Chapter Text
“Didn’t take you for an astronomy buff.”
Kara looks up, mildly startled, from the incredibly detailed hologram of the Milky Way she’s feverishly examining, readjusting her glasses and pushing a few stray strands of hair out of her face. Lena’s at the door, leaning on the frame with an expression equal parts amused and concerned. “I’m not. Not really.” –Kara retorts. “Just going over the files Director Brand gave me access to.”
Lena comes inside and pulls up a swiveling chair from the desk on the corner of the room. “Right, S.W.O.R.D.” –she says, sarcastically. “Secret international agencies and their stupid acronyms, I swear.”
Kara shrugs. “They make for memorable names, I guess.”
Lena hums, non-committal. She nods at the map. “So…what’re you looking for?”
The Kryptonian sighs. “My home. What’s left of it, anyway.” –she admits. “I’ve been looking for Krypton on the most up-to-date star charts S.W.O.R.D. has – which are themselves derived from the Kree Empire’s current galaxy map – but I can’t seem to find it.”
The ravenette winces. “I know it’s gone, Lena.” –Kara says before Lena can comment. “Saw it with my own eyes. Felt the pressure wave from the explosion rattle my bones, even through the pod’s hull and protective shielding.” –she says, bitterly. “But…well, look.”
She expands a section of the map, relatively close to the icon labelled ‘Earth’. The diagram of a solar system manifests – inaccurate in regards to planetary distances, but to scale when it comes to the size of the celestial bodies themselves. “This is supposed to be Rao.” –Kara says, pointing at the star at the system’s core, an aging Red Dwarf by the looks of it. “Humans call it LHS 2520 or Gliese 3707, depending on the labelling system. It matches the sun I grew up under – a small red star, cooler than most, less than fifty light years away from Earth.” –she says.
Kara points at the planets orbiting Rao. “This is Boron. Pretty similar to Mercury – really tiny, blasted by the sun, utterly lifeless. Then there’s Phalon, which resembles Mars, though much smaller and devoid of any water, past or present. Next is Thalon, a water world, fully covered in oceans and thunderstorms, the barest hints of protozoan life sprouting beneath its waves.” –she explains. “And Krypton...Krypton should be right here.”
Lena can see the problem; in the place of the orbit where the planet Krypton should be is an asteroid belt, much like the one between Mars and Jupiter. She winces. “I’m sorry, Kara, but…isn’t that Krypton?”
Kara shakes her head. “I know how it looks, but…asteroid belts don’t form that quickly. Because of the way time works inside, I’m not entirely sure how long I spent in the Phantom Zone, but it couldn’t have been more than a few decades, judging by the state of my pod. Plus, there’s not nearly enough mass in this asteroid belt to account for even one of Krypton’s moons, let alone all four, plus the sister planetoid Daxam, plus Krypton itself. It just doesn’t make any sense.” –she explains, then points at the final planet in the system, a ringed gas giant resembling Saturn. “And yet here’s Haron, right where it should be. I don’t understand.”
The blonde waves her hand, and the hologram dissipates. “Coupled with the fact that Director Brand has apparently never heard of Krypton, or the Kryptonian Empire, and…well, it’s almost like it never existed to begin with.”
“Maybe your bumpy ride here jumped you forward in time.” –Lena suggests. “So much so that Krypton’s existence has faded from memory. And…well, I’m no astrophysicist, but given how violent Krypton’s destruction was, maybe that asteroid belt is all that’s left, at least at its former orbit.”
Kara hums, unconvinced. “Maybe. I don’t know, Lena, something feels off.” –she muses, then shakes her head. “But I guess I’ll have to figure that out later.”
“I’ll help.” –Lena promises. “But yes, I did come here because the, uh…package is finally being off-loaded. Rogers wants you around, just in case.”
“Well, one does not refuse a call to action from Captain America.” –Kara nods, sagely. “Come on, let me show you the alien I helped beat up.”
Even knowing that she could probably toss him into orbit, Vilgax still cuts a very intimidating figure, encased in the multi-ton block of Petrosapien crystal as he is. Thor is carefully carrying it off the back of a fresh Quinjet, Steve guiding him down the ramp.
“Are we entirely sure that this is the best idea?” –Romanoff asks, frowning at the frozen warlord as she sits atop a S.H.I.E.L.D. crate - eating a bowl of Froot Loops, oddly enough. She must’ve missed her breakfast. “If this thing breaks free in the middle of New York, it’s gonna be a nightmare on several levels.”
“He can’t.” –Bruce reassures her. “This crystal completely impedes the passage of time for whatever’s encased within it – his entire being, down to the atoms that make up his cells, is stuck at the moment he was encased, and not a nanosecond later. Look!” –he says, excitedly bringing up a wristwatch surrounded by the same material. Sure enough, the watch is frozen, the hands on its face completely motionless.
Natasha narrows her eyes. “Maybe the batteries ran out.”
Bruce rolls his eyes. “Please, Agent Romanoff, I’m not an undergraduate. I ran the pertinent tests myself.” –he says.
“So we can blame you when it does break free, then?” –the redhead teases.
The scientist sighs. “Given my track record, isn’t everyone?”
“Not to worry, Doctor Banner.” –Lena says, walking into the room alongside Kara. “I’m sure Mr. Stark’s massively overfunded PR efforts will absolve you before people even think to blame you.”
“You won’t think they’re overfunded when they get people to ignore all the property damage your enormous tin can is gonna cause just by walking around, Luthor.” –Barton drawls, leaning on a nearby wall, his bow at the ready, just in case.
Lena raises an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Ah, Agent Barton. Impressive posture, but...you do realize it took the might of a Norse god to subdue the new paperweight, yes?”
“Oh, don’t do him like that. He’s sensitive about the bow.” –Romanoff says, smirking.
“Is it because it’s a few centuries out of date?” –Lena asks, innocently.
“You’re gonna eat those words next time the Captain sets us up for a training exercise, Luthor.” –Clint says, miffed.
Kara shakes her head at the mild bickering, walking over to Thor. “Need a hand?” –she asks the Asgardian, a bit sarcastically.
He chuckles. “Good one, friend!” –he says.
She rubs the back of her head. “Yeah, I figured you had it covered, but I admittedly don’t know how strong you actually are.” –she admits. “I haven’t really sat down to read all the dossiers yet.”
“Eh, neither have I.” –he easily shrugs, despite the massive load he’s carrying. “I prefer to discover such things through combat; the S.H.I.E.L.D. scribes are much too wordy in their descriptions. Their archives are a rather dry read.”
“Not quite as exciting as the boastful tales you’re used to, I take it?” –Steve says, behind the crystal block.
Thor grins. “Indeed!” –he says, setting Vilgax down a few feet from the ramp, which closes, the Quinjet beginning to take off and away from the hangar. “Oh, you should visit my home sometime soon, my friends. The golden halls of Asgard would surely sing of your valor in no time at all!”
“Looking forward to it.” –Steve says, glancing at their macabre trophy. “Alright: Stark says he’s prepared a sort of vault for dangerous artifacts we can put this guy in for the time being.”
“Indeed, Captain. Mr. Stark calls it the ‘Trophy Room’.” –JARVIS supplies. “It is an isolated, lead-lined titanium vault powered by its own arc reactor, able to be detached and expelled from the Tower in case of emergency.”
Kara raises an eyebrow. “’Expelled’? How?”
A couple of holographic projectors above them light up, showcasing a diagram of the Tower. An entire floor in the midst of the Avengers section is highlighted. “The Trophy Room occupies an entire floor of the Tower. In case of emergency, the elevators are sealed off, titanium security panels replace the windows and paneling, and the whole structure is detached from the building. It is subsequently held aloft by Repulsor thrusters and ejected from the premises, to be sent anywhere within its five-thousand mile operational radius, including lower Earth orbit.”
Steve whistles. “Damn. He really went all out.”
Kara hums, impressed. “No kidding.”
“I must introduce him to the Dwarves of Nidavellir.” –Thor muses. “There is much they could learn from each other.”
Steve narrows his eyes. “What are they like?”
“Ah, fantastic craftsmen! The most talented smiths and inventors in all the Nine Realms, to be sure – they invented the Oculory that focuses Bifröst’s magic and allows us to travel between the Realms, and they forged my trusted Uru warhammer, Mjolnir, at the heart of the dying star they call home.” –he explains.
The Captain nods along, though he looks a little disappointed. “So, not quite like Tolkien described, then?”
“You read The Lord of the Rings, Cap?” –Kara wonders.
He shrugs. “I read The Hobbit. The others came out a little after my time.” –he admits. “I couldn’t afford the book, but Bucky gave it to me after he was finished with it. Still haven’t found the time to read the rest of Tolkien’s works, unfortunately.”
“Perhaps you could introduce me to these folk tales, Captain.” –Thor suggests. “I could tell you how they compare to the Dwarves I know and love.”
“Ooo, I think I’m hearing Lord of the Rings movie night, gentlemen.” –Kara smirks. “Well, nights. They’re really long movies.”
Steve crosses his arms. “Hmm. I guess that could be a good team-building exercise, if we have the time.”
Kara rolls her eyes. “It’s not about team-building, Captain, it’s just watching a movie. Team dynamics need not apply to eating buttery popcorn and gasping in terror at the Nazgûl.”
Thor hums, approvingly. “That does sound like a fearsome name.”
Steve shakes his head, amused. “We’ll see.” –he says, non-committal. “Let’s get our guest into his quarters first.”
A short ride on the large service elevator at the core of the building later, they arrive at the so-called Trophy Room. It’s a wide space, set up almost like a museum installation, with exhibit like pods lining the walls and smaller pedestals interspersed among the support pillars.
Kara’s surprised to find that there’s already a few things on display; for the most part, it’s battle-damaged Iron Man armors, likely the actual suits Tony has used in his own personal skirmishes. Unlike the replicas at the quote-unquote Avengers museum in the Tower’s base levels, these don’t have brief-yet-vague summaries of their capabilities and usage beside them, but rather a comprehensive evaluation of their performance in battle – strengths and short-comings, determined by Tony himself, to be improved in further models. Kara approaches one of the more heavily damaged armors; a thinly armored suit designated Mark V – the one he used in Monaco, a portable, lightweight variant only meant for emergencies, lacking the ability to fly, as well as any further weaponry than the standard repulsor emitters at the palms and soles of the boots.
“I watched the footage of that fight.” –Steve says, next to her. “If I’d watched it live, I don’t know that I would’ve expected him to survive.”
“Yeah, his evaluation of it basically boils down to ‘convenient but paper-thin’.” –Kara notes, after reading the text beside it. “That’s Tony for you, though. Stubborn as all hell. Wouldn’t be surprised if he outlives us all.” –she says, then turns to Thor. “Well, maybe not all of us.”
“Nay, but the sentiment rings true.” –Thor acknowledges. “Angry as I was at the time, I found it amusing that this nameless human chose to stand in my way. I held back my full might, of course, but he soon proved an opponent worthy of my respect – and an ally now, worthy of my friendship.”
“I’d advise you all refrain from praising Mr. Stark so much when he’s around. Poor Miss Potts and I will never hear the end of it.” –JARVIS chimes in from the ceiling.
Rogers snorts. “Good point.”
There’s other curiosities worthy of attention, such as Whiplash’s original harness (also used at the skirmish in Monaco), the unfinished prototype of some kind of composite shield resembling Cap’s, various pieces of Chitauri technology, and even some sizable fragments of warped metal from the Asgardian Destroyer – Thor raises an eyebrow at these, but ultimately shrugs, saying something about Uru being impossible for mortals to work with, which should render these fragments harmless.
Steve doesn’t seem too convinced – and Kara, too, thinks it’s a little naive to think Tony’s only keeping the debris around as a trophy – but they both refrain from commenting.
Vilgax is placed in one of the main ‘exhibits’, barely fitting due to the warlord’s awe-inspiring size. Kara gives him a last wary glance as a series of scanners begin analyzing the crystal coffin, and a transparent barrier rises from the floor to keep anyone from getting too close. “I will devote a portion of my local processes exclusively to monitoring our new guest. Rest assured, I will notify you at the first sign of trouble.” –the AI reassures them.
“Thanks, JARVIS.” –Kara says.
The trio exit the Trophy Room, then, headed back to the common area, where the others await them, comically crowded around a very small box. “You, uh, got something while you were busy.” –Bruce tells Kara, pointing at the tiny object like it’s some kind of interloper.
Kara tilts her head, confused; it’s a minuscule gift box, like one might expect for a cheap ring or earrings, with a similarly small bow on top. It’s also surrounded by soot, like a tiny explosion went off around it. “Who’s it from?” –she asks, grabbing it.
“Considering it spawned from thin air, I imagine it’s from Doctor Strange.” –Lena says, witheringly.
The blonde opens the box, adjusting her glasses; inside lies a small ticket, like you might expect from a machine at an arcade. The ticket has a message; it says, in the typical typewriter font, ‘Valid for Admittance: Kara Zor-El + 2’. She doesn’t even have time to wonder what the hell is going on before a familiar portal appears in front of her.
Kara almost blasts into it with her heat vision, no questions asked; logically, she knows from watching footage of the battle she missed after getting stabbed that this kind of portal isn’t exclusive to Doctor Doom, but seeing the circle of sparks still triggers her fight or flight response a little.
“You alright, Kara?” –Lena asks, concerned.
Kara hums, snapping herself out of her reverie. “Yeah. Just...bad memories.” –she says. “You’re right, it’s from Strange.”
“He must be antsy to get the hunt for Victor underway.” –Steve says, raising an eyebrow.
She nods. “Yup. This is an invitation – for myself and two people.” –she reports. “So...who wants to come?”
“Pass. I’m gonna veto any magic-related bullshit for at least a few months.” –Barton drawls.
“Busted arm. Sorry.” –Romanoff points at her sling. “Have fun with the wizard, though.”
“Unfortunately, I have to take off in an hour.” –Steve grouses. “Fury wants me to give the World Security Council an earful for their choices regarding Arcadia and New York.”
Kara shrugs. “That’s alright, Cap. Do me a favor, though, and give Fury himself an earful for me, yeah?” –she says, scornful. Steve nods, very much of the same mind.
“I’ll join your merry band, of course!” –Thor says, clapping Kara’s back and offering a wide grin. “I haven’t been on Midgard of my own accord for centuries! I’m eager to see what it has to offer now.”
“I guess it’s down to your or me, Lena.” –Bruce says, visibly apprehensive.
Lena winces. “I’m afraid it’s actually just you, Doctor Banner. The GUARDIAN armor is almost ready for a field test; I’ll be joining Skye and Winn at Stark’s facility upstate as soon as I get the call.” –she says, then turns to her. “Sorry, Kara. I wish I could join you.”
“Yeah, no worries.” –Kara says.
Bruce looks rather chagrined, so she crosses her arms. “I can probably call Peter, see if he’s available.” –she offers.
The Hulk’s alter ego sighs. “No, it’s fine. I just hope you don’t expect me to do any fighting. I don’t think the people of New York would forgive my tendency to cause massive property damage a third time.”
Kara offers a reassuring smile. “I’m sure there’ll be none of that.” –she says, as confident as she can manage. “Though...maybe wear your stretchy pants, just in case?”
“Unfortunately for any future romantic prospects, I always wear a pair, these days.” –Bruce admits, a humorless smirk decorating his face.
Seeing that Thor is already in his princely regalia, Kara thinks that she should probably grab her suit as well. No sooner does she think this, though, is she suddenly through the portal, Thor and Bruce right behind her – and looking down at herself, she’s somehow already wearing her suit.
“Oh, this is gonna be a long day, isn’t it?” –she sighs.