Chapter 58

Naruto had seen multiple cryostasis chambers. They were used to preserve corpses of important people and criminals who had yet to undergo identification in richer worlds. But from what he could see of what it was connected to, he could tell it was a life support system. There was a Kryptonian alive. Probably kept in a timeless sleep for decades, but alive.

Naruto went to the chamber and wiped the glass. There was someone in it. A teenage girl with yellow hair and pale skin. He could tell from her vital readings that she was alive but not for long. The resources were finite and she'd be lucky if the machines didn't run out of power or resources by the next week.

'Brilliant people they were,' Naruto thought, honestly amazed. 'Nearly thirty years and she's still being kept alive.'

No wonder the psions were so interested in Krypton. They probably somehow managed to find out about this. Damn. He couldn't take her out without figuring out a way to avoid exposing her to the harsh conditions outside. Unless he went back to his ship and took the second life support suit he had.

Naruto sighed.

Two weeks later

Kara Zor-El opened her eyes slowly, gritting her teeth at her body's painful refusal to move. Giving up on attempting to sit up, she slowly turned her head around to look at her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was her mother's crying face as she shoved her into a cryostasis chamber, a comfortable cold, an overwhelming desire to sleep and then, nothing.

But she wasn't in her parent's laboratory. Not anymore. The room she was in was fairly large, metallic and she could hear the slight beeping of whatever she was laying on as it radiated a heat that warmed her bones and relaxed her muscles. Painfully turning her head to the other side, she noticed a man sitting beside her.

He either didn't know or care that she was awake as he looked to be focused on whatever conversation it was that he was having on what she recognized to be a communication device. She took her time to observe him. He was tall and possessed a muscular frame attributed to people who frequently experienced combat.

She attempted to speak but her words only came out as a weak cough that attracted his attention. He looked up at her, giving her a clear view of glowing blue eyes and hair as yellow as hers. For a moment, she wondered if he was a relative. Walking towards her, he pressed something on the..bed? As soon as he did, she felt the warmth recede by a bit.

"It's a heating bed," Naruto continued, noticing her questioning look at the reduction of heat. "It's supposed to be used for people who've been in cryostasis for a long time. Thaws them out from the inside to loosen their muscles and organs."

"It works best when you're asleep. If your muscles relax too much when you're awake, you'll suffocate." He explained. Kara swallowed at his words. She tried to ask where she was again but let out another rough sound.

"I wouldn't try speaking if I were you," He started. "You were placed in cryostasis for over twenty years. You're lucky you're even alive, much less able to open your eyes."

Kara stared at him in surprise. It had been that long? Naruto gave her a smile. "My name's Naruto. I took you from Krypton. You should be happy. You had less than a week left before the chamber ran out of power and you died."

Kara gave him a grateful look that he nodded to.

"I'm sure you know by now that Krypton's destroyed," Naruto said, feeling a bit guilty when he saw the distressed look on her face. "You're the only person I found alive there."

Kara's stomach dropped. She wanted to believe he was lying. To gather the little energy left in her and blast him to Rao's palace. But she knew he wasn't lying. She'd seen the destruction with her own eyes. Her parents. Uncle Jor and little Kal. They were gone. All of them. She made a sound resembling a sob and a hacking cough as tears welled in her eyes.

Naruto sighed at the sight. He'd been the bearer of bad news to grieving people multiple times but it hadn't left him feeling as bad as telling a girl that her world was destroyed and she was the only survivor. He'd have preferred a milder way to break it to her but experience had taught him that there was no better way than to be blunt.

He wanted to comfort her by saying that there was still the likelihood of others being alive but he didn't want to give her false hope.

There was still one on Earth but he wasn't sure if Earth would be a good place for a grieving Kryptonian. From what he'd last heard of the planet, it's natives were backwards people who believed themselves superior to every other race.