Chapter 23

"Kori, no." Kara said, but there was no strength in her denial.

"Awww, but Friend Kara, you said I could!" The Tamaranean ignored her words and continued approaching.

"No, bad Kori, and wait… where do you think you're touching!"

"But how are we going to proceed if you are still wearing clothes?"

"Kori, down! Down! I can do it by myself, you know." Kara took a step away and managed to avoid Kori's hands. "Besides, I just wanted your opinion on the three costumes I already had. Not for you to bring new ones."

"But, mayhap you will like it? It is certainly better than your uninspired black armor, yes?" Kori protested as her feet slowly lowered back to the floor, a pout on her face. "Friend Troia even helped me choose some that are inspired by your cousin's. It is perfect to maximize exposure to sunlight!"

Kara glanced at the blue outfit with a red skirt, one with far too little cloth, far too much leather and suspiciously placed zippers. "And where exactly did she say that comes from?"

"Friend Troia said it was from a movie, 'SupermanXxX: Return To The Dungeon.' She even bought the movie so we may watch it together!"

"Nope!" Kara shuddered from horror and seriously considered incinerating the thing with a blast of heat vision. "For the record, please, don't show me anything that associates my cousin's name with three 'X's, ever."

"Please, you do not wish to watch the movie with me?" Kori flinched with a hurt look on her face.

"Ugh, I'm gonna kill that bitch." Kara grumbled and sighed, she really didn't want to explain the birds and the bees to her friend. Especially because she wasn't sure Kori would share her dislike of depicting Kal in any sexual way. "Fine, I guess I can try some of the other costumes."

"Wonderful! Start with this one."

Kara glanced from the costume on Kori's hands to the huge smile on her face and sighed. From his place atop the sofa, Kara swore she saw Dexter taking mental notes about how to manipulate her.

The first costume Kori had brought was a simple copy of her own, with the typical Amazon look and leaving plenty of skin exposed. At least the chest armor seemed resistant enough to block a few blows and protect her organs.

Still, Kara felt like she was cosplaying while wearing it.

Using her super speed, Kara darted back inside her bedroom and changed into whatever the second outfit was without even paying attention. Once changed, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and froze. She recognized the costume.

With her face flushed, Kara stepped out into the living room wearing Power Girl's costume. The white swimsuit left both of her legs fully exposed and clung so tightly to her body Kara could see all of her muscles through the fabric. The boob window left her modest breasts exposed and Kara felt the need to cover it up with an arm when she caught Kori staring at her for too long. "What?"

"It. Is. Perfect!" Kori shouted, her eyes shining with green light. "Friend Kara, you have to wear this. It is perfect for you!"

On instinct Kara put a hand against Kori's face and had to strain to prevent the Tamaranean from hugging her, "It doesn't even have pockets, where would I put my drones?"

"It has a utility belt. Just like The Batman! Please, will you wear it?"

"Never!" Kara shouted and dodged aside to let Kori pass her by before dashing for the bedroom.

Unfortunately, Dexter took the chance to attack her cape and forced her to slow down in order to not send him flying. Kori pounced "Well done feline friend!"

The both of them struggled for a few minutes before Kara submitted, swearing she'd keep the costume in her wardrobe, even if she wouldn't ever use it… in public.

After finally being freed from the twin terrors Kara put the Power Girl costume away and brought out her three personal choices.

One was a lesser version of her Power Armor. Dark blue, it had the El house symbol on its chest, only increased her bulk by a little bit and had a lot of armor covering her vitals. Various compartments all over the suit held dozens of devices for her use. It could also store a lot of solar radiation if she was ever in an emergency.

Truth be told, she'd really prefer to use her full power-armor, but her public persona had to not look like a threatening walking tank and this was the next best thing.

The fourth costume was just a version of her cousin's; a blue bodysuit with a red cape and boots. It also had a few belts all over in order to hold her devices.

The fifth one was completely different. It didn't have a cape but a dark blue coat with gold detailing, the El house symbol covered her chest. It also had red boots that ended just below her knees and matching gloves.

To the side she had her mask. Made with a thin layer of Kryptonium; it was painted white, with only a few details in gold and without any human features or even a mouth.

Inside the mask was a breathing device with half an hour of air in case she lost her powers while in a vacuum or was exposed to a harmful gas and light blocking lenses on the eyes to prevent anything from blinding her.

"Friend Kara, please, did you have to cover your entire body in every costume?" Kori complained with a disappointed voice.

She didn't. Kara had actually been thinking of using a far more revealing outfit, it would help to accentuate the differences between her public persona and the one she'd be using on the secret team.

In fact, she was pretty sure Kori could have convinced her to actually wear the Power Girl costume. She couldn't deny she looked hot wearing it, but that was before Lobo's attack.

Kara hated it, but she just didn't feel comfortable taking the risk anymore. Perhaps her mind would change in a few months, after she was fully healed.

"No, but… I feel better with a full outfit. Plus I need the space to keep my devices."

"I postulate you would not consider using a skirt with the second one, yes?" Kara just gave her a look. "Very well, this last one is better."

Kara considered it. She really would prefer to wear the mini-power armor outfit, but the coat had enough space for her devices and it was far too easy to connect the first one to the full power-armor she'd use with her own team. The coat also looked cool.

"Thanks Kori, I'll just make some last minute adjustments and we can go." Kara lifted Dexter from atop one of the costumes and started gathering everything in one arm to put away. With one last scratch behind the cat's ear she remembered something. "Ugh, nevermind. I forgot I had to pick some things at the Fortress before going to the Mountain."

"I continue to regard the white outfit as superior." Kori grumbled, but then smiled at Kara and squeezed her hand. "I can not wait to introduce you to the team! You will love them."

"I'm glad you like them." Kara squeezed back and went to her bedroom to start adjusting her new costume's gloves. Introducing small quantities of Nth metal on the fabric in order to disrupt magic. "Any tips?"

"Do not call Robin a sidekick!" Kori yelled from the living room. "I tried following your guidance when we first met but, despite the honor of apprenticeship under The Batman, he does not seem to enjoy the title."

"You sure?" Kara asked when she finished snickering. "Perhaps I should try too?"

"Yes, do not call him that. I do not understand why, but he seems to consider it demeaning."

"Fine, I guess I can just call him by name then."

Kara finished adjusting the costume and wore it for the first time, the coat fit her like a glove and the material didn't restrict her movement at all. Stepping out of her bedroom, she found Kori already wearing her own heroic outfit. The pair flew together to the Zeta-Tube, but Kori went directly to Mount Justice while Kara teleported to the Fortress first.

Kara had installed a Kryptonian stealth device on the apartment which masked their presence until they were a certain distance away. Unfortunately the device was too big to carry or she'd make it a part of her costume, but at least it made coming and going from the apartment much harder to track.

Over an hour later, Kara heard the robotic voice of the Zeta-Tube network announce her arrival at the Mountain. The huge kart filled with equipment she was pushing in front of her was far from everything she had prepared, but it was enough for her to start working.

"Supergirl, you came!" Captain Marvel shouted and flew towards her, only stopping when they had nearly collided.

Kara smiled under her mask and nodded towards the boy before looking at the entire room. The sidekicks were sparring with each other under Red Tornado's gaze

"Supergirl, Captain Marvel has told me a lot about you." Red Tornado stated evenly as he started walking towards her.

Kon had been sparring with Miss Martian. The girl was using her shape-shifting abilities to actually overwhelm him despite his superior strength. Kara smiled and waved at him causing his face to open into a huge smile.

Taking a pause, Miss Martian turned around to see what had caused the boy to smile. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Kara. She smiled but retreated closer to Kon.

"Titans, reunite with me please." Red Tornado called out with his mechanical voice, causing everyone to finally stop sparring.

"So, they already chose a name?" Kara asked in curiosity, from what she remembered of the show they had been simply 'The Team' or 'Outsiders'

"Indeed, the group felt that, if they were to work together, they preferred to have their own identity." Red Tornado commented idly. "They voted on the name 'Titans' soon after."

Kid Flash was the first to arrive, his speed nearly a match for Kara's; he stopped beside Marvel and leaned over him with an elbow. "You called? Whoa, hello there beautiful!"

Marvel frowned down at the boy but, when Kara didn't react, he didn't say anything.

"Sooo, who're you supposed to be, a new recruit?" he asked and showed off his speed by darting away from Marvel and towards Red Tornado. "You got here just as we were about to spar, so maybe I can show you some moves?"

"Hmmm, somehow you're less annoying than I thought you'd be." Kara told him with a smile. She had always thought Wally would be unbearable, but the combination of his young age and clear inexperience made it more amusing than anything else. "But no, I'm not joining the Titans; I guess you can consider me tech support."

"Huh, is that all gear for us? Sweet!" The boy tried to run towards her kart to take a peek, but Kara decided she had enough and slapped his hand away even while he was moving. "Ouch!"

"Try to keep your hands to yourself, will you."

"You must be Kara, Koriand'r spoke well of you." Aqualad put a hand forward to compliment her. "I'm Aqualad, current leader of the Titans."

"Pleased to meet you, but please, call me Supergirl while in costume." Kara shook his hand with a smile. "I kinda want to keep things separated while in costume."

"Friend Supergirl!" Kori shouted and glomped her, causing Kara to take a step back to keep her footing.

Soon, all members of the Titans were gathered. They seemed more in tune than in the cartoons, with Aqualad having been voted as their leader and Starfire as vice leader.

In truth, Kori had more experience and better training than Kaldur, but her lack of familiarity with Earth and the rest of the team meant they preferred the Atlantean over her. Still, from what Kara had heard, the boy had a good head on his shoulders and actually listened to her opinion often.

"Titans, after hearing about Mr. Twister's attack three days ago, Supergirl has offered to help update the Mountain's defenses." Red Tornado told them with the same impassive voice. "She has also offered to act as tech support for the team, I am certain her help will prove invaluable."

"She's some kind of tech genius then?" Robin asked while lifting an eyebrow.

"She's my cousin." Kon replied and actually approached her for a hug.

"One thing doesn't exclude the other, you know. I may be a Kryptonian, but I'm a much better inventor than a fighter. The El's were a prominent house of the Science guild, not the Military caste after all." Kara was so proud of him, not that long ago he wouldn't have even known how to ask for a hug; he'd also get angry at not knowing. She hugged him back. "I don't see Zatara's daughter here, is he still holding her back?"

"Yeah, Master Zatara really doesn't want to let her come." This time it was Marvel that answered while scratching at his neck. "But Miss Zatana is gonna break him soon."

Kara snorted at that, and then took stock of the Titans. Aqualad and Starfire stood together, leader and vice-leader of the Titans. Kid Flash was still rubbing his stung hand with Robin by his side.

The Boy Wonder seemed annoyed, but Kara didn't think it was about losing the leadership position. No, from the way he was glaring at her, he'd probably figured out who she was.

Kori probably talked about her a lot and Kaldur had used her real name when shaking her hand, so she wasn't exactly surprised. Plus, Kara wasn't making an effort to mask her voice. Robin probably recognized her from Batman's fundraiser and was feeling irritated.

How amusing.

After releasing her from their hug, Kon had stepped back to Miss Martian who was still acting shy, hiding behind his body and only giving Kara quick glances.

"Connor." the Martian whispered in his ear as quietly as she could. "Yo-Your cousin, is she a robot?"

Kon gave his friend a strange look and shook his head. With a startle, Kara finally realized the problem and laughed out loud.

"Ah, sorry about that. I have a telepathic blocker in the mask. " She quickly tapped her mask twice and deactivated the blocker. "It's still in testing and I doubt it's enough against a Martian, but it should keep any stray psychic from noticing me if they aren't already looking for it. Better now?"

"Yes, thank you!" Miss Martian finally relaxed and smiled at her. "I could feel something when I focused on you, but it was very unnerving and I didn't want to push."

"Don't worry Megalicious; I'm always here to protect you." Kid Flash appeared at her side and tried to hold her hand, but only made her more uncomfortable.

Aqualad released a sigh when he saw it, Kara swore he was praying really hard he wouldn't have to deal with the situation while Robin actually facepalmed at his friend's actions.

"Kid Flash! That is enough." Kori intervened with a hard tone on her voice, her hands at her waist and a disapproving look on her face.

"Right, sorry." He sheepishly said and stepped back.

Kara smiled. She would have disciplined the boy herself but, unfortunately, she didn't really know him very well. She'd probably have to talk to the Flash about that. It was amusing when he was doing it to her, but Miss Martian was clearly bothered.

"Right… anyway, I spoke with the League and they let me make some improvements to the costumes you guys use." Kara said with a smile. Grabbing the cover of her cart she pulled it away dramatically to reveal the equipment inside. "So, what do you guys think?"

Kara stepped away from the kart and let the team of teenagers charge in. With the approval of the League, she had worked hard to replicate their costumes and increment them with her tech. The adults had still refused to allow weapons on the costumes, but Kara had prioritized safety anyway.

Kid Flash was the first to pull out a copy of his costume. While it looked almost exactly like his original costume, all of her gear was made from Kryptonian fabric stronger than spider silk and had shock absorbers on the torso.

The most distinct feature however, was a bulge at the back that resembled a small backpack. Kid flash immediately noticed it and started poking the thing. "So, what exactly is this?"

"Well, the costumes were all made at the Fortress. They're strong enough to block gunshots and knife wounds and have plates on the torso capable of absorbing most mundane kinetic impacts. Even high caliber rounds should only leave bruises." Kara told them while giving Kon his own costume and messing his hair at the same time. "The costume can also monitor your life signs and the bulge at the back is an emergency teleporter. It's a copy of something I use myself and I just couldn't make it smaller."

"Cool!" Kid Flash said.

Robin didn't seem convinced, looking at his own costume with distaste. "So, this is gonna let us teleport around then?"

"Not exactly, it's a one-time thing, really." Kara explained while lifting Miss Martian's device. She hadn't been able to replicate Martian clothes so, the best she could do was to create the device and hope Miss Martian's costume could assimilate or grow over it. "You can activate it manually or it will trigger when it detects you're unconscious or mortally wounded. The device will only bring you back to the mountain once before I have to replace it. So, do make sure to tell me if that happens."

"Yeah… I'll have to talk to Batman before using this." Robin said.

"Go ahead. Try to convince the Bat to wear one himself will you?" Kara said while handing the teleporting device to M'gann. "Here, see if your costume can hold this in place at your back."

"Ah, thank you." The Martian said with a blush and tried to place the device at her back, when that didn't work she grew a third hand from her back to help out.

"I have to ask, can this device bring more than one person?" Aqualad questioned while looking at his costume. "While I appreciate the chance to escape a dangerous situation, I don't think the Titans could use it if it meant abandoning someone."

"Unfortunately, making it able to teleport a second person or work repeatedly would more than triple its size." Kara explained while picking up the rest of her devices. "Still, I created a dozen spare devices the Titans can carry on the bio-ship in case they're needed."

"I see, thank you. That should greatly increase our ability to act." He nodded her way.

Kara looked towards the kart. There were still four large metal boxes inside. Picking up the one with the spare teleporting devices she laid it to the side and laid the other three in front of the Titans before opening them.

The first box had hundreds of her little civilian drones. With access to military tech the little flying cameras had become obsolete to her, but they were still very useful for the team and Kara had a large supply of them.

The second box had a new holographic device Kara had produced, it wasn't anything special, but it was about the same size as her drones and, once it was laid on the ground, it could selectively make anything in a ten meter radius around itself invisible, or project an image that wasn't there.

The final box had a far more complicated device, and one that used materials so rare even Kara had a very limited supply. Even with Kryptonian tech it was incredibly hard and expensive to create a stable portal big enough for a person to pass through, but Kara didn't need a huge portal.

Instead, the device would stealthily create a very small connection between two points in space. Even a finger wouldn't pass through, but it was perfect to send communication signals.

It meant that, even if someone had the tech to block communications in an area, unless they also blocked this particular form of teleportation, the Titans wouldn't lose contact with the base.

The Titans quickly distributed the equipment between themselves, with only a couple going to Captain Marvel after he had made a face at them. Kid Flash kept pressing the sign on his chest and changing his costume between the usual yellow, black and several versions of camouflage for any environment he found himself in.

Even Robin couldn't resist playing with the drones, using his own devices to control them, even when he wouldn't put on his new costume.

"Zero two, Batman." Announced the robotic female voice from the Zeta-tube, causing Robin to jump up and hide the drones behind his back.

Batman only gave a quick glance towards the boy and nodded. "You can put on the costume."

When the entire team was gathered in front of him, Batman activated a holographic display showing a picture of an island.

"This is Isla Santa Prisca, it is a sovereign island nation on the Caribbean Sea that the League doesn't have access to. It's also the primary producer of Venom." The Bat said without preamble.

"You're sending us against Bane?" Robin asked with surprise and not a small amount of eagerness in his voice.

"No, as far as we were able to find out, the island was taken over by the Cult of the Kobra last month." A picture of both Kobra and Bane appeared on display, with a red 'X' over Bane's face. "Bane attempted to take the place back and was reported dead a few days ago."

"Is he? Dead, I mean." Robin asked again while leaning closer.

"Unknown. His body wasn't found, but his forces were devastated and the Island is completely under Kobra's control." Batman pressed a button and another four pictures appeared.

Kara recognized one of them as Blockbuster, but the other three were unknown, only showing the same signs of Blockbuster use as the original.

"It appears that Kobra got control of the Blockbuster formula and is mixing it with Venom to create new super soldiers. Besides Blockbuster himself, the League has faced three other users of the substance in the last month alone. After considering Supergirl's new supplies, the League has decided to make this the Titans first mission."

"What is our mission?" Aqualad finally asked.

"The League cannot be seen interfering with a foreign nation, but with Bane gone we have an opening. Your goals are threefold: arresting Kobra, stopping the production of Kobra-Venom and finding out how he got access to the Blockbuster formula."

With another click, Batman made a picture of another man appear. He was a thin man wearing a suit and tie.

"This is Camilo Pena. Bane used to have effective control over the island but, when he organized his revolt, he caused unrest on the island and there was a purge of many of his supporters. Mister Pena used to be a small politician but, with the purge, he has grown far more important. If the Titans can disable Kobra before Kobra reestablishes control over the island, Mister Pena has a real chance of getting to power."

"An honest politician? In Santa Prisca?" Robin snorted and Batman nodded at him.

"Camilo Pena isn't exactly honest, but he's making a very risky play for power, one that would require him to open the island to the League if he wants to remain alive." Batman turned off the projector and turned to the team. "While the other goals are very important, taking out Kobra is your highest priority. We're not under any illusions that it would immediately solve the problems on the island, but allowing the League to operate freely on its territory would be a huge step forward, the first in many decades."

The Titans traded glances, eager smiles on their faces despite the situation. Looking Batman in the eye Aqualad asked. "When do we leave?"

Twenty minutes later the Titans stood in front of the Bio-ship, the portal machine safely held in the ship.

Kara adjusted Kon's costume, instead of a jeans and T-shirt it was a black version of Superman's costume, without the cape and with an armored chest plate. The costume had sunlight absorption and storage capabilities that would constantly feed him the radiation, or allow him to quickly regain his strength if he was ever depowered.

"Here, remember to keep some drones with you." Kara stuffed a few more drones into a pocket at his side and settled his hair in place. "And don't just start punching things. You have a good mind, use it."

Kon nodded with an embarrassed face, Miss Martian taking a few peeks at them from inside the ship with an amused smile.

"Don't worry, Captain Marvel and I will be monitoring the mission." Red Tornado told her, causing Kara to smile. He was surprisingly empathic for a machine. "Do you wish to accompany us?"

Kara thought about it, but eventually shook her head. "No, I still have to improve the Mountain's defenses. It's probably gonna take me the entire day. Keep an eye on them for me, will you?"

"Certainly." Red Tornado said.

"I will." Marvel commented and squeezed her shoulder for comfort. "Well, until someone comes to replace me."

Kara watched as the Bio-Ship left the mountain, then excused herself and went towards the Titan's souvenir room which already held a certain robotic head. Acting quickly she attached several cables to the head and put her computer to work trying to find anything about Dr. Morrow's location.

Finally, Kara started bringing the rest of her equipment from the Fortress. Despite how wide the Zeta-Tube was, Kara still had to use it five times before she had everything she needed.

"Well… Let's get to it."

The League had demanded that the Mountain's defenses have layers, where the outer layers would only trick or dissuade invaders away and the subsequent layers increasing in power slowly.

It reminded Kara of playing Dungeon Keeper, only with non-lethal traps and defenses.

She worked for hours, installing hundreds of devices all over the Mountain. Making sure no one would crawl through the air ducts or drill through the walls. She was only allowed to go all out at the last layer and, when she was done, Kara was sure that even Darkseid himself would think twice before attacking the place. She even used the last amounts of Nth metal she had to block magical teleportation or use.

Kara thanked Rao for her super speed and strength. Without it, the renovation would probably have taken her an entire month. Still, she only completed it in less than a day because many of the defenses were programmed into Sunstone crystals. Kara would still have to make sure to bombard them with sunlight for a few days to make sure they finished growing, but it was much easier to carry and install than the complete equipment.

The best thing was that many of the defenses were independent from each other, and from Mount Justice's own security protocols. Even if someone managed to disable one of them, it wouldn't affect the others.

Approaching the Souvenir room again, Kara checked her device and cursed when she saw it hadn't been able to find anything in Mr. Twister's head. Grabbing the deformed robot head, she carefully put it back in place within the case and put away her equipment.

Going into the kitchen Kara brewed some extra strong coffee and drank two cups before filling a third and finding Red Tornado still monitoring the Titans. Captain Marvel's shift was over and it was Hal Jordan that sat with him.

"Coffee?" She offered and handed Hal a cup when he eagerly nodded. "How are they doing?"

"Very well, the Titans have successfully contacted Mr. Pena without drawing attention from his enemies." The robot answered while only briefly glancing her way. "They're preparing to infiltrate the Venom factory now. Do you want to watch?"

Kara hesitated. She really wanted to keep watch over things, but she trusted Kori and Kon to be fine. Red Tornado was also watching things closely.

"No, I can be the chair guy another time. Take care of them."

Red Tornado stared at her for another second before answering. "...it is what I'm here for." Then he turned back to the screen.

Kara took the Zeta-Tube towards the Fortress one last time. Storing her equipment, she made her way towards her private area with sure steps.

She briefly stopped in front of Firebrand's room and watched the android for a few moments then asked. "Kal still hasn't found out about this?"

"Master Kal-El continues to respect your boundaries, Mistress Kara." The Fortress AI answered as he materialized by her side. "Although… I truly don't understand the need to hide it."

"Need is too strong a word. I want to keep this quiet until I'm ready, but I don't 'need' to." Firebrand would probably reveal herself to her old teammates, and thus the League, as soon as she woke up anyways. Kara just preferred to keep things close to her chest. "Is the power-armor ready?"

"It is fully operational."

The power-armor was a masterpiece. It still had a human silhouette, but there was no way to tell the gender of the person inside and it was filled with as much equipment as Kara could manage.

Fully enclosed, the armor actively filtering any radiation while absorbing sunlight to feed directly to her. Although it was sleek, the armor still made her as big as Blockbuster when she wore it.

Putting it on, Kara tested her range of motion and dexterity and was very satisfied with the result.

Engaging her stealth tech, the military one that didn't leave any signs of its use, Kara flew towards her second important meeting.

She arrived at the nondescript building and sneaked inside without anyone noticing. Sitting on top of a box, Kara waited until everyone had arrived and was very satisfied when none of them seemed to notice her presence.

"Apologies for the delay." She said while disengaging her stealth and watching Green Arrow jump to his feet.

"Holy sh…eep" The blonde trailed off as he glanced at the boy by his side, then he glanced from his bow to the giant gun at her back and sighed. "Damn, now I feel underdressed."

The Shade just tipped his hat to her and Bobo nodded while both Speedy and Red Arrow crossed their arms at the same time, then noticed it and became awkward about the entire thing.

Kara glanced at Speedy's robotic arm and shook her head. "You sure you don't want a new arm? It isn't all that hard to make."

The boy looked at his gray hand and squeezed his fingers into a fist. "Not until they're arrested, I don't want to forget it."

Kara briefly glanced at her own prosthetic leg, she couldn't wait to replace it and move past what the Psions had done but… well, she wouldn't blame him. "Very well, let's start then."

.

.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Hey, do you guys want me to write an interlude about the Team's mission? There's one coming soon about what's happening in the world.

if you like this story, think about reading one of my other works. Also, think about giving me a tip if you have some spare change by supporting me on patr eon.com/CapCaverna