In Darkness Dwell
The life and dark times of Gothena, a villain in the DC Universe
Chapter 6: Homecoming
She awoke in a cage. It was big enough for her to stand, not that she could do that very well. She took stock of her situation. It was made of some kind of thick, clear material and had bars running through it. There was a single chair in the middle of it and she awoke sitting in it. It was hard and uncomfortable. Outside the cage, the room was dark and impossible to determine its size. A single bright light hung above her illuminating the box.
To say she was in pain would be an understatement. She had bandages on her leg, a brace around her chest, a cast on her arm and a splint on her nose. She could also feel the pain and itch of stitches in a number of locations. They didn't even bother to heal her. She was light headed and giggly and couldn't focus enough to use her powers. She must be drugged she thought and laughed out loud at the notion. Not that she probably had an escape route anyway. She figured this was Lex's doing. It was his people at the clearing and Deathstroke wouldn't randomly attack someone. He was on someone's payroll and not many people had pockets that deep.
Time passed slowly. She couldn't be sure how long it was and she drifted in and out of consciousness. After some time, a door opened. She could hear it but not see it. A familiar face walked into the circle of light carrying a folding chair. He unfolded the chair and then sat down. She looked at him. He was wearing a tailored suit, expensive loafers and was a far cry from the man she saw in a cheap bargain bin suit testifying against her. The cuff links on this suit probably cost more than the man on the witness stand would make in a year. Curious.
The man was sworn in and sat down in the witness box. The lawyer asked him some background and qualification questions and some questions about his time on the FBI to reinforce his expert witness status. He recounted the facts of the case, or at least the public facts. They went over a laundry list of crimes, the details of the manhunt and capture. When they were done, the defense attorney declined to question him and he stepped down.
As he returned to his seat, he passed the bench where she was sitting. So this was the man that caught her. Until today she didn't even know his name. It didn't really matter now. He was the Boogieman and he jumped from the closet and got her. This scruffy man was the one who stopped her. If she wasn't in cuffs, she'd jump across the table and tear off his face. Some cheap government thug stopped her fun.
"So Mr. Boogieman, want to tell me why every time I get caught you're there and how the FBI even got involved this time?" she said, slurring many of the words from the drugs still clouding her mind. "Oh this isn't the work of the FBI and I don't report to them anymore. Really though, I never did. I work for someone a little more powerful. You can call me Agent Serendipity. I work for Lexcorp" he said smiling.
"I just wanted to thank you while I had the chance. You gave me a big boost in my career with Lexcorp when I caught you and while I was in the building redecorating my office, I thought I would stop by and say hi. I didn't get to talk to you at site beta, you were a bit busy with Deathstroke and I didn't want to be rude and interject but I did want your opinion. Should I go with a cherry desk or maybe oak? What do you think Alicia?" He was smug and pompous and obviously gloating.
"Oak and cherry...is that innuendo for boy parts and girl parts? The nuns warned us about boys like you. I knew you wanted to take that beach trip with me. You and Alicia could have had a lot of fun together Mr. Handsome Agent Boogiemandipity. You know, we could slip out of here and get you out of that suit and into something more comfortable, like me. But..." She looked at him, eyes glassy and mumbled "there is no Dana only Zuun" and then laughed through the stupor. "It's Zuul. There is no Dana only Zuul. That must be some strong medication" he remarked. She continued. "Alicia is dead. She died in a courtroom a lifetime ago. Her ghost lingered a while but it's been busted. Zap went the laser gun then they set a trap and poof, gone" she giggled making an explosion gesture with her hands.
"Alicia was weak. She was fragile. I am Gothena and I am strong!" she tried to yell and stand up to emphasize her point and collapsed into the front of the cage. He took out his phone. "No, she's not ready. They gave her a massive dose and it hasn't worn off yet. She'll need a medical checkup as well. She fell and is bleeding from her nose. Probably aggravated the break. It could be a ruse though. Proceed with caution. Oh and tell my assitant I think I'll go with ebony. Something to match her hair and remind me of her." He walked back into the darkness and left her alone again.
Circe sat before the ancient woman. The oracle's abilities were well known and when Circe received word the oracle had prophesied about her, she went with haste to meet with her. The journey would have been dangerous for a mortal. The oracle was located on an island off the coast of Greece and was populated by a great number of beasts and hidden dangers. Circe had no reason to fear. The monsters would allow immortals to pass unhindered and only threaten mortals. There were other immortals here, some sworn enemies but this island was sacred and neutral and there would be no violence. No one would risk angering the entire pantheon by violating the neutral ground for a personal grudge.
The crone looked at her with empty eye sockets. Her words were hushed and she spoke in short, labored breaths. She held out her hand. Circe placed a bag of gold coins in it. "That feels a bit light, Circe. My prophesies don't come cheap, unlike you" the old woman said, her voice sounding like ashes on the wind. "I should kill you here and now for insulting me" Circe replied, obviously offended. The old woman laughed. "You know full well I'm untouchable. If you could kill me you would done so a thousand years ago now pay up whore and let's get this over with." Circe, fuming with rage, placed another bag in the woman's hand.
The medical team arrived under guard. Agent Serendipity watched from the shadows. She was awake, mostly. The drugs were wearing off. They stopped the bleeding and tried to help her back into the chair but she refused and pulled herself up fighting through pain. As the drugs wore off, the pain got worse. She refused to show it though. If not for the presence of the bandages, no one would know she was injured from her expression alone. Inside, she wanted to just curl up and cry.
One of the medics pulled out a syringe and started talking. "He wants you lucid. Now, this is going to counteract the drugs that are slowing your mind. Your powers are also going to start working again but you're going to hurt. A lot. You have a number of major injuries and once this antigen counteracts the suppressor drug, you're going to feel them in full. We can try to help with the pain if you want. I would stronly advise you don't try to user your powers. This enclosure is unbreakable and even if it weren't, you might rip stitches loose or aggravate internal injuries. As your attending physician, I'm advising you to not do anything stupid." She shook her head agreeing. He gave her the injection and left, locking the cage behind him.
She sat in chair, gritting her teeth through the anguish. Agent Serendipity came back. "So the monster awakens. Can I safely have them remove the cage now or are you going to hurt yourself by trying to escape or attacking someone?" She looked at him, her eyes watering on the edge of tears. "I won't do anything stupid. You have my word." He looked at her a moment. He was very good at reading people and this was the same woman he saw in the court room. She was beaten and she knew it. She would not fight. "I believe you. One moment." He took out his phone and said "Remove the cage and send someone with a wheelchair." At this, a whirring noise started and a hook decended. It linked to the top of the cage and pulled it up. A moment later, a man with a wheelchair came. "Come on, let's talk in my office" said the agent and helped her into the chair.
"Words on the winds. Whispers. There will be a child. The father. Human. Power. Influence. A god among them. The mother. A goddess. Ancient. Divine. The daughter arrives. Forged in adversity. Knowing no father. Knowing no mother. Left to the wolves. Strife and pain her teachers. A stranger comes. She is reborn. Her mother's embrace. Her father's hand. She is born of the path of gods. She walks the path of mortals. She comes. They all come."
Circe studied the old woman a moment. "So, you're telling me I'm going to have a child with a powerful mortal and then have no contact with my own daughter? Why? Why should I do this?"
"A stranger comes. He desires to be the shaper. The world fears. The dark and light fight together. They fall. The father returns to the rebirth. He brings the Stranger's blessings. Some ancient. Some new. Some yet to be born. He shares the blessings. Emboldened. Fearless. The children reborn of the Stranger fight. Saviours. They push back the old and new. The world shudders when they walk. Old powers. New powers. Powers yet to be. They walk as gods upon the world. They come. The daughter walks with them."
"Well, that was interesting. Somethings is coming and my child, with others, is the key to stopping them. Interesting. What's in it for me?" Circe asked.
The crone continued. "The mother gains life. The father gains life. If there is no daughter there is no life. All die. All cease. The children stop those who come after. The demon awakens and falls. The past and the present become wounded. The children heal it. The rainbow wars on itself and night casts it into shadow. The children bring light to the darkness. The gods beyond the void come. The children push them back. No children. No life. The children hold the keys. The children are the keys. The children must come."
"Very interesting. And tell me crone, who is this father?" "The father is now. The father walks where the mortals touch the clouds. He sits above them as a god on his mountain. The father controls them. The father shapes them. The father drives them. The father owns them. The father is made known." At this, the water in a censer between the two women started to turn to mist and swirled around the room until it formed into a solid pane in front of Circe and formed an image. The image showed a tower with a large letter "L" on it and flowed into a young Lex Luthor sitting at his desk. "You have got to be kidding me" she said.
The old woman shook her head like she was clearing it and said "You know full well I don't kid. I don't decide what the Fates want me to see I just see it and relay it and it comes to pass whether you want it to or not." The crone pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one up, blowing the smoke in Circe's face. "Those things are vile. It's probably why you look like a thousand year old prune" Circe snapped at her. "You're one to talk about vile things. Should I mention what you've put in your body? Ares and half the lesser gods for example?" Circe stormed out.
Circe was screaming at this point. "YOU SENT HIM TO CAPTURE HER WITHOUT INFORMING ME! TELL ME WHY I SHOULDN'T KILL YOU RIGHT NOW? SHE IS MY DAUGHTER AND YOU'RE GOING TO RUIN EVERYTHING WITH YOUR HEAVY HANDEDNESS. THIS MUST PLAY OUT. DO NOT TEMPT FATE." Lex looked calm as he stared back across his desk. "She's my daughter as well and it was time she discovered that fact. We've played this your way for too long."
"She is a young lady who has potential and it needs cultivated and honed and most importantly controlled and directed. I have the resources to give her anything she wants and whatever she needs to achieve that. If this prophecy of yours is correct, then the exobyte infused people are the key to keeping this world in the hands of humans and we need to do everything we can to keep control of as many of them as possible and the Society is the best venue for that. I don't usually give in to such sillyness as prophecy but it has been accurate so far and this crone's reputation is well documented and I'm willing to humor the notion it's true. As I recall, and I can pull the transcript if need be, it referred to 'the father's hand.' Now that can be taken two ways. Either she is my hand and carries out my actions or it's my hand that guides her. Either way, it's time daddy had a talk with his daughter."
She sat in her cell. She wanted to be screaming. She wanted to be trying to tear the bars down. She wanted to be doing anything other than sitting but she couldn't. It didn't matter anymore. She was hurt physically and mentally. They didn't leave marks. They were smarter than that. Between tasers and assaults, the guards had broken her. She was beaten before she was put in her cell and every time she was taken out. They would scream 'cop killer' at her and laugh as they tasered her repeatedly. Her cell mate prayed but dared not interfere. She had no choice but to accept it. She was beat and knew it. There was no escape this time.
He walked up to the cell. "I'm sorry" he said. "For what it's worth, I didn't want this. I was ordered to apprehend you and it's just business. They're going to try to execute you but it looks like you're already dead. The can break your body but don't let them break your spirit." She looked up at him and spoke, each word taking effort to produce. "Why not? You're the reason I'm here. You wanted this." He pulled out a small gun and shot her cellmate with something and she dropped asleep nearly instantly. "Alicia, I can't imagine she'll let you die after everything so far. I can't say anymore but remember that. You're here because someone powerful wanted you alive and I don't think she will let you die now." "Who?" the word almost inauabidle. "It doesn't matter. Just know it's someone important and someone powerful and I suspect you're going to make it through this if you don't give up. She'll come for you. Just survive."
The elevator went up a long way then stopped and they got out on a floor with a large open space overlooking a magnificent fountain on a lower level. The went to an office along a wall and she was wheeled in. It was impressive. He helped her into a plush chair. "Lex isn't ready just yet, he is in an important business meeting. I thought this might be a more relaxing place to wait than that cell. Would you like a drink" he asked her? "Just some water. My head is starting to clear I want to keep it that way."
Agent Serendipity waited patiently for her to pull herself together. "How did you get involved? Why is Lex involved? So many things here make no sense. I understand Circe. I guess Lex is just concerned about keeping his little social club together and maintaining his control. It makes sense, sort of. It's a lot of trouble to go through just for some minor super who's caused him nothing but trouble." Agent Serendipity was looking through some papers. "So I decided to go with ebony. It's more expensive but I think it's worth it. These requesitions are so laborious but my secretary has been dismissed for the day so what am I gonna do right? Gotta justify that budget."
She looked across the room at him. "You're avoiding the subject." "Of course I am do you think I'm stupid?" he quickly replied. "Lex is my boss. He's a dangerous man and his business is his own. I take orders and carry them out. Nothing more nothing less. You're here because he wants you here. You have had a rough time. You're injured and in pain and that Corynthian leather sofa is a lot more comfortable than a holding cell and since you refused pain killers I thought you could use a more relaxing place to wait. I'm sticking my neck out here. He thinks you're still in that cage and when he calls for you and they route him to my office, I'm going to catch hell. Whether you appreciate that or not doesn't mean I'm going to discuss anything that might turn that reprimand into something worse. If you have questions for Lex, you should ask Lex not me."
She leaned back into the sofa and closed her eyes.
Lex was sitting on the edge of the bed yelling into a telephone. "I don't care who you have to bribe or kill. I want that bill passed and I want it passed this week. Don't forget who you're dealing with senator. I've already got my agents working on the opposition. They'll see the light just bring it to a vote." Circe rolled her eyes at him. "Maybe you spend less time on that phone Lex and more time on me." He glared at her. "You convinced me to follow through with this prophecy of yours but don't think for a moment I'm going to let my business suffer for a few cheap thrills."
"Cheap?" She looked offended. "I'm a goddess not some mortal tramp. You should feel honored that you are allowed to father the child of an immortal" she said with her usual ego. "You're here because some old bat told you we would have a child with someone of importance and" Lex stopped as his phone rang again. "It's the president I have to take this" he said as he was walking away and answering the phone. She could hear him threatening someone about a potential veto. For this to be a normal human, he had the will and manner of someone who could shape the universe. It made her warm in all the right places. She walked up behind him and took the phone. "Lex will call you back dear. Wait for his call." She took his hand and walked him back to the bed. She took his phone and called his secretary. "Lex will be in a meeting for a few hours, no interruptions please."
Later, as they lay together, Circe was cuddled up to Lex and whispered to him "With our genes, this child is going to be something special when she's born. Her mother a goddess and her father a stallion who could pass for a god. The world will indeed tremble." He had his arm around her and she continued. "But why stop at a child. We're good together. Think of what we could do if we pooled our resources." He looked at her. "That is an intriguing idea. My technology and power. Your magic. We could control a legion together and bring doom to those who stood against us but that's the future. This is the now. The future will bring what it brings and I don't have the ability to shape time. Yet."
The phone rang and Agent Serendipity looked at it, took a deep breath and answered the phone. "Yes sir. I'll be right there sir." He hung up the phone and looked over at Gothena. She was sleeping. He left her there and went to the elevator. He put his hand on a panel and a small needle poked it. Then a laser scanned his eye. "Agent Serendipity" he spoke towards the laser. A mechanical voice replied. "Identity confirmed. All points match. Access to penthouse granted." The elevator started moving up. The door opened into a foyer. Mercedes was there to meet him. "Lex will see you now" she said and opened the door.
He walked in, stood in a positing indicative of a soldier at rest and remained silent. Lex spoke after a moment. "I ordered her to remain in a cell. You disobeyed that order. Explain yourself." He looked at Lex. "Sir I was the one who first apprehended her. During that apprehension I was unnecessarilly rough with her, despite knowning her lineage and how dangerous her mother was. As a result of that, she suffered a number of broken ribs among other injuries. She was already effectively incapacitated and any further resistance could easily have been dealt with. When I went to check on her readiness for questioning per your orders, I noticed her with similar, though far greater injuries. The cage was hard and created additional pain and discomfort and I felt I owed her for my prior actions."
Lex stared at him. It made the Agent nervours. After a moment Lex spoke. "I understand your need to balance the books and pay what you felt was a debt. That is a noble action and rooted in kindness. I can understand that from a father's perspective. Now, while I ponder this, take her to the medical ward and have them take care of her injuries. Tell her I want to meet with her in a few hours and she should take that time to recover and rest. This meeting did not occur. We did not speak. Is that understand?" The Agent nodded an affirmitive and stood there until Lex told him he could leave. As he left, Mercedes met him outside the office. "A suite has been prepared for her. Once she is out of medical, take her there. Help her set up the recognition scanner and give her some time alone."
Agent Serendipity went back to his office and found her awake. "I've come to get you. You have an appointment with the medical team. They're going to fix you up." She eyed him suspiciously. He continued. "Don't worry, if they wanted to do anything to you they had ample time. You were nearly comatose for a long time after you got here and were in and out for another day after that. Deathstroke is very good at what he does. I'm sure you're tired and hungry so lets get the medical part over with so you can rest up." She slowly, laboriously stood up. "Okay but I want you to answer one question. Why is he doing this?" The Agent looked at her and said "I honestly do not know but for some reason, this matters a lot to him. It's not just about Circe. I don't know what that means. I suspect things but they're not for me to say. Now, let's go see your doctor." She sat in the wheelchair and he took her to the elevator.
"No, absolutely not. These people are the worst kind of people. Rather than letting them raise our child we should be burning their facility to the ground and executing every last one of them" Lex remarked after reading the reports. Circe looked troubled. "You know how this has to play out Lex. I went through great personal danger and expense to get you to that seer so you could hear it for yourself. You have no idea the deals I had to make for that to happen so you could hear it with your own ears. Do you think I want this? Do you think I want my daughter to suffer? I'm the one carrying this child. I'm more connected to this life than you will ever be. I do what I have to do because it is already done. The Fates have written this chapter of the story and we cannot alter it. If we try it could be worse."
He slammed his fist on the table. "Damn you damn that seer and damn me for ever agreeing to this. When you first came to me I should have turned you away." He stood up and walked to the window and looked out. His view over Metropolis was amazing. He gazed out. His empire was vast and powerful and any child of his should be standing beside him, gazing out at their birthright and learning to take their place of power at his side, not growing up in backwater cesspool under the care of fanatics.
But Lex was a pragmatist and he also thought about that prophecy. What if. That was his overwhelming thought. What if it is correct and there is a flood of these super humans coming. At least they'll be human and they'll need guidance and direction and who better than him to provide it? The power it could bring him was unprecedented. He looked beside him at the empty space. It will be a few years, she'll be older but she'll stand here. Once the child is born, he need have no further dealings with this witch and won't have to deal with her anymore.
He walked back to the table and sat down. "Okay, I'll agree but I have a set of conditions. My people will be monitoring from a distance at all times. She is also going to be the subject of a long running experiment that will test out some gene manipulation my people are developing. It will require periodic treatments but will help maintain her health and resilience. Lexcorp is going to become a silent sponsor of this place and make sure the kids get their shots, especially our little girl. I'll put agents in their midst, operatives in the town and there will be constant monitoring." Circe smiled at him and put her arms around the bulge of the growing baby. Soon she would arrive and while she can't be there directly, between her father's resources and her magic, they would at least ensure she would fulfill her part of the prophecy. She wondered how many other mothers were in her position, probably unknowingly.
"And then you just hold your hand still. It will scan your eye. You'll feel a little prick in your hand and when you do, speak your name. It's four part recognition, palm/fingerprints, retinal, voice and genetic. The prick just grabs some skin cells and runs your DNA. It won't hurt you. I don't know what all your access level gives you. It's a new one and I'm not authorized for the details. The public record indicates all medical and recreational facilities on the upper third of the building but anything else Mercedes or Lex will fill you in." Agent Serendipity said as he finished teaching her how the security panels work.
"This is your waiting room while Lex finishes up a meeting." He opened the door into a luxurious suite. The furniture was extraordinary. The agent looked confused. "They told me this was a waiting room where you could recover until he was ready. This is..." They heard footsteps behind them and turned to see Mercedes walking up. "...exactly what you were told. It's a waiting room. It's just a bit nicer than most."
"I'm glad to see you're healed up" she said, noticing the absence of any kind of wounds or bandages on Gothena. "Our doctors and healers do good work. Nothing but the best for Lex's people, right? This suite will be yours as long as you need it. Crews are restoring your penthouse now but won't be done for a month or so. There was a bit of damage after you left when the agents were searching for you. Feel free to stay here. I picked out the furniture myself. I also took the liberty of getting you some clothing. You'll find them in the closet in the bedroom. We can of course change anything you don't like and go shopping later if it's not in your taste. I would suggest you freshen up, take a good nap and rest for a bit. You've had a tough time. Rest and relax."
Gothena stared at her. "I don't understand. I thought he was angry. I thought he wanted me dead." Mercy laughed. "My dear, he sent Deathstroke. If he wanted you dead you wouldn't even have seen it coming. Now, don't fret. Everything is going to be fine. Take a hot bath. I recommend the bubble bath in the purple bottle. It's from Zamara and is just divine. After you meet with Lex we'll get you to an amazing salon I know and do something about those split ends." Mercedes turned and left.
As Mercedes left and got on the elevator she called Lex. "It's done. She responded exactly as predicted. She is so confused she doesn't know if she's coming or going. This will make your job easier." He replied "Good. Exemplary job Mercedes. You're an asset that can never be replaced unlike certain others." She smiled and continued on.
Three people materialized off the road, near a path up a hill. It was Lex and Circe with a baby. Circe carried the little girl in a bundle. She was fighting back tears as she cast the illusion on herself. The voluptuous redhead now appeared to be a frail woman. She was thin to the point of malnutrition. Her hair was frayed and the disheveled. Her hands went from being soft and manicured to being dry and coarse, the hands of someone who worked hard for a living. Lex looked at her. "You play the part well. You look like a poor, distraught mother. The illusion is convincing." Circe didn't speak. She just proceeded up the hill towards the cabin. Lex said "I'll return for you in 24 hours at the rendezvous point" and teleported back out.
She approached the cabin and knocked. An old voice bid her entry. She walked in and the old woman started to speak but Circe's eyes flashed and the woman was silent. Circe spoke. "You will have no memory of this except that which I give you. You will remember the nights events as I dictate." The old woman nodded in agreement. She gave the woman a story about prophesying a dark future for the baby and a distraught mother running out. She then left and a moment later the old woman shook her head and returned to her jug mumbling to herself. "Born bad. That baby was just born bad."
Circe maintained her guise and ran through the town. She went just outside it to an old church. It was an ancient building and the priest also ran the local orphanage. He was a brutal man. He maintained discipline through fear and punishment. He believed everyone was a sinner and it was his job to beat the sin out. Kids were subjected to some very nasty things at the hands of this zealot. She hesitated, tears dripping, then left the bundle on the steps. She touched the child on the forehead and the baby slept.
She headed back towards the rendezvous point as it started to rain, getting there much earlier than Lex would. The illusion faded as she walked towards a tree and started hitting it. Her blows reflected her Titan heritage and huge chunks of bark and wood flew off as she screamed and continued to assault it until her hands dripped blood and her shoulders ached. She sat down against a tree. Her normally long red hair tangled and unkempt from the rain and wind. The ground was muddy and now covering much of her soft skin as blood trailed from her hands. She pulled her knees up, crossed her arms on them and put her head down and cried. When Lex teleported back in, he saw her sitting there. He saw the mud and tangled hair and bloody hands. He saw the damage to the tree. He helped her up and held her. They left and he took her back to his penthouse. They showered and then he bandaged her knuckles and they climbed into bed. They just lay together, not speaking and he held her most of the night as she cried. The first words spoken were by Lex as dawn broke. "When this is over your Fates are going to pay. If I have to break the universe to undue them they will pay. Time and space will not stop me from exacting my revenge." They fell asleep together.
Mercedes woke her up. "Gothena, he's almost ready. It's time to get up dear." She opened her eyes. "How long did I sleep?" she asked Mercy. "You've been asleep about 15 hours. He decided not to disturb you. Once you get ready, we're going to see him but first he asked me to give you a present." She took the package with some hesitation. Mercy encouraged her to open it so she did. Inside were two scimitars and the ritual athame she kept. "He thought you might like these." Gothena looked confused. Mercy smiled. "Oh, this isn't the actual gift, these are just something you might need for it." Gothena stopped. Mercy laughed. "Oh no, this is a good thing, trust me. You'll like this."
They went to the elevator. Mercy took her down a few floors and to a door. "On the other side is your gift from Lex. You spent a lot of your life hunting down the people who ran the orphanage and were involved in the punishments of the children. There were a few that didn't make your list. Whatever source you had for your information wasn't complete. Fortunately, the diocese keeps very good financial records. They're inside. Have fun." Gothena started to open the door and Mercy stopped her.
"One thing dear. Forget about revenge on your mother and father. There are powers at work that forced their hand and there was no way to alter what happened. Use this chance to start over. Purge any remnants of your past inside this room and leave it behind when you walk out. You say Alicia is gone, then eliminate the last vestiges of her past and live only in the present. If you can't do that, tell me now. I'll take you wherever you want and it's over. Don't return to the Society. Don't contact anyone inside it ever again. You'll be on your own but you'll be free. No one will pursue you. You have the Inner Circle's word on that. Do you want to walk through this door or should we go for a ride?"
Gothena looked at her for a moment then opened the door and stepped inside. There were a number of cells. There were several nuns, vaguely familiar from when she was very young and two men she recognized as the chief of police and the truant officer for the county she lived in as a child. She smiled as she looked around. The doors on all the cells opened. Outside, Mercy could hear a number of screams for a long time then silence.
Her face glowed orange as the light cast by the flames danced on her skin. The orphanage closed a few years ago. Some company bought the land and was demolishing it to build a factory. It wasn't as satisfying to burn an empty building but still it felt good. She knew she would come back one day and now she was here, standing on the same road she ran down so many years ago.
She looked at the scrap of paper. It was complete. It took a break in at the local church to get a list of personnel but now she had it. The priest and nuns all had names and addresses and could find them. It took some searching but she found an old box of records from the orphanage that had been moved to the church when it closed and it had the information she was after.
It was almost dawn. She better move. The police would find the bodies at the church soon. It wouldn't take long to connect the two buildings especially considering the size of this blaze. Old dry buildings burn fast. She got in the stolen car and drove off. As she traveled south, she realized she was only a short way from Deep Town and thought about visiting. She decided against. She was about to bring down some serious heat and needed to keep moving. She had to finish the list. It was hunting season.
Agent Serendipity arrived and she told him "She's inside. Something happened. She went berserk and killed some security guards and she said she will only talk to you." Mercy opened the door and he went in. She closed the door and Gothena, blood splatters on her face looked at him and smiled. He looked around at the dead bodies, or rather the pieces of them and saw no guards. He was confused. "What's going on here? I don't understand" he said. Gothena looked at him like a hungry animal at its prey. "I understand. You're the last. You're the remnant. Your blood will wash the past away." He backed up. "Now now. Don't do anything hasty. This is some kind of mistake." She giggled. "Nope. No mistake. Daddy is giving me a present." He kept backing towards the door. "Oh you suspected didn't you? Nothing else would explain this. Daddy is giving his little girl a present and I'm going to open it up." She laughed and punched him in the chest. Her reflexes were too fast for him to even attempt to dodge. He felt ribs shatter and bones protrude from the skin and lost his breath. "Ah, poor little mortal can't take a punch from me? I wonder if that hurt more or less than when you broke mine?" He tried to crawl to the door. "What did you think was going to happen? Did you think you'd let me rest on a soft couch and I'd be all grateful and open my legs for you and forget how much you've done to me? Did you think Lex would give you another promotion and give you a corner office this time for making sure his daughter was brought home safely?" She hit him again and he coughed blood. "You hunted me like an animal. You attacked me. You testified knowing full well they were seeking the death penalty." She was circling him. Savoring the kill. "I think that punctured a lung. That's no good. I wanted to keep you alive so much longer and now you're going to bleed out or suffocate on me. Normal people are so fragile. I guess I'd better have my fun while you last."
She had killed before but never with this satisfaction. The old woman was crying and begging for her life. She laughed at the old woman. "Do you remember when I used to cry like this? When I begged you not to hit me again? Did you even care? Do you expect me to care now?" The old woman was cowering before her. "Please. Have mercy." Alicia pulled back the hammer and squeezed the trigger. The massive pistol fired. The sound was deafening and the recoil intense. The nun slumped to the floor and begged no more.
She took out her list and looked at it. She drew a single line through a name on it. The list was long but she had time. They didn't. She was on her path now and it only ended when the list was finished. They thought they were strong and the children weak. She would show them strength. Every last one of them would cower before her and suffer as they made other suffer. She was their retribution.
Two of the names on her list were problematic. There were no records regarding her parents. She had no past. Somewhere out there there was a man and woman who were responsible for existence. Part of her wanted to destroy them, to make them pay for her suffering. Deep down though there was another part. One she refused to accept. Deep down was still that scared little girl who just wanted mommy and daddy to make the monsters go away. A tear fell down her cheek as she drove away and turned up the stereo to drown out those thoughts. No one was there to save her from the monsters so she had to become a monster herself to survive.
A few minutes later she walked out. Mercy looked at her. "Seems like you made a bit of a mess. I'll have the cleaning crew take care of it." She looked at Mercy. "I think I'd like a shower before I see daddy. Do you think he'd mind waiting just a little longer?" Mercy smiled. "You figured it out huh?" "I did. I suspected for a while because nothing else really makes sense. Why the Agent? He was loyal. He would not have betrayed Lex and everything he did was under strict orders from Lex." "No, not everything. When he brought you up to his office, that was against Lex's orders. At the time, Lex wasn't sure how you would react after you awoke and the agent did not have the authority to make that call. Either he was punished at your hands or another means but he not only ignored an order, he showed mercy and compassion. I'm the only Mercy in this organization and there is no room for any other. We do not abide weakness in Lexcorp. Lex told me to terminate his employment but was not specific as to the means and letting you have him seemed appropriate." After a hot shower and a change of clothes, she walked up to the entrance to Lex's office.
She opened the door and walked in. She looked at Lex. He was standing in front of the window looking out over Metropolis. "Mercy told me you figured it out. Smart girl. Come stand beside your father. I want to show you something." She walked over and stood beside him, looking out at the city. She couldn't help be amazed. She knew how big the tower was. She knew how powerful Lex was. Standing here, looking out though was different. She'd flown over the city many times. She'd flown to the top of the tower many times. She never saw this though. She suspected it could only be seen from this window.
"Do you know how long it took me to acquire the property necessary for this? Decades. Do you know the money it took? Hundreds of billions. Do you know how many buildings had to be demolished and built and painted and modified? Even I lost count years ago." She looked across the cityscape. As she stood there, from the angle of their view, the building facades, the empty lots, even the streets were shaded and colored just right so that when looking from this window, the symbol of Lexcorp could be seen etched into the city itself. He looked over at her. "You're a Luthor. It's time you learned what that means."