Justice
RUTHYE. If a child, which I was at the time despite my many protests to the
contrary, could claim the weapon with a simple tug… what was it that prevented
Krem from rescuing it? I had meant to ask him, and even had the question on my
tongue when Supergirl and I eventually found the filthy man and he was
begging for his life with tears in his eyes. But Supergirl delivered the fatal
blow and Krem fell dead to the ground before I could get it out.
BRIGAND. I just want to say… Before you all caught me… Hell, I’d be lying
if I didn’t say I had a bunch of fun. So thank you all for that. I am in your
debt.
CITIZEN. All right. That it?
BRIGAND. I’m done. Is what it
is. LONG LIVE THE BRIGANDS OF –
RUTHYE. I told her once, that she, who lost everything to holocaust, must so
hate these Brigands who bring genocide with a smile. She considered this. “I’m
Supergirl. I don’t hate anyone.” She smiled politely, and she moved on. And I
learned then that up can be down and right can be wrong, and a lie told well can
be true and good.
Holocaust as a normal noun means “destruction or slaughter on a mass scale, especially caused by fire or nuclear war.” So the destruction of Krypton fits the definition.
KREM. Above me is the most ruthless and powerful company of outlaws in the
universe, and they are dedicated to securing my freedom. And should odds defy
them and they falter in their mission, I will be left to the gentle care of the
kind and ever-forgiving Supergirl of Earth. So you see, child, I don’t need
anything but time.
Something uneasy about an unrepentant villain. I want them to see the error of their ways at some point, so Krem misusing the system comes off pretty villainy.
RUTHYE. “It’s too big,” she said. “We’re too small.” I knew they were my words
said long ago at the edge of Maypole, but I could not fathom their meaning
coming now from her lips. For surely she must see that nothing was outside her
reach. She did not further elaborate and I did not ask her. Instead she moved
her sword swiftly through the air and stabbed down and through the chest of the
kneeling Brigand. After it was done, she returned the bloody blade to my hand.
The Divine
RUTHYE. As our cherished father had aptly demonstrated, offending a kingsagent
was the start of a quick journey to the grave. Better to whine and buck at the
farm than to leave and have your head spiked, so whine and buck they did. And
when they were done, all agreed that everything should be left to the Divine.
They would stay here and tend to the rocks.
RUTHYE. In that moment, many miles from home, as I listened to each bullet
plink of Supergirl’s back… I knew full well that were it not for the long-ago
ruin of a green planet, I would be waste on the floor. And I howled not out of
fear but in recognition at the vicissitudes of the universe that conspires both
to kill us and to keep us safe from harm. And I do believe that the Gentleman
heard that howl for what it was and smiled knowingly as he left the room.
RUTHYE. Let the sun set. But though surely I sent my words to the ends of the
cosmos, where the stars fade into poems and those of the great beyond stare down
at our comings and goings… they fell on deaf ears. Or if they were heard, they
were laughed at and dismissed without consideration. For the sun remained
stubbornly above the hills. And death was assured. And that’s when I learned
that far-off gods are fine for prayer, and I judge not the person that seeks
comfort in the infinity of the heavens. But here below… when the demons come
in close… you’re better off just relying on the staunch will of a good woman.
Mythos
RUTHYE. But until that day, I never saw anyone so unafraid of death that they
understood in their heart and belly a simple and perfect truth – There was no
one alive stronger than they.
RUTHYE. I was by that time quite aware of Supergirl’s legendary dynamism. But
though we had been companions those many weeks, due to our proximity to the red
suns. I had yet to witness the actual application of her powers. I mark this,
then, as the first time I saw her in full bloom. However, in all honesty I
cannot testify that I saw anything exactly. Despite my eyes being keenly pointed
in the direction of the incident. All I knew is that first there was a
botheration. Then there was Supergirl. Then everything was peaceful once again.
RUTHYE. You see, what is not well understood about the daughter of Krypton is
that her power was not one of action but one of restraint, endurance, and
passion. She did not choose to fire a beam from her eyes, or have breath of ice,
or run faster than a speeding bullet. Or any of her well-documented miracles.
No, she held back her heat vision to look you in the face. She warmed her breath
to converse with you. She slowed herself to walk by your side. Every moment of
every day, she suppressed the forces churning inside of her. All the energy of a
dead world that strained against her many barriers, eternally demanding to be
released.
SUPERGIRL. Nnn… forty… 45 minutes. What a little @$#@.
Potpourri
SPACE BANDIT. Excuse me, Ma’am.
SUPERGIRL. Yes, sir?
SPACE
BANDIT. Rankian back there says you’re Supergirl. Are you really Supergirl?
See, Superman put two of my brothers, Skaart and Byaart, in the phantom zone,
and I swore revenge on him and his family from that day forward. So if you’re
Supergirl, I got to kill you.
References
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #01. Men, Women, and Dogs. Tom King; Bilquis Evely; Matheus Lopes. dc.fandom.com . Jun 15, 2021.
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #02. Wounded, Stranded, and Impotent. Tom King; Bilquis Evely; Matheus Lopes. dc.fandom.com . Jul 20, 2021.
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #03. Modest, Calm, and Quiet. Tom King; Bilquis Evely; Matheus Lopes. dc.fandom.com . Aug 17, 2021.
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #04. Restraint, Endurance, and Passion. Tom King; Bilquis Evely; Matheus Lopes. dc.fandom.com . Sep 21, 2021.
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #06. Home, Family, and Refuge. Tom King; Bilquis Evely; Matheus Lopes. dc.fandom.com . Dec 21, 2021.
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #08. Ruthye, Supergirl, and Krem of the Yellow Hills. Tom King; Bilquis Evely; Matheus Lopes. dc.fandom.com . Feb 15, 2022.
Superheroes do not kill. This flash-forward was very effective in drawing me in. What could make Supergirl, kill an already defeated villain?