(Rated I for Immature)
Nia Ascending
Nia woke up early in the morning, dragged herself out of bed, got ready, and made her way over to Wayne Manor. All by herself, she went through each and every room picking up clothes, cleaning toilets, sweeping and mopping the floors, dusting all the portraits, vacuuming the carpets, and polishing all of Bruce Wayne's golf trophies. As she worked, Kara and Brainiac 5 sat on a couch chatting and enjoying drinks.
"Hiring your intern to clean up your entire mansion when you could do it all yourself within a split second is high on the list of fucked up things you've done," Brainiac 5 remarked.
"I bet it's not even in the top one hundred," Kara smiled.
"And you would be correct. However, the list reaches nearly ten thousand," Brainiac 5 replied.
"I'm glad someone's keeping count," Kara rolled her eyes.
"How did you come to acquire this property?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"Bruce said if I kept the place clean and maintained, I could stay here," Kara said.
"Ah, an outsourcing of an outsource," Brainiac 5 realized.
"It's not like I don't pay her," Kara said dismissively.
"I calculate a high probability that it is below New York state's minimum wage," Brainiac 5 said knowingly.
"Well, you don't get taxed on 'under the table' wages," Kara said obviously.
"Two wrongs make a right?" Brainiac 5 questioned.
"Like you give a shit," Kara scoffed.
"All done," Nia said brightly after two hours of hard work.
"Great, I'll see you at Catco," Kara said to her not bothering to check her work.
"Actually, I have a doctor's appointment," Nia reminded her.
"Well...shit," Kara recalled realizing she would have one less slave at the office.
Naltoria
On the feminist utopia of Naltoria, three siblings decided to meet to squabble over inheritance issues. Kalique and Titus walked together in an abandoned city as they waited for their brother Balem to arrive. The ground was blue sparkly sand. The city had once been vibrant but civil war between the genders had reduced the population to a handful of cities with many refugees spread across the galaxy.
"Have you ever seen a harvest?" Titus asked conversationally. He was a rather effeminate man with wavy blond hair and flamboyant clothes.
"No, never," she said disturbed by the notion. "But I hear they feel no pain. It's all quite humane, you know." Kalique said as she wore a crown, large earrings, a necklace, and several rings while wearing extravagant clothes. Unlike her brother, she appeared twice her brother's age in appearance.
"There are administrators present to make sure everything is done to code. Still, it can be rather affecting," Titus remarked.
"Now you sound like mother," Kalique recalled.
"Most of them feel miserable in their lives but what we do for them is a mercy," Balem said coldly as he entered the conversation via a portal.
"Balem, thank you for coming," Titus bowed his head to his older brother. "Congratulations on your last harvest."
"The House of Abrasax continues to thrive despite the squandering of your inheritance, brother," Balem said softly.
"I must say, your hormone treatments to change your gender from female to male have taken a toll on you. Is it possible that success does not agree with you?" Titus asked referring to Balem's tired appearance.
"You look so well, brother. Could it be that failure agrees with you?" Balem shot back.
"You may have inherited mother's mind for business, but I have inherited her heart," Titus said defensively.
"What does that leave me?" Kalique asked playfully.
"Her beauty," Titus said with false sincerity.
"I have more important matters to attend to, Titus," Balem said dismissively.
"It was her birthday recently. You know how I get sentimental and I went through mother's papers. One planet in her possession was the rarest and most beautiful estate in the galaxy," Titus said.
"Earth," Balem identified.
"It was part of your inheritance, was it not? Any chance you could part with it?" Titus asked.
"Titus, didn't you know that planet is worth more than all of your estates combined," Kalique told him.
"Really? I had no idea," Titus smiled.
Balem looked upon his sister and brother suspiciously and then departed.
Earth
At the fertility clinic, Nia took a blood test and provided a semen sample. "We should know soon whether you are fertile. The hormone treatments you received often result in sterilization," the doctor informed her.
"Yeah, I know," Nia said somberly.
"If I may ask, why didn't you freeze your sperm earlier?" the doctor asked.
"I didn't know...if I should...if someone like me should reproduce," Nia said honestly.
"What changed your mind?" the doctor asked curiously.
"I had a dream," Nia said vaguely.
Naltoria
Kalique arrived at her palace and was greeted by all her servants. The palace was placed near a waterfall that dwarfed the Niagra Falls. "This matter must be treated delicately. Neither Balem nor Titus must suspect my involvement," she told her chief of staff.
"Of course, Your Majesty," he replied.
"Do you believe the hunters can be trusted?" she asked.
"Trust is an illusion, my lady. I believe in only mutual self-interest. They want another lifetime. We can offer it," he said.
"Make the deal," Kalique ordered.
Jupiter
Balem arrived on Jupiter in his massive battleship that descended down inside the giant red spot and docked with a city-sized factory facility. A smaller ship then arrived at the command center of the facility. During his journey from Naltoria to Jupiter, Balem bathed in hormonal rich water that strengthened his muscles and made his appearance more masculine. Despite this, his voice was soft and would occasionally crack. He desired to show Naltoria that females could better themselves by becoming more masculine. It would make them strong, quick, cunning, and ruthless.
Balem was dressed in a rich suit as he was carried on a hovercraft to meet with his chief administrator, Chicanny Night. "It's been too long, Lord Balem," he said.
"I didn't cross the vastness of space to hear your pleasantries, Mr. Night," Balem said scornfully.
"Yes, my lord. We have verified the reincarnation. Most unfortunate news," Night said.
"I believe Titus is aware of this," Balem said thoughtfully. "Why don't you have her?"
"We have traced her to a medical clinic. We have a name: Nia Nal," the dragon lord said to him, a creature that was humanoid in size but appeared as a lizard with wings and a long tail.
"I want Miss Nal found...and I want her dead," Balem ordered.
Earth
Nia took time off work again to go to the fertility clinic. "Unfortunately, the results were not good. The hormonal treatments have dropped your sperm count dramatically," the doctor told her.
"What about in-vitro fertilization?" Nia asked.
"Possible but unlikely. Your sperm production is negligible. However, there is a procedure that can get them back and running again. It will require surgery though," the doctor said.
"Let's do it," Nia agreed.
Nia went into the surgical room and felt extremely awkward as the doctor and nurses prepped. "Just relax," a nurse told her as they put an oxygen mask over her mouth.
Nia then saw a flash of the future where the doctor and nurses were aliens trying to abduct her. She immediately began to struggle. The nurses quickly put restraints on her legs and arms. They then rotated her on her stomach while she hovered above the medical table.
"Make sure she's the one," the doctor ordered a nurse.
The nurse took a sample from the back of Nia's ear. "Uh, we have a problem," the nurse said looking over the readings.
"I couldn't agree more," Brainiac 5 said entering the surgery room and firing his laser pistol on them all. The aliens revealed themselves to be skinny grey humanoids as they leaped around the room. Brainiac 5 continued to fire on them killing them one-by-one. One of them tried to tackle Brainiac 5 only to be zapped by his force-field. After he had killed them all, he sliced off Nia's restraints and removed her mask.
"Ow," Nia said as she fell onto the medical bed.
Brainiac 5 picked her up in his arms and determined she was not injured. She then passed out.
Naltoria
Titus' luxury ship unnecessarily sailed through the ring system of Naltoria. The ship resembled a fish with three sailing fins on its back and belly. Inside his personal quarters, Titus was surrounded by adoring naked young men all floating around him touching every part of his body. On Naltoria, female prostitution was not only banned but highly dishonorable. Men were expected to mate with one woman even if that woman was unfaithful to him having many consorts. Titus wasn't interested in marriage or being sexually repressed. Therefore, his only solution was to have his ship stocked with literally hundreds of male prostitutes.
"Pardon, Lord Titus," his female secretary said as she entered.
"Only good news is allowed," Titus told her.
"We have found the girl," she said.
"Brilliant," Titus smiled.
Earth
Nia awoke in the Bat-cave under Wayne Manor with Brainiac 5 watching over her. "How long have I been out?" she wondered.
"Twelve hours," Brainiac 5 said.
"My clothes?" Nia wondered.
"I took the liberty of dressing you. You have nothing to be apprehensive about. I have detailed files on your anatomy," Brainiac 5 told her.
"Those things in the clinic?" Nia asked.
"They're essentially monitors or watch-dogs if you will," Brainiac 5 said.
"What the fuck is going on?" Nia demanded.
"Every so often, a Naltorian will have the same exact genetic sequence as a previous generation. A rare phenomenon in which a person is an identical twin to their ancestor. It's the result of significant inbreeding on Naltoria," Brainiac 5 explained.
"I've heard the story," Nia recalled.
"Then you know that a reincarnation has the same rights and titles to that of the original," Brainiac 5 said.
"Yeah," Nia said not sure where he was going with this.
"It would appear you resemble a Naltorian woman that claimed an entire sector of space. A sector that includes Earth," Brainiac 5 said.
"But that's impossible. I'm not a...," Nia said awkwardly.
"A woman," Brainiac 5 finished for her. "You changed your physical appearance to resemble a powerful Naltorian woman, didn't you?"
"Yes," Nia admitted.
"Your plastic surgeon did good work. You have ninety-nine percent her likeness," Brainiac 5 judged.
"I wasn't trying to be her reincarnation, alright. I just admired her," Nia said lamely.
Brainiac 5 activated the Bat-computer and showed her images of Balem, Titus, and Kalique. "These three are powerful lords on Naltoria and the descendants of the one you copied. Only Lord Balem has a rightful claim to Earth. However, his claim to the Earth comes to nothing if you are the reincarnation."
"What are you suggesting?" Nia asked.
"We play a game," Brainiac 5 smiled.
"You want me to go along with this scheme? Why?" Nia asked.
"Lord Balem harvests sentient beings across his sector and turns them into beauty products that can return a person's youth," Brainiac 5 said.
"That's fucked up. He needs to be stopped," Nia said resolved.
"Only you can stop him," Brainiac 5 said.
"Why not have Supergirl kill him?" Nia said obviously.
"Lord Balem is surrounded by thousands of Naltorian servants. To get to him, there will be many casualties," Brainiac 5 said.
"Alright, let's do this," Nia agreed.
Jupiter
The dragon lord came to Balem to report a problem in apprehending Nia. "There was a problem at the clinic. An unknown player intervened."
"What about the girl?" Balem asked.
"Still alive," the dragon lord growled.
"Double our security and destroy any ship that comes near the planet," Balem ordered calmly.
The dragon lord bowed his head. Balem gave him an impatient look. "GO!" he screamed at him.
Earth
Nia and Brainiac 5 arrived at Catco in the evening hours. "Finally showed up," Kara said peeved but secretly didn't give a shit.
"We had an incident earlier today," Brainiac 5 said.
"Oh really?" Kara doubted and then suddenly the windows exploded out. "Holy shit!" Kara said stunned as her office was trashed.
"We must minimize human casualties," Brainiac 5 said to Nia.
"I agree," Nia replied.
"Good," Brainiac 5 said and then flew her out of the window.
"This isn't what I meant!" Nia shrieked as Brainiac 5 flew her high above the ground.
Naltorian fighters went after them shooting indiscriminately. As Brainiac 5 dodged their fire, the beams went straight into buildings causing significant damage to the surrounding skyscrapers. Brainiac 5 activated a force-field around himself to give them limited protection as he held onto Nia. For her part. Nia fired unpracticed energy blasts back at the fighters without success. Brainiac 5 swung around a church steeple in an attempt to shield them. One of the fighters blasted the steeple clear off stunning the both of them. The two nearly hit a metro train pulling up just in time. The fighters engaged them blasting up the train in an attempt to hit them. Brainiac 5 then descended towards the ground-level of the city and evaded the fighters and incoming cars. The fighters blasted away at the cars and trucks as they continued their pursuit.
"This is minimizing human casualties?" Nia critiqued.
Brainiac 5 took her off a bridge where he landed on a cloaked fighter. His boots magnetically stuck to the hull of the fighter even as it tried to shake them both off. The fighter then went high into the air and spun rapidly. Brainiac 5 remained calm as Nia screamed her head off. The pilot ejected as Nia was about to blast him. Brainiac 5 then pulled Nia into the fighter and quickly took control of the fighter as it plummeted back down.
"Brace yourself," Brainiac 5 said as the fighter went straight into the water.
The other fighters fired into the water hoping to hit them. Brainiac 5 piloted the fighter through the water, back out of the water, and then back into the water in an attempt to evade them. When that didn't work, Brainiac 5 went through the city again. The fighters fired missiles into the city causing explosions throughout the city.
"Maybe we should leave the city," Nia said concerned.
"Negative, we won't have cover in the open field," Brainiac 5 said to her.
"I'm not worth it," Nia said seeing the destruction.
Supergirl then fired on the fighters blasting them all to bits with her heat vision before they could react to counter her. Brainiac 5 gave her a salute and then took off with the fighter away from the city.
Jupiter
Balem looked over a recording of what had happened in the clinic. "Stop," he ordered the recording as Brainiac 5 entered the room. He crouched down and looked upon Nia's face. "There are times when I actually miss you," he mused referring to his mother.
"No one understood the galaxy as you did. No one understood me... as you did," Balem said as he shed tears. He then ended the hologram program.
"How did one man destroy a fleet of shadows?" Balem asked his dragon lord.
"A Kryptonian aided them," he said. "They underestimated her."
"The next mistake...I hold you accountable," Balem said to him.
Earth
Brainiac 5 took the damaged fighter to Parthus. He ditched the fighter in a lake after he had extracted all of its information. "Why are we here? You're risking my family by coming here," Nia objected.
"We must assume the Naltorians already know their location," Brainiac 5 said simply.
"They wouldn't go that far, would they?" Nia asked anxiously.
Brainiac 5 gave her a sympathetic look. "I don't recommend telling your sister you have the gift instead of her."
"Well...no shit," Nia agreed.
The two of them came to the door and knocked. "Hey, kiddo," Paul Nal said warmly. "And who is this?" he asked referring to Brainiac 5.
"He's my boyfriend," Nia said awkwardly.
"Well, isn't that adorable," Paul smiled.
The two entered the house and were greeted by Maeve who was busy painting. "Nia!" she said excitedly and gave her a hug.
"How's it going?" Nia asked her.
"I've been keeping up with my painting. Still haven't been able to dream yet, but I'm confident I'll get there," Maeve said.
"Well, you keep at it," Nia said brightly.
Nia then turned to her father. "Is it true? Do Naltorians harvest sentient beings to stay young?"
Paul gave her an uncomfortable look. "It's true."
"How could they do this?" Nia asked.
"When you have the galaxy in the palm of your hand, the only thing worth anything to you is time. Naltorians can see their own deaths in their dreams. They became obsessed with changing those dreams," Paul said.
"We have to leave. All of you," Brainiac 5 told Paul and Maeve.
"Exactly who are you?" Paul wondered.
Brainiac 5 took out a pistol and stunned both of them. "No time for questions. They're here," Brainiac 5 said to a shocked Nia. Brainiac 5 then picked Paul over his shoulder. "I assume you can carry your sister," he said condescendingly.
Nia sighed and picked Maeve up. "Now I wish I had muscles."
Brainiac 5 tossed Paul into the bed of the truck while Nia dragged Maeve out of the house. "You need to work out," Brainiac 5 critiqued her.
Nia managed to get Maeve in the bed of the truck but then Balem's forces arrived. One of Balem's men fired a shock-wave cannon at Brainiac 5 tossing him back into the house. Nia fired energy blasts at the alien grey men as they got near her. She then fled into the cornfield.
Brainiac 5 quickly recovered and fired at mercenaries trashing the house as he did. During the fight, they managed to destroy all of Maeve's paintings. Brainiac 5 let loose cables from his fingertips slicing and strangling his opponents. Meanwhile, in the cornfield, Nia was suddenly blasted by the mercenary with the shock-wave cannon. Stunned by the blast, Nia held her ringing ears in agony. The mercenary aimed carefully with a kill shot when the second group of mercenaries showed up sending machine gun fire on the first group. A black-skinned male mercenary picked up Nia while an Asian-looking woman looked on with a speeder. The two brought Nia to their ship.
Brainiac 5 exited the ruined house, ignored Paul and Maeve, and went after Nia. He found her being taken up in a ship. Increasing his speed to super-human, Brainiac 5 reached the ship and took hold of it. The ship exited Earth's orbit and went into hyperspace to Naltoria.
Balem's defeated forces then kidnapped Paul and Maeve for future leverage later.
Naltoria
Brainiac 5 detached from the ship as it came close to Kalique's palace. Instead of immediately rescuing Nia, he impersonated a Naltorian servant with his hologram emitter and went for their computer core. Kalique's chief of staff greeted the two mercenaries with their payment.
"Premium Abrasax as requested," he said showing them the tubes filled with life rejuvenating liquid harvested from sentient beings. The mercenaries accepted the payment and then never showed up again.
That night, Nia woke up in a pink dress. She looked around and then recognized her former homeworld. Kalique and her ladies then came out to meet her.
"Quite astonishing," Kalique said amazed.
"What is?" Nia wondered.
"You look just like her. Let me show you," Kalique said leading her into a temple that hosted a thousand candles and a statue of her mother's likeness.
"Fire hazard much," Nia remarked as she tried not to step on one of the candles.
"Welcome home, mother," Kalique said to her.
"Look, I'm not your mother," Nia said delicately.
"Of course not, but you have her genes, her face, her spirit," Kalique said. "You are a miracle. A reincarnation."
"I don't think it's really a big deal," Nia downplayed.
"But it is. You have the rightful claim to Earth," Kalique told her.
"You mind if I ask how your mother died?" Nia asked.
"She was murdered," she answered somberly.
"I'm so sorry. Did they ever find out who did it?" Nia asked.
"No. She could see the deaths of others but not her own," Kalique sighed. "Come, let me show you the possibilities of your new life."
Kalique took Nia to a pool of regeneration. She stripped down and bathed in it restoring herself to her younger self within seconds. Kalique then came out of the pool and was given robes to wear by her attendants.
"Holy shit," Nia realized.
"Feel my skin," she said extending out her arm to her.
Nia felt her smooth skin. "Neat," Nia allowed.
"Time is the most precious commodity in the universe," Kalique said to her. "Beyond oil, minerals, or even people."
"Right," Nia gave her a skeptical look.
As Brainiac 5 was dispatching guards one-by-one around the palace, Nia walked with Kalique. "Right now, Earth belongs to Balem. But you could claim it for yourself. In return for the Earth, I can give your true immortality for not just yourself but for your loved ones," Kalique offered.
Brainiac 5 then ambushed the two of them with a pistol to Kalique's head. "Hey, wait, she's on our side," Nia objected.
"Your naivety is amusing," Brainiac 5 said to her and then shot Kalique in the head killing her.
"The fuck, Barney?" Nia freaked.
"Time to leave," Brainiac 5 said taking her forcefully to a transport ship. As he did, he shot at the guards killing scores of them as they entered the ship.
"Where to now?" Nia asked resentfully.
"The capital city, Naltor, to collect your inheritance," Brainiac 5 said.
"Seriously, can't we just get Supergirl to take care of this?" Nia asked.
"If we do, Naltoria will likely be destroyed," Brainiac 5 replied.
Arriving at Naltor, Brainiac 5 led Nia to the titles and record department. "My name is Advocate Bob. I'll be assisting you in the ascension process," a human-like male droid said to her.
"How nice," Nia expressed.
"That won't be necessary," Brainiac 5 said as he fired out cables and immediately shut down the droid while he accessed its memory core.
"This way," Brainiac 5 said after a brief pause. He proceeded to navigate the bureaucracy using a combination of hacks and bribes to get Nia her title. The title was then imprinted on her arm.
"I will never complain about the DMV ever again," Nia said after the process had concluded. The two of them went to the basement level to steal a ship home. "I mean, what does this even mean?"
"In practical terms, nothing. Kara would prevent you from ever taking real ownership of the Earth. There are also competing empires including the Green Lantern Corp that all claim Earth for their own. What this does prevent is Naltorians wasting their lives and resources attempting to harvest a planet they cannot possess," Brainiac 5 said.
"I get it," Nia agreed. "Well, you should be calling me, Your Majesty."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Brainiac 5 said kissing her hand and giving her a wicked smile.
"Okay, don't do that ever again," Nia said freaked out by his creepy smile.
"As you wish," Brainiac 5 allowed.
"And just because I now own the Earth, it doesn't mean I'm any different now. I'm still the same person," Nia said to him.
"Says the person that identifies as a different gender and a different species from what she was born as," Brainiac 5 replied.
"That's not fair. Fuck you," Nia said peeved.
The two of them were then suddenly ambushed by Titus' men with laser rifles ready. Brainiac 5 immediately put a pistol to Nia's head. "What the fuck?" she asked him.
"If she dies, Earth's ownership remains with Lord Balem," Brainiac 5 said to them.
"Well played," Titus applauded. "But I don't think you will pull that trigger."
Brainiac 5 gave him an icy stare. "I can live without the Earth. Can you live without her?" Titus asked him.
"The information in this unit is valuable to me. Allow me to leave unharmed, and I will give you the girl," Brainiac 5 offered.
"You really are an asshole," Nia said of him.
"Agreed," Titus said to him.
Brainiac 5 took the pistol off Nia's head and allowed Titus' men to take her away.
On Titus' grand ship, Titus invited Nia to dinner. Inside a grand hall filled with candles, flowers, and exquisite food the two of them sat across from each other at a long table with servants nearby to attend to them. "I fear I have you at a disadvantage. You see, I was very close to my mother. So close in fact that I could tell what she was thinking when she cocked her eyebrow the way you do. At this point, I probably know more about you than you do yourself."
"Right," Nia said skeptically.
"Just like her, always expecting the worse out of people," Titus mused.
"Well, you did kidnap me," Nia brought up.
"That distrust has made it difficult for you to fall in love...until now," Titus smiled.
"The fuck?" Nia wondered.
"Come with me," Titus offered.
The two went to the basement level where tubes of blue liquid were stored. "Each one of these things was created by one hundred sentient beings," he said.
Nia gave him a horrified look as she saw at least a thousand tubes in this basement alone. "I didn't create these. My brother and my sister competed to see how many they could create. My mother, like you now, was horrified by the practice. She tried to stop it and was murdered for it. I, too, want to end this travesty, but I need your help. Will you marry me?" he asked her presenting an extremely expensive ring.
"Holy shit, dude," Nia said amazed by it.
"Is that a yes?" Titus asked.
"Does it have to be consummated?" Nia asked fearfully.
"Of course not. It's just a contract, Titus assured her.
"I'll do it," Nia agreed.
Brainiac 5 was already on-board Titus' ship downloading all the information he could from the computer system. He had considered freeing Nia first but information was priority number one. During the wedding ceremony, Nia was in a white wedding dress with red flowers and an elaborate hairstyle that also had red flowers. As she entered a grand hall, she was greeted by Naltorian drones all wearing white.
"Your Highness," Titus addressed Nia as she arrived at the altar.
"Who are all these people?" Nia wondered.
"Just drones. This is simply a matter of state, not of the heart," he told her.
"Well, okay then," Nia allowed.
"I, Titus of Abrasax, take Nia Nal to be my wife. I enter into this union being of sound mind and of my own volition," Titus declared and then put his hand on a data-pad to seal it.
"Your turn," Titus said eagerly.
"I...," Nia began.
The drones suddenly turned on the Naltorian guards overwhelming them. Brainiac 5 calmly walked towards Titus and Nia in a white suit like a bad-ass. "How did you get on board my ship?" Titus demanded.
"You assumed there was only one of me," Brainiac 5 smirked.
"He's a Brainiac. They're responsible for mass genocide as they collect cities across the galaxy. How can you trust this thing?" Titus said of Brainiac 5 as he got closer.
"I trust that he values me," Nia said.
"And what could he possibly value from you?" Titus sneered.
"I can see the future...and he cannot," Nia said simply.
Titus gave her a stunned look. "You have the gift?" he realized.
"Yeah," Nia confirmed.
"We can still make a deal," Titus said to them. "Don't be a fool."
Brainiac 5 took out a pistol and fired into his head dropping him. "He was going to end the harvesting practice," Nia said outraged.
"Your naivety is amusing," Brainiac 5 said dismissively.
"What's the plan now?" Nia asked.
"Kara will appreciate this luxurious ship...after all the blood has been scrubbed away, of course," Brainiac 5 considered.
"You're all assholes," Nia scowled.
"No, we are Vindicators," Brainiac 5 corrected and then raised his arms as he gained the obedience of all the drones in the hall.
The heavily armed cruise ship then headed to Earth.
Earth
Brainiac 5 escorted Nia back to Parthus where she found the house a wreck and her father and sister missing. "Dad? Maeve?"
"Good evening, Your Majesty," Mr. Night greeted with dragon lord and more dragon guards at his side.
"Where's my family?" Nia demanded.
"We can only hope they remain unharmed," Mr. Night smirked.
Nia punched him to the face nearly causing a fire-fight. "I see you have the Abrasax temper," Mr. Night observed.
"I own this planet. You're trespassing," Nia accused.
"I'm quite aware of all legalities. I just don't give a damn," Mr. Night replied. "I have been instructed to give Your Grace a proposal."
"What proposal?" Nia asked.
"You will come with me to meet my lord. You will abdicate your title and in return, you get your family back," Mr. Night said snidely.
"If I don't come, you'll kill them," Nia realized.
"I couldn't think of my lord committing such an abhorrent crime," Mr. Night replied.
"Well, you see, maybe this guy isn't so bad after all," Nia said to Brainiac 5.
"Your naivety is amusing," he replied.
"You wound me, Sir," Mr. Night said to him.
"Wounding isn't my style," Brainiac 5 said to him with his pistol still out.
"You're welcome to come with us," the dragon lord said to Brainiac 5.
Nia turned to Brainiac 5. "I know that information is the most important thing for you but for me, it's my family. I can't risk their safety with you coming with me."
"I understand," Brainiac 5 allowed.
Nia nodded sadly and then went with Mr. Night to his ship.
Jupiter
Lord Balem's guards brought Nia to his chambers where he looked out the window on his couch deep in thought. "Where's my family?" Nia asked him, disrupting his concentration.
"You should have stayed dead," Balem mused.
"I am not your mother," Nia told him.
"No, my mother never worked a day in her life," Balem recalled.
"Maybe that was the problem," Nia critiqued.
Balem scoffed at that. "My mother taught me what was necessary to rule this galaxy."
"By killing people?" Nia asked appalled.
"I CREATE LIFE!" he shouted facing away from her towards the window.
"What the fuck?" Nia mouthed.
"And I destroy it. Life is an act of consumption, Nia. To live is to consume. Now, the human beings on your planet are merely a resource waiting to be converted into capital and this entire enterprise is just a small part of a vast and beautiful machine defined by evolution designed for a single purpose," he said to her.
"To create profit," he concluded.
"That's fucked up. You're fucked up," Nia said to him.
"My mother taught me that every civilization is a pyramid and that some lives are more valuable than others. It's better to accept this...than to pretend it isn't true," Balem said to her.
"So...why did you kill her?" Nia asked confused.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" Balem shouted at her as he slapped her.
"You slap like a bitch," Nia told him.
Balem then took her by the throat.
Brainiac 5 locked onto Nia's signal and went straight into Jupiter's red spot, a giant hurricane three times the size of the Earth. Brainiac 5's small fighter-sized ship went straight into the storm braving through intense winds and lighting charges. In addition, the ship had to contend with Jupiter's strong gravity and radiation levels that were starting to fry the fighter's circuitry.
Balem then released Nia realizing he needed to have her sign a form. He presented to her a data-pad. "This is a notice of application. You will confess your genetic incapacity to rule and you will return the title to its natural heir," he ordered.
"Where's my family?" Nia demanded.
Balem made a gesture to the floor showing Nia's father and sister strapped down to medical tables. They were being guarded by the dragon lord. "I will do whatever you want as long as you let my family go safely," Nia said.
"You're in no position to negotiate," Balem said and then gestured to his dragon lord. The dragon lord activated a number of torture tools positioned on her father and sister's faces.
"Stop! I'll do anything! Just stop!" Nia shrieked at him.
Balem gestured for the dragon lord to stop and then gave Nia the data-pad.
Brainiac 5's fighter found the factory finally. Utilizing his weapons, Brainiac 5 fired into the protective dome over the factory puncturing it. Brainiac 5 then went through the hole he had made and went straight for Nia's location. Hydrogen and other gasses leaked into the dome threatening the atmospheric composition of the factory. The hydrogen gas easily ignited from random sparks in the factory creating massive explosions that started a chain reaction. Brainiac 5's fighter came to rest near Nia's location. Exiting the fighter, Brainiac 5 looked around and then proceeded to begin his primary mission by downloading all information available from a nearby terminal. Cables from his fingertips entered the terminal allowing Brainiac 5 to download everything.
"So, how long will it take to harvest the Earth after I sign this?" Nia asked.
"I can promise you that you won't see it," Balem replied.
"How ominous," Nia said. "But how long?"
"You knew nothing of harvesting before. Why should it matter now?" Balem dodged. "Remember why you are here."
"I'm here to protect my family," Nia said.
"Seal that and you and your family will return home safely," Balem told her.
"If I don't seal this, you can't touch the Earth even if you kill me. That right?" Nia questioned.
"That planet belongs to me. It is my right," Balem insisted.
"Yeah, fuck that. I'm not going to let you harvest the Earth," Nia refused.
"This is not a game. I am not my brother or my sister. If you don't seal it, I will kill your family and torture you until you eventually break," Balem promised.
Balem then noticed the explosions around his factory. "You seal it now!" he said urgently.
The wall exploded outward as Brainiac 5 entered the floor right underneath Nia. Dragon guards flew towards him with their laser pistols. Brainiac 5's shield blocked their fire. He then fired twin pistols at them with perfect accuracy dropping them all.
"Seal it NOW!" Balem screamed at Nia.
Nia slammed the pad on the floor destroying it. Balem took her by the throat again, but she kneed him in the crotch causing him to cry out. The floor underneath them then collapsed under Balem and Nia. Brainiac 5 then reached Nia and gave her a hand.
"Come with me if you want to live," he said to her.
"Really?" Nia asked unimpressed and took his hand.
"My fighter craft is nearby. We must hurry," Brainiac 5 said to her.
"Not without my family," Nia said to him.
"Negative. They're not a mission priority," Brainiac 5 rejected.
"Fuck you. They're a priority to me," Nia told him off.
Brainiac 5 considered the situation at hand and Nia's refusal to cooperate. "Put your father and sister in my craft. The auto-pilot will take them back to Earth. We'll find another way off," Brainiac 5 said to her.
"Okay," Nia agreed.
"Take this," Brainiac 5 said giving her a pistol.
Brainiac 5 then engaged Balem's guards killing scores of them as they attempted to get past his shield. As his shield finally collapsed, the dragon lord swatted the pistol out of his hand and put him in a stranglehold with his tail. Brainiac 5 and the dragon lord fought one another hand-to-hand and then the dragon lord flew him out of the building into the air. Brainiac 5 activated cables from his fingertips slicing into the dragon lord all over his body. The dragon lord bit into Brainiac 5's right shoulder crushing it. The two punched and kicked at each other as they began to fall. Brainiac 5 managed to get on the dragon lord's back and break his wings. The two then fell to the floor hard.
The furious dragon lord started beating on Brainiac 5 slicing into his artificial skin revealing the machine underneath on his face. Brainiac 5 leaped up and did a double kick on the dragon lord's head. The dragon lord then utilized his tail to slam Brainiac 5 down onto the floor. Brainiac 5 began to desperately crawl away as his systems were shutting down. The dragon lord limped over to Brainiac 5 for a finishing blow. Brainiac 5 kicked his leg-breaking it. As the dragon lord fell, Brainiac 5 took hold of his head and snapped his neck. Brainiac 5 then went still as his systems looked for alternate power.
Meanwhile, Nia and Balem confronted each other after she had put her father and sister in Brainiac Five's ship and flown them off. Nia aimed her pistol at Balem. "I know you too well. You won't pull that trigger," Balem said confidently.
Nia aimed low and shot him in the foot causing him to cry out. The floor underneath them then collapsed sending them both down a bottomless shaft. The two of them managed to latch onto something and regain their footing. Using energy robes, Nia climbed on the outside of the building to get to a stable platform where she could get to the top floor again as the ground level started exploding underneath her.
As she went through the halls, she was met inexplicably by Balem. She attempted to blast him back, but he beat her down with a pole before she could. Balem then took Nia by the hair and dragged her. "Do you remember this, mother? Does a part of you find this familiar? This is how you die," he said slamming her to the floor and kicking her.
"We were fighting. Do you remember what you said?" Balem asked putting the pole's edge to her throat.
Nia touched the wound on his foot causing him to cry out and lose his footing. She then struck him with the same pole to the back and then to the face stunning him. "I remember what you said. I remember you saying you hated your life. It's the truth and you begged me to do it," he said to her. You begged me to do it!" he shouted.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm not your damn mother. I was born a boy," Nia revealed to him.
"Wait...what?" Balem asked confused.
The platform they were on then suddenly collapsed taking them both towards the depths of the planet. Brainiac 5 came in with his rocket boots and saved Nia taking her to a more stable platform while Balem fell to his death. As the factory collapsed, Brainiac 5 put a device on Nia's chests giving her a spacesuit.
"I don't suppose you can get us back to Earth with those rocket boots," Nia figured.
"No, they won't escape the planet's gravity well," Brainiac 5 confirmed.
"This version of you isn't even the real one, is it?" Nia asked.
"No," Brainiac 5 replied showing half the skin on his face missing revealing his robotic eye.
"At least my family is safe," Nia said resigned to her fate as she saw the factory explode all around her.
"Your offspring will be taken care of," Brainiac 5 assured her.
"Wait, you took a sperm sample from me?" Nia asked him outraged.
"I was tired of your procrastination," Brainiac 5 said simply.
"You had no right, asshole," Nia said peeved.
"Nura was a good friend of mine. I will not allow her to disappear," Brainiac 5 said to her.
"I do want children one day. I just want it on my own terms," Nia said to him.
"In light of recent events, this discussion is pointless," Brainiac 5 said referring to their imminent doom.
"At least I saved the Earth," Nia frowned.
"On the contrary, Lord Balem's harvester fleet was already en route before your arrival. They should be arriving soon," Brainiac 5 said.
"That son-of-a-bitch," Nia said scornfully.
"No need to worry, of course. Supergirl can take of it," Brainiac 5 assured her.
Nia stared at Brainiac 5. "Are you fucking with me right before I die?" she accused.
The harvester fleet approached Earth ready to extract humans and then liquefy them for the purposes of soap, cosmetics, and other beauty products. As they entered the atmosphere, Supergirl took them on blasting them with powerful heat vision bursts that penetrated their shields and blasted holes in their hulls. The ships immediately started exploding as they were hit. Kara then punched through each of the ships individually tearing them up from the inside. Within short order, the entire harvester fleet was destroyed. As this was happening, fireworks were going off in the New York City area including Metropolis.
"American as fuck," Kara grinned as exploding ships fell all around her.
Back on Jupiter, the platform Nia and Brainiac 5 were on was about to collapse sending them into the planet. "What will happen to us?" Nia asked fearfully.
"There will be darkness, extreme heat, crushing pressure with occasional lighting around you," Brainiac 5 replied.
"Sounds like hell," Nia said anxiously.
"You will pass out before that happens," Brainiac 5 assured her.
"Watch over my sister, please," Nia said to him.
"Of course," Brainiac 5 replied.
"I know that you don't feel emotions, but I think deep down you're a good person, Barney," Nia said to him.
"It was a pleasure and a privilege to be your friend," Brainiac 5 said to her.
"I wish we could have been more than friends," Nia confessed.
Brainiac 5 gave her a curious look. "Even at the end, you are full of surprises, Nia."
"This might be the biggest one yet," Nia said heartfelt and then kissed him even though his face was royally fucked up.
Jessica then landed on the platform in her Green Lantern suit. "Holy shit! What happened here?" she wondered.
"Thank you for taking my call," Brainiac 5 said appreciatively.
"Did you know she was coming?" Nia asked stunned.
"You're the one that can see the future," Brainiac 5 pointed out.
"Let's move it," Jessica said seeing the destruction around her. She formed a green bubble around all three of them and shot out of the planet back towards Earth.
Earth
The next morning, Nia awoke early and headed over to Wayne Manor to clean the place. "It would appear I have a new cruise ship in need of a lot of cleaning," Kara grinned.
"You're going to take me into space, so I can be your janitor?" Nia asked.
"Yes," Kara said obviously.
"You know what, I don't have to take this shit. I want in. I want to be just as corrupt as you and Barney are. I want to abuse my power, bribe people, take bribes, and exhort people. I'm a valuable member of the Vindicators, and I want my due," Nia said standing up for herself.
"Wow, look who's balls finally dropped," Kara said impressed.
"You're just envious," Nia accused. "You have all the power in the universe but you have no dick."
"Damn, when you're right, you're right," Kara agreed. "It would appear, Nia Nal, that you have ascended."
"What the fuck does that mean?" Nia demanded.
"Here you go. Don't lose it," Kara said giving her a Vindicator ring.
"So...I still need the job," Nia said lamely.
"We, Vindicators, take care of one another. I've been waiting a long time for this moment," Kara said and then took a suitcase filled with cash out from a chest and handed it to her.
"Oh my God," Nia said as she saw one million dollars in cash in front of her.
"If you're a real woman, you'll spend it all within the week," Kara smiled.
Brainiac 5 came to visit Nia at her apartment with fake flowers in his hands. "How thoughtful," Nia said looking them over.
"They're artificial like I am," Brainiac 5 said.
"It's very sweet," Nia said putting the flowers in a vase. "My roommate isn't home," she said awkwardly.
"I know," Brainiac 5 replied.
"So, when I was near death I said some crazy things," Nia admitted.
"Don't worry about your descendant. The variables are just too enormous to calculate over a thousand years and forty generations. I shouldn't have burdened you with it. I'll simply clone Nura when the time comes," Brainiac 5 said.
"You could have done that this whole time?" Nia asked incredulously.
"It would have been a lot more interesting if things had gone to plan," Brainiac 5 said.
"Okay, well, what do you want from me now?" Nia asked.
"I wish to serve you and fulfill your needs," Brainiac 5 said to her.
"Are you fully functional?" Nia wondered.
"Of course," Brainiac 5 replied. "I came prepared this time with both sets."
"Look, I haven't been active down there for years," Nia admitted.
"Allow me...to restart it," Brainiac 5 replied.
Nia felt a rise go through her. "I want a full diagnostic," she said inviting him into her room.
"Now you're speaking my language," Brainiac 5 smiled as he followed her inside and closed the door.
Author's Notes: So, for me, Nia's character growth is in her ability to take a lot of crap from both her friends and enemies and overcome it, to stand up for herself, and to accept the negative consequences of her heroics. For this reason, she's been essentially a punching bag for all of the characters here for comedic reasons and to actually create a real character. When you have CW Nia facing zero opposition from anyone and overcoming nothing, it feels empty. And when you do have an episode like SG 5X15 where she is attacked for who she is out of the blew by some random person, it's particularly jarring. I draw a lot of inspiration from House M.D. where all the characters are talking shit and mocking each other all the time about their vulnerabilities and failings.