“Reed?”
Sue Richards stepped through the doorway onto the balcony. Standing at the rail, looking out over the moonlit waters of the bay, her husband gave no indication that he heard. She moved closer to him, slipping an arm around his waist.
“I looked for you in the lab.” She spoke quietly, sensing his thoughtful mood.
“I needed to get some air and collect my thoughts.” He replied. He looked down at her upturned face and smiled. He bent his head and gently kissed her lips.
“You don’t fool me, Reed Richards.” Sue sighed, pushing him away, though not too far. “You’re worrying about our problem children again.”
“You’re right.” Reed chuckled. He looked back over the waves. “Do you realize the power that we have unleashed? “ He turned and looked at Sue. “It was awesome to begin with when it was just Kara. Now we have two.” He shook his head. “I don’t believe Rogue comprehends, even now, what has happened to her.”
“It’s been over two months.” Sue reminded him. “Kara promised that she would help Rogue get used to her new abilities. They’ve been working out constantly, testing and training.”
“Not for the past week.” Reed corrected. “I talked with Xavier and, according to him, Kara and Rogue have been taking off daily, going somewhere and coming back late.”
“Perhaps this has something to do with it?” Sue held up a card. “An invitation to attend a Stark Industries Press Conference and dinner afterwards.”
“An invitation?” Reed’s neck stretched as his head swung up and around to look over Sue’s shoulder at the card. “Does Tony think that Kara is ready?”
“I imagine Tony had nothing to do with it.” Sue replied in dry tones. “From what I know of Kara, she is strong willed if nothing else. I imagine that she thinks she’s ready.”
“Hmmm.” Reed recognized the warning in Sue’s tones. Sometimes he tended to get a bit chauvinistic and she would instantly set him straight on the matter. “Probably so.” He muttered. He returned to looking back out at the view, his arm tightening around Sue, her head resting on his shoulder.
The Rebirth
“Okay. Now, using a wide focus, play your heat vision over the entire wall. I will follow up with a blast of cold breath.”
“Got it.” Rogue squinted her eyes slightly and let her heat vision go. The ice wall steamed and began to melt until the super cold blast of Kara’s breath froze it in place, forming a solid wall of ice that would, even at room temperature, remain frozen.
“That’s got it!” Kara declared. She spun around and took in their handiwork. For the past week, she and Rogue had been carving out a network of caverns in the glacier. They could, had they wished, completed the work in a matter of hours. Yet they had elected to take their time and use the opportunity to train Rogue in the use of the multitude of new powers now at her disposal. They had trained in the danger room to use the powers in combat, but this gave her the opportunity to use them in non-combat scenarios.
At one point, Kara had simulated a lava flow by melting tons of ice, requiring Rogue to find methods of stopping the flow.
In the danger room, they had both honed their techniques, finding more and more that they worked better as a team than either alone.
“Have you ever thought of joining the X-men?” Jubilee had asked Kara one day.
“I have thought of it.” Kara nodded. “But, for now, I don’t think I belong with the X-men or any of the X Teams.” She had not noticed Rogue’s thoughtful and, somewhat, troubled look.
Now, as she looked around at the nearly completed fortress, she knew that she had been right. Yet now she wondered what to do. She had not been present when Kal had built his Fortress of Solitude and, though she was highly intelligent, she was nowhere near the genius he had been.
“Now what?” Rogue asked, unknowingly echoing Kara’s thoughts. Kara shrugged and explained her problem.
“I know what I would like to have in here. I just don’t know how to go about it.” She concluded.
“Stark Industries.” Rogue blurted after a moment’s thought.
“What?”
“Go talk to Tony Stark.” Rogue insisted. “Tell him what you want and then use part of the money he furnished you to get it.”
“Hmmmm. You’re right.” She started walking towards the exit and stopped when she noticed that Rogue was not following. “You going with me?”
“Nah.” Rogue shook her head, smiling. “It’s your fortress. You go talk to him. I’ll just head on back to the School.”
“Rogue!” Kara crossed over to her and took her hands. “It’s as much your place as it is mine.” She insisted. “You helped carve it out. Now you have to help me furnish it the way we want it.”
“We?” Rogue tilted her head. “I’m an X-man, Kara.”
“OH.” Kara stepped back, obviously crestfallen. “I know.” She said, finally. “I guess I just assumed that you would….” She straightened and smiled. Rogue could see that it was a forced smile. “Nevermind. Of course you want to stay with the X-men.”
Rogue grew thoughtful as she looked at her friend.
“Actually, I am not sure what I want, at this point.” She admitted. She turned and looked around at the work they had done. “You’ve told me your story, Kara. You’ve had these powers all your life.” She turned back and spread her hands. “But this…this is more than I have ever had.” She shook her head. “Ever since I absorbed Carol Danvers’ abilities, I have been strong. But now……Kara, you took me out the other day and we juggled asteroids!” She was gesturing wildly and pacing now. “You showed me that I can survive in the depths of space without a suit. I can fly and run just as fast, if not faster than Silverstreak. And…..and…..” Rogue stopped, exasperated. “The list goes on. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am still getting used to not being a mutant with a bit of strength but a…a…”
“Kryptonian.” Kara finished for her. She stepped up and took Rogue’s face in her hands. “Rogue, since I have been here, you have been the one thing I could latch on to keep my sanity. You became a friend when I needed one. And now…”
For a brief moment Kara hesitated, as if unsure of what to say. Then, on sheer impulse, she leaned forward and let her lips brush lightly against Rogue’s. Rogues eyes widened slightly and then closed as she leaned into the kiss, her mouth parting slightly and her arms moving up to encircle Kara’s waist. After a moment, Kara pushed back, breathing heavily, her eyelids heavy.
“I…I’m sorry.” Her voice was husky. “I don’t know…” She straightened up and smiled weakly. “No, I do know. I’ve felt the attraction for some time.” She turned away. “But I’m not ready for anything like that. I need to make sure I am okay with myself first.”
Rogue stepped close and put a hand on Kara’s shoulder. Her own breathing, she had noticed had calmed, but for a moment, it had been laboring as much as Kara’s.
“Hey girlfriend.” She said. “It’s okay. We’ll take it one step at a time. We both need to.” She blushed and looked down at the floor. “I’ve never even considered another woman in that way before.” She admitted.
“Neither have I.” Kara laughed. “Though there is no taboo against it among Kryptonians. So far as I have seen, that is purely a terrestrial custom.” She turned and took Rogue’s hand in hers. “But for now, until we have both gotten our selves straightened out, it would be best if we thought of each other as sisters.
“Sisters…” Rogue’s eyes welled with tears.
“Sisters.” Kara confirmed. “In fact, I was going to talk to Jenny and see if there is a way that we can officially and legally give you the surname Zor-El.”
“Rogue…..Zor-El?”
“Well, actually Zorel, since that is the way I have my name listed.” Kara laughed.
“You want to…adopt me?” Rogue laughed.
“In a manner of speaking.” Her tone grew harder. “Only if you want and with the understanding that the choice of what you do is still yours.” She hugged Rogue to her. “No matter what you do or where you go we will be sisters.”
Rogue pushed her away, doubling over with laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Kara demanded. For a long moment, Rogue could only laugh. She straightened and, trying hard to control the laughter , turned Kara around and pushed her towards the opening of the caverns they had carved out.
“Let’s go talk to Tony Stark.” She said, between gulps of air. At the entrance she put a hand on Kara’s arm. “But first, let’s go see Jenny. If you want to.”
At the entrance of the fortress, Rogue stopped.
“I just thought of something.” She said, her voice filled with amusement. “If we become sisters now and then decide, later, to allow other things to develop, will it be considered incest?”
Speechless, Kara stooped and gathered a handful of snow and tossed it at the laughing Rouge.
The Rebirth
“I am afraid that Mr. Stark is rather busy at the moment.” the secretary was saying. She looked the two women over, wondering how they had gotten past all the security and other flunkies.
“Oh really?” Rogue turned and, squinting just slightly, activated her x-ray vision. “Actually, he is sitting at his desk and looks a bit bored.” Kara made a mental note to herself to talk to Rogue about the invasion of privacy. The vision abilities were still new enough to her that she used them at every opportunity she could, but still…
As Rogue started to move past her, towards the doors to Tony Stark’s office, the secretary’s jaw dropped.
“Wait a minute, you can’t just…I’ll call security!” She hustled around, trying to put herself between Rogue and the door.
“Rogue. Hold up.” Kara faced the secretary and gave her a stern look. “Listen girlie. You have about two seconds to get on that intercom and tell Tony that Kara…and Rogue… Zorel are here to see him or you can explain to him later why Supergirl decided to disassociate herself from Stark Industries.” She turned to Rogue. “Come on, we’re outta here.” She started towards the outer door, taking her time. She had seen the girl’s face grow pale, confirming her guess that she knew about the upcoming publicity event.
“MR. STARK!” Frantic, she almost yelled into the intercom! “It’s that Supergirl, Sir. Yessir! Ma’am! Miss! Please. He’ll see you. Go right in!”
“Thank you.” Kara said in her sweetest voice as she turned and headed for the door to Tony Stark’s office. She smiled at the secretary, noting the perspiration that had sprung out on her forehead and her shaky hands. She patted the girl on the shoulder. “Next time, make sure you know who your visitors are before going into the protective secretary routine.” She advised. “Oh, and by the way. It’s not ‘that’ Supergirl or ‘the’ Supergirl. It’s just plain Supergirl.”
“Yes ma’am.” The secretary sat back in her chair before she fell.
“Kara!” Tony was coming around from behind his desk, smiling, as Kara and Rogue entered, letting the door close behind them.
“Mr. Stark.” Kara responded as Rogue nodded. “I am afraid there has been a slight change of plans.”
“Oh?” Tony frowned and waved the girls to a couple of chairs as he perched on the corner of the desk. “What kind of changes?”
“First, I have some things that I would like Stark Industries to build for me.” She handed him a folder filled with drawings and descriptions that she had thrown together while she and Rogue were at Jenny’s office. “Basically, I want Stark Industries to furnish my new digs.” Rogue winced at the term.
“Girl, this is the nineties, not the mid-eighties.” She said. “Digs. Ugh.”
“Whatever.” Kara shrugged and smiled. “In any case, Rogue and I have dug” she glanced over at Rouge, “the place out and gotten it ready. Now it needs a power source and the equipment detailed in that folder. I believe that most, if not all of it can be done using the funds you have earmarked for my use.” Tony shrugged that off.
“If not, I’ll just increase the fund.” He glanced through the folder, nodding and whistling at some places. “Pretty impressive. Complete crime lab. Super computer, communications.” He grew silent as he finished looking it over and then sat it on his desk. “I don’t see a problem. Though, from the descriptions you give of your fortress here some changes will have to be made.” He thought for a moment. “Excuse me for a moment.” He picked up the folder and stepped out the door, presumably to talk to the secretary. When he returned he was smiling.
“Kara, please refrain from scaring my secretary.” He chuckled as he resumed his perch on the corner of the desk. “She’s a temp. I finally convinced Mrs. Arbogast to take a well-deserved vacation. In any case, workers and equipment will be on their way to the location noted for deliver within the hour.” He informed them. “I had everything faxed to one of my most trusted people and she assures me that we can do everything requested, and then some.” He crossed his arms and looked at the ladies. “You mentioned changes. What kind of changes? I assume, of course that you were not referring to this Fortress of yours.”
“Your assume correctly, Mr. Stark.”
“Tony, please.”
“Okay, Tony. You assume correctly.” Kara took a deep breath. “I have talked things over with both Rogue here and with Jennifer Walters and have come to the conclusion that, while I may be Supergirl, I am also still a stranger here. A couple of months of training and lessons with Prof. Xavier, no matter how beneficial, will still not tell me all I need to know about this Reality. Therefore, for that reason, and for reasons strictly personal, we have decided that the wisest thing, for the time being, would be for me to be part of a team.”
“You are joining the X-Men?” Tony inquired, looking first at Rogue then back to her.
“Actually, she’s not.” Rogue said. “She has decided to pair up with her new partner.” Rogue’s face was serious.
“But…” Tony was thoroughly confused now. “She doesn’t have a partner!”
“I do now.” Kara laughed, putting her hand on Rogue’s shoulder. Together, the two of them told Tony the entire story.
“So you are just alike now?” Tony was astonished at the tale. “Same powers, everything?”
“Everything.” Rogue confirmed. She hugged herself. Shivering. “You would not believe the difference.” She exclaimed. She looked over at Kara. “I was strong. I could fly. I was damage resistant. But now….” She shook her head. “It’s like I’ve graduated into a whole new class of power.” She leaned forward with her arms still around herself and now resting on her knees. She looked up. “I can do things now that I never dreamed possible. I can, and have over the past month, travel through time. “ She jumped up and walked to a window. “I’ve dove into the heart of the sun and felt hardly a tickle of warmth. I moved a moon of Jupiter out of it’s orbit and then back.”
“God!” Tony breathed, looking now at Kara. “I had no idea you were so powerful!” Kara shrugged.
“One thing I learned in my own…my OLD reality…was that, no matter how powerful a person, there will always be some one even more powerful.” She gestured to Rogue. “What she does not know but will learn, is that it seems that people of our power always seem to attract the attention of powerful enemies. For instance, one of Kal’s greatest enemies was a human with no powers of his own. Lex Luthor was, physically, no different than the average person. But his intelligence made him, at times, more than a match for Kal. I also remember Kal telling me that he once had to fight The Batman. He never wanted to go through that humiliation again.” She smiled. “The Batman had no super powers, yet he was able to use Kal’s own powers against him”
“I have heard of this Batman.” Tony said. Rogue wasn’t listening. Her attention was out the window and down.
“Mr. Stark? Does this window open?” She asked. Kara looked at her sharply, noticed where she was looking, and activated her x-ray vision, standing. At that instant, alarms began sounding.
“Mr. Stark!” The secretary’s frantic voice came over the com unit. “The building is under attack!”
“Security!” Tony punched a button on the com unit. “Code Red. Initiate Lock Down One. After everyone is evacuated, go to Lock Down Two!”
“Affirmative, Mr. Stark.” Was the calm reply. Instantly a steel panel slid out to cover the office entrance.
“Forget it.” Rogue muttered. “I’ll pay for the damned window.” She gave the window a shove and then followed the shards of glass that exploded outwards. Kara leapt through the opening behind her. Tony, seeing the ladies gone, pressed a button beneath his desk and then exited the office through a hidden panel behind his desk.
“What’ve we got, Rogue?” Kara asked as she zoomed downward beside the one time X-Man. They were taking their time descending from the fortieth story office. Rushing into a situation, even for a Supergirl, without sizing it up first, was not smart.
“One bogey.” Was Rogue’s curt reply. “And I recognize her.” She pulled up short, hovering. “Kara, it’s Carol Danvers.”
For a long moment comprehension eluded the Maid of Might.
“OH!” She exclaimed as understanding sank in. “The one whose powers you absorbed?”
“That’s the one.” Rogue shook her head. “The woman has been through so much. And much was due to me. Prof. X told me that while I was unconscious, her original powers returned to her.” She grabbed Kara’s arm. “She’s been slightly unstable ever since I stole her powers. And, from what I understand, she has developed a problem with alcohol.”
Whatever reply Kara might have given was cut-off by a scream of rage below them. Carol had seen them and was streaking up at them.
“I would guess that she is here for me.” Rogue said as, moving together, she and Kara moved higher and out away from the Stark Building.
“YOU!” Carol’s face was twisted with hatred as she dove straight at Rogue, confirming Rogue’s guess. Both she and Kara moved aside, allowing Carol to pass between them.
“How do you want to handle this?” Kara asked as Carol wove unsteadily in an arc that would bring her back on target.
“I don’t know.” Rogue admitted. “I don’t want to hurt her. She just needs help and I wish I could give it to her.” Kara looked at her and then nodded.
“Good sentiments. However, we do have a slight problem. She is drunk and out for blood. Yours in particular.”
There was no time for further discussion as Carol dove at them, hatred twisting her face into a hideous mask.
“Enough of this.” Kara snapped as she and Rogue once again moved out of the way of the reckless charge. “If she doesn’t hurt herself she is going to end up hurting someone else. I’m going to put a stop to this now.” She took off after the erratically flying Carol, catching up to her easily. She took hold of one ankle and curved upwards, easily carried the now squalling Carol into the upper atmosphere.
“You blonde witch!” Carol screeched. “Let me go!” Kara didn’t bothering answering as she continued to climb higher. She kept an eye on Carol as the atmosphere began to grow thinner. When she showed no signs of having breathing problems she decided on another course of action. At that point, she curved downward, still dragging the woman by the ankle. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Rogue trailing her. She picked a deserted stretch of beach and, as she swooped down, dropped the gasping woman to the sand. By the time she landed, Carol had climbed to her hands and knees, head hanging as she vomited the excess liquor from her body. Rogue touched down by Kara, keeping a wary eye on the sick woman.
“You witch.” Carol gasped weakly, her body going through dry heaves. Kara sighed.
“I just saved your butt, Ms. Danvers.” She said, crossing her arms. “But if you really want to put it back in the wringer, you go right ahead.”
“Witch!” Carol screeched. She launched herself again, this time with Kara as the target. Kara grunted as Carol’s shoulder caught her in the midriff, forcing her off her feet. She flipped Carol off and regained her feet.
“Now it’s my turn.” She snarled. She waited as Carol dove again and then, using one hand, swatted her straight into the ground at her feet.
“Do you get the message now?” Kara snapped. “Don’t screw with me, woman. You don’t have what it takes.” She grabbed Carol by the hair, pulling her head up. “And get this through that drunken brain of yours. Rogue doesn’t have your power anymore. She has mine!”
“Who the hell are you?” Carol jerked away, spitting out sand. She glanced over at Rogue, edging away as she took in the bare arms and hands.
“It’s okay, Carol.” Rogue whispered, crouching down. She held her hands up, looking at them herself as she showed them to Carol. “The mutant gene is gone. I can’t absorb anyone else’s powers or memories anymore.” She let the hands drop. “I’m stuck with what I’ve got from now on.”
Carol looked from Rogue to Kara, disbelief plain in her eyes.
“It’s true.” Kara nodded. “She accidentally came into contact with me. What she absorbed from me changed her.” She shrugged and then fixed Carol with a cold stare. “Her powers are exactly like mine, now. You’re out classed in that department, dearie.” She squatted down and put her face within inches of Carol’s. “And if she does not have the experience in using them to be able to put you down, I do.” She drew back as Carol belched. “Phew. You smell like a brewery! Is this what you call being a hero? Is this the kind of example you wish to present? Pah.”
She stood and turned her back on Carol. “Come on, Rogue. Let’s leave this drunk alone with her hatred.”
“Don’t you dare judge me!” Carol screamed at Kara’s back. “You have no idea what I’ve been through.”
“Have you been dead?” Kara spun around, eyes blazing. “Have you been a disembodied spirit for over fifteen years? Have you been forgotten by history? Do your relatives have no idea you ever existed? Have you lost your entire heritage?” She reached down and drug Carol up by the scruff of the neck. “Don’t talk to me about what you have been through, lady.” Still holding onto her, Kara turned to Rogue. “You go finish our talk with Mr. Stark. You know what we want.” She shook Carol. “I’m taking this one some where to sober up.”
“Actually, I think we can handle her from here.”
Kara spun at the metallic sounding voice. There were three of them. One, a man in a golden suit of armor, another dressed in red, white and blue, sporting a round shield with the same colors, and the third…Kara gaped. A student of mythology in school, she had no trouble recognizing the third as Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. It was not the god, however, that stood forth, taking the lead. It was the man in colors of the flag.
“Ironman”, he indicated the man in the armor “has told us about you, Supergirl.” He stepped forward. Carol, obviously embarrassed hung her head, refusing to meet the gazes of any of the men present.
“How…?” Kara began, looking towards Ironman.
“I work for Stark Industries.” Ironman explained. He lifted a hand to indicate his companions. “We’ll get to know each other better later. For now, let me introduce Captain America and Thor.”
“By the All Father thou are fast, girl.” Thor rumbled. “We did trail thee from the Stark building and have only now caught up to thee!”
“Carol was, at one time, part of our team.” Captain America explained. He stepped forward and, taking Carol’s chin in his hand forced her to look at him. “We expelled her from the Avengers because of her drinking problem. Perhaps we erred in not making sure that she received help.”
“An alcoholic with super powers.” Kara shuddered and released her hold on Carol.
Captain America nodded sadly and then turned his attention to Rogue.
“Of course you understand why she hates you.” He asked, his tone saying that he knew the answer already.
“Of course.” Rogue drew herself up and looked him in the eye. “Yet, as we tried to explain to her, I am no longer a mutant. Nor do I have the ability to steal anyone’s abilities or memories any longer.”
“So Tony Stark explained to me.” Ironman spoke up. “He also asked me to pass on a message for him. He will be rather tied up for the rest of the day. He will be contacting you at your fortress within a day or so to go over the final arrangements for the press conference.”
“Okay.” Kara tore her eyes away from the Thunder God and looked at Rogue. “Let’s get out of here.”
Rogue nodded and, bunching her muscles, bounded into the sky. Kara nodded to the Avengers and leapt up after her friend.
“Kara,” Rogue spoke up as they turned and headed north. Kara wanted to be there when the people from Stark Industries started work on the Fortress. “I’ve made up my mind.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah.” She flew closer and laid a hand on Kara’s arm. “I think it is time I left the X-Men. I think you still need help in understanding this Reality and I need some one to help me learn to use these new powers. What do you think?”
“Well, You may be right.” Kara mused. Then she smiled. “Come on. Let’s get home before the moving men get there.” Laughing, the two Super femmes sped through the sky, heading towards the Arctic Circle.