Kara Zor-El found herself in the Phantom Zone. The sky was dark without any stars, the ground was volcanic obsidian, there were walls on all sides as if she were trapped in an elaborate maze, and phantoms patrolled the area to feed off any hope that may remain among those residing there. Upon getting her bearings, Kara realized she no longer had her powers. In front of her were three curious residents in ragged clothing and haunted eyes.
"Who are you?" one of them said.
"I'm Kara Zor-El of Krypton," she said to them.
"Why are you here?" another asked.
"I...," Kara began, and then an orange energy portal suddenly opened up beside them. A squad of men in black uniforms entered the Phantom Zone. They all appeared to be human and were armed with glowing staffs. Their leader was a black woman named B-15.
"It appears we have a standard variant," she remarked of Kara."The branch is growing at an unstable rate."
"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Kara asked unsettled by them.
"On behalf of the CW, I hereby arrest you for crimes against the sacred timeline. Hands up. You're coming with us," B-15 ordered.
"What crime? I've never heard of you," Kara protested.
"Last chance, variant," B-15 threatened.
"Can you take them as well?" Kara asked referring to the other residents.
"Just you," B-15 clarified.
"I'll come willing and peacefully to answer these charges," Kara said confidently.
The squad then took Kara to their dimension, the CW.
CW
In the CW, Kara found herself in a typical 1960s office without windows. Like the Phantom Zone, Kara noticed she no longer had her powers. "You're making a big mistake," Kara told them.
Kara's suit was suddenly deactivated revealing her civilian clothes underneath. A small pin Kara used to activate her suit was now in B-15's hands. "Log this in as evidence," B-15 ordered a clerk.
"Be careful with that. A good friend of mine worked very hard on that," Kara said to the clerk as she was taken to an elevator. B-15 rudely placed Kara in the elevator and let the doors close behind her.
Inside the elevator, a robot with multiple arms examined her. "Hey, don't touch," Kara said assertively to the robot as it pinched her in various areas. Finally, the robot vaporized her clothes leaving her naked. Kara instantly covered her beasts and groin with her arms embarrassed. "Now, hang on just a minute," Kara said outraged.
Kara fell through the floor and was immediately placed in a grey prison uniform. Getting her bearings, she saw a cat stare at her. "Oh, hi," she said to the cat and then realized there was a clerk in the room with her.
"Please sign verifying everything you have ever said," he said to her.
"What?" Kara asked confused.
A new paper was then made and placed on top of the stack. Kara looked over the papers and realized her entire life was in an episodic script format. "Oh, come on. This is absurd," Kara said of it.
A new page was then made. Kara eyed the clerk and then reluctantly signed just to get on with it. Kara then fell to another floor and found herself in front of a metal detector of some sort. "Please confirm that to your knowledge you are a TV character and not a real person that has a soul," the clerk asked of her.
"What? I'm a real person," Kara insisted.
"If you are, the machine will melt you from the inside out," the clerk said nonchalantly. "Please move along, Ma'am."
"This is crazy," Kara shook her head and went through.
"Please, through the door," the clerk said as she passed.
Kara then found herself in a room that resembled the DMV. "Take a ticket," a guard ordered her.
"Okay," Kara said taking one. "I think there's been a mistake. I shouldn't be here. I should be on Earth with my friends and family."
The TV then turned on. "Welcome to the CW, I'm Miss Minutes and I'm here to catch you up before you face trial for your crimes. Let's not waste another minute. Check this out: Long ago in 2006, the WB and UPN merged into the CW. In the beginning, the CW ran Smallville's seasons six through ten. Then, in 2012, the CW broadcasted Arrow. Not long afterward, the CW also hosted the Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, and finally, Superman and Lois. This became known as the Arrowverse with several crossover events. The all-knowing executives took DC comics, shows, and movies and organized them into one timeline, the sacred timeline. Now, the CW executives safeguard DC properties for everyone to enjoy but sometimes people like you veer off the path the scriptwriters have created. We call those variants. This caused a Nexus event which if left unchecked could cause the whole network to shut down. But don't worry, the CW and all of its incredibly diverse workers have stepped in to fix your mistake and bring the timeline back on its pre-determined path. Now, you must stand trial for your offenses. So, sit tight and we'll get you in front of the judge in no time."
"Wow," Kara said astounded. "You people actually believe this?" she asked of the guards. The doors then opened for her to proceed to the judge.
Paris, France
Mobius was a CW script doctor. He looked over a number of dead CW agent bodies all over the floor in a cathedral of all places. "They were called in on a routine variance violation," B-15 said. "Apparently, when they arrived, they were ambushed."
"You think?" Mobius grimaced.
"It's her," one agent said confidently.
"The burn marks do look consistent with the others. The bodies are laid out to indicate they didn't know what hit them," Mobius said calmly.
"This is the sixth attack this week," the same agent said.
"That we know of," Mobius said grimly. He then spotted a French girl that had witnessed the whole thing. She was sitting down staring off into space completely traumatized. "Do you know who did this?" he asked her in French.
She pointed to the floor. Mobius looked back and noticed the House of El symbol in blood on the floor near the altar. "Well...shit," he realized. He took out some candy and handed it over to the girl. "Go on," he said gently to her.
The girl then ran off. An orange window then opened up with a clerk handing Mobius a file. "Sir, this is something you're going to want to see," he said giving her the file on Kara.
CW
Kara was brought before the judge. "Kara Zor-El aka Kara Danvers is charged with violating the sacred timeline. How do you plead?" the judge asked her.
"I don't even understand what I'm being charged with," Kara said confused.
"You were supposed to defeat Lex Luthor and send him to jail. Instead, you allowed Lex Luthor to take your phantom projector and send you to the Phantom Zone. So, how do you plead?" the judge asked.
"I think Lex Luthor should be facing charges, not me," Kara said peeved.
"Oh, really? That's quite the accusation to make. Lex Luthor was supposed to plot against you. You, with all of your powers, friends, and technologies should have been able to stop him. You failed to properly secure the Fortress of Solitude's security, failed to properly lock away your arsenal of weapons, failed to anticipate Lex Luthor's moves despite being able to move faster than the human eye could see, and you were bested by a mere human in combat," the judge mocked.
"I think it would be better if you allowed me to go back to Earth. You can even help me capture Lex Luthor," Kara suggested.
"We're not here to talk about Lex Luthor," the judge shut her down as Mobius entered the room.
"Maybe, I should talk to these CW executives and set them straight, woman-to-woman," Kara smiled.
"I'm sorry. They're quite busy," the judge said.
"What are they doing exactly?" Kara asked confused.
"Dictating new shows and episodes for the Arrowverse," the judge said obviously.
"Innocent," Kara said finally.
"Well, I find you guilty as charged and I sentenced you to be reset," she said.
"What's a reset?" Kara asked.
"Another version of you will be placed in the Fortress of Solitude and she will be the one to defeat Lex Luthor. Your story ends here," the judge said.
"You can't write my story. What of free will?" Kara asked aghast.
"You never had free will. You were created and controlled by scriptwriters for the last six years," the judge told her.
"You have no idea what my spirit is capable of," Kara told her.
"I may have an idea...what she's capable of," Mobius spoke up.
"Approach the bench," the judge allowed. Mobius came up to the bench where they whispered to each other. "What is this about?"
"Just a hunch," Mobius admitted.
"If this gets fucked sideways, you will be held responsible," the judge told him.
"Very appropriate," Mobius smiled. He then gave Kara a condescending look.
Mobius gave Kara a tour of the CW building showing her the writing room, sets, costume closets, and so forth. Outside the windows was Burbank, CA. Kara stared at it all in amazement. "This place can't be real," Kara doubted.
"Oh, it is," Mobius confirmed.
"This is a nightmare," Kara realized.
"You're Supergirl. You're supposed to be fun, hopeful, and bubbly. That's how we wrote you to be. I'm Agent Mobius, by the way," Mobius said as they entered an elevator.
"Where are we going?" Kara asked unsettled by all this.
"Just a place to talk about feelings," Mobius said. "We both know you love to talk, make speeches, and deliver cheesy lines."
"How long have you been here?" Kara asked.
"Since 2012 when the Arrowverse began," Mobius said. "It feels like a lifetime ago. Time passes differently when you're having fun."
"So, you're an agent hired by CW executives to protect the sacred timeline which is their vision for several television shows," Kara summarized.
"Correct," Mobius confirmed.
Kara chuckled at that. "Something funny?" Mobius wondered.
"I can't wrap my head around it. There's no way a television network could create my life story," she doubted. "It's absurd."
"After you," Mobius said as they entered a room. "Do you trust me, Kara?"
"Trust has to be earned," she said with her arms crossed.
"I like that," Mobius smiled condescendingly.
"How have I never encountered one of you before?" Kara asked.
"You never needed to until now," Mobius said simply. "You always lived according to the scripts we wrote. Come here, take a seat."
"What do you want from me?" Kara asked sitting down.
"How about some cooperation? I specialize in dangerous variants," Mobius said as he drank a Diet Coke.
"Like myself?" Kara wondered.
"No, particularly dangerous variants. You're just a pussy cat. You help me out, maybe I can get you out of here. Maybe, instead of deleting you, we simply get you back on track where you belong. We put you back in the Fortress of Solitude and you kick Lex Luthor's ass and don't enter the Phantom Zone," Mobius said.
"Alright," Kara allowed.
"So, should that happen, what would you do?" Mobius asked.
"Go back to work at Catco, protect the world, and...," Kara said uncertainly.
"Basically, what you've been doing for the last five years?" Mobius asked. "What's your happy ever after?"
"I want to find someone I can have a relationship with, start a family, and hang up the suit for good in a free and safe world," Kara said truthfully.
"Spoiler Alert: You're going to get all of that. You're going to marry Mon-El, have super-kids with him, and live a happily ever after in the 31st century. That's what the writers have cooked up so far. What do you think of that?" Mobius asked.
Kara merely stared at him. "You've already written my ending?"
"You get canceled at the end of season six. Oh, excuse me, your story ends at season six. People don't want to say canceled around here even though your ratings have plummeted, actors are begging to be let go from their contracts, and the budget is shit. The actress that plays you wants nothing to do with you after this season has ended. She's scared she might be typecasted and with good reason," Mobius said nonchalantly.
"What happens to me after the season six finale?" Kara asked taking him seriously now.
"What happened to Oliver Queen. Total nothingness, annihilation. I mean, you may be referenced every so often...hopefully. The writers at Superman and Lois don't want to have anything to do with your show. Your show is like Kryptonite to them," Mobius said.
"So, even if you bring me back to the beginning of season six, I'm gone by the end of it anyway," Kara realized.
"Well, yeah. Just like normal people do only instead of living a lifetime, you'll live for twenty episodes over a few months time," Mobius said.
Kara wiped away a tear. "Well, this has been some revelation."
"You've brought hope, joy, and entertainment to millions...well...thousands of people," Mobius said and then turned on a projector screen.
"What is this?" Kara asked as she saw herself through the last five seasons.
"Your greatest hits," Mobius said. "I'll even let you see things you never got to see."
Kara saw Alex stab Astra through the back with the Kryptonite sword. Kara looked away pained by the event. "Hey, we may have killed your aunt and your uncle off-screen, but we brought you back your mom and maybe your dad, too," Mobius said brightly. "It's the least we could do after you have brought hope and joy to so many."
"I know what I am. I'm not a television character. I'm a superhero," Kara said assertively.
"You don't seem so super to me. If you were a real flesh-and-blood person, you would have a lot to answer for. Mere humans like Maxwell Lord, Winn Shott Sr., Ben Lockwood, Manchester Black, Lex Luthor, and Andrea Rojas got the better of you so many times. In the first season, you were a frightened little girl when it came to Cat Grant," Mobius critiqued.
"Well...that's not fair," Kara said argumentatively.
"It's actually our fault. We never had the budget to give your character justice. I mean, J'onn looks like shit and everyone knows it. Our writers write scripts as they go along as opposed to adopting an already existing comic book or doing it all in one session. That happy ending I told you about was just an idea we're throwing around the office. We actually have no idea what we're doing and we don't give a shit about fan criticism. You know, we just put the writers in a window-less room without computers, phones, or comic books and we just tell them to write shit," Mobius frowned.
"How can I be a television character. I have memories of Krypton, of Midvale," Kara refuted.
"Oh, you mean the flashbacks? We're really into that. Tell me, what do you remember about Krypton aside from the runway when you lifted off into space towards Earth?" Mobius asked.
"I...," Kara couldn't recall anything.
"Complete blank, right?" Mobius asked.
"Wait, I remember being with my parents, my aunt Astra, and Kal on Krypton. I was in my room and...," Kara began.
"The Black Mercy episode. One of my favorites," Mobius interrupted.
Kara gave him a stunned look as she couldn't remember anything else. "Well, what about that time I reversed time when I stopped Reign?" Kara pointed out.
"That was actually supposed to happen," Mobius said. "It's a reference from the Superman 1978 movie but honestly we didn't have the budget to give that scene justice. We're only allowed to do that once or otherwise, it takes the tension out of things. Imagine if you could do that every time something goes wrong. Speaking of which, did you ever wonder why you only do it once?"
"It was...hard," Kara excused.
"Really? Harder than losing a loved one or saving someone's life?" Mobius asked. "You could have saved Red Daughter's life, but you didn't because we didn't have the budget to do body doubles for you all the time. Didn't you find it weird that when you fought her, she was wearing that goofy helmet?" Mobius smiled.
"Enough!" Kara said suddenly and went to leave.
Mobius used his watch to send her right back to her chair. "Can I, at least, walk around the room?" Kara asked exasperated.
"Sure," Mobius allowed.
"What is it exactly that you want me to do?" Kara asked.
"I want you to be honest with yourself as to who and what you are," Mobius said. "I want a deeper understanding of Supergirl."
"This is a cruel elaborate trick and you're a terrible person," Kara accused.
"I'll be damned," Mobius said shocked.
"My choices are my own," Kara told him off.
"Well...maybe...but not your sister, Alex. You see, we didn't know what to do with her in the first season. We were so focused on your social life that she was in the background. So, we never established for her a love interest or a social life. We never gave her any flashbacks of any ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends, for that matter. When it came to the Midvale episode, we gave her nothing there, too. So, when season 2 started, we decided to make her gay. It was a controversial decision, at the time," Mobius revealed.
"Being gay is not a choice," Kara said resolved.
"Absolutely because we wrote it," Mobius smirked. "We wrote her coming out, we wrote her relationship with Maggie, and we wrote the break up due to casting restraints. Do you ever wonder why Alex never had children after breaking up with Maggie? It's because the break-up was bullshit. We didn't know what the fuck we were doing in the next seasons. We just kind of forgot about it and then referenced it a little at the end of season 4. Alex and Maggie broke up for one reason and one reason only: the actress that played Maggie was only meant to be on the show for one season. The same thing happened to you."
"What?" Kara questioned him.
"We only had Mon-El's actor contracted for two seasons and that was it. At first, it was just going to be one and you weren't supposed to see him ever again. How did you like that love triangle we came up with? Pretty cool, right?" Mobius smiled.
"No, it wasn't," Kara said scornfully.
"Well, to each his or her own," Mobius allowed.
"Then, what is all this?" Kara asked. "How can you make a television character alive in the real world?"
"I have a theory," Mobius said seriously. "My theory is that I'm high-as-fuck, right now, and I'm either talking to myself or dreaming." He then turned on the projector that showed Kara's close family and friends being killed off in various ways.
"You see, we have to get you your happy ending in the 31st century. But, we have to write in a way that makes sense. If you leave forever and never come back, you're leaving friends and family behind. That's cold. So, we're thinking a lot of people need to die in order to make you leaving work," Mobius said.
Kara stared as she saw her friends and family getting killed off in various ways by villains. "I'd rather die than have this happen," Kara said sincerely.
"We've actually considered that, too. We're 50-50 on it," Mobius admitted. "But you'll get the whole twenty episodes regardless."
Kara then saw a video of herself getting stabbed in the back with a Kryptonite blade and dying on the spot. "So, do you really enjoy helping people, or have you come to accept that every feeling and emotion you've ever had has been written and directed by us?" Mobius challenged. "Maybe, we'll kill Alex if we think it will help our ratings."
Kara went for a punch only to find her back on the floor. "You were written to suffer and die...just like Oliver Queen," Mobius told her. "That's how it is, that's how it was, that's how it will be. All so we, at the CW, can make a profit and our advertisers sell shit. In the end, you'll be rebooted by Warner Brothers or some other television network," Mobius said as he showed her a photograph of the DCEU version of Supergirl.
B-15 then interrupted their chat. "We have a situation," she said urgently.
"We always have a situation," Mobius sighed. "Don't go anywhere," he said to Kara and left the room.
Salina, Oklahoma
The CW agents exited a portal looking for the variant in the middle of a field at night. A heat vision beam suddenly ignited the oil in the ground causing a massive explosion that killed all but one of the agents. Red boots slowly walked towards the survivor. A blond woman wearing a dark blue suit, red cape, and red skirt grabbed the survivor, kissed him hard, and then let him drop to the ground lobotomized of his memories.
CW
Mobius came back inside the room after having been briefed on the Oklahoma massacre. He found Kara sitting on the floor with her hands over her face. She looked depressed and disillusioned. "Kara?" Mobius asked concernedly.
"I can't go back, can I? I...don't always enjoy helping people. Sometimes, I feel like it's a burden I have to carry. I do it...because I have to. Because you make me be a hero," Kara admitted. "All of my powers are useless here."
"To be fair, everything you've done or said in this building is by your own free will. Your real life begins now," Mobius said. "So, I need your help. There's someone out there killing our men."
"And you need my help?" Kara asked confused.
"That's right," Mobius confirmed.
"Why me?" Kara asked confused.
"The variant we're hunting is...you," Mobius revealed.
"Excuse me?" Kara wondered.
