"You are to report for questioning at the downtown Manhattan Police Department."
The message was clear. She could tell from her super hearing they had a case. Falcone's lawyers were pushing hard for her arrest. Many of the boys in blue didn't care. They rooted for Power Girl. She was a hero. What if she offed some two bit thugs that had rap sheets from here to Tennessee?
The whole situation made Karen sick to her stomach. What could be said for those rooting for her? They were good people but would they seriously tolerate this gross violation of protocol.
"It'll be okay. Just explain to them how you lost control. How Falcone's men hypnotized you." Tim said.
"How are the nightmares?" Tim asked. They had gotten takeout delievered to Starr Labs. He had gotten Teriyaki Chicken while she got the Kung Pao. It was a little strange Tim eating with his mask on but he couldn't risk her knowing his identity just yet.
Tim Drake was nobody, but Tim Wayne he was somebody. And the less people that knew the connection the better. He could count on both hands the people that did and half of them were for lack of a better word bat shit crazy.
He'd already dealt with Ra's Al Ghul and Shiva but that still left Talia and the League. Not to say Ra's was gone. They never can be sure with all the Lazarus pit buisness.
"What are you thinking about?" Karen asked. Robin had grown silent in his pondering.
"Zombies."
"For real?"
"In my line of buisness you run into them every now and then."
It was a half truth but still a truth.
"You know it's a little awkward having one of us know the others secret identity."
"You want to see if we can get you mind wiped?"
"I was thinking that maybe you'd be able to tell me who you are. Or atleast give me a hint."
"I think that's a little too personal for the time being. I'm not sure I should be sharing my identity with a wanted fugitive."
"Ha, ha, ha."
"I couldn't resist."
"Quit changing the subject."
"It is personal."
"You know that excuse went out the window the moment we slept together."
"You got me there. "
"So what do you say, Robin? If that is your real name. "
She laughed to herself as she ate a forkfull of chicken. It helped to ease the pain. God what was she doing. Wasting time to avoid her sentencing.
She could see it know. Alcatraz-like bars on Rikers island. If they didn't sentence her to a supervillain facility. She could smell the fear and hear the nasty things already being said. How she would be shall we say "dependent" on others. What they would do to her. Not that they could, she just couldn't tune them out. Not as long as she was in the sights of Falcone's lawyers.
"I'm going tonight." Karen said standing up.
"Is this because I wouldn't tell you my secret identity?"
"No. It's just something I need to do. It's the right thing to do. It's what Power Girl should do."
Power Girl flew down to the police station and was met with an enclave of protesters and camera crews begging for an interview.
Power Girl did you do it?!
Do you have any comment?
We love you Power Girl!
Burn in hell!
The police pushed back the mob till a straightline was made to the front office.
There they put her in handcuffs.
"Is this really necessary?" One cop asked. She cooperated anyway.
They lead her to an interrogation room where she was met by two officers. Both middle aged, both armed to the teeth, and both with handle bar mustaches. There they instructed her to sit down.
"Miss this is Officer Gonzales." The one on the right said pointing at his partner. "And I'm officer Parker. We're lead to believe you have some information for us."
Karen confessed everything. The night leading up to the incident, the incident itself, how'd she lost control, the hypnotizing ray.
"Yes we recovered the device, it seems-"
A knock came at the door. Officer Gonzales looked to Parker for what to do.
"Well answer it."
He opened the door and was met with a badge.
"FBI, we'll take it from here."
The owner of the badge was one Marcy Lopez and she was ready to take control.
"You don't have jurisdiction here." Parker said.
"Seeing as Miss Power Girl is an illegal alien I say we have all the jurisdiction we need. Our team will escort the suspect to our offices where we'll continue the investigation. Thank you."
They escorted Power Girl via armed guard to a van in the parking lot. Something was off though. Power Girl could feel it. She listened in and heard a countdown. Before she could ask what was going on a lobe of green kryptonite was shown to her that weakened her to the strength of a sickly woman. They latched it around her neck and threw Karen in the back of a van. They sped off into the night as the real FBI was left confounded at the station.
"You lost the suspect?" Deputy Chief Robinson asked Parker and Gonzalez.
"We were lead to believe the FBI was intervening."
They were screwed.
"And no one checked the authenticity of their warrants?"
"We did sir. But we've discovered..."
"Discovered what Gonzales?"
"Whoever it was that took her had hacked our computers and phone lines. We were talking to their people the entire time."
"Goddamit! Do you know what the press is going to make of this? You two better get on top of this or it's your asses."
Robin was already on top of it. He had pulled up security footage of the garage and gotten the make, model, and license plate of the vehicle. Everything checked out. Whoever it was behind this had money and lots of it. That narrowed down the suspects to whoever had access to Kryptonite. Tim had noticed it on the footage and that meant someone with access to offshore drilling. Lex Luthor was in jail, but if he wanted he could have something done. But how could Robin check it out? For the moment he would monitor all of Luthor's transmissions as well as any mentions of Krptonite on the black market.
The trail was cold but she was still out there. He was certain of it. At least until God forbid... No, he knew whoever had the means to pull off an operation like this would want her alive. For what Tim didn't know.
But he did prepare himself. It wasn't that long ago he lost Connor and Bruce. But Bruce was alive. He was sure of it. But right now that wasn't important. Finding Karen was.
Next Chapter: An Old Foe returns