Everything seemed to have settled down.
Gotham City had narrowly avoided a massive crisis. Thanks to Batman's efforts, the criminal underworld was collapsing, and it looked like peace had been restored in the city.
As for Kara, she hadn't even bothered to follow the recent news about Gotham. Instead, she had been focused on resting at home.
Now, Kara had developed a new routine. Every morning and evening, she would put on her workout clothes, head out for a run, and take her dog along for a walk.
"You're not that old yet," Clark teased one day, unknowingly hitting one of Kara's sensitive spots.
Kara was ten years older than Clark. Unlike many stories about Supergirl's origins, in this version, Kara didn't remain in the Phantom Zone for decades. Instead, she arrived on Earth at the same time as Clark.
Clark was eighteen now, and Kara was twenty-eight—soon to be thirty.
"So, what you're saying is I'm already a middle-aged woman?" Kara placed her hands on her hips and stared at Clark with cold eyes.
Clark quickly raised his hands in surrender.
In the past, Kara might have let it slide.
But today was different.
Crack, crack.
Kara clenched her fists, making her knuckles pop. The sound was intimidating.
"S-Sister?" Clark began to back away, clearly nervous.
A slight smirk tugged at the corner of Kara's mouth. "Looks like I've been too soft on you, Clark. You should know better than to disrespect your big sister."
Kara wasn't really angry with Clark, but she took this opportunity to warn him. "I've noticed you've been slacking off lately, and I haven't had time to teach you what I've learned. Looks like today's the day."
Clark smiled awkwardly and asked, "Can I refuse?"
The answer, of course, was no.
Kara used this moment as an excuse to begin training Clark while they were still at home.
She started teaching him various fighting techniques she had picked up over the years. The lessons weren't theoretical—they were hands-on, and Clark had to learn by experience.
To avoid causing too much damage, Kara insisted that neither of them use their super strength. After all, the point was to help Clark master combat skills. Using superpowers to dodge everything would defeat the purpose.
Kara also introduced Clark to the concept of psychokinesis—the mental powers she had learned from an ancient magic book.
"Clark, we're not invincible. Even though we're incredibly strong, we have weaknesses. For example, the rays of a red sun can drain our power," Kara explained as she began sharing her knowledge about Kryptonian vulnerabilities.
Clark needed to understand what could potentially kill him or weaken his abilities.
Kara was particularly concerned that Clark might become careless because of his immense power. "If the rays of the yellow sun strengthen us, then the rays of a red sun will weaken us. You have to remember that. If you ever find yourself in outer space, stay far away from any red suns."
She also warned him, "There's another threat we need to be cautious of—an ore from our home planet Krypton, known as kryptonite. It can strip away all of our abilities, and it can even be lethal."
Kryptonite was Kryptonians' deadliest enemy. Even indestructible monsters like Doomsday had to fear its power.
"So now, I'm going to teach you how to control your psychokinesis. When your mental abilities are strong enough, you'll be able to create a protective shield around yourself. That way, if kryptonite gets near you, you can prevent its radiation from harming you."
"Although kryptonite's effects are powerful, if the minerals it emits—or the position or magnetic field—don't affect you directly, you should be fine."
Kara had come to this conclusion after her recent experience in Gotham. During the chaos there, she had used psychokinesis to shield herself from a toxic gas. Even though she could hold her breath, the human body still absorbs gases through its pores. Prolonged exposure would have poisoned her.
Thanks to her mental shield, Kara had been unaffected.
Now, she wanted to pass this knowledge to Clark, hoping it would one day protect him.
To be honest, Kara was always very protective of her younger cousin. With their age gap, Kara had almost raised him as if he were her son—aside from the fact that they both had their adoptive mother, Martha.
At the end of the day, they were both Kryptonians. No matter where Kara's original soul had come from, Clark was the only family she had now.
So, she had to be prepared for anything. She didn't want to regret not teaching Clark if he ever found himself in real danger.
Clark understood that Kara had his best interests at heart, so he trained hard, hoping to learn everything before going off to college.
After all, Superman had super-learning abilities. Kara's abilities were awakening earlier, but Clark's were starting to manifest too.
They were from the same family, so it didn't make sense for Clark not to have the same potential.
In this way, Kara's month-long vacation had been very productive. The time flew by, and before she knew it, it was time to return to her life in Metropolis.
A few days before she left, Clark had already gone to Metropolis to begin school. Kara had driven him there herself.
Jonathan had wanted to see Clark off, but now that his kids were grown, he didn't have to do everything for them.
Clark didn't want their mother, Martha, to cry during their goodbye, so he convinced his dad to stay behind, promising he'd visit home every week or at least once a month.
Martha wasn't fooled, though. She shot a disapproving look at Kara. "Your sister said the same thing once. Then she disappeared for three whole years."
Kara sheepishly stuck out her tongue, quickly ushering Clark out before she could be scolded further.
After dropping Clark off, Kara spent a few more days at home. But once her vacation ended, it was time to leave the farm and return to her life as a white-collar worker in the bustling city.
On the morning she was set to leave, Kara loaded up her car, which she hadn't quite finished paying off, with groceries and supplies for her parents. If she hadn't stopped them, Martha and Jonathan would have filled the back seat with even more food.
The road Kara was about to take was the same one where a tornado had once struck. Thankfully, there were no natural disasters today.
Not every day could be that unlucky.
Kara turned on the radio, enjoying the music as she drove.
But then her phone rang.
She picked it up, feeling a strange sense of dread. It wasn't a smartphone—those hadn't become common yet, and even though there were prototypes, Kara wasn't interested in using one with the outdated systems.
Besides, who could stand using the internet with a 2G network?
When she answered, it was Jennifer, her friend, who sounded ecstatic. "Kara! I've got great news! I'm being transferred to Gotham! Isn't that amazing?"
Kara slammed on the brakes, almost sending herself flying forward. "Are you serious? You're going to Gotham of all places?"