"Rubber Chicken?"

Kara was taken aback by Zion's answer. Zion leaned in even closer, as if revealing a secret only they could understand. His amusement shed, and solemnity took its place.

"Kara, the rubber chicken is but a symbol of our audacity in the face of cosmic chaos. You see, the mad god's weakness is laughter, and with the power of humor, we can thwart his nefarious plans."

"What? Laughter? The power of humor?" Kara asked skeptically. Kara was further confused due to Zion's seriousness, causing her to doubt that there might be a cosmic weapon that is a rubber chicken. Zion leaned back, adopting an exaggerated pondering pose.

"The rubber chicken of destiny is a rare artifact, hidden away in the deepest recesses of the city. We must embark on a quest, follow the clues hidden in the most unlikely places, and with hearty chuckles, we shall locate it."

Kara regarded him with a raised eyebrow, her skepticism surfacing as she tried to discern the truth beneath his confusing words. Kara asked thoughtfully, "Zion, this all sounds... fake. But, is this rubber chicken quest for real, or are you just trying to humor the conversation?"

Zion, still in his persona, leaned back in his chair, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. He then said cryptically, "Kara, the truth often wears the mask of absurdity. The rubber chicken may seem like a jest, but sometimes, the most unexpected paths lead to the most vital discoveries."

Kara's skepticism lingered as she gazed at Zion, her thoughts caught between perplexity and intrigue.

"Kid, stop messing with the poor girl!" Someone cut into their conversation. Zion turned to see it was the kind waitress. She had a small amused smile on her lips as she looked at him. "I do love you youngling conversing, but don't let the food wait," she pointed at their food.

The burger was cold, and the milkshake was just water at this point. They had ignored the food while conversing, attracting the attention of the kind lady.

"Sorry, ma'am. It's just she looked so cute getting all serious that I couldn't hold myself back from teasing her a bit," Zion smiled sheepishly.

Kara looked at him as if he had killed her dog, absolutely pissed. She couldn't believe that she was falling for all the lies this guy was spouting; this was why she never believed in humans, full of lies and deceit.

Zion shrunk a bit at her glare; he might have taken the joke a bit too far. She was just so serious about all the threats and such. He was never the type to be full serious about things; he would just 'wing it' as things progressed.

"Do you want me to reheat it?" The waitress asked.

"Yes, please," Zion answered.

The waitress then picked up the plate and left to reheat them. With the waitress's leave, Kara turned to Zion.

"Zion, enough with the games. If there's a real threat, I need to know what it is, and I need to know now." Kara spoke, her tone firm.

Zion dropped the facade and became earnest. "Kara, I apologize for the theatrics. There is indeed a threat, one that's beyond the scope of rubber chickens and whimsical quests."

Kara, her skepticism now replaced by a sense of concern, nodded attentively. "Tell me everything, Zion. I need to know what we are up against and how we can stop it."

Zion gave her an affirmative nod, "But before that, why don't we have our meal."

The waitress placed their heated meal, "Be sure to eat it before it cools down, again."

"Yes, ma'am," Zion replied.

"Call me if you need anything else," The waitress said before she walked away.

"Thank you," Zion voiced.

Zion then turned to Kara and pointed at her plate. "Why don't you give it a try?"

Kara looked at her cheeseburger. The burger was laced with layers of cheese, lettuce, and tomato, all nestled between perfectly toasted buns. With a little bit of expectation, she picked up the burger, examining it with interest, and then took a tentative bite.

The moment the flavors exploded on her palate, Kara's eyes widened with surprise and pleasure. It was a revelation, an experience she had never encountered before. The juiciness of the beef patty combined with the creamy cheese, the crunch of fresh lettuce, and the tangy tomato created a symphony of tastes that danced on her super taste buds.

Zion sat there with a small smile, observing the minute changes in Kara's face. He too lifted his burger and took a bite.

"Good, isn't it?" Zion asked.

"It is," Kara replied, savoring the taste of the American cheeseburger.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Why don't you try the milkshake next?" Zion suggested.

While savoring the cheeseburger's delightful flavors, she turned her attention to the milkshake that had accompanied her meal. However, to her dismay, it had gone slightly warm during their conversation.

Kara wanted to enjoy the meal to the fullesta, so she subtly exhaled, activating her freeze breath, directing a controlled stream of cold air onto the milkshake. The moment her icy breath touched the glass, a frosty layer formed on its surface, and the milkshake began to cool rapidly, returning to its refreshing, chilled state.

Seeing her use her freeze breath, Zion asked, "Superman?"

"Hmm," Kara took a sip of the now-cooled milkshake, "To use it if the situation needed it. Like saving people from a fire."

"So like Superman," Zion just commented and lifted his milkshake. "Cool mine, too."

Kara looked at Zion with a stoic expression at his request.

"I don't want to change with a flash of golden light," Zion shrugged and then pointed at his milkshake.

Kara gave him a stink-eye before using her breath to cool down his milkshake.

"Thank you."

Kara didn't reply and continued her delicious meal, enjoying every bite of it. Zion followed her and enjoyed his meal in comfortable silence.

...

-After 5 minutes-

Kara looked at her empty plate in dismay; the food was really delicious, and she wanted more.

"Here," Zion pushed a plate of barbecue bacon burger.

"Thank you," Kara replied before lifting the burger and examining it.

This burger was different from the one she had, so she first took a small bite, savoring the different combination of flavors.

"Enjoy it; we can continue our talk throughout the date. Up next on the list is a ghost movie," Zion stated as he got up. "I will be back after I wash my hands."

"Hmm," Kara hummed as she enjoyed the tender, juicy patty infused with the rich, tangy barbecue sauce, complemented by the crispy bacon that added a satisfying crunch.

Zion left her to enjoy the meal. He very much liked to watch Kara enjoy her meal, but he felt like he should let her enjoy her meal alone, savoring the moment of exploration. After all, she deserved it after all the time she had lost.

{Yo, I am not trying to break Kara's character. And remember Kara was always enthusiastic and cheery when she was on Krypton. It was Earth that changed her mindset.}

Zion returned from his trip, "Shall we go watch the new movie?"

"Okay, but let me also wash my hands," Kara got up to wash her hands.

"Take your time," Zion replied with a smile.

Zion paid the bill while he waited for Kara. Kara returned quickly, and both of them walked to the door, which Zion opened for Kara. Zion gave the table a final look before he walked out of the diner.

"Typical," he muttered under his breath.

***

-After watching the Movie-

"I wasn't expecting the demon to tackle the Nun; I mean, it's a powerful demon, and it chose to fist fight the weak Nun," Zion rambled.

The ghost movie they watched was underwhelming, to say the least. He was scared during the first half of the movie and hid his face behind a pack of popcorn, but in the last part when the demon materialized, he felt like the demon was not a demon at all.

"Do demons look like that?" Kara asked.

"More or less, but most of them are bound to hell and can't leave," Zion replied.

"In Krypton, demons were more like symbols of challenges we face in life. They test our strength, our resolve, and our ability to choose the path of goodness," Kara explained the beliefs of Krypton.

"Rao, the 14 deities, and the 203 demigods. Krypton was a religious planet too, but unlike humans on Earth who say God doesn't exist, at least your people believed," Zion commented.

"Yes, we always believed, but it didn't save us from destruction," Kara's voice had a tinge of sadness as she remembered her home planet.

"God doesn't play dice, Kara," Zion turned to her. "If he does, there will be no free will. With no free will, we are nothing but puppets to Fate."

"True," Kara agreed.

"And Krypton's destruction was nothing but nature taking its course. The planet had its run, and it ended its race. There is no need to be sad about it," Zion replied.

Zion didn't want to say that there was a conspiracy behind Krypton's destruction. He didn't want Kara to focus on revenge and search for the person responsible. It's an absolute waste of time.

"I wish that more of us survived," Kara voiced her wish.

"There is an infinite version of you in this multiverse; you are never alone. You can just break the dimensional barrier and meet another you," Zion shrugged.

"But they are not my people; it will never be my home," Kara replied.

"Understandable," Zion agreed.

Zion and Kara walked out of the cinema. The sky had turned dark with a red sun sinking on the horizon. The hidden stars peeked through the scattering clouds. A cool breeze washed over them.

Zion and Kara walked to Zion's car, parked right outside the cinema.

"When are you going to talk about the threat?" Kara asked as she strapped on her seatbelt.

"On our next destination," Zion replied as he started the car.

The car glided through the city's bustling streets, the gentle hum of the engine providing a soothing backdrop to their silence. Zion's car finally reached its destination, Metropolis Bay. Zion parked the car near the sidewalk and disembarked with Kara.

"The Metropolis Bay, the perfect place to unwind and clear your mind," Zion spoke as a gentle breeze ruffled his hair.

Zion took in the gentle breeze and the symphony of waves. The ambiance was serene, a stark contrast to the bustling city they had left behind. Zion started walking with Kara beside him, enjoying the momentary peace.

Zion turned to Kara, his smile sincere. "Kara, the threat that we are about to face is not something you can defeat alone."

Kara perked up, listening attentively.

"It will take many champions, and I am here to prepare them, to strengthen them, so they can have an easier battle." Zion finished, not explaining what the threat was.

"You are not going to tell?" Kara asked.

"I can't. Law of cause and effect. The moment I reveal the threat to you, it would cause a ripple that will bring forth tidal waves in time," Zion replied as he looked up at the sky. "The universe always finds a way to balance things, as it always should be. I am not outside of it."

"Then how are you going to strengthen the champions?" Kara asked.

"I don't know yet. I can build different armors to help them. I can teach them knowledge. I can also nurture the young champions. Or I can become their greatest adversary, a villain strong enough to push them past their limits," Zion answered.

He then turned to Kara, "But if I become their villain, I would also become a wall they could never cross, stunting their growth."

"You think we can't defeat you?" Kara asked.

"No, they will defeat me, but I will create a barrier that will stop them from trusting me, and I really don't want to fight them. I would rather fight some otherworldly demons than a walking plot armour that they call Superman," Zion cringed.

All those times the Justice League defeated their villains, it was always a hard-fought battle. They would lose their friends for victory, but it would never be worth the sacrifice. What's the point of gaining the world when you lose your soul?

*****