Chapter Text
Kara glared at the packet of papers sitting on the table hard enough that they were in danger of combusting even without her using heat vision.
"It doesn't take an empath to see what's bothering you," J'onn remarked. "I take it that's the reason you called us all to the Tower?"
"I'd rather wait until we're all here." Kara curtly reminded him. J'onn may have the smallest commute, but that didn't mean he got a sneak peek.
"It's hard to imagine Alex being late to anything," Nia tried soothing her. "I'm sure that she'll be here any minute."
Kara nodded, eyes softening slightly when they made contact with his. This problem was severe enough that she'd nearly used the signal beacons on the wall. Only her parents' parables of the ecologist who cried thought-beast were staying her hand.
"I can run a search for her?" Lena suggested. "It wouldn't take long, only a minor scrying spell to,"
The lift ground into action, and her face dropped in disappointment. "Maybe next time." Brainy tried consoling her.
"Sorry that we're late," Kelly called their apologies as three bodies exited the metal cube. "We stopped to grab a coffee and got to talking about all the places that we went to during the honeymoon."
"Having a shapeshifting flying car certainly has advantages," Eliza laughed. Kara instantly felt guilty for trying to rush them over. "I doubt many other couples can claim to have seen the seven wonders on their honeymoon."
"You are welcome to borrow my car any time, Mrs Danvers," J'onn smiled knowingly. "As long as you bring it back with a full tank."
"I might have to hold you to that," Eliza promised. "Now, what's so important that my daughters need to pick me up from Midvale but can't talk about it over the phone first?"
"That's what I've been dying to find out," J'onn admitted. "I nearly used my Martian vision to peek inside, but there are strict rules about that sort of thing."
"Especially at Christmas." Eliza nudged him familiarly.
"Mom," Alex smiled in embarrassment. "J'onn is a detective; I'm sure that he can figure out our presents without cheating."
"Guys?" Nia called their attention to order. "Maybe we can get around to it before we fall asleep?" Kara glared at her suspiciously. Nia smiled guiltily in return. Oh, she knew something.
"I might as well come out and say it," Kara took a deep breath. "Cat Grant bought back CatCo and offered me the editor-in-chief position," Kara screwed her face up uncomfortably as the wave of congratulations started. "She also figured out that I'm Supergirl." The following silence was deafening.
"What?!" J'onn growled. "Kara, I am not happy to hear this."
"J'onn's right," Lena affirmed. "Cat's a reporter, she'll go after the story. We need to prepare for,"
"She's known for a while now," Kara put the argument to rest before it could start in earnest. "If she wanted to break the story, then she would have. She was," Kara paused. "Kind about it. Affirming."
"I'm sure that she was," J'onn scowled. "I have sensed minds like hers before - they will keep your secrets until it is in the best interests of others to share them."
"Then, why so grumpy?" Alex pulled a face, still high on honeymoon energy.
"Blue is not my colour." Even the growled answer only served to increase the muffled snorts of laughter, her wife(!) joining in beside her.
"Ah yes," Brainy mused. "The Martian culture views blue as an archaic colour, dating back to the time when Mars was a bountiful planet. To wear blue is to signify advanced age and wisdom."
"What does your database say about the Martian culture and other people explaining it to them?" J'onn glared him into silence.
"Something tells me that that's not why you called us here." Eliza's soft expression soothed the anxiety her daughter was feeling.
Kara bit her lip anxiously. This was it - the moment that everything would change.
"Kara, whatever it is, you'll have our support." Lena placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, thumb rubbing a soothing circle. Kara smiled, briefly touching their hands together before Lena retracted the contact.
"Cat thinks that it would be better for me to announce who I am to the world," Kara stated. "But I'm not sure. Mxyzptlk once gave me the opportunity to view alternate timelines where I revealed who I was to different people," Kara glanced at Lena, looking away before she could pick up on the look. "In one of them, I was forced to reveal my identity to the public - everyone close to me died as a result."
"Kara, I'm so sorry," Lena reached out to her friend, freezing as she took a step back.
"It's fine," She hurriedly explained. "But that's why I called you all here - revealing my secret identity won't change only my life, but all of yours as well."
"Kara, you're never going to hear me complain about someone wanting to be their authentic self." Kelly smiled knowingly.
"Speaking as someone who tried living otherwise? It sucks." Alex interlinked her fingers with Kelly's, leaning happily together. "I say, go for it."
"Earth goes through a period of unease around public alien identities," Brainy repeated his warning from the days of Agent Liberty. "If you do this, there is no going back - be absolutely certain that this is what you want."
"Nice going," Nia stepped on his foot. "I knew that you were going to present us with an important choice," She revealed to Kara. "And that the right decision would lead us to true acceptance, and great happiness."
"I don't suppose you happened to see what that choice was?" Kara asked hopefully.
"Afraid not." Was the rueful answer.
"How about the jackpot numbers?" Kara teased. They had an office pool going, but Nia had dropped out when her powers started emerging.
"Try thirty-eight," Nia offered. "It's my lucky number."
"It would be disingenuous of me to say that you should hide who you are," J'onn admitted. "Three centuries of running, and years masquerading as Hank Henkshaw taught me that pretending to be someone else ends badly when that decision is taken from you."
Kara smiled, and turned to Lena. Lena didn't smile back. "I'm sorry," She apologised. "But I never had the chance that you have. I was forced to be a Luthor, and all that entailed. Anyone who has ever felt wronged by you will forever know your name moving forward. This is a bell that you can't unring, Kara, and I don't want you to waste the chance."
Each word was a blow to her calm centre, but Kara took a breath, nodded her understanding, and turned to the last person to voice their opinion.
"I never thought that I'd see the day," Eliza admitted. "When your cousin brought you to us all those years ago, I thought that you'd have the opportunity to grow up happy, not have to worry about all of these troubles." She contemplated in silence, walking over to take her hands. "Whatever choice makes you happy is the one that we can live with. We've already got the best protection on the planet, and enough superhero friends in case anything comes up."
"Remind me to never cross your mother." J'onn murmured to his protege.
"Are you kidding?" Alex muttered. "You're my escape plan - I'm moving to Mars to fight the Whites if she ever gets angry with me."
"I can hear you, you know." Eliza called over her shoulder.
"Well, we had a good run," Kelly kissed Alex on the cheek with a smile. "Good luck fighting the war, make sure to write to Esme and me."
"Ahem!" Lena cleared her throat with a pointed scowl.
"Thank you, Lena," Eliza smiled. "I always liked you."
Kara looked around at her family. It wasn't unanimous, not even close. "J'onn," Kara turned to the more experienced hero. "You mentioned once that your people had a way of processing decisions too big to handle."
"Not quite how I put it," J'onn frowned. "What you refer to is The Parting of Minds."
"Don't you mean the Joining of Minds?" Lena raised an eyebrow, aware of the Martian practice of openly sharing their thoughts.
"What I actually mean cannot be verbalised in any Earth language," J'onn scowled. "It's a ritual so ancient that some consider it a gift, or possibly a curse, from H'ronmeer himself."
"Back up a second," Alex butted in. "Did you say 'curse'?"
"It's only a belief that some had," J'onn assured her. "Legend says that the first practitioners were H'ronmeer's first children, unable to choose between embracing their aggression or casting it out. Those that chose to reject violence for a life of peace became Green Martians."
"And the ones who embraced it became the White Martians," Brainy coarsely cut across the tense moment. "The mythos of tribes splintering is a common theme amongst countless species and civilisations across the,"
"Brainy." Nia hissed, nudging his side.
"Yes?" He caught her look, swiftly interpreting the tense furrow between her eyebrows and tightened lips as signs of concern and emotional discomfort. "Ah, I see that I have intruded on an emotionally sensitive topic. My apologies." The twelfth-level intellect cleared his throat with the awkwardness of a twelve-year-old. "Continue."
"Thank you," J'onn drily remarked. "As I was saying, the ritual will create two psychic projections of Kara, each one representing a side of the divide that dwells within," J'onn explained. "Both will endure until such a time that they either voluntarily recombine or one side relinquishes their viewpoint to the other."
"What if there are more than two sides to the argument?" Lena probed with the curiosity of a scientist.
"Then we would invoke a different ritual to process the dilemma," J'onn folded both arms with a stern glare. "I believe that Alex would refer to it as a 'Girls Night In'?"
"Kara," Kelly grabbed her sister-in-law's arm like it was a life vest and she was drowning. "Maybe we should consider doing that one first? J'onn can lead, put some of that ancient Martian wisdom to good use, and I'll bring the wine." Kara laughed, placing her hand over Kelly's.
"We'll keep it as a backup plan." She promised. "How long would it take to prepare?" She asked J'onn.
"Not long," He promised. "We can be ready by tomorrow morning. In fact, it would help if you were rested - a calm mind would be beneficial to the process."
"How would a full stomach affect it?" Eliza asked. "Because it's the first time in a while that I've had my daughters together and there's not some alien attack, or bank robbery to foil, and I would love to have a proper dinner."
"I don't see any problem with that," J'onn affirmed. "But I'll insist on going to bed at a reasonable hour - and don't think I won't be flying by to make sure the lights are off."
"Geez, you're worse than Kelex." Kara rolled her eyes.
"J'onn's the best," Nia firmly argued back. "Any time he's babysitting Esme, she goes right to sleep."
"Martian meditation technique?" Kelly probed.
"Keep guessing." J'onn smiled.
"One day, we're going to find out how you do it." Alex scowled. Esme pushed her boundaries with her parents, but was good as gold to Grandpa J'onn.
"Kara? A word?" Eliza gestured her off to one side. "A glass of warm milk, and a good story." She whispered low enough that Kara had to use her super-hearing. "And no screens - paper only."
"Mom?" Kara blinked. "Is that," Eliza held a silent finger to her lips, slyly winking as she did so.
"Who do you think told J'onn in the first place?"
"Mrs Davers'?" Brainy called out. "Would you perhaps be discussing the way to tame an unruly child?"
"Brainy, I'm shocked," Lena laughed. While she was happy to entertain Esme's requests to show off tiny magic tricks, Brainy insisted on deploying his vast intellect to reason Esme to bed. So far, Nia had counted no wins for the twelfth-level intellect, and every win to the young girl with a desire to stay up later. "Surely you know that the best solution is a good blanket and leaving the window open a crack?"
"Not even close," J'onn smiled. "Now, I need to meditate and prepare. Everyone else - get a good night's sleep, and I'll see you in the morning."
"I'm glad to see that you all followed my instructions," J'onn dryly remarked as the assembled group glanced guiltily at their coffee cups. "I hope you have no further complaints?"
"I don't know," Alex carefully examined her sister. "Is the outfit necessary?"
"No," J'onn rolled his joints in preparation. "Traditionally, the participant comes nude." He fielded the concerned looks with a patient expression. "Shapeshifter race, remember?" A subtle glow suffused his body before disappearing again.
"Well, I think it looks very… ornate." Nia offered her opinion.
"It reminds me of Krypton," Kara smiled, brushing down the simple cotton robe. "It's reassuring."
"That's good," J'onn smiled. "Staying calm will help." They were all gathered back in the Tower, with the exception of Eliza. She had wanted to come and support her daughter, but J'onn fought against it - the external reality of the trial could be difficult for parents, and she was warned from attending until after it had completed.
"What does this ritual entail, exactly?" Lena asked warily. All the others were armoured up in their superhero suits, while she was wearing a regular variant. Even Kara's simple white robe produced a sort of divine beauty that she felt outclassed by.
"Kara will focus on her question, concentrating on the two opposing viewpoints that she is attempting to reconcile," J'onn explained. "Together, she will then undergo a psychic split, separating herself into two projections which each embody a sentiment."
"But which one will be the real Kara?" Lena insisted. "I can understand that one will be a psychic projection, but the physical body must remain somewhere."
"You're a scientist," J'onn lifted the corner of his mouth in wry amusement. "Like light can be a wave and a particle, both Karas will be at once real and projection."
"It's a state that your people will one day call quantum decoherence," Brainy stepped in to explain. "In doing so,"
"I'm familiar with quantum decoherence," Lena retorted. "As I am with the first law of thermodynamics - matter and energy cannot be created nor destroyed."
"Nor will they," J'onn grumpily cut back across the conversation. This was meant to be a sacred ritual, not another argument amongst his fractious family. "While I will provide the necessary spark to initiate the division, each Kara will contribute the energy necessary to keep the split maintained." He turned to Kara. "The ritual is not without risk - I cannot determine how it will affect you, as each version will embody your differing viewpoints. It may be that your constituent parts only take certain aspects of your personality."
"I understand," Kara nodded. "I'm ready." She knelt opposite him, hands on her thighs.
"The ritual lasts one day," J'onn explained. "One Martian day, that is." Oddly, nobody in the room needed to ask how long that was. For one reason or another, they all knew that it was nearer to twenty-five hours than twenty-four. "They will return to recombine, providing that neither has not already conceded their viewpoint."
"What if they don't?" Lena interrupted, remembering the story of how the White Martians had come into being. Another evil Kryptonian was the last situation they needed to be dealing with.
"That's what I was about to explain," J'onn gritted his teeth as he caught Kara's gaze. "I am speaking to both versions of who you will become," J'onn gravely instructed Kara's unflinching eyes, the words echoing into her thoughts. "Once the ritual has completed, you will be disoriented, yet entirely sure of yourself, and your purpose. Your one task in that moment is to do nothing - you must remain with us, here in this room, until you can process your existence. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Kara swallowed nervously.
"We can stop this at any time," He reminded her.
"No!" Kara insisted, fists clenching against her side. "I'm just nervous about what it will feel like." J'onn chuckled opposite her.
"Don't be," The Martian assured her. "Focus on your breathing, on your question. Let everything else fade away." Growing opposite her, a faint shimmer revealed his natural Martian form.
J'onn softly placed two fingers on either temple as they closed her eyes.
Kara knew who she was. She knew who she was as a person, and as a hero. But who was she beyond that? Could she be one being? Did she want to give up her secret identity?
Which one even was her secret identity?
Was she Kara Danvers, adopted into the Earth family to protect her from discovery as Kara Zor-El? Or was she Supergirl, Paragon of Hope, and champion of truth and justice?
No, she knew who she was.
Who are you? J'onn's voice echoed inside her head, winding through her thoughts.
"Kara."
"Supergirl."
Both voices her own, both speaking at the same time, both speaking their truth.
"Whoa," Nia breathed. "I don't think I've ever had this dream."
'I have.' Lena bit her tongue before the words could slip out.
Two Karas were looking at each other in surprised confusion. "Remember," J'onn was instructing them. "Patience. Get your bearings. Kara, you'll wear your civilian clothes. Supergirl, your suit." The sombre tones of his voice soothed the room, keeping everyone on balance.
"Remarkable," Brainy observed as the pair awkwardly followed one another into the adjacent room to change. "I have experience with my own alter-egos, but this is an entirely new paradigm - both Karas are their own selves, with the same memories, the same emotions."
"But different motivations," Alex pointed out. "We don't know how Supergirl will react."
"No different to normal!" A disgruntled voice called out from the other room.
"What was that about?" The same voice asked quietly.
"Don't worry about it." She responded to herself.
"So, Supergirl clearly keeps her ears open," Kelly remarked. "Weird that Kara doesn't."
"No, it isn't," Alex smiled. "Because Kara doesn't listen to everything."
"I'm glad one of you understands!" Supergirl called from the far room.
"Understands what?" Kara asked.
"It's like Laurel and Hardy." Nia laughed.
"It gets annoying fast," J'onn sighed. "Lena, a word?" She joined him out on the balcony overlooking the city.
"What is it?" She folded her arms guardedly.
"While the ritual is ongoing, I'd ask you to accompany Kara, make sure she stays out of trouble."
"Why me?" Lena blinked. "You know I was against this."
"I am the only one who can keep up with Supergirl," J'onn pointed out. "Kelly and Alex are still in their honeymoon phase, and Nia and Brainy will be covering any activities that Supergirl may neglect."
"Ah," Lena softly uttered. "I see - I was your only option."
"Not at all," J'onn assured her. "I simply thought that appealing to your logic as a scientist would be most effective. Besides Alex and myself, you know Kara the best, and our perspectives are skewed; Alex by growing up with Kara, and myself," A faint red shimmer ran over his skin. "For my alien nature. You're the most 'normal' among us."
"A billionaire Luthor witch?" Lena chuckled dryly.
"Don't forget brilliant scientist," J'onn reminded her. "But, if you don't want the responsibility, I'm sure that Nia can,"
"I'll do it," Lena insisted, placing a hand on his arm. "I've got a lot of making up to do as her friend."
"I think you've mended those fences already," J'onn smiled, touching her hand reassuringly. "Besides, I'd hate to have to ask Brainy."
"Why?" Lena raised an eyebrow as she folded her arms. "I thought that a twelfth-level intellect would be able to handle any situation that arises."
"Brainy has more book smarts than street smarts," J'onn chuckled. "His secret identity is 'Barney Fife'."
"Isn't your secret identity a humanised version of your own name?" Lena laughed.
"Hey!" J'onn raised a warning finger. "My superhero identity is the Martian Manhunter - nobody can connect him to John Jones."
"Of course," Lena nodded in agreement. "Because there are so many eight-foot green giants walking around."
J'onn laughed with her as he looked back over at the pair of Kara's emerging back into the hall. "I will say this," He grinned. "If Kara does decide to keep her identity a secret, this will go a long way to helping people believe that they're two different people."
"Excuse me," Supergirl strode towards the balcony window.
"One minute," J'onn leaned a hand into her way. "Remember; no risking your identity, and be back here tomorrow."
"I'll be careful," She promised. "But there's an avalanche happening on Everest, and some of the climbers are right in the path." Sliding between the pair, she exploded off into the distance, leaving the
"This is going to sound weird," Kara nervously adjusted her glasses. "But does the back of my head really look like that?" Everyone else in the tower cautiously exchanged glances. Kara was, well, Kara, complete with simple braid, while Supergirl had left her hair flowing.
"Yeah," Nia confessed. "Pretty much."
"It's a good look." Kara smiled.
"Come on," Alex beamed, looping their arms together. "We're having brunch with Mom before she freaks out any further."
"And then, we're going shopping," Kelly announced. "I want to see how your tastes change when you're not thinking about Supergirl the whole time."
"Yep, mm-hmm, of course," Kara nodded. "Lena, help me!" She whispered.
"Sorry," Lena smiled with a hint of steel. "I'm only here to ensure that nothing bad happens to you."
Kara laughed as she was physically dragged in the direction of the elevator.
"Dreamer, Brainy, you're on guard duty for National City until tomorrow," J'onn instructed them. "Alex and Kelly are only to provide backup in emergency situations. I," He shook a finger out of the window. "Have to play babysitter to a Kryptonian with no sense of privacy." The Martian paused on the threshold of the balcony. "Remember when we had normal problems, like escaped alien prisoners, and multiversal mishaps?"
Nia watched him fly off into the sky with a hint of disbelief. "I don't think that man has ever had to worry about late rent payments."