A/N: Thanks for the comments.
Jennifer Baratta - Thanks!
Winterstorm22 - Kara has a long road ahead.
"How is she?" J'onn asked approaching Eliza and Alex who sat near the sleeping Kara in the Bat cave.
"Withdrawn." Eliza replied moving to the far side of the cave with Alex and J'onn so they could talk without disturbing Kara. "Scared, confused. She thinks we all died. Do you know what happened to her?"
"Not everything. But I do know that for the last few weeks she has been in a VR world." J'onn said. "In that world an article was published revealing her true identity. As as result everyone close to Kara was murdered. It's possible she believes that all happened."
"What about the Kryptonite?" Alex asked.
"Lex put it in her to weaken her. He felt if she was physically weak her mind would be more likely to accept the VR world he created." J'onn said. "I know it is not much comfort but Lena gave me a hard drive. It has security camera footage of what happened in that lab. I worked with Luke to create a shortened version that has enough to get Lex sent away. It doesn't reveal anything about Kara, so she will still be safe. I gave it to a contact I have at the FBI who have issued a warrant for Lex's arrest."
"What aren't you telling us?" Alex asked.
"He's disappeared." J'onn said.
"Could he be coming here?" Eliza asked.
"It's possible." J'onn said. "But Kate is confident the building is secure."
"You are hiding something else." Alex said.
"According to Brainy, Lex has a unit that is very loyal to him. It's called the Kryptonian Retrieval and Containment Team. My guess is they have weapons that can harm Kara. Not to mention everyone else. They have also disappeared. The good news is we have no reason to believe that he knows where we are."
-00-
As Kara woke from a nightmare she saw Alex, Eliza and J'onn talking in the corner. Still not believing that anything she was seeing was real she rolled off her makeshift bed and escaped the Bat cave, heading straight for the roof.
She wasn't sure what to expect when she went onto the rooftop, part of her wondered if she would never make it to the rooftop.
As she pushed the roof door open she found herself being blinded by bright light, making everything turn white, just how she imagined a video game would end. Only after a couple of seconds of her eyes adjusting she found that she really was on the rooftop, staring out over Gotham.
Relieved, but still confused she walked towards a sunny part of the roof and sat down, leaning against a wall as she tried to figure out what had happened while absorbing the last few minutes of sunlight.
"You okay?" Kate asked as she sat next to Kara on the rooftop. "Sorry, dumb question."
"I don't know what is real anymore. What if this is just another trick and you are all going to die?"
"Why wouldn't this be real?" Kate asked confused, having not spoken to Alex or J'onn.
"Lena said Lex locked me in a VR world. I didn't know it was VR and I had to watch everyone I cared about die. Up until the island I thought everyone was dead. But what If this is still VR, another simulation where everyone will die?"
"I have a feeling punching you wouldn't help." Kate said, not sure how she was meant to comfort Kara. Realising her words might be taken out of context she quickly added. "To prove it isn't a dream."
"You can still feel pain in VR." Kara said making Kate wonder what else had happened. "How am I meant to figure out what is real? What was real?"
"I can tell you what I know?" Kate offered. When Kara nodded she explained. "Several weeks ago a video went viral showing Lena Luthor killing you. At the same time a burnt body was found. DNA testing showed it was a match to you. Everyone thought you were dead. Everyone except Alex. Alex has spent the last few weeks searching for you and Lena. And then two days ago J'onn brought you and Lena here."
"That's it?" Kara asked.
"I didn't say I knew much." Kate said. "So what did happen?"
"Lena's watch was activated."
"Watch?" Kate asked lost.
"It's like the bat signal, but only a few people have them. If they need help they press the button and I come."
"So you followed the signal into a trap?" Kate guessed.
"Pretty much. I ended up in a lab and the door sealed just before green Kryptonite gas filled the room and I passed out." Kara explained. "Before I knew it I was Lex's prisoner. And at some point he trapped me in the VR world. I have so many memories of being there, but I don't know which ones are real and which ones were just VR."
"I'm sure everyone here can go through every memory and unpick it." Kate pointed out.
"Maybe." Kara said before asking. "Alex never gave up searching?"
"Nope. Why do you look surprised?"
"I thought her life would be better without me." Kara confessed.
"That's crazy." Kate said. "Alex fell apart when you disappeared." She paused and added. "You told me you use Alex as a source of strength. From what I've seen the same is true in reverse. And for the record she is not happy that you left the Bat cave." Before Kate could respond the Bat signal shone in the sky.
"Sorry, I have to go." Kate said. "Do you want me to send Alex up?"
"No. I just need some time to think."
-00-
"Are you spying on her?" Eliza asked when she found Alex sitting in the bat cave staring at the camera feeds showing Kara on the rooftop an hour later.
"No. I mean there is no sound on these feeds." Alex replied.
"Is she safe up there?" Eliza asked. "From Lex I mean."
"This building has a few tricks. Plus we have access to security feeds here. If Lex does try anything we'll have enough warning to get Kara back down here." Alex explained. "Plus Kate said Kara wanted to be left alone."
"You don't sound convinced." Eliza said.
"I'm sure she's safe. It's just that she looks so lost."
"She's been through a lot. She has effectively been in isolation for 6 weeks. She'll need time to adjust." Eliza said.
"But she wasn't really in isolation. She was in a VR nightmare." Alex pointed out. "I just wish she would talk about it."
"Give her time." Eliza said as they heard raised voices from the other side of the cave.
"How many times do I have to tell you that you can't actually fly. In order to make the leap you need physics. You can't change physics. So if I tell you it is impossible, it is because it is impossible." Luke said sounding frustrated.
"You would have preferred I stayed where I was and got shot by my dad?" Kate asked.
"Technically he did shoot you." Luke pointed out.
"I'd noticed." Kate said. "Why the hell didn't the suit stop the bullet?"
"I don't know. I will need to look at the bullet and the readouts. Although I don't know what excuse you are going to give Mary. I don't think 'I accidentally walked into a bullet' will cut it."
"Can't you just take it out?" Kate asked.
"No."
"Do you want me to?" Alex offered walking over to them.
"Sure." Kate said grateful she didn't have to lie to Mary.
"I'll need the bullet." Luke said.
"I know how to collect evidence." Alex assured him as she started to look at the wound.
"I remember what you did to the Bat suit so excuse me if I don't trust your skills." Luke countered.
"What did she do to the Bat suit?" Eliza asked.
"Do you two want to continue this somewhere else? I'd really prefer Alex not to be distracted right now." Kate said as Alex approached her with a large needle.
"So what happened?" Alex asked as she irrigated the wound.
"My dad shot me." Kate said as Alex applied the final dressing.
"You have some serious family issues." Alex pointed out.
"Why did your father shoot you?" Eliza asked.
"He doesn't like anything Bat related."
"So he doesn't know you are Batwoman?" Eliza guessed.
"No. Mind you if he did know who I was he probably would have hit me with an entire clip." Kate said before wincing as Alex removed the bullet and put it in a tray.
"I'm sure that's not true." Eliza said.
"No, Kate is right. He hates the Bat and well look at Kate, her whole life has been one of rebellion. Finding out she is the Bat would be the last straw." Luke said.
"My life has not been one big rebellion." Kate said as Alex started to stitch her.
"So the tattoos are art appreciation?" Luke asked. "And those weird martial art camps a way into the tourism industry?"
"Anything else about my life you want to criticise?" Kate asked.
"Plenty, but I am trying to be professional."
"I hadn't noticed." Kate countered as Alex applied a dressing.
"Well speaking of family issues Mary is upstairs looking at Lena Luthor and she wants to see you." Luke said.
"Which me?"
"Kate you. Which is just as well as I need to fix the Bat suit."
"First you need to figure out why it broke." Kate pointed out hopping off the bed. "Where's Kara?"
"Still on the roof." Alex said. "Did she say anything else to you earlier?"
"Just that she had no idea what was real."
TBC...
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.