Karen sat down, sighing contentedly. She and Jimmy had been out, flying for hours. They came back early at 11, but, just, wow! She looked at her arms, surveying her new suit. It was leaps and bounds better than the one she typically used. She thought back to her time in the sky.

Working on the suit was much faster with Jimmy, she knew that. Converting the Promethium into a memory metal, shaping it. The nth metal wings, adding the sense of weightlessness, boosted her speed exponentially. Reshaping her armor with a rebreather on the fly? Their plans were great! They'd programmed and fashioned it all out, letting her reform her armor for a multitude of defense, offensive, survival, and recreational options. Then, they'd topped it all off by making the suit psychokinetic. The whole thing responded faithfully to her thoughts.

Honestly, she could probably go toe to toe with Jessica or Kara, the amount of work they put into the armor! And the environmental survivability added, she could go anywhere. Even another planet, if she so chose.

Karen blinked at that last thought, remembering the time she was out there. It was a beautiful view. And flying, playing with Jimmy… that had been exhilarating in a way she'd only felt with her friends, but… different.

Where her friends brought out the best of her, Jimmy brought out something else. A more... free part. Bumblebee was a hero, confined to following the rules. Doctor Impossible didn't break rules, he bent them, in a weird way. Escape without escape. Running wild without totally losing control.

She smiled. Jimmy might have been coming around on his humanity, because he seemed to remember how to have fun, how to be good with others. But as she thought about it, she realized the fun had been somewhat… intimate.

A wistful smile grew on her face. The flight among the stars had been lovely. He had held her, their dance bringing them close many times. Had it not been for their masks, she might have taken the opportunity to-

A heavy blush appeared on her face. She shook her head.

No.

No!

NO!

This wasn't a place for emotion! She couldn't lean into flights of fancy. She had to stay calm here. She could, under no circumstance, develop a crush on him. She swallowed. These feelings were probably just the results of his control, and he didn't figure. And even if they weren't...

She hopped up. She would deal with these things later. But she still had to go through their plans with him.

Her parents had gone to bed for the night, as per their brainwashing, giving Karen and Jimmy full rein of the house. While she didn't appreciate having her parents remain under, she had to admit, it made her time with Jimmy less of a hassle.

She made her way to the dining room, where her partner in crime, so to speak, had made food. Spaghetti Bolognese was on plates, steaming. Jimmy was putting their forks on the plates, before he looked up, and noticed Karen.

"Well," he smiled at her, gesturing to the table, "hope you brought your appetite!"

Karen sat down at the table, waiting as Jimmy washed the pots, setting them to dry, before he sat down across from her.

Jimmy sighed, content. He gestured to the girl's plate. "Please, eat. I worked hard on dinner!"

Karen chuckled, picking up her fork. She twirled a noodle covered with the sauce, figuring she'd test the waters. She ate it, tasting the flavor. She hummed in delight. She swiftly dug into the food, munching down on the noodles.

Jimmy chuckled. "Enjoying it?"

Karen, sauce all over her face, slurping up pasta, looked up at him with a start. A noodle still in her mouth, she slurped it in, swallowing it. She blushed a bit at her childishness. She stood up, preserving her dignity, walking over to the paper towels.

Gingerly, she wiped her mouth, clearing the mess of the sauce off. She turned back, walked to the table, sitting down in front of the boy. She glared at Jimmy indignantly, while the boy had watched the entire proceedings, a small smile on his face.

He shrugged. "What?"

Karen scoffed, dropping the subject. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, before clasping her hands together. She sighed. "So, what's our plan?"

Jimmy shrugged again. "My old plan," he responded, "make the world into a Mother Box." He took a bite of pasta.

Karen pursed her lips. Inhaled, and exhaled deeply, before she responded. "I… I don't think that's a good idea."

Jimmy put his fork down and crossed his legs. He sat back in the chair, clasping his hands. He gestured to her, waiting for her response.

Karen internally sighed in relief. He was still willing to listen to her. That was a good sign.

"Well," she began, "there's no way the heroes of the world are going to let you just… do that. We live here, on the planet you want to convert. They'll be willing to fight you tooth and nail to protect it, no question. So… maybe we make a new plan?"

Jimmy was quiet, mulling over her words. A tense silence covered the room. Karen swallowed gently, waiting for his response. She had no idea if he would take her advice. He had her under his control, she had no actual power here. But she had hope.

The boy's reaction, however, surprised her: He nodded.

Karen managed to keep her shock internal. She didn't think he'd actively let her sway his decisions. She thought she'd be a mere servant, not a reliable council, honestly.

But she wasn't complaining about the turn of events.

Jimmy spoke up. "I… admit that what you just said has some merit. That's what happened back home, that'll probably happen here too."

He stood up, pacing around the room. "I want to have a place to be me, though. My own kind of planet." He turned to look at Karen, his face… haunted.

"I don't want to… be trapped. Not again. I lost everything once; I refuse to do it again."

Karen sighed, before she tapped the table. "Okay," she began, "Then, let's just… figure out. Let's just do it right, ok?"

Jimmy nodded, crossing his arms. He reached up, tapping his chin. "Alright," he agreed. But he turned to Karen, a look on his face. "But what's the right way? What can we do to… to make a planet? Especially without hurting anyone?"

The girl shook her head. She was quiet for a second, before she popped up, a lightbulb almost visible above her head. "We start from scratch." She tapped the table, rising to her feet.

She paced around the table, the idea forming all the while. "We built a super armor. With more resources and power, we could build what you're planning. A massive Mother Box."

Jimmy turned to her; a considering look on his face. "Okay," he said, intrigued, "but we don't have that kind of space. There's nowhere on Earth we could make something the size of Earth; what's the play there?"

Karen waved that off. Jimmy could see the gears in her head "We don't need to complete the project here on Earth. We can start the Box here, then move it off world. After that, we just use an… asteroid, an uninhabited world, and finish the project there!"

Karen whirled to see Jimmy lost in thought, going over the plan in his head. He nodded. "This could work…" He remarked slowly.

The young superhero smiled at that- right before her partner continued. "But we'll still need more resources. I have a lot of stuff tucked away along multiple Earths, but we don't have the necessary space or all the resources for an undertaking on this scale. Unless we can find somewhere in Metropolis to set up shop, we'll be stuck for a while."

Karen sighed. Excluding Lex Luthor, she didn't know anyone with those kinds of resources. And it was Lex. Too much of a chance he'd catch onto anything they threw at him. She sat back down, trying to come up with something else. Jimmy, however, kept thinking on the subject, broadening possibilities.

He recognized her plan as well put together, missing some details. He tapped his chin- before an idea hit him. "Karen," he said, gaining her attention, "your friends. They fight bad guys without you sometimes, and meet other heroes, right?" The girl nodded hesitantly, not yet realizing where the redhead was going with this.

The boy chuckled. "I need you to… ask around about those guys. Greater detail, names if they already haven't given them... Because those people might be of use to us."

Karen's face curled up in confusion- before realization struck her. "You want to mind control them, too." That wasn't a question. More of an accusation.

Jimmy shrugged. "One, or more of them will have the funds, but we'll need more than just us for the work force and resources." He turned away from her for a moment, levitating in mid-air, crossing his legs. "We need to play it subtle. We can't risk getting caught by anyone."

The boy turned to Karen. "I've been traipsing around the multiverse for a while, so I've got the real identities of a lot of people. But I don't know who's in this variation Metropolis, or who's been in the city." He waved his hand, and images of Karen's friends appeared in midair. "That's what I need you to find out for me from your friends."

Karen stared at him for a moment. "You- I just- Y-" She stammered on for a moment. Her face turning to one of rage, she slammed her hands on the table. "I'm not just going shopping for slaves for you!"

The girl glared at Jimmy for a moment. To her surprise, the boy chuckled. He floated back to the ground, standing across from Karen, his eyes holding no surprise or rage at her response. "Karen, I get it," he began, "I'm putting you in a spot. I have you under my control, and I'm asking you to do something morally messed up, while you're a superhero."

Karen's glare wavered a bit, making way for slight curiosity. Where was this going?

Jimmy tapped the table. "I know it isn't a great thing to do. I understand that. But I've no intention of just lying in wait, hiding forever. I'm going to clean this one up a bit. Gonna work on every Earth I come across, try to make up for my sins."

He sighed, placing his hands on the table, leaning on it a bit. He stood there a moment, before he rubbed his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, gathering his thoughts fully, before opening them again. He glanced at Karen.

His words had affected her. They both knew it. Jimmy hadn't lied either- he wanted to save worlds, to redeem himself. She looked down at her hands, still uneasy.

"But… even if the ones you take are villains… is it really okay to steal their lives?"

Karen barely managed to get that out. She knew that Jimmy had the best of intentions, she knew it, but could she be okay with his plans?

But his smile remained. "I know it doesn't look great. But this is my way of redeeming myself, and pushing for redemption for those we take." The red head made his way around the table, putting his hands on Karen's shoulders. "But, if it makes you feel better, how about this: once we have a full list of people that you and your friends have interacted with in your superhero life, you can go over my targets, you'll have veto power over most, and I'll reward everyone who we end up taking. Sounds good?"

Karen thought about this. Veto power would keep people safe, and rewards were a good incentive. She was still hesitant, but to prevent a fight that would make even more suffer, this was the path she needed to take.

She turned to face Jimmy, nodding. "Okay. I'll take care of it."

He smiled, patting her on the shoulder. "Okay, then. I'll prep the control program accordingly tomorrow." He gently released her shoulders, making his way out.

"Well, I'm off. Good night, Karen."

"Night."

And with that, Jimmy went off to bed, leaving Karen with her thoughts.

The girl sat in silence, wondering. Why did she…

She sighed. This was her life now. She realized this. But could she really live with enslaving others? Could she really put others through what she'd been through?

She blinked. Actually, she realized Jimmy hadn't actually done anything. Aside from making her host him, he'd been incredibly docile. She leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. Jimmy wasn't a bad person. Going into their planning, she knew that.

But him saying that he would control others made her forget that. The moral ramifications of his plan were incredibly heavy, and she had reservations. But, like he'd said, she had control over their targets. She could, if she chose the right people, help not only Jimmy, but alternative targets.

Karen sighed again. This wouldn't be easy. The boy had given her immense power. She could actively suggest people to enslave. She also recognized that she had Jimmy's ear. That meant that beyond just suggesting targets, if her position was retained in the days to come, she had a significant chance of being in command of said slaves.

She was, right now, effectively Jimmy's second-in-command. And that wasn't bad. But she didn't really know what to do with that. She was uncertain if she had... the drive to aid him to the extent he really needed. Karen dropped her head on the table, groaning. She needed advice.

It was one or two in the morning, but Julia Kapatelis was working hard. Restoring old Amazonian artifacts was a tad taxing for an older woman, but always felt quite fulfilling. Diana had been helping her, and that had left a majority of the items had been restored and cleaned. There were about a dozen left.

But still, it was a school night, so Julia had sent Diana to bed. She was confident that she could handle a few more before she retired herself. That's how she found herself wiping rust and wear off the copper-lined shield. Julia, enthralled in her work, jumped a bit when she heard a knock on her door.

Curious, she thought. Who would be at her door at this hour? Wiping her hands of the dust and other materials, she made her way to the door. She looked through the peephole. To her surprise, she saw no one there.

Just as she was about to leave, dismissing the knock as a childish prank, another knock, sounding out lower on the door rang out. Julia stood taller on her toes, looking down- and saw Diana's friend, Karen Beecher.

Julia opened the door. "Karen!" She exclaimed, greeting the girl warmly, before remembering the time, the parent in her turning her tone strict. "What are you doing here so late? Do your parents know that you're out?" She demanded, crossing her arms.

Karen was silent, staring at the ground, her hands folded in front of her. She looked up at the elder woman. "Ms. Kapatelis, I'm sorry for coming to your home at this hour. I just needed some advice." She rubbed her arm lightly. "Is Diana awake?"

Julia had seen something in Karen's eyes. It was heavy, but… not all-consuming. It obviously was weighing on her. And from what Diana had told her, Karen was a hero under her tutelage, and that she had helped mostly acclimate her to life in the city. Karen was Diana's friend, so of course, Julia had invited the girl inside. She'd set Karen up in the dining room, while she proceeded to brew some tea.

Julia glanced at Karen as set the cups on the counter. The young teen was looking around, taking interest in the various items from Themyscira. Julia opened her mouth to remark on that, before she closed it. No, she thought, answers were needed, as soon as possible. A girl as young as Karen wouldn't be away from home that late without reason.

The kettle steamed, and Julia steeped the teabags, taking the cups and a sugar bowl to the table, setting them on the table, taking a seat beside Karen, after turning the chair to face the girl. Karen, her attention now on Julia, turned her chair to face the elder woman.

Julia put two sugars in her tea, and slowly stirred the liquid. She then picked up her cup, blowing away the steam. "So," she began tentatively, "you came to see Diana. Why?"

She stared at Karen. To her credit, the usually shy teen kept eye contact. "Because, I needed some advice. And despite her lack of experience outside of Themyscira, she is great with advice."

Julia nodded. "I can't disagree with that. For an Amazonian, 317 is fairly young, but in Diana's case, she's shown maturity on levels neither her mother or aunt have."

Karen chuckled. "And among the six of us, too," she mused. "Well, sometimes," she amended, shuddering as she flashed back to Diana's nonstop perfection craving... amongst other memories.

Julia nodded. "She's still young. She still has much to learn." She leaned back into her chair, before looking at Karen. "So, what brings you here, seeking her counsel?" The woman asked evenly.

At that, Karen flinched. The girl clasped her hands, and broke eye contact with Julia for the first time. She looked at the floor.

Julia stared at the girl sternly. "Karen, you're out and about in the morning. I need something, or I'll have to bring your parents into this."

The girl gripped her knees, squeezing hard for a moment, before she breathed deeply, centering herself. She looked back up at Julia.

"I need… to know what I should do," the young superhero began tentatively. She sighed, before taking her cup, and taking a sip. It calmed her nerves a bit. She stared at the liquid for a moment, before putting the cup down.

"I ran into a situation I can't really explain yet. And in this scenario, at the end of the day, I can help someone, or more, but I might have to hurt people. The end results might benefit them, but… I don't know. Is this a situation where I decide if the end justifies the means? Am I going to be alright with that?" Karen leaned back against the chair.

Julia nodded at her question, mulling over the words. "So, you want to know if hurting several people is worth saving one? That does sound like a significant question," she admitted. "It sounds like the trolley problem."

Karen glanced at Julia, curiosity in her eyes. "The trolley problem?"

Julia nodded, taking off her glasses, and wiping them with a cloth, before replacing them on her nose.

"The trolley problem is an ethical debate. On one track, you have five people on the rails. On the other track, you have a baby. Therefore, it's up to you, the driver, to decide what life is worth saving."

Karen stared for a moment, zoning out as she considered that event. "That sounds… similar to my situation, yeah," she conceded. "Thankfully, I don't have to kill anyone, but still, I'm… unsure. I'm basically pushing people to help me with a crazy project. I know it has to get done to help someone who really needs it, before things get worse… but I don't know. Is taking advantage of people worth that?"

Julia sighed. The two women sat in silence, Karen unable to continue, Julia thinking about the girl's words.

After a few moments, Julia made a decision. She put her hand on Karen's shoulder, and the girl looked her in the eyes again. "Karen," she began, "I'm not sure what's going on, and I won't without more detail, which, I'm assuming you can't give. I understand you want to protect someone. And I understand that you believe that you can truly help this person. I believe so too. After all, you fight for justice. You regularly have to make hard choices. But Karen, Diana can't help you, I can't help you. This is a tough call, but if you need to move forward, then, at the end of the day, you need to make that choice, and on your own. And I know that you can do that. You're far braver than you believe."

Karen bit her lip slightly, before she spoke, her voice small. "How do you know?"

"Because you're Diana's friend. She speaks so highly of you, and your courage," Julia spoke with such intensity. "That despite your fears at times, you show a fire and boldness… and power that she envies. That's how I know, Miss Beecher, that if anyone is needed to make this call? You are an excellent choice."

Karen flew back home. Her mind raced after the conversation she'd just had. Julia's words had been… enlightening. She'd thanked her friend's mother figure and made her way home. Julia was right, this was her call. She had to make a choice. If she'd spoken to Diana, the older girl likely would have brought their friends into the matter, especially with how little information she'd have been able to give her. It wasn't even a question on that. But if they did, they likely would not be able to help Jimmy. This couldn't be solved in force.

So, she had to do it herself. And she had to help Jimmy. She had to control people to do so. Karen stopped in her tracks, hovering for a moment. She closed her eyes, breathed in, before breathing out evenly.

This was going to be hard. She knew that. But if this was her fate, then she would deal with it, and take whatever consequences later. She opened her eyes, and shot off back home.