Chapter 4.

Girls' night out.


Barbara went to the kitchen to grab something from the fridge before going out to the patrol.

"Babs!" The blonde hurricane rushed across the corridor to wrap her in a bone-crushing hug. Barbara gasped, feeling the air forced from her lungs. "You won't believe if I tell you what happened today!"

"Uh... Air..!"

Kara quickly released her from the hug, "Sorry".

Careful... with your Kryptonian strength!" Barbara scolded her. "I swear you almost broke my ribs!"

Kara repeated, "Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you".

Barbara waved her hand in dismissal, "So, why the happy face? Won in a lottery?"

"Won in a what? No, Babs, it's my X-Ray vision! I can use it again!" Kara announced with childish delight.

"That's great!" Barbara answered with as much normal voice as she could muster.

Emil Hamilton did his best to undo the effects of power disruptor, with only partial success. Superman's cousin regained a part of her strength, but nothing of the other abilities.

Return of X-Ray vision was a breakthrough. But for Barbara the news awakened old fears that Kara is going to be way out of her league once her powers are back completely. Batgirl doubted she could persuade Mr. Fox to create another suit of Bat-armor.

Logical part of Barbara's mind realized that she wasn't fair. Losing powers must be worse for Kara than like losing sight or hearing. That Kara enjoyed her company and never showed the signs that she can't wait to get rid of her roommate.

Bruce's paranoia must be contagious.

Sometimes Barbara felt that she lived on the uninhabited island. Dad had no idea that she was Batgirl. Bruce was her mentor – and nothing else, her oversized crush on Batman was in the past, long before Bane robbed Bruce of any chances for normal life. Black Canary, Huntress and Zatanna inspired her, but Barbara couldn't relate to them, apart of crimefighting she has nothing in common with any of them. No one of her age to understand her life, really understand the complications of fighting bad guys, keeping secret identity and trying to live semi-normal life of a teenage girl at the same time. Okay, there were Dick and Tim, but Tim was like an annoying younger brother, and Dick betrayed her when he left Gotham.

Kara changed everything. Barbara found everything she was unconsciously seeking in the alien girl who could lift the Batmobile. And now Barbara was afraid to lose this connection.

Feeling a stab of guilt, the redhead offered, "Let's celebrate it!"

"How?"

"I dunno, a movie or something" When was the last time she went to a movie theater? Right, when Dick was in Gotham. Stupid Grayson, damn him!

"Kara, what do you want? It's your big day, make your wish".

"I want to go patrolling with you".

Here we go again.

"Kara, I already told you - it's too dangerous".

"A walk in a park for you, but for me it's too dangerous? I am the one with superpowers here. Try again".

"I don't have your strength, but I was taught by the best".

Kara's face hardened, "I was taught by the worst. You have no idea how does the military training on Apokolips look like, with Lashina as a teacher and Female Furies as a sparring partners. Trust me, I know how to survive".

Barbara studied Kara, contemplating the possibilities, like Bruce taught her. Finally she said, "I'm in charge. And we are doing things my way".

"Okay".

"You promise to obey my orders while patrolling?"

"I promise".

Bruce is going to be pissed off.


Two hours later Kara was studying her new outfit in the mirror, while Barbara finished last minute adjustments to the utility belt.

It wasn't her first patrol, but now she was partnering with Kara without Bruce's permission. This really changed the perspective because Kara was her responsibility. Barbara felt like she was getting through the finals again.

"Does this look okay?" Kara asked almost shyly.

"Let me see... A little tight in the chest and hips, but it's the best I could do on such short notice. Not bad for the discarded early model. Here, that's your utility belt?"

Kara studied the belt.

"No batarangs?"

"They require a lot of skill to wield; you can hit me with it, or make a hole in the thug instead of knocking him out. I told you, we are doing things my way. You don't like it - you can stay at home and watch cartoons".

When Barbara mentioned cartoons, Kara's eyes were squinted in disgust.

"What's wrong with you and the cartoons?" Barbara asked as sweetly as possible. "You are acting like I asked you to if you want do my Math homework".

"Math and physics are simple. Humor, now that's difficult. No matter how hard I try, I can't understand half of the jokes. You humans are so strange!"

"You humans" again?"

"Sorry".

"You just proved my point. You are not ready to fly solo".

"I can't fly. Not yet".

Barbara sighed, "It's just an expression, Kara".

Sometimes she felt like John Connor who tried to teach Terminator how to be a human. But today she won't complain. It's Kara's big day, after all.


"Babs? What is this place?"

"Don't use my name on patrol. I am Batgirl, and you are Power Girl".

"Power Girl?"

"You don't want to go out as Supergirl, and yet you have much more power than humans. That makes you Power Girl".

"Power Girl... I guess it fits. Thanks, Batgirl".

"I'm glad that you liked it. Now, Power Girl, it's time for you to make yourself useful. Scan the building with your X-Rays".

Kara switched to X-Ray vision.

"What do you see?"

"Twenty-two men, armed. Two on the roof, six guarding the entrance, two by the window, the others gathered in the centre of the building, around the large boxes".

"What's in the boxes?"

"Weapons," Kara concentrated to look closer and corrected herself, "Plasma rifles".

"I knew it!" Batgirl looked at the building through binoculars, "Now I can answer your question - these men are smugglers, and this warehouse is used for selling illegal weapons. I thought Batman took care of them, but I guess nothing lasts forever, especially in Gotham".

Power Girl returned to normal vision, "Then what are we waiting for? We can take them!"

"Cool your jets. Gotham is my turf, and you promised to follow my orders".

"I already regret this promise!"

Batgirl replied, ignoring Kara's outburst, "I can't allow you to die in the unprepared attack, I'm responsible for you. You don't like it, stay at home".

"No!" Another evening of watching this… TVand she may start smashing things. "I'm sorry, Ba… Batgirl. If we are not here to attack them, then what are you planning?"

"I know that subtlety and patience aren't in the list of your superpowers. You must learn to wait for the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. Right now I don't see any. We must learn more about the buyers, and then alert Batman, so he can deal with them. Now, when he turned into SuperBat, it's child's play for him".

Kara didn't want to take any orders, even from her friend. Blind obedience without questioning reminded her of Apokolips. But Barbara was longer in superhero business, she knew Gotham better, so the best option was to allow her to lead. And make a first step on the way to redemption.

Kal-El was as supportive as he could, but seeing him only added to Kara's pain. She helped to invade Earth and attacked her only living relative. Her actions tainted the symbol of the House of El. Kara couldn't forgive herself for it.

Power Girl didn't have super-hearing, but she heard the light footsteps of the masked man who tried to sneak behind their backs.

She identified him as Nightwing.

"Look, what the cat dragged in," Batgirl spotted him too, her voice was full of venom.


"We are going anywhere until you send her home," Nightwing insisted, ignoring death glare from Kara. "She is a rookie. Don't ask me to babysit her!"

"Babysit? Babysit? News flash, Dick, shedoesn't need a babysitter, and neither do I! Who do you think you are, my father? Let me remind you something you certainly forgot! When you left Gotham, you lost the right to tell me what to do! Not that you had it in the first place! It's not even your city anymore, Nightwing!" she spat his codename as an insult.

"Babs, listen, I…" he was two steps from Batgirl when the lightning-fast punch sent him flying backwards.

"That's for calling me a rookie!"

Barbara giggled, "What's the matter, Nightwing, didn't see that one coming?"

Nightwing picked himself up and admitted, "Your girlfriend have a hell of a right hook!"

"Well, she is not called Power Girl for nothing. Now, I hope we established that you can't go caveman on us?"

"I'm a fast learner".

"I remember. So, how's the business in Bludhaven?" Kara was under an impression that Barbara wanted to ask something else.

"Not bad. I closed Roulette's Meta-brawl club, Atomic Skull and Sportmaster are behind bars, but Sonar disappeared without trace".

Kara grinned, "Forget about Sonar. My cousin caught him and Star Sapphire when they tried to corner Green Lantern".

Barbara shushed them, "Did you hear that?"

Now Kara could hear it too. Multiple gunshots were coming from the warehouse across the street.

"I'm going in! Nightwing, you are coming with me! Power Girl, you block the entrance. Somebody tries to escape – stop him. If they use plasma rifles – hide, you are not invulnerable".

Batgirl was making orders, again, but this time Kara wasn't arguing. Barbara wasn't Lashina, and they weren't on Apokolips. Batgirl wasn't trying to break her will; she was just worrying about her safety. Kara needed this roof and two gangs of criminals fighting each other to see it.

A man with fifty kinds of vision can be blind too. That's what Kal-El told her when she asked if he ever made something as bad as she did.

Power Girl quietly said, "You can count on me".

"Are you ready?"

"I was born ready!"

Nightwing obliviously wanted to have the last word. He said with a smirk, "Please don't cripple them on the first day, it's bad for the reputation".


"C'mon, Luke, let's get out of here!"

Bodyguard in the driver's seat turned the key in the ignition.

"Going somewhere?" not giving them the chance to answer, Power Girl hit the hood of car with the lamppost, effectively preventing the escape.

Large man in a business suit jumped out of the ruined BMW and yelled, "Hey you freak! You think you are going to get away with messing up my ride?"

Kara demonstrated her makeshift club and asked, copying Barbara's fake sweetness, "And what are you going to do with it?"

"Waste her, boys!"

You must learn to wait for the opportunity… said Barbara's voice in her head. A few seconds of distraction – that's all she needed.

Power Girl swung her weapon again, delivering a mighty blow to the already ruined car. Shards of broken glass flying through the air forced bodyguards to take cover. Power Girl attacked.

Left hook to the jaw. One down, three to go. Grab another and slam him into the wall. Two down, two to go. Kick to the groin. Three down. Headbutt. The leader was out cold too.

At that precise moment Batgirl and Nightwing showed up. It seemed that they already rounded up the rest of the smugglers, leaving the formalities to the police.

Kara recognized the policemen in charge from the TV interview. Commissioner James Gordon and Detective Harvey Bullock from Major Crimes Unit.

"What can I say? Batgirl, Nightwing, well done! Who is the young lady?" he asked politely.

"It's Power Girl, Commissioner. We are working together".

Gordon checked out the remains of the car and said, "I can see that the name fits".

Bullock grumbled, "Batgirl. Power Girl, what's next – Squirrel Girl?"

Kara wanted to answer with something nasty, but changed her mind after seeing the calm posture of Nightwing and Batgirl.

After a short conversation they left Gordon and his men to deal with the smugglers.

"You were not so bad... for a rookie, I mean," Nightwing said when they were back on the roof top.

Batgirl warned him, "Dick, you already have a bruise, courtesy of Kara. Do you want another one, from me?"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a moment! I like symmetry, but not THAT much".

"Then try to say something nice to her for a change, you dork!" Barbara looked quite intimidating despite her petite frame.

"Well… Sorry, I was wrong about you. Will that suffice?"

"Somebody call the press! Great and Powerful Nightwing just admitted that he was wrong!"

"Oh, shut up, Babs!"

Kara rolled her eyes. She already figured out that it was some kind of weird courting ritual. Earthian customs and traditions were so strange! Kara wondered if she'd ever understand them.

And she doubted Lord of the Rings movie marathon can help.


To be continued...