I'm Supergirl, and I'm here to save the world

But I wanna know, who's gonna save me?

-"Supergirl"

The jet ride to Nomanisan took about two hours. In the dark, it was not a particularly scenic trip, but Kauri stared blankly out the jet's window nonetheless, eyes attempting to penetrate the deep darkness. Mirage watched her concernedly while Syndrome slept in the seat between them, his head resting on Kauri's shoulder. She'd wrapped one of her arms around him and was playing absently with his hair, but her mind was obviously elsewhere.

Mirage was almost afraid to interrupt Bex's thoughts. She could guess the turmoil that was going on in Bex right now, and she wasn't sure Kauri would want to discuss it. But, after almost forty-five minutes of silence, Mirage decided to speak to her.

"Bex?" she said softly.

Bex jolted slightly and turned to look at Mirage with wide green eyes. "Yeah?" she said as Syndrome shifted against her shoulder, disturbed by her movement. She glanced down at him, and then leaned her head against his, still watching Mirage.

Mirage watched them a moment longer before voicing her thoughts. "Why haven't you given up on them already?" she asked. "The Supers, I mean. They've failed you as badly as they failed us."

Kauri sighed and sat up again. Syndrome mumbled something in his sleep. "I can't give up on them," she said. "I just… can't. My father was Dragonflame, you know."

"Really?" Mirage said, raising her eyebrows. "I guess that would explain why Buddy always told me Dragonflame was your favorite."

Kauri smiled. "I always pretended I was his sidekick," she said with a distant look. "I'd always tell him that I'd be willing to go out and help him when he fought Supervillains, but he wouldn't let me. He told me it was too dangerous. He told me - " She stopped and closed her eyes tightly. Then, she continued, "He told me that he didn't want me to suffer like he did, because Superhero work did things to you. It made you different from everyone else. It made you revered and hated at the same time. You could have anything you wanted, and yet, you couldn't. He told me, when I was older, that it was like living in a gigantic oxymoron, and that I shouldn't let that happen to me."

She turned to stare out the window again. "My mother left us because we were Supers. She thought we were freaks of nature. My half-brothers are still convinced I'm some freakish, mentally ill psychopath."

"I'm… I'm sorry," Mirage said lamely, not really certain what else she could say. "But that doesn't explain why you can't give up on them."

Kauri shrugged slightly again. "I just… have to believe that things don't have to be that way," she said. "Otherwise, what's the point of it? Of any of it? Saving other people? I can't live to save others all the time. What about me? When's someone going to save me?"

Mirage glanced down at Syndrome's sleeping form, cuddled so cozily in Kauri's arms. "I think someone is trying to save you," she said quietly.

Kauri looked down and studied Syndrome's face as he slept, unaware of the world around him. "I suppose he is," she said. "But… there's still his plot to destroy all the Supers."

Mirage shook her head. "He's given up on that," she said simply. "He just… wants to make everything all right for you."

Kauri looked astonished. "But he told me - "

"His plans have changed," Mirage said. Hesitantly, she added, "He… he's just starting realize exactly what he's done. He's begun to figure out that he took things too far, and… well… I think it's tearing him apart, Bex. He's looking for forgiveness."

"From?"

"You, of course," Mirage said, raising her eyebrows. "Who else? You're the person he cares about the most. When you left after college, I really thought he might kill himself. He couldn't understand what he'd done to hurt you, and he wanted to fix it so badly… but you'd barely speak to us. He retreated completely into himself… made himself an island…"

"Hence the name of his actual island," Kauri said.

Mirage smiled slightly. "Yes," she said. "I always thought that was an interesting thing. But he never commented on it."

They sat in silence for a while, thinking. Then, Kauri asked, "Why has he brought me here?"

"To talk to you, I expect," Mirage said with a shrug. "To get some time alone with you. He hasn't spoken with you - I mean, really spoken with you - for years. He misses you a lot. I miss you too."

Kauri smiled.

Mirage returned the smile. "I know it won't mean much to you, considering what the island operation was, but… there were so many times when we'd be experiencing glitches and we'd stomp around the control rooms saying, 'Where the hell is Kauri Bexer when you need her?' Even some of the guards started saying that when things went wrong, and they don't even know who you are."

Kauri laughed, which made Syndrome shift a little irritably in his sleep and grumble something. She looked down at him and smiled affectionately. "I missed you guys too," she said. "He'd send me about three emails a year, you know, for a while… and I'd just look forward to getting them so much… I had files and files of these giant emails pouring my heart out to both of you. Of course, I never sent those. I didn't think you'd really care, or want to know. But… well. Life is a lot harder when you have no friends."

"I can't believe that you don't have friends," Mirage said. "You were so… well… friendly in college."

"Things change when you get a boyfriend who beats you and you don't want anyone to know," Kauri said harshly.

Mirage frowned. "Bex, leave him already!" she said anxiously. "He's destroying you!"

"He'll kill me if I leave," Kauri said tersely.

"He'll kill you if you don't," Mirage said flatly. "Someday, he'll take things too far, and then what?"

"Then I'll be dead," Kauri said simply.

"It shouldn't be that black and white!" Mirage cried angrily. "Kauri, all you'd have to do is ask, and you could stay on Nomanisan. You'd be well-protected - he'd never be able to touch you - Syndrome would be there to - "

"Shhh!" Kauri hissed as Syndrome shifted again, grumbling this time somewhat coherently. "You'll wake him."

"I don't care!" Mirage snapped. "At least then I'll have some back-up on this!"

Syndrome's eyes fluttered open. "Wha… what's going on? Why're we yelling?" He sat up, stretched, and yawned.

"We were just discussing how Kauri should be staying on the island with us instead of living with the asshole in Metroville," Mirage said coldly.

Kauri frowned, crossed her arms over her chest, and turned to look out the window. "He'll find me anyway," she muttered.

Syndrome raked a hand through his now-messy hair, also frowning. "So what?" he said. "He'd be slapped in a prison cell before he could say 'Bitch' to you."

"I doubt that," Kauri said bitterly. "He's very powerful."

"Good for him," Syndrome said, rolling his eyes. "But I have zero-point energy."

"Ever the braggart," Kauri muttered, but she smiled slightly.

"It's true," Syndrome said with a pout. "It's not like he can do anything while frozen, is it?"

"No," Kauri conceded.

"There you are, then," Syndrome said with a smirk. "You'd be perfectly safe here."

"I suppose…" Kauri said grudgingly.

Syndrome was beginning to smile hopefully. "So… you'll stay, right?"

"I'll think about it," Kauri said shortly.

Syndrome glanced at Mirage. Mirage rolled her eyes. "I suppose we could always just trap her in a cell," she suggested jokingly to him. "That way she can't get out, either."

Syndrome pretended to ponder this. "That's true," he said. "And then, of course, when she's trapped in my nifty little electro-cells, there's always the fun S&M possibilities that come with the shocking equipment…"

Kauri turned around and slapped him on the arm. "You jerk!" she said, but she was smiling, too. "You should know by now I'm not into bondage-domination games."

Syndrome pouted playfully. "Aw, but Bex, they're so fun!" he said.

All three of them burst out laughing. "So tell me something, Syndrome," Kauri said, raising an eyebrow. "How do you know that bondage-domination games are fun?"

"How do you know you don't like them?" Syndrome fired back. They laughed again.

They went silent as a guard approached them. "Sir, we're arriving at Nomanisan," he said. "We'll be landing in a minute or two."

Syndrome nodded shortly to him, and the guard turned and left.

After a moment, Kauri said, "So, what should I expect to find on this lovely little island paradise of yours?"

"Beaches, lots of parrots, and a lot of really cool high-tech machines that I invented," Syndrome said, grinning broadly. "You'll like it."

"And I'm sure you'll want to show everything off to me in the morning," Kauri said, rolling her eyes.

"Of course!" Buddy exclaimed. "After we eat, of course. Breakfast is the best meal of the day."

Kauri smiled a little bit, and then turned to look out the window again. "I see lights," she said.

They began to descend rapidly, and Kauri fell silent. Mirage watched her old friend somewhat worriedly. She didn't seem to feel as though the conversation had helped her much. If anything, she looked even more confused now than she had before.

Syndrome seemed to notice Kauri's distress, too. "What's up?" he asked quietly as the jet touched down on the landing pad.

Kauri sighed. "Nothing much," she said. "Just… thinking about things."

"Care to give me an example?"

"Not now, Buddy. Maybe later."

Syndrome nodded shortly and looked away. Mirage noted with interest that he didn't correct her use of his real name. If she had been anyone else… but she wasn't. She was Bex, and Syndrome would probably let her get away with murder - literally.

The same guard who had alerted them of their arrival at the island returned to their seats. "Sir, we're ready to unload," he said. "Shall we go?"

"Yes," Syndrome said, standing up. Mirage got out of her seat and departed the jet before him. Bex followed closely with Syndrome and several guards behind her. She glanced at them somewhat nervously.

"I feel like a prisoner," she muttered.

"Technically speaking, you are one," Syndrome pointed out. "I did just kidnap you, after all."

"So I'm going to be sleeping in a cell?" Kauri said, looking unhappy at this prospect.

"Aw, come on, Bex. I wouldn't do that to you. But, just to make sure you don't get away and all that jazz - you'll be sleeping in my quarters."

Mirage rolled her eyes. Right. Just to make sure she doesn't get away or anything. Tell us another one, Buddy.

Kauri seemed to agree with Mirage's thoughts exactly, since she snorted shot Syndrome a glance over her shoulder. "Uh-huh," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Your quarters, right? So I don't escape, right? Why not just a cell? It'd probably be safer."

"Pay attention to where you're walking, Bexer," Syndrome muttered, dodging her questions.

Kauri shook her head and turned back to the front again. "Well, this should be interesting…" Mirage heard her mutter.

Mirage had to agree.