16. Nightmare

Hello! It is I.

I am here to give thanks for the review.

P_J_Sch, thank you for the review.

And,

I very much welcom more comments on the chapters, advice and critics, mostly positive ones.

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*****

"So, he tried to use Kryptonite against you? And you foundd out that you are immune to Kryptonite?" Zion asked.

Kara just nodded in reply before lifting the piece of Kryptonite she held in her hand.

Zion looked at the Kryptonite and then at Kara; it didn't seem to be affecting her. Her complexion remained rosy even though she was gripping the Kryptonite in her hand, no visible pain or anything. He had a theory about why it was not affecting her, but he still needed evidence to prove his theory.

He then turned to Metallo, the cyborg laid lifeless on his table. After removing his power source, he shut down in few minutes.

"What do you want me to do with him?" Zion asked, pointing at Metallo.

"I don't know," Kara shrugged, "I thought you would know."

Zion lifted an eyebrow, "You didn't ask Superman?"

"No," Kara shook her head, "He will just put him in jail, and I don't think any jail could hold this guy for long. His strength was comparable to a Kryptonian soldier with low-level battle armor."

"I know about Metallo," Zion showed a bored expression, "He is one of Sup's eternal enemies. Name John Corben. Cyborg with a human brain and a mechanical body powered by Kryptonite. He changed into a cyborg after a fatal accident."

Kara listened attentively, learning about Kal-El's villains would help her in the future. She would also be prepared to deal with them when the time comes again.

"What do you want me to do with him?" Zion asked the question again.

"Can't you stop him from terrorizing ever again?" Kara asked.

"You could have just fried his brain for that. When you called in the late hours, I was excited to meet you. But you want me to babysit a villain?" Zion asked, his shoulder hung in a dejected manner.

Kara just gave him a blank stare, causing Zion to groan before he walked to his workbench.

Both of them were in the warehouse Zion brought in Metropolis. The equipment and the materials he ordered, using the money borrowed from Batman, had arrived the next day. He immediately set them up to start building the prototype version of the Atomic Engine. He needed to demonstrate it when Batman calls, eventually, after all his investigations. Zion was even sure that Batman might be hanging around the warehouse. He was also just waiting for a nosy protégé to come sniffing around.

Zion walked around, gathering some tools to work with, and walked back to the cyborg laying dead. Zion placed the tools next to the cyborg. He lifted his left hand and started operating the Omnitrix.

"Should I use an upgrade to disconnect him internally... or should I use Gray Matter? Brainstorm could be of assistance, but he is not much use in this situation. What about Jury Rigg? He will break the cyborg to build a new one. Should I change into some unexplored forms?"

Zion muttered to himself before he selected to go with the OG. Zion pressed the side of the Omnitrix, and the faceplate slid back, showing the Omnitrix core. Zion pressed it fast yet softly.

"Upgrade," With a flash of golden light, Zion turned into a Galvanic Mechamorph.

He didn't delay and quickly started his fusion. Metallo's silver surface quickly became black, and green circuit lines quickly surrounded it. Zion got full control of Metallo's body within few seconds, unlike the normal hard procedures of combating for control with the cybor's conscious. He could see that Metallo seemed to be in a state of hibernation after his Kryptonite core was removed to keep him from dying.

He then quickly disconnected the links to his brain, except for the life support; he formed his head above Metallo's torso, then he morphed a hand and extended it to Kara.

"Kryptonite," His synthetic voice asked with mechanical coldness.

Kara placed the Kryptonite in his hand. Zion quickly pulled back his hand and placed the power source back and connected all the important connections. He then controlled Metallo to stand up. Metallo's body morphed. His skeleton-like face gained more dimensions as it turned into a menacing face with eerie green glowing eyes. His arms gained a more buff appearance, with green circuit lines covering his whole body.

Zion lifted his, Metallo's hand, and a sharp force blade formed on his elbow using Kryptonite's energy. He then changed the blade to a blaster, then to a gun, and finally a bazooka. He changed the cyborg's body into many structures; he could even build a jetpack on his back.

Kara just watched from the sideline, she waited for Zion to finish his work. But suddenly, Zion pointed his hand at Kara, his hand turning into a gun. The green glow of the muzzle showed it was fully charged with Kryptonite energy.

Kara looked at Zion's mechanical form, unfazed. Her eyes remained fixed on Zion.

Zion pulled the trigger.

***

- LEXCORP - LEX LUTHOR'S OFFICE -

The spacious office of Lex Luthor, adorned with sleek modern decor, overlooks Metropolis through floor-to-ceiling windows. Luthor sat behind his imposing desk, engrossed in his work. His secretary approached him with steady steps.

"Sir, we've confirmed that there is indeed another superhero in town, and she wears an 'S' on her chest," she informed, her words calm, showing no sign of haste.

Luthor raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. He turned and gave his full attention to his secretary. Lex leaned back in his chair. "A female Superman, you say? That's quite intriguing indeed. Tell me everything we know."

The secretary tapped her tablet for a minute before retrieving the file on the new superhero and handed it to Luthor. He began to peruse the documents inside.

His secretary continued as Lex reviewed the documents. "Her identity is still unknown, but they call her 'Supergirl.' She possesses powers similar to Superman—super strength, flight, heat vision, and more. She's been spotted saving civilians, thwarting criminals, and generally performing acts of heroism."

Lex Luthor chuckled, "Ah, another Kryptonian. How intriguing. I always knew there would be more of them out there. And her intentions?"

His secretary hesitated before answering. "From what we've gathered, Mr. Luthor, she seems genuinely interested in protecting Metropolis and doing good deeds. She's gaining quite the following among citizens. But from what we've gathered, she is quite unrestrained. She broke bones of criminals if they threatened civilians."

Lex set the tablet down, his grin fading as he contemplated this new development. Lex Luthor said pensively, "Well, it appears we have a new player on the board, a wild card. Keep a close eye on this 'Supergirl.' Gather every piece of information we can find. We may just have a use for her in the near future."

His secretary nodded, understanding the gravity of her task.

Lex Luthor leaned forward, his eyes fixated on the cityscape beyond, as he contemplated the possibilities brought by this new player.

***

-Zion's Warehouse -

Kara looked at Zion, unbothered, her eyes never leaving him.

Zion had pulled the trigger, firing a beam of condensed Kryptonite energy, but it just brushed past her hair, not cutting a single strand. If it were Superman in her place, he would have moved and punched Zion, as the concentrated beam of Kryptonite energy was as lethal as a bullet to humans.

Not to Kara, but it would have definitely stung if it had hit. 

Zion lowered his hand and turned to the table. He then ended his fusion, removing himself from Metallo's body and transforming back.

"Why didn't you move?" Zion asked.

"You didn't aim at me," Kara gave a short answer.

Zion nodded, "I disconnected his connections so he won't be of danger anymore."

"Okay, then I will leave him to you," Kara said before turning to leave.

Zion looked at her back but didn't stop her from leaving. Kara then flew out of the ceiling window and left the building.

Zion slowly turned to Metallo's body. This villain, who always got defeated by Superman, could be of use to him. His cybernetics were trash, but he could upgrade them to be more efficient, more lethal.

His mind raced as he thought of all the upgrades he could give this villain to help him fight Superman.

***

- Kent Farmhouse -

The sun had set over the tranquil Kent Farm in Smallville. The rustic farmhouse stood tall, bathed in the soft glow of the silver moon. The front door slowly opened, and Kara stepped inside, her face still looking fresh, but tiredness was visible in her eyes.

Martha Kent, a loving and wise woman in her late 60s, sat in the living room by the fireplace, knitting a scarf. She glanced up as she heard the door close, her eyes lighting up with warmth and recognition.

"Kara, you're back. How was your day?" Martha asked with a warm smile.

"It was good," Kara replied.

She was still a little awkward around Martha.

Kara felt grateful toward Martha for giving her a place to stay and sleep. Being in a new place made her a bit awkward at first, but Martha quickly warmed up to her. Her motherly vibe and calm demeanor reminded her a bit of her father and mother. Kara's mother was always strict with her, and her father doted on her the most.

"Did you have trouble at work?" Martha asked, clearly picking up on the underlying tired tone in Kara's voice.

"No, the day was normal," Kara answered. Normal for a Kryptonian, that is.

"Okay, go freshen up. I will reheat the dinner," Martha gave Kara a final glance before turning back to her knitting.

Kara quickly crossed the living room and took the stairs to her room. It was the room the Kents had arranged for her to stay. Kara opened her room, and a fresh scent of flowers wafted into her nose.

The room didn't have many things in it as it was quickly arranged for her to stay in. A large enough bed for her to stay comfortably, a closet, and a table with a night lamp next to her bed. The room was empty for the rest of it, and Kara was okay with it.

Kara walked to her closet and retrieved her folded towel, and walked into her bathroom to get refreshed. A few moments later, Kara walked out in a big white t-shirt with an 'S' on it and blue shorts with white stripes. The t-shirt was a spare Martha bought when Superman became famous, it was a little reminder of the time when Superman was running around in a t-shirt and jeans.

Kara then hung her dress carefully in the closet; this was the only reminder left of her world, and looking at the symbol on her chest also reminded her of duty.

She closed the closet, sealing away her dress and duty. She wanted to relax a bit when she was at home, instead of running around like a certain big boy. He was always in work mode due to him flying around the world to save people.

Kara then left her room and headed downstairs. She moved to the kitchen to find Martha setting the dinner table. The scent of freshly baked bread and roasted chicken filled the air.

"Feeling better?" Martha asked, her infectious warm smile on her lips.

Kara gave a nod, "Yes, much better, Martha. Thank you."

Martha placed a plate of food in front of Kara, and they sat down together, sharing a meal filled with comfort and love. In this moment, two women found solace in each other's company.

*****

Peace out. (・~・)ゞ