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Kara was frustrated after they failed to stop Nyxly. It seems like she can never catch a break. After the phantom zone, she could barely adjust to being back in National City and then so many things happened that didn't let her address her trauma and her feelings. Then, Nyxly appeared to wreak havoc and bring back bad memories. Worst of all, Lena has been on a trip since before Nyxly showed up. Now Kara and Brainy are at The Tower trying to figure out how to find the so-called Totems before Nyxly.
"I wish Mxy's song had given us just a little bit more info, like, I don't know, where to even start looking for the Totems."
Kara's frustration dissipated as soon as the elevator doors opened and Lena walked in. She could barely contain her excitement. "Lena, you're back! How was Newfoundland?" She went in for a hug as she asked the question.
Lena was vague in her answer but her smile showed she was happy to be back and asked to be brought up to speed.
Brainy then explained, "We're in a race against a vengeful Fifth Dimensional Imp named Nyxly to find seven Totems before she can use them to wipe us out of existence."
Lena was fairly unfazed, at this point just accepting things as they come and moving on to help solve them. Kara asked her to come to the Fortress with her to look for information.
"Have portal, will travel," Lena responded and was happy to get to spend time with Kara again.
Dang portal, I could've carried her - Kara's intrusive thoughts seem to be more salient when Lena's around. She tried not to let her disappointment show and they both headed to the Fortress.
At the Fortress they speak to Vita, the hologram of one of the Kryptonian witches. Lena voices her thoughts about magic and witches, specifically how there must be scientific logic to it all.
Vita explains the rules for seeking and activating the Totems. She mentions the order of the Totems, with the courage one being first, then explains that to activate the Totem one must speak the word "Cgyrzyx" and pass a test of character which will be unpleasant and take a deep emotional toll.
[At the Museum of Science and Technology]
Dr. Lahr, a scientist working on a project to harness lightning, is informed that her funding has been terminated. She becomes mad and frustrated because her ex-partner took the plans for the project.
Meanwhile, Mitch tells Nyxly that the Courage Totem is at the Museum and Nyxly starts plotting.
[Back at the Tower]
The Superfriends are on a mission to locate the Courage Totem, but despite narrowing down the potential artifacts, there are still too many possibilities for them to investigate and they just don't have the time. However, facial recognition catches a hit on Nyxly at the Museum of Science and Technology, and all the Superfriends head over.
[At the Museum]
Nyxly grabs the Courage Totem but the Superfriends cut her off.
"Nyxly, hand the Totem over." Says Supergirl in a stern voice.
Nyxly giggles, "No. This one's mine. Better luck next time." However, seeing that she is surrounded she opts to try to activate the Totem by speaking the word.
Supergirl thinks fast and splits the Totem in two with her x-ray vision to try to stop Nyxly from activating it. When she does that, blue energy irradiates from the totem and hits everyone around including Nia, Brainy, J'onn, Alex, Lena, and Dr. Lahr.
Before Supergirl can catch Nyxly, Mitch teleports Nyxly away with one-half of the Totem. The remaining half is left behind, and Supergirl quickly grabs it.
[At the Tower]
The Superfriends examine their half of the Totem, and while trying to talk to Vita for information, she possesses Brainy. Vita explains through Brainy that breaking the Totem unleashed its magic and that everyone who was there will be given a boost of raw, unfiltered courage.
Kara tells Nia that although none of the Superfriends appear to have been affected, they need to monitor the situation just to be safe. Vita then explains that to reverse the effects, Kara must gain control of her half of the Totem. Once she does, the other half will be drawn to it, and the magic will be neutralized when the Totem is whole again. To achieve this, Vita reiterates that Kara must pass the gauntlet alone and pay a terrible emotional price.
"So I have to pass my gauntlet before Nyxly passes hers," Kara says with some apprehension.
"It will not be easy. If you fail, the Totem's erratic magic will surge in everyone who was near the Totem when it broke." Vita speaks matter-factly with a devilish giggle to it.
Lena is able to stop Vita from possessing Brainy and goes to work on a solution so it doesn't happen again. The rest of the Superfriends work on finding Nyxly and Kara goes to the training room to try to pass the gauntlet.
"Cgyrzyx."
"Face your past... Face yourself... Face a moment you lacked true courage," the Totem spoke before sending her into a memory.
***
Kara finds herself in a jet wearing a blue turtleneck, a wine-red jacket, some slacks, and her glasses. "Oh no." She realizes she's in Lena's private jet right after Kaznia after she couldn't tell her she was Supergirl. Lena comes in from the cockpit and starts speaking, the same as she did that night.
"I'm so sorry I left you alone back there. Put you in danger," Lena said with guilt in her eyes.
Kara just hesitated and didn't say anything. Her mind went blank all of a sudden. Lena continued.
"When I saw Eve, I just saw red. Shot me right back to the initial betrayal. I ... wasn't thinking clearly," Lena was being so honest with her and Kara hated replaying this moment even if they were in a better place now. But this is a test and she knows what she has to do.
"Lena, it's okay. You've been hurt and betrayed so many times, you don't have to explain yourself to me. You wouldn't even be upset about leaving me behind if you knew..." Even at the brink of telling her, Kara hesitated and all the bad memories from their fallout came to her mind. She didn't have time to think about them too much though since Lena spoke again, clearly frustrated.
"Kara! Please! I'm trying to apologize to you. How could you tell me to not worry about you, you are my best friend, the closest relationship I have in my life and I care about you. That explosion could've killed you! I don't let my guard down ever. And I did with Eve and she betrayed me. I let her in and she lied to me. Every day. To my face. About who she was. And that's what hurts. I ..." Kara couldn't take any more of this, she cut Lena off.
"Lena there's something I need to tell you," her voice trembled.
Lena slowly turned around to face her friend and look at her with a puzzled look.
*Sigh* There's no turning back. "Lena," Kara takes her glasses off and poses with her arms on her hips. "I'm Supergirl, I've always been Supergirl."
***
Kara is back at the Tower. She hated going through that but was sure this would activate the Totem and give her control of it.
"You have failed," the Totem announced and a surge of energy emanated from it. All those affected receive a boost of raw and unfiltered courage.
_____
Dr. Lahr confronts her ex-partner at a coffee shop in the Museum and asks for the plans to finish the plasma ionizer to harness lightning. The ex-partner says no and emphasizes that the project is too dangerous.
_________________
Then, Nyxly attempts to pass her gauntlet and ultimately fails, giving those affected even more courage.
________________
A lizard turns into a dragon and starts wreaking havoc at the coffee shop. Brainy, Alex, J'onn, and Supergirl arrive to try to control the scene and keep everyone safe. Alex goes headfirst to fight the dragon and J'onn encourages her instead of helping. Supergirl is frustrated and doesn't understand why Alex is being so reckless and J'onn is just talking instead of acting.
Meanwhile, Dr. Lahr steals the plans for the project, and Brainy tries to control the public.
[Back at the Tower]
Lena explains to Kara that there was Fifth Dimensional energy at the coffee shop, and they deduce it's from the Totem and the failed attempts to pass the gauntlet. Lena grabs Kara by the shoulders and, while looking her up and down, asks with worry in her voice, "Are you okay?"
Kara, slightly flustered by the action, assures Lena, "I'm fine, I'm more worried about what the heck happened out there." They move to the table in the main room. "Everyone there must've been affected, including some of you."
Lena can't stop looking at Kara.
Damn, she's so hot in her Supergirl outfit. Wait, what? Oh no. The Totem. The Courage. Pull it together, Luthor. You can't allow this to mess up your friendship with Kara.
"So what if we were affected? I mean, how bad can overly courageous superheroes really be?" Alex spoke up with a positivity that's unlike her.
Kara was frustrated. "Alex, you ran into the dragon's fire."
"Alex is such a courageous hero," J'onn patted her on the back with a proud look on his face.
Kara looks at them in disbelief. "Yeah, who's usually a class-A, glass-half-shattered realist, and look at her now."
Lena is half paying attention, half not. Hmm she's so cute when she gets frustrated... Stop. Keep it under control, geez.
"The Totem must've given her the courage to be dangerously optimistic. And you encouraged her!" Kara said, pointing a finger at J'onn.
"I'm just so impressed by her initiative. I have to say, I'm impressed by all of you. You're inspirations, each and every one of you. How you handle yourselves, you make me feel...." J'onn stops himself. "Oh. I see."
"Yeah, having the courage to openly express your feelings is hurting your ability to make quick decisions," Kara states. Now she looks at Lena. "At least you and Brainy seem to be okay."
Lena just nods, even though she's melting under Kara's gaze, and all she wants to do is close the distance between them and kiss her. Her urges are interrupted by Brainy coming up the elevator.
"I can't wake Nia. I think she's accessed a dream state deeper than she ever has before," Brainy announces.
"Because she has the courage to. Vita told me if I failed the gauntlet, the effects would worsen," Kara says, sounding defeated and guilty.
Lena can't stop herself this time and gets closer to Kara and is able to hug her instead of kiss her, with tremendous willpower. "We'll figure this out, together. You are so strong and a great hero, and you will find a way to pass the test."
She smells so good... Lena's thoughts trail off as she holds Kara, a little longer than she probably should.
Kara takes a deep breath and steadies herself. "Thank you, Lena. I needed that. Alex, J'onn you should go monitor the city in case there are other incidents."
"Lena and I can contain the Totem's energy until you pass the gauntlet," says Brainy.
Lena jumps at the opportunity to get out of there before she loses the fight against the Totem's magic and does something to ruin her friendship with Kara.
_____________
Nyxly is mad and doesn't understand why she didn't pass her gauntlet. Mitch tries to talk her through it and while he's not the best at it, he makes her realize something. Nyxly goes back into the test and fails again.
___________
Dr. Lahr finishes her project and starts the machine to harness lightning.
___________
Back in the Tower, Kara is sitting down on the steps of the training room, looking down at the Totem. Lena comes in and sits down right beside her.
"Hey, any luck with your trials?" says Lena in a sweet voice.
Kara chuckles wryly. "Oh. No, not even a little. How about you and Brainy? Have you managed to contain the Totem's energy?"
"Not exactly. I just came down here to check on you while Brainy keeps working on it," Lena looks at Kara's lips and it doesn't go unnoticed.
Is it me or has Lena been really chummy today? Maybe the Totem did affect her? Maybe she also... no. Push it down.
"Hmm. I wish I had an explanation for why I can't pass this gauntlet." *sighs* "There's gotta be something more. Something I'm missing. What do I do? If I try again and fail, people could get really hurt. But then if I don't try..."
"The Imp could get the Totem and all the magic it contains." We even finish each other's sentences.
"Do you really not believe in magic?" Kara asks, curious.
"I believe in you." *heart eyes*
Kara's heart skips a beat at Lena's words. She looks into Lena's eyes, seeing a depth of emotion there that she hadn't noticed before. Is this really happening? Could Lena feel the same way?
Lena takes a deep breath, gathering all her courage. It's now or never. She leans in closer to Kara, her heart pounding. "Kara, there's something I need to tell you. I've been feeling this way for a long time, and I can't keep it in any longer."
Kara's eyes widen, her breath hitching. "Lena..."
Before Kara can say anything else, Lena closes the distance between them and presses her lips against Kara's. The kiss is soft, tentative at first, but quickly deepens as they both give in to the emotions they've been holding back.
Kara tastes even sweeter than I imagined...
Am I dreaming? Did Lena really just kiss me?
When they finally pull apart, both of them are breathless. Lena looks into Kara's eyes, a mixture of fear and hope in her gaze. "Kara, I'm in love with you. I have been for a long time. The Totem's magic might have given me the courage to say it, but these feelings are real. They always have been. I never told you because I didn't want to ruin our friendship."
Kara is dumbfounded trying to process everything. "Lena, I-I..."
Before Kara could continue an alarm goes off at the Tower and blasts of thunder can be heard loudly over it. "We will definitely talk about this once we deal with whatever is happening," says Kara while grabbing Lena's hand and heading up.
Lena is feeling a bunch of emotions at the moment. She's joyful from the kiss but worried that Kara doesn't feel the same but also hopeful since she returned the kiss and just now grabbed her by the hand...
They make it up to the main room where the rest of the Superfriends minus Nia are looking at the monitors. Lena focuses and looks at the data and explains that the storm is not normal and that there have been multiple lightning strikes in the past few minutes. If the buildup continues National City's power grid will be gone.
Kara feels guilty. "Do you think this has anything to do with the Totem?"
Brainy explains that he heard Dr. Lahr talk about her project at the Museum and that this is likely from her machine.
Lena puts a hand on Kara's shoulder. "Don't worry Kara, we'll figure it out." Kara smiles at her and also has a lot of emotions going on right now but chooses to focus on getting the storm under control and passing her gauntlet. She knows what she needs to do now. It was never about telling Lena she was Supergirl. It was about telling Lena she was in love with her.
Just as she's about to go back into the gauntlet, the Totem changes shape and starts floating away. Kara grabs it and strains against its pull.
"Nyxly passed her test." *grunting* "Do we have anything to contain this? To keep it here?"
Lena jumps into action and puts a box on the table. "This wasn't enough to hold its magic, but it should be able to contain the Totem physically."
Kara puts it inside and Lena closes it before it can escape.
"I found the scientist. Dr. Beatrice Lahr. She was working on Project Bolt, an attempt to harness lightning energy...Until she lost her funding this morning." As Brainy pulled up the information Alex snuck out to deal with the threat.
As Brainy mentions where the epicenter of the storm is they realize he has been affected by the Totem as well since his calculations have been off all day including this one.
"I appreciate your newfound courage, but we need to have a plan. Alex... Where's Alex?" Kara says, looking around.
Lena announces where the epicenter of the storm is, clustering over the waterfront.
"J'onn, Brainy, go ahead. I'll be right there. Hopefully, we can find Dr. Lahr and Alex there."
Once the others leave, it's just Kara and Lena in the main room of the Tower. Kara takes Lena's hands, her expression serious yet tender. "I have to go help, so we don't have much time. Lena, I love you too. I've loved you for so long, and I realize now that's what the Totem wanted me to have the courage to tell you. I was afraid to say anything, especially after you found out I was Supergirl and how difficult things were until we became friends again. I didn't want to lose you. I have to go now but once this is over, we'll talk about this more."
With that, Kara pulls Lena into a passionate kiss, then speeds off to help the Superfriends.
Now it's Lena's turn to be dumbfounded. She just stands there, relishing in the fact that not only does Kara love her back but also that they kissed twice today. The thought of butterflies in her stomach doesn't even begin to describe how ecstatic she's feeling right now. She takes a second and then sits at the monitors ready to help.
Kara flies off into battle with the biggest grin and relief she's ever felt. She knows she needs to focus on the task at hand to protect people and so she can go back and talk to Lena - and kiss her some more.
Once at the waterfront, Dr. Lahr is there, her machine on top of a van bringing lightning down. Alex is shielding some civilians with the hand of the soldier and Kara lands on top of the van, trying to get Dr. Lahr to stop the machine. The scientist refuses and Kara uses her heat vision to damage the machine, however, the storm is still charging.
"Tell us how to stop the storm."
"You just ruined my life's work!" Dr. Lahr said, upset.
J'onn comes up next to Dr. Lahr and starts emphatizing with her and talking about feelings, in an unhelpful way. Brainy is in the distance getting some civilians to safety.
Lena talks through the comms, "Supergirl, that last strike was 800 megajoules. At this rate, we're minutes away from a strike that could electrify the whole harbor and anyone nearby."
Kara looks around and up at the storm. She knows what needs to be done. "Lena, release the Totem. I don't have time to pass the test and I need my team functional. I need Dr. Lahr helpful. And none of that will happen unless the Totem is restored." *frustrated sigh*
Lena releases the Totem and it makes its way to Mitch's ship, where Nyxly is. With both halves of the Totem in the same room, the effects go away and everyone is back to normal.
"I am so sorry. I just had to prove I could harness lightning. But now that I've supercharged this storm, it'll just keep growing," Dr. Lahr explains.
"There's gotta be some way we can stop it," Supergirl is hopeful.
Dr. Lahr explains that a negative ionizer would do it and Alex morphs her hand of the soldier into one.
For the remaining cloud cluster, Supergirl, J'onn, and Brainy go into the eye of the storm to circle it and create an inverse function to disperse it.
Meanwhile, Dr. Lahr goes in the van for safety and Alex uses the negative ionizer with Guardian backing her up.
After a few minutes, the storm dissipates, and Supergirl looks triumphant as she remains airborne with J'onn and Brainy. "Now that's what I call teamwork."
Meanwhile, aboard Mitch's ship, both halves of the Totem finally merge together, causing Nyxly to lose consciousness. At the waterfront, Kara also loses consciousness in mid-air, prompting Brainy and J'onn to speed down to catch her.
Brainy and J'onn catch Kara just in time, gently lowering her to the ground. Alex comes running to check on her sister.
"Guys, what's going on?" Lena asks worried after seeing the scene unfold through the cameras in the waterfront.
"Her body is unresponsive, her pupils dilated," Alex announces to Lena and the rest of the Superfriends. "We need to get her back to the Tower ASAP to figure out what's going on."
J'onn scoops Supergirl up and Brainy grabs Alex. Kelly said she'll catch up.
Back at the Tower, Lena paces anxiously. "What happened to her? Is she okay?"
Alex joins Lena in her worry, her expression tense. "I don't know, but we have to figure it out. There's something about that Totem and its magic..."
J'onn, still carrying Kara, lays her down gently on a bed in the medbay. Alex and Lena start hooking up the machines to get Kara's vitals.
"Vita mentioned that breaking the Totem unleashed a surge of raw courage. Perhaps Kara's exposure to it in its broken state affected her differently, and then again when it merged with Nyxly's half," says Brainy.
Lena nods, her mind racing with possibilities. "Could it have intensified her deepest fears or regrets? The Totem's magic seemed to amplify emotions."
Alex clenches her fists, frustration evident. "Whatever it did, we need to reverse it before we can't wake her up."
"We need to talk to Vita. She might have answers,” Lena suggests.
"I'm on it, I'll bring her interface here," says Brainy exiting the room.
Alex and Lena assess Kara's health while Brainy comes back. Her pupils are still unresponsive as is everything else. Her pulse is below normal and her solar cells are going down.
"Lena I need you to turn the sun lamps on while I get the oxygen mask," says Alex with determination and fear.
Brainy comes back with Vita and turns the interface on.
Vita's hologram flickers to life, "Back again are we?"
"Vita, Nyxly passed her gauntlet, and the courage Totem merged back into one piece, but Kara fell unconscious and is unresponsive. Does this have anything to do with the Totem?" Lena went straight to the point.
"Well, that is not good. There was a disturbance caused by the broken Totem. It was not made for two minds to attempt to pass the gauntlet at the same time. Kara Zor-El's psyche is ensnared within it, entangled with Nyxly's."
"What does that mean?" Alex asked.
"It means that her mind got pulled into the courage Totem, the same thing happened to Nyxly. Both will replay many memories, their own and the other's. This will take a massive toll mentally, emotionally, and physically."
"We need to get Kara out, immediately" Lena insists, her voice tinged with urgency.
Vita nods solemnly. "To break free, Kara Zor-El must make it through the memories and emotions trapped within the Totem. If she lets the memories consume and overwhelm her, she will die."
The Superfriends held their breath. "Brainy, can't you use Legion technology to go into her mind and help her? Like you did after Reign?"
Before Brainy can answer Vita interjects, "Yeah, rubbish. The magic of the Totem will not allow a new mind in, only those who attempted the gauntlet can be within it. This is a test Kara Zor-El must face alone."
All the Superfriends look at Kara's unconscious body in fear.
I can't lose her. Not like this. Not after finding out she loves me back.
____
Meanwhile, Kara finds herself within a swirling vortex of memories, a chaotic blend of her own past and fragments of Nyxly's memories. She sees flashes of her life, her childhood on Krypton, her time in the Phantom Zone, her arrival on Earth, and her journey as Supergirl. Interspersed with these are fragments of Nyxly’s memories, her life in the Fifth Dimension, her quest for vengeance, and her rage against Supergirl.
As she navigates through the shifting memories, Kara encounters vivid scenes of Nyxly's past. She witnesses Nyxly's moments of betrayal, her struggles with trust and power, and the deep-seated anger that fuels her relentless pursuit of dominance.
Kara feels the weight of Nyxly's emotions pressing upon her—the anger, the despair, and the burning desire for revenge. Each memory pulses with Fifth Dimensional energy, distorting reality around her.
Scenes intensify around her, challenging Kara's resolve. She feels the raw emotions of Nyxly's memories, each one threatening to overwhelm her senses. The air crackles with energy, echoing Nyxly's tumultuous journey through pain and betrayal.
She's overwhelmed with so many emotions and memories that she feels like she can't breathe.
_________
Kara's body starts convulsing on the bed, her vitals going haywire.
Alex moves quickly and turns her on her side. J'onn, Brainy, and Lena watch in horror as they feel powerless to help Kara. Lena lets her tears flow freely and doesn't even bother wiping them away. She won't take her eyes off of Kara, the woman she's loved for so long. Her best friend, her soulmate, her ray of sunshine. The convulsion slows, but so does Kara's pulse.
___________
Kara is able to focus on one of her memories, pulling away from the overwhelming emotions and memories from Nyxly's past. However, this memory is from the phantom zone. The cold, the loneliness, the fear of never escaping—it all crashes over her like a tidal wave. She feels the weight of her own trauma, the nights she spent staring into the endless darkness, wondering if she’d ever see her friends and family again.
No no. Not this.
Kara tried to hold on to the present. She got out of the phantom zone and she made it back to National City and her family. The memory fades and she gets pulled into one of Nyxly's. Kara takes a deep breath, trying to focus. She pushes through it, confronting each emotion head-on. She feels the weight of Nyxly's betrayals, the sorrow of losing her family, and the anger at being wronged. But she also feels her own fears and regrets, her struggles with her identity, and the guilt of not always being able to protect those she loves.
Suddenly, she finds herself back in the jet with Lena, but this time, it's different. The memory is clearer, more vivid. She looks at Lena, who is speaking with the same heartfelt apology, but Kara feels a renewed sense of determination.
"Lena, I need to tell you something," Kara says, her voice strong and steady. "I'm in love with you. I've always been in love with you."
____________
Back in the real world, Kara's vitals start to stabilize, her pulse growing stronger. The Superfriends feel some relief but are still worried for Kara.
____________
The memory from the jet fades. As Kara navigates through the tumultuous storm, she suddenly finds herself in a landscape she only sees in her worst nightmares. She recognized it immediately—it was the day her parents sent her away from Krypton, a memory that haunted her deeply. The ground shook as the planet faced its imminent destruction.
Kara's parents stood before her, their faces filled with a mix of sadness and determination. "You must go, Kara. Take care of your cousin. We love you so much," Alura said, her voice cracking with emotion.
"But I don't want to leave you," Kara cried, tears streaming down her face.
This is not real. This is the Totem’s magic. Kara reminded herself, trying to stay focused. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, embracing her parents one last time. "I love you both. I will always carry you in my heart."
As she spoke those words, the memory dissolved, and Kara was transported to another significant moment—the day Lena trapped her in the Fortress and took Myriad.
"I shot my own brother in the chest. His final words to me were that I was a fool. That my best friend, that every friend I had was lying to me. With his dying breath, he told me that you were Supergirl."
Kara was taken aback by being back in this moment and was still overwhelmed with all the memories. She struggled to find any words... "Lena I-"
"No. When I came to this city, I promised myself that I would never trust anyone again, and then I met you... Then you proved to me that there wasn't a single honest moment in our friendship."
"Lena wait, just hear me out," Kara was tense but a little calmer than how it originally played out.
"No! I killed my brother for you, for our friends! Don't you understand what you've done!?"
Kara lets her emotions get the better of her and starts crying, just like she did when it happened. "Lena, please. I know you are hurting right now but please hear me out. We can get through this. Please think about this."
"I'm not a villain, you shouldn't have treated me like one."
Kara's heart ached at this awful memory. She wanted to get out of here.
The memory faded, and Kara found herself facing Nyxly, who looked just as disoriented and distressed. "What is this place? Why are we here?"
"I'm not sure, but it seems like we got sucked in the Totem when it merged," Kara kept her tone as steady as possible after everything she's been through.
Nyxly sneered. "You think you're so brave, don’t you? Always the hero."
"It's not about being a hero. It's about facing the truth, about ourselves and our memories," Kara replied.
Before Nyxly could retort, another memory surged forward, this time from Nyxly's past. They were in the Fifth Dimension, and Nyxly was confronting her brother, who had betrayed her. The scene was filled with anger and heartbreak.
"You took everything from me!" Nyxly shouted, her eyes burning with rage.
Kara watched silently, feeling a pang of sympathy. "Nyxly, I know what it's like to feel betrayed, to lose everything. But holding onto that anger will only consume you."
Nyxly glared at her. "What do you know about loss?"
"More than you realize," Kara said softly, her mind flashing back to all the people she had lost—her parents, her planet, even Lena for a time.
As they stood amidst Nyxly's memories, the ground began to shake, and the sky darkened. "We have to work together to get out of here," Kara urged. "If we don’t, this place will consume us both."
Nyxly looked conflicted but nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But this doesn’t mean I trust you."
"Let's go," Kara said, determined.
They navigated through the maze of memories, facing their fears and regrets head-on. With each memory they confronted, the landscape became more stable, the chaos subsiding.
Finally, they reached a place of calm, a serene field where they both stood side by side. The Totem’s voice echoed around them. "You have shown true courage. Your minds are free."
_________________
A bright light enveloped them, and the next thing Kara knew, she was back in the Tower, surrounded by her friends. She gasped, sitting up abruptly.
“Kara!” Lena and Alex said in unison as they rushed to her side, their eyes filled with relief and tears.
Kara was disoriented and took a second to get her bearings. "H-Hey..." was all she could muster.
Lena gently pushed her back into a lying down position while Alex checked her vitals.
"You okay?" Lena asked, still worried and holding one of Kara's hands.
Kara looked at Lena, dazed but relieved to be back, "I'm okay." A couple of tears escaped Kara's eyes.
"Oh Kara, you need to rest. We can talk about what happened when you are ready. Your pulse is a little under normal and you almost solar flared. Plus you look exhausted, so go on, doctor's orders," Alex used a serious tone, filled with love and some playfulness.
"Fine, I'll rest," Kara was too drained to argue.
Brainy smiled and J'onn placed a comforting hand on Kara’s shoulder. "It's good to have you back, Kara," said J'onn before leaving the room with Brainy trailing behind him.
Alex gets close to Kara who can barely keep her eyes open and gives her a forehead kiss. "You gave us quite the scare, I'm glad you're okay. I'll be back later to check on your vitals. I love you."
"Love you too," Kara smiled at Alex and then it was just her and Lena in the room.
Kara turned to her, "We still need to talk."
"I know but not right now. You need to rest," Lena said softly, brushing Kara's hair away from her forehead.
Kara leaned into the touch, "Okay, but can I ask two things?"
"Anything," Lena was intrigued.
"One, can I have a kiss? And two, will you lie with me?" Kara said, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes reflecting vulnerability, exhaustion, and even some pain.
Lena smiled tenderly, "Of course," her voice filled with love and concern. She leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on Kara's lips. It was soft and reassuring. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Much better now."
Lena smiled and carefully settled herself beside Kara on the bed. Kara nestled into Lena's embrace, finding comfort in her warmth and presence. She hummed happily, and whispered, "I love you, Lena." And while she succumbed to sleep about a second later, she could still hear Lena's reply, "I love you too, Kara."