Chapter 1: Unanswered Consequences (1 AM)
This was all so new to her, but as she stood there observing the scene every ounce of the knowledge she held through the glance over of their tattered thoughts brought more confidence to believe in trusting these women. Nia was new to this true, but...turmoil of such violent cast off from a war between the pretentious light and dark was nothing that wasn't normal. How the battles waged over one's inhibitions tainted by those they followed ruthlessly all could come to a stand off of the most lethal kind.
Her warm chocolate rivers flowed along whom Nia studied and she hoped she did the article justice enough for Lena. No...for Kara. She quickly turned her head feeling the approach and brought a finger to her lips to silence him before he could say a word. Instead once he was at arm's length, she reached out and snatched his forearm and that simple move allowed them a form of communication.
"This isn't the time nor place to discuss my destiny Brainiac 5. You need to understand, at the moment my cards do not affect them, they do not scar them. I wear the brands of our foolishness enough."
"My intention wasn't to reveal them to these people. My intentions were more for educative enlightenment to further enhance their capability to acknowledge the greater measurement of calculated 72% compromise." Nia sighed and nodded for his confirmation.
"The comprehension you've evaluated is a valid one but...these people need hope and faith not justification of a percenting affirment." She broke the simple touch as one finally stirred from their much needed slumber and as the raven haired emerald eyed CEO looked up into Nia's eyes there was a pondering of just whom this person was. "Leave us Brainy." Nia requested and he nodded to take leave. She pulled the rolled up newspaper from her back pocket to hand over to her boss whom slowly approached with a slight tilt to the head as she took the object. "I didn't want to interrupt the sleep you so gravely needed Miss Luth…"
"Lena. I don't need a Miss anything. Just Lena is fine Nia." She unrolled the paper and her gaze expanded clenching either side of it as her eyes slid along every single word so properly and precisely strung together and if what she had gone on the air for wasn't the key, Nia's article certainly was. "Nia...this is…" She looked up and directly into warm trembling browns. "This does far more justice then my own statement could. This will make the city and world see Supergirl in such a far more radiant light and...this will prove she had never committed any act of violence or darkness. What you provided is the understanding through my own eyes of Kara. You made her more than just a person...you made her someone we can all look up to and believe in completely."
"Ugh…" Both women stopped their words to look over and see the Director finally wake. Lena walked over and as Alex became aware of another in the room with them the paper had been pushed against her chest. "What…"
"Just read Danvers." Lena stated and with a slight arched brow and a questioning nature she took what was being pushed into her. Alex was about to protest over Lena's lack of patience but that was before a gasp took her and her heart slammed by the force of what she read. One hand she brought up to her face covering her mouth as she continued to read. When she was finished she looked all over for the tiny print to see whom wrote it and when she saw the author Alex flicked her eyes up knocking brown on brown.
"This is….thank you Nia." The reporter smiled nodding. "Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot." Nia already knew what Alex was about to speak about but she blocked out that invading peeking to give the Director the benefit of the doubt without a preview.
"How come you know so much about my sister? Why was Brainy so persistent to talk about you?" Nia waited to answer walking to the head of the bed where Kara was resting under the sun lamp exposure. She brought a hand up to trail fingers along where the mask wasn't sitting on the hero's face. It was a tenderness both women had noticed. Nia's expression tightened and she pondered what she should say so she stuck with the simple.
"J'onn, the old Director, whom is a Martian...he and I share a common trait." Nia didn't look up at them instead keeping her eyes on Kara's fragile somewhat pale face. Her color should be back, she shouldn't feel this weak.
"Telepathy?" Lena asked calculating out the possibilities. Was Nia a Martian?
"I'm not what he is." Nia shared and allowed herself to add to that. "I am an inhabitant of a planet called Naltor. Our kind possess the trait of precognition among other abilities. I'm well aware of mine in that aspect. I have both apth to see what has not been seen, to view through what already has become viewed. Her struggles run ladder with both of your own. Your paths needed not to be paved and were always meant to cross. Those destinies were always meant to weave through one another." Nia stroked Kara's blonde strands gently and she sensed a part of Lena tighten by her touch on Supergirl. "Relax boss, she was always meant to be yours."
"I…" Alex hadn't expected that comment but scooted that to the pile of questions for later.
"Something has been cloaked. Someone wishes no one to see this." Neither woman liked the meaning behind that. "Have all tests been run?"
"As far as we know. Okay look….I get that you can't reveal what hasn't happened for fear of damaging later events, so I'm not gonna ask that of you. But...this is my sister Nia. What can I look for that won't interfere with tomorrow.."
"Run another scan. Turn off the sun lamps. Just as Lena had called it on the parameters of what level to adjust, you need to do that again." Nia explained carefully. There was so much she wanted to tell them but knew she couldn't as much as it pained her to keep things from them. This would have to do for the time being. "Change the tank for her air, but….check it first, with your scanner." She had a bad feeling about that request she gave them, trusting her gut that had never failed her before..
"I'll be right back…" Alex quickly exited the room to go get Susan for the tanks and Amelia for the scanner. With her out Lena quickly fixed her eyes on her employee.
"I can't tell you that." Nia spoke quickly as a slight warning of her not to.
"Remind me not to try to surprise you and CATCO." Lena smirked and Nia smiled at that chuckling. The humor was short lived with the businesswoman back on full focus take no prisoners mode. "I can't lose her Nia. I found her again after I cast her away. I found her again when she needed my light and I needed hers...I need hers and to be hers. She's too damn important to me."
"I know." Both of them saw three women enter the room. Alex walked over and reluctantly went to shut off the sun lamps looking up at Nia. "Do it."
"How long should they be…" What was in others hands had quickly dropped to the ground with all eyes fixed on the blonde. "Oh my god…" Alex wasn't sure what to make of what she was seeing. How did they miss this?
"Her skin...what are those gold flecks all over her skin?" Susan asked as she gathered back her bearings to go change out the tank quickly. "When was her tank last changed?"
"No one had changed it yet..what is…"
"Shit Kara…" Alex bolted from the room to take on a full sprint down the hall and towards the training room with Kara's mom's AI. The speckles of metallic made her more than nervous, they terrified her. She rounded the corner and slid into the room slamming her flat hand on the palm reader then punching in her code. Instantly the form of Kara's mother appeared. "Alura.."
"Yes Alex Danvers? What can I assist you with?"
"What would make a kryptonian's skin sparkle with gold flecks?" Alex's eyes caught the nervousness of the AI's features over her face and even though the program shouldn't warrant such emotion what she saw was clear as day. "What would cause Kara's body to sparkle gold?"
"Gold Kryptonite." Why did that voice not sound so robotic?" The Director watched the AI completely fade the lights shut off as the entire room lit up in yellow sun lamps, something she herself had never installed in there. "Director Alex Danvers?" Alex spun around as lightning looking rods sparked along a dome portal door. Then that door opened on the other side and what her brown eyes saw had her stunned.
"Alex...Kara has been exposed to gold kryptonite.." Alura answered with them both seeing each other through the craft of advanced technology. "I couldn't just sit back the moment I felt the program you used with my appearance and voice alert me of the key words you sought."
"Why does that….why is it that what you tell me of makes me so unbelievably nervous?"
"You have right to be that way just as I do. Alex, it can rob her off ALL her kryptonian abilities that your yellow sun give her...permanently.." Both women weren't aware of another entering the room completely out of breath. "Lena Luthor?"
"ALEX….Alex...she's covered…" Lena tried to stammer out as tears flowed like waterfalls down her face. "Alex...she's got bruises and...cuts...needle marks on her body.."
"Alura?" Alex knew what she had to ask and when the portal crackled again with much more power they both watched a figure step through for the door and lightning to fade. Standing before them in her warrior House of El suit, was none other than Kara's mom.
"Take me to my daughter Alex...we have to hurry…" The three of them rushed out as their bodies shook with a fear that would not relinquish its grip on them. Something told Alex that if Alura had quickly changed from speaking with her over a portal window to right through their own doors, it was of a much bigger necessity than she could have fathomed. What on Earth had that bitch, the traitor Guardian and her evil father done to her baby sister…?