This a series of short stories in which Kara explores the options she has for her life. Where will her choices take her? Anything can happen.  I originally posted this as a “Group Anthology Fan Fiction” on the WB’s Smallville Message Board and invited other authors to submit stories to it.  I have only posted my contributions to that series here.

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“The Many Lives of Kara Zor-El:  Last Daughter of Krypton.”

Twelve year old Kara sat on the end of her bed talking on the portable phone, "A girl has got to keep her options open, you know? I don't know who I should let take me to the dance. Why should I pick anyone? I can go by myself. No. No. Come on. Stop nagging. You're not my mother, you know! .... Sorry. I just am tired of all these decisions. Look, I should be doing my homework. We'll talk tomorrow. OK? Bye."

Kara walked downstairs, made a circle through the living room, walked through the kitchen, looked in the refrigerator, picked a piece of chicken out of a casserole and left the house through the kitchen door. Wandering to the barn, she handed her favorite horse some hay and ran her hand through his mane. Soon, she walked to an empty stall and flipped a concealed lever. A doorway opened. She stared into the dark doorway and at the spiral staircase in the shadows. The lights came on and the door shut behind her as she headed down the stairs with a single finger tracing a path on the stair rail as she descended. Far below the barn, she arrived at a corridor which she followed past the room where they stored the Christmas ornaments and out of season clothing. She paused briefly to try on one of her mother's hats before heading on to her father's laboratory. Anyone born on this planet entering the lab would think that they had stepped into the distant future, but this was actually a remnant of the past -- the dead past. It was a past that now only existed in the memories of the last 4 Kryptonians.

Kara took a seat next to what looked like a tanning bed. She fiddled with the back of the chair which wouldn't stay in place. It was an office chair from a clearance sale at the local second-hand shop -- totally out of place in this room.

Kara felt so tired: Tired of making decisions; Tired of all that was expected of her by her friends and family and her teachers. She may appear to be a girl with nothing to fear, but like anyone else, she had fears that constrained and controlled her. She was afraid of being wrong, of doing wrong, of hurting someone by action or inaction or wrong action or lack of control, of disappointing her parents, of being alone, of being embarrassed and of being so totally different from everyone else in the entire world. Maybe she should just lie down and make her decisions and her life a little easier. "I’ll do it," she said as she slid onto the bed of the possibilities machine. She closed her eyes, the room's lights dim. Her mind became connected telepathically to "the bank."

The bank contains all of the recorded knowledge of two worlds and many things no man or Kryptonian knew or ever would know. Big Brother isn't watching, but the bank of knowledge is -- watching, listening, exploring, collating. The bank is tapped into the communications networks. Satellites hidden from the eyes of the world monitor everything that goes on in great detail. If a tree falls, the bank knows. If a pebble is thrown into an ocean, the bank could, upon request determine all the possible ramifications of that event. The world's history for the next decade could be recited by the bank with very little deviation from how events will actually play out. Zor-El used the machine only in the case of dire emergencies. He believed in self-determination despite his machine's incredible ability to predict his every move. This machine was the product of 3 generations of El family scientists -- and there was much of the creators’ essence in the creation.

Kara could direct the machine to show her a portion of her future life based on the decisions she intended to make. She could change her plan of action and her future history would shift to show the impact of her choices.

Should she be a cheerleader? Should she keep to herself and try to live invisibly? Should she reveal who she really is to the world? Should she get her Dad's piece of Gold Kryptonite from the vault so she could live a normal life? Who should she date? Should she learn a profession? Should she leave the super-heroics to her cousin? Should she marry? The images swirled about as she started to make choices.


The End of the Beginning.

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“READY FOR LOVE”

As a young woman's thoughts turned to love ... there she was seated in a private room in a fine Metropolis eatery with her boyfriend Lucas. Side by side in a room filled with hundreds of candles.

Lucas asked, “But why not? You are 18 by Earth standards and much more mature than any woman of 30 that I've ever known. Is it that you don't trust me?”

Kara said, “You know I trust you. I've shared my every secret with you. I've bared my soul to you.”

Lucas smiled and said, “But you have other things I would love for you to bare for me.”

Kara said, “Julian! Please stop that. I'm not ready yet, but it won't be much longer. I just have to think about it a little more.”

Lucas asked, “What's to think about? Thinking has nothing to do with it. Thinking gets in the way.”

Kara said, “You promised to be patient with me!”

Lucas said, “I didn't know it would be this hard. You are so incredibly extraordinary that I can't think of anyone or anything else. Why don't you just give up a little bit of control and let me decide what's best.”

Kara said, “Yeah, right!”

Lucas asked, “What does that mean.”

Kara answered, “I HAVE to be in control. Always. It's vital. And you. You need a leash!”

Lucas said, “Sounds good to me. Ruff, ruff.”

Kara said, “No really. I tell you about the machine in my Dad's lab and you want to use it to play the stock market. I tell you I can see through solid rock and you want to go gold hunting. Geeze! It's not like you're not one of the richest men in the world!”

Lucas said, “You know that's not true. It's my Father's money, and after him, my brother. Then there is the trust fund. It's all about you, Baby. You know it is. I want to be married to you so badly but how can I go to your Father empty handed. How could I?”

Kara said, “My Father will see how much we love each other. He would do anything for the sake of my happiness ... and my happiness doesn't have anything to do with money.”

Lucas said, “Well, we mere mortals do have use for it now and again.”

Kara said, “HEY! Watch it or you can take me home right now.”

Lucas looked at watch and said, “Well, not right now. How about a movie? We can go to the studio and see something that won't be released for a few weeks.”

Kara said, “Let me think about it over desert.”

The real Kara lying on the bed in the lab saw the image blur then shift to her home.  She saw her mother, Laura Elton receiving a package from a private courier service.

After signing for the package, Laura noticed that the box was from her favorite clothing store. She knew she hadn't ordered anything and resisted the urge to peak inside with her X-ray vision. She opened the envelope that came with the package and found a printed card inside that said, "Kara will be home late tonight, so I picked up a little something for you to wear for me. Please have it on when I get home. Doctor's orders. Zoar." She opened the package and it was filled with tissue paper and a jewelry box from Metropolis's finest jewelry store. She opened it. Inside is an elegant gold necklace. Just then, Zoar's car pulled in the driveway. She put on the necklace and opened the door. As Zor-El stepped onto the porch, she raced out and prepared to give him the most passionate embrace of his life. Zor-El was surprised, but so was Laura. She wondered why it took 2 seconds to get to Zoar and why did it feel like hitting a brick wall when she ran into him? Before any words could be exchanged, the delivery truck returned and pulled up the driveway.

The image shifted back to the couple at the restaurant. Julian got a call on his cell phone.

Lucas said, “Sorry, Kara. I told them not to call me unless it was an absolute emergency.”  Lucas flipped open his phone and said, “This had better be good. WHAT! That package has to be in Hong Kong within the hour. It was supposed to be sent out 2 weeks ago. You know what this is going to cost? You better start thinking where you are going to find your next job because I can guarantee it won't be in these United States!”

Kara said, “I'll take it.”

Lucas asked, “What?”

Kara said, “I'll get the package and take it where you want it to go. Kara-Ex, when it absolutely, positively needs to be on the other side of the world in 10 minutes or less.”

Lucas said, “You're kidding!”

Kara answered, “Not at all. Dinner was on you. The delivery is on me.”

Lucas said, “You are a life saver! Literally!”  He turned and spoke into the cell phone saying, “You're life has been spared. Within 5 minutes the most gorgeous woman you have ever seen will meet you at loading dock 7. Have the package there.”  Lucas hung up, wrote the pick-up and delivery information down on a silk napkin and handed the napkin to Kara.  He said, “I owe you big time. Make the delivery, get a receipt and meet me at my office.  We'll go anywhere you want from there. I don't get around as fast as you, so please wait for me if I am not there by the time you get back.”

Kara said, “Will do.”  The couple shared a lingering kiss then Kara left.  Lucas grinned and left as well.

An hour and a half later, Kara was waiting impatiently at Lucas's office when the phone rang. After the answering machine picked up and the taped message played, Kara heard Lucas's voice say, "Kara, are you there? Pick up please."

Kara picked up the phone and said, “Where are you? I've been waiting for over an hour!”

Lucas said, “You are needed at home.” and hung up.

Kara said, “What the ...?”  Almost immediately, she was standing in her living room. Her parents were bound and gagged. Armed men were standing with guns aimed at her parents. Lucas stood with a gun aimed at her mother's head.  Kara asked, “What is going on?”

Lucas said, “Don't make a move or your parents die.”

Kara involuntarily burst out laughing then said, "Mom, Dad. You don't have to pretend. I am real sorry but I love ... loved….”   Kara sniffled a bit then continued, “… this man and I told him everything. He probably told these other guys too." Kara made a single step forward. Julian shifted his gun and blew a hole in Zoar's leg.

Lucas said, “So glad you told me about Gold Kryptonite, Honey. I'm not nearly as nervous around your Dad as I used to be.”  Kara was shocked in disbelief and her head was spinning.  Lucas said, “LOOK, I only did this for US -- for YOU! You are so hung up on control and responsibilities and rules. You are young and powerful. You should have some fun. And I should have the fun you have been denying me too. I've got a little present for you. It's a ring. No, it’s not a diamond ring. Not just yet. It's got a special red stone in it. If you told me right -- and I know you don't lie to me, as soon as you put that ring on, you won't care about these two. Your inhibitions will be gone and we can start enjoying a life you can't begin to imagine. It's on the coffee table. Put it on … NOW! Or your Mother is a goner.”

Zoar struggled with the ropes binding him. He was trying to tell his daughter something. He was not thinking of the pain in his leg, but of a pain in his heart. Kara walked slowly to the coffee table and put on the ring. Soon she lifted her head and began to smile, then chuckled. Julian motioned for his men to keep their guns trained on Kara's parents as he walked to Kara with his arms open.

Lucas said, “Come to me, Baby. Everything's all better now.”

They embraced.  Lucas smiled but then he struggled to say, "Too tight, way too tight!" Looking over Julian’s shoulder, Kara shot beams of heat vision at Julian's men and they evaporate. She lets Lucas's crushed body fall to the carpet.

Kara said to her parents, “You know he was right. I don't care at all. Not about anyone or anything -- at least not about anyone other than myself. Maybe I'll pay Clark a little visit after I take a hot shower and put on something skimpy.  See you later Mom and Dad. Well, maybe not you Dad.”  She chucked and added, “There’s no time for me to stop and untie you now … and you are bleeding pretty badly.” Kara casually headed upstairs to her room.

In the laboratory, Kara broke mental contact with the Bank.  Convulsing and crying, she rolled out of the bed and onto the laboratory floor. She turned her head to look through the walls and ground beyond them to see if she can get a glimpse of her Father and Mother. It was too real. She must be sure that it wasn't real.

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Stories by other authors explored her using Gold Kryptonite to remove her powers so she could have a normal life.  She found that she was still driven to help others but not effective at it.

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“The Latest Model”

Kara got up and dusted herself off. What had she learned so far? She knew now that she helped people because it was in her nature to do so. Without her powers, she wouldn't be as effective helping people and may be in need of help herself.

She now knew what it felt like to love and trust ... and be betrayed. She decided not to ever trust anyone again. It wasn't safe to trust people ... but deciding that, her tears began to flow again. How could she live that way? No. She wouldn't let people change her. She would put her heart on the line again even if it meant being hurt, but she wouldn't put her family at risk again. If it meant she had to hold back a part of herself from someone she loved, then so be it. But then she considered her dilemma.  She thought, “If someone loves you -- but he loves the "you" that you show him, does he love the "real you” or the fake person you show him?” It was too much for her to wrestle with. She was scared to connect to the machine again, but she wanted to see something good and find a path that she could follow with confidence. She laid back down but remained conscious of the lab and started to talk out loud to the bank. "I have put my trust in you. You have more knowledge than any man or machine, but I ask also for your compassion. I have seen things today that have upset me. You might understand the psychology and the chemistry of what I felt, but you can't know about what I felt unless you experienced it yourself. I know this isn't proper procedure to talk to you like this, but please, PLEASE, pull me away from anymore situations where people I love get hurt. I will know when the images stop that something bad was about to happen. I'll come back and explore those options some other day, but not today. So please, be gentle. Thank you."

As she relaxed and the lab faded from consciousness, she imagined she heard a voice say, "I'll be here for you, my love," and she felt a soft brush of air on her cheek dry the last of her tears.

Now she was going to school, walking home with a friend, doing the dishes, living a normal life. This vision seemed like a dream where you just go about your normal business. Nothing special seemed to happen. Days passed. She felt rested. But something seemed different. At times, the hairs on the back of her neck seemed to stand up. This was her world -- nothing out of the ordinary. But she finally realized that there was a boy that watched her, a boy she didn't know. He was kind of ordinary, very quiet, always there but always beyond her reach. She was used to boys watching her, but this somehow felt different. She asked her friends about him, but no one seemed to know who he was or anything about him. Somehow she never felt the urge to use her powers to investigate him or track him down. Not many things threatened Kara. Not many things could. But this boy never seemed to be a threat in any way. It didn't feel like he was stalking her or meant her any harm. In fact, she started sometimes to have a panicky feeling when the thought struck her that he might not be around -- watching her. She shared everything with her father, but not this. He would be silly and worry.

Years passed. Something strange dawned on Kara. Her friends grew taller, older. The boy didn't seem to ever change. Then one summer, he wasn't to be seen. She became aware of someone else -- someone else watching her. Then she turned suddenly and made eye contact from across the schoolyard. He knew she had seen him watching her and he smiled an embarrassed grin. Without any conscious control she smiled back and realized that this was her friend again.  He was taller and a little more awkward, but it was him.  She thought that he must have grown a lot over the summer. She felt watched over again -- protected, comfortable and comforted. She wondered, if she decided to continue to use her powers to help people, would she make other people feel as warm and as protected as her silent friend made her feel.

The years passed and her shadow continued to be somewhere nearby most of the time.  But, every few years, he would disappear for a period of time and show up looking older, more mature.

Then the day came when they met. She was 24. She had been known as Supergirl for sometime and was trying to get the world to accept her as "Super Woman" or just "Kara." She was tired of the "Girl" label. Someone had pressed the silent alarm at a tanning salon. A quick glance with combined telescopic and X-ray vision showed that a robbery was in progress. A man with an oozy was holding the clerk and patrons at bay. She was there in costume immediately. She entered the store and ordered the man to put down his weapon. He smiled confidently at her -- too confidently. She thought, “Doesn't he know who he was dealing with?” As the man started to pull the trigger, from out of nowhere, a figure pushed her aside. She was knocked to the floor. She looked up to see who could have possibly been able to knock her over. It was her watcher looking down at her. The gunman fired -- riddling her silent friend with bullets. He fell to the floor like a dead weight. WHY? Didn't he know that the bullets couldn't hurt her? She felt pain when she tried to get to her feet. She noticed that she had scratched her arm in the fall. The man with the oozy turned his gun on her. Then the lights went out -- the red, glowing lights of the salon. The bullets flew but they bounced off her. She looked and the scratch had healed. She quickly melted the oozy with her heat vision and a flick of her finger knocked the gunman unconscious. She turned to see a man standing at the circuit breaker box watching her -- the same man who was also lying on the floor riddled with bullets. She looked at the man on the floor and noticed that there was no blood. She used her x-ray and microscopic vision and saw that the man's cells were tiny mechanical replicas of living cells. She heard a voice from where the man was standing at the circuit box say, "I'll be here for you always, Kara, my Love." She turned but the man was gone. She knelt by the body and watched it dissolve to particles the size of dust. She laid down on the floor of the shop and curled up and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was in the Father's laboratory.

[Explanation for those who want one:  The Bank had never had anyone challenge it to be empathetic and have feelings before Kara had her little talk with it.  It got to know Kara (what she was and what she could become) and came to love her, so he build himself a body (eventually several bodies) in Zor-El's lab and became her guardian. The bodies were basically disposable as the physical mind for the bodies was contained in Zor-El's lab. He took Kara's advice and tried to experience life (but in a limited way) rather than just record and collate information.]

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“Back Story”

The Bank had a history. Jor-El and Zor-El’s grandfather was suspicious of government and their ability to put a spin on the information that was available through the computer network. He started tinkering with a computer that would verify any input, track it to its source and check its validity. Krypton’s Planetary Council had at their disposal technology to limit what anyone’s personal computer had access to, so the first version of the Bank didn’t have the “eyes and ears” of Zor’s latest version. Jor-El wanted the least limited source of data, so he used the global computer system - Brainiac. Zor inherited the Bank and made enhancements to it over the years.

When Zor-El married Alura, he became concerned about the future. He had never cared about anything outside of the laboratory, but Alura chose him and made him her personal project. She had used any and all means at her disposal - and she was a woman of considerable means, to turn his attention fully to her. She rarely failed at anything she put her mind to and Zor was an inexperienced push over for her. Laura opened up Zor’s life in a way he could never have thought possible. He couldn’t imagine how he had lived before her. What he had considered important before was now less than trivial to him. For the first time in his life, Zor looked at how richly blessed he was - and on how much he had to lose. So, he went to the bank and laid down on the bed to find out how to keep his wife safe from all possible harm.

What he saw was unsettling. Krypton’s cities were being leveled by massive earthquakes. Poisons were being released into the environment. From the limited predictions that the Bank could make at that time, Zor could tell that Krypton was facing major geological upheavals. Zor directed the Bank to seek out the most stable, self-sustaining location on Krypton. The bank found that Argo City was built directly above a huge mass of dense rock. The rock was so nearly impenetrable that the typical practice of making shafts to the planet’s core for heat and power was impractical. This made life in Argo City a little more expensive, a little more difficult. The people who lived there worked harder than most Kryptonians and enjoyed less of life’s frills. Those of noble birth like Zor and Alura shied away from Argo City. Against Alura’s protests, Zor-El insisted that they move there.

After re-locating to Argo City, Alura was shocked when Zor concentrated on building friendships with the locals. He had never been a social animal. He was more of an elitist who preferred his own company. Now he had applied himself to become the personal savior to everyone who needed help of any kind. He was awkward at first and his motives were neither pure nor altruistic. But the more he opened his heart to others, the more Zor lost his self-centeredness. Alura would occasionally get the help of a few of Zor’s new friends to tackle him and physically force him to stop and eat something. He would sometimes cut or bruise himself and not notice because he was so involved helping a stranger in need. Alura had married this man for his breeding, his achievements and his potential, but she had no clue that he had THIS potential. At first she thought he had lost his mind, but before long she became swept up in what Zor was doing without understanding why he was doing it.  Then something totally unexpected happened.  She had married for Zor for “all the right reasons,” but now she fell head over heals in love with the man he had become.

Soon Zor was head of Argo City Council. It seemed natural to everyone that he would lead the city. The election was pointless. The rest of the Council was there simply to help him implement whatever he might want to do. There was talk on sending Zor to sit on the Planetary Council, but he would hear of it. Argo City was his world.

Soon Zor proposed the building of a dome to shelter the city and surrounding countryside. If necessary, he would put his considerable personal fortune behind the effort. Even though the people were known for their logic, they didn’t even ask why such a structure would be necessary. If Zor wanted it, that was good enough. The fact that Zor himself would design the dome and supervise its construction thrilled the people. Many had considered the Planetary Council’s offer to relocate the city's inhabitants to more habitable locations, but now there was a new pride in the community.

Soon huge supports were being constructed in the countryside on all sides of the town. Some noted that the supports appeared to be placed at random. The structure wasn’t uniform at all. Sometimes, Zor would not build on a rock outcropping but would excavate hundreds of feet deep into marshy soil to anchor his supports. The design seemed to have no logic. The citizens had no idea that the Bank had predicted which rocks would give way in a quake and which areas would remain undisturbed. The structure had a higher logic and purpose than even Zor fully realized.

Soon Zor had crews paving huge areas of the city. Sometimes the pavement would then be buried to restore the landscaping to a softer look. The residents used vehicles that hovered and required no paving so some questioned the work being done. Still the questioning was not out of suspicion and mistrust, but out of curiosity about the wondrous make-over their city was getting. Zor explained that the interlocking composite tile absorbed the Sun’s heat during the day and gently radiated it back into the city at night. This, in fact, was true, but it didn’t explain why the locations chosen to be paved were not optimal for solar collection. And it didn’t explain why the lower layer of the composite was made of lead. The city got a new water purification system as well as an air purification system.

Everybody had a part in the construction process. The city acted as one big loving family. This insulated Argo City from the fact that they became the butt of many jokes throughout the world. The comedian JaLen-Oh seemed to have found an endless source of humor in Zor-El, but Argo City loved him. When the work was completed, only Kryptonopolis could outshine Argo City as an architectural wonder of the world.

Zor thought that he couldn’t be happier then Alura announced that she was pregnant. Zor could barely control himself. How could any heart be strong enough to contain all the love he was feeling? Again, he counted his blessings, but again, the voice in his head said, “Look at all you have to lose.” Alura followed as Zor marched into his lab and over to the bed of the Bank. She shouted, “DON’T YOU DARE tell me what sex our baby will be!” He promised not to and laid down on the couch. In less than a minute, his eyes opened wide and the color drained from his face. The next day, he resigned from City Council. He would only say that it was for the greater good of Argo City that he return to his work in the Lab.

Zor called his brother Jor-El and asked about the possibility of sending a small craft to another planet with a phantom zone projector in order to evacuate the planet. Jor-El informed him that he was far ahead of him on that. The rocket was built and tested but the fools on the Planetary Council had denied him or anyone else access to the phantom zone technology or information about it. Jor then implied that if Zor had taken a post on the Planetary Council when he had the chance, things might have been different for everybody.

Zor began working night and day to develop a “Survival Zone” projector. He would mount a full scale version at the peak of the dome and send the entire city into the zone if the events the Bank predicted came to pass. He knew he was close to making his prototype work but it was taking too long. He wasn’t sure how long he had. He had never broken the law before, but now he asked the Bank to do something illegal. He asked it to tap into Brainiac for the information necessary for his to complete the projector. Soon, Jor called in a huff to inform Zor that Brainiac had reported an intrusion by the Bank. The Planetary Council had ordered the Bank seized so they could determine what information had been accessed. Jor said, “You may be getting information on the Phantom Zone first hand - while you are living there." When the call came in, Zor had almost finished modifying his prototype using the information that the Bank had stolen for him. He was confident he could make the projector fully functional within the hour.

Meanwhile, Alura had finished some work on the baby’s room. She had .assembled a day bed in the room. She wanted a place she could stay with the baby on if it got restless – so Zor’s rare periods of sleep wouldn’t be disturbed. She hoped baby Isra would love the room - or “Kara,” if the baby is a girl. The work had tired Laura so she went through the door into the adjoining master bedroom, took off her slippers and crawled into bed. Soon she was sleeping and having a strange dream. The room was glowing with a warm, intense light. Someone was smiling down at her. She couldn’t tell if this was a man or a woman but this person of light was just so unbelievably beautiful. The person was talking or singing. The sounds this being made were beautiful but she couldn’t understand a single word. She closed her eyes and felt a hand on her abdomen and then there was a gentle kiss where the hand had been. She mumbled, “Oh Zor, you are such a sweet and gentle man!” She felt herself being lifted and carried. It felt like when her father had carried her to bed when she had fallen asleep in the living room. Soon she was being gently tucked into bed. She mumbled, “Thanks Daddy, I’ll go to bed earlier tomorrow. I promise.” As she heard the door to the master bedroom close, she curled up in the small bed and dreamed of Isra and Kara. They were playing and arguing about who would be born first.

In the lab, the last piece was put into place in the Survival Zone Projector. Zor placed a small object on the table in front of him, stood back and pressed the button on the projector. There was a blinding blue light. Zor winced from the light’s intensity. When he opened his eyes, half of his laboratory was missing including the Bank. He looked around and noticed that many chemical containers and feed lines were severed cleanly leaving the chemicals to spill out and mix on the floor. A power cell was sparking. Zor had a sudden impulse and dove for cover. The lab exploded taking half the house with it. Zor pushed debris off of himself and stood up. He looked around and shouted “ALURA!” He made his way into the main house and ran frantically from room to room. He entered the master bedroom. The bed was a cinder covered with a fallen ceiling beam and debris from the collapsed roof. Untouched by the bed were his wife’s slippers, placed exactly where she always put them before getting into bed. He shouted, “NO!” He fell to his knees and became to convulse and sob. Then behind him he heard a voice say, “It’s OK Zor, we can rebuild the house. What happened?” He sprang to his feet, hugged Alura and continued to cry saying, “Thank merciful Rao that you weren’t in here when the lab exploded." Disoriented, Laura said, “I thought I was. … When we rebuild, let’s put the lab in a separate building. OK?” She could feel his head nodding yes against her shoulder but he didn’t say another word.

Authorities decided that the lab accident was a freak mishap. They were satisfied that the Bank was destroyed in the explosion - and with it, any information it may have taken from Brainiac. They also took Zor’s word that the Bank was acting on its own initiative when it tapped into Brainiac.

Meanwhile, alone in the Survival Zone, the Bank was “happy.” From here, it could see everything -- so much to see, so much to learn. The universe was now an open book.

=====

“Alura’s Song”

Alura, lura, lura
Alura, lura, li
Alura, Zor-El's wife
Was Krypton's cutie pie.

Alura, lura, lura
Alura, lura, lay
Kara got her good looks
From Alura's DNA.

[Hmmmm.  Where did that come from?]

======

“Four of a Kind”


Kara fell back on the bed not intending to use the bank again, but her mind wandered and before she knew it she was someplace else. And there was pain! How could she feel this much pain? There was a bright light and she was lying down. "Push, PUSH" someone shouted, "There you go! I think you're finished now. Even though the sonogram wouldn't work I knew you were way too big to have just one or two in there. But I didn't expect 4 babies! Now, Kara, we'll need you to use your heat vision to cut the umbilical cord." Kara looked to see nurses holding 4 pale green newborns. She fainted.


[Additional commentary: This confirms the rumor that Supergirl and Brainiac 5 were more than just friends. I wonder if she'll name them Brainiac 6, Brainiac 7, Brainiac 8 and Brainiac 9?  Personally, I think 7 of 9 is the cutest. The father really has some excuse for not helping out with the kids -- he won't be born until the 23rd Century (I think?).]

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“End Game”

Kara rolled off the bed of the bank, shook her head to bring herself fully conscious.
She said, "I declare this experiment CONCLUDED!" And she ran out of the lab, up the stairs, out through the secret door, through the barn and across the yard hoping she hadn't missed dinner.


THE END


[Or is Kara still on the bed, trapped in her unconscious by the Bank while thinking she is having dinner?]