Metropolis was under attack once more by a humanoid mutant called the Underminer. He had the dastardly plan to bring all of human civilization below ground just like him. He came from a race of mutants that survived underground during the nuclear fallout of previous nuclear wars. The remanent of these wars reared its head every so often in the 31st century.
Underminer used a drilling vehicle that was 10 meters tall and 25 meters in length. It was heavily armored liked a tank, the massive drill was a third of its total length, and it ran on four separate tank treads. The drill erupted in the parking lot of a high school and threw several cars in the air. Civilians rushed to get cover.
"Behold, the Underminer!" Underminer said from the top of the drill. "I am always beneath you, but nothing is beneath me! I hereby declare war on peace and happiness! Soon all will tremble before me!"
"What an asshole," Kara remarked. The Super-Insane family happened to be around this very area during the attack.
"We're losing him," Mon said bored as the drill went back underground.
"Oh, all right. One of you patrol the perimeter, keep the crowds back and safe. The other, watch after Kam-Kam," Kara ordered. Kameron was in a high-tech stroller having a blast.
Mon flew off toward the drill and tried to bust inside it. "I call perimeter," Kon said as he sped off leaving Kameron behind with Mara.
As the drill sped underground, Mon was getting hit with all sorts of dirt on the outside. Underminer piloted his drill to a particular cavern filled with explosives. "Consider yourselves undermined!" he declared as he activated the detonator. Immediately, buildings above him started to collapse including a vault filled with gold and other precious metals.
The bank vault fell into the underground cavern. Underminer used another set of explosives to blast the vault door open. There, he began sucking up all the gold and other precious metals into his drill. "Underminer, we meet at last," Mon said standing behind him. Underminer instinctively turned his vacuum tube on Mon sucking him inside the drill. "The fuck?" Mon shouted as he disappeared from view.
Underminer reentered his drill to get away but then noticed Mon hammering away inside the drill's cargo bay until he punched out. Underminer decided to confront him directly using a modified punching gloves on his hands. "Meet Jackhammer!" Underminer said insanely as he attacked Mon. Underminer got a few good hits on Mon with his gloves. Mon punched back, caught Underminer's counterpunch, and got into a wrestling hold with him. Mon then threw Underminer across the room where he slammed into the controls.
The drill went suddenly up tossing both of them toward the back. Underminer quickly entered the cargo bay Mon had punched out and got away in a smaller detachable drill. Underminer laughed maniacally as he got away deeper underground. Mon eyed the damaged controls as the drill was now on autopilot. "Well...shit," he muttered.
The drill burst through the surface tossing cars and debris everywhere. Kara landed on the drill and assessed the situation. "The controls are smashed. I can't steer it," Mon informed her. "Underminer has also escaped."
"My monorail," Kara said alarmed as the drill slammed into track causing it to collapse. A monorail trail fell to its doom. Kara immediately flew after the train and blew frost breath underneath the train creating an ice track for the train to follow. The train was gently lowered to the ground and redirected out of traffic. Mon teleported to the ground and pushed the drill out of the way of the buildings and back onto the street.
Kon was busy with crowd control creating clones of himself everywhere. The clones took hold of oblivious civilians and moved them out of the way. Kon was suddenly handed Kameron in his arms as Mara sped after the drill. "Mara!" Kon cried out as he hated dealing with the infant.
Mon took hold of the tank treads and tried to drag-stop the drill with no success. Kara landed on a bridge and blasted the cars back with her super-breath. The drill tore through the bridge and kept going. Kara rescued two civilians that fell off the bridge in mid-air. Mara chased after the drill and fired a ki blast at some thrown debris destroying it before it could land on some civilians.
Mon uprooted a traffic lamp and threw it into the tank tread only for it to not work. Kon tossed Kameron into Mon's arms and sped off. "You got her now, father," Kon said.
"Mara, you take her," Mon said giving Kameron back to Mara.
Kara flew around the drill and blasted its tank treads with frost breath with some success. She then blasted the drill with her frost breath to stall its momentum. Inside the drill's boiler room, Mon started blasting everything. "What's going on?" Mara asked with Kameron in her arms. Kon also met up with her inside the boiler room.
"What are you doing here? It's about the blow," Mon scolded.
Mara created a forcefield around them as the boiler room exploded. The drill slammed into Metropolis City Hall but finally stopped. "We did it," Kon smiled victoriously.
"What a clusterfuck," Mon mused.
After the attack, there were Senate hearings on the matter. Kara and Mon were called in to testify on the incident. They both humored the Senate committee on their questions/accusations. Kara wanted to clear herself of responsibility to the public and Mon just wanted to talk shit. "We didn't start this fight," Mon told the committee.
"Well...you didn't finish it either," a Senator said dryly.
"Do you stop the Underminer from inflicting more damage? Did you stop him from robbing the bank? Did you catch him?" a Senator asked rhetorically.
"No," Mon said smugly.
"The bank deposits were insured. We have infrastructure to deal with these matters. If you had done nothing, everything would be happening in an orderly fashion," another Senator said.
"Yeah," Mon smirked.
"You would prefer I do nothing?" Kara asked incredulously.
"Without a doubt," the Senate committee chairman replied.
"That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works. The royal family creates a deterrent effect and if it weren't for us, countless people would have died," Kara said passionately.
Despite Kara's defense, video and pictures of baby Kameron involved in the fight were circulated everywhere on social media. Public opinion of Kara as a mother plummeted. Kara had a chat with Brainiac 5 over the PR disaster at the Palace. "Help me get out of this hole."
"First, you need to put down the shovel," Brainiac 5 said dryly.
"Very funny, fuck yourself," Kara said pissed off.
"Politicians don't understand people who do good just because it's right. It makes them nervous. There's been skepticism about meta-humans for centuries. Today was all they needed," Brainiac 5 said.
"Well...shit," Kara sighed.
The Super-Insane family went on vacation and kept a low profile at a budget hotel. "Did you wash your hands?" Mara asked as Kon was about to attack an egg roll.
"I'm an Insane Kryptonian immune to virtually all diseases. I don't need...to wash my hands," Kon objected.
"It's in the Bible," Mara insisted.
Kon sped to the bathroom to wash his hands and then came back. "With soap?" Mara questioned.
"Fuck me," Kon muttered and then sped to the bathroom again and then came back.
"Did you dry them?" Mara questioned.
Kon lit his hands on fire. "Happy?" he asked and then shoved a few of the egg rolls into his mouth.
"Eat your vegetables," Kara ordered.
"What? I'm a grown-ass man now. I can eat whatever I want," Kon refused.
"And I'm your queen, so do as I say," Kara ordered.
"Are we going to talk about the mishap today?" Mara asked.
"What mishap?" Kon scoffed.
"Look, we all make mistakes. Like, the two of you were supposed to watch over Kameron and not get involved," Kara said peeved.
"Kameron is nearly indestructible. You needed us," Mara argued.
"Actually, I was holding back to keep the fight going," Mon smiled.
"Is it our mission to help humanity or just have fun?" Mara asked skeptically.
"Yes," Mon nodded.
"Helping humanity can be in many different forms," Kara said vaguely.
"I want to slaughter bad guys," Kon complained.
"No, that's the wrong attitude," Kara rebuked.
"So, we don't use our powers?" Mara asked confused.
"I didn't say that either," Kara backtracked. "Eat your dinner and...shut the fuck up."
Kara and Mon went to meet Winslow Deaver, a super-hero fanatic who had made a considerable fortune in public relations in the private sector. He held his office on the top floor of the tallest skyscraper in Metropolis. "I just love superheroes. The power, the costumes, the mythical struggle. You can call me Winn, it's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness." Evelyn then entered the room carrying several bags and plans.
"And this is my sister, Evelyn," Winn introduced.
"So sorry I'm tardy, and I'm scolding myself, so you don't have to, Winn," Evelyn said awkwardly.
"Fantastic," Winn said pleased. "My great ancestor Winslow Schott Jr. believed in superheroes, believed them to be our last line of defense. He was your top supporter. He was heartbroken when you left for this time."
"He believed the world would be more dangerous without you," Evelyn added.
"Winn was a good friend," Kara nodded.
"The point is, we now own my ancestor's company. With Evelyn as designer and me as the operator, we threw ourselves into building Devtech into what it is today, a world-class telecommunications company perfectly positioned to make some wrong things right. Hence, this meeting. Let me ask you something: What is the main reason the public disapproves of you?" Winn asked.
"Ignorance," Kara said obviously.
"Perception," Winn corrected. "Take what happened today. Difficult situation, lots of hard decisions, but no one saw these things. When you fight bad guys like today, people don't see the fight or what led up to it. They see what politicians tell them to see. They see destruction and they see you. So, if we want to share your perceptions of the fight, you have to let the world in."
"Body cameras?" Kara asked skeptically.
"We place small unnoticeable cameras into your suit. The next time you go into battle, the public will see it all," Winn said enthusiastic.
"Here's the thing...Winn, some of us...don't always do the right thing during a fight, some of us toy with our enemies, and some of us say naughty words in the thick of battle. Body cameras can be a blessing and a curse if you know what I mean," Kara said delicately.
"The camera footage isn't going to the public and it's immune from a freedom of information act since this is all private. We will edit your videos to put you in the most positive light, then get your approval, and only then release it to the public," Winn assured her.
"So, what's the next assignment? I'm itching to fuck someone up," Mon said.
"Love the enthusiasm but it really should be Supergirl here," Winn said uncomfortably.
"What? Better than me? I mean, she's a credit to her...you know...sex but...," Mon interjected.
"Mon, when have you ever thought about doing the right thing in reality or perception?" Kara asked him.
"We did an analysis, and your level of destruction and fatalities is a lot higher than Supergirl's," Winn said as he handed him a datapad. "She also finishes fights a lot quicker. We'll solve your particular problem after we launch Supergirl's makeover."
"So, what do you say?" Evelyn asked.
"I'm the star. Of course, absolutely," Kara agreed.
That night, Kara and Mon discussed the issue. "I thought you were done being Supergirl. You're a middle-aged woman now. How does that name even make sense anymore?" Mon pointed out.
"I'm still young for Kryptonian standards," Kara said defensively as she looked in the mirror for any imperfections.
"You're the Supreme Leader of a quadrant of a galaxy and the queen of this wretched planet. That means you stay behind a desk and assign dangerous missions to your executor," Mon said.
"Despite what the title suggests, an executor should also be behind a desk," Kara said dismissively. "The fact is, you're messy. You destroy things and leave body parts all over the place. You're not efficient."
"I'm not going to change who I am," Mon refused.
"And I'm not forcing you to, but it also means you're grounded for a while until this whole thing rolls over," Kara said.
"Do you listen to yourself? Who gives a fuck what these humans think, what the galaxy things? We have the power to rule with an iron fist. With your power and my instant transmission, we would be unstoppable," Mon said ambitiously.
"I won't be the queen who rules over the ashes...just yet," Kara shut down. "What's more important to me than galactic conquest is keeping Alex happy, and she won't be happy if I burn everything down. There must be balance."
"And what of the kids? Do they have to hide who they are?" Mon asked.
"It's not hiding who you are to refrain from being a superhero for a while. Just because you're gay, doesn't mean you have to be gay all the time, every second of the day," Kara reasoned.
"Kam-Kam needs a mother's attention, too," Mon pointed out.
"Like you give a shit," Kara scoffed.
"I would do a great job at this. Put a bodycam on me and see how I work. The public would be enthralled. Watching you trying to persuade bad guys to surrender or do the right thing is excruciating to watch," Mon said.
"I don't do that," Kara shook her head. "Just watch the kids until I'm done with this PR campaign. Shouldn't take too long for the public to love me again."
"Watching after the kids? That's adorable," Mon mocked.
Kara then gave Winn a phone call. "Alright, I'm ready."
The next day, Kara moved the family to a compound outside Metropolis. The compound was mansion-sized with large open spaces. The living room had a high ceiling, large windows to view Metropolis and the ocean, small pools on the floor and waterfalls from the ceiling that perfectly dumped into those pools. It also had a fireplace and massive plasma TV.
Kon started clicking buttons randomly which sent the couches into the pools. "Oops."
"Really, Kon?" Kara glared at him.
Kara went into the closet and found her new Supergirl uniform, the blue and red version but with pants this time. Upon putting on the skin-tight suit, Kara flew out of the house amazing drivers on the highway and the people of Metropolis. Kara flew around the city and then landed at a high-speed hover train ceremony. "I introduce to you a new hovertrain that will get you anywhere on the continent at ridiculous speed," Kara said to the crowd.
"The future is open for business," Kara smiled as she flashed a ribbon with heat vision. The band played the Superman theme in the background. Inside the train were elites who were given the first opportunity to see how the train would work. The train went forward a bit, stopped, and then went reverse at high-speed.
"It's going the wrong way," the Metropolis mayor informed Kara.
"Yeah, no shit, but why?" Kara wondered and then flew after it. "Barney, shut the train down," she ordered.
"I'm locked out of the system," Brainiac 5 reported. "The train will derail in two minutes."
Kara flew ahead of the train and landed on it. She was forced to do the limbo as the train went through a tunnel. For the next tunnel, there was no space at all for her. "Fuck it," Kara muttered as her body tore through the hill and out the other side. Kara leaped to the end of the train, punched through the window, and found that the train's pilot was totally hypnotized and unresponsive. Unable to figure out the computer, Kara went back and used heat vision to separate the train engine from the other cars. Disconnected from the system, all train cars automatically braked to slow itself down.
Kara went to the rear of the train and attempted to slow it down. If she went full force, she would rip through the train killing all of its occupants. If she didn't put enough force, the train would derail at the end. Kara's hands pressed upon the dome structure of the train's rear causing it to crater from the stress. The entire train buckled from rear to front with the metal rippling along the sides. The train finally came to a stop with the first car hanging over the edge. The pilot train car then slammed into the rest of the train threatening to push it all over. Kara allowed the train to dip a little but not so much that it would all fall over the edge. Once the train was secure, Kara went inside the train and rapidly scanned the passengers for injuries. Seeing none, she went to the pilot train car.
"Welcome back, Supergirl," the computer screen said to her as she entered. "The Screenslaver."
In the house, Mon was with the kids. "You're both adults, do whatever the fuck you want," he said to Kon and Mara. After they were gone, Mon focused on Kameron. They watched violent horror movies and read the most violent parts of the Bible together.
Late at night, Kameron watched old crime movies on the TV while Mon was asleep. As it happened, a racoon was messing around with the garbage can. Kameron made the logical assessment that the racoon with its masked eyes and attempts to steal trash was obviously a criminal. Kameron punched through the window and engaged the critter by punching it to the snout. The racoon wrestled around with Kameron all over the backyard in mortal combat. After a quick duel, Kameron kicked the racoon into a beach chair where it got tangled up.
Kameron then powered up her Super Insane aura creating golden flames around her. With her very touch, the beach chairs ignited in fire. Kameron tossed each of these chairs into the pool as she got closer to the villainous racoon. Kameron tossed a coffee table at the racoon to take it out. The racoon managed to escape, got behind Kameron, and tipped over the BBQ grill sending charcoal dust all around them.
Kameron blew the dust away and fired heat vision all across the yard creating fires on the lawn. Kameron's heat vision was unfocused allowing the racoon to evade it. Kameron chased the racoon to a table umbrella. She fired unfocused shots at the racoon blasting a few holes in the umbrella. She then sliced off the umbrella poll dropping the racoon to the ground. The umbrella naturally folded around the racoon briefly trapping it. Once the racoon escaped, it engaged Kameron from the air and the fight was on.
At this point, Mon was vaguely aware of the situation. He casually went outside, noticed the heat vision damage, then saw Kameron wrestling with the racoon. "What the fuck?" he wondered.
Mon took hold of Kameron away from the racoon only for her to split herself up into several clones. The Kameron clones surrounded the racoon and tackled it. The racoon managed to escape and run off. Mon picked up all the Kameron clones and waited for them to merge back into the original. Kameron then babbled a threat to the retreating racoon.
"Impressive, most impressive," Mon said adoringly of the child and a bit envious as well. No doubt, the child was extremely powerful due to being in Kara's womb for nine months sucking up all of that solar radiation. The child also was conceived when Mon was at the highest levels of his power as well. Still, the fact that Kameron merely fought a common racoon to a draw was concerning.
Kameron laughed in Mon's arms and then had a fit as she powered up to Super Insane, blasted him with fire, and then fired heat vision near his head. "You're dangerous as fuck," Mon realized.
Kameron laughed amused. Mon then got a call on his cell phone. "It's late, you weren't going to call me?" Kara asked outraged.
"No," Mon stood his ground.
"Did I just wake you up?" Kara asked unimpressed.
"Yeah," Mon confirmed.
"Any accidents?" Kara asked.
"Accidents?" Mon scoffed. "No."
"Do you need me to come back?" Kara asked concerned.
"I don't need you at all," Mon said rudely.
"Anything happen with Kam-Kam?" Kara asked.
"She's fine, excellent health," Mon said vaguely.
Mara went into the kitchen, got herself a tub of ice-cream, a scooper, and then walked off back to her room. "So, things haven't spiraled out of control?" Kara asked.
"Unfortunately, uneventful," Mon rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, well, I saved a train and a shit-ton of people. It's all over the news. People love me now. No casualties. It was so much fun," Kara said excitedly.
"So, basically, the same thing as your fourth adventure as Supergirl when you started out," Mon said unimpressed.
"Well...yes, but different," Kara said.
"Yeah, whatever," Mon said bored.
"Thanks for handling everything. I'll be back soon," Kara told him.
"Take your time," Mon said and hung up.
After the train accident, Kara went on a PR campaign about her heroics. "Just go out there, be your charming self, and tantalize them," Winn said to Kara in the backroom.
"This isn't my first rodeo. I used to be a reporter, remember," Kara reminded him.
"They're ready for you," the producer said to Kara.
"Spread your legs," Evelyn joked.
Kara pointed at her with a smile and then entered the studio where she met Titan ambassador, Sydne Ardeen, for a moment. "For the last fifteen days, Supergirl went into hiding with a public that no longer supports superheroes. That may soon be changing due to a new movement to bring Supergirl back. Here from her fresh safe of a runaway train and sporting a new look is Supergirl," Chad, the interviewer introduced.
"Hello, Chad," Kara smirked.
"The polls are going in your direction," Chad noted.
"That's good," Kara said pleased.
"Hello, do I have your attention?" Chad asked with a stone-faced expression.
"Yeah, Chad," Kara gave him an odd look.
"Of course, I do. I'm appearing on your screen, reading off the words I see on another screen, screens are everywhere. We are controlled by screens," Chad said without emotion, completely hypnotized.
"Isn't that the damn truth?" Kara agreed.
"And I control screens including this idiotic anchorman before you. I can hijack a random airplane while it's still airborne," Chad said, still hypnotized.
Kara looked around uncomfortably and scanned the control room filled with hypnotized staff. She then noticed three helicopters in the air with Sydne in one of them. "Well, okay then," Kara said and then sped off.
Kara took to the air and located the three helicopters taking the ambassador to the spaceport. She scanned the three helicopters and found the ambassador easily enough. However, one of the helicopters slammed into another. Kara broke into the two helicopters and saved their occupants before they could crash. She then flew back toward the ambassador's helicopter and broke inside. A Titan guard shot Kara in the shoulder with his laser pistol.
"Stand down!" Sydne ordered her guard.
Kara rushed through the helicopter cabin and punched her way into the cockpit where she found computer system had been hacked into. "Can any of you swim?" Kara asked them.
"Yes," they all said except the ambassador, herself.
Kara rudely kicked the three guards out of the helicopter into the ocean and then took hold of Sydne. Suddenly, their helicopter was hit by the controlled escort. Kara took Sydne out of the helicopter as it went into a spin and crashed in a construction site. Kara landed on the ground with Sydne and fired heat vision at the controlled escorting helicopter destroying it.
"You, good?" she asked Sydne.
"Perfectly fine," she said and then passed out in front of her.
The next morning, Brainiac 5 drove Kara around. "What's the deal, Barney? How is this guy hacking into your systems. I thought you were reliable and shit."
"I have yet to pinpoint the source or the method of the hack," Brainiac 5 admitted.
"What's going on here?" Kara asked as she saw a large crowd outside the Palace. "Are they protesting me again?"
"On the contrary, they're here to support you," Brainiac 5 noticed.
"No shit?" Kara said amazed. She opened her window and waved to the pro-monarchist pro-superhero crowd. She noticed a little girl with a sign. "What does your sign say?" she asked adoringly.
"Screenslaver is still out there," the sign read, the girl was obviously hypnotized.
"Creepy as fuck," Kara muttered.
Kara met with Winn in person at his office. Evelyn was also present. "Hey, it's working. The Titan ambassador made a big speech about superheroes, today. It turns out saving one's life gives them a good impression about you. I'm getting calls all across the world. Media support is up seventy-two percent. I have big plans for our next move. We'll have a summit at sea. We'll have world leaders, alien leaders, all together in one place on a vehicle controlled by a computer," Winn said victoriously.
"That's great. I'm happy, but Screenslaver is still out there. As long as he gets to play, he wins," Kara said frustrated.
"Smell the flowers, Kara. Maybe, you're both winning," Winn said cynically.
"Yeah...yeah," Kara said thoughtfully. "Wait...is that okay?"
"Maybe," Winn allowed.
Kara then had a drinking party with some of her Vindicators who also needed PR services. They included Lightning Lad (Garth), Star Boy (Thom), Gates, Matter-Eater-Lad (Tenzil), Ferro Lad (Andrew), and Dawnstar.
"Supergirl, wow, there you are, I am Gates, thank you for drafting me into the Vindicators against my will," Gates, an insect-looking, creature said to her.
"My pleasure," Kara smiled.
"I can do this," Gates said and then tossed a coffee cup into portals around the room.
"That's cool, I suppose," Kara said as she saw all the portals open and close around them.
"I felt like an outcast on this planet...because I look like a bug. I still do," Gates said.
"Well, one can imagine why," Kara said, freaked out by him.
"Supergirl, I always considered you the gold standard for superheroes," Dawnstar complimented. "Your decision to give us a reservation with casinos on our very own planet has made us all rich."
"I just wanted to do the right thing by your people," Kara nodded.
"I am Ferro Lad," a tall young man said to her. His skin instantly became iron.
"Nice to meet you, Ferro. Where do you come from?" Kara asked interested.
"Wisconsin," he said nonchalantly.
"Oh, wow, I'm sorry," Kara cringed.
"The name is Matter-Eater Lad. I can eat anything," Tenzil introduced himself to Kara.
"That's weird as fuck," Kara said incredulously.
As the night continued, Thom took an empty beer can and then crushed it in his hand by increasing its weight. "That is impressive," Winn said awkwardly and then shocked himself on Garth's uniform.
"Well, I'm beat. Nice party, night to you, ladies. I will see you tomorrow," Winn said and then exited the scene.
"It must be nice to be upfront for a change. It's been a while since we have seen Supergirl in action. Even then, you were under Mon-El's shadow," Evelyn said conversationally.
"I beg to differ," Kara disagreed.
"I'm not saying you weren't big. You are a super-star. You're the Supreme Leader, the Empress of Earth, and so forth. It's just, on the superhero front, Mon-El has been on the tear. While you've been handling the business of the galaxy, Mon has been on assignment after assignment getting all the press. Now, you finally have the stage to yourself," Evelyn clarified.
"That's fair but you're also under your brother's shadow so who are you to talk?" Kara asked.
"I don't want his job. I invent shit. He sells shit. I ask you, which one of us has the greater influence?" Evelyn asked.
"The believer in me says you are but the cynic in me says otherwise," Kara said honestly. "The sellers have the greatest influence because they get the most buyers. It doesn't matter what you're selling as long as people are buying. That's capitalism 101."
"This is true. If I discovered the origin of the universe, my brother would market the shit out of it," Evelyn said.
"Well, in many cases, it's the inventor that makes their mark in history but only those inventors that know how to sell as well. That's why Eddison got so rich, and Tesla got nothing. You have to have both which is why you and your brother are a perfect pair. I just wish Alex felt the same way," Kara said reflectively.
"So, shouldn't you be trying to track down Screenslaver?" Evelyn asked.
"Why? He's giving me all this press," Kara shrugged.
"Yeah, but he or she is dangerous," Evelyn said seriously.
"I'll have Barney do it. He's good with computers," Kara said dismissively.
The following night, Kara had another interview with Chad. "Tonight, we go to a special interview with Supergirl," Chad said, looking somewhat freaked out from the last incident.
"How are you feeling, Chad? Last time, you seemed a bit fucked up," Kara noted.
"I'm fine, the doctors checked me out. I have no memory of the event. It's actually quite queer," Chad said. "But I want to talk about you and how you saved a runaway train. Here's a clip from your bodycam."
The global audience then saw Kara's bodycam of her working to save the train. Suddenly, Screenslaver interrupted the broadcast like a total asshole. "Screenslaver interrupts this circle jerk for an important announcement. Don't bother watching the rest. Supergirl does not save the day. She merely postpones her inevitable defeat at your expense. Superheroes are part of your brainless desire to replace true experience with simulation. You don't talk, you watch talk shows. You don't play games, you watch game shows. Travel, relationships, risk every meaningful experience must be packaged and delivered to you to watch at a distance. So that you can remain ever sheltered ever passive ever ravenous consumers who can't bring themselves to rise from their couches break a sweat and participate in life. You want superheroes to protect you and make yourselves ever more powerless in the process. While you tell yourselves you're being looked after. That your interests are being served. And your rights are being upheld. So that the system can keep stealing from you smiling at you all the while. Go ahead, send your Supers to stop me. Grab your snacks, watch your screens, and see what happens. You are no longer in control. I am."
Kara smiled with Chad as she waited for Brainiac 5 to track down the signal. Once he eventually got a lock, Kara took off, flew toward the apartment, and landed on the roof. She navigated through dozens of antennas and found a large cable entering a particular apartment. She entered the complex and forced her way in. Inside, she found a lab of communications equipment, model eyeballs, biological diagrams of brains, the plans to the train and helicopters, a picture of Sydne, and a perfect treasure trove of evidence.
"Find anything?" Screenslaver asked as he activated scatter light. The intense light stimuli painfully distracted Kara's senses using her heightened abilities against her.
Kara closed her eyes and used her other senses to Daredevil his ass. She threw random objects around the room and engaged him in hand-to-hand combat. Screenslaver used an energy prong to keep her at bay. Kara eventually threw Screenslaver out of his trap and into the rest of his apartment. There, she slammed him around. Kara opened her eyes only to get zapped by Screenslaver's goggles. Dumbfounded by the hit, she let Screenslaver escape her grip. Screenslaver ran out of the apartment and triggered a bomb on his way out.
Kara painfully centered herself and went after him. Screenslaver turned on the fire-alarm to wake everyone up. Kara rushed past the confused civilians knocking them all down. Kara chased Screenslaver down the stairs and nearly had him with a heat vision shot. Screenslaver entered an elevator shaft, went to the second floor, and threw himself off the fire escape outside. Kara was close behind him and intercepted him midair. Screenslaver blasted her again with his flashy goggles. The apartment exploded from the bomb tossing them both the ground with a thud.
Kara ripped off Screenslavers' mask revealing a teenage kid. "What happened?" he asked confused. Kara gave him a look and radioed Brainiac 5. "Need units to my location for an enhanced interrogation. This punk doesn't look like a cyber-genius. He's probably a decoy, hypnotized by the real Screenslaver."
"I concur. Units approaching," Brainiac 5 agreed.
At the house, Mon was getting plenty of sleep, gym time, TV time, and playtime with the baby. He assigned Mara the task of upkeep on the house which she, in turn, outsourced to various human servants. Mon and Kameron did battle constantly wrecking up the house and requiring instant repair jobs. Kameron was a little terror interrupting Kon's video-gaming, Mara's devotion time, and Mon's relaxation. Kameron loved to do battle often powering up and attacking the other three. Mon obliged her as he punched back and fired on her. In quick order, there were holes in the walls all over the place.
"You should tell mother you can't handle the baby," Mara scolded.
"I'm not telling her shit," Mon scoffed. "She wants to be a career woman, a superhero, instead of a mother. She can't have it all."
"Perhaps you should hand her over to me," Mara suggested.
"I've assessed the situation, and I have come to the conclusion I can handle a baby. I'm rolling with the punches. I'm the Prince of all Insane and Insane fathers allow their children to go wild. Insane children are sent to random planets alone and they're expected to conquer these planets before they're even teenagers or die trying. So, relatively speaking, I'm father of the year," Mon told her off.
"We should call Barney," Mara rolled her eyes.
Kameron suddenly went for an attack. Mon blocked her and the energy discharge sent Kameron flying into the pool. "I have this totally under control," Mon assured her.
Kameron suddenly could be heard babbling all around them but in another dimension. "What the fuck?" Kon wondered.
"She does this sometimes," Mon said nonchalantly and then took out a cookie. "You want a cookie, Kam-Kam?" Mon asked her. Kameron suddenly teleported onto the scene and grabbed the cookie.
"Obviously, you can't just keep giving her cookies," Mara reasoned.
"The fuck I can't. I'm the richest man in the galaxy. I can have infinite number of cookies at my command," Mon corrected. "See what happens when I stop." Kameron immediately got mad, went Super-Insane, and was ready to fight. "Fuck you, baby," Mon antagonized.
Kameron immediately latched onto him and bit him. Mon struggled to fight her off as she scrambled around his back and shoulders. "You need a major life realignment," Mara told him. "You need solid outside the box thinking."
"Fine, fuck it," Mon said, tired of Mara's annoying lectures.
That night, Mon took Kameron to see Brainiac 5 at one of his labs. This lab was in the middle of nowhere with a guarded forcefield fence, bushes shaped like squares, and a building that had a Brainiac statue out front. "You look well, Mon," Brainiac 5 noted.
"I've been working out, sleeping well, and drinking plenty of juice," Mon said.
"Done properly, parenting is a heroic act," Brainiac 5 remarked.
Mon gave him an expected look but got nothing further. "Fuck you, Barney."
The two entered a large living room with a stone wall of various mythological gods that represented knowledge or wisdom. It was Brainiac 5's way of showing he was now the present god of intelligence in the universe over all other gods of the past. Aside from that, the house looked sterile and ultra-modern. "I don't suppose you came here to see me on matters of parenting."
"Nah, I'm good on that. I just need a suit for the baby," Mon said.
Brainiac 5 analyzed Kameron as she started using random powers around him. She scanned him with her X-ray vision, created illusions of herself, and floated around. "Fascinating. She's capable of using all of the powers of her parents instinctively. What took years of training and focus, she has already mastered."
"Yeah, it's bullshit," Mon said enviously. "How about you run some tests on her to see what we're dealing with and then find a way to neutralize her powers without hurting her development."
"Of course, you can leave with me. I will instruct her in the Brainiac way," Brainiac 5 said.
"Good deal. I'll pick her up when I feel like it," Mon said and then walked off.
For her so-called victory, Kara and Winn hosted a party of superheroes and elites. "I wanna thank everyone that came out tonight in support of superheroes and giving them ever greater power in our society. You all made it happen. The need for this has been made crystal clear in recent days with bad actors like the self-proclaimed Screenslaver threatening our peace. His reign was short, huh? And thanks to this woman, a great super. You love her. You missed her. Welcome back, Supergirl," Winn declared.
Winn then turned to Kara. "I want you to have this as a memento," he said handing her Screenslaver's mask.
"I'll put in my trophy room," Kara said sincerely.
"We've made amazing headway in a very short time which leads me to an important announcement. Just now, at a worldwide summit, leaders from more all the nations of world's countries have agreed to the renewal of Vindicator immunity and Vindicator operations being under the control of the sovereign and only the sovereign," Winn said to the crowd.
"We'll gather superheroes and leaders from all over the planet on our boat, the Everjust for a televised signing ceremony at sea!" Winn concluded.
"Now if you'll excuse us, we got a ship to catch!" Kara said excitedly.
At home, Mon had a sit-down with Mara. "I followed your advice and handed Kam-Kam over the Barney for the foreseeable future."
"That's not what I had in mind," Mara said shocked and appalled.
"Look, we have different views on parenting. I get it. In Insane culture, parents are barely around. Children have to fend for themselves, survival of the fittest. Many children did not survive. But had those children survived and their children survived, we would have multiplied out of control. We're a very fertile and very promiscuous race," Mon explained.
"Yes, I've noticed," Mara said awkwardly.
"My parents expected me to lead troops into battle at five years old. I fought to the death against humanoid plant creatures in training sessions. I got my ass kicked more than I could count. I took me a lifetime just to achieve the legend of Super Insane. And now, your sister is able to do it as an infant. It fills me with pride and rage at the same time. You, understand?" Mon explained.
"Without condoning...or condemning, I understand," Mara allowed. "Your biggest disappointment in Kon and myself is that weren't Insane enough for you so now you're overcompensating with Kameron to make her the perfect Insane warrior. Perhaps, if Kon and I proved ourselves better at being Insane, you wouldn't feel so much pressure to train Kameron."
"Maybe," Mon smirked.
Kara went over her bodycam footage of Screenslaver away from the party and noticed that one of Screenslaver's monitors was connected to the bodycam. Evelyn entered the room as Kara focused on the screen. "What's this?" she asked curiously.
"That battle with Screenslaver was too easy," Kara remarked.
"That was easy, wow. For a human, he did not go down easy for you," Evelyn said.
"Why does Screenslaver have a monitor of my bodycam?" Kara asked. "I thought the bodycam was a closed circuit."
"It is. He must have hacked into it somehow," Evelyn said confused.
"So, he can hack into my bodycam, but he has simple locks for his doors?" Kara asked incredulously.
"Maybe he wanted you to find him," Evelyn figured.
"He wanted to get caught and nearly killed?" Kara asked confused.
"He wanted you to win," Evelyn said cryptically.
"Like, he's that much of a super-fan that he would engage in terrorist acts to make me look good? I should give him a medal," Kara smiled amused.
"Or, maybe it was just to get your eyes in front of his goggles and trigger control at just the right moment," Evelyn said revealing herself to be the true baddie. Kara was now hypnotized and under her control.
After sleeping seventeen hours like a boss, Mon eventually went back to get Kameron at Brainiac 5's lab. This time, Kameron was well-behaved, walking with a sucker in her mouth. "Thanks...I guess," Mon allowed.
"Yes, I'm sure your gratitude is quite inexpressible," Brainiac 5 said sarcastically. "I enjoyed the assignment. She is bright and I am stimulating. We deserve each other. Your child's power is she has many powers. Like all babies, she has enormous potential. It is not unknown for Kryptonians to have more than one power when exposed to yellow sunlight, but this little one has many. Babies can be anything, and your child is no exception. She has pure, unlimited potential, Mon."
Brainiac 5 placed Kameron into a special chamber in his lab. "She is part of the demonstration and will be fine. Your challenge is to manage a baby who has multiple powers and no control over them, yes?"
"You can't be lethal as fuck without control over your powers so yes," Mon agreed.
"I often work to music, and I noticed the baby responds to it as well. Specifically, Metal," Brainiac 5 said as he started playing the music. Kameron immediately started rocking out and multiplying herself into a mosh pit crowd. "I blended Kevlar with carbyne for durability under duress and cotton for comfort. Interwoven with these fabrics are a mesh of tiny sensors that monitor the baby's physical properties."
"Yeah, but what about her cookie addiction?" Mon asked.
"Behold," Brainiac 5 said as he placed a tool with a cookie on it in front of Kameron. She immediately went after it, but Brainiac 5 removed the cookie from the room. Pissed off, Kameron burst into golden flames as she went Super-Insane and jumped around the room in a fit. The suit instantly neutralized her power and caused her to pass out.
"That could be useful," Mon allowed.
"Although, I have doubtlessly exceeded your expectations for a single night's work the suit and device contain a few more features we need to discuss," Brainiac 5 continued.
At home, Mon inappropriately used Kameron to fire heat vision beams into the nearby trees creating a mini-forest fire with Mara and Kon present. "Fire, fire, fire," Mon ordered with Kameron firing each time. "Now, stop," Mon ordered. Kameron stopped obediently.
"How did you manage to train her so quickly?" Kon asked surprised.
"Easy, she follows my commands, she gets to use her powers. She does it on her own, she gets neutralized," Mon said simply. Kameron activated her power to enter into a portal only to get neutralized and reappear again.
"Wicked," Kon approved.
"An apt description," Mara rolled her eyes.
"Don't be such a stiff, Mara. Training kids is like training a dog. You'll understand when you have several of your own," Mon said. He then got a phone call from Evelyn. "Sup?"
"Supergirl is in trouble," Evelyn said urgently.
"Wish I gave a shit," Mon said unconcernedly.
"Meet us on our ship," Evelyn ordered.
"Why? Can't you tell me over the phone? Is she there?" Mon questioned. Evelyn then hung up on her. "What a bitch?" Mon sighed and got into his Insane uniform not sure what to expect.
Mon casually walked over to Kon, Mara, and Kameron. "I have to bail your mother's ass out...again. Watch over the baby." Mon then flew off toward the ship.
Soon thereafter, Kon and Mara suited up believing something was up. Mara was in a dark blue panted Supergirl suit while Kon was in loose pants, a Superman logo t-shirt, and blue jacket. The doorbell then rang, it was several Vindicators.
"Hello, there. You're not safe. Your mother sent us...," Gates said to Kon.
"I think I can handle myself, thank you," Kon interrupted and then froze them all at once with frost breath. "That isn't going to hold them for long," he said to Mara.
The Vindicators blasted out of the ice and went after all three of them. Lightning Lad fired lightning at them from one direction and Ferro Lad attempted to slam them with his iron fists from another. Kon, Mara, and Kameron dropped down to the basement level of the house. Kon blasted Star Boy back before he could get a shot. Matter-Eater Lad threw up toxic molten chemicals from his mouth onto the floor.
"Gross," Mara remarked.
Dawnstar burst through a window to cut them off. Kon ran with the baby only to find himself going through endless portals from Gates. "Not going to lie, that was trippy as fuck," Kon said enthralled.
Mara blasted Gates with frost breath as soon as he appeared in a portal. She then blew frost breath onto one of Dawnstar's wings dropping her. Lightning Lad fired on them all together. Mara raised a forcefield to resist him. Mara cried out as she powered up and blasted the Vindicators back. Lightning Lad slammed against the wall from the energy discharge.
"Let's get out of here," Mara said as the Vindicator formed back up.
Mon arrived on the boat and met up with Evelyn. "Fill me in," Mon said gruffly.
"Good news and bad news. Good news is she's physically fine, bad news she has a rough trip with Screenslaver and now she's acting queer," Evelyn said vaguely.
"Yeah, what else is new," Mon rolled his eyes and entered a dark room.
Suddenly, he was attacked with rapid combinations from Kara dropping him. Kara took Mon by the throat ready to snap his neck. Mon teleported out of her grip and powered up to Super Insane. "What the fuck is wrong with you this time?" he asked.
Kara went over to Mon and gave him a passionate kiss. "Nice," Mon approved of this kind of domestic violence. Kara suddenly placed goggles on Mon's eyes stunning him. Mon struggled for a bit but came under the control of Screenslaver as well.
Kon, Mara, and Kameron escaped to Metropolis Park and considered their options. "Those Vindicators looked like they were under hypnotic control. Suffice it to say, it's probably the case mother and father are also under control. So, what do we do?"
"We have powers. We fuck them all up," Kon said obviously.
"We're no match against mother and father and the Vindicator Corps.," Mara pointed out. Kameron then created a portal that warped their reality briefly. Kon and Mara gave the baby an odd look.
"Maybe she's the edge we need," Kon considered.
The next day, the ship was off with a shit-ton of world leaders. "Hello! Glad you could come. Welcome to the conference. Welcome, guests! You're in for a treat. This ship is the largest hydrofoil on the planet. So, hold onto something because we're going to open her up!" Winn said excitedly. The conference was held toward the bottom of the ship with giant windows allowing them to see what was going on underwater beneath the waterline.
The ship then rose into the air above the water greatly impressing the world leaders. "Where are my supes?" Winn asked Evelyn.
"They didn't want to upstage the guests," Evelyn lied.
Inside the ship, Mara, Kon, and Kameron were already moving around from the night before. While Mara did recon, Kon was having difficulty keeping control over Kameron. Gates finally sensed Mara out and created a portal to her location. Gates formed a portal under Mara's feet to drop her. Mara floated over the portal and punched Gates to the floor. Mara then formed an energy bubble around Gates and slammed him repeatedly against the ceiling and floor, and then against the side walls. Gates reached out to a fire extinguisher and sprayed it in Mara's face to distract her. Mara blasted the fire extinguisher foam off of her but Gates as now on her. Gates went for a punch only to be forced back by Mara's energy forcefield. Unable to get past it, Gates formed a portal underneath Mara. The distracted Mara fell through the portal to the next lower deck and was slammed against the wall by Gates who was now on her.
Gates quickly went for a goggle mask only for Mara to kick him away where he slammed violently against the wall and fell to the floor motionless.
Mara met up with Kon in a random corridor of the ship. "Where's Kam-Kam?" Mara asked.
"I don't know," Kon shrugged.
"You lost her?" Mara asked dismayed. "That was your one and only job."
"Just use the tracker," Kon rolled his eyes.
Kameron, meanwhile, was in the elevator occasionally freaking out random ship workers by going Insane on them.
Kara and Mon eventually made their appearance in front of the world leaders. "And here they are, folks, the Supreme Leader and Executor," Winn introduced, still oblivious.
"This is a momentous occasion. We've all managed to accomplish something extraordinarily rare in today's world. We agree on something. We agree to undo a bad perception. To make sure a few extraordinarily gifted members of the world's many countries are treated fairly. To invite them once again to use their gifts to benefit the world. I thank all of you for representing your nation's commitment to superheroes, to monarchy, to empire," Winn said sincerely.
The royalist tools all clapped in the room. Winn's speech was being broadcasted across the world.
Kon and Mara took the elevator and found Kameron messing around in the kitchen. She was Super Insane with glowing golden flames around her. Mara took the suit controller and neutralized Kameron before they could be spotted. It was, however, too late as Star Boy, Dawnstar, and a recovered Gates were already on them. Mara, Kon, and Kameron hid in the vents above them.
Dawnstar used her tracking abilities to identify where they were. Star Boy increased the weight of the vents causing them to collapse to the floor. Mara, Kon, and Kameron all fell to the floor and were discovered. Kameron blasted all three Vindicators to the floor and then went on a rampage tearing through the entire deck of the ship. An incredulous Kon and Mara chased after her.
A still oblivious Winn celebrated the signing on a non-binding agreement by the world-leaders to promote and celebrate superheroes. He then organized a group photo. Suddenly, the television screens in the room hypnotized all the world leaders. Kara and Mon came forth to address the global public. "Years of non-appreciation for saving your asses have made us bitter! You bring us into the light only to clean up the messes your lack of discipline creates!" Kara accused.
"Your bodies and your character are weak! Your promises are empty, and you will pay for it!" Mon declared.
"We no longer serve you; you serve us. May the fittest survive," Kara said coldly.
"Well, we um...some very alarming moments there before the, uh, technical difficulties. Please bear with us, holy shit," Chad said to his audience.
Mon quickly beat the shit out of the ship's officer crew and destroy the communications console by throwing it overboard. Kara took the ship's controls. The ship was now on course right for Metropolis. Mon then destroyed the steering console.
Kameron randomly tore through the door with Mara and Kon right behind her. Kara and Mon immediately fired on then. Mara brought up her forcefield to block the beams but was quickly overpowered. Kameron portaled away and then reappeared in Kara's arms. Kara, controlled by Screenslaver aka Evelyn, hesitated to take the baby out. Kameron knocked off Kara's goggles freeing her of the mind-control.
"What the fuck?" Kara wondered.
Mon immediately went to subdue Kara and put the goggles back on her eyes. Kara threw Kameron back to Kon and Mara and quickly subdued Mon and took off his goggles. Kara then slammed her boot on the goggles destroying them.
"Well...shit," Evelyn sighed in the control room, her plans seriously compromised.
Kara turned to Kon, Mara, and Kameron. "You, came for us?" she asked astonished.
"Well, we and the whole galaxy would be fucked if we didn't," Kon said bluntly.
"Hug time," Kara said as she gave all three of them a hug.
"Not to break up a tender moment but someone was able to control us for a moment there," Mon said dryly.
"It's Evelyn. She's Screenslaver," Kara informed him. "She must be in the control room."
The Vindicators then interrupted as they crashed into the bridge. Lightning Lad fired lightning all around the ship. Kon evaded Lightning Lad's fire as Mara formed a bubble forcefield around him. Lightning Lad fired at the wrong moment and shocked himself. Kameron tackled Lightning Lad's face and destroyed his goggles. Ferro Lad gave Mon a strong upper cut which did nothing to him. Kara punched at Gates only for him to use portals to redirect her blows. Kara finally blasted him with frost breath to keep him still and removed the goggles from his bug-eyes.
Matter-Eater Lad threw up molten minerals at Mara. She countered with frost breath. The two forces met in the middle until Matter-Eater Lad was frozen. Mara then grabbed his goggles and destroyed them. Dawnstar picked up Kon and flew him outside the ship. Kon blasted her to the face knocking the goggles off. The stunned Dawnstar fell onto the deck of the ship with Kon's face underneath her generous breasts.
"Nice," Kon smiled.
Mon punched Ferro Lad several times knocking him down and destroying his goggles.
Realizing she needed to retreat, Evelyn took hold of the hypnotized Winn and brought him to the private jet that was held above deck. "What the fuck is going on?" Winn asked confused.
"Everyone is hypnotized. We have to leave. It's not safe," Evelyn said vaguely.
"Safe from what? What did you do?" Winn asked dismayed.
"Strap in and shut the fuck up," Evelyn ordered.
"No, fuck this," Winn refused and exited out of the airlock back onto the deck of the ship.
Kara turned to her family and Vindicators. "I'm going after Evelyn, Gates, you're with me. Mon, destroy the engines. Mara, freeze the water ahead of us to try to slow us down," she ordered.
Mara went outside the ship and blasted the water with frost breath turning it to ice which started to slow the ship down a bit. Mon went toward the engine room only for Star Boy to ambush him. He weighed down the pipes causing them to collapse all around Mon. Taking a pipe, Mon threw it in Star Boy's face destroying the goggles he was wearing. Mon then blasted away the pipes and tore his way into the engine room. Upon arriving, he blasted the engine room to scrap but the ship's momentum continued to move it toward Metropolis at high speed.
Gates portaled Kara onto the private jet as it hovered above the ship. Upon noticing Kara inside her jet, Evelyn attempted to disorient her by taking deep dives and spins. Kara's boots remained planted on the floor as she made her way to the cockpit regardless. Kara barged in as Evelyn took the jet into a total climb.
"What's your deal, asshole?" Kara demanded.
"The reputation of superheroes is ruined. You will never be accepted as absolute ruler of this world," Evelyn said to her while wearing an oxygen mask.
Kara fired a heat vision beam that blasted out the windows. Evelyn was sucked out the window and behind the jet.
Meanwhile, Winn shut down the hypnotizing screen on the world leaders. "Everyone, get to the back of the ship. Vindicators, protect the world leaders."
"Follow me," Ferro Lad said to them.
Mon dived into the water and found the rudder of the ship. He pushed the rudder forcing the ship to move right away from the city. Mara and Kon blasted the water with frost breath to slow the ship down. The ship tilted to the side and came to rest on a frozen wave before it could hit the city. Kara ditched the private jet and went after Evelyn who was falling to her death to the ocean below. Kara caught her and brought her back to the ship deck.
"The fact that you saved me, doesn't make you right," Evelyn spat.
"But it does mean you're alive...to fight another day," Kara smirked.
"And I'm grateful for that," Winn said as he realized the whole story.
Kara focused on Evelyn. "You took over my mind, turned my Vindicators against me, threatened my children, endangered the lives of all my world leaders, and ruined my PR campaign. For that, I should turn your bones to dust. But...resisting an alien absolute ruler with great ingenuity is American as fuck and you're a descendant of a good friend of mine. So...slap on the wrist, it shall be," Kara told her.
"So, is our contract over?" Winn wondered.
"On the contrary, in return for not punishing your sister for insurrection and multiple attempted murders, you are going to leave your profitable cushy job in the private sector to work for me in Palace as my main PR guy," Kara said.
"I can live with that," Winn allowed and shook Kara's hand.
Author's Notes: I used Incredibles 2 because the first movie didn't make much sense to use in this context. I will say the first movie is superior by a bit. Incredibles 2 had this mystery villain that was obvious but wasn't allowed to really shine like Syndrome was able to. The first movie also had more heart, I thought. Interestingly enough, Incredibles 2 has nearly the same plot as Batman: Bad Blood which features Batwoman. Having all the superheroes that were used only as villains be present for the glorious ending was cringe AF. Incredibles is more about dads and Incredibles 2 is more about moms, so it's fine that they went for both angles there. What's not fine is making us wait 14 years. Winston was legit but all I could see and hear was Saul from Breaking Bad. Basically, this episode was done because it's rare to have an infant with super-powers and this was perfect for Kameron which has been mostly forgotten this season.