Fic: Worlds Collide (Cassie/Kara, Kara/Thara)
Title: Worlds Collide
Author: milleniumrex
Fandom: DC Universe
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Cassie Sandsmark/Kara Zor-El, past Kara Zor-El/Thara Ak-Var, Conner Kent, Superman, Wonder Woman.
Words: 2414
Summary: Cassie and Thara's rivalry over Kara gets out of hand.
Author's Notes: Contains spoilers for Legion of 3 Worlds #4, as well as the current runs of Action Comics and Supergirl. This fic is set in the future, and a lot of it is fanon as to how things shape up after New Krypton concludes. Set in the same continuity as Bond of Brothers. Written for my 10_hurt_comfort prompt table here, for the prompt "Jealousy".
Kon was used to seeing destruction in Metropolis. It seemed like every day, supervillains would try to blow the place up. So when he heard that a city block was being torn up by two rampaging supers, he assumed he'd be seeing a giant gorilla, or maybe an alien invader. Not two gorgeous blonde girls, one of which happened to be his ex-girlfriend, in what looked like a superpowered cat-fight. The nearby buildings had all been evacuated, so Kon decided to linger a little and watch, because this wasn't something you saw every day.
"Way to help, Kon!"
Kara flew by Kon, inserting herself in the middle of the brawl. "Cassie? Thara? What the - ?"
Kara flew down as Cassie and Thara fought, oblivious to the damage around them. Cassie, down on one knee, hit Thara in the jaw with her palm. Thara growled and swung back. Kara didn't see the already-swung punch coming, and Thara caught here squarely in the jaw, knocking her to the ground. She looked up, rubbing her jaw.
"Kara!" Both girls stopped fighting in unison and bent down to make sure she was okay. As Kara was rubbing her jaw and letting them know she wasn't hurt, two figures descended from above, neither one looking pleased.
"Cassie? Tell me you didn't have anything to do with this destruction."
"I was thinking the same thing. Thara, I know you're new to Earth, but you could have killed someone!"
Cassie and Thara looked away from the pointed glares of Superman and Wonder Woman. The damage to the block was a lot worse than it seemed while they were fighting. The main building looked like it could collapse at any time. Cassie's foot was starting to throb really badly where Thara stomped on it, and Thara's shoulder looked dislocated from Cassie's last punch. And of course, Kara was nursing a sore jaw thanks to their fight. This had really gotten out of control.
"Well?" Superman questioned in a tone no one was used to hearing from him. "How did this happen?"
"Military bitch threw the first punch." Cassie snarled. "I was just trying to get her attention, and - "
"You surprised me! I'm a bit jumpy from, you know, the years of being trapped in an alien's bottle!" Thara retorted. "Besides, I tried to apologize. You're the one who tried to strangle me with your magic rope."
"Enough." Wonder Woman interjected. "It's pretty clear you're both at fault here. You're also both hurt. Go home, and we'll deal with this once you've both been checked out."
Without another word, Cassie and Thara flew off, and Superman and Wonder Woman joined them, leaving Kara in the middle of the rubble. Kon flew down, still not sure exactly what he just saw.
"So...wow. What was that? You normally try to break up super-catfights?"
Kara sighed. "That...was my two girlfriends trying to kill each other. Over me."
----------------
"Are you sure about this, Thara? Father told me that the Thought-beasts are dangerous."
"Oh, come on, Kara! I know you're science guild, but you don't want to stay cooped up in a lab all day!"
Thara ran down the hill, and Kara followed tentatively. She would follow Thara anywhere, no matter how scared she was by the large beasts they were spying on. They had been best friends since they were six, and Thara had always been the bold one. In their 14th summer, Kara thought to herself that she wished she had the courage to do a lot of things, but none more than telling Thara how she was starting to feel about her.
Thara carefully snuck up behind the herd of Thought-beasts. "Hey, Kara! You've got the holo-recorder ready?"
"Yeah..." Kara pulled out the recording device and pointed it at Thara. "I really think you should..."
"Too late!" Thara giggled as she ran up to the herd's alpha male and planted a silver decal on its backside. The animal roared in shock and swung around, knocking Thara off her feet. The Thoughtbeast reared up, preparing to stomp on her.
Before she even knew what she was doing, Kara raced down the hill, pulled Thara out from under the animal, and dragged them both up the hill as the creatures went back to grazing. Both girls gasped for air, breathing heavily with relief."
"Wow, K!" Thara laughed. "Where did that come from?"
"I...I couldn't let you get hurt." Kara gasped. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just a little bruised. I knew you had a little warrior in you." Thara looked Kara over. "Wow, you're really blushing. What's wrong?"
Suddenly, Kara leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Thara's lips. She pulled away as soon as she realized what had happened, her mind racing with all the worst-case scenarios of how Thara would react.
"Wow...this makes a whole lot more sense now. So, how long have you wanted to do that?"
"I...don't know. A while." Kara looked away, afraid to meet Thara's eyes. "I totally understand if you don't feel the same way."
Thara gently took Kara's face in her hands, turning her head so they could meet eyes. After what seemed like forever, she leaned in and gave Kara a lingering, passionate kiss.
"I've wanted to that for a really long time. I just didn't want to scare you off. You can be kind of skittish, K."
Kara grinned as she kissed Thara back. This was the best trip into the wilds ever.
----------------
Thara groaned as she woke up the next morning. Her head was killing her, probably from the number of head-shots Wonder Girl had gotten in. Her dislocated shoulder was healing quickly, but it still somehow hurt worse than the stab wounds from her fight with Ursa. Of course, all this paled compared to the ringing in her ears from the lecture Superman had given her. As much as she hated to admit it (especially because he wasn't her father, much as he liked to act like it), he had a point.
There was a soft knock at the window. Thara pulled it back with her good arm and saw Kara hovering there nervously.
"So...can I come in?"
"Sure." Thara shrugged. "Clark, Lois, and Chris are probably out. But I'm warning you, if you're going to lecture me, I'm not in the mood."
"Okay, okay!" Kara threw her hands in the air. "I come in peace. I just wanted to talk, find out what went down yesterday."
"There's nothing to tell, really. I just wanted to talk to her, and things got out of hand. I forgot just how destructible everything around here was. I don't know what her excuse is."
"Okay, but why would you go to talk to her in the first place? Why wouldn't you come to me?"
"Oh, I don't know." Thara fixed Kara with a glare. "Maybe because I had to find out that my girlfriend is hooking up with some Amazon tart from a gossip magazine? That was fun."
"Oh." Kara looked at the floor. "I...I wanted to tell you, but the time never seemed right."
"Well, yeah, that would be an awkward conversation."
"I thought you were dead, Thara. I mourned for you, for my parents, but eventually...I had to move on."
"But I'm not dead, Kara." Thara said, a trace of emotion piercing the bitterness in her voice. "All those years, in that horrible bottle, I kept you in my heart. I kept on hoping we'd be together again one day. I guess it was too much to hope for that you'd wait too."
Kara's eyes stinging with tears, she headed towards the window. Before she left, she turned back to Thara. "I never stopped loving you either."
And with that, she flew off.
------------
Cassie woke up with a start. No matter how many times she had the nightmare, it was fresh each time. The helplessness as she felt Conner's life slip away in her hands...
"Cassie? What happened?"
Cassie turned to the other bed across the room. Her roommate was looking at her with concern.
"Same nightmare. You know the routine. Sorry I woke you up."
Kara flew over and sat at the side of Cassie's bed. "Hey, no worries. I only need like one hour of sleep a night anyway."
"I just feel so stupid. It's been over a year now, and I'm still a wreck." Cassie sobbed. "I loved him...but even I know he wouldn't want me to destroy my life like this, being haunted by it every day. I don't know what to do."
Kara ran her hands through Cassie's hair. "Trust me, you're not any more a wreck than anyone else would be. I rarely tell anyone this...but I lost someone like you did. Back on Krypton."
"Really? A boyfriend?"
"Girlfriend, actually." Kara blushed. "Her name was Thara. We were best friends since we were little kids, then, when we were 14...we fell in love. We were together for a little over a year when Brainiac came. He used this horrible ship of his, the entire city of Kandor was taken. I was on one side, she was on the other..."
Kara started shaking. She choked back tears and continued. "We were only a few feet away from each other, but I couldn't do a thing. She was taken into that ship, along with the entire city...and no one ever heard from them again. I kept up hope for a really long time, that maybe they were out there, but no one ever returns from Brainiac's ship. Eventually, when I came to Earth, I had to let go. But I never forgot her."
Cassie embraced Kara as the two girls cried together. "Does...does it ever get better?"
"Honestly...no. We'll always miss them. But we can use that. Everything I do on Earth, it's to honor Thara and my parents. And I know that Conner would love the hero you're turning into too."
"Thank you." Cassie gripped Kara's hand. "I don't know how, but you always manage to make me feel a little better."
"You're not alone." Kara smiled. "Just remember that, and you'll make it."
Cassie looked into her roommate's eyes. Sharing a place with Kara had always been great, but somehow, she never felt like she knew her fully until tonight. All of a sudden, she believed Kara when she said she would make it. Cassie squeezed Kara's hand back tightly.
"I know I'm not ready to move on yet, but I want you to know...when I am, it'd be with you."
----------
This was really her own fault, Cassie thought to herself. Her past experience with Kryptonians had proven that even more powerful than before, she was still outclassed by them physically. So picking a fight with one over their mutual girlfriend was not her best move. The cast on her broken foot was a reminder of that. She had gotten in a few good shots, but she definitely came out worse for the wear.
As she tried to get the hang of her crutches enough to get to the kitchen, the window blew open, and she found herself swept up in Kara's arms.
"God, I missed you, babe." Kara softly kissed Cassie as she gently laid her down on the bed. "How're you holding up?"
"Eh." Cassie shrugged. "My foot's killing me. Your psycho ex doesn't mess around."
"She's not - Never mind. I'm sorry you're hurt." Kara stroked Cassie's hair.
"My own fault. Shouldn't have taken the bait. I just...I don't know what you ever saw in her."
"What you saw today...that's not the Thara I knew on Krypton. Being trapped all those years...I think it hardened her. But when I talked to her, I saw a little bit of the old Thara. Don't judge her too harshly, okay? She's just trying to figure out where she belongs."
"You talked to her?" Cassie cast a skewed glance at Kara.
"Yeah, we just needed to clear the air. I - "
"You talked to her before you came to see me. Your girlfriend." Cassie shook her head. "You're still in love with her, aren't you? From Krypton?"
Kara wanted to say no. She wanted to assure Cassie that she was in love with her and no one else. But her mouth wouldn't form the lies she wanted it to.
"I love you, Cassie."
"I believe you. But you also love her, don't you?"
"I...I'm sorry. She was dead. I thought she was dead, and now he's not, and I...I don't know what to do about that."
"Do you think it was easy for me, Kara?" Cassie yelled, tears coming from her eyes. "I loved Kon. You know that. But when he came back, I knew it wasn't right. He'll always be a part of my past. But you...you're my future. I need to know I'm your future too."
"Cassie..."
"You should go, Kara." Cassie rolled over, turning her head away. "I'm really tired."
Without another word, Kara flew out the window.
---------
Kara felt like she had been sitting there forever, going over the questions in her head. This was a no-win situation. No matter what she did, she would be hurting one of the people she cared about more than anyone. They both deserved her. They both deserved to be happy, and there was no way she could say either one had a better case. And much as she hated to admit it, she loved them both with the same passion. Thara, with her lust for life and fiery passion, which showed in her anger just as much as it did in her kisses. And Cassie, who never failed to make her smile. She had been through so much, but she still managed to be the light in Kara's life so often. It wasn't their fault that fate had created this paradox. The decision had fallen in her lap, and she knew what she had to do. She picked up the phone.
"Hi, Thara? We need to meet. You know where Metropolis park is?"
"Hi, Cassie? Can you meet me at the park?"
They all needed to meet to talk this out. Cassie and Thara might have turned on each other, but they didn't need to be enemies. Kara hoped that maybe, together, they could figure something out that would give everyone what they needed.
Author: milleniumrex
Fandom: DC Universe
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Cassie Sandsmark/Kara Zor-El, past Kara Zor-El/Thara Ak-Var, Conner Kent, Superman, Wonder Woman.
Words: 2414
Summary: Cassie and Thara's rivalry over Kara gets out of hand.
Author's Notes: Contains spoilers for Legion of 3 Worlds #4, as well as the current runs of Action Comics and Supergirl. This fic is set in the future, and a lot of it is fanon as to how things shape up after New Krypton concludes. Set in the same continuity as Bond of Brothers. Written for my 10_hurt_comfort prompt table here, for the prompt "Jealousy".
Kon was used to seeing destruction in Metropolis. It seemed like every day, supervillains would try to blow the place up. So when he heard that a city block was being torn up by two rampaging supers, he assumed he'd be seeing a giant gorilla, or maybe an alien invader. Not two gorgeous blonde girls, one of which happened to be his ex-girlfriend, in what looked like a superpowered cat-fight. The nearby buildings had all been evacuated, so Kon decided to linger a little and watch, because this wasn't something you saw every day.
"Way to help, Kon!"
Kara flew by Kon, inserting herself in the middle of the brawl. "Cassie? Thara? What the - ?"
Kara flew down as Cassie and Thara fought, oblivious to the damage around them. Cassie, down on one knee, hit Thara in the jaw with her palm. Thara growled and swung back. Kara didn't see the already-swung punch coming, and Thara caught here squarely in the jaw, knocking her to the ground. She looked up, rubbing her jaw.
"Kara!" Both girls stopped fighting in unison and bent down to make sure she was okay. As Kara was rubbing her jaw and letting them know she wasn't hurt, two figures descended from above, neither one looking pleased.
"Cassie? Tell me you didn't have anything to do with this destruction."
"I was thinking the same thing. Thara, I know you're new to Earth, but you could have killed someone!"
Cassie and Thara looked away from the pointed glares of Superman and Wonder Woman. The damage to the block was a lot worse than it seemed while they were fighting. The main building looked like it could collapse at any time. Cassie's foot was starting to throb really badly where Thara stomped on it, and Thara's shoulder looked dislocated from Cassie's last punch. And of course, Kara was nursing a sore jaw thanks to their fight. This had really gotten out of control.
"Well?" Superman questioned in a tone no one was used to hearing from him. "How did this happen?"
"Military bitch threw the first punch." Cassie snarled. "I was just trying to get her attention, and - "
"You surprised me! I'm a bit jumpy from, you know, the years of being trapped in an alien's bottle!" Thara retorted. "Besides, I tried to apologize. You're the one who tried to strangle me with your magic rope."
"Enough." Wonder Woman interjected. "It's pretty clear you're both at fault here. You're also both hurt. Go home, and we'll deal with this once you've both been checked out."
Without another word, Cassie and Thara flew off, and Superman and Wonder Woman joined them, leaving Kara in the middle of the rubble. Kon flew down, still not sure exactly what he just saw.
"So...wow. What was that? You normally try to break up super-catfights?"
Kara sighed. "That...was my two girlfriends trying to kill each other. Over me."
----------------
"Are you sure about this, Thara? Father told me that the Thought-beasts are dangerous."
"Oh, come on, Kara! I know you're science guild, but you don't want to stay cooped up in a lab all day!"
Thara ran down the hill, and Kara followed tentatively. She would follow Thara anywhere, no matter how scared she was by the large beasts they were spying on. They had been best friends since they were six, and Thara had always been the bold one. In their 14th summer, Kara thought to herself that she wished she had the courage to do a lot of things, but none more than telling Thara how she was starting to feel about her.
Thara carefully snuck up behind the herd of Thought-beasts. "Hey, Kara! You've got the holo-recorder ready?"
"Yeah..." Kara pulled out the recording device and pointed it at Thara. "I really think you should..."
"Too late!" Thara giggled as she ran up to the herd's alpha male and planted a silver decal on its backside. The animal roared in shock and swung around, knocking Thara off her feet. The Thoughtbeast reared up, preparing to stomp on her.
Before she even knew what she was doing, Kara raced down the hill, pulled Thara out from under the animal, and dragged them both up the hill as the creatures went back to grazing. Both girls gasped for air, breathing heavily with relief."
"Wow, K!" Thara laughed. "Where did that come from?"
"I...I couldn't let you get hurt." Kara gasped. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just a little bruised. I knew you had a little warrior in you." Thara looked Kara over. "Wow, you're really blushing. What's wrong?"
Suddenly, Kara leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Thara's lips. She pulled away as soon as she realized what had happened, her mind racing with all the worst-case scenarios of how Thara would react.
"Wow...this makes a whole lot more sense now. So, how long have you wanted to do that?"
"I...don't know. A while." Kara looked away, afraid to meet Thara's eyes. "I totally understand if you don't feel the same way."
Thara gently took Kara's face in her hands, turning her head so they could meet eyes. After what seemed like forever, she leaned in and gave Kara a lingering, passionate kiss.
"I've wanted to that for a really long time. I just didn't want to scare you off. You can be kind of skittish, K."
Kara grinned as she kissed Thara back. This was the best trip into the wilds ever.
----------------
Thara groaned as she woke up the next morning. Her head was killing her, probably from the number of head-shots Wonder Girl had gotten in. Her dislocated shoulder was healing quickly, but it still somehow hurt worse than the stab wounds from her fight with Ursa. Of course, all this paled compared to the ringing in her ears from the lecture Superman had given her. As much as she hated to admit it (especially because he wasn't her father, much as he liked to act like it), he had a point.
There was a soft knock at the window. Thara pulled it back with her good arm and saw Kara hovering there nervously.
"So...can I come in?"
"Sure." Thara shrugged. "Clark, Lois, and Chris are probably out. But I'm warning you, if you're going to lecture me, I'm not in the mood."
"Okay, okay!" Kara threw her hands in the air. "I come in peace. I just wanted to talk, find out what went down yesterday."
"There's nothing to tell, really. I just wanted to talk to her, and things got out of hand. I forgot just how destructible everything around here was. I don't know what her excuse is."
"Okay, but why would you go to talk to her in the first place? Why wouldn't you come to me?"
"Oh, I don't know." Thara fixed Kara with a glare. "Maybe because I had to find out that my girlfriend is hooking up with some Amazon tart from a gossip magazine? That was fun."
"Oh." Kara looked at the floor. "I...I wanted to tell you, but the time never seemed right."
"Well, yeah, that would be an awkward conversation."
"I thought you were dead, Thara. I mourned for you, for my parents, but eventually...I had to move on."
"But I'm not dead, Kara." Thara said, a trace of emotion piercing the bitterness in her voice. "All those years, in that horrible bottle, I kept you in my heart. I kept on hoping we'd be together again one day. I guess it was too much to hope for that you'd wait too."
Kara's eyes stinging with tears, she headed towards the window. Before she left, she turned back to Thara. "I never stopped loving you either."
And with that, she flew off.
------------
Cassie woke up with a start. No matter how many times she had the nightmare, it was fresh each time. The helplessness as she felt Conner's life slip away in her hands...
"Cassie? What happened?"
Cassie turned to the other bed across the room. Her roommate was looking at her with concern.
"Same nightmare. You know the routine. Sorry I woke you up."
Kara flew over and sat at the side of Cassie's bed. "Hey, no worries. I only need like one hour of sleep a night anyway."
"I just feel so stupid. It's been over a year now, and I'm still a wreck." Cassie sobbed. "I loved him...but even I know he wouldn't want me to destroy my life like this, being haunted by it every day. I don't know what to do."
Kara ran her hands through Cassie's hair. "Trust me, you're not any more a wreck than anyone else would be. I rarely tell anyone this...but I lost someone like you did. Back on Krypton."
"Really? A boyfriend?"
"Girlfriend, actually." Kara blushed. "Her name was Thara. We were best friends since we were little kids, then, when we were 14...we fell in love. We were together for a little over a year when Brainiac came. He used this horrible ship of his, the entire city of Kandor was taken. I was on one side, she was on the other..."
Kara started shaking. She choked back tears and continued. "We were only a few feet away from each other, but I couldn't do a thing. She was taken into that ship, along with the entire city...and no one ever heard from them again. I kept up hope for a really long time, that maybe they were out there, but no one ever returns from Brainiac's ship. Eventually, when I came to Earth, I had to let go. But I never forgot her."
Cassie embraced Kara as the two girls cried together. "Does...does it ever get better?"
"Honestly...no. We'll always miss them. But we can use that. Everything I do on Earth, it's to honor Thara and my parents. And I know that Conner would love the hero you're turning into too."
"Thank you." Cassie gripped Kara's hand. "I don't know how, but you always manage to make me feel a little better."
"You're not alone." Kara smiled. "Just remember that, and you'll make it."
Cassie looked into her roommate's eyes. Sharing a place with Kara had always been great, but somehow, she never felt like she knew her fully until tonight. All of a sudden, she believed Kara when she said she would make it. Cassie squeezed Kara's hand back tightly.
"I know I'm not ready to move on yet, but I want you to know...when I am, it'd be with you."
----------
This was really her own fault, Cassie thought to herself. Her past experience with Kryptonians had proven that even more powerful than before, she was still outclassed by them physically. So picking a fight with one over their mutual girlfriend was not her best move. The cast on her broken foot was a reminder of that. She had gotten in a few good shots, but she definitely came out worse for the wear.
As she tried to get the hang of her crutches enough to get to the kitchen, the window blew open, and she found herself swept up in Kara's arms.
"God, I missed you, babe." Kara softly kissed Cassie as she gently laid her down on the bed. "How're you holding up?"
"Eh." Cassie shrugged. "My foot's killing me. Your psycho ex doesn't mess around."
"She's not - Never mind. I'm sorry you're hurt." Kara stroked Cassie's hair.
"My own fault. Shouldn't have taken the bait. I just...I don't know what you ever saw in her."
"What you saw today...that's not the Thara I knew on Krypton. Being trapped all those years...I think it hardened her. But when I talked to her, I saw a little bit of the old Thara. Don't judge her too harshly, okay? She's just trying to figure out where she belongs."
"You talked to her?" Cassie cast a skewed glance at Kara.
"Yeah, we just needed to clear the air. I - "
"You talked to her before you came to see me. Your girlfriend." Cassie shook her head. "You're still in love with her, aren't you? From Krypton?"
Kara wanted to say no. She wanted to assure Cassie that she was in love with her and no one else. But her mouth wouldn't form the lies she wanted it to.
"I love you, Cassie."
"I believe you. But you also love her, don't you?"
"I...I'm sorry. She was dead. I thought she was dead, and now he's not, and I...I don't know what to do about that."
"Do you think it was easy for me, Kara?" Cassie yelled, tears coming from her eyes. "I loved Kon. You know that. But when he came back, I knew it wasn't right. He'll always be a part of my past. But you...you're my future. I need to know I'm your future too."
"Cassie..."
"You should go, Kara." Cassie rolled over, turning her head away. "I'm really tired."
Without another word, Kara flew out the window.
---------
Kara felt like she had been sitting there forever, going over the questions in her head. This was a no-win situation. No matter what she did, she would be hurting one of the people she cared about more than anyone. They both deserved her. They both deserved to be happy, and there was no way she could say either one had a better case. And much as she hated to admit it, she loved them both with the same passion. Thara, with her lust for life and fiery passion, which showed in her anger just as much as it did in her kisses. And Cassie, who never failed to make her smile. She had been through so much, but she still managed to be the light in Kara's life so often. It wasn't their fault that fate had created this paradox. The decision had fallen in her lap, and she knew what she had to do. She picked up the phone.
"Hi, Thara? We need to meet. You know where Metropolis park is?"
"Hi, Cassie? Can you meet me at the park?"
They all needed to meet to talk this out. Cassie and Thara might have turned on each other, but they didn't need to be enemies. Kara hoped that maybe, together, they could figure something out that would give everyone what they needed.