Chapter Text
The Boy in the Bubble
Mid-March, 2023
Kayla entered her mom's cottage on Mutant Earth, having helped her alternative sister and brother-in-law on the farm; it had been busy work but she enjoyed helping out every so often as it took her mind off things - and it was always nice to work with a Kara, not to mention being called 'Aunt Kayla' every so often by their kids.
She paused to see Mon looking over some map and what looked like some blueprints in the kitchen with her mom.
"What's going on?" Kayla asked, Mon looking over.
"It's the Land Registry deeds," Alura explained for her daughter, "for this land."
"Oh?" Kayla raised her eyebrows to move over, seeing on the paperwork this land bordering on Kent Farm. It was a smaller footprint than Kent Farm, but a big enough space.
"Well Kara and Barry bought this land from the previous farmers for your mom – they needed the money and were getting older – so the land is your mom's to do with what she wants," Mon explained; Kayla had known Kara and Barry had bought this and had been surprised this Earth's Kara and Barry had the money to buy it learning the museum and rights over their superhero counterpart kept them comfortable along with the farm's earnings.
"Are you planning on turning this into a farm yourself, mom?" Kayla asked. "Or maybe a hotel or...?"
"A home," Alura interrupted her daughter.
"A home? You have this cottage..." Kayla frowned now. Her mother loved this little cottage and there was no need for her to get anything bigger.
"Not for me – for you, Mon, and any offspring you may have," Alura stated, matter-of-factly; Mon not quite meeting Kayla's eye at this.
"Offspring? You mean kids? Mom, I'm not even pregnant. I don't actually know if I–" Kayla began.
"Look," Alura interrupted, guiding her daughter to the living area and onto the sofa; Mon stayed back, knowing this was a mother-daughter thing, that he wasn't needed for, "I know you lost everything, Kayla, including your sister. It's hard to move on from that..."
"Move on?" Kayla almost scoffed at that.
"I've lost everything too, including my own bonded twin, remember? I know when to let go. Now that I'm here, with you, with this world's Kara, I'm happy. Content. I know all your multiverse hopping is a way of a distraction but it's also who you are now, who you and Mon are now," she glanced to Mon still in the kitchen area, "but you've been living with me for long enough – you need a home of your own. And what's better than on the same land as your dear old mom? We wouldn't be sharing roofs, but we would be close enough."
"And the… offspring?" Kayla asked, raising an eyebrow at her mom's words.
"You're both young and, dare it say it, fertile. If children come along, well, the more the merrier. But you and Mon need a place of your own regardless," Alura explained.
"But it costs to build a house. I mean, this place was the cottage on the farmland previously. Kara and Barry did it up for you," Kayla pointed out. "And the existing farmhouse..."
"Yeah, it's falling apart now, that place," Mon spoke up. "But you forget we have friends in high places... well alternatives high places."
"The multiverse?" Kayla realized. "But money doesn't work across worlds. It's a weird thing I never understood, given US dollars seem the same..."
"Not money – Karry Universe's builder drones," Mon pointed out. "All we need are the resources and the drones can do the rest. I mean the old farmhouse has some of the resources needed to build a new place, then we can face the rest when we need it."
"We still need to get an architect to build up plans and get the City's approval but it's best to start now," Alura added to this.
"And with the land, maybe we can put a money-making venture on the rest of it, for us and your mom," Mon pointed out.
"Like what?" Kayla raised an eyebrow.
"Well, another farm maybe, or a Super museum," Mon began.
"STAR Labs here is a hero museum," Kayla pointed out of Mutant Earth's museum.
"Well this would be one dedicated to Superman and Supergirl," Mon stated.
"You forget, Kara's not called Supergirl here," Kayla pointed out to Mon who paused, "She's Lady Power – and there is no Superman; Kal is still a teenager, sometimes called Superboy when he does hero work."
"Oh. Well, it was just an idea," Mon frowned. "I mean we could build a hotel or a conference centre instead. Or hey, a theme park!"
"A theme park?" Kayla actually chuckled at that.
"Not Disney, obviously, but something enough for us to earn money and get by," Mon stated. "We've done enough Disney Hitchhiking to have ideas on new theme parks, and yeah the land isn't massive but it can still work…"
"The point is, thinking of your future, Kayla – and giving you a future," Alura interrupted Mon's enthusiasm.
"It seems you two have this all mostly planned," Kayla smirked now at her mother and partner for planning all this.
"For you," Alura stated. "For your future."
"My future..." Kayla muttered, never having really thought beyond the day for so long, it felt weird to contemplate.
"Well, I'll let you think on it," Alura stated, giving Mon a look now as she got up. "I have a late lunch planned with Kara."
"Yeah, she mentioned that, she's making something with chicken; a recipe from New Justice's Kryptonian themed restaurants," Kayla mused as Alura smiled and headed to the door, giving Mon a knowing glance before she headed out.
"So…" Mon now said, cautiously sitting on the sofa with Kayla.
"Hmm?" Kayla didn't look at her boyfriend.
"What do you think...?" Mon asked.
"That you and my mom have been conspiring behind my back?" Kayla looked to Mon, who's eyes were wide at the accusation. She chuckled. "It's an idea, Mon. I would have liked to be included sooner, but it's an idea..."
"Well, we didn't think you'd approve, you know with losing everything and then getting your mom back," Mon stated.
"Yes, I did lose everything," Kayla agreed. "And then I went from world to world, a bit of a nomad. After that life, putting down roots, well, it's kind of scary."
"I can see that," Mon agreed. "But ever since this world became your mom's new home, you've lived here with her – whether you realized it or not, you've been putting down roots ever since."
Not having realized this, Kayla blinked, then threw at cushion at her boyfriend.
"Stop being so smart, it doesn't suit you," Kayla chuckled as Mon raised his hands at that before getting off the couch again. "So, if we call this world our base, what are you going to do. You and this Earth Mon are going to be twins with similar name for the public?"
"Why not?" Mon said with a shrug. "I've barely met this world's version of me and it's not like I do much hero work here," his alternate lived in Central with his wife, Caitlin, and their daughter, Harmony. Mon had barely spent time with them but he had been curious about an alternate of his daughter for a while.
"I guess it works. Now Kara has a twin in me here," Kayla said with a shrug.
"She always did. Have you had any lunch?" Mon now asked.
"Not really, been nibbling while helping at the farm," Kayla stated.
"I'll make us something. I think there's some leftover pasta in the fridge, and I can cook up something quick to go with that," he headed back into the kitchen as Kayla picked up the remote for the TV.
"Ever think of becoming a gourmet chef?" Kayla chuckled as she turned on the TV to find the multiverse streaming software had been on. It had recently been rebranded, much to her and Mon's amusement. "What's this?" She frowned at the still of what was on – it looked like a Broadway show that had been filmed on camera.
"Oh, something from that future world, WellsAllen," Mon stated. "And no, I didn't think my limited pallet of basic food and microwave meals would make a good restaurant."
"WellsAllen... future Prime Earth," Kayla mused, not responding to Mon's joke as she pressed play just as a man in a red and white outfit was wheeled onto stage on a cart, stating he 'wouldn't last long at the school'. "Hey, I know this play!" Kayla realized.
"Slime Tutorial of a Green Girl?" Mon read the title that appeared on the video when she pressed pause to look back at him in the kitchen.
"No, that's what they use to avoid copyright on things like YouTube," Kayla said, turning back to the TV. "It's Wicked. This is Fiyero's entrance..." Kayla paused looking at it. "I'm shocked the system has YouTube. Must have come with the update..."
"Oh," Mon said, moving back into the living area. "Honestly, your mom was watching it, I just came in with the plans and she paused. TV turned off automatically sometime later," he took a seat next to Kayla again as the actor playing Fiyero began to sing 'Dancing Through Life' with a very impressive voice.
"Who plays him?" Kayla asked, Mon giving a little cough at that. "I mean, he looks familiar," she added to Mon's apparent indignation.
"Check the video description. People put things in there – the cast list could be there too," Mon pointed out.
"How do I...? Oh there," Kayla had managed to find the video description, putting 'Dancing Through Life' on pause again as she looked at the list of names. "I don't know any of these people. Ah, Fiyero... Ruben Allen."
"Allen?" Mon paused at this.
"Ruben Allen!" Kayla actually squealed at this. "WellsAllen is future Prime! He's one of the twins. No wonder he looks familiar – he looks like his dad," Kayla grinned as she got the video back up, rewound to the beginning of the song, ready to play it again.
"Huh. You know we met him and his siblings late last year?" Mon pointed out, frowning at the image of Ruben, stopping Kayla from pressing play at these words.
"Yeah, but he was in his hero outfit, one of the Tornado Twins, so we never really got a good look at his face," Kayla pointed out.
"Even with your x-ray vision?" Mon now smirked at his girlfriend.
"I never use my x-ray vision for personal gain like that," Kayla stated. "Kryptonian Code of Conduct."
"Good to know," Mon went to kiss his girlfriend, which she returned. "Well, now we know what he's up to, I've got One Pot Pasta cooking so maybe we can watch this and eat that?" Mon stated.
"When will it be ready?" Kayla asked, pressing play to the start of the scene, eyes glued to her alternative nephew now.
"Five minutes," Mon stated, getting up to head to the kitchen again.
"Enough time," Kayla mused, watching the play with new eyes.
-Hitchhiker's Guide-
Having watched WellsAllen's Wicked play from Ruben's entrance right to the end, Kayla had been obsessed – to know there was such talent in her family was addictive. Of course, she knew her literal alternative on Beautiful Earth was a world-famous actress and singer, but given that world itself was full of talent, she didn't really consider it when thinking of the multiverse and her family talent.
Besides, on their brief visit to WellsAllen, she hadn't asked about everyone's professions, so knowing her alternative nephew had such talent was something that really intrigued her; it must have sparked something in her, too, as she knew what she needed to do that afternoon – and despite Mon's amusement, it wasn't to draw up plans for their future home.
She'd quickly pulled out her cell to dial her hitchhiking buddy.
"You know, we have those world-hopping devices, we could–" Mon began. He was good friends with Cisco but sometimes wondered why he had to join them in their multiverse adventures.
"Yo, Kayla, my main man – well, woman," Cisco answered the phone as Kayla waved Mon into silence. "How can I help?"
"Do you want to go world hopping?" Kayla smirked into the phone.
"Always," Cisco stated, hanging up the phone just as a portal opened in the living area and Mon smirked, resigned to his friend joining them on this adventure, too. "Where're we heading?" Cisco's voice spoke before he appeared, the portal closing behind him
"WellsAllen," Kayla stated as Cisco raised his hands to fist bump Mon, which he returned happily.
"Ooh, we only went there recently. Why the revisit?" Cisco asked, curious.
"Ruben is an actor. He played Fiyero in Wicked on Broadway," Kayla stated, to Cisco's intrigue.
"Interesting, but is it really a good idea to go and explore that avenue?" Cisco frowned, much to Kayla's chagrin. "I only mean that WellsAllen is a future Prime," Cisco explained. "We don't want to know too much of our futures, after all."
"Well, Ruben on Prime is a toddler – not exactly ready for the acting world," Kayla pointed out, arms folded. "Besides, we don't know if any of the kids on Prime will follow the same path as WellsAllen just because their parents' choices were similar."
"True. Alright," Cisco knew not to argue with his friend.
"Any idea if there's any other future worlds?" Mon was the one to ask Cisco this, intrigued by WellsAllen status as 'Futue Prime'.
"Oh, well there was a future Karry," Cisco looked to Mon at this.
"Was?" Mon asked, Kayla raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, it didn't survive Crisis," Cisco looked a little sad at that.
"That surprises me," Kayla voiced. "If any world would survive Crisis, it's a Karry world."
"Other Karry was destroyed by Prime's Zoom," Mon pointed out at that.
"Amelia's original world, true," Kayla frowned at that.
"I think it might be something to do with actual Karry being Paragons," Cisco spoke up at that. "Means their world can't die, but others similar... They are not as strong."
"We did visit Young Karry before Christmas," Mon remembered, pointing out the world that was Karry Universe, but in the past – Kara and Barry there were still in college, after all.
"I had a very succinct talk with the young Alex Danvers there, I remember," Kayla smirked at Mon there, remembering talking Alex around letting go of her emotional attachment to her sister.
"True, and they are behind most worlds… you know it's possible they came about because of Crisis. Kara and Barry might have wished it into existence," Cisco mused, to a look between Mon and Kayla. "Anyway, shall we head off?" He quickly changed topic, knowing the conversation had gone all over the place.
"Always ready," Kayla smiled as Cisco opened another portal for them. She turned to Mon, however. "You are coming, right?" She asked him now at that.
"Try and stop me," Mon smirked as he grabbed Kayla's hand, the pair jumping through the portal together, with Cisco taking in the rear as ever. The portal closed behind them.
-Hitchhiker's Guide-
Stepping onto WellsAllen's elusive hideout, the Secret Sanctuary – the so-called 'Watchtower' of this world, fashioned from a re-purposed shipping container drifting somewhere across the seven seas – they had anticipated a meeting with the older Cisco. Instead, what greeted them in the main lab were Barry and Kara themselves, both having turned to face the glowing portal that Cisco had made to bring them here.
"Well, we weren't expecting a multiverse drop-in quite so soon," Barry, older but still every bit as charming as they remembered, remarked with a wry smile.
"What brings you back here?" Kara chimed in, grinning warmly at her younger twin in Kayla.
"Hang on, where's my counterpart?" Cisco interjected, scanning the room, having expected him to be here.
"Our Cisco does have a life, you know – a proper job and a wife," Barry responded, causing the hitchhikers to stop and process this new revelation.
"A wife…?" Cisco echoed, taken aback. He'd been casually flirting with a Gypsy from another universe for ages, but the notion of actually settling down was something else. Then again, he recalled that this world's Cisco lacked powers, and since WellsAllen had only just discovered the multiverse, perhaps Gypsy was out of the picture here.
"Yes, Cindy," Kara clarified, noting Cisco's reaction with a slight frown.
"Cindy?" Mon queried, glancing between Cisco and the older Barry and Kayla.
"Cindy Ramon, formerly Cindy Reynolds. She doesn't exist on your world… worlds?" Barry asked, a hint of confusion crossing his features; apparently, this Cisco had found his own Gypsy after all.
"No, I mean... With the multiverse and all…" Cisco began tentatively. "I spent well over an hour with him last time, he never mentioned anything about a wife…" Cisco now pouted.
"Perhaps he thought it wasn't any of your business?" Kara pointed out.
"But Cindy…" Cisco began.
"Cindy Reynolds goes by Gypsy on most universes," Kayla supplied, "where she's also got Vibe powers for world-hopping."
"Oh, she can teleport here – inspired our Zap Transport tech, actually – but no multiversal travel, obviously," Barry explained.
"You didn't travel all this way just to ask about Cisco's wife, did you?" Kara said, amused.
"Er, no – we came to see my nephew," Kayla replied, a playful grin tugging at her lips.
"Ruben?" Kara and Barry said in unison, the boy their only son, after all.
"Kayla saw him in Wicked and wants to pick his brain about it," Mon said, placing an arm around Kayla's shoulders.
"Wicked? How can you have seen the films? He hasn't even agreed to those yet," Kara hesitated, misunderstanding what Mon had said.
"Films…?" Kayla blinked.
"We actually caught a bootleg of his Broadway run," Mon admitted, sheepishly.
"Oh… well, you're in the know now," Barry chuckled. "He's been approached for Fiyero in the film adaptations; Skye's in talks with the studio about the contract and all the fine print," Kara added.
"Though, mostly it's just Skye buying him time before he gives a final answer," Barry noted. "He's kind of…resistant at the moment."
"Why's Skye handling that for him?" Cisco wondered, recalling that Skye was Ruben's elder sister.
"She's his agent, naturally," Barry replied.
"She's his agent?" Cisco repeated, clearly surprised.
"It's sort of happened by chance, but she loves the power – calling the shots, managing negotiations; it's a perfect fit," Kara said, clearly amused.
"With Ruben acting and Skye as his agent, don't tell me Eden's composing the soundtrack," Mon joked, referencing Ruben's twin and Skye's younger sibling.
"No, she tried the music industry briefly, but now she's at STAR Labs with Barry – she's got the scientific brain out of all of them," Kara clarified.
"Good for her," Cisco grinned. "But can we circle back to me for a moment?"
"Cisco…" Kayla groaned.
"Sorry, just curious if me and Gypsy – er, Cindy – have children here," Cisco admitted.
"Nope," Kara actually laughed. "Cindy never wanted kids, but Eden and Elle – Ray and Caitlin's youngest – are their goddaughters, and the couple absolutely spoil them."
"Well, that's something at least," Cisco said, still a little pouty.
"Now that's settled, can we get back to talking to Ruben about Wicked?" Kayla pressed on.
"Um, alright. But what's with the fascination?" Kara asked.
"He's brilliant, and now I'm curious about these films. On most worlds, Wicked's already had a legendary film adaptation or two. I'm dying to know why it took so long here… unless this is a remake?" Kayla speculated.
"You'll have to ask Ruben – he's the expert," Kara replied with a chuckle.
"Alright then, Vis, take us to our son, would you?" Barry now called out to the A.I. of the world.
"Opening a Zap Transport Tunnel to Metropolis," the A.I. announced, as the portal door glowed into life beside them.
"Visitor's first," Barry said, gesturing for the trio to step through; Kayla, Cisco and Mon passed into the portal, followed closely by Kara and Barry.
-Hitchhiker's Guide-
The Zap Tunnel technology, both on Prime and WellsAllen, was distinctive in that it functioned more like teleportation than traditional travel from point A to point B. The only exception was aboard the Secret Sanctuary, where the Zap Tunnel brought them straight to the ship's portal doors; hence, despite stepping through, the five of them found themselves on a street outside an apartment block, unmistakably in Metropolis.
"That... was unusual," Cisco remarked; he'd used Zap Tunnels before on other worlds, but never this particular version, even though it existed on Prime as well.
"Erm, shouldn't we have arrived somewhere a bit more... private?" Mon queried, glancing around at the passers-by.
"Why? Zap Transport is somewhat public – it's what made us the big bucks – but changing people's habits is tough," Barry explained, noting that nobody so much as blinked at their sudden arrival – not to mention the cars that still lined the street.
"Besides, we don't want to take away business from things like the trains and taxis," Kara added.
"Which is why it's not free, unfortunately," Barry continued.
"He wanted it to be free for everyone, but, from a business perspective, it just wasn't workable," Kara elaborated on Barry's point. "Anyway, this is Ruben and William's place—"
"William? I thought Oliver's alternate son was just a part-time boyfriend?" Kayla queried as they walked, recalling Ruben's parents' concerns about their only son's love life.
"Well, our boy is also with Jonas Hunter, but since Jonas is a time traveller and Rubes wanted something a bit more stable, he and William moved in together," Barry pointed out. "He's still seeing Jonas, but we haven't run into Rip Hunter's son in a while," he added, his voice unreadable as he acknowledged his son having two boyfriends.
"Jonas is lovely, but William's the steady one," Kayla observed, simply.
"Doesn't William work in Starling?" Mon asked.
"Friends and family of the Justice Society get discounts and free rides on Zap Transport," Barry grinned as they reached the apartment entrance and pressed the bell.
"Ah, right," Mon nodded, just as the door opened and a young man in his late-twenties, with a defined jaw, dark hair and dark eyes, greeted them.
"Whoa, not another multiverse check-in?" William Queen joked, hands raised in mock surrender at the sight of the hitchhikers. He, for once, was dressed casually. "Don't expect to find Mia here."
"They're not here for you, Wills," Barry said, clapping him on the shoulder. "They want a word with our son."
"Oh, sweet," William smiled, stepping aside to let them in. "He's not back yet but..." he broke off as a speed blur zipped past and halted in the spacious lounge beyond the hallway. "...but he's part speedster, so he can be," William sighed as Ruben moved into the corridor.
"You are either a speedster or not a speedster. There is no 'part'," Barry said to William and Kayla blinked; this Barry sounded a lot like New Justice Rae.
"Well, I am half Kryptonian too," Ruben remarked, before adding, "Mom, Dad, Cisco... erm, Aunt Kayla and Mon, right?" He extended a hand to Kayla, who shook it, pleased by her nephew's warm greeting. She'd never properly met him face-to-face before – he'd been in his hero gear last time, and, of course, in Fiyero make-up for Wicked. Now, taking him in, Kayla noted how handsome he was; the perfect blend of his mother and father, though he'd inherited his mum's lighter hair.
"Hey," Kayla grinned at her nephew, thinking that his Prime counterpart, or any of Kara and Barry's sons across the multiverse, would surely inherit their best features.
"Great to finally meet you," Mon said, offering a handshake which Ruben accepted.
"Well, come on in," Ruben welcomed, leading them to the living room; through the wide windows, they could see the World Trade Centre complex nearby.
"Nice place," Cisco whispered in awe.
"Downtown Manhattan," William chimed in. "Lovely bit of Metropolis. Pricey, mind you..."
"We can afford it. Plus, it's a short hop to Broadway for my job," Ruben explained. "Not that it makes much difference when you're as fast as the Flash," he said with a grin to his dad, who took a seat, smiling at his son.
"Even for Wicked?" Kayla asked, as they all took their seats.
"Even for Wicked," Ruben confirmed, though he frowned slightly at the mention.
"Well, that's why these three are here," Kara informed her son. "They want to know more about the longest running show on Broadway..."
"Oh," Ruben paused. "Erm, all right?"
"You know there's a camera rip of one of your Fiyero performances on the multiverse system?" Kayla pointed out.
"Multiverse system?" Ruben repeated.
"It's sort of a streaming service between worlds," William explained. "It's what I use to watch a show I got hooked on back on Prime Earth before moving here. That show isn't even on here," he added for the hitchhikers' benefit, knowing WellsAllen was supposed to be a future Prime so explaining why the world didn't have that show.
"Oh," Ruben struggled for a response; he'd seen his boyfriend use it before but never really questioned it, thinking it was one of the many streaming networks on this world anyway.
"Speaking of the multiverse system, why was it renamed Starflix after Christmas?" Barry asked, prompting a laugh from Cisco.
"It's a long story," Kayla replied with a smirk herself, "but in short, on one of the Paragon worlds, their versions of Kara and Barry bought Netflix and changed the name to Starflix, given 'Star' is sort of their brand. The Paragons thought it would be the ideal platform for our own private streaming service moving forward."
"Paragons?" Ruben voiced, clearly confused, though he didn't get a response as his father interrupted.
"We bought Netflix?" Barry repeated, his eyes suddenly brightening.
"Barry, darling, absolutely not," Kara interjected firmly. "We can't afford anything like that here. It would be as risky as trying to make Zap Transport free."
"My dad might be able to buy it," William pondered.
"Oh, a collaboration!" Barry exclaimed, "Queen Consolidated and–"
"Barry, stop right there! Don't even think about it," Kara cut him off, sharp as ever. Kayla tried not to laugh at the look on this Kara's face; this might be future Prime, but it seemed Kara and Barry had a little Karry Universe in them, too.
"Dad..." Ruben sighed, half amused, half exasperated.
"I'd listen to your wife and abandon the idea now," Cisco smirked to Barry. "Karry's Barry is still not allowed to make big budgetary decisions without Kara."
"Ouch," Barry pouted at this.
"Anyway," Kayla raised her voice a little to steer the conversation back, "why is Wicked only now being turned into a film?" She'd meant to ask Ruben about his stint as Fiyero, but hearing the films were only just happening, she needed answers first.
"Oh," Ruben responded, "the rumors have travelled beyond this world?"
"No, it's just that other worlds adapted Wicked into a film or a whole franchise about twenty years ago," Cisco chimed in.
"It's true, even where I came from they had a two-film adaptation," William added. "Sadly, lost now my world is gone…"
"Whoa! Interesting… Well, it was supposed to be made back in 2020," Ruben explained, "but the studio chose to do a live-action Cats instead, which flopped, made them reconsider, and by the time they'd figured it out, they went bust."
"Wow," Kayla and William said together, William clearly hearing this for the first time.
"No other studios wanted to take it on," Ruben went on, "but then a small production company focused on adapting plays for TV and film started getting noticed, and now they're huge and planning to turn Wicked into a five-film franchise."
"Five films?" Mon questioned. "But there's only one play."
"Which is based on just the first of four Oz books," Kara spoke up, drawing curious looks from the hitchhikers. "What? I quite like the Wizard of Oz series," she shrugged nonchalantly.
"And they're asking you to play Fiyero in the films?" Kayla brought the focus back to her nephew.
"Yeah, I worked with the same studio before, just some minor parts and a role in the TV adaptation of Kinky Boots," Ruben said.
"You were brilliant in that," Kara praised giving her son a proud smile.
"I know, mom," Ruben grinned at her.
"Very sexy, too," William teased, making Ruben blush. Clearly William had watched anything his boyfriend was in.
"But you still haven't agreed to Wicked?" Kayla pressed, not addressing William's remark.
"Well, Skye's keen, and I do love it, but film and theatre are worlds apart," Ruben admitted. "If the films take off, I could end up famous, and that's not exactly the life I'm after right now..."
"There's nothing wrong with that," Barry encouraged his son.
"You might end up as People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive once it's released," William joked.
"Oh, please," Ruben brushed off his boyfriend's comment.
"You've been mulling this over for a month, Rubes," Kara reminded him.
"Skye doesn't want you to turn it down," Barry added. "And you know Skye always gets her way..."
"Tell me about it," Ruben laughed at the mention of his sister.
"You're too happy in your own little bubble," Barry observed.
"I know, I know, but still... I really do love being Fiyero – I've been in the role for two years now since returning to the play – but becoming the definitive on-screen Fiyero..." Ruben pondered aloud.
"Returning to the play?" Kayla asked.
"I landed the part straight after drama school. I was the youngest Fiyero back then, but left after a year to try other roles. Ended up back as Fiyero a few years later, and here we are," Ruben explained.
"I've got a thought," Kayla now mused, drawing everyone's attention. "What if you watched a proper Wicked film? One from a different world…"
"Now that's a fun idea!" William grinned. "And there's loads to pick from: Prime, Amazonian Earth, Random World, Splitsville Earth… surprisingly, not Karry Universe."
"I got to ask, what's a Karry?" Ruben voiced and the hitchhikers, including William, all gave a laugh at that.
"Simply, Kar…" Cisco pointed at Kara "…ry," Cisco pointed at Barry, making the couple blink. "It's a couple name. Or a ship name, depending on your view. Kara and Barry are very big there."
"And here we are calling ourselves Bara all this time," Barry mused, to a playful punch from his wife.
"Back to Wicked and it looks like Beautiful did one," William said, on his tablet device, clearly looking into worlds that has done Wicked now as they talked about Karry.
"Oh, that one!" Kayla interrupted, stopping William as he was clearly looking for more worlds. "That world's quite like yours, with its big-name celebrities."
"For the record, I'm not a celebrity," Ruben said, "but I wouldn't mind seeing how other worlds interpreted the play."
"Only thing is, Beautiful only did one film adaptation," William mentioned. "It's brilliant, but not a series. Although the movie is over four hours long. It's huge. Mia and I watched it before we came here."
"Why is it so long?" Kara asked at this.
"No idea, but most of their films are long; even the Little Mermaid was about three and a half hour long," Cisco was the one to say this. "Their TV shows still go for over 20 episodes too, while most of the multiverse seems to have gone to ten to fifteen episodes…"
"Yeah, their normal Lord of the Rings films are basically the Extended Editions released everywhere else," William pointed out.
"Seems they have a good focus on the media," Barry mused.
"Still, worth a watch," Kayla suggested. "If you've got the time...?"
"We haven't got any plans," Barry answered for himself and his wife.
"Wicked's dark today, so I don't need to be at the Gershwin tonight," Ruben added, his eyes going to the TV clearly interested in the Wicked movie.
"And I'm off work today," William said. Oliver had given him a position at Queen Consolidates, but as the boss's son, he came and went as he fancied.
"Well then..." Cisco piped up. "Is the multiverse system hooked to your TV in here?"
"No, just in the bedroom," William replied.
"Easily sorted," Ruben said to that, picking up the remote and switching on the big TV in the lounge. "Vis, connect to the multiverse streaming service," he spoke into the remote.
"Connecting you to Starflix," Vis responded, her programming now updated with the new name, making Kayla laugh as usual.
Once they were on the right page, all they had to do was choose the world and then find the film or show they were after; Wicked was front and centre on Beautiful's main page, alongside Beautiful: The Carol King Movie, the first Totems of Zambezi film, and Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, the live-action take on the animated series. There was also a Star Trek collection, front and centre, as well as what looked like a Carol King and Kayla Kent concert, which Kayla Lane hadn't seen before.
"Hold on, is that… me?" Kara asked, spotting her own face on several posters on the homepage.
"Technically, it's me," Kayla clarified. "That's Kayla Kent, the Paragon of Humanity. She's a massive star and ridiculously talented. She's married to Caitlin and has a tonne of adopted kids now."
"Hang on, Paragon of Humanity? But you're Kryptonian," Ruben noted. "I should know, I'm half-Kryptonian."
"Well, Humanity's more of an ideology, there; a way of being, than anything to do with her actual genetics," Cisco explained, clearly aware that this world knew little about the Paragon.
"Ah. Well, I always said you had a cracking singing voice, mum," Ruben said as he pressed play on Wicked.
"Can I ask, is that me on the Star Trek links?" Barry said seeing himself dressed in a Star Trek uniform on more than one poster and waiting for his moment to ask.
"Yes, that is you Barry. You and Kayla are a bit of a duo there, now. They star together in a lot, starting with Beautiful: The Carol King Movie. You weren't in Wicked though. Oh, and your married to Kara there."
"Whoa," Kara breathed giving a small smile at Barry as they learned of their alternates.
"Dad's an actor there?" Ruben smirked, but didn't give Kayla a chance to respond as he saw the page for Wicked on Starflix. "Oh, look, you – well, Aunt Kayla – played Glinda in their version! Who was Elphaba and Fiyero?"
"Lea Michele took the role of Elphaba," William supplied, pulling up the Wikipedia entry for Beautiful on his tablet, which had access to the multiverse.
"Oh, from Glee – very cool," Ruben nodded.
"Reunion between Kayla and Lea. Kayla was in Glee, as well," William added.
"I wonder if that was Melissa Bens role here?" Ruben mused, not going into more detail there.
"And my alternative uncle played Fiyero," William added, smirking.
"Alternative uncle...?" Ruben echoed.
"Tommy Queen – well, Merlyn on Beautiful," William explained. "And Winn played Boq."
"Fascinating," Ruben said, giving a quick glance to everyone before starting the film. "Ready?"
"Hold on a sec," Barry said, running off and returning with a ton of popcorn and drinks from Ruben's kitchen. "Now we're ready."
William finally pressed play on the film, everyone knowing this would be a long watch.
As the movie began the familiar tune and words of 'No One Mourns the Wicked' filled the room; everyone's eyes on the screen as random extras sang their joy until someone yelled "Look it's Glinda!" with the pink bubble appearing on the screen.
"Let us be glad…" they heard her voice first before seeing her, but the bubble landed and popped, showing Kayla in full Glinda dress and makeup. "…let us be thankful. Let us rejoicify that goodness can subdue. The wicked workings of you know who…!" Ruben gave a smile at Kayla Lane.
"I am so glad we choose this one," he whispered as Kayla continued to sing.
-Hitchhiker's Guide-
More than four hours had passed by the time the film ended, leaving the seven of them bathed only in the soft glow of the evening light and the distant city lights.
"I'd forgotten just how brilliant their version was," William remarked, recalling that he'd only watched their rendition once before. "Instead of making two movies, making a massive one was absolutely brilliant. Who cares if it's over four hours long!"
"Well, I really liked them re-doing scenes from the Wizard of Oz," Ruben added.
"I know," William said, smiling at his boyfriend. "Most other worlds who did Wicked never show Dorothy's face, afraid she would ruin people's perception of Judy Garland, but it absolutely did not here. And, hey, Nora Darkh was excellent in the role – too bad they couldn't include her singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
"That would have been too much, given Dorothy sings that in Kansas," Cisco said and William nodded agreeing.
"Well, Kayla really nailed the soprano parts," Barry said, glancing at his wife with an approving nod.
"Hey, I might be able to sing but there's no way I'm hitting those notes. That Kayla must have had years of voice training to enhance her signing voice," Kara replied, a smile on her face and Kayla had to agree with the thought – while all Karas could sing, Beautiful's Kayla was a step above. "I do love the Grimmarie opening for Glinda at the end, though," she added thoughtfully.
"I think 'Girl in the Bubble' was a stronger number than 'No Place Like Home'," Kayla, however, mused aloud.
"The make-up for Tin Man and Scarecrow was fantastic," Mon observed.
"They did a great job," Cisco agreed.
"What about you, Ruben? Thoughts?" Kayla asked her nephew, raising an eyebrow.
"It was great. If ours can get anywhere close to that standard... I mean, those two original songs were something else..." Ruben acknowledged, before pausing. "But it doesn't solve my worries."
"You're anxious about the attention this role could bring, aren't you?" Mon queried.
"Yeah. And about not being able to do the sort of shows I actually enjoy," Ruben said with a nod.
"Maybe talking with someone who's been through this before would help?" Mon suggested, glancing over at Kayla.
"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking..." Kayla began, eyeing her partner.
"What are you two planning?" Kara interjected.
"We could pop over to Beautiful and have a word with Kayla over there," Kayla remarked, a grin forming as Mon smirked in return.
"You mean...?" Ruben trailed off, uncertain.
"Exactly! We go and talk directly to her. She's a mega star over there. If there is attention to be got, she knows all about it. So, other than us and Ruben, who's in?" Kayla asked, suddenly leaping to her feet.
"We've never actually travelled between universes before," Barry pointed out.
"There's a first time for everything," Cisco chimed in, opening a portal with a flourish. Ruben's astonished 'whoa' was hard to miss – he'd never witnessed these abilities before.
"Wait, can we really just show up without an invitation?" Kara now asked, hesitating.
"You'd be surprised at how often we turn up on worlds unannounced. No one blinks an eye at it anymore, especially a Paragon like Kayla is," Kayla replied with a mischievous grin at her sister. "Now, come on!" With that, she grabbed Mon's hand and stepped through the portal to another world...