Summary: Brainiac-5 helped Kara out of her mind prison after her battle with Reign. It was only fair she return the favour…
Notes: This story is based on my own personal speculation that Vril Dox/Brainiac-1 will end up in the present at some point to wreak havoc in National City. Takes place after "A Visit from the Future" and "Sleeping Beauties".
I included some of Brainiac-5's various comic history regarding his parentage and childhood experiences, then put my own twist on it - although Brainiac-4 was twisted enough on her own...
Brainiac-5 sat with his knees tucked up to his chest, nimble fingers playing with the new hairstyle Supergirl and her protege, Dreamer, had insisted he wear.
With the anti-alien sentiment permeating the country, it had been increasingly difficult to find a barbershop that welcomed non-Earthling patrons, thus Brainy's hair had grown past his shoulders and become unruly – the typical mad scientist look, Kara had said.
Both she and Nia threatened to shave it all off unless he let them do something with it.
After much nagging, he had agreed: His hair was now parted neatly on the side, falling forward more to frame his face rather than constantly brushed back.
Kara had seemed rather appreciative of the new look, if he had read her body language correctly - something which, he had to admit, was often difficult to decipher.
"Brainy?"
A familiar voice interrupted Brainiac-5 from his mental musings – there was not much else to do in this place BUT muse.
He glanced up from his place on the floor … or ground… or whatever it was he was sitting on - and saw the Girl of Steel standing before him.
"Supergirl!" he couldn't hide his surprise upon seeing the blonde, costume-clad Kryptonian before him.
"I've come to get you out of here," she looked around, and furrowed her brow. "Wherever here is."
"Ah! You used the cerebral interface to connect with my AI core," he said proudly as he pushed to his feet.
"Yeah," she acknowledged as she glanced around. "Rao, this place is so strange!"
Brainy followed her gaze. Oddly coloured circuitry made up what one could consider walls, a floor, and a ceiling. He compared it to being inside a computer.
But then again, what else would a Brainiac's mind prison look like?
He turned to his new companion and saw she had squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers gently massaging the bridge of her nose.
"Apologies, Kara. No doubt it is overwhelming being inside the mind of one of my kind," he offered regretfully. "Though if anyone could make sense of it, it would be you. You have a genius-level intellect. It's quite admirable."
"You admire my intelligence?" she asked, surprise clear on her face.
He nodded. "Yes! It's why I often engage you in talks of science and technology. No doubt you would have been a valued member of the Science Guild on Krypton."
"My dad was," she replied. "I always wanted to follow in his footsteps." She moved closer to the Coluan, "But enough about me. Let's find you an exit."
He shook his head. "That may not be possible."
"Of course it's possible!" Kara snapped. "You helped me find an exit when I was trapped."
"That was different – you were in control there. I am not in control here."
"What do you mean?"
"This place is of HIS making."
There was no question who Brainy was referring to: Vril Dox. Also known as Brainiac-1.
The evil AI had blazed a path of destruction attempting to escape the Legion's custody once they had saved the inhabitants of Colu.
Unfortunately, that attempted escape had landed both the Legion and Brainiac-1 in National City when Vril had sent out a signal through space and time to find other Brainiacs.
He had found Querl Dox.
In a last-ditch effort to end Brainiac-1's reign of terror, Brainiac-5 forced a link with Vril's mind and shut him down from the inside.
It had had unforeseen consequences.
"He hasn't woken up since you did… whatever it was that you did, but he's currently in Legion custody," Kara explained.
"Then I need to get out of here before he's taken back to the 31st Century to face justice. Once he awakes..." Brainy let the sentence drop.
"…then you'll be trapped in here with him. And who knows what he may do to you." Kara finished.
Brainy nodded. "Even now, I can sense him. He's not fully awake, and therefore not at full strength – but he's aware."
"In that case, we should find an exit ASAP."
"It's worth a try, I suppose," Brainy shrugged, and the two began to walk. "You know," The Coluan attempted to make conversation, "I am thinking of staying here for awhile. Well, not here," he indicated the circuitry around them. "But in the 21st century. Even after my relative is safely locked away."
"Oh?" Kara asked.
"Yes. It's not time to leave yet. I think my future is here – no pun intended. I can always return to the 31st Century should the need arise." He then glanced at Kara, "And I'm quite sure Winn enjoys where he is as well."
"He really does," Kara nodded. "You'll always be welcome at the DEO, however long you stay."
"I really have nowhere else to go anyway. And…" he shrugged, "Well, people don't judge me by my family here as much as they do there. They don't know-" he stopped, his face falling. "Well, no. That is incorrect. They do know. Now."
Kara reached out and rubbed his back in an act of compassion – something he wasn't used to.
The two stopped after what seemed like a good half-hour (as time goes in the mind) when they came upon a door.
"See!" Kara replied happily. "You just have to walk through it."
"This is far too easy," Brainy's voice was filled with suspicion. He slowly opened the door and stepped through, Kara following behind.
The two had entered what appeared to be a hospital room. A Coluan woman lay on the bed in a hospital gown, her long white hair a mess and her turquoise skin covered in a sheen of sweat.
The symbol embedded in her forehead offered a tell-tale sign of what she truly was:
You have a healthy baby boy!" The Coluan doctor replied happily as he carried a swathed newborn over to the woman who had just birthed him.
"I do not want It," she replied, her voice flat and cold as she waved the baby away.
The doctor seemed confused, "But… he's your son!" He moved closer and held the baby out to her.
"If you bring It any closer, I will break Its little neck," she replied, nothing but ice in her tone. "And I will break your neck as well, Dr. Nix."
Nix immediately pulled the child back, "If you did not want a child, why did you have him?"
"It was an experiment," she replied simply.
"What about his Father?"
"Dead." She answered. "I had no more need of him."
"I don't—I don't understand. Are… are you saying you killed the baby's father?" Dr. Nix asked.
"Yes." She replied simply, "You see, all you 8th Levels speak of is how parenthood changed you. I was curious if it would do the same for my kind. I needed a male in order for that to happen. He was no use to me after that." Her voice was emotionless as she continued. "But this experiment has not changed me. Therefore, I do not want that Thing you are holding," she indicated the baby in the doctor's arms.
"Why are all you Brainiacs such heartless monsters?" Nix snapped
"It is in our nature," she explained as she pushed herself off the bed and set about changing into regular clothes, not bothering to put the privacy shield up. "and that creature in your arms will be just like the rest of us one day."
The doctor looked down into the baby's eyes, the expression on his face softening as little turquoise fingers tugged at his greying beard, gurgling something that could almost be described as words.
"I would recommend leaving It at the orphanage," the woman spoke again.
Dr. Nix looked back at her. "Where he'll be raised by robots?"
"I do not care how It is raised."
"Did you at least think about a name?" Nix demanded.
She shrugged, "I am Brainiac-4. It stands to reason, then, that It will be known as Brainiac-5."
The doctor looked at the child in his arms, "Querl is a far better name," he said. "You look like a Querl."
The doctor glanced up to inform his patient of the clever name he had thought up, but Brainiac-4 was long gone...