My name is Kara-Zor-El. I was born on the planet Krypton. My life may not have been perfect, but I had a family that loved me. Then when I was just barely thirteen years old, we found out my planet, my home was dying. My father Zor-El and my Uncle Jor-El did everything they could to convince the Kryptonian High Council that we should evacuate the planet. Their pleas fell on deaf ears and they were accused of treason.

The Military Guild placed both sides of my family under house arrest. If any of us were to try and flee the planet, we would be disgraced and shunned by society. But my Father and Uncle hatched a daring plan. In secret, they along with my mother Alura and Aunt Lara commissioned two pods to be created. One was for me and the other for my infant cousin Kal-El. We were the last survivors of Krypton, or so we thought.

My Aunt Astra and her husband Non had been sentenced to Fort Rozz for their attempt to overthrow Krypton’s leadership. Aunt Astra had believed my parents about the impending doom for our home, but took dangerous actions. She and Non were sentenced to life in the prison with their followers. During that time Kal and I were sent away, never to see our families again. His pod made it to Earth while mine got stranded in the Phantom Zone for twenty-four years. I finally reached Earth to learn that my cousin had grown up to become Superman.

That was nearly thirteen years ago now. A lot has happened since that day; I developed the same powers as Kal, eventually using them to become Supergirl. While I had an adoptive family who cared for me there was still one thing missing in my life. Kal had grown up here with a nice family and taken the name Clark Kent, and met in his words a feisty reporter who without even trying won his heart.

For a time I was jealous of Clark and Lois, but then something happened. I had just become a junior reporter for Cat Co. Media. My first big story was the day I met the man who would become the love of my life. His name is Barry Allen, and he is the fastest man alive, he’s the Flash. Two days ago I became his wife. We were on our way to National City which has been my home for a few years now. In four months Barry and I will be moving into our brand new apartment in Central City. But nothing could have prepared us for the fireball streaking across the sky, eventually crash landing in a field just outside of National City.

When we reached the landing site, we found a Kryptonian pod in the crater. While it wasn’t unusual now for me to discover another survivor of my planet, the person in the pod was someone I had thought was long since dead. I have Barry, and after everything we’ve been through together I found myself wanting to hope, but fearing to all the same.”

“Kara…you know her? Who is this?”

“She’s…she’s my mother.”

“Your mother?”

“Barry had placed his hand on my shoulder to support me after joining me in the crater. Looking at my mother it seemed as if she hadn’t aged a day. I really wanted to believe it was her, but after Barry was taken into the Speed Force in February, at which time I thought I had lost him forever, six months he was gone but he came back to me. Then two months until our wedding day Mr. Mxyzptlk abducted me, so naturally I was skeptical and wanted proof. Off in the distance I could hear sirens, and knew that National City P.D. would soon arrive to investigate the crash site. They would have questions and want answers that neither Barry nor I could provide. His voice broke me out of my daze.”

“Kara, we have to go. We can’t let your mother wake up here and be met with guns and sirens. Especially since they’ll ask a lot of…”

“I know; Barry. There’s only one place we can go right now. I’m going to carry her pod, think you can keep up?”

“Kara…you know I’m…”

“Right…we’ve got to get to the D.E.O. Do me a favor…call Alex and let her know we’re coming.”

“As the sirens got closer, I reclosed the hatch on my mother’s pod and lifted it easily. In less than five minutes I was in the air with Barry following on the ground at super-speed. Even though I had wanted to call my sister Alex personally, I had to focus my attention on keeping the ship safe. But I could hear Barry as he ran the distance, and I’m sure he was not letting me out of his sight.”

“Alex…”

“Well if it isn’t my brother in law of two days. I would have thought you and Kara were on your way to your honeymoon.”

“That was definitely in the plan, but we had to make a stop in National City. Kara was going to…you know what…that’s not important right now. Are you at the D.E.O.?”

“I’m on my way, why?”

“Kara and I need you to meet us there. We just had an encounter with a fireball that cut through the sky.”

“That was on the news…you guys got there first?”

“Alex…”

“Yeah, sorry…so what was the…”

“A Kryptonian pod crashed in an empty field. Kara’s carrying it as I follow her.”

“Alex fell silent for a moment and I thought that at the speeds I was running I had lost the connection. I knew Kara was listening so when I stopped speaking as well, she flew down closer to me to try and pick up on what had happened.”

“Barry…?”

“Alex just stopped talking Kara…I…”

“I’m still here Barry. Just hearing the words Kryptonian pod startled me. Can you ask Kara who or what is…”

“Barry, tell Alex that inside the pod is someone who I think is a Kryptonian woman…she appears to be in a coma.”

“Alex…”

“I heard Kara, Barry. I just reached the D.E.O. I pulled a team to help me set up my medical labs. I’m sure Kara knows where to land so as soon as you get here…”

“We’re just about there. I can see the high rise. Kara’s headed for the balcony entrance. I’m right behind her.”

“As I ran up the side of the building I wondered why Kara had only told Alex it was a Kryptonian woman. A thousand thoughts ran through my head as I worried about my wife. She seemed so sure that the woman was her mother that I didn’t understand why she had neglected to mention that to Alex. Whatever her reasons were, I trusted her judgement as Alex rushed out the doors with a gurney just as Kara set the pod down.”

“Kara…how is she?”

“I don’t know Alex, she’s either in a coma or a state of suspended animation. The pod was a streak of fire through the sky, honestly I’m amazed that it didn’t burn up on entry.”

“We’ll worry about that later. I’ve got to get her to my lab so I can assess what’s wrong. I’m sure Clark probably saw the news. You might want to call him; he might be able to help.”

“I watched as Alex wheeled my mother to the medical labs to begin her testing. Barry stayed right there with me as I continued to process the fact that my mother was alive. I knew I should call Clark but I was still in a slight daze, not knowing what to do or believe. Once again it was Barry who snapped me back to reality.”

“Kara…I know you’re confused. Even without our inhibitors I can feel your stress. But I can’t tell what you’re thinking. I can only imagine that the world has spun around on its axis more than once for you. And I know you know that I’ve been where you are. Feeling like you’ve lost everyone, thinking you’d never see you parents again. I can even understand why you didn’t tell Alex that her patient is your mother. After all you and I have been through together…”

“Barry paused and pulled me close, wrapping one arm around my shoulders and the other around my waist. As Supergirl; I often have to be the strong one. But with Barry holding me, I buried my head against his chest and let the tears fall. In that moment, I hoped more than ever that the woman in the pod is my mother, so I can introduce her to the man who won my heart.”

“Hey…Kara, it’s okay. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere and we’ll figure this out. We’ll do this how we do everything, as a team.”

“Barry…I am so glad I met you. I’m even happier that we got married. You always know the right words to bring a smile to my face, baby.”

“Well…not always. But in the moments when it counts the most, I’ll always do whatever it takes to make you smile.”

“In that next instant I was laughing, not because what Barry said was funny, but because his saying it cheered me up, right as Alex came back.”

“Well she’s definitely Kryptonian. The needle I tried to use to take a blood sample bent on contact with her arm.”

Book cover credits -mahiramateen13