decides. “Kara’s is of course fair game.” She smirks when Kara pouts and Ruby cackles.
“Congratulations, dear,” Cat drawls, once again clinging to Alura. “You’ve saved us all so we can tease you as much as we wish.” She smiles when Kara pouts at her. “And we’ll also protect you, of course, so if you are in trouble again, Kara, call for us before doing something so foolish as you did last time.” Her gaze turns sharp, and Kara curls closer to her aunt, flushing.
“I’m sorry,” Kara whispers. She glances around and smiles a bit shyly. “And thank you.” She bounces slightly, and knows her joy is strong enough to scent. “I’m gonna make the most of this life with all of you, I promise.”
Cat gives her the most genuine smile she’s yet seen, and her omega makes a soft, pleased sound, her happiness at this strong enough to scent.
“See that you do, little one,” Astra whispers, kissing the top of her head. “And we will all make the most of our lives with you.”
Lena, Ruby, Sam, and Alex all agree with that, and Jack zips in with several devices in his hands and her ukr hot on his heels, shouting his agreement as well as Zor-El demands he give the magitech toys back and also explain why he kissed him fully on the mouth because he already has a mate thank you very much.