I didn't have time for this.

I really didn't have time for this.

I thought, rather annoyed as Penny split and settled herself on my arms. I noted distantly that the vambraces weren't their usual smooth silver, instead Penny took a more ornate approach with swirls and crisscrossing geometric patterns.

Checking the mirror one more time. The skin suit I wore was a bright pure white, it had a near invisible silver hexagonal pattern to it barely visible under the surface. A matte silver pencil skirt was worn over the skin suit stopping just above my knees. I thought it was a stupid addition, but ceremonial skin suits were meant to be worn only when one was acting in an official capacity so I suppose a bit of pomp was needed. Honestly though it wasn’t the skirt that had me so annoyed with the whole thing. It was the damned heels that I was expected to wear in place of my perfectly practical shoes. Technically they were wedges not heels, but technically I didn't give enough of a fuck.

The El crest displayed on my chest was a glowing luminous red color. The sight of the crest still sending surges of something through my body, it had only been three weeks since I had passed my Trials, but with all that had happened, the fact that I could openly wear my house crest had been dropped to the wayside for more important matters. I turned slightly and watched as the ankle length cape fluttered about behind me. It was my first time wearing one as I had never needed to attend anything this formal. I had always opted to stay home and study whenever my parents went out to such functions.

Almost against my will, I found myself doing a superhero pose in the mirror. Chest puffed out, fists on my hips. The iconic Superman theme played in my head as I took in the sight. A goofy grin tugging on my lips.

I blinked, …..that's not coming from my head…. "Really Penny?" I scowled down at my arms. She buzzed slightly against my skin, I assumed she was laughing. Either that or she was trying to use morse code. Regardless, she stopped the music.

"Honestly." I sighed in exasperation. Penny had been made from my own brain patterns, this meant that she had all of the memories I had at the time of her creation. If I was being completely honest, although I had created her out of a desire to have someone I could trust implicitly to help me in my endeavors, I had also created her out of curiosity.

I mean, I had studied the technology and processes behind fabricating an AI from brain scans. So I knew she was supposed to have my memories. But I hadn't been sure how it would have applied to me, would the technology be able to copy the memories of my last life as well, or only what I had experienced in this one? The end result had been the former. Leaving me to ponder what that meant in regards to the soul and how memory worked. Where did the soul end and the brain begin? Perhaps it would be something to look into once I had saved Krypton? Who better to research such a topic than me? A person who had retained their memories after reincarnation.

I could already feel the excitement bubbling forth at the prospect of such an interesting project. Taking a deep breath I pushed it away, if the pace I was going at currently was any indication, it would be a long time before I could even consider other projects.

A glance at one of the holo screens showed it was nearly time for me to go. I had an award to go receive.

///

The ride to Krypton was an awkward one.

Although I was alone in the craft, I couldn't help but feel extremely self conscious. Who knew sitting with a cape would prove to be so difficult? It kept bunching up under me as I sat, seemingly riding up on its own accord, no matter how many times I fixed it. Eventually I came up with the solution of just draping it over the back of the chair.

I winced slightly as the ship changed its pitch, allowing the undiluted sunlight to breach the cabin. I quickly reached over and changed the shield's parameters to restrict the amount of radiation it allowed through. Relaxing back into my chair, as the burning sensation began to fade to a dull ache, I glanced out the window. Looking out into the inky depths of space. The sight never failed to fill me with both fascination and fear. Amongst those glittering points of light were hundreds of thousands of different civilizations. I wanted to explore those stars one day. I wanted to meet a real life alien damn it!

I snorted at the irony of that last thought. Glancing down at my small hands, it was so easy to forget that I wasn't human anymore. Kryptonians on the surface level at least, looked exactly like humans. The resemblance was so startling that I wondered if humanity was some sort of failed Kryptonian project, or perhaps some other species had tried to clone us and it didn't really pan out.

Or perhaps the gods had a lapse in memory and accidentally reused old assets? I frowned at that one, the concept of god, or any gods really, was a confusing one. At least it was when you considered that reincarnation was a thing, and so were parallel dimensions. In my last life I hadn't been the most firm believer in religion, I liked to believe something was responsible for life in the universe, but considering how many different religions there were throughout human history I couldn't really toss my lot in with any of the more popular ones. They all claimed they were right, so how was I supposed to choose? It was all made exponentially worse when one realized that all the other species in the multiverse revered their own gods.

Were all of them right? Were any of them right? I stared out the viewport, feeling oddly philosophical today.

The transition from space to atmosphere was a seamless one, I couldn't even feel the slightest of tremors. The shields compensating for the change perfectly. If I hadn't been looking out the window at the time, I wouldn't have even noticed.

For a few brief moments, I allowed myself to bask in the beauty of seeing the world from so high up. Its curved horizon, the line where the dark void of space and the purple hued atmosphere met was clearly defined. But only for a few moments. Before long my mind went back to the clusterfuck I was currently embroiled in.

If Zod were to be believed,-and I had no reason to doubt him-, my actions could push Krypton into a civil war. My defense of Krypton in both alerting the fleet with my laser and the actual act of fighting the invaders had seemingly put me on some sort of pedestal in the eyes of the public. I supposed it made sense, even in the Before, especially in the Before, the average person loved to deify people, make them larger than life, and that was just with normal people doing objectively unimportant feats, I couldn't even imagine what they would have done if someone had actually saved the planet.

The worst part about the whole situation was that I didn't know what the hell I was supposed to do about it. To be honest, I didn't personally care what happened. Civil Wars happened all the time in any civilization, it was a natural and inevitable phenomenon. And considering I had the looming presence of a pending apocalypse on my mind, I thought I was rather justified in my apathy.

Unfortunately, I had to care. If a civil war did erupt, especially a war that was started because of me. I would more than likely find myself in an environment hardly conducive to lab work. And since most wars took time, at least according to the history of both this world and Earth's, I wasn't sure if the planet would last long enough for any side to achieve victory.

On one hand a civil war could be beneficial for my goals, if the Ruling Council could be unseated, it would allow for hopefully less hard headed individuals to take power. Such a change could mean that they might actually listen and be proactive when the head of the science council declared the world was about to end.

However, if no civil war occurred, I would be able to proceed with my lab work. But would more than likely have to tiptoe around the current Council every step of the way, a Council that was already watching me with suspicion. Perhaps this Council wasn't as stupid as I feared and maybe they would actually listen to my findings. Or perhaps they were indeed that stupid and I would find myself discredited, maybe even arrested for inciting panic in the populace.

The problem was, I didn't know which answer was the right one. Hell, I didn't even know if any of them were right. Maybe the current council would actually be reasonable, unlike their comic book variants. If the consequences for failure were anything less than the end of the world, I might have actually been willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

As it stood though, I was leaning towards just holing up in my lab putting my head in the sand so to speak.

My internal thoughts were interrupted as the ship's navigation system pinged, we were approaching the tower. Now technically, this wasn't my first time coming to this building. But considering my first visit I was bound by a null field the entire time, I didn't really think it counted.

Through the viewport I took the time to examine the structure. The building in front of me was the tallest structure in Kandor, a mix of gleaming gold, shining silver, and with a support lattice of brightly glowing white crystals to spruce things up. It was the epitome of Kryptonian architecture.

Personally though, I thought it all a bit much. I mean, I get it, you're in charge, you don't need to blind everyone who looks at your damn building.

The ship's AI managed all the docking procedures, allowing me to walk back to the exit ramp and await touchdown. Only the blinking green light let me know we had landed, the entire process being so smooth as to be completely unnoticeable.

I took a deep breath and tried to steel my nerves. Not for the first time wishing my family could come with me. But as I was still trying to get used to, I was an El now. From the moment I had passed my Trial, I became an adult, and thus shedding the placeholder of Zor-El and earning the right of carrying the El on its own. I no longer needed an elder of the House to accompany me, I could represent myself and our House on my own now. No matter how much I wished it wasn't so. And with all the cameras watching the event, I couldn't afford the hit to my image it would cause to be accompanied like a little kid.

With all the chaos around the Invasion, I hadn't been able to properly ease into my new position. All I could do was thank Rao that I didn't have to suddenly pay rent. So, in that regard It at least beat my last experience of reaching Adulthood in the Before.

When the ramp unfolded, it was to the sight of a parade of soldiers in dress uniforms standing at attention, they were split to line the path all the way from the landing pad to the building's entrance. Zod awaited me at the bottom of the ramp, his normal black and red skin suit replaced with a more regal dark purple and red. His eyes flickered across my form taking in my state of dress. A small nod of what I hoped was approval was all I got on his thoughts. His face was utterly neutral.

More than a little startled at the display, I stood there open-mouthed for a moment before taking a breath and putting on a blank expression. I could see a variety of camera drones flitting about already, no doubt broadcasting live to the various news outlets.

The journey to the elevator was an unsurprisingly uncomfortable one. With the weight of all the stares I could feel from the soldiers, both real and imagined, I couldn't bring myself to relax one bit. Zod led the way into the building, not saying a single word the entire time besides an overly formal greeting compared to what I was used to from him.

Once we were alone in the elevator he turned to me, a slight quirk to his lips. I raised a brow, wondering what he found so amusing, he didn't wait long before informing me. "By the way you nearly tripped several times on that short walk, I see why you never wear anything with heels."

I scowled at him. "These things are so impractical. Why would anyone willingly choose to wear them." The shoes I was wearing were much closer to wedges than actual heels, but even still they took all my concentration to walk in.

"Eh. They're not that bad. Wear them for a week or two and you'll adjust."

I froze at his tone. He couldn't possibly be implying what I thought he was implying…

"...Zod...why do you sound like you're talking from experience?"

He glanced down at me from the corner of his eye. "Because I was. Heels may be impractical for daily wear, but they're great for honing one's balance. If you can confidently run an obstacle course in heels, you can run in anything." His tone was grave, and eyes serious.

I blinked once, twice, three times before I nearly doubled over laughing. Imagining the imposing General walking across a balancing beam in heels was one of the most amusing things I had envisioned in quite possibly ever.

He huffed in annoyance, waiting for me to get myself together. "It's good training!" He tried to protest, but it only served to make me laugh harder. The ding of the elevator reaching its destination brought me back to my senses. The reminder of what I was here for wiping all traces of amusement from my mind.

My body once more exuding an air expressionless calm. It was better to be seen as jaded rather than nervous, or literally any other emotion that could be dissected and interpreted by the billions of people watching. Whether it was Krypton or Earth, the one constant was the shameless nature of media outlets. I knew that giving them so much as a smile could somehow be twisted to my detriment, especially if it could be used to boost numbers.

Together we strolled down the familiar hallway towards the ornate door that led to the council chambers. The same chamber where I had nearly been thrown into the phantom zone. The thought sent chills down my spine, and I could almost feel the reflexive sweat begin to bead up at the reminder. I swallowed down the fear, I couldn't afford to show anything other than calm rationality, there was no room for screaming hysterics. I pressed on, forcing one foot in front of the other every step of the way.

The council chamber was just how I remembered it nearly three weeks ago. As the council went through the formalities I couldn't help but glance up at the ceiling where I knew the phantom zone portal rested.

I bowed slightly when it came to my turn to speak. "I am greatly honored at the fact that this esteemed council has seen fit to bestow such an award to myself."

"Please Kara-El. Rise. For your actions you deserve nothing less. In fact, this council would be truly remiss if we failed to reward such bravery and guile." An elderly woman on the left spoke up with a disarming smile.

I would have fell for her caring grandmother routine if I didn't have distinct memories of the same face practically sneering down at me as my sentence was decided. I blinked away the image, doing my best to retain an air of calm. I could have all the panic attacks I wanted in the sanctity of my lab. Penny squeezed my arms, no doubt sensing my rising heart rate and probably a multitude of other things that indicated my emotional state. I calmed at her reminder that I wasn't alone. I discreetly reached over and gave one of the vambraces a soft squeeze of my own to show my appreciation.

The council members continued speaking for a while longer, showing their gratitude for all the cameras to record. Finally, after what felt like an endless supply of empty platitudes they eventually got around to actually giving me the award.

The central council man reached down and pulled out a small metal box from under the table, opening it with a small hiss. A small red crystal the size of my pinky floated out of the box, on its own accord it started floating in my direction, I gently reached out to it when it got close enough. As it made contact with my finger it seemingly disintegrated into a fine glittering powder and pressed itself into my palm, sinking through the skin, it stung a little but I didn't flinch, I had already known what would happen.

Once every last particle disappeared, I held my hand out and concentrated. The El crest appeared on the back of my hand, but this time it was accompanied by a faintly glowing red sword behind it. It had no use other than bragging rights, and prestige. Nothing more than a feather in my cap really.

Although I knew the reason behind giving me the award was suspect at best, it still felt good to get recognition for my actions that day.

I left that chamber with a surprisingly genuine smile and a pep in my step.

///

Running a hand through my hair I couldn't help but wince as it got caught on multiple snags. With all the work I had been doing, personal hygiene hadn't exactly been a top priority. As such my hair was quite the tangled mess, very different compared to my usual pin straight hair. A month of almost no brushing of any sort could do that.

With a despondent sigh I closed the holoscreen in front of me and made my way to the bathroom down the hall. My research seemed to have borne no fruit. Twelve thousand years of planetary survey data yielded nothing. It looked like I would have to expand my search parameters even further.

After realizing that I had wasted nearly two months on a fruitless search, I decided I needed to indulge a bit to raise my spirits.

The shower felt absolutely divine after weeks of using a sonic scrubber. The scrubber got the job done and only took a few seconds of my time everyday, but it had nothing on the bliss of feeling hot water on one's skin.

I sat naked on a couch of liquid geo, the cool metal felt kind of nice on my skin after the hot shower. A brush in one hand diligently passing through my damp hair. My mind racing, trying to find some new angle to work. While I would still try this method, it couldn't hurt to try others.

Summoning up a keyboard I began to type.

'World Destroyer'

Wasn't the most specific thing to search, but I figured I had to start somewhere. Almost immediately folders started appearing, in the dozens, hundreds, then thousands. I closed my eyes in resignation. I already knew that saving the world would be hard work, but why in the world did it have to involve so much reading!?

"Penny? Could you please go through these and highlight anything you deem worth looking into?"

If the ones that Penny marked didn't pan out, I would of course look through all of them myself. But it couldn't hurt to try and speed up the process. Why I hadn't done that with the planetary scans was beyond me, I could only blame it on the grief and shock of the invasion and my mother clouding my judgment and move on.

"Of course Mistress."

I only had the energy to send her a weak glare at her word choice, a yawn suddenly erupting. I laid back, the couch morphing into a bed. "Wake me in four hours m'kay?" I mumbled tiredly, the lights shutting off in the lab.