Doppelgangers (a Batman Alternate Universe story)

Crashing at Kara's

Chap 6: Crashing at Kara's

"I just wanna go to bed. Maybe afterward when I wake up this'll all have been a dream." Bruce muttered as she and Alfred slowly trudged their way up the stairs of Kara's apartment building.

"I concur." Alfred said. "But I truly wish for a shower and a change of clothes more than anything."

"This universe just sucks! I mean, did you see Barry? That man is ten flavors of delicious and all of it is being wasted upon Iris West."

"Oh shush up." Alfred said as they reached Kara's door. "You have your own Barry, the Barry of this Earth deserves happiness, and it seems he has found it, so stop being a homewrecker." Alfred knocked on the door. In a moment it swung open to reveal Kara. She was just the same as ever, her hair still blond and wavy, her smile still just as bright and cheery. "Hello! You two must be Ophelia and Frieda!"

"Yes, yes we are." Alfred said happily, glad that at least one thing had not changed.

"Come in! Come in!" Kara beckoned.

They did, and soon explained their full story to her while they sat on her couch.

"Sounds like you two have had quite a day. I hope Barry get's your jellyfoo fixed." Kara said sympathetically.

"Yes well, until he does, we might be stuck here a while." Bruce said sadly.

"That's okay! You guys can stay with me as long as you need to!" Kara chirped.

"Are you sure?" Alfred asked. "Because we'll understand if you and Oliver wish to have your privacy. We could always ask Earth 2 Bruce for some cash to get a hotel."

"What?" Kara said, looking confused. "Oliver who? It's just me and my cat Streaky here."

"Well...you know..." Alfred looked to Bruce and then back to Kara. "Oliver Queen?"

"Green Arrow? What about him?"

"You two aren't...dating?"

Kara's eyes widened and she snorted out a laugh. "Teehee! No! I mean, I guess he's sort of handsome, but he's really not my type. Besides, he's with Dinah."

Bruce sat up. "Wait. If you're not with Oliver then...who are you dating?"

"James Olsen, the photographer!"

"You can't mean...Jimmy?" Bruce said, looking slightly horrified. "The red headed, freckle faced, wimpatron 6000 that follows Clark around like a puppy dog?"

"What?" Kara looked shocked. "No. And he doesn't like to be called Jimmy. Only Clark calls him that." She whipped around and pulled out a framed photo of her and a...

"Black Jimmy?!" Bruce cried. "What the fuck?!"

"Yes," Kara said with cheer. "Isn't he just the most beautiful man you've ever seen?"

Alfred woke in the night to find that Bruce, who had been laid out beside her on the floor, had disappeared. She rose and pushed off her blankets, searching the room. Where could she be?

Alfred padded softly out of the room on bare feet, dressed in a borrowed nightgown from Kara. She made her way to the living room to find Bruce on the couch using Kara's Ipad.

"What are you doing out here?" Alfred asked in a whisper, her eyes squinting at the harsh blue light the Ipad screen was projecting.

"I can't sleep, too much rolling around in my head. Besides, there's so much to learn about this new universe."

"Really?" Alfred came a few steps closer so that she stood beside the seated Bruce.

"Yeah, and the more I see, the more I hate this place." Bruce growled as she wrinkled her brow at the screen.

Alfred yawned. "You shouldn't be so pessimistic. I don't think this Earth 2 is that bad at all."

Bruce looked up with a dangerous squint. "Do tell. Then allow me to show you what Earth 2 Penguin looks like. Vamoosh!" She thrust the screen in front of Alfred's face.

Alfred's eyes widened in horror, before rolling back into her head. A loud thump was heard as Alfred collapsed to the floor in a heap.

Bruce shook her head. "Told you."

Ring! Ring! Kara's house phone began making a racket. Bruce dived to the coffee table and grabbed the phone. "Hello? Who the fuck is this at 3:00 am?"

"It's me! Barry!"

"Barry? What's going on?"

"I've got the jellyfoo fixed! You've got to come down here right away! Something extraordinary has happened!" He cried through the phone, sounding delirious from excitement and lack of sleep.

"What? It's fixed? Really fixed? But how do you know?"

"I can't explain over the phone, but I promise that it's fixed, just get down here as quick as you can!"

Bruce felt relief wash over her. The jellyfoo was fixed? They could really go home? Then she looked at the heap of Alfred at her feet. "Um...I'll be there as quick as I can, I just have to get Alfred up."