Kara remembered how her parents told her to take care of her younger cousin, Kal. But her spaceship exploded and went off course. She had been asleep the whole time. When she finally woke up, two strange creatures were standing in front of her, making weird noises. It was terrifying.
As Kara slowly regained consciousness, she realized she was still in a dim space. The dream was real. Her heart was pounding. Thankfully, she heard a familiar language—Kryptonian.
"Don't worry, it's safe here."
Kara turned and saw a tall man standing nearby. On his chest was a symbol she knew well—the symbol of their family. But she didn't recognize this man. "Who are you?"
"My name is Kal-El. And you?" Superman noticed the girl didn't act like General Zod, so he was gentle and kind.
Wait—that was her cousin's name. Kara was stunned. In her memory, Kal was just a baby. How had he grown this much?
"Batman, why's this girl looking at Superman like that? You think he looks like someone who wronged her?"
Batman gave him a look. "Aren't you the one who claims to know everything?"
Of course Liu A'dou knew. This girl had to be the future Supergirl. But there were so many versions of Supergirl. He couldn't tell if she was Superman's cousin, niece, or even daughter. But daughter was least likely.
Kara got excited when she heard the name. She quickly asked, "You're really Kal-El? Your father is Uncle Jor-El?"
"?!" Superman was caught off guard. How did this girl know his father? "Yes, my father is Jor-El. Who are you?"
"I'm your cousin, Kara-El. My parents sent me to Earth to protect you."
"Uh…" A little girl who barely reached his chest said she was his older cousin and was supposed to protect him. Superman suddenly felt a ton of pressure.
Kaitou Kid couldn't help gossiping. He leaned toward Batman and said, "You think Superman's awkward expression means he's hiding something? This is getting juicy."
Batman didn't bother answering. After spending time with Kid, he realized the guy's whole cool, elegant thief act was just for show. That refined gentleman vibe? Fake. Deep down, he was just a nosy uncle who loved drama. Sure, Kid was young and capable, but way too chatty and overly familiar. Honestly, sometimes it was a bit much. Even Batman's cool image was starting to crack around him.
Superman, of course, heard Kid's comment. He said, "She says she's my cousin. Her parents—my uncle and aunt—sent her to Earth to look after me." Superman didn't mention protect, because looking at their current situation, it wasn't clear who was protecting who.
"Cousin?" Kid nodded. "What's her name?"
"Kara-El." Superman was genuinely happy. Not only had he found someone from Krypton, but she was family. A reunion on Earth—what a blessing.
"Kara. Nice name," Kid replied with a meaningless comment. Then added, "Batman says your cousin wrecked a few million worth of his gear. He said he'll send the bill to you."
"...," Superman forced a smile. His journalist salary couldn't cover that. But he knew Kid was just teasing. Batman hadn't said anything like that.
Truth was, Batman didn't mention it because he knew Superman couldn't afford it.
Seeing Batman and Kid, Kara got nervous again. Thankfully, Superman reassured her. "They're my friends. Don't be scared. This is Batman, and the one in white is Kid."
Kara glanced at them timidly. "Kal, I don't know why, but I feel like I can't control my body."
Earth's gravity was only a tenth of Krypton's. Plus, there was the young sun. Superman knew she'd need more time to adjust. "I'll train you so you can get used to life here." He also had a lot of Earth specialties he wanted to show his cousin.
"Batman, can you fly us to the Arctic?" Kara couldn't fly yet, so Superman decided they'd take a plane back to the Fortress.
"No problem."
Of course, Kid tagged along too. On the way, Kara finally got used to Kid and Batman. She realized they only looked scary because of the masks. She was still young, around 14 or 15, and quickly became curious about this new planet.
But Kara was Kryptonian, and once her curiosity kicked in, she started poking and touching everything. In no time, the interior of Batman's plane was a total mess.
Kara just told Superman, "I didn't think this stuff was so fragile."
Kid thought, 'Good thing she didn't visit my base. I'd be heartbroken. Did she come from Krypton just to wreck rich people's stuff on Earth?'
"You better teach her Earth languages fast. We can't communicate at all like this."
Superman knew that too, but there was no rushing it. "Once she settles in, it'll get better."
"Superman, have you ever taken care of a girl before? Do you even have anything a girl needs in the Arctic?" Kid suddenly brought it up. Lately, he'd been studying how to be a dad, reading lots of books and watching kids' shows.
Superman wasn't a pervert—of course he didn't have any female supplies. He froze. "What should I do?"
"I think we better call Diana. Let the girls handle girl stuff." Liu A'dou said.
So everyone stayed at the Fortress of Solitude. Diana came, knowing she'd be caring for a girl. She even brought some clothes. But they were probably too big for Kara. Maybe they'd go shopping next time.
Even though they still didn't speak the same language, Diana was a woman. Kara let her guard down around her and quickly warmed up. They used gestures to communicate.
Meanwhile, the three guys and one dog were downstairs. Superman looked really happy. Kid thought, 'Ever since I met Superman, it seems like he's always getting beat up. Finally, some good luck for once.'
It was like those old anime—Superman was always the tank, the one getting hit the hardest. He never dodged, always charging straight ahead, covered in injuries. Sure, Superman was strong, but his job was rough.
"Kara's ship probably got stuck in the Phantom Zone. That's why it arrived 30 years late. She's been asleep this whole time," Superman said. "Her ship was supposed to reach Earth right after mine."
"So we could've had Supergirl from the start." Kid laughed. "Well, this works too. Now you're taking care of her. But judging by how curious she is, you better keep a close eye on her."
"I know."
Batman had taken more damage tonight than in a full-blown battle. He said, "The Justice League's space station parts are all modified and ready. Construction can start anytime. If you're free, come help. Once it's done, we can hang out there."
The Fortress of Solitude had always been Superman's place. Before, being alone didn't matter. A group could gather here too. But now that he had family, it was better to build the space station.
"This is actually why I came to find you," Kid said. "I'll help."