Kara's life had returned to normal. She continued with her daily routine of going to and from work, and when she was free on the weekends, she would either sleep in or drive Jennifer's car back to Smallville.
She hadn't gone back to Gotham, and it didn't really bother her since Jennifer's car was better than hers anyway.
Jennifer wasn't constantly in touch, as she was quite busy herself. After the fall of Gotham's biggest crime boss, the city had erupted, and at least fifteen gangs were splintered off in the aftermath.
Harvey was fighting tooth and nail to contain the situation, with Gordon's support.
Jennifer only called Kara once during all this, mentioning that Bruce seemed to be lurking around her a bit more than usual.
Apparently, Bruce wasn't too happy with the way Jennifer had so decisively ended things with him. Perhaps he had finally realized just how much she meant to him?
But it was too late for Bruce—when a woman is done, she's truly done.
Jennifer wasn't interested in rekindling things with Bruce. She was entirely focused on her work.
With the combined efforts of Jennifer and Harvey, the Falcone family had been dismantled completely. The new head of the family had been arrested, and over 90% of the family's wealth had been seized. Only a few members who managed to flee overseas had taken a small portion of the funds.
It was a definitive victory.
Kara cautioned Jennifer to be careful of any possible retaliation.
But Jennifer, ever resilient, reassured her: "Don't worry, Kara. I've faced threats before. The car you're driving now? It's a replacement for the last one, which got blown up. But none of this scares me anymore."
Jennifer had grown tougher since her days of needing Kara's protection. She was strong now.
After that, Kara stopped paying attention to Gotham. She had already made up her mind to never take on the mantle of Oracle again.
There was only one reason for this—she and Bruce had different philosophies.
The only reason they remained on good terms was because she had stopped suiting up. Otherwise, they would have likely come to blows by now.
Meanwhile, Kara had shifted her focus to Clark's latest developments.
Why had her little brother suddenly become friends with Lex Luthor?
Her curiosity piqued, Kara decided to visit Metropolis University over the weekend.
She'd gone to school there herself, so returning to her alma mater was easy, with no obstacles in her way.
The campus still looked the same, though it felt somewhat foreign to her. Back then, she'd been too preoccupied with cramming knowledge into her brain to actually enjoy the place.
But at least she wouldn't get lost. With her super vision, she quickly found Clark.
Kara raised an eyebrow, surprised at where Clark was, and walked toward the edge of the field.
There, she saw Clark playing basketball on the court, chasing after the ball with the other players.
This was unusual. Growing up, their father had forbidden them from participating in any sports, fearing they would accidentally reveal their superhuman abilities.
After all, with their strength, it wouldn't have been a fair competition.
But now, Clark was running across the court, smiling widely—a rare sight that warmed Kara's heart.
It was clear that Clark needed friends and a more carefree life.
Seeing his happiness, Kara decided not to disturb him and turned to leave.
Just as she was about to walk away, a sudden breeze rushed by, and someone shouted, "Watch out!"
Kara stopped, swiftly turning around as her long blonde hair caught the light in a golden arc. She raised her right hand just as the basketball came flying toward her.
With a soft "thud," the ball landed squarely in her hand.
Clark finally noticed her: "Sis? What are you doing here?"
On the court, the other players stared at her, awestruck by Kara's stunning beauty.
Kara held the basketball in one hand and pushed her glasses up with the other, teasing, "What? I can't come check on my little brother? By the way, you're pretty hard to pin down. How many times have I invited you to dinner, only for you to blow me off?"
Clark scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.
One of his teammates nudged him and whispered, "Clark, man, why didn't you tell us you had such a gorgeous sister?"
Clark muttered back, "She's ten years older than me, so don't get any ideas."
Kara, overhearing this, tilted her head slightly, her long hair shifting like a golden river behind her.
"Excuse me?" she said, narrowing her eyes at Clark. "It's not very gentlemanly to reveal a lady's age like that, Mr. Kent. Be careful, or I'll tell Mom and Dad on you."
Clark winced, knowing she wasn't joking.
Kara glanced down at the basketball in her hand, then up at the hoop in the distance. With a graceful jump, she launched the ball effortlessly into the air, sending it through the net without touching the rim.
"Don't think I don't know how to play," she said, flashing a playful wink at Clark.
Clark let out a sigh and quickly said goodbye to his friends before rushing over to Kara. "Sister, you're being too flashy! It's going to make things awkward for me."
Kara just smiled and grabbed a towel from one of the nearby benches. She stepped up to wipe the sweat off Clark's face.
Although Clark never really sweated, he made sure to create some moisture to fit in with the others.
"I can do it myself," Clark muttered, feeling embarrassed.
Kara snickered, "Oh, please. I used to change your diapers and feed you. Now you're too cool for me?"
Clark had no choice but to give in. When it came to siblings with a significant age difference, the older one always held the upper hand. All Kara had to do was bring up a few stories from his childhood, and Clark would immediately back down.
"Alright, Clark," Kara said after a moment. "Call your friend, Lex. Let's grab a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant. If Mom and Dad find out I've been in Metropolis and haven't seen you, they'll never let me hear the end of it."
Clark sighed but smiled, knowing full well that when Kara made up her mind, there was no arguing with her.