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owl-with-a-pen · 26 days

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Kara had been juggling so many duties over the last few days, it had really started to feel like she had a secret identity all over again. Her fingers had been a constant blur across her phone screen, so much that she’d jumped into several meetings without knowing what they were even about or – for that matter – that she had meant to have been leading them. She could have gotten away with that as Kara Danvers, but people tended to notice when Kara Zor-El got distracted - probably because it usually meant an Earth-wide threat was imminent.

She’d already had to reassure five separate co-workers that wasn’t the case, even going as far as cutting her final editorial meeting thirty minutes short so that everyone could start their Fridays early. Maybe that just made them more suspicious of her, but she was running out of time. Alex had already sent her three warning texts:

Car’s packed up, where are you?

Don’t make me call a DEO emergency just to get your butt out of there!

⌚👈🏻 ???

Kara rolled her eyes, catching her tongue between her teeth as she scanned the most recent notification. She sent a quick ‘OMW’ before slinging her bag across her shoulder.

She was halfway out the office door when a voice stopped her in her tracks.

“So, any plans this weekend?”

Kara froze.

Cat Grant usually spent her Friday afternoons lamenting all the charity dinners and extracurriculars she’d be forced to attend while Kara nodded along with a well-practiced sympathetic grimace locked in place. She’d long since accepted this as a one-sided expectation. After all, Cat didn’t really do small talk. Call it the journalistic disposition, but no question of hers ever came without intention.

She’d posed this particular question with an expectant air, her fingers loosely linked beneath her chin as she watched Kara with cat-like patience from behind her desk.

Kara took a shallow breath, knowing already what those piercing eyes were trying to gauge. “Actually,” she said, treading carefully, “I’m out of town this weekend. I’m visiting my adoptive mom with my sister.”

Cat’s lips twitched with something predatory. She lifted her chin, snatching up a pen from her desk so that she could play idly with the clicker. Every click was as intentional as her question, drilling deep into Kara’s skull. “Ah,” she said, nodding slowly, “and so I suppose one would assume that there won’t be much Supergirl activity to account for, then?”

Kara laughed, fiddling nervously with the collar of her blouse. “Even Supergirl needs a vacation every once in a while. You’ve seen the figures, crime is at an all-time low, National City can last a weekend without me.”

Cat watched Kara without expression, still clicking out a calculated rhythm. “I suppose,” she conceded lightly. “Especially with that new DEO division headed by your… friend, right? John?”

“J’onn,” Kara corrected.

“Yes, yes, that’s the one.” Cat bit her lip. “Wide shoulders.” Her eyes lost focus before she shrugged suddenly, setting down her pen with a prompt snap. “I wonder what he’ll be up to.”

“You know the DEO doesn’t give interviews,” Kara reminded her, trying and failing to hide the strain in her voice. “Not even to Supergirl.”

“Of course.” Cat pondered for a moment, cocking her head. “And the little green one works there too, doesn’t he?”

Kara sighed, the purposeful ignorance wasn’t lost on her, just as Cat had intended. She tipped her head back, resigning herself to the conversation. “What are you getting at, Ms Grant?”

Cat blinked, perfectly innocent. “Just counting heads. I only wonder if we’ll be seeing much of your Super Friends over the next few days… with you out of town, of course.”

Kara pursed her lips, drumming her fingers against the doorframe. “Well, they’re more than capable of managing themselves without me.”

“So, we will be seeing them?”

Kara spluttered. She’d really stepped into that one. “It’s a big city,” she recovered quickly, “I’m sure there’ll be out there somewhere.”

“Interesting,” Cat said, dragging the word out long enough to make Kara uncomfortable. She hummed to herself, running her index finger delicately over the items on her desk until she found her phone, snatching it up. “I need to make a few calls,” she decided, shooing Kara out of the room with her other hand. “Have fun with your—mother.”

Kara took that as her cue, making an awkward albeit flustered goodbye as she elbowed her way out the door. She didn’t try to listen in on the conversation once she was gone – she didn’t need to - Cat had seen through her as plainly as she had her old disguise.

Technically, what Kara had told her wasn’t exactly a lie. She would be seeing Eliza this weekend – after all, she’d been invited to Nia and Brainy’s wedding, too.

It didn’t matter, Kara rationalised as she hurried into the elevator, Cat could call on every source she had available to her and she still wouldn’t be getting this scoop. No one would. Kara had been incredibly thorough about that, using fake names when it came to bookings, throwing out red herrings to rival news outlets, all to ensure that the media didn’t get even one whiff of what was going down. No one was getting a camera into the service on her watch – well, except the photographer, and Kara had already run a series of extensive background checks on her.

As for general media speculation – well, she’d already warned the bride and groom to be that there really wasn’t much she could do about that. Every magazine in the country was currently building up the clicks with Superhero news and, right now, Dreamer and Brainiac-5 were trending across all channels. Cat certainly hadn’t helped with that; she’d sunk her claws into the story the second Dreamer had first been spotted out toting a Legion ring of her own. To avoid public knowledge of future events, the Legion was something of a forbidden topic when it came to interviews and so, for anyone outside of the loop, Dreamer suddenly wearing a ring matching Brainy’s was certainly turning heads.

Engagement had been thrown around hundreds of times, with other outlets outright claiming that she and Brainy had been married in secret. Nothing had been confirmed or denied by either party, but Kara had to admit it– you only needed eyes to see the chemistry between those two. They fought as one entity, complimenting each other’s stances, supporting each other in the field so that they always fell into step with each other. Just last week, Brainy had swept Dreamer into his arms amidst an explosion they’d narrowly escaped and the shot had been headlining every newspaper not twelve hours later. They were anything but discreet and, honestly, Kara had a hunch they were starting to enjoy all the attention. It certainly made her job as Maid of Honour that much harder.

Hiding this wedding was probably shaving years off her life.

At least it would be worth it when she got to see Nia go down that aisle.

When her phone pinged again with a fourth text from Alex, Kara groaned out loud.

You just lost shotgun privilege.

She just had to get there first.

#supergirl #supergirl fanfiction #kara danvers #kara zor el #cat grant #brainia #brainiac 5 #nia nal #my writing #i know i know it's not the wedding fic yet but i had this little scene stuck in my head and it'll probably be how the fic starts.#i've still got a few things i need to shape out but for now enjoy this lil sneak peek #i still maintain that nia and brainy have secret identities post kara's reveal but also that makes the possibility of the media finding out #even more dangerous #also happy easter and trans day of visibility!

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owl-with-a-pen · 1 month

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it feels like every time I look at my release radar recently I find a perfect new Brainia song to add to one of my playlists

#brainia #supergirl #music #joywave #spotify #brainiac 5 #nia nal #not writing #i listened to this and immediately thought of that fic i wrote not too long ago about brainy rolling out of bed post the season 4 finale #but then it also works in a lot of places during their relationship especially when brainy left in 6x20 #basically my brain is beyond repair at this point and all songs point to brainia 😅#shout out to lazerlove by royal republic and hey girl by elephanz for also coming up randomly on my spotify and getting added too #Spotify

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owl-with-a-pen · 1 month

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I really like the idea that Nia's Sight could come into play with finding her partner. I don't know if each Naltorian is necessarily predestined to be with a specific person or if it's a natural occurrence based on who comes into their life in the right way at the right time, but both options are fun to consider. If it's destiny, true soulmates, then I like to think of Nia dreaming of Brainy waaaaay before she ever realized she was developing Sight. The earliest manifestation of it. As she grows older, she can make out more and more, until she finally connects Brainy's face in the pizza shop with the one she's been trying to make out in dreams her entire life. Hell, maybe that's why she pulls the "you'll find me if you want to" and dips right after. Maybe she's scared to truly engage because if she does and she's right about him, it means she really does have the powers and she now has to deal with everything that entails.

On the other hand, if it's not destiny, I like to imagine it stems from how Brainy was right there to catch her in a metaphorical freefall after her family fell apart. A key factor in the bond is security with another person, and Brainy helping to welcome her into a new family after she lost most of hers and offering guidance with her powers after she lost everyone else who could've taught her probably felt like a buoy in a storm. I think in this situation Brainy would probably realize before Nia that she's forming this bond with him, and I agree that would be part of why he's so cagey about being with her. By the time Nia realizes what's happened, it's basically a done deal already, but Brainy watches it develop in real time with a mix of happiness because this woman he thinks is truly amazing actually sees something in him and horror because the last thing he wants is to her hurt and one of the best ways to deeply hurt a Naltorian is to take away the mate they've bonded to.

I also agree that this would influence Brainy's decision to stay in the past. Like, maybe he could deal with everything if he could tell himself Nia will eventually move. But he can't just leave knowing Naltorians simply don't move on from their partners. That he'd be damning her to never love again.

Oh yes, I like the idea that Nia dipping on Brainy that first time could have been related to realising where she recognises him from. I wonder also that if she does believe it's related to destiny, then maybe she thinks that's the best way to test it. If this guy is somehow able to find her again, then maybe she'll have to start taking this seriously, but a part of her doesn't quite believe it. So, when she does see him again, it hits her that this could all actually be happening. (I wonder in this circumstance then how she might have felt knowing Brainy had the capacity to call her but didn't think to do so. What would that mean for destiny? Was Brainy fighting it too because he also knew what it could mean? ��)

Alternatively, the idea of it being more related to the fact that Brainy was her comfort exactly when she needed someone to be there is also so, so sweet. A reason I love season 4 so much is seeing that early stage of their relationship when even though they aren't quite dating, they're still so closely tied to each other, acting as partners in the superhero sense as well as supporting each other emotionally. In that way, it really does make sense that Nia would see Brainy as that security blanket and gravitate towards him maybe even before she registers what that would mean in terms of a soulmate.

#supergirl #brainia #nia nal #brainiac 5 #my asks #not writing #jammatown919

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owl-with-a-pen · 1 month

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Been getting back into Supergirl recently, which means I’ve been getting back into Brainia, which means I’ve been thinking more about my Naltorian headcanons.

This is one I’ve just kind of had in the back of my head for a while. It’s not really a mannerism as much as it’s just me rocking a sort of soulmate-adjacent concept because I love those.

Naltorians are a species that mates for life in a very literal sense. They can only form romantic bonds one time in their life. They can bond to multiple partners in the case of polyamory, but in cases like this the entire polycule has to meet each other before any romantic bonding takes place and all bonds will form at the same time. Once it’s done, it’s done. There will be no more partners, ever.

Naltorians tend to be very protective of their partners and proactive in upkeeping and maintaining their relationships, as they know there won’t be another chance if they lose this one. Generally, they don’t have to worry about breakups outside of extreme circumstances. They don’t ever want to be without their partners, so it’s very rare for a Naltorian to voluntarily end a relationship.

When a Naltorian bonds to a member of another species, though, that can get a little messy. Imagine Nia, knowing full well that Brainy is her one and only even in the earliest stages, dealing with that breakup. Imagine Brainy, being very aware of how Naltorian romantic bonds work, dying of guilt that entire time because he knows exactly what he’s doing to her. Imagine the added dismay when Brainy has to go off to the future without her, because they both know she is never going to be able to move on or find someone else.

On a less angsty note, I don’t know exactly how voluntary the bonding itself is, but a Naltorian will always bond to someone who is compatible and makes them feel safe and valued. Brainy would be very honored to know that not only does he meet the criteria, but he does so more than anyone else in the world. He would treasure that.

I also just think it’s a little fun to have Brainy very familiar with the motions of a romantic relationship but not at all with true emotional intimacy with a person he loves, while Nia is the exact opposite. She knows a lot about the closeness the bond entails and the commitment it requires, but maybe not so much about the little things in a relationship because she’s never been in one before. Getting together is a learning curve for both of them.

Ohhh I like this, and also yes that did kill me with the angst factor because of my god Brainy realising what he'd be putting Nia through during the break-up is just devastating to think about. Even more-so when he leaves for the future. Honestly, that being the reason he comes back would definitely be a better explanation than what we got. 😅

But I kinda want to add my own spin on this idea if you'll allow me. Because what if it's a little different for the Dreamer of a family? Nia's mother had a dream of where she had to go to find her husband, so what if that's the standard for finding your soulmate if you have the Sight? What if Nia didn't think it would apply to her, she's trying to convince herself she won't get the Sight and in doing so she rejects a lot of Naltorian customs along the way. Maybe she doesn't even think the whole soulmate thing applies to her either as she's half human, so she does dabble in the dating world but never falls for anyone, or it never feels just right.

And then maybe one day she wakes from a dream that she plays off as nothing, just like any other visions she's had along the way. She pushes it back, so far that when she first sees Brainy it doesn't even register fully that he seems familiar to her somehow, but she does know that this feels different. That something here is worth pursuing, worth fighting for.

Maybe she has the dream again a couple of nights later and it clicks into place, but because she's still trying to avoid her powers it takes her a lot longer to come to terms with what it truly means.

I wonder if you could apply Brainy's foreknowledge of Naltorian customs from Nura to this equation as well. He's so cagey about starting a relationship with her in season 4, but imagine if it was because he was aware of the fact that his residency in that time was only temporary and as much as he was beginning to feel for her, he didn't want to cement himself as her one love if he knew he couldn't be with her forever.

I really like your idea that Nia and Brainy are coming at the relationship from different angles, but also maybe they're actually more similar than they realise. They've both tried their hand at relationships, even if it only ever went as far as physical and never emotional, and so they're both on this new territory where they suddenly have to navigate the very raw feelings they're suddenly experiencing for one another. I also love your idea that Nia at least knows how to deal with that from what she's heard of Naltorian customs and soulmates in the past, but Brainy's got absolutely no frame of reference. Having them learn and work on it all together just sounds so so cute and is also a great doorway for comedy.

Aaah thanks for sharing as always, come join me in jumping headfirst back into that Supergirl pool. 😂

#supergirl #brainia #nia nal #brainiac 5 #querl dox #brainy #not writing #my asks #jammatown919 #welcome back! as the eagles song goes you can check out any time you like but you can never leave 😉

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owl-with-a-pen · 1 month

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So, I have reached the final episode of season 6 of my Supergirl rewatch and I just have to reiterate: they did Nyxly so dirty.

I still don't understand what they were thinking. Nyxly is the first person to pass the Courage Totem's test, she's inundated with empathy from the Humanity Totem, she's completely open with the Truth Totem and is granted access to the Love Totem by choosing the life of a child over her own quest for power.

So, why did they just bung her back in the Phantom Zone!?

It wasn't a satisfying ending, it wasn't even a character arc - it was a circle! She ended up exactly where she started. Sure, Lex's hubris being his own downfall made sense for him, but him being in the second leg of season 6 at all felt so unnecessary that that wasn't satisfying, either.

Here's how I like to imagine this story arc going, because I'm never going to have the time or energy to do anything with this idea besides writing it down like this:

So, we've got Humanity, Hope, Courage, Dreams, Love, Truth and Destiny. 7 Totems. 7 Super Friends. Say, each Totem was tied specifically to a member of the Super Friends and so we're given an episode per Totem exploring a member of the team and their unique relationship to what that core element represented for them. (They sort of did this in the show but only for a couple of the Totems and they never really committed to it as a theme).

Narratively speaking, the Super Friends are working together to beat the trials, which is exactly what a superhero team should be all about. Together, they represent the best the planet has to offer.

Except, that's not the point of the trials. To gather the AllStone, you have to do it alone. And who's doing it alone? Nyxly. Nyxly bares her soul to these Totems, she gains most of them independently without cheating and the further along she gets into the trials, the more she's able to overcome the very reason for her pain and anger that led her down this path to begin with.

The Super Friends aren't looking for power, that was never their goal, and so of course they aren't playing by the rules to gain it, they're doing it in a way that everyone equally shares a part of the burden and so the effect isn't as intense. For Nyxly, though, by gaining all 7 Totems and going through those associated trials, I like to think that by the end of her arc, she willingly gives up that power.

And maybe that's the whole point of the AllStone. Only someone worthy of power should gain it, and the only people worthy of power are the ones that don't want it. The AllStone isn't meant to be a weapon or even a tool used by an individual, it's supposed to be for the whole world to share. And so the very mechanics of the trial will either fail those corrupted by their thirst for power long before they get a taste, or teach someone the true values of their own humanity by fairly passing every test.

I know the show wanted to go out with a bang and a big-stakes CGI battle with all the trimmings, but Nyxly was never designed as a villain. She was hurt and angry, but that never made her evil. She was a fifth dimensional imp, all she ever did was cause mischief, and so having her face her own reality through the trials would have been a major grounding factor for her.

To have the final villain of the show willingly give up their power not because it was beaten out of them, but simply because they decided to feels right to me. They built up the stakes so high in this season to make Nyxly out as the most powerful villain they'd ever faced -- and so maybe the only way to beat her was for her to decide that the fight was no longer worth fighting.

I dunno, it just would've been nice if the AllStone had actually meant something at the heart of it, and that Nyxly actually had a satisfying end to her story that made sense for her character.

Oh well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#supergirl #nyxly #not writing #supergirl season 6 #i remember when the totems were all first named me and my friend compiled a list linking each totem to a member of the super friends #we backed and forthed about a couple for days but we genuinely thought that was how the show was going to deal with it #and then.. it kinda did but then also absolutely did not.#i also thought that giving lena magic would end with her being the one to face off against nyxly #and as that didn't happen then lena not having magic really wouldn't change much.. especially for my imagined version of the season #i'll be honest rewatching that episode had me screaming into my hand in frustration #oh god and the dialogue it didn't even feel like the characters talking a lot of the time #and this isn't even me touching on how i wish kara's arc had gone but like that's a whole other kettle of fish #feel free to ignore this i just wanted to get this out of my head so i can move past it 😂#at least we got brainia endgame. that helps me sleep at night.

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owl-with-a-pen · 2 months

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while we’re sharing playlist suggestions, I love Mechanical Planet by VERIDIA (specifically when Brainy is taken over by his ancestors in the end of season 4), Machine Learning by J. Maya, and Half Life by Livingston as Brainy songs

Omg I love these, listening to Mechanical Planet makes me imagine the lyrics being sung by Brainy's ancestors when he's realigned. Every lyric is perfect, I can't pick just one!

Half Life and Machine Learning are both so Brainy. Machine Learning especially feels like it fits in before he's uninhibited and struggling so much to operate under his own mental restrictions as well as his social surroundings.

I know you wanna be youself

Like everyone else

But that's not where you excel

Memorise the manual

You're hopeless on your own

Godddd the inhibited!Brainy feels are so stronggg!

Thanks for sharing Rachel <3

#supergirl #brainiac 5 #brainy #querl dox #my asks #not writing #cyclone-rachel #music

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owl-with-a-pen · 2 months

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hihi i have been loving your writing and playlists and wanted to offer the song a different age by current joys for Brainy :]

Aw thank you so much!! 🥰

And oo yes I really like the melancholy of this song, that repetition about not being seen or heard or known by being from a different age makes me think of Brainy's struggle to fit into the 21st century, especially during the season 4 period where there's so much tension surrounding aliens integrating with human society.

This part especially:

And you should fear me 'Cause I believe in a different age But I live in a city That lives in a different age Oh, I live in a city That lives In a different age

Thank you for sharing!

#my asks #supergirl #brainiac 5 #not writing #anon #honestly just psyched there are people still listening to my playlists !#thank you for sharing i love adding new music to my spotify list 🥰

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owl-with-a-pen · 2 months

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Parthas had a vibrancy about it that Kara had seen nowhere else. She’d detailed it in her article the first time she’d visited with Nia, but no words could really do the town justice. Community really meant something here, humans and aliens alike worked together to keep their town thriving. And it was thriving.

Nia had once told Kara that her mother had been the heart of the town. She’d planted the flowers that still bloomed each spring on every street, bursting out from pots beneath the windows of local cafes. She’d been commissioned to paint original works for a lot of the community venues and had even designed a mural that was now proudly displayed across the first building that greeted outsiders into the town’s borders.

Isabel really was the heart – a heart that continued to beat even now that she was gone. Her vitality was ingrained into the lives of every person who called Parthas home, but none more than the family she’d built that home for.

Kara had been visiting Parthas more than anywhere else over the last few months. Not to fulfil her duties as Supergirl, but rather the infinitely more important duties of Kara Zor-El, Maid of Honour Extraordinaire. She’d been busy booking venues, securing hotel rooms, ordering flowers plus catering - giving just about any regular wedding planner a run for their money - and in all that time, she hadn’t yet needed to return to Nia’s own childhood home.

That was, until now.

“Thanks for doing this with me, Kara,” Nia said as they made their way up the cobbled pathway towards the front porch.

It was her first coherent sentence since they’d reached the town border. Nia had spent most of the drive passed out against the passenger side window, a surly furrow to her brow. Kara was willing to bet she hadn’t had a wink of sleep last night. After all, today’s trip wasn’t exactly something Nia had been looking forward to.

So, she tried to stay cheerful for them both. “Hey, of course.” She beamed, nudging Nia’s arm. “Alex didn’t bestow me with the title Best Maid of Honour Ever for nothing, you know.”

Nia did smile at that, although it couldn’t quite disguise the shadows beneath her eyes. She glanced up towards the house warily, her jaw set. “I’m just glad to have a buffer. Things have still been… weird between us, y’know?”

Kara winced sympathetically. “Is she here yet?”

Nia shrugged. “You tell me.”

Kara took that as her cue. She closed her eyes, opening her heightened senses as she listened out for any signs of life behind the varnished doorframe. She straightened almost immediately. “Well, there’s definitely a heartbeat in there. Your dad’s still out of town, right?”

“Suit and shoe shopping,” Nia said with a roll of her eyes. “I think he’s trying to get a wedding gift while he’s in the city, although he’s not really sure what a Coluan would want. I said waffle iron.”

Kara nodded seriously. “Brainy is getting pretty good with breakfast foods.”

“Right?”

Kara chuckled, catching herself when she noticed how intensely Nia was studying the door. She cleared her throat. “Ready?”

“For this? Never,” Nia muttered, grabbing for the doorhandle. “So here goes nothing.”

The house was just the same as Kara remembered, right down to the pleasant smell of vanilla mixed with acrylic paint that wafted down the hall. From the way Nia stiffened, Kara knew it wasn’t just her heightened senses picking it up.

Isabel’s paintings still decorated the walls, an intricately detailed doorway to her dreams in every direction they looked. Nia kept her eyes trained on the floor, sucking in a deep breath as she took her first step inside.

At the same time, a floorboard above them creaked and a shadow slunk over the banister, dipping swiftly towards them. They both looked up just as Maeve Nal appeared at the top of the stairs, a strained smile already etched in place.

At first, no one said a word.

Kara glanced awkwardly between the two sisters as they exchanged a long and wary look. Kara knew exactly what that kind of a look meant, she and Alex had shared it plenty of times themselves. Once, when they’d been teenagers, Kara had lost control of her heat vision during an argument with Eliza that had nearly burned the kitchen down. The following morning, she’d met Alex with the same expression Maeve was demonstrating now. An unspoken promise to try harder, to be on her best behaviour. No more outbursts.

But there had been- so many more - and so Kara understood the distrust in Nia’s eyes, that hesitancy to believe anything Maeve was selling her, no matter how much they both wanted it to be true.

When Nia remained silent, Maeve cleared her throat. “Nia, Kara, you’re early,” she said with forced cheer. “How was the journey?”

“It was fine,” Nia said quickly, an edge to her voice that made no room for small talk.

Maeve nodded anyway. “Good, that’s good. Do either of you want a drink, or--?”

“Can we just get started?” Nia interrupted, grabbing for the stair rail.

Maeve’s smile hardened into tight line. She pursed her lips, stepping away from the banister. “Of course. Come on up.”

Kara smiled politely as she passed Maeve on the landing. The last time they’d seen each other hadn’t exactly been under the best of circumstances. Not just that, but when they’d first met, Maeve had only known her as Kara Danvers, Nia’s work colleague and friend. Now, like the rest of the world, Maeve knew the truth.

That, right now, she was sharing a roof with Supergirl.

Not that Maeve seemed to care. Maybe she was used to superheroes with a family history as rich as Naltor’s, maybe she’d made the connection long ago - or maybe she was more focused on the well-being of her sister to pay it any thought. This was going to be a difficult experience for them both, Kara knew, and whether Nia admitted to it or not, there was a reason she’d wanted Maeve there with her today.

Nia took the lead down the hallway, walking a path she must have travelled a hundred times over the years, before stopping in front a doorway just across from her dad’s bedroom.

It was already open.

She waited for Kara to catch up from the corner of her eye, bracing herself, before heading through to the other side.

Kara followed her in, Maeve close behind. With all three of them in there, it should have felt crowded, but somehow the room was accommodating enough to fit everyone comfortably. Natural light flooded in from three large windows on the tallest part of the far wall, casting an inviting glow across the tan floorboards. A pink orchid was sat on the windowsill, petals fresh and flourishing in the sunlight.

An easel was set up in the centre of the room, an old canvas still hooked in place. The painting wasn’t finished, its meaning lost to time, but Kara couldn’t help but wonder.

Had this been Isabel’s final dream?

The room wasn’t just home to Isabel’s old artwork. Large antique wardrobes had been pushed against the wall, and boxes of old supplies gathered dust in a corner. The rest of the furniture had been hidden away beneath clean cotton sheets, as though they were already sharing the space with a handful of ghostly figures.

The studio kept parts of Isabel’s life in colour, at least, even if a few had been obscured along the way. Nia’s dad must have been looking after the room as best he could, and although nothing felt neglected, there were certain pieces of clutter that hadn’t been touched for a very long time.

“So,” Maeve said, leaning against the doorway. “Where do you want to start looking?”

Nia didn’t speak; her dark eyes worked over the room, flickering quickly from spot to spot. She didn’t marvel the place like when she’d first visited the Fortress - there was nothing new about it, not really. Kara knew that this was far from Nia’s first visit home since her mother’s passing. Last summer, she and Brainy had stayed in Parthas for three weeks after their engagement announcement, and Nia had since set aside a weekend every month to visit her dad. In all that time, though, Nia had admitted she’d never made it quite as far as her mother’s art studio. It was never locked, the door nearly always open, but she always found an excuse to avoid it.

Now, Kara watched as Nia marked out every item in the room like she was planning an itinerary. Finally, she bit her lip, heading over to the closest wardrobe before pulling it open.

The doors shuddered and groaned on old hinges, the smell of mothballs invading the air, but Nia didn’t seem to mind. Instead, she started to card her way through the heavy articles of clothing that hung inside. Some from decades prior, others more modern in shape and cut. On her right, Maeve opened the wardrobe stood nearest to the door, a host of pastel blues and ivory creams packed tightly on the other side.

Neither sister spoke a word to the other, and Kara suddenly felt that bit more of an invader on the whole ritual. Nia had wanted her there as both a peacekeeper and a friend, but her duty was a little blurred around the edges now that she was stood among Isabel’s old things. Kara decided to open one of the boxes on the floor that hadn’t been taped shut to occupy her time, rummaging inside half-heartedly as Nia continued her search.

She combed through her mom’s things carefully, pausing to squeeze or hold a piece at length when it sparked a fond memory. That was the only time she looked halfway comfortable with what she was doing. Kara felt her pain – aside from the data crystals stored in her pod, she hadn’t had anything left of her parents when she’d been sent away, believing them to be dead. If she had, she might have found the same bittersweet peace that was currently stirring Nia’s confliction.

Every so often, Maeve would offer up a possible clothing option from her closet, pulling a jacket or scarf from the hanger for Nia to see. Her wardrobe certainly boasted a colour scheme more fitting for their objective, but every time Nia shot her down. She was clearly looking for something specific, even if she didn’t know what it was she was searching for.

Maeve stopped trying soon after her fifth failed attempt, and the room fell once again into a tense silence only disturbed by the screech of metal hangers on metal rails.

Just as Kara was planning to suggest they break for lunch, Nia gasped sharply from behind her. Kara turned immediately, tense and alert, only to find Nia stood with something clutched tightly to her chest.

It was a long piece of satin fabric with a pearly texture. Simple and without shape, like a scarf or shawl.

But there was nothing simple about the way that Nia was looking at it.

“Nia—what is it?” Maeve asked.

Nia gritted her teeth, shaking her head. “This was stupid,” she muttered. Her arms fell slack, dropping the satin to the ground. “I-I need some air.”

She stormed out before either of them could convince her otherwise, disappearing around the corner. Kara caught Maeve’s eye guardedly.

“I should—” Maeve began.

“No,” Kara said. “Let me.”

Maeve didn’t try to fight her on the subject. Her own eyes were glistening, unable to articulate her thanks.

Kara didn’t wait for one. She gave it five seconds before following out after Nia, locating her heartbeat a little too quickly. It was thudding like crazy, and the fact she’d only made it as far as the stairs only increased the volume of her grief.

“Nia?” Kara asked tentatively. When Nia half turned her head and she saw the tears that had begun streaking down her face, Kara’s chest tightened. “Hey, Nia, Nia, what is it?”

Nia only shook her head, wiping angrily at her cheeks with the edge of her palm. “I shouldn’t have done this, Kara. It was a dumb idea.”

“Nia,” Kara admonished, taking her arm. “It was a good idea. A wonderful one. Look, maybe we should take a break. We could go to that coffee place on the corner, the one you were talking about earlier?”

“No.” Nia rolled her shoulder out of Kara’s grasp, folding her arms. “I mean—no. I don’t need a break. I just—” She blinked quickly, clenching her teeth. “Just—I thought this’d be easier, that being here with all her stuff would make me feel closer to her, make everything clearer.” She snorted. “But it doesn’t and nothing here feels right.”

“It’s okay.”

“But it’s not!” Nia spun to face Kara fully, the tears of her frustration still glittering on her jaw. “I came here to find something of my mom’s that I could wear for my wedding day, so why can’t I, Kara? It’s all here, so why—”

“Hey, hey, breathe,” Kara instructed, taking Nia’s shoulders before she could back away. This time, Nia didn’t fight her. She stared, chest heaving, cheeks blotched with red, until finally Kara’s words began to sink in. Her lashes fluttered shut and she drew in one long and steady breath, easing it out through her teeth. Kara smiled. “I think you answered your own question. It is all here, there’s a lot to go through, and I don’t just mean your mom’s stuff.” She glanced meaningfully down the hall, giving Nia’s shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

Nia huffed out a laugh. “Maybe you’re right,” she muttered thickly, before rolling her eyes. “I know you’re right. I just…”

“Take it slow,” Kara said. “There’s no rush, Nia. However long it takes, we will find something. I refuse to leave until we do.”

Nia’s lips crumpled into a smile at her pseudo-serious remark and Kara grinned, winding an arm around her back. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Nia agreed, sniffing into her hand.

After drying her face off with some tissues from the bathroom, Kara guided Nia back to Isabel’s study and right into the expectant gaze of her big sister.

“Everything alright?” Maeve asked immediately, abandoning her search.

Nia nodded quickly, avoiding Maeve’s eyes. “Things just got a little overwhelming.”

“I noticed,” Maeve said with a wry smile. “You were looking at this, right?”

The second Maeve lifted up the offending satin piece, Nia faltered. She set her jaw, biting her lip. “Yeah. It’s just… I guess for a second it reminded me of what mom was wearing in the dream realm. When I—”

“Right,” Maeve said, cutting her off with a pained wince. “Of course. Well… maybe, maybe that’s a sign you should wear it? It’d go well with your dress, right?”

Nia frowned. “You haven’t even seen my dress.”

Maeve gave her a pointed look. “And whose fault is that?”

Nia cringed, taking the shawl from her sister’s hands. She weighed it for a moment, letting the satin slide across her palms before she gripped it more firmly. Eventually, she sighed. “Maybe for the afterparty,” she relented.

Kara caught the unconvinced glimmer in Maeve’s eye when she nodded, turning back towards the wardrobes. “We’ll keep looking.”

On the bright side, the tension that had once weighed the room down didn’t seem quite as present anymore. Instead, Isabel’s studio was flooded with easy chatter. Now, when Nia or Maeve found something that they liked, they’d pause to laugh, nudge the other, and recount the memory that came with it.

“Remember when mom thought this hat looked good?”

“Oh my god, her gardening gloves! I thought the neighbour’s dog stole them years ago!”

“She let me live in this sweater whenever I was sick.”

The stories continued like that for hours and soon, Kara found herself laughing along with them, pointing out atrocious style choices in the mix and begging for the stories behind them. She found she was learning a great deal more about Isabel Nal than she ever had when she’d been alive, and with every memory revisited, a little more of that tension chipped away until it felt like nothing but a bad dream.

The laughter came to an abrupt stop when Nia reached the last item in her mother’s closet. She glanced to Maeve, finding that her sister was in the exact same position. Two wardrobes full of stuff to blow through, and they hadn’t found a single thing she could use.

“Don’t look so down in the dumps,” Maeve said, patting her sister’s arm. “Who said it had to be clothes, anyway? What about…” She stopped in the middle of the room, hands on hips as she scoured the studio. Kara watched as she moved purposefully to the far wall, grabbing one of the larger sheets and tugging it free, revealing the furniture beneath.

Maeve’s face lit up. “Nia--- what about in here.”

Kara stood stunned, staring in amazement at Maeve’s discovery. It was an antique dressing table, an old varnished oak piece with an oval mirror fixed into the headboard and one long drawer fitted underneath.

Nia walked over to it, running her hand across the brass handle before carefully tugging it open. Kara peered over Nia’s shoulder, her eyes widening when she realised what rested inside.

“Oh Rao, they’re beautiful.”

The inside of the drawer was inlaid with a royal blue velvet. Pieces of jewellery had been set delicately into each individual indent. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, all made from bands of pure gold that glittered intermittently with flecks of blue.

“Oh wow, mom’s jewellery collection,” Maeve said from Nia’s other side. She turned to Kara, adding for her benefit: “She brought a lot of them with her from Naltor. Each piece is fitted with a Naltorian gemstone. They’re supposed to help focus the mind and body, offer clarity to those that are lost, and not just for the daughters gifted with the Sight.” She nudged Nia’s arm. “Mom would let us wear them out for special occasions sometimes.”

Nia’s smile was distant, caught far in the past. “I remember,” she said, picking her way across the collection. “College graduation, she told me to choose anything I wanted.” Her hand stilled suddenly, clenching her fingers together. She swallowed hard.

“What is it?” Kara asked.

A scornful smile twitched at Nia’s lips. She glanced up, catching Maeve’s eye through the vanity mirror's reflection. “Except… I never did. I wanted to, really, and it felt right, like I was drawn to these stones somehow. My powers hadn’t even manifested yet, but I was so afraid to pick one, because a part of me knew what it meant, even then.”

Maeve turned away guiltily, unable to match her sister’s glare. The room felt colder, suddenly, and Kara fought the urge to shudder. This wasn’t her fight, nor her place to say anything. Whatever Maeve had to say, she’d be speaking it alone.

“Do you feel drawn to anything now?” Maeve asked, surprising them both with her certainty, as though she wasn’t being held under scrutiny at all.

Nia’s brow furrowed, her expression guarded. “What?”

“Well, do you?”

“I—” Nia shook her head, turning unwillingly back to the jewellery out on display. “I- I don’t know…”

Impulsively, Maeve took her sister’s hand, linking their fingers together. “Don’t think about it,” she scolded, rolling her eyes. “Feel, Nia. Draw from the stones’ clarity. Let that guide you.”

When Nia glanced Kara’s way, she tried to offer her an encouraging smile, even if she was a little lost on what was going on here. She’d seen Naltorian jewellery before, Maeve’s first peace offering to Nia had been the necklace Isabel had given her, but this was different. When Nia closed her eyes and her and Maeve’s joined hands drew a line across the velvet, a band of blue energy erupted from Nia’s bracelet, winding at first around their fingers before misting out into fine tendrils like digits of their own, probing the drawer’s interior as though they were living things.

Kara supposed they were. What was Nia’s energy if not an extension of herself? And if the stones offered clarity, then they were certainly helping with the search now. Nia’s face was set with expert focus, her eyes rolling calmly beneath her lids as she followed the path her powers were chasing. Until, eventually…

“Wait,” Nia said, her eyes snapping open. “What’s that?”

Kara wasn’t sure what Nia was seeing, that was until she picked at one of the rings at the corner of the set, pulling loose a small piece of ribbon that had been tucked beneath it.

“A pull tab?” Maeve asked.

Nia’s frown deepened as she tugged at the ribbon. With it, a whole section of the velvet inset came loose, lifting upward.

Underneath was a small hidden compartment, barely a few inches across. And inside that compartment…

“Oh my god,” Maeve said. “Is that…?”

Cushioned between four edges of black velvet was a brilliantly silver bridal comb with cobalt blue gemstones set into the fixings in a wave-like pattern.

“The Naltorian symbol for union,” Maeve explained, her face pale. “I can’t believe it was here this whole time.”

“It’s beautiful,” Kara murmured, unable to tear her eyes away from it. “Oh, Nia, it’s perfect.”

“It’s mom’s,” Nia said tightly, closing her eyes. “She- she wore it for her wedding, but we thought it was lost. I only ever saw it in pictures, never…” She stopped herself short, reaching out for the comb before lifting it carefully into her hands. It looked ancient and brand new at the same time. Nia handled it delicately, as though afraid it might snap under the slightest provocation.

Maeve’s eyes shimmered, an eager look, a hungry look. “There’s this old Naltorian tradition,” she said slowly, her voice wavering slightly, “the daughter that inherits the Sight is meant to wear something of her matriarchal line on her day of union. Her wedding day. Every family has something different, something personal, but that item will stay in a family for generations. This was mom’s, but it was also our grandmother’s and our great-grandmother before her. It could go back centuries. It does go back centuries.” She lifted her hand, as though to summon it. “Mom once told me it would only find a Dreamer when the time was right.”

Kara watched Maeve warily, monitoring her fascination.

“I didn’t even know that,” Nia muttered, just as Maeve’s hand coasted over it. Nia flinched, clenching her hand across the comb in reflex. She narrowed her eyes at her sister, weighing her intentions, before slowly unfurling her fingers.

Maeve looked at Nia curiously. When Nia nodded, she breathed in, taking the bridal comb from her sister’s hand. She studied it carefully, running her index finger over each individual gemstone, testing it for durability.

“There’s a lot you don’t know,” Maeve said as she continued to examine the comb. “About Naltor, about… tradition. Mom always thought she’d have more time and I… I didn’t want to share it. I wanted it to be a secret, just between the two of us.”

Nia bared her teeth at that, a bitter scowl as she made to turn away. Before she could, Maeve caught her arm, stilling her little sister so that she could run a hand along her back, winding her fingers into the edges of her long hair. Kara watched as Maeve bunched Nia’s locks together in her free hand, fashioning it into a low hanging ponytail. “Hold still.”

“Maeve,” Nia murmured, but she did as she was told, watching her big sister through the mirror as she slid the bridal comb into place, holding in a way that the wave of blue perfectly melded into the depths of her dark hair.

Maeve marvelled at her handiwork. “Well, look at that. It’s perfect on you.”

“Something borrowed,” Kara said, nodding towards Nia’s reflection. “Something blue.”

Nia choked out a watery laugh, rubbing at her eyes. She probed at the comb, grinning as she felt for it in her hair.

“I’m sorry I never told you,” Maeve said, her reflection fixed solemnly on her sister. “It was selfish and spiteful and never my secret to keep. From now on, I’ll tell you everything, I promise.”

“It sounds like a lot,” Nia admitted honestly. She folded her arms, tipping back into her sister’s ready embrace. “Maybe you can tell me more about it back in National City? I mean, I still need to show you my dress.”

Maeve’s eyes lit up in surprise. She grinned, nodding her head. “I’d like that.”

“And wait until the whole outfit’s put together,” Kara added excitedly. “Nia, you are going to make one breathtaking bride.”

“Thank you,” Nia mouthed, taking Kara’s hand.

Kara squeezed back gently. “Any time.”

In the end, she supposed her services as social buffer or peacekeeper hadn’t been all that necessary. Her duty as a friend, however? That was a full-time role.

One that she was more than happy to fulfil for the rest of her life.

#supergirl #supergirl fanfiction #nia nal #kara danvers #maeve nal #kara zor el #brainia #my writing #soooooooooo this may or may not be a subtle hint that i'm planning a brainia wedding fic at some point #i was actually going to have this as part of that fic but it sort of got too long to justify so take this as a small taste #this is severely rushed i wanted to get it done before i fell into a super busy week but i hope you like!!

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owl-with-a-pen · 2 months

Note

I’m gonna start by saying forgive me if I’ve already sent this ask. I feel like I might have but I have a bit of a memory problem so I’m really not sure. If I have ignore this.

That said, if you’re still taking requests I would absolutely love it if you did a scene that would fit into the episode featuring the courage totem where Brainy says he can’t wake Nia but we don’t get to see the process of him trying and realizing this. I saw in the tags of an old post you were considering writing about it so if you’re still interested that would be really cool.

This may be the latest prompt yet, but I just reached this episode on my re-watch and remembered this ask specifically. So again, anon, if you're still out there, I hope you enjoy!

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

The moment Brainy touched down at the Tower, he headed straight for the training room floor. The elevator moved unbearably slow, uncaring of his plight even while he tapped ineffectually at the button controlling his descent.

All the while, his mind continued to work over the last hour’s events.

Alex and J’onn had been affected by something during that altercation – clearly – and yet Brainy was struggling to pinpoint a cause. Indeed, he seemed to be having a hard time thinking of anything. He was still unnerved by the punches he hadn’t been able to evade during the fight. Punches thrown by human adversaries, civilian adversaries, and for some reason he hadn’t seen them coming. Differential calculus had failed him in the moment, leaving him with a dangerous blind spot that had nearly cost him the safety of the citizens he had been meant to protect.

Perhaps he had been unable to predict their moves because they themselves had been dictated by an otherworldly force. Or perhaps this was Vita’s doing, somehow. The Kryptonian witch had been meddling inside his projectors not hours ago, although any trace of her had been expunged completely the moment she’d fled back to her crystal.

Which meant that there was nothing wrong with him internally; no matter how many diagnostics he ran didn’t change the facts.

No. He was missing something, he had to be. And he still couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get worse.

And, if that was the case, then Nia needed to be informed. She’d stayed local to the Tower to try and use her dreams to search for Nyxly, and while Brainy hoped she’s made more progress than the rest of them, he couldn’t deny that his main priority was an entirely selfish one.

Simply, he wished to see her again.

Things always felt clearer when he had the chance to talk them out with Nia Nal, and he desperately sought that clarity now. But Nia’s job was by far the most important if they were to gain any insight for the fight to come, and he could not allow his own feelings get in the way of that.

When the elevator doors finally shuddered open and Brainy stepped foot into the training arena made makeshift den, the sense of wrongness twisting his stomach didn’t lift as anticipated. In fact, it only seemed to intensify.

Nia was sat on the other side of the room, mostly upright on one of J’onn’s scavenged antique armchairs.

Brainy’s lips twitched fondly at the sight.

Over the last few weeks, Nia had been spending more time in the dream realm than she ever had before, so much that she’d become impressively adept at appearing otherwise conscious during her meditations.

Only her soft snores betrayed her now.

Brainy folded his arms, ducking his head with another suppressed smile. As much as it pained him to disturb her dreams, their current circumstances had made it something of a necessity.

“Nia,” he said softly, not yet at her side. Oftentimes, that was all it took to reach through to her. The sound of his voice always found her eventually. No matter how far into the dream realm she may have travelled, that had always been a certainty.

Today, however, something was different.

When Nia didn’t stir after the predicted one minute and fifteen second window Brainy normally left for her, a nervousness began to creep its way into his throat. He swallowed it down quickly, crossing the room towards her.

Even his proximity didn’t appear to dispel her dreams. When he was close enough, Brainy crouched down in front of her, tentatively taking his girlfriend’s arm, attempting to reach her. “Nia Nal?”

Nothing. Nia remained perfectly still, her lips half parted.

Brainy frowned, eyes skirting across her expression, intent on finding anything that might account for this abnormality in her sleep cycle. Nia’s brow was furrowed slightly, as though she was concentrating on something very far away. Her fingers were tense, curled inward, impressing strained lines into the leather armrests.

Most worrisome. The dream realm wasn’t meant to cause such an adverse physical reaction. Nia would often wake from a dream disoriented, the physical embodiment of her astral self coinciding with that of the waking world, but that occurred after the dream had dispelled, not before.

Brainy forced his breathing to still, taking his girlfriend’s shoulders, squeezing her with gentle reassurance. He let his eyes flutter shut, focusing instead on his internal enhancements. He had long ago put buffers in place to match up against Nia’s own energy frequencies, though as her abilities had grown, he’d found himself implementing more to prepare for any variations in which her powers might manifest.

He thought he’d known what to expect, but when his attempt at connecting with her was met with a powerful snap of dream energy that lanced down both his wrists, Brainy jerked his hands away with a hiss, shaking them out.

“Sprock,” he muttered, winding a protective hand around his ring finger where her energy continued to smart. He stared at Nia’s unresponsive posture, wide-eyed, a panic flaring inside of him so fiercely that it took every ounce of his self-control not to grab for her and shake her with all his might. Anything that might wake her.

But it would do not good. Nia was protecting herself from the outside world, her energy posing a physical threat against anything that sought to disturb her focus. A soft blue highlighted her cheeks, her gloves glowing a brilliant but dangerous shade. She'd travelled deeper into the dream realm than he'd ever witnessed, somewhere that even Brainy couldn’t reach through to her.

What had brought on such prowess, Brainy wasn’t sure. Had she found new certainty in her mother’s teachings, or perhaps she was responding to a vengeful trigger set in motion by Nyxly?

Either way, Brainy should have known, should have predicted this. By being attentive to her feelings, by being present at all. He was failing her, and he was failing himself by being unable to focus on probable cause, to outline anything at all with absolute certainty. Not with Alex, not with J’onn, not with this…

It seemed he needed… help.

Brainy nearly recoiled at the notion. He hated that feeling, the vulnerability that came with such uncertainty, but he couldn’t deny it any longer. Something was wrong, and if he was going to figure it out, he needed to alert the rest of the Super Friends to Nia’s current predicament.

He balled his hands together nervously before dipping forward, cupping the side of Nia’s face so that her energy bleached his palm. He sighed, pressing his lips firmly to her forehead, taking comfort in the warmth of her skin, the sweet scent of her shampoo.

“I will return,” Brainy promised her, his voice barely a crackle in her ear.

Nia remained unresponsive throughout, though from the tightness of her expression, Brainy knew her battle raged on elsewhere. He only hoped that wherever she was, she might have heard him. Enough to know that he was not leaving her. That he would be back. He would always be back.

He didn’t allow himself to linger a moment longer, otherwise he would never have had the strength to pull himself away. Instead, he headed back towards the elevator, twisting his ring close to his chest, still hot with errant dream energy, and made his ascent known.

#supergirl #supergirl fanfiction #nia nal #brainiac 5 #brainia #querl dox #brainy #my writing #my prompts #my asks #anon #dreamerdox #brainy x nia #trying to capture brainy's uncertainty before he realises he's been affected by the totem was a challenge but I hope it worked lol #but yeah this ask is so so so old i'm so sorry. but when i was rewatching this scene the other day i just had a spark of memory that someon #had once left me this prompt and - being me - i just filed it away for later and forgot about it #it may be years late at this point but i finally answered it. my bad.

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owl-with-a-pen · 2 months

Text

Brainy had noted a change in Zor-El’s demeanour from the moment he’d first dispelled his image inducer.

There had been an intensity about him ever since they’d been paired together to create the virus intended to stop Oscar. At the time, Brainy had simply elected to ignore it. Adjusting to Earth had not been easy for him, after all, and Zor-El had clearly been haunted by phantoms of his own past—those that did not take the shape of something that could be so easily conquered.

Brainy hadn’t pressed. It was an… uncomfortable topic for a great many reasons. Reasons he, too, had chosen to overlook. Besides, their most pressing task had taken his full attention… barring – of course - a tiny, negligible… mere handful, of thought tracks that could have potentially mulled things over if given the opportunity. But there was none. Of course, there was none.

Obviously.

It wasn’t until they were alone together on the Legion ship that Brainy allowed himself to re-open those specific thought tracks, skirting over them in finer detail as he simultaneously marked out the co-ordinates for Argo City with a superfluous flick of his right hand.

The ship had been silent since their departure from Earth’s atmosphere, a soft purr from the engines acting as the only sign of life.

Brainy was no stranger to long silences, especially on journeys where he found himself far removed from the goings on of the rest of his crew, far too immersed in his own work. Now, though? Well, the removal of his inhibitors often left him restless, encouraging him to fill every space with a thought or calculation to occupy his time. His mind ran faster than it ever had before, so much that slowing it down to a purely biological mindset was oftentimes inconceivable, especially if he’d worked himself up.

Had he done so now? Perhaps the mere idea of this journey had triggered something in him, because suddenly all those thoughts had nowhere left to hide.

Brainy twisted his ring mindlessly around his finger, pinching skin, digging into the indentations with his thumbnail. When that proved an insufficient distraction, he leant forward in his chair, sending himself on fruitless ventures around the circumference of the navigation room. His legs kicked empty air as his mind continued to whirr, thinking – no – fearing that his theory may have been correct.

Running out of relevant physical and mental stimulus to occupy his time, he admitted something of defeat by leaping from his chair, heading instead in the direction that he had last seen Zor-El before he had conveniently wandered off.

He hadn’t gotten far. In fact, he was stood in the adjacent hallway, staring out through the ceiling to floor windows that ran in a curved slope down the left-hand side of the wall.

Outside, the world was still, the darkness of space only interrupted by sparse flecks of microscopic balls of light, glowing from a lifetime away. It was impossible to tell what Zor-El was thinking in that moment, although Brainy considered it might have been hope for what was to come; to see his home again – if only in part.

But something cold had settled in Brainy’s stomach from the moment he’d stepped through the arch, and he felt a question rise suddenly on his tongue. And so, it was with a wary curiosity that Brainy wandered the hallway to join Zor-El, his hands folded tightly to the base of his spine.

He swallowed down the urge to ask and cleared his throat, electing instead to tell. “We should reach Argo in the next four hours, twenty-five minutes, sixteen—twelve—seconds,” Brainy said, flinching at his own miscalculation. He had failed to account for the seconds that had passed in the time it had taken him to deliver said information. A schoolboy’s error, one that he did not make lightly. After all, the difference between a few seconds could often mean life or death.

Life or death. It certainly felt that way now, waiting on Zor-El’s response. The arm on Brainy’s internal clock couldn’t have ticked slower if it had tried.

Eventually, Zor-El lowered his head, blinking away decades-worth of reverie. He failed to meet Brainy’s eye. “Very well.”

The question was back again, nagging on the tip of his tongue. Brainy scratched awkwardly at his collar, drawing forward a little impulsively. “Have I… done something to offend?”

He had assumed the answer long before this conversation, and yet Brainy still felt a sinking in his stomach when Zor-El drew to his full height, easing his shoulders back as he continued to regard the emptiness ahead of him. “My wife and I always taught our daughter to see the best in people,” he spoke calmly, his dark eyes tracking the stars one by one, “only I never realised that those teachings might one day extend to one of your—kind.”

Zor-El’s gaze moved suddenly, no longer capturing the world outside, but rather holding firm on the one reflection cast against the glass. Of Brainy’s ghostly silhouette, the glow of his projectors a subdued brilliance in the simulated dusk of the ship’s dimly lit hall.

“Ah,” Brainy said tightly. His mouth was suddenly very dry. He swallowed hard, clenching his hands behind his back. “I had suspected.”

“And so you admit it!” Zor-El said immediately, spinning suddenly to face him. His expression was a mask of perfect fury. Staunch and unyielding. “I recognised those markings on your uniform the moment I awoke from that hell.” He laughed colourlessly. “And that moniker they call you, as though your heritage is nothing but a fallacy. Now, you show your true colours hidden behind that image modifier of yours, parading yourself about so bluntly, as if you have no shame.” His lips twitched dangerously. “But I know you.”

For a moment, all Brainy wanted was to dare the words right out of Zor-El’s mouth, but he didn’t get the chance. Zor-El was far too quick.

“You are one of them. A Brainiac.”

“Brainiac-5,” Brainy corrected lightly, holding firm in his stance. “You may call me Querl, if that’s—”

“I may call you nothing!” Zor-El spat. “You are an enemy to our people. Have you told my daughter what you did?”

“What my ancestor did.” Brainy bristled, biting down hard on his tongue to keep from speaking out of turn. Still, his anger stirred deep inside, restless in its pursuit to freedom. Brainy refused it. It felt as though he had been refusing it for far too long. Instead, he said, “I have told her what he was responsible for. I have told them all.”

Zor-El made a derisive sound. “He. Is that how you worded it, is that why she has forgiven you so easily?”

“I am not responsible for my ancestor’s actions. I have done nothing but strive—”

“Is that so?” Zor-El spoke over him. “Then answer me this, Brainiac, are you not bound to the minds of your clan? Do you not hear their voices as though they were your own?”

Brainy flinched, his lips thinning into a tasteless smile. His anger somersaulted into something more indulgent, veering towards petulance. He folded his arms. “I would ask how you know this,” Brainy said levelly, cocking his head, “only I know the answer already. For, Kara told me what you used my people for on Krypton.”

Zor-El’s eyes were as dark as coals. He shrugged, running a hand across his jaw. As though it made no difference at all. “Yes, we worked with the Coluans.”

“They worked for you,” Brainy corrected. “You used my people, outfitted them for your own means all in the name of making your planet greater.” He barked out a sarcastic laugh, gesturing to himself with a flourish. “Just as I performed today. Did I not save your so-called invention from destroying Earth?”

“My only error was to trust in Coluan technology in the first place,” Zor-El said coldly, raising his chin. “But I suspect you know just how temperamental it can be. Brainiac-8 is also your relation, is she not?”

Brainy’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t see how that is relevant.”

“No, you don’t,” Zor-El cried. “Because that would mean admitting fault. You say you oh-so heroically saved this planet today, then I say it is the least you could have done after the abduction of Kandor, of the havoc that was subsequently wreaked on Krypton’s core, of everything the Brainiacs have destroyed!”

Brainy ran his tongue over his front teeth, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. “Okay, okay, I see where this is going,” he said, sinking back into a more languid stance. “My ancestor’s sins were abominable, I make no argument for him, but just hours ago it was you that was admitting fault for Krypton’s destruction. It is only logical you would wish to divert that blame elsewhere now that you are mere hours from what remains of your home, from your wife. So that you may lessen your own guilt.”

Maybe that had been the wrong thing to say, but Brainy no longer cared for tact. His anger was agitating again, spitting and swirling inside his stomach, and no amount of breathing exercises or Dolly Parton was about to take that away.

Zor-El’s eyes were wide. “You dare speak to me in this way?”

“Look at where you are, Zor-El,” Brainy said. “The ship in which you stand. Your fight isn’t with me. Stand down and we continue to Argo, to your people and your wife. Persist and I will gladly divert our course back to Earth so that another of my friends may make this journey with you.” He quirked a brow. “And believe me when I say that turning this ship around would take just a fraction of my mental capabilities.” He waved a hand towards the console in the room over with more aggression than was needed, clenching his fist. At the same time, their current course flashed across the screen, pasting itself as a 3D image above the control panel.

Zor-El offered it one scathing look before huffing his disapproval, turning back towards the window. “Typical Coluan egotism,” he muttered.

“Typical Kryptonian pig-headedness,” Brainy shot back, enjoying the way Zor-El’s shoulders drew together at the insult.

Neither one of them spoke a word after that, though Brainy suspected the rest of their journey together would not be a pleasant experience.

---------

They landed in a quiet pasture on the outskirts of the city, just before sundown. The tallest points of Argo’s developing structures were barely visible from their vantage, smothered by a dense treeline.

Only one person stood to greet them. Brainy recognised her the moment they stepped outside, for she shared the same kind smile as her daughter’s.

Alura Zor-El swept her husband into her arms the second he stumbled into the grass, no longer guided by the light-footedness he’d found so easily beneath a yellow sun. Brainy deftly averted his gaze when the two embraced, not wishing to encroach on the moment. No matter how tense their trip here had become, Zor-El deserved this moment of reunion with his wife. With everything he’d lost.

Besides, rage was not new to Brainy’s systems by now, and with the last few hours of silence to help gather his thoughts, he’d been able to put much of his anger aside in favour of a more optimistic outlook.

One that reminded him that he would be making the return trip alone. Indeed, soon he would be putting a sizeable distance between himself and all the contempt that Zor-El held for him.

It was only when Brainy heard Alura’s sharp intake of breath that he tuned back into the here and now.

She was no longer in the arms of her husband but had rather taken a step forward before falling quite still, studying Brainy with meticulous curiosity. She folded her hands in front of her, reviewing at first his hair, then his face, then the dot formation across his chest.

Brainy’s stomach clenched the further her eyes travelled. A part of him wished he’d activated his image inducer again before leaving the ship. Maybe that would have made things easier.

When Alura took another step forward, Brainy braced himself for the worst, stiffening when her eyes widened in surprise.

“You—” she said, and for one awful moment Brainy felt sure that she might strike him. Flashes of a familial sneer caught in his memory banks, and as Alura drew closer, he suddenly couldn’t tell her face apart from the mother that haunted his own childhood. It felt harder to hold his own against her, somehow, and he had to fight his every instinct not to retreat.

Instead, he was faced with the most curious of attacks. One that came in the form of a hug.

Flummoxed, Brainy held still in Alura’s embrace, not daring to breathe again until she’d released him. When she did, her brow furrowed, recognising his bewilderment.

“It is you, isn’t it?” she asked, suddenly uncertain of herself. “Brainy, of the Legion?”

Wordlessly, Brainy nodded. He could feel Zor-El’s eyes on him, but didn’t dare turn from Alura.

Alura’s face crumpled into a relieved smile. She bowed her head into a formal greeting. “I had hoped that we might one day meet,” she admitted. “There are many here who have wished the same. To meet you—to thank you.”

Now, Brainy was truly at a loss. “Thank me?” he repeated flatly.

“Thank him?” Zor-El echoed, equally dumbfounded.

“But of course,” Alura said, scooping Brainy’s hands suddenly into her own. Her eyes were bright. “Some years ago now, I was reunited with my daughter. She came with a friend – Mon-El of the Legion. He brought with him a piece of technology, your invention, one that helped eradicate Thalonite Lung completely from our community, as well as many other childhood ailments. So much of our medical history was lost on Krypton, but your invention filled in many of the gaps in our knowledge. It saved our children, our future.” Alura kissed him suddenly on the cheek, squeezing his hands. “You have my gratitude. You have Argo’s gratitude.”

For the first time in a long time, Brainy’s mind drew a total, unnerving blank. He stared at Alura uncomprehendingly, clearing his throat with more force than was necessary. “I—uh—I mean – you’re—you are very welcome.”

Alura chuckled, patting his knuckles gently. “This was not the welcome you had anticipated, was it?”

Brainy’s face fell. “Not at all,” he admitted, earning another laugh from Kara’s mother. “I—I suspect that you too know of my family’s history.”

Alura’s expression changed then. A profound sadness swept through her eyes. Sympathy, not scorn. “Yes,” she said, nodding slowly. “But… we do not choose our families. When I sent my daughter away, I only hoped that she would find safety on Earth, find a family, and I was fortunate that my prayers were answered. Not all of us are as lucky.” She smiled kindly. “We choose our paths, and from what Kara has told me, the path you have chosen is a noble one. So, Argo welcomes you, Brainiac-5.”

“This is all true?” Zor-El asked into the silence that Brainy left. He’d made an attempt at moving closer since his wife had begun to speak, a waver of distrust still evident in his dark eyes.

Alura paid it no mind, turning to take Zor-El’s face in her hands. “Oh, my dear husband. Every word.”

A pained look pulled Zor-El’s brow taut, and for a moment he said nothing at all. Eventually, he took his wife’s hand with a tenderness that spoke the years they’d been apart, holding her fingers there against his cheek, as though afraid of what might happen if he let go.

Brainy knew that feeling all too well. His heart ached to recall his own forced separation from Nia, how ardently he’d held onto her when the dust had settled after all the mistakes he’d made. He imagined now how her eyes would have lit up seeing another world like Argo, how different this experience might have been had she been at his side.

But perhaps this discomfort had been necessary, because when Zor-El finally turned to face Brainy, there was no more hatred left to greet him.

Instead, he said, “I believe I owe you an apology, Querl Dox.”

Brainy’s lips twitched. “And I you.” He shrugged. “I could have—handled your scorn better.”

Zor-El laughed. “You handled it well,” he assured him. “I-I admit that I have not been the easiest to deal with since my return from the Phantom Zone. My guilt—it was unfair to make that your burden. You have proven who you are over and over in the short time I have been reunited with my daughter; I just let my pig headedness get in the way of seeing that.”

“I am certain my Coluan ego did not help matters.” Brainy smirked. “But… I forgive you.”

Alura glanced between them both, a smile of her own playing on her lips. “I imagine the trip here was quite tense?”

Brainy and Zor-El both laughed at that. “You could say that,” Zor-El said.

Alura rolled her eyes, beckoning them towards the woods. “Come, then, both of you, before it gets too dark. Let me show you around.”

Lulled by this new serenity in his emotional state, Brainy nearly followed after her. He stopped himself short, clenching his hands reluctantly. “I—I must be returning to Earth. The Super Friends—”

Alura cut him off, swooping in to take his arm. “And you will. But please, Querl, allow me this opportunity? As I say, many of the people here have wanted to thank you.”

Brainy realised he could not deny her. Perhaps he didn’t want to. The invention he had created had been for the betterment of all society, and while he had never envisioned it landing a thousand years in the past, helping the remnant of a planet thought to be destroyed in the fallout of his own ancestor’s attack, he supposed it was somewhat fitting.

He may not have been responsible for Krypton’s destruction, but if he was able to do something to help the people who had suffered because of it, then there was absolutely no question. He was grateful Mon-El had been able to use it here, and it warmed Brainy’s heart to know that he had shared stories of the Legion with the people of Argo City while he had been there. Enough that, perhaps, the name Brainiac might instil something other than fear in the hearts of the children who ran free here. Healthy… because of him.

And so, Briany nodded. “A few hours, then,” he agreed.

Alura’s smile widened. “Excellent!”

With that, Brainy fell into step with Zor-El and, together, they let Alura guide them home.

#supergirl #supergirl fanfiction #brainiac 5 #zor-el #alura zor-el #brainia #querl dox #brainy #my writing #i've wanted to write a scene like this for a reallllllly long time #and i started writing the dialogue as of season 3 of my supergirl rewatch and then finished it as of season 6 #and this is the result of that. my purely self indulgent fic on conversations i wish had happened in the show #still kills me that we didn't get to see any tension between zor-el and brainy in the actual show. there was such an OPPORTUNITY.#wasted. utterly wasted. so obviously i had to write this.

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