Alex and Kelly were escorted to Metropolis. There, they saw skyscrapers taller than anything they had ever seen before, flying vehicles, train railways, subway systems, and the like. The city was perfectly clean with perfectly maintained streets. "Reminds me of Singapore," Alex said thoughtfully.
"All of this was built in seven years?" Kelly asked Brainiac 5, their driver.
"A significant amount of the work was carried out by Kara, herself, especially, in the beginning. Then, millions of drones continued to build the city's infrastructure. As the capital of the planet, it's continually growing," Brainiac 5 told her.
Brainiac 5 took his time to give them a tour of the city. They went around the perimeter of Metropolis Park, the Supergirl Museum, the capitol building hosting the World Senate, the Metropolis Museum of Art, the Grand Central Terminal which connected the capital by rail to every country on the planet, the observatory, concert hall, Metropolis Public Library, Museum of Natural History, Broadway, Metropolis Food Tour which hosted restaurants of every human cuisine, Metropolis Cathedral, Botanic Garden, Times Square, the Metropolis Zoo, Metropolis Opera House, Air and Space Museum, and the Metropolis Cemetery.
"Kara designed the city from memory?" Alex asked amazed.
"You shouldn't be surprised. Kara's memory and cognitive abilities are 8th-level intellect," Brainiac 5 reminded her. "For example, your childhood experiences in Midvale were written with meticulous detail in Kara's book."
"There's a book written about us? For public consumption?" Alex asked horrified. "What's in it?"
"I'll make sure a copy of it is in your orientation file," Brainiac 5 promised. "Keep in mind, she wrote it while grieving your death and had never expected to see you again."
"I'm going to correct every single factual error," Alex pledged.
"We should get a full understanding of this society before making any moves," Kelly said reasonably.
Alex couldn't help but notice every single person was wearing a uniform and they all appeared the same. "Are they clones?" she wondered.
"Not quite. Over the last several centuries, I fine-tuned humanity to eliminate their racial and skin pigment differences while also decreasing their sexual dimorphism. You will find that very few humans have either of your complexions," Brainiac 5 said.
After the tour, their car entered a comprehensive medical and career counseling center. Inside, the center was staffed by Brainiac 5 drones. "Is everyone that works here one of your drones?" Alex asked as she looked over everyone.
"Humans do work here but I gave them all the day off," Brainiac 5 replied.
"You want perfect control of the situation," Kelly sensed.
"Precisely," Brainiac 5 said as they went to the front desk. "If you'll indulge me, you will be given a number of medical scans and vaccines. The viruses and bacteria in this time period are considerably stronger than in your era.
"Sure, I'm not a vax denier," Alex said.
"Right...," Brainiac 5 said and then began the processing. The two of them cooperated with every scan and vaccine. Brainiac 5 quickly analyzed the results of these scans. "As I expected, Alex is clean. The Phoenix made certain you didn't have any long-term illnesses. You are, however, clinically depressed. I have also isolated the genes and brain chemistry that are responsible for your homosexual orientation and masculine personality tendencies."
"You going to tell me you can fix me?" Alex rolled her eyes.
"It's simple science," Brainiac 5 replied.
"I'm good," Alex replied and then eyed Kelly.
"I'm good, too, Barney," Kelly said politely.
"For whatever reason, you failed to conceive. You will have to try again," Brainiac 5 said bluntly.
Alex sighed and looked away. "Tell me the truth...was it a miscarriage?"
"No," Brainiac 5 said honestly.
"Maybe we should slow down," Kelly said gently.
"Yeah, sure," Alex said wiping away her tears.
"As for you, it's a good thing we caught it early: breast cancer," Brainiac 5 said to Kelly. "It has already been taken care of."
"Oh, thank you, Barney," Kelly said appreciatively.
"I want to see the scans," Alex demanded.
Brainiac 5 casually handed the datapad over to her which clearly showed very small tumor growth, barely detectable. "This is bullshit," Alex doubted. "It's just a way to make us more cooperative, right?"
"I assure you if I really wanted you to think however I wished, do whatever I wished, I could," Brainiac 5 said bluntly. "You are important to Kara and Kara is important to my research. I'm not going to do anything that would threaten my advantageous relationship with Kara by compromising you. I'm on your side."
"Of course, we trust you, Barney," Kelly said brightly. "What of remission though?"
"Remission is of the past. That cancer isn't coming back," Brainiac 5 replied. "You both have teeth imperfections that can be corrected."
"Like fillings, crowns?" Kelly asked curiously.
"Negative. We use your own genetic material, stem cells, to fill in the gaps or create new teeth. Similarly, we can grow any part of your body in the lab using stem cells," Brainiac 5 said.
"Including the brain?" Kelly asked.
"Yes, and we can even record memories and personality profiles. However, it raises the philosophical and religious questions of the self," Brainiac 5 said.
"The Ship of Theseus," Kelly nodded.
Alex gave an uncomfortable look as she recalled her conversation with Mon on where she ended and the Phoenix began. "Well, let's get our teeth fixed."
After the dentist procedure that took mere minutes, Kelly eyed her perfectly white teeth in the bathroom. "This is really amazing," she said.
"You can't trust anything that psychotic robot says or does," Alex warned her.
"Yes, but we cannot deny ourselves opportunities to be happy, to better ourselves, to better other people," Kelly said gently.
"If I pull the plug on all this, will you support me?" Alex asked, deeply paranoid.
"Of course," Kelly assured her.
The two exited the bathroom and were greeted by Brainiac 5. "Your body composition of water, skeleton, muscle, and fat has already been determined. Suffice it to say, you both pass the obesity standard."
"What happens if we fail?" Alex asked.
"You will be counseled on nutrition, exercise, and sleep. And you will be barred from promotion until the standard is met," Brainiac 5 said.
"No doubt you have a fat camp," Alex said sarcastically.
"We do," Brainiac 5 confirmed. "In addition, there is a physical agility test every six months. Failure to meet minimum standards will bar promotion while exceeding expectations will accelerate one's career."
"What if someone is really good at their job but they're just fat? Why should that make a difference?" Alex asked.
"My drones outnumber the humans 100 to 1 on this world and there is no occupation where humans are superior to me," Brainiac 5 replied.
"Except psychiatry," Kelly joked.
"But, of course," Brainiac 5 bowed his head, humoring her. "This policy is no different than the DEO fitness protocols. Granted, the human race didn't have an obesity problem prior to Kara's arrival to this time. In fact, millions were starving to death, but we knew, in time, it would become an issue. As a result of our policies, obesity is near non-existent, humans live healthier lives, the disease rate is far lower than your time, and life expectancy has reached 120. Also, gluttony is a sin so there's that, too."
"Wow, Barney, you really had me persuaded until that last sentence," Alex said dismayed.
"You have always been resentful that the religious are particularly hostile to your condition. As the Pope of the Galactic Federation, I make sure to target all sins with appropriate intensity," Brainiac 5 replied.
The two entered a large room with a track. "If you'll indulge me, I would appreciate a baseline score from both of you," Brainiac 5 said.
Alex and Kelly looked at each other. "I wasn't expecting to take a PT test. You have to drink plenty of water the day before, get plenty of rest, and stretch out," Alex objected.
"All good objections," Brainiac 5 allowed and continued to stare at them.
"I'm okay doing it," Kelly said cooperatively.
"Fine," Alex sighed.
Alex and Kelly got into black exercise clothes with a silver House of El symbol on them. "Good grief," Alex shook her head dismayed. "So, what's the minimum score to pass?"
"I don't recall," Brainiac 5 lied.
Alex went over to Kelly. "Let's tell him to go fuck himself."
"It's fine, Alex. Let's show him we're willing to be good team players," Kelly said brightly.
Brainiac 5 had both of them do several different exercises: deadlifts, throwing a medicine ball over their heads, push-ups, sprinting and carrying weights, planks, and running. As expected, Alex nearly maxed out the test for her age and gender while Kelly struggled to pass. After Alex finished her run early, she went back to encourage Kelly. Once they were both done, Kelly was shot.
"Well, did we pass?" Alex asked impatiently.
"Yes. The test is easy to pass, hard to max," Brainiac 5 said vaguely.
"We going to go target shooting next?" Alex asked sarcastically.
"You're implying we have a militarized society?" Brainiac 5 assumed. "These are all things that are typical on Old Krypton that Kara incorporated here."
"What's next?" Kelly asked.
"Feel free to shower. No one will bother you," Brainiac 5 replied.
Alex and Kelly explored the shower in the locker room. There were individual stalls and one large shower room. Instead of a lever, there was an electronic system. With her clothes already off, Alex cautiously tested the system by inputting 40 centigrade. She tested the water and found it warm enough. After taking off her own clothes, Kelly went to join her.
"You, sure?" Alex asked paranoid as Kelly got close to her.
"He said we wouldn't be bothered," Kelly smiled.
"He could have us ambushed. There could be cameras," Alex said.
"Alex, we're completely and totally at their mercy, right now. There's nothing we can do to stop them so don't be such a worry bug," Kelly reasoned.
"Okay," Alex relented.
Kelly then reached down and began to rub her. Alex reciprocated and the two started to passionately kiss. "Oh, God, I love you so much," Alex said, positively turned on. "But what if we get caught?"
"Hopefully, it scars them for life," Kelly smiled.
The two rubbed and fingered until their knees were weak. "I can barely stand," Kelly admitted.
"From the run or me?" Alex teased.
"Both," Kelly gasped.
The two went to the floor and continued their touching as the water poured over them.
A good hour later, Alex and Kelly returned to Brainiac 5 all cleaned up and in their old civilian clothes. Brainiac 5 gestured for them to enter a classroom. "They say exercise can improve one's mood. Isn't that true, Alex?" Brainiac 5 asked knowingly.
"Sure, Barney," Alex rolled her eyes.
"Your marriage and lifestyle will be protected under the Constitution's prohibition against punishment ex post facto. However, should you, two, divorce, that protection will end for any subsequent illicit relationship," Brainiac 5 warned.
"That won't be a problem," Kelly said as she touched Alex's hand.
"So, what kind of fascist monarchist oligarchy theocracy has Kara invented on this world?" Alex asked bluntly.
"Kara is the head of state for all fifty nations on this planet. She can veto laws and propose laws on her own, both of which require a 2/3rds vote to override. All economic decisions are regulated by me independently of the political institutions. All social policies are generally consistent with the Church under threat of excommunication for anyone that dares to oppose them," Brainiac 5 said. "Kara is also the commander in chief of all military entities on the planet, of which, the vast majority are drones."
"If all economic and social decisions are not decided by the government, what does the government do?" Kelly wondered.
"The government has an important role to play in the arts, sciences, education, and tourism," Brainiac 5 listed off.
"So, this planet is one big day-care for humanity," Alex said unimpressed.
"It's in your nature to destroy yourselves," Brainiac 5 said simply. "Kara wants humanity to reach new heights under her benevolent supervision. Now, legally, you have nothing to fear from the justice department. Police forces are heavily supervised by me, most judges and district attorneys are me, and even if you should be tried for any kind of crime, you'll be immediately pardoned by Kara. For all practical purposes, you are immune from prosecution."
"So, if I shot someone in the head in a crowded street, no one would do anything?" Alex scoffed.
"Kara's close friends have done far worse," Brainiac 5 replied.
"Nice that I'll never get a speeding ticket again," Kelly joked.
"Both of you will need driver's training to receive a license. In the meantime, you will be given rides on request," Brainiac 5 assured them. "You may also travel by any mode of transportation you wish to any destination on the planet."
"So, transportation is free?" Kelly wondered.
"No, every citizen has a travel quota in accordance with their rank. During this transitional period, you both have the same rank as the Supreme Leader. Basically, the only limit to your purchases is how quickly it can be produced and shipped to you," Brainiac 5 said.
"That seems incredibly irresponsible," Alex frowned.
"You'd be surprised. Those with the highest ranks tend to make reasonable orders while those of the lowest ranks receive the vast majority of rejections," Brainiac 5 said.
"So, you decide what a person can and cannot buy?" Kelly questioned.
"Free-market purchases are no longer present on this planet. Each citizen is given a quota for any particular good or service in accordance with their rank. No citizen is allowed to go into debt, there is no currency, and barter trading is illegal. Once a quota is reached, all further requests for that specific good or service are denied until the following month. If the request is beyond their rank or unreasonable, it may also be denied," Brainiac 5 explained.
"So, humanity is completely dependent on you," Alex realized.
"You'll find I'm very reasonable," Brainiac 5 said simply.
"Something tells me you're going to restrict my wine tab," Alex assumed.
"I have to balance your self-destruction with your continued happiness in this time," Brainiac 5 replied.
"Can I reject her request orders? As her spouse?" Kelly asked curiously.
"No," Brainiac 5 said flatly. "But let's just say I'm always aware of family drama in every human family unit."
"How many houses can I buy this month?" Alex asked skeptically.
"Housing is not considered a commodity. Housing is in accordance with your rank, you cannot buy houses," Brainiac 5 answered. "In accordance with your rank, you may check in to any residence or resort listed anywhere on the planet."
"Can we live in Metropolis?" Kelly asked.
"Certainly. There is a portal where you search and order any residence to wish for any amount of time you wish to stay," Brainiac 5 said.
"What about joblessness, homelessness, poverty?" Kelly asked concernedly.
"All citizens are automatically given the rank of Enlisted One (E-1) regardless of whether they choose to work. Their lifestyle circumstances are roughly similar to the American lower class in the 21st century. Their housing, food, medical care, and transportation are sufficiently taken care of. When a citizen reaches 50 years of age, they may retire at their current rank. Roughly five percent of the human population opts to not work and receive the minimum," Brainiac 5 replied.
"I suppose that's fair," Alex said befuddled.
"Kara was initially concerned the human population would all stop working and fall into slothful debauchery. In the beginning, that did happen with large numbers, but humans can be easily motivated when given the proper incentives," Brainiac 5 said.
"What about stay-at-home moms?" Kelly asked.
"For each child she cares for, a stay-at-home mother is promoted a rank. The policy has stabilized families and stopped the fertility crisis," Brainiac 5 answered.
"What about a single mom that wants to work?" Kelly pressed.
"Universal childcare is provided for all ranks," Brainiac 5 replied.
"How does the education system work?" Kelly questioned.
"Working is either occupation or schooling. You can be promoted as a student, and you can be a student for your entire lifespan if you wished," Brainiac 5 replied.
"Schooling is supposed to prepare someone for the workforce. What's the point of being a student one's whole life?" Alex asked confused.
"It's the other way around. Whatever a human can do, I can do with greater skill and numbers. Humans are not necessary for production and services. If a human should desire to work, they may and will be incorporated into the system. But I don't need a single human in my system," Brainiac 5 said bluntly.
"Wouldn't everyone be a student then?" Kelly wondered.
"A student can also be demoted for bad performance," Brainiac 5 reminded her. "Students can be suspended and expelled and dropped down to E-1. There is also a rank threshold for being a student. At some point, we expect the student to be the teacher."
"I just don't get how this system works so well," Alex said dumbfounded.
"Imagine if the American military produced 250 trillion in GDP annually and that this amount was distributed by rank," Brainiac 5 said.
Alex simply stared realizing the ramifications of this society. As the director of the DEO, she had experience in payroll for her agents, but this was on a planetary scale. The financial, educational, and medical well-being of all of humanity rested entirely on Brainiac 5, the being in front of her, the being that routinely manipulated and fucked with her for his own curiosity, a being even Kara feared.
During lunch, Alex and Kelly went to the cafeteria. The menu simply stated the items without prices on them. Alex decided to go to the drone acting as the cashier. "I want...all of it," she said obnoxiously.
"You just had a PT test," Kelly reminded her.
"I don't care. I'm not even going to eat it," Alex told her.
"Request denied," the drone told her.
"I want ten cheeseburgers," Alex ordered.
"Request denied," the drone replied.
"Alex, stop it," Kelly cringed.
"Just give me a fucking sandwich," Alex relented.
"Request denied, inappropriate language," the drone replied.
"We'll have a double bacon cheeseburger, a salad, and two cokes," Kelly stepped in.
"Request approved," the drone accepted.
Alex went to a random table and sulked. Kelly arrived with the food, near-instantly. "That was fast," Kelly smiled amused. Alex noticed that the straw, cup, plate, and silverware were all biodegradable.
"Everything about this...just pisses me off," Alex admitted.
"Why? It sounds great," Kelly said wide-eyed.
"That's the problem. For years, Kara always stood for corporate greed, opposed the welfare state, and didn't give a fuck about the environment. But when she becomes Supreme Leader of Earth, she does all the right things," Alex said dismayed.
"Sometimes power...cleanses some people," Kelly said lamely.
Alex merely stared at her. "I don't get it."
"You remember that statue of you in front of the Vindicator Hall?" Kelly asked.
"Yeah," Alex rolled her eyes.
"Kara did what she did in the 21st century to piss you off as a game," Kelly explained. "But when she arrived in this time and had no hope of ever seeing you again, the game was over. She created this society to honor you because it was game over. Every part of this society is in the service of your memory from the para-military rank structure to the universal welfare state. She did all these things so that her society resembled you."
"But now that I am here...," Alex realized.
"The game is back on," Kelly grimaced.
After lunch, Brainiac 5 interviewed Alex and Kelly separately with two different drones. "Kelly Olsen, born in 1983 in Calvintown, New York. You graduated high school in 2001. Due to your father's military service and the 9/11 attacks, you enlisted in the US Army for four years. In 2005, you received an honorable discharge and went to school at Metropolis University double majoring in biology and psychology. In 2009, you passed the Medical College Admission Test conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges. You then went to medical school for four years at Metropolis University and began your residency program. You earned your doctorate in 2013. Shortly thereafter, you earned your license and certification. You then served as a military contractor while deployed to Afghanistan in 2017 specializing in trauma. Afterward, you practiced social work until you sold out to Obsidian North in 2020," Brainiac 5 summarized.
"I wouldn't say I sold out to Obsidian North," Kelly shook her head dismayed.
"By virtue of being married to Alex, your financial future is secure. You are one of the richest people on the planet. You may work or study as you please on this planet or any other world within the Galactic Federation. However, your educational background in the 21st century...," Brainiac 5 began.
"Let me guess, is basically a high school diploma," Kelly rolled her eyes.
"Not quite. You have one doctorate in psychiatry in specific fields whereas many of your peers of the same age have multiple degrees in many fields. A significant amount of what you were taught is now obsolete. But we both know educational degrees are not about what you know, it's whether you have the discipline to learn. Do you wish to relearn your field and work in psychiatry under my supervision?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"Am I going to start from the bottom again?" Kelly asked.
"You would be given an officer commission. You would be a science staff officer," Brainiac 5 said.
"Can I quit?" Kelly quizzed.
"Any time, any reason," Brainiac 5 replied. "But you'll lose your rank and go back to an E-1."
"What if we have a baby and one of us is a stay-at-home mom?" Kelly asked.
"Normally, one of you would drop down to E-2 with a stay-at-home mother's status. That would be the case if you decided to be that stay-at-home mom. However, Alex will never lose her rank of O-15. So, it behooves you to further your career to catch up while handing over motherly duties to Alex," Brainiac 5 said.
"An O-15? What is that, a ten-star general?" Kelly asked incredulously.
"It means princess," Brainiac 5 replied.
In another room, Brainiac 5 laid out the situation to Alex. "You're not blood-related to the Supreme Leader but you'll be considered as such. There will be some political backlash, some accusations that Kara will expand the royal family to everyone and anyone, but, in the end, you will be part of the royal family as a princess."
"I want to be queen, a lesbian queen like Frozen," Alex said, not taking him seriously.
"And you still can be. Mon-El is a prince of Earth but he's technically a king of the New Insane home world," Brainiac 5 allowed.
"No, fuck that. I want to start from the bottom up. I want to earn my way in this world," Alex said stubbornly.
"Kelly is likely to be commissioned as an officer in psychiatry," Brainiac 5 informed her.
"I don't give a shit. I want to see how the common people are treated; the same people Kara finds disposable. I went up the ranks in the DEO. I'll do the same here," Alex said determinedly.
"To be fair, you were cuddled and promoted with favoritism by J'onn in the DEO long before Kara joined," Brainiac 5 said knowingly. "So, it would be the case here."
"I didn't decide that. I am deciding it now," Alex insisted.
"Kara would argue that you're setting up yourself for failure. If you will not accept the rank, I must insist you accept your O-15 pay grade. The resources and privileges are there in case you desire them, but you don't have to max out your quota every month," Brainiac 5 told her.
"A sergeant with a ten-star general's pay grade?" Alex chuckled amused.
"You're making this difficult," Brainiac 5 sensed. "As a princess, you have significant influence not only over Kara but over the planet and the galaxy."
"You just want an opponent to play with and destroy. Nothing I say will make a difference," Alex said pessimistically.
"The entire system was created with your memory in mind. I was there, I saw Kara's thought process for seven years," Brainiac 5 countered.
"Just keep me busy," Alex relented.
"I have an idea," Brainiac 5 considered.
Kelly emerged from one of the counseling rooms wearing a new uniform. She wore black dress shoes, black pants (with pockets), a black belt, a blue undershirt, and a black jacket with a single blue square on the upper left side of her chest indicating she was an officer cadet, for the moment. Alex finally emerged wearing black boots, pants, a black belt, a white undershirt, a white jacket, a long rank insignia of six blue squares and six yellow squares underneath, black gloves, and a white cape.
"Stylish," Kelly said amused.
"I feel like the weight of the world is suddenly on my shoulders," Alex said nervously.
"Welcome to the team," Brainiac 5 said warmly.
Alex was driven to the palace and entered the garage to keep anyone from seeing her. The very existence of Alex, the Supreme Leader's sister, was still a state secret. Kelly was sent off to the apartment on the ruse that she would work with another Brainiac 5 drone on the setup. Alex correctly interpreted the move as a snub against Kelly but decided to meet with Kara, nonetheless.
Kara and Mara greeted Alex as she was escorted to the grand living room where Kara would entertain high-ranking officials. Kara eyed Alex's uniform with some surprise. "Who's your tailor?" Kara asked amused.
"I took the liberty," Brainiac 5 replied.
Kara scanned the uniform for any imperfections and gave a brief smile upon seeing Alex's new rank. "That will be all, Barney," Kara dismissed him away. Kara and Mara were also in white uniforms. Alex couldn't help but notice that she held the same rank as Mara. Kara's rank was 12 solid white squares in two rows, barely visible on her uniform.
The three took a seat across from each other. "I realize we have had our differences in the past but, for now, let us think only what we have in common. You've lost your parents, and so have I. We both have lost a brother. Let us be united in grief on equal terms for the people we all loved. Perhaps, we might find time to see each other for lunch or a walk," Kara said delicately.
"I'd like that," Alex allowed.
"I want for us to be civil, at least. Let bygones be bygones. We've known each other for sixteen years," Kara reached out.
"I've seen you at your worst. You're a selfish monster, sometimes, passing on emotional burdens to everyone around you. But my father...paints a different picture of you. So, I am at your disposal as a princess, a doctor, a soldier, whatever you need me to be," Alex said.
"Well, okay then," Kara allowed.
"I must go back to see how Kelly is doing with the new apartment," Alex excused herself.
"So soon?" Kara asked surprised.
"With this family, you're never quite sure that you're in but when you're out, there's no doubt at all," Alex said scornfully and then left the room.
Kara and Mara gave each other looks. "Well, fuck, if she hates me that much why did she even come at all?" Kara wondered.
"It's not love and affection for you. It's...debt," Mara sensed.
"Preposterous, I've saved her life countless times, she's sort of saved mine countless times. We're square," Kara said dismissively.
"It's deeper than life and death," Mara said cryptically.
Alex went back to the apartment to find it quite luxurious and on the top floor. Kelly and Brainiac 5 were still working on getting everything sorted out. Boxes of uniforms and supplies had already been sent in. Kelly eagerly listened as Brainiac 5 detailed how to use every device. "This is so overwhelming," Kelly said amazed.
Alex entered the apartment wearing a simple black enlisted uniform with no rank to keep anyone from knowing who she was. She did get odd looks for her skin complexion, but many just assumed she was a humanoid alien. "So, how did it go?" Kelly asked as Alex came in.
"As expected. Barney, can you give us some privacy," Alex requested.
"Certainly," Brainiac 5 said as several drones left the apartment.
"What's wrong?" Kelly asked sensing Alex's distress.
"A bunch of ice-veined monsters, all of them, cold and thin-lipped. How joyless and loveless. The way Kara condescended to me, I wanted to let her have it. And Mara has no mind of her own. But I am remaining civil because I'm following your advice, to keep my foot in the door. I'll take everything I can get from her. It's the only revenge I can think of for not inviting you," Alex said angrily as she took a seat.
Kelly got close to Alex and took a knee next to her as she sat in a chair. "Don't make me be the reason you and Kara hate each other. There's more going on than just us. For better or worse, the entire galaxy is now in Kara's hands," Kelly reminded her. "Do you know what anger is?"
Alex simply gave her a blank look. "Anger is unanticipated fear. Expect everything from Kara, the good, the bad, the ugly, and you'll never be surprised, you'll never be afraid, and you'll never be angry," Kelly told her.
"Like a game," Alex sighed.
"Exactly. Just play Kara like a game," Kelly nodded.
"Then, it will be a game I will win," Alex said resolved, and gave Kelly a kiss.