Dark Angel

CHAPTER FOUR: THE BIG TEASE KARA retrieved the box from its hiding place and opened the lid. The powder inside glowed dully. She dabbed her finger into it and held it up to her eyes smiling. White Kryptonite - a little-known derivative of the rare green ore. Magically it had no effect on her yet could render Kal-El as weak as a baby. She poured a little of the powder into a small bag and then dabbed some onto both her palms before heading downstairs. Supergirl only just managed to finish sprinkling the Kryptonite across the carpet when Superman walked in looking tired and dejected. "Hi Supes!" she said gaily. "Kal-El," he growled back annoyed. "Oh, OK honey," she smiled back. "Any luck?" He shook his head. "Nothing. Not a sign. Did you find anything?" "Afraid not. The tapes were all clear." Kal-El slumped on a seat and put his hand to his brow. A feeling of tiredness swept over him his head starting to spin. He guessed the anxiety over Batman and his long exhausting day was getting to him. "Are you OK?" asked Kara. "Just a little worn out," he said wearily. Kara stepped alongside him and began rubbing the back of his neck with her palm "Ah Supes," she said with mock sympathy. "Why don't you rest?" He opened his mouth to reply but a wave of fatigue washed over him again. "Look honey," continued Supergirl. "You go and get some sleep and I'll go over to see how Robin is. We can all get together later to decide what we do next. You're going to be no good in this state." Superman sighed and nodded reluctantly. He rose from his seat and almost felt his legs give way as he stood. "Guess so," he said quietly heading unsteadily for the door. "There's a good boy," murmured Kara watching his shambling gait gleefully. As soon as he'd gone Supergirl preened herself in front of the mirror, smoothing her red skirt down over her thighs and adjusting her blue top. Then she headed off to the Batcave. The Boy Wonder was hunched over a laptop studying a series of maps as she walked in humming to herself He looked up hopefully. "Anything?" he asked. "Nope," replied Kara - rather too dismissively for his liking. She perched on the table crossing her legs and swinging one boot-clad foot idly back and forth. "Not a trace of him anywhere. He just seems to have disappeared." Robin shook his head in disappointment. "He's got to be somewhere," he said. "Somewhere." Supergirl thought for a moment and then said: "Perhaps he's with someone Robin. Y'know - met someone." "What?" "A woman. Perhaps he's met a hot woman and they're having some fun together. Getting it on. He's enjoying himself so much he just sort of forgot to get in touch." Robin looked at her incredulously. "Not Batman," he said determindly. "That's not like him. He wouldn't." "Well you never know," smiled Kara. "We all have desires Robin, don't we? I know I do." The Boy Wonder just sat staring at her not knowing what to say. Despite being the same age as him Kara had recently begun to seem a little more mature - a little more knowledgeable about the ways of the world. Supergirl continued grinning at him until she finally broke the silence. "There is one thing Robin..." she mused as though trying to recall a far-off thought. "What?" "It's only a hunch," she said hesitatntly. "But I know Batman was working on something. He wasn't sure about it but he thought there was something being planned on the West Side. Something big." "He never said anything to me." "No, I know. He didn't want to tell me but he let is slip once and then made me swear not to mention it to anyone else until he was sure. He said if he was right it could be very dangerous. I don't know if there's a connection but perhaps that was where he went that night and not the East Side." "Do you now any more?" Robin said eagerly. "Any names? Location? Anything?" Kara pushed herself off the table and began typing into the laptop. A detailed map flashed up. She moved the cursor around and then homed in on one building. "That's it I think," she said. "That one." Robin's eyes fixed on the screen taking in every single detail. "Let's check it out," he said pushing the chair back and standing. "Come on!" "Right with you Robin," replied Supergirl.