Back To Krypton

Chapter 43 - The Final Chapter

Kara lifts her head up from where she was staring at her feet as the pod pulls up outside of the accommodation. She climbs out after reaching over and grabbing her things from the footwell in the front, ignoring the way the Kelex seems to be staring into her soul accusingly as she does so.

Walking to the front door, she unwraps Esme's jacket from around hers and unravels hers so she can put it on. She doesn't want to be separated from it now, that wouldn't be very helpful. She tucks both Esme's teddy and her jacket under her left arm and reaches out to open the door with her right, Kelex on her tail the entire time.

She walks in to find both her parents and the entire group sitting in the living area, everyone so silent that she could hear a pin drop.

"Hi." She says to break the awkward air about the room, unsure of what else she can say given their current situation.

Her mother's jaw tightens and her father's hands clench into fists around the material of his pants. "Is that all you have to say?" He asks through gritted teeth.

"I don't know what you want me to say. Let's be honest; we both knew this would happen and had to happen."

Alura springs to her feet like she's about to race over to her to confront her, but Zor-El's hand on her wrist stops her and has her composing herself once more. "Kara, that's not true."

"Yes, it is. We haven't trusted each other since we made that deal. I know you wouldn't give me the crystal, and you've always known that I would figure that out and try to steal it." Kara argues, exasperated because she knows it to be true no matter how much they deny it.

Zor-El sniffs harshly. "I trusted you, Kara. I admit that I've known that you don't trust me all along, but you're my daughter. No matter how old you are, you're my blood and I trust you. I wish you could've granted us that same honour."

"So you're going to tell me you wouldn't have tried negotiating for more days? Or maybe just not given it to me until we figured out the atmosphere issue?" Kara sits down on the edge of the nearest couch, perched beside Nia. In doing so, she sees little Esme curled up between her parents, obviously nervous, if not afraid. "Can we talk about this in private? She doesn't need to hear this."

Her mother shakes her head. "I can't trust that you don't have some other plan that requires her to be elsewhere while we are distracted."

Kara frowns. "I'm not you, mother. I don't use children to trap or trick people."

Alura recoils as though she's been slapped. "I did what I did because I had to, not because I wanted to."

"No, you didn't. You could've used my beacon to call her without having me there. You arrested her in front of me and I'll always remember you as the woman who took away my aunt."

"I sent you into the other room." Alura tries to argue.

"Do you think a twelve-year-old girl is just going to go without peeking? You didn't even check that I'd gone. You know what? Never mind. Just let someone take her out of here. She's just a kid."

This time, it's Zor-El that shakes his head. "No."

"Excuse me?" Kara looks absolutely disgusted as her father stands up and grabs her by the forearm, pulling her across the room to sit beside her mother before he settles in front of her so she can't escape.

The look she finds herself on the receiving end of is nothing short of pure devastation. "I want to trust you, Inah, but you've left me no choice. I cannot allow you to disrespect our family."

He steps forward and reaches out to grasp her arm again as her mother does the same on the arm closest to her.

"Hey, get your hands off her!" Alex is on her feet and storming over quicker than a bullet from a gun, but she's still not quick enough because she's rounded on by both the Kelex from the accommodation and the one from the apartment that arrived with Kara. Their claw hands aren't anywhere in sight as she's threatened in a very similar manner to how Kara was back when she tried to steal the safe.