"How?"<br/><br/>The word was difficult to hear, even for her. And that was saying something. His jaw was clinched, his teeth grinding, his eyes bitter little dots of blue. In chains and tossed into a dark hole deep underground, Superman looked angry to Supergirl.<em>Angry, and defeated.</em>A flash of heat struck like a needle deep into her brain; anger flashing at the idea that Kal-El would demand answers. From her, of all people.<br/><br/>But when she took a second to look stare she saw past his facade, and only then did she hear the desperation that had been in his short, quick, tone. So she smiled, amused to be playing the same game her father had always played with her. "Why do you think?" It wasn't sarcastic, and her voice left no doubt in the seriousness from which she spoke.<br/><br/>Since her earliest days her father and mother had given nothing to her easy; there was no lazy thinking in her house. Critical thinking was a skill most Kryptonian kids were all but born with--it was as natural to a Kryptonian to plot out the 'hows' and 'whys' before ever asking as it was to a Terran child to just asky 'how?' It was astounding to Kara just how low humanity, as a mass species, held the bar. It just led to an inefficient society of the smart, strong, or viscious rising to the top on the backs of the masses. Masses that were engaging, good, even whip smart souls. Just with minds that had never been properly, or sufficiently, raised to anything near their potential.<br/><br/>It was sad. But the man had been right when he nodded, and said words that still haunted her:<em>Humanity often leads itself to chaos. It's the beauty spawned within that maelstrom that you aren't seeing, Kryptonian. The magic.</em><br/><br/>"...magic."<br/><br/>"Yes," Kara smiled, her hands loosely connected behind the small of her back, under the cape. Superman wore brown rags. "Chance, I'm told--"<br/><br/>"--by who?"<br/><br/>Kara ignored Kal-El, continuing as if she hadn't even heard him, "I was called afterwards and told to pick you up. I brought you here. There's no special design. Stone and earth, a heavy metal door with big hinges and a big lock, and stairs. Your powers are gone." And then she added, quickly: "For now. Whoever it was you were chasing, they either got really lucky or knew just where to take you to exploit your magic weakness."<br/><br/>"Our magic weakness."<br/><br/>Kara Zor'El's face was overcome with a questioning look. The look of somehow who, just maybe, wasn't so sure. "You'd think, right? I know you<em>told</em>me I shared your weakness to magic, I know people<em>think</em>that..." And then her red lips twisted into a grin. The kind of grin she knew was going to stab into Kal-El deeper than any dagger he would accuse her of thrusting into his caped back. "Turns out I'm not. Buddy of mine's best thoery is that you're more Terran than Kryptonian."<br/><br/>"I'm not human."<br/><br/>Kara actually frowned, losing her cherished grin. "You can not be human and still be Terran. See where that Terran Journalism BA got you. You're an earthling, Kal! I'm not. Magic has no affect on me. But there will be no true telling of your history. They'll probably write you were a hero turned tyrant that was fortunately killed in an accient, of all things."<br/><br/>To his credit, the man never shrank when the realization came to him. "You're going to kill me here and now."<br/><br/>The cell fell to shadow and silence as Kara just stared and looked at the poor man. Her cousin. That same needle of pain went tearing through her heart as the thought hit her in full force. "I'm not." He didn't believe her, she could see it. She didn't blame him, with the sudden inflections of regret and sorrow raking her just as suddenly soft words. "Diana wanted me to. She believes that's what I'm here doing. It's what she'll see, if she goes behind me and wants proof all her own. But I couldn't kill you, not if I don't have to."<br/><br/>Her head shook, feeble as it must've looked, desperate as it felt to her. "It's not your fault. I was the one who was late. Your life would be different in ways you can't imagine had we gotten here at the same time, Kal." Her vision had crystalized, her heart becoming a pit as dark and deep as the cell she was standing in as tears began to form in her eyes. "You would've been an actual Kryptonian. And that's not your fault. I don't have to kill you, and I won't let anyone else kill you. So...he's going to take you where you'll be okay, where not even a goddess can find you."<br/><br/>Superman's head rose in a jerk that was so fast, the chains bound to his wrists and ankles chattered. "Who?"<br/><br/>Again, he demanded. This time Kara didn't need a moment to hear the desperation. She whispered her good bye, and turned from the room, closing the heavy door behind her. Kara didn't bother with the lock. She even looked into the cell through the small slit in the heavy metal door; watching a man made of twisting shadow suddenly come to life in a room of shadow. When Kal-El screamed, she turned away.<br/><br/>She understood the scream. He was scared...and she had seen those eyes her cousin now watched come closer and closer. Eyes alive with the fire of a thousand burning stars.