Daniel stared at Kara, whose arms were firmly wrapped around his neck.
"Umm..."
He grabbed her wrists and tried to pull her arms away, but it was like trying to move solid steel. Her Kryptonian strength didn't leave him much of a chance.
"I don't know what's going on inside your head, but you're definitely not in your right mind." He looked at her with a helpless expression. "So... let me go."
Kara simply looked at him without loosening her grip. "I'm perfectly alright. I feel fine."
Daniel immediately shook his head. "No. Someone who suddenly kisses a person she barely knows and then refuses to let him go is definitely not fine."
Kara's expression didn't change. "I know exactly what I'm doing."
"No, you don't."
He glanced at Clark for help. Clark simply folded his arms and watched without moving.
Daniel looked back at Kara. "Listen, you're probably confusing gratitude with something else. You've been through a lot, so your emotions are all over the place. Let's calm down first."
Kara met his gaze without hesitation. "I'm not confused."
The moment the words left her mouth, she leaned forward, intending to kiss Daniel again. Before she could reach him, Clark grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back.
"You cousin, let me go! Don't stop the love life of mine, you single cousin!" Kara protested, struggling against his grip.
Daniel quietly took a step back, rubbing his chin in thought.
"Well... I can say this is definitely a side effect. It seems the brainwashing may have fractured her personality. Although one personality feels completely normal, the other..."
His voice trailed off as Kara suddenly turned toward him with a bright smile that somehow made him even more cautious. "...seems aggressive," he finished. "And way too bold."
Daniel really hadn't expected this plot development. Normally, he was the aggressive one in conversations.
Being on the receiving end instead left him feeling strangely out of his depth.
Before anyone could say another word, the confidence in Kara's eyes suddenly disappeared. She blinked several times, her expression turning blank with confusion.
"Umm... why am I in this position?"
Clark looked down and realized he was still holding her by the shoulder. He immediately let go and took a small step back.
Kara looked between Clark and Daniel, completely bewildered. "What happened?"
Daniel answered without missing a beat. "Nothing."
Clark slowly turned to look at him. "Daniel..."
Daniel met his gaze with a perfectly straight face. "I said nothing happened."
Clark let out a quiet sigh. He had known Daniel long enough to recognize that expression.
Whenever Daniel wore that look, it usually meant he had already decided the truth would only make the situation more awkward.
Kara frowned, sensing something was off. "You two are acting weird." She glanced down at herself before looking back at them. "...Did I do something embarrassing?"
"No," Daniel answered immediately.
Clark opened his mouth, then looked at Kara's confused expression and closed it again. Kara was already struggling to piece together the gaps in her memory.
Telling her that she had just confessed to Daniel, insulted Clark, and tried to kiss Daniel twice would probably make things even more awkward.
Clark rubbed the back of his neck. "...Let's just say you weren't acting like yourself."
Kara's face filled with concern. "So... I really don't remember anything?"
Daniel shook his head.
"It looks like whatever is left from the brainwashing is causing occasional lapses. You seem completely normal now, but when those remnants become active, your personality changes for a short time."
Kara lowered her eyes, visibly troubled. Clark gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll figure it out. You're safe now, and that's what matters."
***
In Gotham, deep beneath an abandoned chemical plant, the Joker stood alone inside a dimly lit laboratory.
Broken equipment lay scattered across the room while rusted surgical tables and shattered glass reflected the flickering lights overhead.
In his hand rested a single glass vial filled with an eerie emerald liquid. The Joker stared at it for a long moment before a slow grin spread across his face.
"Hehehe..."
The quiet chuckle quickly grew into uncontrollable laughter.
"Ahahahaha! Ahahahaha!"
He held the vial up to the light as if admiring a priceless work of art. "Oh, Batsy... now we can finally play again." His eyes gleamed with manic excitement.
"You've beaten me, locked me up, and ruined every punchline I've ever planned..." He gently swirled the liquid inside the vial. "...but you've never seen this."
The Joker's smile widened. "A brand-new joke. A joke so good that the whole city gets to be part of it."
He burst into another fit of laughter before hugging the vial to his chest. "Soon, Gotham won't just have one Joker..."
He tilted his head, his grin stretching impossibly wide.
"It'll have thousands. And when everyone is laughing..." His grin stretched impossibly wide. "...who will you save first, Batsy?"
*****
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