National City, 23:00
Norton lay flat on a roof, the rain pounding his gear. It was cold and wet, but he focused only on his target. He took careful aim with his high caliber sniper rifle, before speaking. „Command, this is Longbow. I have a clear shot on the target. Repeat, clear shot. No civilians and no friendlies in the way." His radio stayed silent, but only for a second. "Longbow, this is Command. Take the shot." The soldier ever so slightly adjusted his weapon, exhaled, and fired.
Kara was in trouble. She knew it, the moment the fight had started. Reign was more than her equal in strength and all the training she had received from Alex and Mon-El didn't help her much. They exchanged punches, heat vision blasts and kicks that would have vaporized lesser beings, yet their kryptonian physiology could withstand the punishment they were inflicting upon each other. Until that last move, when Reign managed to grab Karas' cape and slammed her body into the ground with an overhead throw using both arms. Pavement cracked and concrete turned to rubble from the sheer force with which her body hit the street. Supergirl was used to taking heavy physical punishment, but this stressed her limits to an extend she had never experienced before. As she caught her breath she could see Reign hovering just a few meters above the ground, her eyes a mixture of disgust and triumph. Suddenly, something changed. Triumph became pain, became disbelief as her opponent fell to the ground. Kara scrambled to her feet and ran over as her super hearing picked up the faint sound of a gunshot far away. Reign lay flat on her back, bleeding from a nasty looking wound in her chest. She tried to help her, stabilize or at least check her vitals but as Kara approached the kryptonians' body she could feel a pain. A very familiar pain, a feeling that she remembered from quite a few occasions. A feeling she wanted to forget and never experience again. She took one final look at Reigns' body to realize that, yes, her fears were justified. The green glow of Kryptonite was impossible to miss.
"Command, this is Longbow. Target down." "Affirmative Longbow, proceed to evac zone Bravo. Our satellite has confirmed the kill, great shot." "Roger Command, Longbow out." Norton put his rifle back into the bag that he used to carry it and made his way down. Just as he stepped onto the street, something swooped down from the sky and knocked him out.
A few hours later, J'onn, Alex, Kara and Winn stood around the main map table inside the DEO building and were confused.
"So, what do we have?" started J'onn. Alex was the first to reply.
"I checked the rifle. It looks like a modified version of the M-82. Barrel, chamber and magazine had some thin lead shielding added to it, probably to protect against radioactive ammunition. So yes" she said, before Kara could interrupt her, "this weapon was purpose-built to fire Kryptonite rounds. I also autopsied Reign, she is dead beyond any doubt. The bullet fractued upon entering her body dealing severe damage to all vital organs. Whoever made this, they were not messing around. They want to kill Kryptonians and with this, they can. But the bad news don't stop there. Kara, I don't know how else to put it, but Reign is Sam. Rubys' Mother is – was – a Kryptonian. And last night, when she attacked the city, she died." Kara was speechless. She was devastated. Before she could say anything, J'onn nodded to Alex in approval, then turned to Winn.
"Anything on the shooter?"
"Well, he hasn't said anything since he woke up." Winn replied. "But with his picture and our facial recognition software, I was able to find his records." He typed something into his tablet and a file opened on the main screen. "Master Sergeant Norton Davis, US Navy SEALS. 3 tours across various countries. 150 confirmed kills, completed SEAL- and sniper training with distinction. Current status: On mission, details are classified."
"On mission?" J'onn could almost not believe his ears. "Then why is he here?"
Winn shrugged. "I don't know, maybe you should ask him. But he didn't seem very talkative to me."
"Excuse me, this guy just KILLED a KRYPTONIAN! HE KILLED MY FRIEND!" Kara suddenly blurted out. "We have to FIND the people who helped him and we have to TAKE THEM DOWN!"
"Kara, relax. We are doing what we can, but something is very strange here. Why is an American elite soldier hanging out in this city? Alex, what else did this Mr Davis have on him?"
Alex raffled through some papers, before she replied. "A radio, but the frequency is dead. A pistol, but with regular ammunition. Clothes to withstand cold and rain. If you are looking for something specific..."
J'onn took the papers that were offered to him, but noticed nothing unusual. Then, he made a decision. "I'm going to talk to our guest again, keep me posted." He made his way into the containment area, until he stood in front of the cell that held Master Sergeant Davis. The only being with a confirmed kryptonian kill. J'onn asked him a few questions, but got no answer. Then he made a decision. He drew on his mental strength and focused his power, intending to read the mans' mind and learn what he knew. But just like that, J'onn hit a wall. A perfect shield surrounded this soldiers' mind with no obvious cracks for him to exploit. He probed, he prodded and searched for a weakness, but found nothing. After a minute that felt like an eternity, he sighed in frustration and returned to his friends.
"Our mysterious guest just got a whole lot stranger." J'onn said. "I can't read his mind. Something shields him from me. I have never seen such a strong mental defense, not even in other martians." Everyone looked at him, baffled.
Alex was the first to break the silence. "So, where do we go from here?"
"The old fashioned way." J'onn answered. "Start with his rifle and I want to talk to his commanding officer."
"Then you probably want to talk to me, director J'onzz." A sudden voice from behind made Kara, Alex, Winn and J'onn churn. A few meters away from them stood a man in his late fifties, with a small briefcase in his hand. He was athletic, fit for his age, with a body that spoke of years in the army. His face was harsh but had a friendly vibe to it. His hair and mustache were short and grey, he wore an olive army uniform with a dutch flag under the UN symbol, four general stars and some other emblem nobody seemed to recognize. A black cross on what looked like a blue shield. J'onn was the first to regain his composure.
"I'm sorry, who exactly are you? And how did you get in here?"
"I am General Peter Van Doorn, and I got in here by showing my credentials to the guards at the entrance. Now, I believe you wanted to talk to Master Sergeant Davis' commanding officer? Ask away, I'm right here." J'onn was even more confused now and as he looked around, he realized that the others were too. Kara was the next to speak.
"I only want to know one thing, did you help this man kill the other Kryptonian last night?" Her voice was calm, but J'onn knew that Kara was anything but. To the general, she must have seemed perfectly normal.
"Yes. I saw you losing the fight, so I gave the order to take the shot. I'm sorry it had to be this way, but this Reign character is not wrecking a city on my watch." The last part of Van Doorns answer was drowned out by Kara, who let out a scream of rage and pain, just before punching him. But something was still holding her back, because instead of dieing he was just thrown a few meters away. Shaken, but not severely injured Van Doorn got back to his feet. Together with Alex, J'onn managed to calm Kara back down. "General, we should talk in my office." As Alex comforted her half-sister, J'onn and Van Doorn entered the directors' office.
Inside, J'onn tried to read the generals' mind only to encounter the exact same defense Davis had put up earlier. For a brief moment, he considered asking about it but decided against it, until he got a better idea who he was talking to. Van Doorn was the first to speak again.
"Now, let's cut to the chase, shall we? You are holding one of my men in illegal arrest, I demand him and all his equipment to be returned at once."
"Who are you? Or rather, who do you work for?"
"In case you weren't listening, I am General Peter Van Doorn. I work for the United Nations. I am part of an international task force created after the daxamite invasion. Our objective is to defend the planet against any potential future invasions."
"Isn't that what the D.E.O does?"
"Not on a world-wide scale, and not with international approval. Your organization may be dealing with events here in the US, but we handle anything outside." "Why are you operating in the US then? Why did you not let us handle Reign?"
"Because a rogue Kryptonian is an international problem. Also because you weren't handling it. You saw it and so did I, if it wasn't for Master Sergeant Davis' intervention, Supergirl would now be dead." J'onn found it hard to argue with Van Doorns' logic. He hated to admit it, but he man had a point.
"You may be right, but I can't just let you two walk out of here. I'll need some kind of confirmation that you are who you say you are." Van Doorn nodded, then took out his phone.
"Central? A secure connection to the White House please. Madam President? […] Yes, this is General Van Doorn. Director J'onzz of the DEO would like to speak to you. […] No, you should call him on the phone in his office. Yes, I'll wait." The general had just ended his call, when the secure phone on J'onns' desk began ringing. With only slight hesitation, J'onn answered. He listened, closely, as the president of the United States confirmed everything Van Doorn had just told him. Then she ordered him to comply with Van Doorns request.
As he put the phone down, J'onn looked at the other man again. "Do you realize the consequences of this?" "'You mean, Supergirl and her cousin won't be happy about us developing, producing and deploying kryptonite ammo? Yes, as a matter of fact I do." The general took a deep breath, before he continued. When he spoke again, his voice had a steely sound of resolve to it. "They'll have to get over it. Besides, we mean nobody harm who just wishes to live a peaceful life on this planet. However, if they decided one day to walk into the UN and declare themselves the new gods of this world, we might have a thing or two to say about that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch." With that, General Van Doorn left the DEO after meeting up with Master Sergeant Davis in the lobby.
New York, a few days later.
Clark and Kara got off the subway and spent the remaining time walking to the United Nations building. After Reigns' attack, the two of them had done a little research and found that General Van Doorns office was located here. They were both surprised when their requests for an interview on behalf of Catco and the Daily Planet were granted. They passed the reception desk, received visitors badges and were escorted by a guard to Van Doorns office. The general already awaited them.
"Mr Kent, Miss Danvers, welcome to New York. Have a seat." Van Doorns office was plain, functional in nature. It was no bigger than it needed to be with a few shelves of books. "The Art of War" and other military works, among some basic level science books and an encyclopedia. The General pointed Clark and Kara to a group of seats grouped around a small table, offset by a few meters from his desk, which had no papers on it. Clark concluded that he must have tidied up as they were making their way through the building. He tried to peer into his file cabinet with x-ray vision, but discovered that it was lead shielded. The office also had no window, by accident or intention Clark could not say.
"Thank you for your time." Clark replied as he sat down. "I must say, I am surprised you would talk to us in the first place. More often than not, all we get from military guys is "no comment"".
"Yes." Kara agreed. "Why are you doing this?"
"Well, mostly because you two have the best reputation in your respective outlet. Second, after the Reign incident nobody had made any kind of public on-record statement yet. So that Job will be mine. Shall we get started?"
Clark and Kara were now in professional journalist mode. Kara asked the next question.
"Would you please introduce yourself?"
"Certainly. I am general Peter Van Doorn, commanding officer of an elite international task force. Our two main objectives are repelling extraterrestrial attacks and acquiring, understanding as well as utilizing advanced alien technologies for that exact purpose. We have recruited the best of the best from around the world; scientists, engineers and soldiers."
Kara kept asking, as Clark took notes.
"When did you start?"
"After the daxamite invasion. The UN realized, we are woefully unprepared to repel any serious global invasion launched from space. Our goal is to change that. We have been hard at work reverse engineering their technology. Infantry, spacecraft and surface-to-space weaponry are our main concerns right now."
Clark spoke up next. "Where did you get the Kryptonite?" The general smiled his reply.
"We made it. As you are aware, the world's leading expert on kryptonite is still Lex Luthor. After he got arrested, a lot of his data on anything related to Krypton ended up in my hands. He had some extremely advanced theories that all proved to be true and would have – if published – fast forwarded human technological capabilities by a few decades, if not a century."
"Why did you not publish his data?" Clark asked.
"We are still working on verifying it. We will publish it, as soon as it is all verified and we have developed some basic technologies off of it."
"Superman will probably ask you to give him the Kryptonite as well as your research data. What are you going to do, when he does?"
Kara wanted to add a sentence, but Van Doorn was faster to reply.
"I will tell him "no". We don't understand a fraction of its' properties, besides the effect on kryptonians. As a material, its' mere existence will force us to rewrite a big part of our physics textbooks. A lot of technology that is considered too advanced for humanity at this point may be gated behind us understanding kryptonite and the physics that govern its' properties."
An awkward silence governed the room when Van Doorn stopped speaking.
"Have you ever met Superman? Or Supergirl?" Kara asked this following an instinct, more than reason.
"I have not." The general answered. "And I'm also not looking forward to the experience, most of those who ever meet one of them end in prison, hospital or worse."
Kara and Clark exchanged concerned looks, but if he noticed Van Doorn did not say anything.
"Since I answered all your questions, would you be so kind and answer one of mine?" Neither Kara, nor Clark said anything which he took as yes. "How did you find me? Nobody outside the DEO, my own unit and some very high ranking officials knows who I am, or how I was involved with Reigns attack on National city. Yet here you are, showing up just a couple days later asking questions."
Kara had the presence of mind to answer quickly. "Well, Supergirl told me about it and then I called Clark, who is an old friend of mine."
She did not like the look the general gave her. "Interesting. Now, is that all? I still have work to do, so would you be so kind to excuse me I would appreciate it."
Kara and Clark left the UN building, stopping on the subway stop to talk.
She was the first to break the silence. "So, what do you think about this general Van Doorn?"
Clark thought for a second, before he answered. "I'm not sure what to think of him. He seems sincere. One thing is for sure though: He's not going to hesitate, for good or worse. On the bright side, I don't think he is our enemy. Unless he considers us a danger to the planet."
"So what you are telling me is that we are supposed to just... put up with? Some military nutjob who doesn't trust us and has more nutjobs with kryptonite ammo? No way."
"What do you say we should do, take it by force? Are you out of your mind Kara?"
Kara wanted to snap at her cousin, but thought better of it. He was right. Still, she did not want to just move on with her life.
"Maybe we should talk to him again. On our terms."
"I'd be cautious about that. If he thinks we try to intimidate him, we may just end up doing more harm than good. Look, Kara, I understand that you want to do something. But this is politics. Our powers won't help us on this one. I'm not even sure if there is anything we can do about it."
Kara sighed in frustration. Again.
"So what do you think we should do?"
"Depends. How did they kill Reign anyway?"
"With a kryptonite bullet. I told you that already."
"Yes, but how did they hit the shot? Why did she not try to dodge it?"
"They had a sniper on a roof, about 600 meters away from the place where we ended up fighting. In addition, I don't think that she knew what kryptonite is and that it could kill her. So she focused on the only one she considered a threat: Me. This distraction is what they used to land the shot." "I see." Clark looked at his phone, obviously thinking about something. "Well, time for us to start digging. Lets see what we can find about this general Van Doorn and his unit. You talk to Jimmy and I'll get Lois on the case. She has a talent for finding things others want secret."
"Sounds like a good idea." They embraced, then went on their separate ways.
"I see." Clark looked at his phone, obviously thinking about something. "Well, time for us to start digging. Lets see what we can find about this general Van Doorn and his unit. You talk to Jimmy and I'll get Lois on the case. She has a talent for finding things others want secret."
"Sounds like a good idea." They embraced, then went on their separate ways.