Nothing Happened!

Kara and Barry froze, the weight of Alex's gaze pressing down on them like a collapsing building. The room was thick with tension, neither hero knowing how to start the conversation while still tangled in bedsheets.

Alex folded her arms. "Okay… what the hell is going on here?"

Barry instinctively scratched the back of his neck—an awkward habit that only made Alex more suspicious. "Uh… it's a long story."

"Yeah, I bet it is," Alex deadpanned. "I came here to talk to my little sister, but it looks like she's… preoccupied."

Kara scrambled to sit up, pulling the sheets around her like armor. "No! It's not... What's up, Alex?"

Alex scoffed, gesturing at the two of them. "Seriously? Kara, I walked in on you two naked. I don't need a detective board and red string to figure this one out."

Kara's face turned beet red. "I—uh—well—"

Barry closed his eyes and exhaled. "I should probably head back to Central City."

Kara's eyes darted to him. "I mean, unless you want to stay a little longer—"

Alex groaned, already recognizing that look in her sister's eyes. "Right. You and I need to talk. In private."

"Oh… uh… sure," Kara said, already dreading where this was going. She glanced at Barry. "Can you wait here?"

"Yeah, no problem," Barry muttered, finally managing to pull on his pants as the Danvers sisters walked into the adjacent room.

As soon as the door shut, Kara opened her mouth, but Alex beat her to it.

"What the hell, Kara? Barry? Seriously? He's married."

Kara groaned. "I know, I know! I didn't mean for this to happen!"

Alex folded her arms. "Well, it did. So, what? You just decided to throw all common sense out the window?"

Kara ran a hand through her hair. "We had a lot of alcohol last night, Alex. Things… escalated."

Alex exhaled sharply. "Does Barry's 'problem' have anything to do with his missing wedding ring?"

Kara nodded. "Yeah. Today's been… confusing. But we both want to be together. I think—I think I've had feelings for him for a while, but I just buried them because we were friends. And he had Iris."

Alex sighed, her expression softening. "Look, I don't know where this is going, but I'll always have your back. Just… be sure about this, okay?"

"I've been thinking about it since I woke up and found Barry in my bed," Kara muttered.

Alex smirked. "Okay. Now go. He's waiting for you."

Kara quickly changed into casual clothes and followed Alex back out to find Barry fully dressed, absentmindedly playing with a coffee mug in the kitchen.

"Hey," she greeted him with a small smile.

"Hey," he said, looking up.

Alex observed their little exchange before clearing her throat. "Alright, what's the plan?"

"I need to get back to STAR Labs," Barry said. "Still working on restoring my speed."

Alex frowned. "Wait—you don't have your speed?"

"Not all of it," Barry admitted. "I lost my connection to the Speed Force a few days ago. Right now, I'm basically a phone without a charger."

Alex looked at Kara. "You're flying him, aren't you?"

Kara shrugged. "What? He's got places to be."

A few moments later, they stood outside STAR Labs. Kara gently set Barry down.

"So… see you later?" she asked.

Barry hesitated. "We need to tell Iris. So… yeah. If you want to."

Kara laced her fingers through his. "I do. It's going to be hard, but it'll be worth it."

Barry smiled. "I'll see you later, then."

They leaned in, but just as their lips were about to meet—

"Yo! Barry! What's up, man?!"

They instantly jumped apart.

Barry sighed, turning. "Oh. Hey, Cisco."

Cisco grinned. "Kara! How's it going?"

Kara cleared her throat, adjusting her glasses. "I'm fine. Thanks, Cisco. But I've got to get to CatCo. I'll see you guys later."

"Bye, Kara," Barry said softly.

"Bye, Barry," she replied with a smile before taking off into the sky.

Cisco watched her go before turning back to Barry. "Alright, let's get to work on that, ASF."

At CatCo, Kara sat at her desk, frustration bubbling inside her as she watched Andrea Rojas praise Lex Luthor onstage. The room seemed to pulse with hypocrisy as everyone clapped for a villain. Kara stared at the screen, her heart heavy, before turning to her desk, where a photo of her and Barry hugging on her phone caught her eye. For a moment, it had been just another picture, another fleeting memory. But now, it felt different—happier, more meaningful.

She sighed, lost in thought. Her mind spiraled to everything that had been going wrong—Leviathan, Lex, the death of Jeremiah, her strained relationship with Lena... and then, Barry. She couldn't stop thinking about him, about how everything had shifted between them.

"Kara…"

Kara quickly hid the photo as Lena approached. She was trying to steady herself, but her emotions were raw. Lena smiled softly but with a hint of uncertainty.

"I heard about Jeremiah... I came to offer my sympathies," Lena said, her voice warm but awkward.

Kara paused, struggling to respond, and then Lena chuckled.

"Offer my sympathies. God, I sound like an android," she added, trying to break the tension.

Kara finally looked up, her voice quiet. "No. You sound like someone afraid to confront the woman who called you a villain."

Lena stiffened for a moment but then relaxed, her eyes softening. "My mother died when I was young... And I know that doesn't compare to what you've lost, but... I know it doesn't get any easier. I'm sorry."

Both women stood there, holding back tears, their unspoken bond lingering between them. Kara blinked hard, feeling the weight of her loss, yet also a deep sense of gratitude for Lena's words.

"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you," Kara said, adjusting her glasses to hide the emotion in her eyes.

Lena reached into her bag, pulled out a book, and handed it to Kara. "This helped me a lot when I was dealing with my mother's loss and... other family difficulties," Lena said, her voice quieter now. "Maybe it'll help you, too."

Kara smiled, trying to keep it light. "If it helps Luthor's family difficulties, I'm sure it'll help me."

The two shared a brief, understanding smile before a silence fell between them. Finally, Kara spoke, breaking the stillness. "Thank you."

Lena gave a small nod before turning to leave, her footsteps echoing in the quiet office. As she walked away, Kara glanced back at the picture of her and Barry on her desk. The weight of her feelings about him felt sharper now, more complicated.

Lex Luthor, meanwhile, watched from across the office, his eyes gleaming with a mix of interest and calculation.

"Hey, Kara."

Kara smiled softly as she answered the call. "Hi, Barry. Everything okay?"

"It's fine. Just... they're looking at me a little weird sometimes," Barry said, his voice tinged with a hint of unease. When Kara didn't respond immediately, his tone shifted. "Are you okay?"

Kara's breath hitched, and she exhaled slowly. "Yeah, I'm just... worried. Scared. Everyone's going to kill me..."

"Hey, don't worry. If they try, I'll put my body between you and them. This is our decision, and I've chosen to be with you, okay?" His words, so simple yet filled with meaning, brought a real smile to Kara's face.

"Thanks, Barr," she said softly.

Barry's voice shifted, trying to lighten the mood. "And how are things back there?"

"Well, I'm trying to avoid William. Alex and Kelly are at my house... and Lena gave me a book to read to help me with some of the memories of Jeremiah," Kara replied, her fingers tracing the edge of the book on her desk.

Barry's curiosity was piqued. "Lena talked to you?"

"Yeah. I'm glad she did. I just... I'm still angry about Lex and how he's manipulating her. But the real problem is I don't know how he's doing it..." Kara trailed off, frustration evident in her voice.

Barry was quiet for a beat before he replied. "Don't worry. We'll find out."

Kara's heart skipped. "We?"

Barry chuckled. "Yeah, we. Look, I'm heading to STAR Labs to check in on the artificial Speed Force. Once I know what I can do, I'll come to your place and help out. Deal?"

Kara grinned. "Deal."

"Bye," he said softly.

"Bye," she replied, her heart lighter than before.

Back at Kara's apartment, she rejoined Alex and Kelly, who were sitting at the table. She opened the book Lena had given her and began reading again, but Kelly's question broke her concentration.

"Was that William?" Kelly asked, her eyes flicking up from her phone.

Kara didn't look up as she answered, "No. It's... a friend. Right now, I don't want to talk about William."

"Oh, okay," Kelly said, sensing the tension. A long silence stretched before Alex, ever the realist, broke it.

"Don't you think it's weird? We're sitting here eating dumplings like everything's normal... and yet, Dads gone?"

Kelly spoke first, her voice calm. "The only permanent thing about life is that things change. The cycle goes on. You still need to eat."

Kara nodded, finding solace in the sentiment, though it didn't fully ease the ache. "Yeah, you know... this book that Lena gave me says something similar. 'Things are constantly in flux, arising and passing with each moment. We have no control.' So... eat the dumplings."

Alex, still skeptical, raised an eyebrow. "I can't believe she gave you this after everything that's happened."

"Maybe she's coming around. Maybe she's starting to see the light about Lex," Kara said with a small, bittersweet smile, taking another bite.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Kelly stood up to answer it, but as she opened the door, she froze.

"No. No light about him," Kara muttered under her breath, getting up from her seat.

"That man is—" Kara was about to finish her sentence when she looked at the door and saw William standing there, holding a bag of food.

"I hope you weren't talking about me," William said, attempting a lighthearted tone.

Kara didn't hesitate. "What are you doing here?"

"I... I just wanted to come and help, and once again apologize for what happened last night," William stammered.

Kara's expression was serious. "Look, I'm still pissed about you hitting a friend of mine, but he's fine now. If you came here to take down Lex, though, the more the merrier."

"Thanks. Is your friend Barry here?" William asked.

"No, he's back in Central City, but he'll be here later," Kara replied, glancing at Alex, who shot her a questioning look. Kara gave her a pointed glare.

"Is he going to help too?" Alex asked.

"Yeah," Kara said softly.

"How does he know so much?" Kelly asked, genuinely curious.

"He's a great friend of mine," Kara replied, absentmindedly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Are those... baked goods?"

"Yes, scones, sticky toffee pudding, and banoffee pie," William replied. "My mother's favorite comfort food recipes. I... I hope it helps."

"Oh my God!" Alex exclaimed, placing her dumplings aside. "You made all of this?"

"Well, I didn't want to show up empty-handed," William said, kneeling beside the table. "And I wanted to apologize for what happened earlier with Barry, as well as offer help."

Kara's attention sharpened. "What exactly do you need help with?"

William straightened, pulling out his phone. "A story about Lex Luthor and Obsidian."

Kelly's eyes widened. "You got a lead?"

William nodded, pulling up a photo. "Before your father's funeral, Kelly and I were investigating something about Obsidian. People were getting stuck in VR and disappearing."

"The missing people were all using Obsidian lenses," Kelly added.

William continued. "I tracked the IP address of the users to a warehouse, but when I went to check, it was empty. The only thing I found was a hospital ID bracelet. I had it checked—turns out it belonged to someone named Richard Bates."

Alex furrowed her brow. "Wait... Richard Bates?"

William nodded. "Yeah, and get this—there's no hospital record for him."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "Kelly, you said there was a list of users still stuck in VR, right?"

Kelly handed her the list. "Here. This is the current list of users."

Alex's gaze dropped to one name. "Bonnie... I met her in VR. Why would anyone want to keep her there?"

William's face darkened. "Human testing. Organ harvesting."

Kara's face hardened. "If people are getting hurt in Obsidian, we need to expose this."

"Absolutely," William agreed. "If we find the proof, I'll run the story. It'll go global. The world will know if Obsidian is endangering them."

As they spoke, across the street, a woman stood on the rooftop of another building, silently recording every word.

The next day, Kara and J'onn landed at the Superfriends' base, where Alex and Kelly were already waiting. The moment they stepped inside, Alex turned toward them, her expression tight with expectation.

"Did you find anything at the warehouse?" she asked, hope threading through her voice.

Kara exhaled sharply. "It was empty."

J'onn's brow furrowed. "I was able to pick up Richard Bates's psychic signature—along with dozens of others—but when I tried to connect, there was interference. Something blocked me."

Before anyone could respond, a new voice chimed in from behind them.

"It's because Obsidian is adding Platinum users by the minute," Brainy announced as he strode into the room, his hands buried in his pockets.

Kara turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"The lenses interfere with the brain by using Q-waves, which operate on a frequency similar to Malefic's Martian telepathy," Brainy explained. "Just as you couldn't connect with Mal, J'onn, you can't find those missing people."

J'onn's jaw tightened, frustration simmering beneath his normally composed exterior. But Brainy wasn't finished.

"There is a way," he said, his voice even, calculated. "You can connect with them—using Myriad."

The air in the room grew still. Alex and Kelly exchanged wary glances. Kara stiffened.

"Myriad?" she repeated.

Brainy nodded. "Lena originally intended to use Myriad to disperse her mind-control Q-waves. But if you reverse the process, it will compress the Q-waves in the atmosphere, allowing J'onn to track the missing psychic signatures."

J'onn hesitated. Kara met his gaze, reading the same unease in his expression that she felt twisting in her gut.

"And that wouldn't be dangerous?" she asked.

Brainy held her stare. "Not in your hands."

Kara sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. She hated the idea of using Myriad, but if it was the only way to save those people, what choice did she have?

"Fine," she said. "But I don't like it."

Without another word, she took off into the sky.

The Fortress of Solitude hummed with quiet energy as Kara worked, adjusting Myriad's interface with practiced precision. Holographic projections flickered in the dim chamber, casting eerie blue light across her face. If she could reverse the signal, she could locate the missing people, and they could finally put an end to this nightmare.

She was nearly finished when a voice rang out from behind her.

"You're using Myriad."

Kara spun around. Lena stood in the entrance, her arms crossed, her emerald eyes sharp with accusation.

"Lena? What are you doing here?" Kara asked, barely keeping the frustration from her tone.

Lena stepped forward. "The real question is—what are you doing here, Supergirl?" Her voice was cold, her words deliberately cutting.

Kara clenched her jaw. "People are missing—trapped in Obsidian's VR. I need to find them."

"There are other ways to do that," Lena shot back. "I can think of four off the top of my head. But you—you always do whatever you want, don't you?"

Kara's patience was wearing thin. "What I'm doing is cleaning up your brother's mess."

Lena's eyes darkened. "And do you have proof that Lex is behind this?"

Kara hesitated for a fraction of a second, and Lena seized on it.

"No, I didn't think so," she said bitterly. "You just default to blaming a Luthor. You told me you'd treat me like a villain..."

Kara's hands curled into fists. "If you acted like one," she shot back. "And right now, you're trespassing, Lena. I don't have time for this. Leave."

"I'll leave when you stop using Myriad," Lena said, standing firm.

Kara exhaled sharply. "That's not going to happen."

Lena let out a cold, humorless laugh. "And to think I actually believed you when you said you wanted to fix things." She shook her head. "Guess I should've known better."

"Yeah," Kara muttered. "I guess you're used to being two-faced."

Lena's lips parted slightly as if Kara had finally landed a blow. Then she turned sharply and walked out without another word.

Kara gritted her teeth and turned back to the Myriad console. She was so close—

A deafening roar echoed through the Fortress.

Kara barely had time to react before something massive crashed through the chamber, shaking the entire structure. She flew forward, preparing to engage—

But the alien was faster.

It opened its maw, releasing a pulse of energy that slammed into her like a freight train. Her vision blurred, the world tilting sideways as her strength drained instantly.

She barely registered the cold floor beneath her before everything went black.

At STAR Labs, Barry, Cisco, and Nash were preparing for the first artificial Speed Force test when alarms blared through the facility.

Cecile rushed into the Cortex, pointing at the monitor. "Please tell me one of you knows what that is."

On the screen, news footage showed a monstrous alien creature moving through space, headed toward the sun. Barry's heart stopped.

"Kara," he whispered.

Cisco frowned. "What?"

Barry snapped back to focus. "Nothing. I have to go. Cisco,"

"What about the artificial Speed Force?" Cisco asked.

"We'll deal with it later," Barry said.

Cisco hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. Just don't burn too much speed—we still don't know how much you have left."

Barry ignored him, already tuning into the comms. "J'onn!"

"Barry?" J'onn's voice crackled through. "What's wrong?"

"Where's Kara?"

"The Fortress of Solitude. Why?"

Barry swallowed hard. "That thing on the news—what is it?"

"It's a Sun-Eater," J'onn said grimly.

Barry's stomach dropped. "A what?"

"It's a cosmic predator that absorbs solar energy. If it devours the sun—"

Barry didn't need him to finish.

"We all die," he said.

"I'm going to help Kara," Barry said, already moving.

"Brainy is sending an exo-suit to recharge her," J'onn added.

Barry gritted his teeth. "Are we sure it's safe?"

"It's our only option," J'onn said before cutting the link.

Barry arrived at the Fortress, his lungs burning from the effort. His speed was failing him, but he pushed forward.

Then he saw her.

Kara lay motionless on the ground.

His chest tightened.

"Kara!" He ran to her side, shaking her gently. "Come on, wake up. Please, wake up."

A beat of silence. Then—

Her lashes fluttered. "Barry..."

Relief washed over him. "I'm here."

"You... your speed... you shouldn't be here..." she murmured.

Barry cupped her face. "I don't care about that. I care about you. Are you okay?"

She managed a weak smile—then surprised him by pulling him into a kiss.

Barry stilled. Then he melted into it.

When she pulled back, she whispered, "Does that answer your question?"

Barry exhaled a small laugh. "Yeah. I think it does."

The exo-suit arrived, and Barry helped her into it.

"I need to help J'onn," she said.

"You've already done enough," Kara interrupted gently. "Stay with Alex."

Barry sighed. "Be careful."

Kara smiled, kissed him one last time, and then took off into the sky.

And Barry watched her go, his heart racing—not from speed, but from something far more dangerous.

Something he hadn't let himself feel in a long time.

J'onn hovered in space, his gaze locked onto the monstrous Sun-Eater as he braced himself. The explosive device had failed to detonate at the right moment. He had miscalculated.

"J'onn!"

M'gann's voice rang in his ears a split second before she caught him, stabilizing his tumbling form. He grunted, shaking off the disorientation.

"The bomb—" he started, his eyes darting to the device now drifting helplessly away.

But before it could spiral out of reach, a blur of red and blue streaked through the void, snatching the explosive midair.

"Did someone order a Sun-Eater-sized problem?"

M'gann gasped. "Supergirl!"

Kara floated before them, her golden hair weightless in the vacuum of space. She removed the mask of her exo-suit, flashing them a determined grin.

"We think we can shrink it by detonating the explosive in its core," J'onn explained.

"Good thing this suit comes with extra firepower," Kara said, glancing toward the creature.

Without hesitation, she adjusted the bomb's trajectory, then hurled it straight toward the Sun-Eater.

"Missiles hot!" she called out, activating the launch sequence.

The missiles locked onto the explosive, colliding with it just as the Sun-Eater neared the sun's surface. A blinding explosion burst through space. The force sent shockwaves rippling outward, forcing Kara, J'onn, and M'gann to brace themselves against the impact.

As the smoke cleared, the once-massive Sun-Eater had shrunk back to a much smaller, far less menacing form—no larger than a house cat. It floated, dazed, in the weightlessness of space.

Kara flew toward it, gently scooping the now miniature creature into her arms. It let out a soft, alien chirp, curling against her like a sleepy pet.

"There we go," she murmured, stroking its small, glowing body. "Let's get you back to the Fortress where you belong."

Kara sealed the containment chamber, watching as the baby Sun-Eater settled into the specialized habitat she had prepared.

"Much cuter when it's not trying to consume our solar system," she muttered.

"Yeah," Alex agreed, arms crossed. "And, you know, not threatening to wipe out all life as we know it."

Kara turned toward her. "Did Barry leave?"

Alex smirked knowingly. "Don't worry, Juliet—your Romeo is still here. He's back at the base, keeping watch. If anything goes wrong, he'll let us know."

Kara's cheeks flushed slightly, but she said nothing.

M'gann stepped forward, her expression serious. "We questioned the Morae we captured," she said. "She claims she works for someone called Leviathan."

A heavy silence fell over the room. The name sent a chill down Kara's spine.

Before anyone could respond, two things happened at once.

First, J'onn staggered, pressing a hand to his temple. A low groan escaped him.

At the same time, Barry's voice crackled over the comms. "Alex!"

"Not the best time, Barry," Alex replied, eyes flicking to J'onn in concern.

J'onn winced. "Myriad... the psychic trail... I know where the missing people are," he managed, his voice strained.

Barry's tone turned urgent. "Alex, this is about Lex Luthor."

Alex's expression hardened. "Go," she said to Kara. "J'onn's already on his way."

Kara nodded, determination flashing in her eyes.

"Let's end this."

"Myriad... the psychic trail... I know where those missing people are," J'onn says, and Barry responds to Alex

"It's about Lex Luthor..."

"Go, Supergirl and J'onn are going to the same place."

"Okay,"