A Million Reasons | K. Danvers ✔

[71] Alura's Necklace

• July 06, 2017 •

It was early morning by the time the Daxamites finally retreated. The lead in the air had made it impossible for them to stay on Earth and with Tim managing to disable the weaponry units as well, they had to make their escape while they still could.

Mon had started to get affected by the lead in the atmosphere as well because even though they had not let him leave Mount Justice, it was still impossible to seal out all the external air.

And with him already being affected by lead due to the spears he had used to fight off the guards, it was making his situation worsen. The only option left was to send him away from Earth.

He was aware that he would have to leave either way so he had been expecting that. His space pod had already been repaired with the help of Meg's uncle back when he had just joined the YJ.

All he had to do was say goodbye and leave before his condition got fatally worse.

He had started to cough due to the lead poisoning and his features were pale, but he thanked all of them for helping him out. the space pod was waiting outside for departure and he knew the worst part would be getting to the space pod as the external air was heavily poisoned.

"This isn't goodbye," Connor hugged him, making sure not to suffocate him, "this is just till we meet again."

"I'll miss you all," he managed to say, knowing that time was running out.

Kara couldn't help but once again find a similarity in the situation of Mon having to leave Earth and her own self being sent away from Krypton. Her hand tightened on the pendant she was wearing, given to her by her mother Alura Zor-El as a parting gift.

Mon didn't know how to say goodbye to her because it was the hardest part for him. He had never before felt that way for anyone else and having to leave Kara was something he didn't want to even think about.

But there wasn't a choice left so he tried to speak up, bid her farewell and then leave.

Before he could do so, Kara unfastened the necklace she was wearing and gave it to him, "my mother gave it to me when I left Krypton, my home. And now I'm giving it to you as you leave Earth, your home. I'm sure you will find your way back to us when the time is right."

The surge of happiness he felt when she referred to Earth as his home was inexplicable. A smile broke out on his features as he took the necklace, "thank you, I'll keep this with me forever."

"Oh come on, stop making me emotional," Tim interfered as usual, "or else I'll break down to tears and do something you'll all regret later."

"Truth be told, Tim, we all regret your presence one way or other," Meg remarked, "what can you do that would be any different?"

His mouth dropped open in an o shape, "oh yeah? I'll go with Mon and never come back."

Meg rolled her eyes, unaffected by the statement, "please do."

"No! Don't you dare!" Richard took hold of him instantly, knowing that he was very unpredictable and could act upon it.

Mon chuckled, their antics making him laugh despite the fact that he was feeling quite sad at having to leave. "Don't get emotional, Tim. We might meet again someday soon."

"Someday soon? Now that's another reason for me to keep living, y'know," he rolled his eyes and stopped struggling to get out of Richard's grip, "don't I hate it when you guys give me more reasons to live?"

"Enough of your depressing talk," Artemis rebuked him, "it isn't going to help make the situation any better."

At last, it was time for him to leave and as he came out of Mount Justice, the poisoned air struck him. But Wally had been prepared for that as he got him to the space pod in a flash.

Mon took hold of the operating system, sealing the pod shut and pumping fresh air internally through its tank. He knew he would have to put up with the traces of lead in the air for some time before it automatically got filtered out.

He glanced out to see the Young Justice standing together, all of them holding their hands up in farewell to him. With one last glance and a nod, he pulled off the gear and the space pod started rising.

He kept looking out at them and waved as well because it would be the last time he was seeing them. He did not know how long it would take and where he was headed but he knew that he would eventually come back.

And they would all be waiting for him. That reassurance and the encouraging smiles on their faces were what motivated him.

A new adventure awaited him and as the space pod took speed, finally breaking out of Earth's gravitation to propel itself into outer space, he knew he would have a lot more stories to tell them about other worlds he would explore when he would return in the future.

And that thought put him at ease. 

But he also knew that Rhea taking control of Daxam and his father's status as alive or dead being a mystery wasn't something he could easily overlook. He decided that he would wait for some time but eventually go to Daxam first and see what conspiracy his mother had set into motion.

It would be foolish to go alone so he had to make use of his time in space to discover other people that could help him out. He would make sure not to endanger any other planet but also put a stop to Rhea's regime if it threatened the rest of Daxam.

He was holding the necklace Kara had given him and he decided to wear it, as a remembrance of her and the rest of his friends. The pendant was deep blue like the color of an ocean and even the swirls in it seemed to mesmerize him.

He could see that necklace had been very important to Kara and the fact she had given it to him made him value her pure friendship even more. He did not resent not being in a relationship with her because she was already with someone who made her happy and deserved her.

Her friendship and concern would be enough for him and then he recalled how she had once told him that he would find someone too who would be the one for him. He wasn't a very optimistic person but the assurance Kara had said it with made him want to believe it was true.

As he fastened the necklace around his neck, he did not notice that a wormhole had opened up right in the space pod's path. 

He tried to steer the pod away soon as he realized but it was too late and his pod got swallowed up in that wormhole. Everything got dark around him and he did not know where he had been propelled to.

The least he could hope for was to survive because he wanted to keep up his promise of meeting his friends again.

***