Just Great [Open]

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

Cassie can tell you lots of details about the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Firstly, it is sometimes called the Olympieion, and secondly, there were two of them. The bigger of the two was in Athens, and the second was in Agrigento, though that one was never finished. Today they are both in ruins, but Cassie has seen enough plans and artistic interpretations and digital renderings to know what they’re supposed to look like.

Stacy has the one from Athens. Cassie had smiled when she approached it; unlike the modern reinvisions of it, in plain alabaster stone, this one has been painted in garish colours, as it was supposed to be. It was historically accurate, and a history nerd like her appreciated that.

But what she doesn’t appreciate is how dead it is inside. She is powerless without a boon from Zeus or Ares, and in a place like this, it is most definitely not her idea of fun to be without. With so much on her mind, and so much she still had to think about, Cassie figures having her abilities certainly would be one less thing to worry about, not to mention extremely useful.

Unfortunately, it’s quite apparent that neither Greek god is here to give her a boost. She hasn't seen Ares watching her since she got here. That, if nothing else, confirms they're far away from where they're supposed to be.

She scowls and sits down on the front steps.

Great. Just great.

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[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

Kara's been wandering around the ship, trying her best to avoid a certain Coluan at the moment. Her face is formed into a bit of a scowl, but this brightens considerably when she lands eyes on Cassie.

And then she realizes that this Cassie might not know who she is.

Argh.

Still, she approaches the blonde demi-goddess with a soft, sweet smile on her face. "Uh, hi, Cassie."

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

Cassie looks up; there's a familiar and friendly face.

A smile blossoms on her own face.

"Hey, Kara."

[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

She takes a seat next to Cassie and brushes back a lock of sleek blonde hair. It doesn't stay behind her ear and flops back out in front of her face. "Oh good. You know me. This makes things easier." She shrugs. "Kal...didn't."

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

"Of course I do, assuming we're on the same page, or at least close."

But Kal forgetting her? Cassie gives a sympathetic cringe.

"Ouch. That... sucks, to say the least. You alright?"

[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine. It's just weird. He didn't know Kon either. I think he's taken earlier from his time line than we were." She looks at Cassie. "Enough about me, though. How are you?" she asks. "How are you getting used to..." she spreads her fingers wide and indicates the area around them, "this?"

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

"Maybe being from the past has its perks," she says, casually. "He might have it easier than us, in some ways."

Cassie shifts on the step, and pauses. How could she possibly put it?

"I'm fine, and adjusting, I guess. Still haven't decided if it's a step up from where I was last, or not."

[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

"I understand that," Kara replies. "I was hardly on Earth, and in the time that I was there, I was kidnapped by Diana, and then by Darkseid. A few months later, and suddenly I'm here." She forces a smile. "I sometimes wonder if it all means I was never supposed to land on Earth in the first place. So...where were you last?"

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

Oh Hera, time differences. Cassie's smile back is tight. Those things were before...

"World was just ending, but... it's safe now."

[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

"..." Kara blinks. "Ending?"

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

Cassie doesn't want her to worry.

"There was a big crisis. But it's okay now."

[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

Kara nods but then asks, "I'm guessing if I go back, I might have to face this crisis," she says. "Is there anything I need to know?"

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Cassie says. "We all do."

She tries to decide how much to say.

"Not all of us make it out okay. There are lots of people missing, and dead, and there still wasn't a complete resolution when I left. ... It was bad, Kara. It was bad."

[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

"..." She shouldn't ask it, but she does. "Who...doesn't make it out okay, Cassie?"

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

This seems like an awful way to start a conversation.

"A lot of Teen Titans. Maxwell Lord was killed. A lot of civilians."

Pause. Just say it, Cassie, just say it.

"... Kon." She follows it up with a quick, "I'm sorry."

[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

"..." Kara blinks. Why does this sound familiar? Oh...right. She and Kon had briefly discussed it before. (http://community.livejournal.com/trans_9/16510.html?thread=1288062#t1288062) Maybe. But Kon...he'd come out okay...

Kara voiced her opinion on that, but her face was still pale. There was a look of firm disbelief in her eyes.

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

"I shouldn't have said anything," Cassie says, more to herself than anything. She suddenly can't meet Kara's eyes. It's a bit late to try to apply more tact.

"I'm sorry. I want to believe it too, but it's... so complicated, and... god. Kon."

[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

Kara shakes her head.

Kon is her friend. Her cousin. He's family. More family than Kal's been to her at this point, and not for Kal's own lack of trying. She clutches her cape and pulls it around her. She won't cry. Not now. She can't.

This...Cassie's known him for longer than Kara has. And he's possibly the love of Cassie's life.

Pushing aside her feelings, she places a hand on Cassie's shoulder. "Look," she says, "He told me that there was a Superboy-Prime. And that I was away with Donna and Starfire. This can be changed. When I go back, all I have to do is switch spots with Kon or something. Problem solved." They're meant to be words of hope, words of consolation, but Kara's not sure if they'll fall flat. She was never consoled over the loss of Krypton herself, so to console someone over a loss this big...it's new to her.

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

Cassie places her hand over Kara's. She's had her consolations, and she's been reunited with Kon; it hurts but having him back has more or less been the stopper in that dam.

And he is the love of her life.

"I want it to be changed," Cassie says. But Kon would never let someone trade places with him, not at the expense of their life. "But I don't think it's that easy. We still don't know what, or how to do that... and it couldn't be as easy as trading places. Kara, you'd be killed. That's no better."

[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

"Please," Kara says. "I'm one-hundred percent full Kryptonian. I can handle whatever your boyfriend couldn't. Not to short change him or anything." She smiles and grips Cassie's hand tightly. "And I won't give him a choice." Well, at least, she won't if she can help it. She doesn't know how her journey - any of their journey - is going to end aboard this ship.

This ship that's starting to feel more and more like home, with Kon, Kal, Cassie, and Brainy.

"How are you dealing with it? I mean, the fact that Kon's here..." Rao, that feels weird to say. "Rao, Cassie. This can't be easy for you."

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

Maybe. Cassie hopes it's that easy. But when their assembled forces couldn't take Superboy-Prime, would Supergirl on her own fare any better than Kon did?

She smiles back.

"You're right, you probably could. I hope it all gets fixed."

As if it's just a bit broken.

"I don't know," she admits. "Didn't even get a chance to mourn and he was back again. It's just... it's like it all hit me, but at the same time, it hasn't, yet. I hate it."

[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

"The ship's kind of funny that way," Kara says softly. "It's all very...what's the human term? Right field?"

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

"Left field," Cassie says. "That sums it up nicely so far."

[girl-of-steel.livejournal.com]

She offers her friend a smile. "If it helps any...I'm glad you're here, Cassie."

[halfgoddess.livejournal.com]

Cassie smiles back.

"It does. And I'm glad you're here too, Kara."