capeandcowl | one ✩ voice

Entry tags:

karen starr | power girl

one ✩ voice

[ The ID on the Network appears as Power Girl.

As the audio begins, anyone with a good ear or paying close attention will notice there isn’t complete radio silence between the time the feed turns on and when a woman begins speaking. There’s a passing wind that lightly filters in through the speaker – and are those wings flapping in the distance? ]

Okay, I get it; Lachesis does not appreciate a hands on approach. Does she really call herself that? I guess she doesn’t get memos, but I thought I washed my hands of this alternate universe mess a while ago and I’m seriously not interested in being apart of it.

The City... that’s original. [ A light scoff. ] Should have stuck with New York.

If anyone from the JSA or the League is—oh. One second. [ The audio cuts for about five minutes before it’s switched back on and Peej sighs. ] That was a close call.

Sorry, as I was saying: All-stars or JSA, Leaguers, Titans, heck even Legionnaires ... this is Power Girl. I think I’ve gotten the gist of the situation, but if there’s anything else I need to be briefed on get in contact with me ASAP.

[ Not that her voice will betray how she really feels, but she really hopes she’s not stuck in another alternate universe by herself again. ]

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[ Well... that's not very secretive. It makes her wary, especially with the Riddler showing his face. ]

Fine.

[ She can't miss the sign, so she'll just wait there. ]

[Against her better judgement, Helena will sneak through her own building and onto the observation deck. Or whatever. I don't know the layout very well.

She's sort of an odd sight in this part of town at this hour, but she's in full Huntress costume, ready to face her former-bff.]

[ She briefly checks on her cat she's left in her newly acquired apartment in the MAC (oh my god there are chickens why) and drifts on toward Wayne Enterprises, taking her time and swallowing her fear.

That shouldn't exist here. Helena's dead. All of them are dead. Her universe isn't coming back.

So why is this happening? Why does the universe need to keep reminding her of what she can never have again? She's fully aware of that since watching her cousin pass before her eyes.

She's supposed to be steel-skinned and yet as she floats on down toward the building, she feels more vulnerable than ever. Maybe she's still feeling the side effects from her visit to Strata. ]

[Helena's face lights up and it's all she can do to not run towards her and tackle her into an all-encompassing hug. As it is, she's starting to feel overcome by emotions, feelings she's tucked away and hasn't thought to deal with in years.

She's alive and her best friend is here. Helena could not be gladder.]

Karen!

[ She keeps her distance, her eyes widening like she's just seen a ghost.

Technically, she is seeing one.

The first time she does is she x-rays the Helena before her, checking for any abnormalities. Maybe it's Clayface or an illusion of some kind. But there's nothing -- just like the Helena from that world Gog threw her in. The one with the JSI. ]

Huntress... you're... am I imagining this?

[ She runs a gloved hand through her hair, looking increasingly stressed. ]

You're dead. And then you weren't you. I thought it was you, but... it's never you.

I'm going crazy.

I was dead. [She looks suddenly deflated, not because of the fact of her death, but because of how her friend is reacting.] I was dead for a long time. But the porter brought me back. Lachesis resurrected me.

[ If only she realized the stress she was putting on her friend. Instead, years of tormented feelings and being lost catch up to her in milliseconds; she's afraid she's losing her mind again.

She's afraid this isn't going to be real when she so desperately hopes, as she does each time, it is. ]

Resurrection tech? How on earth does it have -- [ She shakes her head. ] None of this is making any sense.

If I could explain how the porter works, I would be even more wealthy and I'd have sent everybody home by now. Or at least shut the thing off.

[She reaches out her gloves hands to Karen, but then hesitates, dropping her arms slowly to her sides.]

Imagine how I felt showing up here. The last thing I remember was--

[... Was knowing she was about to die. Feeling the world and destiny closing in on her. Death had been gunning for Helena Wayne, and before she could save herself or anyone else, she'd been crushed. Literally.

Helena didn't want to think about that now.]

She -- it's a woman? -- zapped me. Not that it hurt. But that doesn't bode well for anyone else who isn't built like me.

[ She takes a deep breath, watching Helena closely. She looks just like her. Sounds like her.

She's not imagining all this. It's... got to be her. ]

I feel like I'm dreaming.

Lachesis does that to people who get too close. She's a rather dangerous device.

[She smiles, cautiously. Part of her is still fearful she'll be rejected. Her Power Girl wouldn't react so poorly to seeing her again. But then, what did she mean by "it's never you"?]

You're not dreaming. Or if you are, we're both dreaming. And it's a wonderful dream and we should be happy and enjoy it.

[Finally, the emotions get to her, and Helena suddenly chokes.]

I so rarely have nice dreams, Karen. It's been so long. I don't think I can take it if I ever wake up.

[ "We should be happy and enjoy it."

She figures Helena doesn't mean no offense by it, but she bristles anyway at the thought of abandoning her new home. The one she found herself stranded in, but was able to make into her planet. She doesn't want to give that up just yet. She's come too far to throw everything and everyone she loves aside. ]

It's you. [ She breathes out. ] None of this supervillain hoax or weird multiverse joke, right? You're Helena Wayne from Earth Two.

It's me.

[What can she say that's reassuring? She's already feeling like a wreck. What could PG have gone through that's so intense and alarming that it's made her question Helena like this? Made her doubt her own best friend?]

I'd just about given up on ever seeing you again. [Or anyone else from home.] Until today, I've been the only one from our Earth here.

I was always hoping... even knowing I could never go back. [ She extends her hand, but she looks away -- ashamed. ]

[That's it, there are tears streaming down her cheeks now, though her voice is still collected.]

It's been so difficult without anyone else from home. No one understands what it feels like, to lose your world. To lose everything.

But we have a second chance now. We're alive and we're together!

[She clasps both hands around Karen's.]

[ She holds back her own tears, but her voice cracks anyway. ]

Alive.

[ It brings up the old, dreaded question she's wanted an answer for for so long: why did she survive? ]

It's not fair. It shouldn't have been you or Dick. Kal and Lois... [ She bites down on her bottom lip and moves in closer to embrace Helena. ]

I've missed you.

[ And maybe she is going crazy.

But right now this feels real enough. ]

I've missed you, too.

[It feels like a wait has lifted as she embraces Karen, but she's still concerned. Helena doesn't want to be mourned or for anyone to feel guilt over her, especially not her best friend.

The hard stuff could wait, Hel figured. Today was a dream day. Today would be happiness through tears.]

I just want to look at you. It's been ages. Let me take it all in.

[ She shifts away awkwardly; feelings have never been her forte. She could do a lot of posturing, but the fact is that Peej gets downright awkward when facing her emotions. Especially those related to her loneliness. ]

I'm still the same old Power Girl.

[ She has changed. She's gotten smarter and matured over the years, but it doesn't come to her to say any of that. ]

[She may be the same old Power Girl, but Helena can tell her experiences have changed her. Of course, this particular situation probably isn't helping.]

You certainly are. Just how I remember. You've scarcely changed a day.

[ If she wakes up tomorrow to find out this is all another cruel hoax she's leaving someone in a body cast. ]

Alright... can you tell me what the heck is going on here? Misfit's nice, but I had to get files out of her in order to help.

It's a long story, but to make it short, the porter pulls people into the City from various universes. Initially we were meant to replace the police force. Every imPort has powers. We're given a stipend and a place to live. It's just like the brochure would suggest.

Or rather, it is at first glance.

The brochures weren't very helpful. It may as well say, "You've been kidnapped. Tough."

What's this about dimension hopping, though?

On occasion, we've been sent to other universes as well, and as a general rule they're usually much worse than this one. [Helena lets out a long suffering sigh.] We're talking dystopian, torture-fueled nightmare worlds.

[ She should have known. Her brow knits together in deep thought. ]

To do what? Her "dirty work" as someone's said earlier?

That's one way to look at it. [She shudders thinking about it.] For all the power we've been given here, we really have very little control over this situation.

[ That's how she always feels when thrown into these multiverse shenanigans. She hates the feeling of powerlessness. ]

Any efforts to change that?

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