The Shape of Things to Come

1

The City of Argo, Krypton: May 21st, 1977

Kara jumped through the shattered window of her childhood bedroom a moment before the floor gave way, but even the increased strength from Alex's old exoskeleton suit didn't give her enough of a push to clear the distance to the Waverider's waiting hatch. Fortunately, M'gann was there to catch her. One second, Kara was falling, the next M'gann's right arm was a thick tentacle, wrapped around her waist, and the Martian woman was hauling her into the open airlock.

"Thanks," Kara said as M'gann sat her on the floor. M'gann didn't really respond. She just nodded as she released Kara, and hit the button to close the door. Kara tapped her ear piece. "Get us clear," she said. Almost immediately, she felt the gut twisting nausea that came with a time jump. Not trusting herself to move during a jump without her powers, she just looked up at M'gann.

The blank look on M'gann's face hadn't changed since Harley had died nearly a week earlier. Kara wanted desperately to do something, anything, for her oldest remaining friend, but she didn't know what to say. She and Harley had been the only things holding each other together for the longest time.

There was a part of her that knew it wouldn't matter, not if their plan worked, but she couldn't help it. The desire to help was still there.

She waited until she felt them exit the time jump, then she stood up and headed towards the bridge. M'gann followed along silently as they picked their way through the debris-strewn corridors of the ship to where Sara was waiting for them.

"Did you get it?" Sara asked.

Kara held up the sky beacon.

"That's it?" she asked, "It doesn't look like much".

Kara shrugged. "It's not much," she said, "Just a paired-key homing beacon".

"How is that going to change the course of the war?" Sara asked.

"If I play my cards right, this will add twenty-nine very angry Kryptonians to our side. It will also keep the Hope function of the Anti-Life equation from ever falling into Darkseid's hands. If he can't complete the equation..."

"Then we'll only be fighting Apokolips, not the entire galaxy," Sara said.

Kara looked around the ruined bridge of the Waverider, then back to Sara. "Where's Thea?"

"She's bundling up the care package," Sara said.

"Good. Where'd you set us down?"

"On top of your apartment building," Sara said.

"Um, are you sure it will hold the weight?"

"Doesn't have too. I've got the Higgs dampeners running. The ship weighs about as much as a bicycle right now".

"Alright then. I guess it's time".

Sara nodded, and stood up out of the Captain's chair. Before Kara could turn away, Sara reached out and slipped a hand around the back of her neck, pulling her down into a kiss. Kara reacted immediately, slipping her arms around Sara and pulling her close, kissing her with everything she had. It wasn't a long kiss, but it didn't need to be. After so many years together, there wasn't a lot left to say between them. Nothing, in fact, except thank you and goodbye.

Sara pulled back, and Kara gave her a weak smile, neither of them quite able to hide the tears in their eyes.

"Let's do this," Sara said.

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The walk to the Waverider's medbay seemed both too short and too long. Too short, because she could be about to make everything worse, and too long because she was going to see her sister again, see Cat, Winn, J'onn, and all the people she'd lost since the war started.