Ballad
by Raiko Toho
Disclaimer: I don't own DC Animated/Comics.
Summary: The first time Kara met Barbara, Supergirl saved Batgirl from getting fried.
---
The first time Kara met Barbara, Supergirl saved Batgirl from getting fried by Livewire. Then Batgirl returned the favor and they spent the next day or so fighting Livewire, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn. They ended the exchange with a slumber party at Barbara's apartment.
"You know, I've never done this before," Kara confessed as Barbara scooped ice cream into two bowls.
"What, eaten ice cream?" Barbara asked. They moved to the bedroom.
"Eaten ice cream and watched a movie while getting my toenails painted," Kara corrected, warily eyeing the small line of bottles on the dresser.
Barbara laughed and started the movie. "What's your favorite color?"
They spent the next few months swapping phone calls and emails.
---
When Barbara received a couple of web-cams for a birthday present, she decided to send one to Kara. Their first chat startled the redhead when she saw an unfamiliar pony tailed brunette wearing a pair of wire-rimmed, circular glasses. It took her a moment to realize the facial features were the same as the blonde she expected.
"Kara?" she asked incredulously.
"Yup!" The girl got up from her chair and spun around, revealing a plain, white, cropped t-shirt that showed off her slender build underneath a pair of denim overalls. "My civilian disguise. What do you think?"
Barbara's brow furrowed. "I think… I like you better as a blonde." Her expression cleared. "It's more… you."
Kara beamed and removed the wig, letting her natural tresses flow down her shoulders. "I agree," she said happily.
Eventually, they compromised in an effort to protect Supergirl's secret identity. Superman had proved that a single pair of glasses could make a big difference, and the wig was itchy anyway.
---
For months, Kara had been unreachable. She had sent Barbara a quick message, saying she wouldn't be around, then disappeared to whereabouts unknown. Then, one day, Barbara caught sight of the news report.
"No way," she said in shock, turning up the volume. She saw Superman, at the head of a dark army, proudly flying banners emblazoned with the S he was known for. As the newscast reeled on, she watched Kara appear (oh, thank god she's alright, where has she been!) to challenge the Kryptonian; saw their battle and the firing of the Kryptonite missile.
Barbara stared with unseeing eyes as the news anchor babbled on. Kara…
-
"Barbara?" the familiar face flickered apprehensively. "You there?"
"Kara!" the redhead hurried into the camera's range. "You're okay! I kinda freaked out when you weren't around after the whole Kryptonite thing."
Kara glanced down guiltily. "I wasn't sure you'd want to talk to me."
"Of course I want to talk to you!" Barbara seemed astonished the idea had even occurred to the other girl. "Why wouldn't I?"
The blonde shrugged half-heartedly. "Lots of people who loved Superman hate him now."
Barbara smiled reassuringly. "Well, it doesn't matter if all the other six billion people on Earth-- and however many aliens there are out there-- turn stupid. I'll always be here for you."
---
Their second face-to-face encounter was at Superman's funeral. The death of the iconic hero had devastated his surrogate cousin, and Barbara's trip to Metropolis to pay respects had grown into an attempt to reduce Kara's sense of loss.
During the ceremony, the blonde had sat numbly on the bench, face devoid of tears but gaunt and white as a sheet. Barbara snuck her concerned glances through the Martian Manhunter's eulogy, and after the march, followed her to a secluded corner of the square.
"Hey. You okay, Kara?" she asked quietly.
The girl slowly raised her head. "Yeah. I-- I just need some time by myself," she said, voice hoarse from grief.
"I'm not leaving you alone at a time like this," Barbara told her firmly but gently. "But I will take you somewhere quieter."
"That'd be good." Kara made an effort at a watery smile.
With an arm over her friend's shoulders, Barbara led them into the park a couple of blocks away, to a well-hidden sanctuary she had discovered just hours ago, right before the funeral. The small meadow was nestled between several hillocks and surrounded by a solid barrier of thorny roses. The prickly plants would have given most people trouble, but both Barbara and Kara made their way inside without difficulty.
The pair sat on the soft grass, leaning against the trunk of a tree, and Barbara adjusted her hold so her arms were wrapped around the other girl's waist, hugging her to her form.
With a sob, the dam broke, salty tears sliding down Kara's face and soaking Barbara's shoulder as the blonde clung to her friend like a lifeline. It hurt that all Barbara could do was embrace her until they fell asleep within the protective ring of blossoms.
-
Kara awoke to sunlight blazing through her eyelids, silky blades of grass beneath her, and her head pillowed on Barbara's lap. Above her, the redhead gave a hushed exclamation into the communicator she was holding.
"What? That's great news!"
Kara found herself wondering how any news could be great after last night. She couldn't bring herself to listen in on both ends of the conversation.
"Yeah, I'll tell her. Talk to you later." Barbara hung up and glanced down to see glazed blue eyes blinking hazily at her. "Have you heard yet?"
"No." Kara sat up. "What happened?"
"Superman's alive! He came back last night!"
It took a moment for the words to catch up with Kara's groggy brain, but when they did, she let loose with a cry of delight and tackled Barbara in a joyful hug.
---
Their next meeting occurred when Barbara invited Kara on a skiing trip at Lake Tahoe over Christmas. After a weekend at the resort, sliding down snowy mountains, they drove down to Las Vegas.
Barbara's small, environmentally friendly car pulled up in front of a tall, flashy building, strobing with neon lights. "Welcome to Vegas!" she said with a grin. "Let me buy you a drink."
Kara returned the mischievous smile. "You do know I'm underage, right?"
"And that's why I got you this." Too fast for most eyes, the redhead flicked a laminated plastic card toward her friend. Tracking it with her superhuman senses, the Argosian snatched it out of the air.
"A fake ID?" she asked, glancing it over.
"The most essential possession any teenager can have," Barbara informed her jokingly. "Let's go."
Kara allowed herself to be towed into the casino.
After a few drinks, the younger girl had loosened up enough to venture over toward the poker tables. As she unobtrusively observed a game, Barbara appeared by her shoulder.
"Wanna play?" she asked, offering a stack of chips.
Kara's eyes flickered indecisively. Then, she accepted the tokens. "Sure, why not?"
Barbara beamed at her and glided to the blackjack tables. Kara found an open place at the poker table and sat down awkwardly. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea… then her sight flashed and she could see through everything-- including the backs of the cards.
Kara smiled. This wouldn't be so hard.
-
Barbara yawned and stretched kittenishly with her eyes closed, basking in the warm sunlight streaming through a gap in the curtains and settling deeper into the sheets. She didn't remember her bed being this comfortable…
Then, she felt an arm drape loosely across her waist, and the events of last night came flooding back.
After copious amounts of alcohol and gambling, with Kara surreptitiously utilizing her x-ray vision at the poker tables and Barbara counting cards in blackjack, the redhead noticed the deck had cooled down. A glance told her Kara's winning streak had grown a little too noticeable, and she decided they had better quit before security noticed. She excused herself from the game, scooping up her chips, and the vacated seat was quickly filled.
"Kara, time to go," she said, moving up next to the girl.
"But I'm winning," Kara protested slightly unsteadily. Barbara supposed one too many cocktails could affect even an Argosian.
"I know. Come on." She eased the blonde off the stool, quickly collecting the chips, and led her back towards their hotel room. A quick stop to cash in the chips, then they headed into the elevator.
When the pair got to their room, Kara floated over to the bed and flopped on top of the bedspread, dragging Barbara with her.
"Whoa, slow down," the redhead laughed.
Kara wriggled, getting comfortable, then shucked off a few layers of clothing, kicked off her shoes, and gently tossed her wire-rimmed glasses onto the bedside table. Her hand still held Barbara's in a gentle, but unbreakable grip, and when the girl moved to free herself, the blonde refused to release her.
"I do have to go to bed, Kara," Barbara told her, amused.
"You can stay here," the younger girl said stubbornly, but sleepily.
"Alright," Barbara acquiesced. She made herself at home on the queen-sized bed.
"You know, you're kinda beautiful," Kara mumbled, tugging Barbara closer and enveloping the other girl in her tender embrace. Suddenly, she leaned forward and kissed the redhead on the lips, then relaxed back into the pillows. Her breathing slowed and deepened, marking her transition to sleep.
Barbara lay stock still, frozen in shock, before eventually easing back into the silken sheets and drifting into slumber.
"Morning, Barbara," Kara murmured.
"Um, Kara," Barbara inquired cautiously, "how much of last night do you remember?"
"All of it." Kara shifted slightly so she could look the other girl in the eye. "I meant it, you know. You are beautiful."
Barbara blushed as Kara gave her a quick peck, then heaved herself out of bed. "We'd better get moving. Lots to do." The blonde smiled and left the room.
Barbara slowly brought a hand to her lips. "…Yeah…"
---
Over the course of the next year, Barbara and Kara saw a lot more of each other than they had before. Barbara found it a little strange that Kara had effortlessly adjusted to their relationship, which, by any definition, was not normal. She couldn't bring herself to break it off, even though it didn't look like there was any way their liaison could end well…
But, with time, Barbara began to see what Kara was seeing. They were weren't too different from any other couple on the streets, going to the movies, or to a nice restaurant, or just hanging out at a café. Of course, more often than not, Kara ran all the way from Smallville, Kansas just to see her, and there was always the chance that one of them would suddenly be called off on a mission. Otherwise, though, Kara and Barbara were just two girls, dating.
It was on one such date that they found out about the Thanagarians. The pair were sitting at a sports bar, watching a game of baseball.
"So, it's three strikes equals and out, and three outs means the teams switch?" Kara queried. Even though she had been named the Metropolis Meteors' honorary bat girl, she still had no idea how the sport was played.
Barbara was about to answer when the screen fizzled and the game was replaced by the face of an imposing man with wings and a hawk-shaped helmet.
"This is Commander Hro Talak. In the name of the Thanagarian authority, we claim your planet as a garrison and have instituted martial law. Your world faces a crisis in which only we can protect you, but to be effective, we must be free to act and move without interference. Cooperate, and our stay will be brief and without incident." His gaze darkened. "Stand against us, and our wrath will be unforgiving." Right on cue, the beating of an army's worth of Thanagarian wings flew overhead, and the television returned to the baseball game.
Kara and Barbara stared at each other in shock, then, in unison, hurried out of the bar.
-
A few days later, they were walking down the darkened streets in their civilian guises. Unable to return home, Kara had been crashing at Barbara's apartment. Running, as she usually did, was not an option: she would be too easily seen, and the security around public transport systems had recently doubled, making any attempt to use them risky and leaving Kara stranded in Gotham. The two had taken the opportunity to keep anybody from getting hurt while martial law was being enforced.
A large vessel floated down the street, manned by Thanagarians. "This is the voice of the Thanagarian Occupational Authority." The sound echoed. "Your so-called 'Justice League' is in violation of our martial law. They are to be considered an enemy and dealt with on sight. Any person found aiding or harboring them will be summarily punished." A large spotlight flashed, harshly illuminating and obliterating any hiding spots.
"Go back where you came from!" a teenager jeered from the sidewalk. A few of his friends joined in, all flinging rocks and other debris at the craft. Without batting an eye, one of the hawk-men fired a plasma rifle in their direction. Though the shot went high, the resulting rubble from the building it hit threatened the oblivious teens.
Kara and Barbara exchanged alarmed glances, then sprinted toward the boys. With that latest announcement barely finished echoing, they couldn't afford to attract too much attention to themselves, but if they could save the civilians without powers…
Kara grimaced. She could tell they weren't going to make it. Her finely tuned senses traced the fall of the wreckage, and, with a burst of super-speed, she cleared the danger zone. Her glasses slipped off, and the letter jacket she wore over her uniform was shredded by plummeting rocks she didn't manage to dodge in time, revealing the tell-tale S shield.
"Get her!" a Thanagarian ordered. "She'll lead us to the Justice League!"
The blonde shot upward, glancing down to keep track of the Thanagarians who followed her into the air. She saw Barbara give her a small nod, then turn and walk casually back toward the apartment building.
Now, to lose these jerks, she thought, plunging into a dive. Some of the alleyways were just wide enough to allow her willowy figure to pass, and would impede her pursuers' bulkier wings. She only needed a few minutes…
-
"We are here to serve the people of Earth. We serve the people by making certain that you do what is in your best interests. What is in your best interest is to do as we say. Only by obeying us can we serve you."
With a sigh of disgust, Barbara turned off the TV, cutting off the oily-looking Thanagarian on the screen, and flopped backwards into the comfort of the couch. Waiting for Kara to get back was getting to her, and even though she knew the Argosian could take care of herself, she couldn't help her anxiety over the situation. The girl jumped as the sudden clatter of the door unlocking and opening echoed in the silent room.
"Hey, Barb," Kara-- as a brunette again-- said, closing the door with a soft click. She had a new jacket over her clothes.
"Hey yourself," Barbara replied, relieved.
"Whatcha doing?" the blonde asked, joining her friend on the couch.
"Mm…" Barbara murmured vaguely, nestling closer to the other girl's warmth.
They were a tranquil island amidst the sea of chaos around them.
---
Almost a year later, Earth had mostly recovered from the Thanagarian invasion. The cities were cleaned up, the rubble was cleared out, and there was a new Watchtower in orbit to replace the one Batman had crashed into the hyperspace bypass. Now, with Hawkgirl gone and an open slot in the roster, the Justice League were looking to recruit-- but decided not to stop at one new member.
It was with this news that Kara burst into the apartment. "Have you heard?" she asked eagerly, hovering in elation.
"What, about the Justice League?" Barbara groused. She pressed a few keys and examined the monitor she was facing. "Yeah. I won't be joining. Apparently, as long as I use the name 'Batgirl,' I'll be staying in Gotham, with 'no room for other priorities.'"
Kara touched back down to earth. "I'm guessing this wouldn't be a good time to share my news."
"Don't worry about me," Barbara waved off the other girl's concern. "Go on, join the Justice League." She swiveled in her chair to gaze at the blonde and attempted a cheerful expression. "It's not like we weren't already saving the world." She returned to the computer.
Kara came up behind the redhead. "I was already considering not joining before," she admitted.
Barbara turned in surprise. "What?" she asked. "Why?"
"Because of us," Kara confessed. "If I-- if either of us-- joined the League, with all the missions and stuff, we wouldn't be able to spend as much time together."
For a moment, Barbara was speechless. Then, she regained her faculties. "That's ridiculous! I can't mean more to you than the rest of the world!" When Kara remained silent, bangs shadowing her face, she added, slightly uncertainly, "Can I?"
After what seemed like an eternity, the Argosian looked up. "I… don't know. I… I think you might."
---
Months after Kara had made her decision and joined the Justice League, she was spending the night at Barbara's place. The girls had long surpassed the 'sleeping in separate beds' stage, though they hadn't reached the 'sleeping without clothes' stage yet. So, when an inadvertent burst of heat vision accidentally set the bed on fire, they managed to put it out unscathed.
Barbara stared at the slightly smoking bedspread in confusion. "What was that?" she asked.
Kara shivered. "I've been having these nightmares."
"So you decided you'd get rid of the bed and solve all your problems?" the redhead joked. At the other girl's wince, she softened. "Hey. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I know." Trying to calm herself, she took several deep breaths as Barbara waited patiently. Finally, Kara began. "It starts out with me chasing this man…"
-
"Kara?" Barbara opened the door.
"She's dead." It looked like Kara was in shock. She was trembling all over, and her eyes looked unfocused and glassy. "She's practically my sister, and I let her die."
Barbara ushered the Argosian inside, sat her on the couch, and gave her a mug of hot chocolate. "Okay, start from the beginning," she said, settling down with her own mug.
Kara took a tentative sip. "The dreams I've been having… they're actually someone's memories. My clone's memories. She's.. she's working for the government. And she wants to kill me." Barbara wrapped a supportive arm around her friend as she found the strength to go on. "We were fighting… and there was this… the building started blowing up. I told them not to help her, that it was too late.
"Afterwards, I went back to look for her. I… I wanted to remember her." Sobbing, the blonde buried her face in the other girl's shoulder. "I didn't even know her name, and she's dead!"
Shaken, all Barbara could do was hold her and whisper wordless comforts as she waited for Kara's tears to run dry.
---
News of an attack on Earth by the Justice League had spread like wildfire. News stations were camped around the blast site, shooting footage of the droves of refugees who had been affected by the tremors the binary fission beam had caused. Barbara watched the newscast and paced restlessly.
When Kara came home, her costume was ripped, burned, and extremely dirty, and she looked exhausted.
"Are you okay?" Barbara asked, slightly alarmed by her appearance.
"Yeah," Kara yawned. They made their way into the bedroom, where the blonde changed into more comfortable clothing and curled up between the sheets with the other girl. "Just really, really, tired. I feel like I could sleep for a week."
"Why?" Barbara asked curiously. "Were you helping out on earth, with the blast victims?"
"No," she sighed. "I was on the Watchtower. Fighting my clone. And also an army of other peoples' clones."
Barbara was speechless.
"We put her in a holding cell on the Watchtower with a few red sun lamps. She's a bit singed, but well enough to tell us her name is Galatea and she was sent to take us out because of the fission device." Kara sighed again, wriggling deeper into the comfort of the downy pillows. "I'm glad you're not like them. The government, I mean. They don't trust us anymore."
"I do seem to recall something like telling you I'd always be here," the redhead teased gently.
"Even if the rest of the world turns stupid," Kara paraphrased. "You know, I wish the rest of the world were as smart as you."
"Don't blame them," Barbara said. "It's how they think. Occam's razor: the simplest solution is usually the correct one."
"And since the Justice League would never do something like this, they were framed," the blonde summed up. "Simple."
"I would think the simplest solution is that the League went power-mad," Barbara said dryly. "But I guess-- I hope-- they don't know you as well as I do."
Kara laughed and gave Barbara a kiss.
---
One day, Barbara entered the living room to find Kara sprawled on the floor, surrounded by sheets of paper and scribbling madly.
"Discover a new talent?" she asked.
Kara glanced up, her curtain of blonde locks shifting to reveal a sketch of a bodysuit adorned with the S shield. "Designing a new costume."
"Um, why?" Barbara asked quizzically.
The woman shrugged self-consciously. "You know, the old one's kinda… young. It doesn't really fit the inner me anymore. And there's that Japan tour in a week or so, I figured that would be a good time to reveal a fresh look."
The redhead studied the sketches and noticed a common thread. "And the color scheme?" she asked knowingly. All the sheets were lightly shaded in blue and red.
Kara blushed.
"Okay, well, the crop-top thing seems to work for you, and you're more of a skirt person than a tights person…"
---
Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrating two lovers. Though Barbara and Kara weren't quite lovers yet, they had made plans to celebrate the occasion. After a hard day's work, either at the Gotham Police Station or on the Watchtower, the two met for a nice, romantic picnic in the park.
They had barely finished the meal when Kara heard a voice in her Justice League communicator. "Supergirl, there's a hostage situation at the New Gotham Bank and Trust, a few blocks south of your location."
"I'm off duty, Mr. Terrific," she retorted. "It's Batman's city, he can handle it."
"Batman's in Kasnia," the temporary League coordinator answered. "Everyone else is on other missions."
Kara glanced over to see Barbara already in her crime fighting clothes. "Alright," she sighed. In a blur of motion, the woman changed into her costume.
"Thanks, Supergirl."
"Yeah," she muttered, effortlessly lifting Batgirl and speeding off towards the bank.
They alighted on top of the low building surrounded by an array of police cars, and Supergirl peered through the roof to examine the scene. They quickly formulated a plan, and Supergirl went down to talk to the police while Batgirl shimmied through the vents.
The two superheroes easily resolved the situation. Batgirl rescued the hostages as Supergirl distracted and rounded up the robbers even as they were ineffectively firing at her. The only snag was one robber sneaking out the back when his associates were shooting.
Batgirl, finished with her job, chased him to the next building, a skyscraper with a helicopter perched on the roof. Deciding not to waste time, she fired her grappling gun, and the powerful motor pulled her to the top of the structure. She had taken out the getaway pilot and was waiting for the criminal when he burst out through the roof access door.
With a snarl, the man pulled his gun and started firing. Batgirl dodged the rain of bullets with a few backwards flips, then loosed a batarang.
Unexpectedly, she found a heavy machine gun heaved towards her. The caped crusader had the satisfaction of watching her projectile connect before she went tumbling over the edge of the building.
Batgirl fumbled for her grapple, before she realized she had left it on the roof she was swiftly falling away from. Gazing at the rapidly rising ground, she saw her father staring up in horror, surrounded by a squadron of cops. No! He doesn't need to see this!
Then, her vision was a haze of blue, red, and blonde, and she was staring into Supergirl's deep cerulean eyes.
"Hey, beautiful," the other girl said.
"Hey yourself," Batgirl replied, relieved. "Thanks for the rescue."
"My pleasure." Supergirl punctuated the statement with a mischievous smirk and hugged the redhead closer as she soared through the endless sky.
By the time they got back to the apartment, Barbara had curled deeper into Kara's arms. When the woman was set back on her own feet, she felt an acute loss of warmth. There was a gust of air, and Kara was gone and back again, holding the remains of their date.
"You know," Barbara said as the blonde put away the picnic basket, "I think I should thank you for saving me again." She came up behind the other girl and wrapped her arms around her waist.
Kara turned with a smile. "Well, I'm not complaining." Their lips met, and with a sudden rush, they were in the bedroom.
The light clicked off.
-
Barbara awoke to the scent of frying bacon. She found her clothes, quickly tidied up the room, and padded to the kitchen where Kara had turned her heat vision on a small stack of toasting bread.
"Morning, sunshine," the blonde said cheerfully.
"Morning," Barbara replied, yawning. "Have you seen the other pillow?"
Kara coughed. "Um, I… may-have-accidentally-destroyed-it-last-night," she confessed, stirring a pan of eggs with one hand while expertly flipping pancakes with the other.
Barbara laughed. "So that's why I found feathers in my hair," she teased playfully.
Kara returned the grin as she set out the plates, poured glasses of juice, and seated herself across from the other woman. The table already sported a nice tablecloth, and the centerpiece was a delicate red rosebud in a small crystal vase.
"Wow, this looks great," the redhead marveled.
They were just about to dig in when the communicator in Kara's ear crackled to life. "Supergirl…"
She sighed. "Can it wait?"
"There's a tsunami off the coast of Hawaii."
"Be right there," she replied unenthusiastically. Barbara watched her curiously. "Natural disaster in Hawaii," Kara told her apologetically. "Sorry to cook and run."
Barbara nodded at her understandingly. "I get it. Being a Justice Leaguer is a big responsibility."
"You know, if Mr. Terrific knew I was with you, he might be able to find someone else to handle the emergency," Kara said thoughtfully.
Barbara's reaction surprised her. "No, don't tell him!"
The woman blinked at her companion for a long moment. "Alright," she said slowly. "See you later." She was gone in a flurry of wind.
Barbara sighed and put her head on the table.
-
After the tsunami, Kara was called to stop Volcana's jewelry heist, and then Intergang's attempted robbery at the tech museum. By the time she got back to the apartment, it was already dark.
"Barbara?" she called, announcing her presence as she let herself in.
"In here," the other woman called from the bedroom.
Kara gave her a quick kiss, leaning around the laptop she was holding. "How was your day?" she asked.
Barbara shrugged. "Uneventful."
The blonde slid into the bed next to the other girl. "I know we haven't really talked about this, and you don't want to tell people, but…" she opened delicately.
Barbara closed the laptop, immediately understanding the unspoken question. "I'm worried about what they'll think," she admitted.
Kara's brow furrowed. "What would they think?" she asked.
"Look, I don't know how it was on Krypton, but…" Barbara exhaled. "On Earth, relationships between two people of the same gender aren't looked on in a favorable light."
"But love is love," Kara pointed out. "Why should it matter?"
The redhead shook her head helplessly. "I don't know."
"So you'd rather I keep the best thing that's ever happened to me a secret because you're bothered by other people?" Kara demanded.
"It's not just me I'm thinking about," Barbara retorted. "If word got out that Supergirl liked other girls…"
"I don't care about that!" Kara cried, jumping up. "Aren't we worth a little risk?"
Barbara looked away.
Kara's eyes filled with tears. She was gone, a sonic boom sounding across the Gotham skyline.
"Kara!"
---
Kara's twenty-first birthday dawned bright and cheery. By contrast, the woman woke up in a dark mood. It had been months since she and Barbara had their falling out, and the lack of contact was getting to her.
Not that she would care, Kara thought gloomily. Barbara had made it clear that their relationship was something to be hidden from the world, not worth the gamble of revealing.
When she reached the Watchtower, she was met by Green Arrow. "Hey, kid," he said, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Happy birthday. Wanna come with Dinah and me for your first drinks?"
Her mind filled with thoughts of Barbara, and her pioneer trip to Vegas. "No thanks," she shook her head. "I think I'd rather be training."
Arrow raised an eyebrow. "Suit yourself," he shrugged.
-
"Why?" The Dark Knight's deep voice effectively stonewalled every one of Barbara's attempts to get onto the Watchtower. She had tried pleading, vague replies, and even hacking the transporter, to no avail. All that was left was the truth.
"I need to talk to Supergirl," she finally said.
"You have her email. Use it."
"She hasn't been answering." Barbara didn't want to know how long Bruce had known about their correspondence.
"What's so urgent?"
"I need to apologize to her, okay?" Barbara snapped. "I need to tell her I'm sorry for keeping our relationship a secret!"
Batman was silent as the bottom of the girl's stomach plummeted. Oh, god. He knows.
"Put your costume on," he said at last.
She scrambled to obey.
-
Supergirl ruthlessly pummeled the drones of the training program into submission, focusing her emotions and hiding her desolation behind a mask of jovial quips. As the last robot crashed to the ground, she looked up at Green Lantern, who was supervising the exercise.
"Well?"
"Well what?" he asked.
"Aren't you gonna give me notes about all the stuff I screwed up?"
"No notes, Kara. I've got nothing left to teach you." He put a hand on her shoulder.
One of the buildings in the projection split apart, materializing a doorway where Green Arrow appeared. "Not bad, kiddo. You set a new record for the simulation. Oh, and--"
He was cut off by a glowing bubble forming around the three superheroes. Supergirl punched at the curved walls, fruitlessly trying to crack it open.
Before a flash enveloped her sight, she saw Batgirl, shadowed in the doorway like a goddess of the night, flinging a batarang at the crackling containment field.
-
Batgirl took deep, calming breaths as she watched Supergirl decimate her attackers. She was in the simulation control room, surrounded by cameras focused on the skirmish within. As the image of Atomic Skull collapsed and shimmered into a training robot, Green Arrow hit a few keys and stretched, sighing.
"Okay, we can go in now." Batgirl followed him down the dim hallway, towards a small rectangle of light. "Not bad, kiddo," the green-clad man called as he entered the training room.
The girl hung back and observed Supergirl's interaction with her fellow Justice Leaguers. "You set a new record for the simulation," Green Arrow was telling her.
Suddenly, a phosphorescent sphere appeared, trapping the trio of heroes in the center of the room. As Batgirl hurled a handful of batarangs at the force field, she saw Supergirl lashing angrily at the barrier, an intense glare in the blonde's eyes. Then, there was an explosion of light. When it cleared, the bubble was gone, and the heroes with it.
Batgirl fell heavily to her knees.
-
Hours later, Batgirl was still in the simulator, going over the area with a fine-toothed comb. Superman was watching Steel scan the room.
"Whatever abducted them didn't leave any traceable energy signature," the man reported.
"Maybe Dr. Fate, or Zatanna--" Superman suggested.
He was interrupted by a boom, a bright flare and the appearance of Green Lantern and Green Arrow. "Where's Kara?" he asked immediately.
"She asked us to give you this." Lantern handed the hero a small cube with glowing blue diodes on five of the six faces.
Meanwhile, Arrow had edged over toward Batgirl. "Stick around for a bit," he advised her.
She trailed Arrow, Lantern, and Superman to the conference room, where she surreptitiously hovered in the background as they activated the message cube.
A holographic image of Supergirl formed.
"Hey, Clark," she began. "I don't know how much Ollie and John told you, but we got pulled into the future. And I've decided to stay here."
Batgirl gasped silently, as Superman stared stonily at the figure.
"Tell Ma and Pa I love them," the hologram continued. "And I love you too, Clark." She paused. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I've found a place where I can make a difference. Where I'm more than just Superman's kid cousin. I… I feel I belong here." The woman fidgeted nervously, coiling her cape around her hands. "Also, I met this boy."
Batgirl's heart twisted painfully as Supergirl smiled shyly and disappeared.
"You should've seen her," Green Arrow filled the silence. "She was amazing."
"She's a grown woman," Lantern added, "capable of choosing--"
"Kara's headstrong, but she's always made good decisions," Superman interrupted.
No! Not this time! Batgirl panicked. You can't leave her there!
"I trust her judgment. But, you were right, Ollie." He looked down. "I wish I had told her."
"It's okay, Clark," the man said. "She knows."
After a moment, Superman swiveled in his chair. "Now, this boy Kara likes so much. Does he have a name?"
Lantern and Arrow glanced at each other with something resembling alarm. "You know what?" Arrow dodged. "I think I'll just take Batgirl to the transporter. You can fill him in on the details, John."
Numbly, the girl followed the hero out of the room as Lantern gave him a glare.
"Who is he?" Batgirl eventually asked. She was glad the cowl hid most of her face.
"This doesn't get to Big Blue through you," Arrow told her. She nodded. "His name's Brainiac 5."
She didn't know what she had expected. The heroine fell silent again.
When they reached the transport pad, the man handed her an identical cube to the one Superman had received. "This one's for you."
Batgirl stared at it in confusion.
Back at the Batcave, the heroine cued the message. Even though it contained only two words, she played it over and over again, trying to memorize the face, the voice, the soul of the woman she loved.
---
That day marked a definite shift in Barbara's behavior. She was moody, irritable, and closed off, so much that her father had threatened to get her tested for drug abuse, and Bruce had refused to let her patrol until she got her act together. She had stormed out of the Batcave and hadn't gone back-- which, coupled with her lack of interest in current events, was why she missed their rush to recapture the escaped Joker.
Barbara lay curled up in the bed with her face buried in the blankets and holding the message cube close, trying to reconstruct her perceptions. With Kara's faint scent hovering in the air, she could almost believe the blonde would be right there when she looked up. It was a fragile daydream; the months since Kara had last been in the apartment had all but erased her presence.
She was jerked back to reality when a knock sounded on the door. The girl contemplated leaving it unanswered, but when a second knock rang out, she heaved herself out of the bed, still holding the cube, went to the door, and threw it open.
"Say cheese!" It was the Joker, lips pulled back into a hideous yellow grin, stark against his ghastly white face. The camera he was holding flashed.
Then he shot her.
If Barbara had kept her reflexes honed as she would if she was still on active duty, she might have dodged the bullet. If Kara were still here, she could've simply knocked the bullet away with a combination of super speed and invulnerability. But, Barbara had not kept her reflexes sharp and Kara was not here. Barbara's senses, dull from grief, didn't realize what had happened until a red-hot pain pierced her stomach.
She crumpled to the floor, her bright red hair pooling with bright red blood on the carpet, with maniacal laughter echoing around her. The cube fell from limp fingers.
The last time I saw Kara, Supergirl went a thousand years into the future and left me behind forever, Barbara thought suddenly. She tried to build a picture of the other girl as she wanted to remember her-- blue eyes bright and laughing, none the sorrow she had last seen in the hologram-- before the black of unconsciousness claimed her.
-
Kara, after a month's stay in the future, had decided to brush up on her history. Querl-- thank goodness she wouldn't have to call him "Brainiac"; she still felt a dark rage every time she heard the name of the monster who was responsible for Krypton's destruction-- had told her that the majority of records from her time period had been lost in the "Great Crisis," but had shown her to the archives anyway. Now, she was standing at the computer terminal, contemplating who to look up first.
Might as well start at the beginning, she mused, typing "Superman" into the holographic keyboard. Dozens of files appeared on the screen, and she clicked on the first.
After that, she looked up the heroes of the Justice League-- Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Batman-- until she couldn't put off the inevitable anymore.
Slowly, she spelled out "Batgirl" and clicked on the file that came up.
"Batgirl II?" she asked aloud. A small line of text underneath read, "For 'Batgirl I,' see 'Oracle.'" The girl followed the link.
As the superhero skimmed the article, the blood drained out of her face. Then, she was flying, through the hallways and into the labs.
"Send me back!" she called, bursting through the doors.
"Kara?" Querl looked up from his latest experiment.
"I need to get back to the past," she repeated, hovering in agitation.
"I'm sure your homesickness will pass," he assured her.
"I'm not homesick!" she retorted. The blue-skinned boy blinked.
"Then why?" he asked.
"Because, I just found out what happens to Batgirl!"
"You can't change what already happened," Querl pointed out. "Being there won't stop Batgirl from becoming Oracle."
"I have to be there for her!" she cried.
"Why?" he asked again.
"Because I love her!" The shock on his face snapped the woman out of her distress, but she forged on. "What I said to you, what I did-- it was because I didn't want to be. You were," she swallowed, "the rebound guy. And I apologize for leading you on, but right now, I really need to be back in my time."
After what seemed like an eternity, Querl sighed. "Alright. Let's go." He led her to the contraption that would send her through the time stream and stood at the controls. Before she stepped onto the platform, she paused and handed him her Legion flight ring.
"I'm sorry," Kara said miserably, watching him from inside the Time Bubble. He smiled sadly at her. The machine activated, and she reappeared amongst the tall Gothic architecture of Gotham City.
Funny, she thought distantly, zooming off towards the apartment she hadn't seen in so long. That's the last thing I said to Barbara, too.
The blonde rushed through one of the large windows, scattering shards of glass across the floor. Her hyper senses took in the Joker, holding a camera and a smoking gun. She saw the bullet, moving in slow motion, drilling through Barbara's spinal column and hitting the wall behind her as the woman crumbled to the ground and Joker began laughing hysterically.
"No!" Kara screamed in fury and terror. She swooped over, heat emanating from her glowing red eyes to melt the weapon into a puddle of slag, and knocked out the green-haired villain. With him out of the way, she turned her attention to the redhead bleeding on the floor.
"Barbara! Barbara, you have to be okay!" The Argosian quickly wrapped the wound, then gently scooped the other woman into her arms and soared out the window to the hospital.
"She needs help!" the blonde shouted. As the nurses hurriedly transferred Barbara into the emergency room, Kara sank into a chair, buried her face in her hands, and let herself shed tears for the first time since Valentine's Day.
-
She was floating in a nimbus of light, red hair and the bland white robe she was wearing fluttering in a gentle breeze. There was nothing around her-- blank, just like her memory.
"Where am I?" she asked aloud.
A silhouette appeared, coming closer and becoming clearer until it resolved into a blonde figure, dressed in an unadorned long-sleeved blue shirt and a red skirt. "Your mindscape," she said. "It's a complicated thing, but most people just call it Limbo."
She felt a faint flutter of recognition. "I know you. You're… Supergirl, aren't you? But you're a thousand years away from now, in the future."
"Wrong on both counts," the woman said cryptically. "But don't worry. You'll understand when you wake up."
"Wake up?" she asked, puzzled.
"Yes. You'll awaken when you've healed enough."
"Healed from what?" She gave herself a quick once-over.
"You'll see. Have I answered all your questions?"
"Just one more." She took a quick breath. "Who am I?"
The blonde smiled oddly, one side of her mouth quirking up. "Don't you remember?"
Suddenly, the plain robe she was wearing disappeared, replaced by a pair of wrinkled, bloodstained sweats. A wound opened through her abdomen-- it was a strange feeling, to see the injury, yet not feel any pain. And her mind was her own again.
"I remember," said Barbara Gordon.
"Then my job here is done." The blonde began to fade away.
"Wait-- Kara! Kara!"
With a gasp, Barbara's eyes shot open. She tried to sit up, only to feel a burning in her stomach muscles. Gentle hands pushed her back down.
"It's okay," a familiar voice soothed, one that Barbara thought she would never hear again, except in recordings and dreams. "You're gonna be alright. I, um, got you something. Careful of the thorns."
The redhead stared down at the blooming rose that was pushed into her hands, then up at the woman who gave it to her. "Kara?" she asked disbelievingly. "Why am I in the future?"
"Why would you be?" Kara asked back.
"Because you're in the future, so I must be too."
Kara smiled. "The simplest solution would be I came back to the past. Occam's razor, right?"
"But you're staying in the future," Barbara protested. "Because we both know you've moved on already."
"Where did you get that idea?" she asked.
"From the message you left Superman," the other woman retorted. "Remember that?"
The blonde's smile slid off her face as she sighed and lowered her head. "You weren't supposed to see that. I… I made a bad decision, because I couldn't face being so close to you when you didn't love me like I love you."
"So, you just ran off with the first boy you saw," Barbara said cuttingly. "Brainiac, isn't that his name?"
Kara flinched. "I guess I deserved that."
The redhead exhaled noisily, her shoulders slumping. "No, you didn't." She smiled wanly. "And for the record, I do love you. More than you will ever know."
Kara hesitated for a moment before giving in to her impulse and carefully hugging the other woman. "I love you too. Which is why I came back, to stay this time."
"Really?" Barbara whispered hopefully.
"Really."
-
When the doctors came in, it was to give Barbara the bad news Kara had been dreading.
"It's too early to tell," he said, paging through his notes, "but it looks like there's a good chance you'll never walk again."
In truth, Barbara had reacted better than the blonde had expected. But then, how was one supposed to react when they were told they'd need a wheelchair for the rest of their life-- especially if they were a superhero, unused to being helpless?
Eventually, though, the woman had healed enough to get out of the hospital and back to her deserted apartment-- they both decided it might be better if the two kept their distance for now. Thankfully, the building had an elevator, and a cleaner had been called to clear up the rusty stains on the carpet. Even so, the wheelchair still gave Barbara a bad time. Throughout the course of the day, she ran into walls six times, knocked over two lamps and a small table, and got stuck in the doorway of the elevator.
The misery didn't end there. With nightfall came the nightmares. The redhead relived one of the worst moments of her life over and over again-- the knock on the door, the flash of the camera, and the gunshot-- until she woke up screaming.
The next second, Kara was beside her, gently stroking her hair. "It's alright," she murmured. "Everything's fine."
After a few minutes, Barbara got enough breath back to ask, "What are you doing here? Not that I'm not grateful," she added hastily.
"Just in the neighborhood," the woman said casually. At Barbara's look, she amended, "Okay, I was in Smallville. When I heard you… it was kind of an automatic reaction."
"Thank you," the redhead said softly.
Kara fidgeted. "Well, I can see you're okay now, so I'll just get going."
"No, wait." Barbara reached out and caught the other woman's wrist. "Stay for a bit?" she asked.
Kara nodded and slid into the bed. They lay in silence for a moment, nervous energy sparking between them, before the blonde suddenly spoke up. "You know, music sometimes helps me fall asleep."
"The stereo's in the living room," Barbara murmured, pulling Kara closer to show she didn't want her to move.
"Alright, then. I'll sing."
"You sing?" Barbara asked, bemused.
"Why wouldn't I?" Kara pretended to be offended.
"I don't know," Barbara answered. "I've just never heard you before."
"First time for everything." Kara took a few preparatory breaths.
Barbara listened, entranced, as an exquisite language unlike any she'd ever heard flowed from Kara's lips, painting soft images in eccentric rhythms. When the last note had faded, she whispered, "That was beautiful."
"Thanks," Kara blushed. "I learned it on Argo. It was my favorite song when I was a kid."
"What's it mean?" Barbara wanted to know.
The blonde's flush deepened. "It's a ballad, about two lovers who were separated across the universe. How they overcame the distance between them and lived happily ever after."
"Like us, I hope," the other woman said softly.
"Yeah," Kara agreed. Suddenly, she sat up. "You know, this isn't helping at all. You're supposed to be sleeping. I should go."
"I'm sleepy already," the redhead said, snuggling closer. Gentle smiles blossomed on both their faces.
With Kara's soft scent close to her, Barbara slept without nightmares.
And there they twined, in a true love knot, the red, red rose and the briar.
---
Notes:
The first meeting is from the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Girl's Night Out."
The next section isn't from any particular episode, but the one after is "Legacy" from Superman: The Animated Series.
Superman's funeral was in the Justice League episodes "Hereafter," and the ski trip was mentioned in "Comfort and Joy."
The Thanagarian invasion, is, of course, "Starcrossed," the series finale of JL, and the Meteor's bat girl reference was from S:TAS in "Unity."
We move into Justice League Unlimited territory in "Initiation."
The first clone incident is JLU's "Fearful Symmetry," and the second is "Flashpoint" and "Panic in the Sky."
Kara's new costume first showed up in "Chaos at the Earth's Core," and Green Arrow mentioned in "Far From Home" that she changed it to look more like Superman's.
Valentine's Day has a little reference from the B:TAS episode "Over the Edge," and the pillow thing was lifted from Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn.
After JLU's "To Another Shore," Martian Manhunter disappeared for a while, so Mr. Terrific took over the coordination at the Watchtower.
Kara's birthday was in "Far From Home," and this is where the story deviates from DC Animated continuity.
Barbara's shooting is from the comics The Killing Joke.
The last line is from one version of "The Ballad of Barbara Allen," which inspired me to write this story in the first place. Of course, it deviated a little, but hey.