Sorority - The Awakening

Chapter 1: The Awakening

© Nomad (Jake H.)

The Continuum Rock of Eternity

The Rock was quiet. The air was still. Although two people, namely Kent Nelson and Diana Prince, were the only two permanent residents, the Rock had unofficially and inadvertently become bit of a waypoint for people travelling between probabilities, whether via the mystical weave of the Rock itself, or by the Probability Portal installed by Carrie and Karen Zor-El Dox, otherwise known as Supergirl and Powergirl, respectively.

Suddenly, there was a hollow boom, and instantly three people appeared in the middle of the main hall. The first was a slip of a woman who appeared to be in her late teens, although she was well into her twenties. She had long flowing hair and emerald colored eyes that seemed to glow briefly. She wore a tight fitting black and green bodysuit that accentuated her curves without blatantly flaunting them. Behind her was a tall man in his mid twenties. He too had long flowing hair, albeit tied back in a ponytail. His fighter’s physique was covered by a black and blue bodysuit with obvious reinforcements in vital areas. A stylized bird in blue adorned his chest while on his back he sported a holstered pair of batons.

The last of the three was a young woman, but instead of standing there with her comrades, she was being carried. The halo of her blonde hair cascaded down Nightwing's arm, but her limbs were dangling limply at her sides. Atop the armored black and red suit she wore sat a wicked piece of jewelry: a delicate steel chain attached to a glowing blue crystal. The chain was draped around her neck.

"KENT! DIANA!" Jade yelled out as soon as her spell had safely deposited them at the Rock. She motioned to Dick and directed him to a nearby table.

He placed Chasity on the table gently, taking care to try and make her as comfortable as possible. As soon as he was satisfied, he began to check her vitals. Pulse, eye reaction, breathing. But he did not remove the necklace. And he did not like what he was seeing. "Jade we gotta hurry. Can you hit her with a spell to keep her powerless? She won't be able to take much more of the Blue K."

"Dick, I don't know what in the nine hells just happened! And I'm afraid of what I might inadvertently do. A silver energy? Gold K? Red K? Blue K? Plus magic on top of all that? What were you people thinking?!"

"They were going to kill her, Linda!" Nightwing retorted with a mix of anger and desperation. "I was trying to save her life!"

It was then that they could hear the rapid footfalls coming down the corridor. Diana turned the corner and stopped dead at the scene. She opened her mouth to speak but caught her words when her eyes turned to see the young Kryptonian on the table. She took four good strides and her eyes instantly locked onto the glowing crystal.

"Are you MAD?!" she yelled and reached for the chain, only to be stopped by both Richard and Linda at the same time.

"Not yet!" Linda exclaimed. "We need Kent to do a full analysis, Diana. Something just happened and we cannot afford her repowering before we know!"

Diana could not believe what she was hearing. "You're going to kill her!"

"And if she wakes right now, she will kill all of us, Wonder Woman!"Nightwing argued.

"What? Why?!"

"Massive, and I mean massive Red K exposure that drove her insane. She has had continual after-effects for the last two MONTHS. We brought her here for help."

It didn't take long at all. Kent Nelson, formerly known as Doctor Fate, teleported into the room mere minutes later. Without asking, he wove a spell, then another...then another. He did not speak, he did not move for long moments. Finally he nodded to Nightwing.

"You can take that off and put it away now. She will not repower nor awaken for a while."

Wasting no time, Richard removed the chain from around his girlfriend’s neck and quickly threw it into the lead box. Sealing and stowing it away, he turned back to Chasity and then to Kent.

"What happened?" The Shazam Wizard finally queried.

"To sum it up, Chas was hit with a burst of Red K radiation somewhere in the thousands of rads range. We're not quite sure how much."

Kent looked down at the young woman and cast another spell. The others stood idly by as he gazed carefully at her. "It seems...it seems that her body is trying to fight the radiation but is losing."

"Why?"

"I...I don't know."

"But there is more going on here than just that, Kent," Dick added as Linda wove a spell over Chasity's body. "I exposed her to a piece of Gold K I engineered to be a much weaker version than normal. But when I did, a silver burst of energy exploded from within her."

It was Jade that caught everyone's eye before he could answer. "I might know what happened there. When Jon was killed, it seemed that Thor took what was left of his life force and bonded it to Chasity, probably to try and shock her back after the Lex incident. Afterwards, I took Jon's body and healed the damage and we buried him. I knew what Thor had done. I may have been able to pull that life force back and bring Jon back right then, but Chasity would have died the second I acted."

"And you didn't tell us?" Diana queried.

"No. I didn't tell anyone," Jade admitted. "That burst may have been my spell ending or maybe the shard of cosmic power trying to protect her."

Kent walked around to the side of the table so he could take a closer look at the young Kryptonian. There was so much that was different, so much that he didn't understand about her that it was almost maddening. Placing a hand on her brow, Kent was about to try a spell of healing, but realized that something was terribly wrong. "This..." he probed deeper, losing his train of thought and the rest of the sentence before finally shaking his head and removing his hand from her. "You said this has been going on for months?"

"A little over seven weeks."

"Her current mind is blank. I cannot read her recent memories. The last thing she remembers clearly is..." Kent instinctively turned to Diana but away from her before she could lock his gaze. "Yes, well...I think you know what that is Richard."

His mind went back to the night before the incident with Raven and her team. It had been New Years Eve...the night they had consummated their love. "Yes. I have a pretty good idea."

"So the Red K has affected her mind in multiple levels?" Diana asked.

"I do not believe her exposure has a random effect like other Kryptonians."

Dick looked shocked. "Wait, what?"

"I do not believe it is a random effect when she is exposed. I think there is a very specific physiological change instead. As it is with the Blue K. We know exactly how that affects her."

The look on everyone's faces turned to one of understanding. "So instead of depleting her energy and eventually starving her body of being able to absorb any energy at all, the Red..."

"...affects something in her brain. But that does not explain why she is constantly being irradiated."

The four of them stood around the young woman for long moments without talking or moving. There were simply too many unanswered questions when it dealt with the current situation. "Dick," Diana finally said. "We have a room down the hall. Take her there. You will find some bedclothes there as well. Get her changed while I have a talk with these two, okay?"

The young man nodded and went down the hall, leaving them standing there. When he was out of sight, Diana turned to her husband and Linda. "Well? What are you going to do?"

"This is a little more complex than you realize," Kent began. "At the level of radioactive saturation, it will take weeks of spells and recovery on her part. I may be able to get that down to a few days if Linda wants to assist."

"I can stay for at least part of it," Jade said sadly. "but I gotta head back home. I tore myself away from my duties when my magical markers went haywire. That's the only reason I knew and found Chasity like this. I may be free in the near future, but as long as Chasity is stable, I can’t stay very long."

Kent nodded. "Yes, I know. The purpose in creating the Sorority was for training and getting you girls to work together as a team. But each of you have your own respective duties in your home probabilities. I know those come first."

Linda shifted her weight and motioned her acceptance of the statement. "Except for her, now. She doesn't have any place to go."

"She will."

Three Weeks Later...

The smell of coffee wafted through the Rock long before the doors opened to allowing entry to its current user. The smells permeated the room as Kent strode in and made his way to the work table where he had left his notes and tools the previous night. Placing the steaming cup on the table, he picked up a remote and aimed it above his head. Slowly the light levels rose, but were eerily masked in deep red.

It had to be done. Otherwise his life could be in danger. Not only that but many more lives depending on the results of the work he was trying to do. Plus, it gave him an opportunity to do an in depth study on the subject, something never before done. Kent walked to the spare room where Chasity had been for weeks. She lay inside, several tubes dripping liquids down and into her arms. A golden halo of hair framed her face, even now, despite the condition she was in.

The red solar lamps borrowed from the Twins were at full power. His spell of shielding still flowed through the air, making the hairs on the back of his hand stand at attention. Shifting his weight and peering inside, he noted that she had not moved, unchanged since he left yesterday.

Kent opened the door and entered. The first thing he noticed was that Richard was sound asleep in the chair next to her bed. He had barely moved from her side since she was taken from Wasteland...or perhaps rescued was the better word? It was admirable, Richard remaining here. He had just walked away from his second home to be here with her. It made Kent feel young again, like the first time he and Inza began dating.

He made his way around the bed and gently shook the young man's shoulder. "Dick. Wake up."

Instantly, Nightwing's eyes shot open and his body tensed, ready for anything. After a brief moment of reorienting himself, he rubbed his eyes trying to get used to the deep red lights. "Yeah. Good morning, Kent."

"Good morning," Kent said as he looked over the readings of all the machines that were monitoring his patient. "I must replenish the spells this morning. Why don't you go get a shower? Plus there's coffee on. Diana is around somewhere, but I think she left to take a walk."

Dick stood and stretched, his eyes falling on his beloved.

"I promise to look after her," Kent assured him.

"I know. I'm just worried is all."

"How do you think I feel, Dick? You're the one carrying a chunk of Blue K around."

"I just don't..." Richard let the sentence die on his lips but was unable to escape the curious gaze of the older scientist. "Kent, look. I trust the girls. I trust Kara and Rogue and you and Jenny and all the rest. But we are talking about the ONLY piece of Blue K outside of her home dimension that anyone seems to know about. It may be artificially made, but it's the purest we could possibly have."

Kent cocked his head. "And I am impressed with that, Dick. You know your lab notes were of great help. It's not often I run across someone so thorough."

"I was trained by a detective, after all."

"Yes. Now go be one in the shower and let me do my work, okay?"

Richard nodded and reached behind the chair he was sleeping on and grabbed a duffel bag laying there. Carrie had been kind enough to bring a few changes of clothes for him since he had left everything back at Wasteland except for the uniform he was wearing.

Kent watched as the young man shuffled out of the enclosure and up the stairs. Turning back to the young Kryptonian, he did a quick scan of the readings. Nothing appeared to be out of place. He shifted over the woman and adjusted the IV, leading to her left arm. He opened one of her eyelids, mumbling a spell as he went. He took a deep breath and was about to continue casting, but stopped to look at the young woman. He had to admit that she was pretty, but what caught his eye were the similarities that she had with other Kryptonians he knew. Her high cheekbones were similar to Carrie's...her eyes were decidedly Kara's. Her chin was angular but smooth....he had no idea where that came from. She had a slim figure, a bit smaller than the Twins'. He gently pulled back her hair to look at her ears, trying to decide whom he had met with similar ears, but no one came to mind.

Kent broke his reverie, beginning to levitate beside the bed. He locked himself into a lotus position and began chanting. Spell after spell flowed into the young woman. For long moments the room crackled with mystical energy until finally it ebbed away and the Shazam Wizard came to rest on the floor once again. Taking a final look around, he left the room and went back to his work.

He felt sorry for the young Kryptonian. The last time he saw her, she seemed to be a somewhat typical female of that age group, albeit with responsibilities on her shoulders. She had stopped by on the way to Alterverse to participate in the final Kayzik war. Now here she lay recovering from what was arguably the worst condition he had ever seen anyone in that still lived.

Satisfied with his efforts, he rose and made his way to the door, stretching and cracking his back as he went. At least she would be safe here. Kent smiled and tore his thoughts away from such matters. There was nothing more that he could do for the moment, so he began to make his way back to the core of the Rock.

He had begun scanning the reported data that they had been gathering. There was a lot going on everywhere and many clues that told him that more was going on than he could currently tell. He began to look deeper when a dull throb behind his eyes told him of a spell beginning to fail. Dismissing the twinge as a household or maintenance spell he could recast later, he went back to his work.

The throbbing happened again…this time with more intensity.

Kent stopped his work and waited for it happen again. It didn't take long. For a split second, he nearly rose from his chair, but simple willpower kept him seated. He closed his eyes and began searching for the origin of the feedback. And answer swiftly came to him. The realization of what the feedback was from slammed home. He raced down the hallway and into her room. Her breathing had quickened. Her mind was racing. It was nearing time.

Kent slumped in the recliner Dick had been sleeping in and simply stared off into nothing for a moment, collecting his thoughts and composure. He cleared his thoughts and contacted the nearest person.

"Richard, are you there?"

"Yeah, Kent," his voice echoing through the mystical communication."Just getting out of the shower. What's up?"

"Richard. Just listen to me," he said, a slight edge of emotion in his words. "She's waking."

He could feel the rush if his thoughts. Confusion, excitement, hope. Kent waited for what seemed an eternity.

Finally, Dick responded. "What do you need me to do?"

"We're looking at about three hours. Get a call through to Carrie and Karen."

"Ok, will do."

Several hours later...

"Kent, how's she doing?"

He rubbed his tired eyes as he turned to face the new leader of the assembled group. He glanced at each of the heroines in turn and saw the concern they each had. Even though he had personally known these women for just a short time, he felt he could read them well. This was the first time he could remember any of them being so...anxious.

Releasing a breath he did not realize he was holding, Kent nodded. "As you all know, it's been a painstaking process. But, it looks like I was successful." He allowed a lopsided smile to wash over the assembled.

Alysa Wayne relaxed and leaned against the wall, her gaze falling to the floor before addressing his once again. "Dammit, Kent! You must love doing that."

"Have I ever let you girls down?"

Carol chuckled as the leader of the Sorority shook her head in the negative. "Not that I know of, but I'm a newcomer here, remember?"

Karen laughed. "Enough for us to place our lives in his capable hands." She reached over and gave him a playful punch to the shoulder. "So when will she be awake?"

"I don't know for sure," Kent said, all emotion fading from his face. "She is...an anomaly after all."

"Is that the way you describe her?" Cassie blurted.

He simply shrugged. "How else could I? There has never been a Kryptonian-hybrid mutant. She is almost a pure Kryptonian with a human x-factor. It's fascinating. She is nothing like any other I've worked on. I never even heard of Blue K until you brought her to me."

Alysa nodded. "True enough. She is different."

"And the reason the lot of us assembled as a team in the first place."

Carol Danvers had kept quiet this entire time. Her new teammates did of course save her life and world as well. "What do you mean? I thought this group was founded to help us develop into better heroes?"

She had joined the team in just last few days. Even though she was a native of the universe known as Wasteland, after her identity was compromised, she found it impossible to try and return to a normal life after everything that happened there. And after the Pax, these people were the only family she had left.

The rest of the group nodded, but it was Karen that answered. "Well, yeah. That was the premise. "

"I have a funny feeling it may have gone beyond that at this point," the only other male in the room said finally. But he was suddenly interrupted by a primal scream coming from down the hall.

"No!" cried Kent as he turned and ran across the lab followed quickly by both Karen and Carrie. The others also began, but were stilled by a hand from Alysa.

"Not yet," she said. "Let them do what they must."

Jade and Cassie glanced at each other and then at Carol. They so very much wanted to rush in, but Alysa was right.

Meanwhile, Kent rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. The bed was empty. Overcome momentarily by confusion, he took a step inside the room. It was only then that he heard the muffled cry of pain from somewhere behind the bed. He started around and just barely noticed the tangle of blonde hair on top of the mere slight of a woman as she huddled in a fetal position on the floor. Her soft cries of anguish and agony broke the silence of the room and she was trembling. The white gown she wore clung to her body in places due to the cold sweat she was in.

As he took another step forward, a feminine hand paused his approach. He glanced over his shoulder and into Carrie’s eyes. She gestured in silence, asking for permission to approach by herself. He nodded his approval.

Carrie took a few steps around the bed. "Chasity?" she said anxiously "Chasity?"

Her answer was a sob of pain.

"Chas, it's me. It's Carrie."

"Ca...Carrie?" the voice was just above a whisper.

The woman known commonly as Supergirl in her home universe smiled as she rounded the bed. "Yeah it's me. Are you alright?"

"Something...something is wrong with me."

Carrie took another step closer. "Chas…no. You're gonna be fine. Please, let me help you." She offered her cousin a hand.

For the first time, Chasity Hudson raised her head and looked around. "I can't walk. I can't fly. I can't even phase. What in Lorra's name wrong with me?!" Her voice wavered in fear. "Where am I?"

"Chas, look at me please," Carrie asked as she approached closer. When her cousin's head lifted and she could see a tear soaked, crystalline blue eye, she continued. "You're in a room with a lot of red solar lamps. Even I don't have my powers in here."

Chasity looked around the room and began to notice the lamps for the first time. It seemed longer than it should have been for her to absorb the information before she turned back to her cousin. "Okay..." she said, exhaling a shaky breath.

"Please. Let Karen and I help you."

A slow and shaky nod confirmed the request.

Karen didn't hesitate to leap over the bed. She bent down alongside her twin and offered her hands. "Chas, how are you feeling?"

"I'm hurting. All over," she said as she allowed her cousins to pick her up and support her weight. As they rose to a standing position, Chasity's eyes locked onto Kent's. "Mr. Nelson?" She began to tremble but Carrie and Karen could not tell if it was an involuntary reaction.

Kentsmiled at the young heroine. "Ms. Hudson, how are you feeling?"

"Terrible. Where am I?"

"Hey," Karen intervened. "We're at the Continuum Rock of Eternity, okay?"

He nodded. "I've been trying to nurse you back to health." He motioned over to the bed. "Please, let them help you back into..."

Chasity shook her head defiantly, albeit in pain. "No."

"But..."

"They have seen me in much worse condition," she said indicating her cousins. "I'm sure they don't want to see me lying there like that again."

Karen nodded enthusiastically. "You do have a penchant for getting hurt, Chas."

"Comes with the job."

"Chas, what can we do for you?"

The Kryptonian-hybrid mutant considered the question as the twins led her to the room’s only chair. "I'm hungry."

"You won't be able to handle solid food for a few days, but I think something light will do you good," Kent surmised.

Although she was confused by the statement, Chasity shook it off and went on with her next item. "And second...why am I here?"

With that, the other three in the room locked gazes but did not immediately answer. This did not go unnoticed by Chasity who, in her condition, could not do much about it other than get concerned.

"Chas..." Carrie said finally. "That is a long story."

"I seem to have time." Chasity arranged herself in the chair and glared up at Carrie defiantly, but weakly.

Karen huffed but began laughing. "You're never gonna change. Okay, we can tell you while you're eating. Are you up for some more company than just us three?"

"Alright," the young Kryptonian mutant sighed, finally accepting the situation.

As the quartet emerged from the room, the gasps of excitement and looks of welcome from the group bathed Chasity in a warm glow. It was almost overwhelming. Her mind couldn't take in all the words and encouragement that her friends and allies were saying but simply allowed her cousins to carry her to a workbench which was quickly cleared and various chairs gathered around it. Once served with a replicated bowl of chicken soup, she slowly drank the fortified broth before speaking again. Her gaze fell first on one of her oldest friends.

"Alysa. Don't get me wrong. It is really great to see you again, but what on Earth are you doing here?"

The young woman known as Batgirl grinned and gave her friend a hug. "I've essentially been stranded here, Chas. It seems that the Probability Portal at home was destroyed and without it...well, there has been some problems getting back. Unless I want to go back to the Otherverse in the 21^st Century….no thanks. I've spent the last few weeks hanging out in Metropolis with an interesting pair of heroes."

"So...wait. What about Clark and Heath?"

"I'm sure they are fine," Alysa lied. The last time she saw them, they were a mess. The three of them had battled Sinestro and yet another clone of Nar-Ur as they tried to escape Otherverse using the Probability Portal in the Colorado Fortress. "But more about them later. I was recruited."

"Recruited?"

Cassie Sandsmark closed on her and, like Alysa, gave Chas a hug. "Chas, you know we love ya to death, but in all honesty, your leadership skills were a bit lacking. Tactics and strategy are good and all, but there is more to it than that. Alysa was recently recruited to be the field leader of the Sorority."

On those words, Chasity's eyes lit up. "Really? Oh, that's awesome!"

Everyone laughed.

Jade shrugged and took her turn in giving the young woman a hug. "Honestly, we had a small wager that you may have been insulted. You took that better than expected."

Chasity shook her head and took another gulp of the soup. "No. I know I wasn't very good. And I have to admit, you chose someone that is. And someone I would follow to the gates of hell if need be."

Something caught the young woman's eye, diverting to the person approaching her chair. Without a word, Carol wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders. It took no other clue for Chasity to know it was the same girl she had served with in Wasteland. "Carol..."

Warbird broke the hug but held onto Chasity's shoulders. She opened her mouth to try and speak, but no words came, her emotions overriding everything. So she knelt there before her friend, simply happy for her.

"Carol...why? Doesn’t...doesn’t Dick need you at the Island?"

Although she was about to answer, Carol Danvers caught Alysa shaking her head from her peripheral vision. She had to come up with an alternate answer on the fly. "Do you remember when that SEAL team unmasked me?"

The young Kryptonian nodded, not exactly sure where the conversation was heading.

"I tried to go back and live a normal life, but even after everything..." she turned away, trying to gather the strength of mind to continue."There is still a lot of animosity towards metahumans back home. I could not even walk down the streets without being mobbed. I couldn't handle it, so I asked if I had a place here. Richard vouched for me and I joined."

Chasity smiled and drew her friend into other hug. "I...I’m sorry Carol. I know a lot of that is my fault. Please forgive me."

"Hey, don't worry about it. We all make mistakes. And of course those three…" she pointed up at the Twins and Alysa. "...the stories they tell about you..."

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

"My favorite was about you and Collin and him wearing your uniform and a wig in Alterverse."

Cassie perked up, grinning from ear to ear. "I still have that wig!"

They all laughed, but soon stopped when they saw that Chasity was crying softly. She tried to turn her head to hide it, but it was of little use. Regaining her composure, the young Kryptonian wiped them away. "I'm sorry. It's just good to have such friends and family. I don't seem to have much of either anymore."

The assembly simultaneously looked up at each other before their eyes all found the one person who had yet to reveal himself to her. All this time he had remained concealed in the shadows, almost afraid of what she would think. The motion in itself went unnoticed by Chasity, who was still wiping her eyes but she could sense the pause.

He avoided their knowing looks, directing him forward, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. There was a reason he was here. The bad thing was that he was almost terrified of what might happen. Just as he stepped out of the shadows, Carrie, began to speak.

"Chas," she started, her voice wavering with either excitement or nervousness, she wasn't sure which. "There's someone else here that wants to see you...someone that hasn't left your side."

"Assuming of course that she wants to see me," he said.

It wasn't the words that hit Chasity's ears, but it was the voice itself. Her heart skipped a beat and her chest tightened as amazingly she turned in her chair to face the voice. Shakily, she forced herself up to her feet. Her breath quickened as her eyes took in his.

"Dick?" she whispered.

He closed the distance until there were only inches between them. He soaked her in, unmoving for long moments as she, trembling reached out and brushed her fingertips over his face. It was like she was trying to figure out whether he was real or not. Seemingly unable to comprehend, Chasity waited in breathless anticipation as he slowly wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close, melting her with his smoldering gaze. She collapsed into his arms sobbing, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on with everything she had.

"It's okay, baby," he said with soothing words as he held her. The others in the room breathed a collective sigh of relief with several wiping their own tears away.

When the two finally ended their embrace, Chasity looked up into his face again. "You're here. I don't know what to say."

"Just say you'll love me for the rest of your life."

Without another word, the young Kryptonian embraced him again, this time drawing him into a deep, lasting kiss. They broke apart laughing as their friends began clapping and cheering. She could barely comprehend the way she felt. Never before had she been so thoroughly and willingly entranced.

Richard Grayson held her gently and basked in the glow that she was emitting. "Chas, when I told you that I loved you, I wasn't playing. You are worth more than I could ever possibly give. I'll always be here."

Instantly she started shaking again, this time burying her head into his chest, silently sobbing.

Carrie leaned over to Jade, one of the few in the room who wasn't in a relationship. "He's good. Dontcha wish there were more just like him?"

"I'm sure there is," the young woman answered happily. "But I think Chas has earned this."

"So," Chasity said before being helped back into a chair. Richard sat close, holding her gently as she took small gulps of soup. "What happened?"

All eyes went to Dick's, so he began the tale.

"Chas...what is the last thing you remember?"

"It was the morning after we had..." her voice trailed off as her eyes got a bit wider and she began to blush. "Um..."

Cassie laughed. "Okay, we get it! We'll get details about that later!"

"Hey!" Richard exclaimed indignantly.

Again, the Amazon laughed. "That's what girls talk about when we're not around our guys!"

This time both Richard and Kent looked at each other, silently debating whether they should say anything. They didn't and Chasity continued.

"Anyway, I went down to Columbia Circle to get some coffee and breakfast and I ran into this guy I had met when I first got to Wasteland. While we were talking, I accidentally ran into Raven and her group and we mixed it up. It was the usual. They weren't going to win, but they were trying. But then," her voice wavered as her brow furrowed as she tried to recall more details. "They did something. I'm not sure what. The next thing I know I'm waking up here."

Kent nodded. "That's what we expected."

"I'm not following."

He swallowed and took control of the conversation. "Ms. Hudson, what do you know about the various forms of Kryptonite and what effects they have on...a normal Kryptonian and yourself?"

"What the hell constitutes 'normal'?"

"With all due respect, Chasity, you're the one who doesn't fit the norms."

He was right. Without arguing any further, she answered the original question.

"Some," she admitted. "It wasn't like there was a lot around that really affected me. There was a large amount of Green K that we had to worry about as it was deadly to Carrie and Karen, not to mention like all other Kryptonians. The only Blue K in Otherverse was artificially created. In fact, I don't think there is a natural piece of Blue K anywhere in existence."

"Well, there is one..."

Chasity looked around in expectation for someone to explain. Nobody volunteered.

"Later, Chasity," Karen finally said.

Dr. Fate nodded in agreement. "So we know that green affects them as blue does to you, but what do you know about the other colors?"

"Very little actually," Chasity admitted, albeit somewhat perturbed that she was brushed off of the subject of the 'one' piece. "I read some notes left to me by my great-grandfather, but I really didn't pay attention because there simply wasn't any of it around. Why? What did Raven do to me?"

Again, Richard answered. "Chas, if I had a piece of Red K here right now, it would have what would seem to be a random effect on the other Kryptonians here. They would all get the exact same symptoms until their bodies could purge the radiation. Usually a couple days. But you're different. We know exactly what it does to you, now."

"What are you saying?"

"Do you remember Sand?"

"Yeah, basically an earth elemental."

"During that fight, he turned several tons of material into a highly pure copy of Red K. If it had been Blue, the radiation might have killed you instantly. But instead, Red K throws the chemical balance of your cerebral cortex out of whack. It increased your aggressiveness and caused you to go absolutely insane. It interfered with your brain’s ability to form memories, hence why you don't remember."

The clues were beginning to fall into place.Her own emaciated state and inability to eat solid food. She looked down at her hands. "I'm...I didn't purge the radiation in two days did I?"

Richard shook his head negatively. "Sweetheart, you've been out for a little over three weeks."

An expression of dawning horror draped her features. "Three weeks?" she whispered.

"It took most of that time for me to purge your system," Kent admitted. "And believe me when I say that wasn't easy. I blocked your phasing ability and your normal powers. I've kept you under since you got here so you wouldn't wake up and try to kill everyone."

The shock was only building in Chasity's mind. "I was that bad?"

Nightwing held her hand tighter. "Chas, you went over the edge. It was like you went after anything and anyone whom you ever deemed a threat. For months. You actually threw the top half of Lexcorps Tower into Jupiter. What was worse was that even though you were just bombarded with Red K...so was your suit. We found out later that it was so irradiated it was more of a threat than we ever imagined. It caused Carrie and Karen to lose their voices for two days just by walking into the room with it."

"We ended up having to throw it into the sun, Chas," Linda added. "Otherwise the radiation was just gonna keep screwing with you."

"Oh no..." she whispered, hanging her head in shame. "What did I do?"

"Before you think it, no. You didn't kill anyone. However several people were severely injured. I won't go into details because it doesn't matter."

Chasity looked up. "Why?"

"Um, well...because they banned you from going back to Wasteland." Carol rapidly raised her hands to belay the retort. "But it's all not bad. In a way you achieved a lofty goal. The governments there banded together along with us to stop you. And even with every metahuman on the planet, you almost beat us."

The young Kryptonian hung her head in disgust. "This is almost sickening."

"I know, sweetheart," Richard continued. "But even once we were able to just hold you, there was a debate on what to do. Half of them wanted to execute you on the spot, the other half knew that if they didn't, the only thing we could do is keep you exposed to Blue K until you died. So I came up with a different idea."

Suddenly, Carrie and Karen began to shift uncomfortably. Richard Grayson's eyes fell to the floor, now unable to face the woman he loved. "I...I exposed you to Gold K."

"WHAT??!!" she screamed, shocking some in the ferocity of her tone.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he responded quickly. "Chasity, wait! It's not what you think!"

"Then what is?!"

But this time Linda intervened in an attempt to deflect her anger away from Richard. "Chas, listen to me. The Gold K stripped all your power from you, but it was such a low dosage and low quantity, your body purged it within minutes. You started regaining your powers almost immediately. But when we brought you here, we used the one piece of Blue K we have to strip even that power away so we could help you. As soon as Kent's spells are gone, your cells are gonna start guzzling that energy once again. If Kent says it's okay, I will release the block on your phasing and hit you with a massive solar charge. We'll get ya back up and going in no time!"

"Hold on there, Jade," Kent cut in. "Not yet. I want to keep an eye on her for another day to ensure she is healing normally."

Shrugging and returning her attention back to the subject of their conversation, Linda shrugged. "Doctor's orders, Chas."

With every word, Chas's anger lessened more and more. For a moment, she thought her life had been stripped away, but then her mind began to process all the information. "Wait a minute. If I can purge the effects of Blue K and Red K...does that mean...?" her voice trailed off, looking for an answer.

"You are correct," Kent responded. "Where normal Kryptonians would probably lose their ability to metabolize a yellow star's energy forever, you would eventually regain yours...though how much time would depend on exposure. If it were on the level of the Red K exposure you experienced...that could even be decades."

"Oh...that's...interesting."

Kent shook his head sadly though. "There is another issue it seems."

Chasity glanced around the table. It seemed the subject was controversial enough that nobody wanted to talk about it. Before she could complain and force the issue, Jade stood and began pacing as she spoke.

"Chas, we know about your father, of course. And the fact that he instilled into you a portion of his own Power Cosmic. A power linked to the very essence of a universe. A power that when you decided to leave, he had no choice but to try and suppress as best he could because he was unable to take it back."

The young Kryptonian mutant raised her hand in confusion. It wasn't that these people could find out about something like that, but the fact that it was an issue at all. "So what?"

"Did you ever think about what might happen if you died?"

She shook her head.

"Well, we did," Linda answered. "And that's why we were so desperate in keeping you alive after your fight with Lex that one time. We surmise that your death could have destroyed several universes. But of course without you actually dying, it's only a theory. Now for the most part, we have firm faith that at top form you can recover from most anything."

Chasity nodded. "Well, in hindsight, if it had been any other Kryptonian there with Lex, it would have been much worse. The only thing that saved me was my ability to phase so that the radiation didn't affect me as much. Didn't expect the Nth metal though."

Karen huffed, winding herself up for the impending tirade. "Saved you? Shit girl, it took five of us to keep your ass alive that day. Kitty was physically massaging your heart, Kyle was forcing air into your lungs, Jade was trying to cleanse you of all the magical damage, while Hipkarma struggled to get the Green K out of your system, and Carrie was stuck trying to x-ray you because I couldn't stomach seeing you like that!"

The room went silent.

"Lex did all that?" Carol whispered.

Sitting back and crossing her arms in derision, Alysa nodded. "Chasity's temper has a tendency to get her ass into trouble."

"And I paid the price, Carol. I'm sure you and Richard remember my nightmares?"

"I'll never forget."

"So," Richard began. "What happens now?" The question was directed at nobody in particular.

"I guess I have to ask. Am, am I still welcome in the Sorority? I don't even know where to go as it seems that even my second home is now gone."

"You gotta be kidding us, Chas!" Carrie exclaimed, rising to her feet for emphasis. "You were the reason we formed in the first place. You! Do you get it yet or do we have to beat some sense into that overly stubborn head of yours?"

Karen couldn't help but chime in. "She got that from Zal, ya know."

"Of course she did!" her twin retorted as she gestured to Linda and Cassie. "Even they know that!"

Wonder Girl raised her hands in surrender. "Oh, no! I'm not going there!"

"I've seen a picture. He was cute!" Linda mused aloud.

"Jade!" the Twins exclaimed together. Even Kent couldn't contain a snort of laughter. Karen rounded on him. "You stay outta this!" she said playfully.

Chasity sat there just following the conversation until it finally died down. They were right of course. But in her mind it was safer to be cautious than to assume. It gave her a good feeling that she could soon stand by her friends again. "I get the picture. But literally, what happens now?"

Kent rose to his feet, he came around the table and deliberately turned the chair around so he could face his patient. "Duty calls. I'm sure you understand this. You and Dick can stay in that room. While you're here, you need massive amounts of protein and exercise. Once I am satisfied with that, I will release all the holds on your powers so you can start recharging your cells. Understood?"

"Well, I appreciate..."

He held up a finger and gave her a withering glare. "You're my patient. My orders. This isn't a negotiation."

Chasity's eyes went wide. It was one thing for her to be dressed down, but that had traditionally been Carrie and Karen's job. Seeing and hearing this from him was just a slight shock. "Who am I to argue?"

"Good," he said with finality.

She nodded again, still shocked at his bedside manner. "Okay."

"Until then..." he nodded towards the table, before heading to the door."Ladies and Gentleman, I take my leave."

The assembled group watched him leave in silence. When he was out of sight, Karen's and Chasity's eyes met with a bemused glance.

"He likes to have the last word." Karen added, shrugging. “Typical male!”

Before Chas could respond, Carrie gathered her attention. "Okay girl, we installed one of your replicators, but remember to stay away from solid food until you are ready. I brought a bag with some of my Terran and Kryptonian clothes so you should be able to change at your leisure. Also, since you currently don't have one, you may want to think about a new uniform."

"Sure. Protein, exercise, uniform. Got it."

Three days later, The Rock of Eternity...

"I am glad you're still here with me Dick," Chasity said as they both got dressed for dinner. "After everything you guys told me, I would have thought you would run for the hills."

Richard Grayson simply grinned and gave his woman a peck on the cheek. His armor and accoutrements were safely stowed away, and he wore a plain white t-shirt and jeans which he knew Chasity found very alluring. "Well, babe, every relationship has its issues. Plus I would be a fool to give you up." He reached over and gave her butt a playful slap, eliciting a small yelp from her lips.

"Hey now!' she said in mock anger before grabbing his shirt and pulling him in for a quick kiss. "Save that for later!"

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart. Call it me just being a guy."

"Yeah, thank Rao for that?"

Richard snapped his fingers in disappointment. "Darn. And here I thought you might like being with another girl."

Chasity slipped her own t-shirt on before responding. "Sweetie, I like Carol and all, but not like that."

"I just figured since you're on a team with six other women..." his voice trailed off.

Her eyes narrowed and she stared daggers at him. She held up a warning finger at him with a semi-serious look on her face. "Don't tease me Grayson."

"You know I'm just playing, Chas. C'mon."

"I know." She was about to say more but there was a loud knock on the door followed by a familiar voice.

"Hey Grayson! It's us, are you guys decent?"

Richard laughed as he opened the doors. He reached in and gave Carrie a quick peck on the cheek and then did the same for Karen. "Hey guys, how's it going?"

Carrie's eyebrows rose as she took in her cousin. "Wow, Chas...you look great! I guess Kent's orders helped?"

"Yeah, but I felt so much better once I got all of my powers back."

"Alysa!" Richard spat as he finally saw her hiding behind the Twins. "Isn't this a surprise." It was only then he saw that she was fully suited up in her armor. "Wait, what's going on?

“Training session,” Alysa advised. “Chasity may think she’s at her peak, but she’s going to have to prove it to the rest of us. Starting now!”

"Good. I could use the exercise." She opened the case and withdrew a black silken uniform adorned with a red cape. Each of them could see her version of the family crest clearly. She laid it on the bed and withdrew a pair of boots before returning the box to the corner.

Nothing more needed to be said, but while Chasity had her back turned, Carrie and Karen nodded their approval and did a uncharacteristic fist bump, eliciting a wide grin from both Alysa and Richard. They all knew that she needed to get back on the horse and continue being 'Supergirl'.

Chasity didn't ask about the shit-eating grins they all wore, but instead gathered her uniform and turned to her boyfriend. Before he could speak, she stretched up and gave him a quick kiss. "I'll see ya soon." And not waiting for a response, she exited the room, her cousins right behind her.

"Alysa!"

Batgirl turned as she was exiting the room. "Yes?"

"Bring her back to me in one piece, please

To be Continued……..

-- and may not be reprinted without permission.

-- The Continuum Worlds Concept is a joint creation of

-- Dylan Clearbrook and Eldric.

-- Otherverse, Multiverse, Primalverse. and Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes,

-- as depicted in the Continuum Worlds, are original creations of Dylan Clearbrook.

-- Alterverse, The Inheritors and Rising Starr, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- are original creations of Eldric.

-- Wasteland, The Sorority, and Otherverse 2.0, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds

-- are original creations of Nomad (Jake H.).

-- The Realm and The Web of Shadows, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- are original creations of John P. and Jason G./ Andrew Shields respectively.

-- DCM: The Merging, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- is an original creation of Chip Caroon and the stories therein remain

-- the property of the respective writers.

-- Some characters in Continuum Worlds stories are original creations

-- of Dylan Clearbrook, Eldric, Michael Liebhart, Jake H., Jason G.,

-- Andrew Shields, Kyle M., Brian, John P., DTO, or Jason Froikin and may not

-- be used without express permission of the respective author.

-- All DC characters are property of D.C. Comics.

-- All Marvel characters are property of Marvel Comics.