Chapter 34: Paper Tigers
Robin and Christie usually went off shift right after the girls got home from school, but this time they stayed around for the confrontation. They didn’t have long to wait.
Emily had rushed home from the hospital, and her family stood huddled in one corner of the main lounge of the former B&B, surrounded by Jarrod, Robin, Christie, and other agents.
“As you can see, Mr. Douglas,” said Graves, “these papers are completely in order. I’ll have to insist that you turn Miss Kent over to us.” Congressman Munroe stood behind him, a satisfied smile on his face.
Fred Douglas had glanced at the papers briefly then handed them off to a staff member, who was reading them carefully. After a couple of minutes the woman leaned over, whispered briefly in Douglas’s ear, then handed the papers back.
Douglas straightened the papers and handed them back to Graves. “The papers are perfectly in order, Mr. Graves.” Kara held her breath. “However, I’m afraid they’re irrelevant. Miss Kent is not under your jurisdiction.”
“Excuse me?” asked Graves. “What are you talking about?”
“Miss Kent is not a citizen of the United States, and therefore her stay in this country is under the auspices of the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security.”
“What do you mean she’s not a citizen of the United States?” shouted Munroe. “What nonsense is this?”
Douglas was unperturbed. “It’s not nonsense at all, Congressman. There is no record of Kara Zoe Kent being born in the United States, or to a parent who is a citizen of the United States, nor has she been naturalized. She has no documentation to that effect, and to the contrary has freely admitted to being from elsewhere. Therefore, she is not a citizen, Q.E.D.
“Depending on her personal history, she may be a citizen of an analog of the United States in another reality, or she may be,” he smirked, “merely a strange visitor from another planet. Regardless, her status there has no legal bearing here.
“She is classified as the child of a foreign dignitary and has been granted a diplomatic visa by the State Department. As such, she has diplomatic status and is not under your jurisdiction.”
“Clark Kent is a reporter, not a diplomat! He doesn’t represent their government. And that’s assuming he even exists!”
“No,” said Douglas, “he’s not a diplomat, nor does he represent their government in any way. However, Miss Kent informs us that it’s common knowledge there that Superman, or Kal-El, is a member of the nobility of the planet Krypton, and for a brief time was First Lord of New Krypton, their supreme leader. He’s retired from the position, but of course we extend him the same courtesy we extend to any other former head of state. And the same to his family, including his daughter.”
“This is preposterous! You really believe this story? Superman, King of Krypton?”
“First Lord of
New Krypton. We don’t have any reason to doubt Miss Kent, as she’s shown herself to be an honest and trustworthy individual.” He paused a beat. “The State Department feels this recognition is the appropriate course of action at this time. Of course, if new information comes to light we can always reconsider her status.”
Munroe was speechless.
“Given all that, since she finds herself lost and separated from her parents, we’ve asked Dr. Jordan to continue as her foster mother until they can reclaim her, and both of them are happy with the arrangement. The President appreciates the care shown by the Department of Children’s Services in placing Miss Kent with a foster family, but you no longer need trouble yourself with her case; it’s now a matter for State and DHS. He gives you his heartfelt thanks, however.”
He gestured to the door. “Congressman, Gentlemen, good day to you.”
Graves looked helplessly to Congressman Munroe, whose eyes were narrowed. It was several seconds before he replied, “Very well. We’ll take our leave. Please give my respects to the President.”
“Of course,” said Douglas.
The Congressman left, his entourage in tow and his anger barely contained. The door shut behind them.
“Is it over?” asked Kara.
Fred Douglas sighed. “I wish it were. That was just one move.”
Caitlin poked Kara in the side. “Hey squirt, you’re an alien princess. Cool.”
Kara blinked.
I’m a what?“Did you really need to get her a diplomatic visa?” asked Emily.
“A regular visitor’s visa or refugee status would have been enough to deflect this gambit. We wanted to be prepared in case they try some other dodge.”
Suddenly, Emily gasped, “Caitlin!” Caitlin stiffened in understanding, her good humor fled.
“Yes,” said Douglas. “We don’t think they’ll go there. They no longer have an incentive to ‘persuade’ you to quit voluntarily, as we’ve removed their ability to replace you with someone of their choosing. Still, we’re developing a plan, just in case.”
“What are you guys talking about?” asked Kara.
“Honey, I never adopted Caitlin. I couldn’t afford the legal fees and time involved. So if they wanted to they could take her away from me.”
“That stinks!” said Kara indignantly. She folded her arms. “I think these people are worse than the people who kidnapped you.”
Fred Douglas, for the first time since they’d met him, laughed out loud. “I think I might agree with you, Kara.”
• • •
“Next up tonight, the latest on the Girl of Steel. Mike Hooper is our Supergirl correspondent, live from Milford, Delaware. Mike?”
“Thanks, Bill. Yesterday’s unsuccessful attempt to move Supergirl to a different family hasn’t stopped the bipartisan coalition behind the SMPA. While still a minority in both the House and Senate, their numbers have grown. With me via video is Congressman Gerald Munroe, the bill’s sponsor and chief spokesperson. Congressman, what’s your view?”
“Thank you, Mike. Frankly, we’re disappointed in the Administration’s legal maneuvering to subvert the legitimate authority of the state of Delaware. It’s a classic example of the Federal government overstepping its bounds. And all of this is based on the flimsiest of foundations: the imaginings of an eleven year old girl!”
“Congressman, are you saying you don’t believe Supergirl?”
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: she is a great kid. I would be very proud if she were my daughter. But we all know that kids that age have vivid imaginations. She finds herself with these amazing powers, and to make sense of it she imagines she’s the comic book character whose name she’s taken. And with that comes a whole comic book world, complete with Superman and Lois Lane. And because this story helps her feel better about what’s happened she believes it’s true.
“I don’t know who the Administration is listening to but the scientists we’ve consulted think this is crazy talk. They agree that parallel universes are possible, but the idea that there might be entire worlds populated with characters from our own books and movies is preposterous. They tell us that travel between parallel universes is impossible, and that it’s ridiculous to think an alien would look exactly like a human being, much less be able to father children with one.
“We don’t know how Supergirl got her powers but it’s simple common sense that she’s a human girl who’s been here all along. Maybe the kidnappers who left her by that road in Milford used her as a guinea pig in some kind of horrible experiment, and she got her powers from that. Homeland Security should be focused on tracking down those criminals, but instead they’re threatening public servants trying to go about their legitimate business.
“Meanwhile, we believe the best thing for Supergirl is for the Administration to stop fantasizing about Superman coming to the rescue, and either find her real parents or get her into a good, solid family if they can’t be found. That’s why my colleagues and I support the SMPA.”
“Thank you, Congressman.”
“My pleasure as always, Mike.”
“Congressman Munroe is correct that at least some scientists find Supergirl’s story hard to believe. We spoke earlier with Hector Morales, professor of physics at the University of Texas, Amarillo.
“Professor, can you explain it simply for our viewers?”
“Well, I can’t say that we have a complete explanation, but my colleagues and I have run some rough calculations and we find it incredibly unlikely her story is true. It’s essentially impossible.”
“But what about her powers, Professor? Don’t they kind of make a hash of the laws of physics, at least as we understand them?”
“The hypothesis we’re working on right now is that she may have gained superpowers as a result of a quantum fluctuation in the laws of physics. String Theory, which is the leading candidate for a ‘theory of everything,’ does allow for it. We’ve just gotten started on this work, though, so it may take us a while.”
“Back here in Milford, though, support for Supergirl and her foster family is strong. There was some unhappiness to begin with due to traffic snarls caused by security and the media — sorry about that, folks! — but Supergirl’s relocation to the edge of town has eased those concerns.
“In fact, there’s a kind of hometown pride spreading for the city’s resident superhero. That, and the growing stream of tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of her, led the city council to officially welcome her and award her the key to the city, to be given at a ceremony later today. Milford has also declared itself the ‘City of Tomorrow,’ borrowing a nickname from its sister city of Metropolis.
“Our latest daily poll shows support for the SMPA increasing, but still a minority at 44%. Like Milford, most folks seem to support Supergirl and her family. From the City of Tomorrow, I’m Mike Hooper for CNN.”
• • •
“Really? You wouldn’t have her do it at all?” Kathy Morris leaned back in her chair.
Emily nodded. “Not until she was older. Her most important job right now is growing up to be a well-adjusted adult. That’s important for every kid, and especially so for someone like Kara. She’s well on her way, but she’s still eleven. She’ll be eighteen in seven years, and every kid has to go through a lot during that time.
“Being exposed to the adult world is part of growing up, but I think too much of it too soon isn’t healthy, especially not some of the situations she’s faced. Ideally, I wouldn’t have her do it at all. That was my first take.” She smiled at Kara. “I told her there was absolutely no way I’d allow it.”
“What changed your mind?”
“If your child was walking down the street, and they found someone injured, wouldn’t you want them to help? To call the police, or get an adult? You wouldn’t want your child to be indifferent to the suffering of others, to walk on by; you’d want to teach them compassion and responsibility. But you wouldn’t expect your child to stop a plane crash, because that’s not something they could do.
“What I didn’t realize at first is that for Kara, the rules are different. She
can stop a plane crash, of course. For her, something like that is as easy as stopping to help an injured person is for the rest of us. So if she doesn’t act, and people die or are badly hurt, she feels responsible.
“Her very first rescue was to save a Milford man from drowning. I’d told her specifically not to do anything near Milford, so it wouldn’t be connected to her, and not to go on a rescue without asking first. And she did both.”
“Were you upset with her?” asked Kathy. Kara looked up at Emily.
“I expected to be, but I wasn’t. She had two choices: rescue the man, or do nothing and let him die. I finally understood it from her point of view; how could I ask her to sit in school and listen to a man drown? I couldn’t.” She smiled down at Kara. “I think we can all learn something from our kids.”
“So everything’s all right now?”
“I wish it were. I’m still worried about her seeing things she really shouldn’t at her age, like that Russian plane crash. I’m sure Kara’s parents would prefer she not get involved at all, but that’s in a world where Superman is on the job.
“I feel like we’re walking a tightrope, balancing her need to help with her need to have a happy, healthy childhood. And of course, there’s all this.” She gestured broadly at Kathy and the TV studio. “I was pretty sure her secret would come out if she helped in public, and… well… here we are.”
“Yes,” laughed Kathy, “here we are.” She turned to Kara. “And what do you think, Kara? Do you think your parents will approve?”
“I hope so,” said Kara. “Emily has been a great foster mom, and it’s been fun having Caitlin for an older sister. I hope my parents like them. I hope they understand why Emily is letting me help people.
“I know my brother Jordan doesn’t do any rescues, even though he’s fourteen and I’m pretty sure he has at least some superpowers. If Dad was here to be Superman, I wouldn’t feel bad not helping if something happened and he told me he’d take care of it. I think he’s already doing that with Jordy.”
“Do you mind if I ask you more about your family, and about Metropolis? I’m sure our viewers are very curious.”
Kara smiled and shook her head. “I don’t mind.”
• • •
“That wasn’t too bad,” said Kara. “Ms. Morris was nice.”
They were on their way by armored SUV to Andrews Air Force Base, to catch a helicopter back to Dover. DHS was considering installing a helipad at their home in Milford, but that was a large expenditure they didn’t want to make just yet. No one wanted to discuss the conditions in Kara’s hearing: they would build it if it became obvious she was staying indefinitely.
“I guess,” said Caitlin. She rolled her eyes. “It sure helped that we practiced answering questions about a bajillion times yesterday. I could’ve done it in my sleep.”
Kara giggled. “Me too.”
Caitlin looked at Emily. “You’re kind of quiet, Em. What are you thinking about?”
Emily showed a tired smile. “I’m just hoping this helps take a little of the pressure off. I hope all the details Kara gave about her family and life will convince some people she’s not making it up.” She sighed. “I don’t know.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t answer all the questions.”
Emily smiled and stroked her hair. “It’s OK, honey. I don’t think many sixth graders would know the answers to all those questions about the city they live in. I’m sure I didn’t know who the mayor of Seattle was when I was your age.”
“They have his picture in the hallway at school, but I couldn’t remember his name.”
They pulled up to their helicopter and got out. They stopped short when they saw Fred Douglas waiting for them.
“Mr. Douglas?” asked Emily. “What are you doing here?”
He looked tired. “There’s been a change in plans. We didn’t think they’d do it, but Munroe and his people found Caitlin’s aunt and persuaded her to press for custody. Since she’s a blood relative, they managed to get an order from Children’s Services to grant it temporarily. Luckily, we have our own sources who tipped us off before the order was issued.”
Emily felt faint, and Kara and Caitlin both clung to her. “What… what are we going to do?”
“You can’t return to Delaware; if you do, they’ll be waiting, and we have nothing to stop them with at the moment. Instead, we’re taking you to an undisclosed location, saying it’s a security issue due to a threat. That should hold them off long enough to get our plan together.”
“What plan?” asked Emily weakly. Caitlin was weeping silently.
“Well, we’d been looking at more extreme options, like having Caitlin declared an emancipated minor, but—”
“Wait… what exactly does that mean?” asked Caitlin, sniffling.
“You’d be released from the control of your legal guardian. Since your sister never adopted you, your guardian is the state of Delaware. At that point, legally you’d be an adult.”
Caitlin looked very uncertain. “I don’t feel ready to be an adult.”
“It’s not the best option, but we were looking at it in case they tried to get Dr. Jordan declared unfit. That would be unlikely to fly in family court since the President has expressed his confidence in her, so instead they’re approaching it from the angle that it would be better for Caitlin to be with her aunt.”
“The only person Aunt Aislyn cares about is herself — if she’s asking for me it’s because she expects to get something out of it.”
“Be that as it may, she has a strong claim. Anyway, as I was saying—”
“Sorry,” said Caitlin meekly.
“As I was saying, we need some time to respond to this. First, we’re going to investigate your aunt. If she’s like you say, we may be able to dig up some unflattering evidence. Second, we’re going to put together a request to the family court to stay this order and resolve the matter in a hearing.”
“Why are they doing this?” asked Emily. “What do they hope to get out of it? I thought you’d blocked them from getting Kara?”
“If they can’t get Kara, they obviously think getting Caitlin is the next best thing. They probably feel it will enable them to influence you, and Kara as well.” He thinned his lips, frowning.
“What happens if the judge rules against us?”
“Based on what you say, I’d guess the aunt doesn’t really want custody. If Caitlin is taken away from you they could transfer her again, maybe even out of state.”
“I don’t want to go,” cried Caitlin. “Em is the only mom I’ve ever had! I’m not leaving her!”
Emily hugged her tightly, “Oh, sweetheart, I don’t want to lose you either.” She looked to Douglas. “What are our chances?”
“It all depends on the judge, and what we can dig up on the aunt. The longer we can stall the better our case will be.”
“And what happens if we win? What do they throw at us next?”
“If this fails we don’t think they’ll get any further trying to break up your family; they’ll likely turn to a completely different approach. After all, they’re still working on the SMPA. On the other hand we didn’t think they’d try this, either.”
Emily closed her eyes. “Very well, Mr. Douglas, we’ll follow your recommendation. What happens next?”
“We have to do some homework, including trying to get a favorable judge. Fortunately, they’re not the only ones with sympathetic friends in the state government of Delaware, and we have both senators on our side. We need to do everything very quietly, though, so as not to tip them off before the judge orders a hearing. So you folks need to be elsewhere.”
“Where are we going?” asked Kara.
“We’re taking you back to Camp David. It’s on a military base, it’s top secret and inaccessible, and there’s nothing planned there for the next few days that might leak your location. That should be long enough to get this mess straightened out. I hope.”
• • •
