Notes: We did not expect to be doing this, but wow you guys loved our introduction of Barbara Gordon last week. So, we have decided, because we love you all and Coronavirus means we have literally nothing better to do, we are releasing this. A teaser for another project we're working on. Entry number 3 in what we're starting to call the 'Enigmaverse Saga'. We're still working on a title, and we want to get a fair bit more written down before we start posting anything, but, for you perusal, here's a little more of Barbara Gordon, and an introduction of sorts to her superpowered friend. We hope you all enjoy!

This story will follow Kara Zor El, the last daughter of the planet Krypton, following her arrival on Earth and growing up in Metropolis' Suicide Slum. There, she meets poor children Lex and Lena Luthor, and orphans Barbara Gordon and Alex Danvers. From there, we follow Kara as she develops her powers - with no knowledge of what she is or where she came from - and grows to become a superhero. One both worshipped and feared. We also follow Barbara and her creation of the Oracle Virus, and her subsequent induction, and then expulsion, from SHIELD. THERE WILL BE NO SUPERMAN OR BATMAN! They are comic-book characters in this world and that is how they will stay.

The following excerpt takes place concurrently with events depicted in Gemini Curse. Specifically, this scene takes place at the same time as the Ministry Attack.


February 1996; Port of Metropolis, Delaware

Lex – 18 years old; Alex – 16 years old; Barbara – 14 years old; Lena – 14 years old; Kara – 13 years old…

Lena lay still atop a shipping crate, a pair of binoculars held up to her eyes. Her gaze was trained on a large cargo ship that had just docked at the port. Cranes were already lifting crates off the deck, depositing them on the concrete port ready for forklifts and trucks to move them away. She'd been lying here for hours now – waiting. And it looked like her patience was going to pay off. Two cars – black sedans – drove out of the night, parking alongside the wharf.

"They're here, your intel was right," She whispered, lowering the binoculars and passing them to Alex. She checked Lena's observation, then nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself. It was a bit comforting to know that their best fighter was as nervous about this as she was. Lena's heart was pounding in her chest something fierce.

"Then let's do this," she whispered, before raising her hand in a fist motion. From a few containers away, Kara mirrored the action.

The plan was simple enough. Once Falcone arrived, confirming that this was the right shipment, Kara – dressed in a ski mask and a black biker jacket to hide her blonde-hair – would jump into the fray and start causing general mayhem amongst the mob's guards. This would create a panic – causing Falcone to flee, leaving his men to settle the situation and deal with the disturbance. Alex – a competent martial artist – would then distract the workers from transferring the drugs. While she did that, Lena would set the drugs to a torch. The final team would comprise of Lex and Alex's friend Barbara – a hard-eyed girl Lena's age with shocking red hair – who was brilliant with computers. Their job was to get the money.

Easy.

She just hoped no one would die tonight.

Kara slid over the side of the container, landing on the concrete without a stumble, then proceeded to slink between crates like a fox.

"She's incredible," Alex whispered, turning to Lena, "And you really have no idea how she does it?"

"Nope," she whispered back, "Believe me, we tried."

Kara found her first goon and punched him from behind. He dropped to the ground like a puppet with his strings cut, and she moved on to the next guy. His head went into a crate – making a loud metallic 'gong' sound. All the nearby guards instantly became weary, holding up their guns and pointing them into the patchy night – the only illumination a couple of floodlights. Floodlights that wouldn't be working for much longer if Lex did his job.

Kara stepped out into a spotlight, and two guards opened fire. Lena winced as the sound of automatic weapon fire echoed through the docks. Kara tanked the bullets, each shot simply bouncing off her skin. Her clothes were peppered with bullet holes, but it didn't even faze the thirteen-year-old. She simply ran forward – faster than even an Olympic athlete – and took the two guards down in seconds.

"That's…" Alex began, before cutting off, frowning. "Falcone isn't leaving." Lena squinted into the darkness and could just make out the sedans. She was right, they hadn't moved.

"Crap. He must have the money on him instead of giving to an intermediary like we assumed he would."

"Shit," Lena hissed, "what do we do?" Alex paused for a second, then her face hardened.

"We stick to the plan." Lena took a deep shuddering breath before nodding. Kara had cleared out all the goons within the maze of containers by this point, and she was heading for the docks to rendezvous with the others.

Alex raised her hand, swinging it in another pre-arranged signal. Then she left the binoculars and moved towards the ladder, Lena following behind.


Kara ran, a giant grin on her face, as a woman with a semi-automatic opened fire at her. Everything seemed to slow down for a second, and Kara side-stepped the barrage of bullets. She bent her knees and leapt through the air. The woman's face contorted into a look of terror, then Kara was on her, and a fist to the ribs collapsed the woman to the ground. Kara slammed into the concrete, creating a dozen spindly cracks in the ground.

This was what she was made for! It was exhilarating!

Breath coming in quick gasps as adrenaline continued to flood her system, Kara stood to her full height – a full four ft nine – and focused her hearing.

Step, step, step. Alex Danvers's light footfalls – a part of her training she assumed – came from the east as she and Lena moved towards the boats.

Click, click, click. Barbara's fingers typing frantically from the south.

"I've got it. Alarm disabled. You can blow the lights." She whispered to Lex. Lex said nothing in response, but Kara heard the sparking of electricity as he hotwired the floodlight control panel. Within a few seconds, the lights all flickered off.

"Whoever's out there, show yourself. I'm not in the mood for games tonight." Kara frowned. That was Falcone's voice. Had he not left? Kara narrowed her eyes and peered into the darkness. Her vision was nowhere near as powerful as her hearing, but she could see much better in the dark than the others could, and she could perform a similar focusing trick. Sure enough, she could see Falcone's tall, imposing form standing outside his sedan. Two guards with rocket-launchers and five others with more ordinary weapons stood guard around him.

Great Rao. She thought. If Falcone spotted the others, there was no way they'd be able to deal with those guys. And… Falcone had flooded Suicide Slum with drugs and guns – there was no way to know just how many deaths he'd made profits off. He was a monster – and tonight, Kara felt she could do anything. Why not add monster hunting to her list of accomplishments?

Kara took a few deep breaths and pulled her hair out, letting it fall freely around her shoulders. She removed her ski mask and goggles, casting them aside, then walked towards Falcone and his men.

"Mister Falcone!" She shouted, silently thanking Lena and Lillian for their English lessons. Five years on the street with no understanding of the language aside from a few words here and there had made making friends practically impossible. But the Luthors had taken her in, taught her how to speak correctly – even if she still struggled a bit with remembering to use words like 'at' and 'to'.

Falcone and his men all turned towards her, and one of them even laughed. To the east, Kara's hearing picked up Alex's foot slamming into someone's jaw. Lex and Barbara were sneaking towards the cars, using the containers to her left to keep hidden.

"Who are you supposed to be then? A gift? The team mascot? Go tell your daddy to come and face me like a man." He had an odd accent; which Lena had told her was typical of European families. Kara hoped to see Europe one day.

"I am…" What was she? She'd long since accepted that she wasn't the same as everyone else. She was different, and always would be. It was time she started embracing it.

"I am your worst nightmare. Someone who can fight back." Kara's eyes began to glow as she walked, skin tingling with heat. She screamed, and twin beams of blue fire shot from her eyes. They slammed into Falcone's chest, blasting him backwards and setting his clothes on fire. She switched off her heat vision but didn't give any of the men time to recover. She raced forward, covering half the distance to the car before bullets started firing. The bullets bounced off her skin, and Kara jumped up into the air with a bound, fist clenched beside her head.

She'd forgotten the rocket launchers. Two rockets shot towards her, and she used her heat vision to destroy the first. The second she missed, and it slammed into her chest, exploding, and sending her tumbling backwards through the air. There was no pain from the actual impact, but she could feel the surge of heat the bomb released, and the sound was agonising. It lasted for a single moment before her ears healed and adjusted to the ringing, but it was enough to disorientate her. She flew through the air some few metres before she finally regained her senses. She thrust her hands out behind her reflexively and came to a halt… but she didn't hit the ground. Instead, she was floating in the air, clothes on fire, ash flooding her nose. She could fly. Holy fucking shit.

Kara grinned.


Barbara begrudgingly admitted that Lex Luthor was brilliant when it came to machines. He'd hotwired the lamps with incredible skill, and now he'd unlocked the car the money was supposed to be in with a hairpin and a screwdriver – without even touching the windows. She was impressed – though his attitude could use some work.

He pulled the door open, and Barbara crawled inside, searching for the briefcase with the cash, feeling her heart sink.

"There's nothing here!" She exclaimed, and Lex cursed. She crawled out, and a massive explosion rocked the docks. A blast of red and orange light burst in the air a short way away, filling the night with smoke.

Then Barbara's jaw fell open, because out of the explosion came Kara. Hovering in the air, clothes on fire, hair floating behind her despite the lack of wind.

Lex fell to his knees, and Barbara braced a hand on the car. It was… impossible.

Kara dropped to the ground, leaving Barbara's view, and she couldn't help it. She ran towards where the girl had been, Lex racing behind. When they arrived, Kara was hovering a few inches above the ground beside another sedan, eyes burning with blue fire. Five men were prostrating themselves at her feet, guns and… were those rocket launchers?… lying discarded on the ground.

Alex and Lena came running in from the other direction, and both stopped short just as Barbara and Lex had.

"Kara…" Lena whispered, stepping forward tentatively. The sound of the pale, black-haired girl's voice seemed to snap Kara out of her trance, because her eyes returned to normal, and she hit the ground with a muted thud.

"That," she said softly, "was very tiring." Lena rushed forward and caught Kara as she slumped.

"The drugs?" Kara asked as Barbara, Lex and Alex carefully approached the two girls.

"Destroyed," Alex said, swallowing a lump in her throat, eyes still on Kara.

"Did we get the money?" Lena queried. Barbara was about to say something when Lex moved towards the sedan, opening the unlocked back door and pulling out two black leather briefcases.

"Yep."

"Then we should probably get the hell out of here," Kara whispered, before her eyes fluttered closed. As if to punctuate the statement, cop sirens began to echo in the distance.


Notes: We hope you enjoyed this little teaser, and we promise to keep you all updated as we continue to progress on this story and Blessing. With Shards wrapping and the Coronavirus getting worse, we're going to have plenty of time.

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