Supergirl Invictus - A Resurrection Comedy - Chapter 2 : What's my Spine?

Babs looked around in awe, there it was stretching away in spacious beautifully underground caverns, the fabled Fortress, hideaway both Superman and Supergirl!

A wrecked steamship huge from the ceiling on giant chains...there was a museum containing hundreds of mementos from the careers of Kal El and Kara...at the center of the whole complex giant statues of Superman's birth parents, Jor El and Lara holding up a effigy of the lost planet Krypton.

"Of course silly" jibed Supergirl "if it was at the South Pole no doubt some army expedition would stumble over it...no one would think to look for it in the Arctic!"

"Buh but I could've sworn I heard it was at the South Pole" murmured Babs.

"Things change and then change back!" chirped Kara "no lets see what do I have lying around to fix a damaged spinal cord?"

They were walking down a short corridor to a pair of imposing doors, Supergirl pushed them open and a pleasant well-decorated living room was revealed.

"My wing of the Fortress" remarked the Girl of Steel.

"It's nice" gulped the Darknight Damsel.

"Well at least there are no ships hanging from the ceiling, Great Rao talk about sublimation!"

They moved through the wing past a nicely appointed bedroom next to a small mountain of teddy bears.

"What is with the stuffed animals?" asked Babs.

"Oh this is embarrassing, after my public debut some columnist said she felt sorry for me at Christmas since I must be spending the holiday alone. So sure enough people starting sending me teddy bears care of the Daily Planet...after a few years they really started piling up so every Christmas I fill up a huge sack of them and drop them off at the local orphanages".

Babs looked at her friend in astonishment she really was the soul of generosity!

"That was very nice of you, how come I never read about in the papers?"

"I asked Perry White to keep it on the Q.T. I was afraid toy companies would horn in on the deal for publicity...simplicity and charity go hand in hand y'know".

They arrived at Supergirl's private lab...yes indeed she really had one although she made little use of it owing to her hectic heroinely lifestyle. Still it contained a good collection of gadgets and devices the Maid of Might had confiscated from various miscreants-plus all her failed anti-kryptonite experiments.

"Babs hop up on the lab table take your shoes off and I'll...oh wait I'm sorry I forget you were..."

Supergirl spun around in concern only to see that Barbara had already gotten up on the table unassisted from her wheelchair...she grinned and flexed her muscles.

"Weightlifting you should try it sometime!"

"Whoopsie" blushed the Maid of Might "Uh Babs just lie face down on the table I think

I've got the right device in this chest."

The Gotham Guardian lied down as requested; she had a momentary qualm...so far everything was as Supergirl said it would be...but could Kara really cure her paralysis?

"Um Kara, sweetie are you sure..."

"Got it" squealed Supergirl she marched back to the table with what looked like a high tech flashlight "The Rancors' protoplasmic regenerator, restored the eyesight of one of my professors at Stanhope...I am positive it'll reconstruct your spinal cord good as new!"

Babs settle down and bit her lower lip she'd hate to think how Kara would react if this alien gimmick didn't work...but her optimism was infectious. Even if Batgirl never walked again it was worth it to have Kara back...it was like the sun was out after a thunderstorm.

"Line it up with a little x-ray vision...gee whiz the Joker sure is a good shot, it is a mess in there!" remarked the Girl of Steel.

"Oh he'd a accomplished nothing if he shot Batgirl, my costume had this titanium polymer mesh covering my chest, stomach, and pelvis...that little .22 bullet would've bruised a rib that's all!"

Batgirl smiled, happy memories.

"Wow titanium polymer mesh, thing sure have changed" Kara snapped the regenerator into place on a long pantographic arm.

"Oh yeah...geez I had the best gadgets back in the day, wristwatch GPS, sleeping gas pellets, built in combo infra-red glare lenses, I used to laugh at James Bond movies..."

"In about three minutes you'll be laughing at 007's arsenal yet again" smiled The Maid of

Steel.

"From your lips to Rao's ears Kara!"

"Rao doesn't have ears silly..." Supergirl threw a switch and a warm tingling wonderful feeling suffused Barbara Gordon's body-especially her long toned legs!

"Ohhh ow! S-something is definitely happening he-re" groaned Babs.

Tears sprang to Batgirl's eyes, she could feel her toes, heck she could wiggle them...oh it was fabulous feeling!!

"K-Kara...oh Kara...sweetie...if if.." groped Batgirl who felt like a happy bomb was going off in her spine.

"Yes Babs?"

"If this doesn't work.... and it feels like it might, but if it doesn't work then it was all still worth it!"

Tears stood in the Girl of Steel's eyes.

Supergirl shut the device off, her x-ray vision indicated Bab's spine was completely regenerated...her friend was still lying on the table laughing and crying all at the same time.

"Um Babs...how do you feel?"

"I don't know and I don't care...but it felt wonderful!"

Supergirl smiled and maneuvered around to the end of the table were Bab's two tiny bare feet were lying.

"When in doubt go for the Babinsky test" she thought.

And with that Kara started vigorously tickling her friend's vulnerable soles.

The effect was electric, the titian haired beauty squealed, giggled, and gracefully spun off the table...landing on her feet in a fighting stance.

"So it's feet you want eh!!" blared Batgirl "I'll show you feet!" and good as her word she threw a perfect savate kick within a tenth of an inch of Supergirl's nose.

Kara was nonplused, smiling blandly she said "Uh Babs you are..."

"STANDING!!! OHGOD OHGOD OH GOD KARA I-CAN-WALK!!!"

Weeping with emotion Batgirl fell into the Maid of Might's arms...but she stood the whole time on her own two feet.

"Babs...you can be Batgirl again...the Rancors' device restored your motor nerves, muscle acuity everything...."

Barbara disengaged herself from the embrace and with the utmost tenderness kissed her old friend on the forehead...she no longer cared how or why Supergirl came back...things were changing and for the better.

"Thank you" sobbed Barbara.

"What are friends for?" smiled Kara.

The Darknight Damsel walked over to her wheelchair she pressed a concealed button and the seat slid back to reveal a familiar gray and blue costume tightly packed in a hidden compartment.

"Never felt right without it" she remarked...it was indeed her old Batgirl costume as fresh as the day she'd first worn it.

Without a second thought, Babs doffed her shirt and shimmied out of her pants pulling on the costume with a Batgirlish enthusiasm...

"God I'd almost given up hope! Kara-zip me up will you"

Batgirl fiddled a bit with her cowl...obligingly Supergirl gave the concealed zipper a good upward tug.

"Still fits me like a glove, that is diet and exercise for you!"

"Aw you knew I was coming," taunted Supergirl.

The Girl of Steel stepped back, the costume did fit like a glove, Catwoman looked pervie in her costume, and The Dominoed Daredoll somehow conspired to look sexy and dangerous at the same time.

Batgirl sighed and ran her fingers through her hair..."mmmmmmm this feels right I AM the job again!"

A thought struck Supergirl, "Wait a minute Babs!" she said.

Quick as a wink, Kara rolled over from her vanity table a large full-length mirror on wheels...Batgirl got one look at herself and gasped in sheer unadulterated delight.

"Oh yes I am ba-ack!" she sang, "Wait till Huntress and Black Canary get a load of ME!"

She vogued in front of the mirror for a few minutes and then struck a power stance and didn't THAT feel good!

"Well I guess I'd better get you back to Gotham, no doubt you've got some serious criminals to catch-Geez I wonder where Superman is? I'll bet he stopped off in Washington to brief the President on the JLA's latest mission!"

Without a second though Batgirl blurted out "Oh I doubt that Supergirl, I mean Lex Luthor is the President now!"

"LEX LUTHOR!!!??? But How!!!?"

Batgirl was taken aback "Um he got in on a three way race...I didn't vote for him..."

A look of steely determination crossed Supergirl's lovely face "I'm taking you back to

Gotham THEN I'm going to Washington to expose this whole lousy farce!!"

"B-but Supergirl he is the President now!"

"And I'm Ringo Starr-Trust me Luthor has got everyone hypnotized or something...you drop out of sight for eighteen years and SEE what happens!"

"Um maybe I should go with you...we haven't teamed up in ages" began Batgirl gently.

"No, Luthor is my problem no doubt he is up to some evil plot even as we speak-c'mon I'll fly back to Gotham!"

"Geez wait'll the Joker sees ME! Oh I've got a surprise in store for him!" exulted the

Gotham Guardian.

"But I'll take a rain-check on that team-up" smiled Kara.

Supergirl wrapped her friend up in her invulnerable cape and flew south to America.