Author's Notes: SG characters are featured in Adventures of Batwoman Chapter Mortal Kombat. The events of that chapter chronologically match what is happening in Adventures of Supergirl in Season 5.5. Generally speaking, Kara and Brainiac 5 are regulars on Adventures of Batwoman.
In the Fortress of Solitude, Kara turned on the radio and listened briefly to Rush Limbaugh. "I don't think it's hard to understand. It's always been about elites against free people. Supergirl is someone who is fearless and willing to fight for things no other superhero is willing to fight for or defend. She's got an engaging personality. She doesn't offend people...," Rush said.
Kara cocked an eyebrow at that. "The Left thinks she does. They act offended but Supergirl just makes people laugh. They can't get over the fact that she's likable, because they hate her., they despise her," Rush continued. "But folks, in these times, we need her. We need to see her beautiful face. We need to have her flying around keeping America safe and protecting our core values. No other superhero is going to do it. They're either politically neutral like Superman or they're totally on the Left. There's not one superhero on our side except her. So, if you're listening to this program, Supergirl, we need you like never before."
Kara turned off the radio unconvinced but flattered by the compliment. She checked up on baby Kameron and went back to sleep.
DEO Fortress
Hank, Alex, Kelly, Brainiac 5, Nia, and Lex came together in the DEO Fortress to discuss their next move. "These last few weeks, we have put out time to good use. We now have a way to penetrate the Fortress of Solitude's shields and get to Kara," Hank announced.
"Where's M'gann?" Alex wondered.
"She fucked up too many times so she's on patrol duty," Hank said explaining her absence.
"I just feel an extra telepath would be useful," Alex shook her head.
"All you need is me. Everything is ready to go," Hank said confidently and then activated the portal. The portal led directly inside the fortress.
"I'll go inside to determine the stability of the portal," Brainiac 5 volunteered.
"What if Kara is awake...and she kicks our asses for disturbing her?" Nia asked concernedly.
"We'll cloak ourselves and scope the situation out," Alex assured her. "With her X-ray vision, it could still be dangerous."
"Her powers work a bit differently in the fortress. She could become our greatest fear brought to life," Hank warned.
"Kelly's got this," Nia assumed.
"Well, my grief management is not magic but they are the next best thing. In therapy, we use grounding techniques to help people regain control in dramatic situations. You start by name things you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch that you know are real," Kelly said.
"You'll be able to separate Kara's psychosis from reality?" Lex asked skeptically.
"Kelly, you sure you want to come with us? You didn't sign up for this shit," Alex said pulling her aside.
"This isn't about Kara. This is for you and for you, I'll do anything," Kelly said passionately.
"So, what's going to stop Kara from kicking us out as soon as she sees us?" Nia asked.
"We will have to remind her of a deep personal connection to bring her back to her true self," Kelly said.
"I can do that. Once she's in our sights, I can mind-ra...I mean, I can reach her, alone," Hank said.
"Fuck no. I'm her sister," Alex objected.
"Fine, but don't go crying to me if she goes psycho on you all," Hank warned.
Brainiac 5 entered the portal and appeared on the other side. "There is some turbulence going in," he reported.
"Let's move," Alex said enthusiastically.
The group entered the portal and made their way inside the fortress.
Immediately, the fortress defenses came online. Several Kelex drones went after the Super-Friends. Hank fired heat vision, Brainiac 5 and Alex fired laser pistols, and Nia fired from her hands. Within a minute, all the Kelex drones were down. "Anyone hurt?" Alex asked.
"I'll be fine," Hank said having received a few hits.
Hank and Alex took point while Brainiac 5 went off on his own to download information off the computer for his own purposes. Hank and Alex found Kara in a deep sleep. "Rise and shine!" Alex shouted at her.
Kara didn't move completely unconscious. "She's in a deep sleep," Hank sensed.
A heat vision beam suddenly went through Hank's chest dropping him. "Holy shit!" Alex said backing away as Kameron stared at her.
"Hey, what's going on?" Nia asked.
Kameron fired heat vision beams at them wildly. Nia put up a shield to protect her and Alex. Kameron increased her power and blasted the two of them to the floor. "Did that baby just do that?" Nia asked incredulously.
"Why am I not surprised?" Alex said getting back up.
Kameron laughed at them totally amused. "Oh, how adorable," Kelly remarked.
"Get out of range, she's lethal-as-fuck!" Alex told her.
Everyone took cover as Kameron fired heat vision at anything that moved in the fortress. Alex put her pistol to stun. "Alex, you can't shoot a baby," Kelly told her.
"I think she can handle it," Alex said but was actually uncertain.
Nia projected a tiger of energy that leaped around the fortress. Kameron immediately went after it firing heat vision beams at it. "That should buy us some time," Nia figured.
Kameron multiplied herself into three equally powerful versions of herself using one of her father's techniques. While one went after the astral tiger, the other two went after the Super-Friends. "They're just illusions, right?" Lex figured.
The two Kameron babies fired on them with their hands and eyes. Alex fired on the two babies with her pistol on stun. The beams just fizzled off them. Kameron laughed amused and blew frost around them to conceal herself. "Fall back," Alex said to everyone as she could no longer see them.
The three babies merged back into one and walked curiously towards the Super-Friends position. Nia formed a shield around Alex, Kelly, and Lex as Kameron advanced. "It would appear Kara kept busy training her baby to be a fighter," Nia said dryly.
"Sounds like her," Alex said dryly.
Kameron pointed at the group and fired off several orbs in random directions. "Well, at least she can't aim right, yet," Kelly said relieved.
"I know this technique. Nia, increase your shield to the max," Alex said quickly.
Kameron kept firing, laughing as she did, and then directed all the orbs to hit Nia's shield at once. The shield collapsed with all four of them on the floor stunned. Kameron laughed hysterically at them and then fell over unconscious. Hank walked over to the group with a painful expression on his face. Brainiac 5 placed Kameron back in her crib.
"Kara won't wake up. What do you have in mind, Barney?" Hank asked.
"We use Inception," Brainiac 5 said simply.
"Shit," Hank muttered knowing what that would entail.
"Inception? Like the movie?" Kelly asked skeptically.
"Precisely. We'll go into Kara's head, straighten her out, so to speak, and wake her up," Brainiac 5 said simply.
"Do the same rules apply? What if we get killed in there?" Nia asked.
"If you die, you simply wake up. The only risk is if you can't die because Kara won't let you," Brainiac 5 said. "You can't exit the dream world if you don't kill yourself."
"Seems a bit morbid. Let's begin," Lex said.
"The dream world requires organic brain function. I will remain behind to make sure the system is working as it should and prevent interruption," Brainiac 5 said.
"Lucky you," Alex said to him.
"None of your powers in this world will amount to anything in the dream world," Brainiac 5 warned Hank and Nia.
"But she doesn't have her powers either. It's a level playing field," Hank said.
"Yes," Brainiac 5 allowed. "You will all have laser pistols given to your avatars. If you need more powerful weapons, you will have to find them there."
The group got into position around Kara and hooked themselves up to the dream machine. Once they were inside, they appeared as a group on an alien world.
Krypton
The Super-Friends suddenly found themselves in the middle of a firefight in the slums of Kandor. The group took cover as Kryptonian soldiers and rebels fired on each other in a laser fire frenzy. Nia instinctively tried to form a shield and then realized she couldn't. "Get cover!" Hank shouted.
The air was filled with laser fire and grenades going off. With the Super-Friends in the thick of it, it wasn't clear where they should go. Alex suddenly got hit to the neck. "You alright?" Hank asked.
"It's not bad," Alex downplayed.
"We can't have you captured. I say we abort the mission," Hank said seriously.
"No, we find a way," Alex insisted.
"If you're a liability, you jeopardize us getting Kara back," Hank told her. "Alex, come on!"
"You're right," Alex nodded.
Hank took out his laser pistol to shoot her but was shot in the head first. Hank then disappeared from the dream world. Hank woke up and realized what had happened. "Get me back in," he demanded pissed off.
"There's a waiting period you must observe or it could do damage to your brain," Brainiac 5 told him.
"Well...shit," Hank said angrily.
Back in the dreamworld, Kryptonian aircraft bombed the area. "This is nuts," Nia said as everything around them exploded.
"This way," Alex led them away from the battlefield. As they did, buildings behind them exploded in fire.
"I definitely did not sign up for this," Kelly said dryly.
A Kryptonian dragon suddenly scooped up Lex and took him up into the air. "Lex!" Alex called out to him as he disappeared. Lex fought with the dragon and was able to release himself. However, he fell to his death in the city below and woke up in the fortress.
A transporter beam suddenly hit the three of them and transferred them inside a battleship in the air. They were immediately disarmed by Kryptonian soldiers and brought to the bridge. There, the commander of the ship appeared as an older blond woman in a black uniform. "Kara?" Alex wondered.
The woman turned around and stared at all three of them. She eyed the three of them curiously. "I was once called that a long time ago," the older Kara said in English. "Seeing you three is like being in a dream."
"You've been dreaming too long. We're here to set you free," Nia said to her.
"Of course, I believe you," Kara said as the ship went into orbit. "But perhaps your interpretation of the situation is wrong."
"I may not know half the crazy shit I see in my dreams but this isn't my dream. It's yours. You need to pay attention to me," Nia said to her.
"You never received the full training. Your mother passed away before you could complete it," Kara said skeptically.
"You can wake up," Nia said to her.
"Everything is under control here," Kara said dismissively.
"You locking yourself in the fortress, your baby nearly killing us, and the world in flames is not under control," Nia argued.
Kara fired heat vision at her window. Immediately, the bridge was depressurized. Alex, Kelly, and Nia hung on for dear life as the wind picked up. Nia was suddenly flung out of the ship and into space. Forcefields then went up preventing anyone else from leaving. Nia immediately woke up in the fortress having died in space.
"You bitch!" Alex went to slap her.
"Yeah, no," Kara said catching her arm and then pushing her to the floor.
"I think I can reach her," Kelly said going into shrink-mode.
"So glad you could join me, Kelly," Kara smirked.
"Snap out of it, Kara. Remember what's real," Kelly beseeched her.
"It's pointless, Kelly. Why bother trying?" Kara asked her. "Death will take us all, even you. In fact, I recall your funeral. We spared no expense."
"You're just joking to get a rise out of me," Kelly said nervously.
Kara gave her a serious expression. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
"Kara, I need you to hear me," Kelly said as Kara was unnerving her.
"Oh, I hear you, alright," Kara confirmed. "I see you, too, exactly as you are, Kelly Olsen: weak, human. How does it feel to be in the company of unparalleled power and intellect? What chance do you stand against me?"
"You're Kara Danvers...and you love...crullers, knock-knock jokes, and potstickers. We met in the hospital and we butted heads. You mocked my profession, sexuality, and looks as I recall. I knew then that you were passionate, fiery, and that you would do anything for the people you love. And I wanted to be one of them! You're one of the best things to ever happen to me," Kelly told her.
"No shit?" Kara wondered.
"You told me I was your rock. Now, let me be that now," Kelly said passionately.
"I must have been high when I said that," Kara said not recalling that part.
"Remember what is real. Come back to me!" Kelly said to her.
"Very moving. I was touched even," Kara said sincerely. "To the airlock," she ordered her guards in Kryptonian. They immediately took hold of Kelly to take her away.
"No, I'm not leaving you," Kelly protested.
"There are some battles you just can't fight," Kara smirked. The guards placed Kelly in an escape pod and then jettisoned her off. Kara then turned to Alex. "You really thought you could reach me with that silly dream machine?"
"For a moment there, yeah, I thought I could," Alex frowned.
"Do you know why I still have my powers here?" Kara asked.
"Because you're so awesome," Alex said sarcastically.
"It is because I am merely a part of Kara's dream. Like everyone else here, I am a construct of her imagination. You've yet to actually find the real Kara on this planet," Kara said to her.
"Well...shit," Alex sighed.
"I'll make you a deal. Your life for Kelly. If you kill yourself or allow yourself to die, Kelly will remain in the dream world forever rotating around the planet endlessly. In the dream world, she doesn't need food or water. Eventually, it will cook her brain. But I'll let you both die before that happens if you play ball," Kara said to Alex.
"I'm listening," Alex relented.
Zor-El was inside the fertility chamber eyeing all the pods. He went to the control panel and accessed his daughter's pod. Kara and Nyxly watched as he looked over all the data. He then inputted the termination command only to be blocked by the system. He attempted to put in his administrator password only to be blocked by the Chancellor herself.
"You went back in time to ensure your own existence. How cute," Nyxly remarked.
"I was naive and arrogant to think I would ever earn his love," Kara said sadly.
"Maybe I can fix him," Nyxly offered and then gave Zor-El memories of Supergirl on Earth during the 21st Century, the 31st Century, and even what she was up to in this time. Zor-El froze up as he became overwhelmed with everything his daughter had ever done.
Kara gave a hopeful expression. "I cried for you, for my mother, for Krypton my entire life. I cried for everyone I ever lost, the people I loved and would never see again. I cried a river, an ocean of tears until there was nothing left in me. So...please, father, fill me up with your spirit, your love, and not give up on me. I want to be with you, together. Then, nothing can stop us. Believe in me as I believe in you."
Zor-El couldn't hear Kara's speech but it did make her feel better. After learning everything Kara had done, Zor-El bypassed the computer terminal and went to where the pods were. As Kara watched, he worked to manually disconnect the pod's circuitry. Once he was done, the pod drained out with nothing remaining. Zor-El then walked out of the facility.
"So, now you know," Nyxly said to Kara.
"Yes," Kara said tearfully.
"You're not going to accuse me of trickery?" Nyxly asked her.
"No," Kara shook her head. "Look me in the eye and tell me it's the truth."
Nyxly did so and nodded. Kara suddenly embraced her and began to sob uncontrollably. Alex then appeared before her. "Get away from her. She's poisoning your mind, Kara."
"She told me the truth," Kara said sadly.
"Only one side of the truth, Kara. Yes, your parents were bastards, but you have my parents, me, and all your friends. It's time to move on. You have a family of your own now. You have an obligation to them. Break the cycle of hatred and neglect," Alex said.
"This is my life and I'll take as long as I please to sort myself out. You've done your duty, Alex. Now, get the fuck out of my dream," Kara ordered.
"I guess that settles that," Nyxly smirked as she snapped Alex and Kelly out of her dream.
Kara awoke with a start and then blasted the dream machine with heat vision. She eyed Kameron in her crib and then looked over at the Super-Friends who were groggy and traumatized. She then noticed the portal allowing them to enter in the first place. "You've gone to a lot of trouble to get to me," Kara said as she placed Kameron in a special crystal cage.
"We just want what's best for you," Kelly told her.
"Your little intervention is at an end. Now, get the fuck out," she ordered.
"No, we're not leaving until you come with us," Hank told her off.
"You're going to mind-rape me, Hank? Is that the answer to everything?" Kara mocked.
"If it works, it works," Hank shot back.
"We just want to talk," Kelly assured her.
"Is anyone else noticing it's getting hot in here?" Lex asked everyone.
"Yeah, it is," Nia confirmed.
Kara glowed intensely heating up the entire fortress while Kameron remained safe in her crystal cage. "It's taking every ounce of self-control to not roast you all," she said as she gradually increased the room temperature.
"Kara, this isolation isn't healthy," Kelly said condescendingly.
"I don't give a shit," Kara snapped at her.
"All this over an election?" Nia asked incredulously.
"No, it's more than just that. It's about her relationship with her parents, her self-worth," Alex said knowingly.
"Don't try to psycho-analyze me. I only showed you what I wished to show you," Kara downplayed.
At this point, the Super-Friends were sweating and on the verge of passing out. Only Hank and Brainiac 5 were mostly unaffected. "Tell me you won't kill yourself and we'll leave you in peace," Hank said to her.
"I swear," Kara said mockingly holding up her right hand.
"Good enough for me. We've done our duty. Let's move out," Hank said to everyone.
The group reluctantly moved towards the still-open portal. "That means you, too, asshole," Kara snapped at Brainiac 5. He merely bowed his head to her and left with the rest of the group. Alex gave Kara one last look and then disappeared. Kara was now alone to herself. Kara went back to her bed last in thought. Nyxly then appeared behind her and caressed her shoulders.
"Must I leave, too?" she asked.
"No, you can stay," Kara allowed.
Nyxly smiled as her negative emotional energy took anchor in the fortress.
A few weeks later...
Kara went to her computer and glanced at the news. "Rush Limbaugh, the Holy Father of conservatism, has died of lung cancer complications. He was 70. Conservative TV and radio talk show hosts will gather for the funeral in a private ceremony in St. Louis. There, they will go into conclave to elect the new pope of conservatism," the anchorman said.
Kara simply stared in disbelief and felt an ache in her heart. During her entire public life, Limbaugh had always supported her. Now, he was dead. She hadn't even gone to see him during his last days. Kara closed her eyes and shed tears of grief. "In other news, it's damn cold in Texas," the anchorman continued.
"Fuck yeah it is," a weatherman said from Austin. He was unnecessarily in the middle of a blizzard and was covered in snow.
"In the entire state of Texas, wind turbines and natural gas plants have shut down, the power grid has failed, millions are without heat, and politicians are evacuating at faster-than-light speed. The governor and the state legislature are working hard to point fingers," the anchorman concluded.
Kara eyed the images of Texas cities and towns covered in snow and then back to her comfortable bed. "Do you really believe one girl can carry the burden of so many lives?" Nyxly said behind her.
Kara gave her an uncertain look. "I tell you, no girl can carry this burden. It's far too heavy. Their lives are too costly. No one...ever...never," Nyxly told her.
"I can do anything," Kara told her off.
The fortress became dark as if the reflective crystals had become dull. "Who is your father? Who are you?" Nyxly asked her rhetorically. Kara saw a flash of Jeremiah in her mind and then gave Nyxly a long hard stare, the woman that had tormented her mind these past months.
Kara looked up and burst through the fortress ceiling into the night sky. As Supergirl, she flew directly south at several MACH speeds. Within seconds, she saw the polar vortex affecting Texas and several midwest states. "We're never going to give up. We're never going to give up on America. And while we have that attitude of not giving up, we are constantly going to be searching, strategizing, coming up with ways to prevail. America is worth it. America is worth fighting for. America is worth not giving up," Rush Limbaugh said in her head.
Kara tensed up and gave a scream as she powered up high in the atmosphere. Her aura became a second star in the sky as it expanded. She became so bright that Sen. Cruz could see her all the way in Cancun. The polar vortex dissipated around Kara from the heat and pressure. The surface became just warm enough to unfreeze the electrical grid. Kara focused intensely to warm up Texas while not scorching the surface. Texans eyed the second sun in the sky with amazement as the weather warmed up considerably. Waves of hot air flowed over the midwest from Kara ending the storm. Once she was finished, Kara powered down and gave the Austin state capitol building a pass to make sure they gave her the credit. Kara then flew towards Smallville, to her family.