Now or Never Now: Chapter Seven

by: Sam Lincoln

Disclaimer: All the characters contained in this story are the property of DC Comics/Warner Brothers and Marvel. No infringement is intended.

Summary: A mystery woman falls out of the sky and lands in National City, but is she the danger or what came with her?

Spoilers: This story takes place in between season three and four of Supergirl, and simultaneously with Infinity Countdown: Captain Marvel

"This is certainly a lovely section of town," Carol said to Kara as they made their way through National City's Skid Row.

"It was your idea to come down here," Kara replied. She looked around at the homeless living in makeshift shelters. "I should have brought something for these poor people."

"You do seem like the type who would do that," Carol said. "I meant that as a compliment by the way."

"Of course," Kara said. "You don't help people less fortunate than you?"

"I help them by making sure the planet keeps spinning," Carol said. She jammed her hands into the pockets of the leather jacket she was wearing.

"You should volunteer at a homeless shelter when you get back home," Kara said. "It would do you some good."

"I don't know Kara. I'm sure the second I did, Annihilus would crash through the roof or something."

"What's an Annihilus?" Kara asked.

"Big mean alien from the Negative Zone, always trying to conquer the universe. Looks like a giant bug. I know a guy who once stopped him from destroying the galaxy by pulling him inside out."

Kara made a disgusted face. "That's just ew."

"It has no bearing on my story, I just like to repeat it," Carol said. "My point is Annihilus is an asshole and assholes have a way of turning up at the most amazingly inopportune moments for me."

"I'm familiar with the phenomenon," Kara said. "It's a poor excuse for not spending more time with ordinary people. How can you protect them if you don't know how they live?"

Carol pulled up to a stop with her mouth hanging open. "My life before I got super powers," she said after a moment's consideration. "Look Kara, it's different for me. I was in the military, defending my country was my job then and I'm still doing it. Only instead of sitting in a base in Germany I'm on a space station, was on a space station."

"Okay, that makes sense," Kara said after a moment. "But I still think you'd be better served if you didn't literally live over the people you're trying to protect."

"A point you've made abundantly clear. Can we interview some bums now?"

Kara crossed her arms in front of her. "See, this is what I was talking about. Show a little empathy for them for Rao's sake."

Carol held up her hands in defeat. "Okay, that was in bad taste. I apologize."

Kara sniffed. "Apology accepted." She spun on her heels and walked over to a makeshift tent. "Hello, is anyone home?" Kara asked as she knocked on the tent door.

"Who wants to know?" the raspy voice of a woman said from inside the tent.

"Hello ma'am, my name is Kara Danvers. I have a few questions for you. I'm writing a story about the murder of David Fens yesterday and I was curious if you knew him."

There was a rustling sound from inside the tent and a woman dressed mostly in rags emerged from inside. "What was that you said about David being murdered?"

Kara nodded and took a step closer to the woman. "Yes, I'm afraid so, not very far from here in fact."

"Oh that's awful, David, well David didn't deserve that," the woman said.

"I take it you didn't see anything?" kara asked.

"I didn't see anything like David getting murdered if that's what you mean," the woman said. "But there have been strange things going on the past few days."

Carol leaned against a bent metal fence post. "Like what?"

"It all started with that light in the sky, then the odd lights coming from the factory where David squatted, and finally the black vans that were rolling through the area."

Carol and Kara shared a look. "Black vans? Do you remember anything else about them?"

The woman scratched the back of her head. "No, to be honest when I see that sort of thing I do my best to be as hidden as possible. I'm not about to be picked up by some crazy person and used for science experiments."

"I can't argue with your logic there," Carol said. "Maurading evil scientists are a real threat."

Kara turned her head and glared at Carol "That is not helping."

"Where I'm from out of control mad scientists are definitely a thing. If that's not true in National City, great," Carol said to Kara.

"They aren't completely omnipresent," Kara said. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, we never got your name."

The woman looked up and down the alleyway. "My name's Constance."

Kara smiled at Constance. "Okay, I know you did your best not to be seen by these black vans, but was there anything at all that you remember about them?"

Constance shook her head. "No, they were all black with no logos on the sides." She snapped her fingers together. "There was one thing. They all had a little sticker on their rear bumpers, like an id tag or something."

"Were you able to see what they said?" Carol asked.

"Nah, it was too dark to read it, but all the vans had them, that much I know."

"You've been a big help to us Constance," Kara said.

"David, he, well he wasn't exactly a good guy, who out here is? But he didn't deserve to get murdered, that's for sure," Constance said.

"No he did not," Kara said. "Constance, do you want us to help you find a better place to live? I know some people who can help get you back on your feet."

Constance shuffled her feet. "No, I, this is where I belong."

Kara set her hands on her hips. "No one deserves to live in a box. I'm going to send someone for you. This is non-negotiable and I will track you down if you try to run away. You deserve help Constance, let us give it to you."

Constance picked at the seam of her trousers. "I suppose I wouldn't mind a hot meal or two."

Kara clapped her hands together. "That's great, don't go anywhere, someone will be along for you shortly."

Constance looked up and down the alley. "I'm not planning on going out on the town anytime soon."

"Good, well, not good that you don't have anywhere to go, but good that you're letting us help you. Thank you so much for all your help Constance and I promise we'll help you find a place to live with an actual roof."

"That was a good thing you did," Carol said to Kara as they walked away from Constance's squat.

"I did what any compassionate person would do," Kara said.

"Can you really find a home for her?" Carol asked.

"My friend Lena runs an outreach charity. I'm sure she can find a bed for her," Kara said.

"Your friend sounds like a good person," Carol said.

"She tries to be," Kara said. "But that seems to be a point of contention for some people." Kara sighed. "Which is a long story you probably don't care about."

Carol shrugged her shoulders. "I mean you clearly want to talk about it, but listening to gossip about people I don't know isn't exactly my idea of a good time."

Kara bobbed her head up and down. "No right, that's fair. Why don't we go to the NCPD and see if they know anything about these black vans."

Back at the DEO J'onn sat on a chair in the detention center staring at Tk'rlt locked in his cell. The Skrull paced around the cell until he finally stopped and pounded on the transparent cell door. "What are you looking at human?"

J'onn stared back at Tk'rlt. "I'm trying to get the sense of you."

"You'll get yours for holding me prisoner once my comrades find me," Tk'rlt said.

J'onn barked out a laugh. "If it makes you feel better to think that then go ahead, but it won't happen. We're far from the rubes you think we are. Shapeshifting aliens are nothing new, and the DEO can handle you and the rest of your crew." J'onn stood up from his chair. "Honestly though, we don't want to fight you. Tell me where your ship is and we can resolve this peacefully."

"If you want this resolved peacefully then don't stand in our way as we look for the Reality Stone and Captain Marvel. They are none of your concern and as soon as we have them we will leave this planet."

J'onn crossed his arms. "I'm afraid that is not possible. The stone doesn't belong to you and we don't allow people to be murdered. We'll help you get home, but that's all we're willing to offer."

Tk'rlt mimicked J'onn's pose. "And if we refuse your generous offer?"

"Then we'll round you up and ship you back home, only we won't be polite about it."

Before Tk'rlt could reply the building was rocked by a violent tremor. J'onn steadied himself and then glared at Tk'rlt. "Is this your doing?"

"Not at all, I have no idea what that was."

"J'onn, we need you up in the command center now," Alex said over the intercom.

Back in the commander center Alex stood over Brainy's workstation. "Would you mind running that by me again?"

Brainy called up surveillance footage of the city on the main display. "There was a tremendous power surge from the Reality Stone and then the L-Corp building vanished. I do not know how."

"I would guess the Reality Stone is to blame," Alex said. "Was the surge from L-Corp?"

Brainy frowned as he stared at the display. "Unknown at this time. The energy burst was strong enough to overwhelm our sensors."

"Do we know where the L-Corp Building is?" Alex asked Brainy.

"Assuming this was the work of the Reality Stone then it would be safe to assume it is somewhere else, but where that is even I can't say."

"That's, that's horrible," Alex said.

As Alex was trying to figure out how to break the news to Kara there was another tremor and a flash from the location of the L-Corp building. When the glare faded the building had returned.

"Director Danvers," Brainy said.

"I see it Brainy," Alex said. Her cellphone rang and Alex pulled it out of her pocket. "Yes Kara, we were monitoring the whole thing."

"How did you know it was me?" Kara asked.

"Who else would call me after the L-Corp building plays hide and seek with the National City skyline?"

"So what happened?" Kara asked.

"Brainy thinks it was the Reality Stone," Alex said.

"You think Lena has the stone?" Alex, she's tough, but she wouldn't murder a man to get access to something like the stone," Kara said.

Alex winced then pinched the bridge of her nose. "I didn't say that Kara. It could just as easily been done to the L-Corp building, but the energy signature is conclusively the stone."

"Okay, okay I'll take Carol over there. We'll make sure everyone is okay and see if there's any sigh of the Stone while we're there. How does that sound?"

"It sounds like a plan. I can send a team over to meet you there if you want it."

"No, the two of us can handle it. I'll call you when we're done there," Kara said before having up her phone. She looked over at Carol. "We're going to want to suit up for this part."

Carol activated her Captain Marvel costume. "Okay, let's go investigate that building."

Back at the DEO J'onn entered the command center. "What was that?"

Alex turned to face J'onn. "Our problem just turned into a full blown crisis."

In the lab at Tycho Industries where Simon Tycho was keeping the Reality Stone Tycho was glaring at this lead researcher, who was holding him back from a control panel. "What was that for?" Tycho asked. "It was working!"

"Sir, you caused the L-Corp building to vanish from existence!" Jurgens shouted. "I had to shut the experiment down."

Tycho pulled free from Jurgens grip then straightened the lapels of his suit coat. "I don't see the problem with that, and besides, that just means we have proof we can tap into the stone's power. I'm confident you can refine the process."

"Sir," Jurgens started to say.

"Let me make one thing very clear. We are doing this. I don't care about your reservations, we will crack the secrets of that stone. Science demands it. Our bottom line demands it. So you have a choice Jurgens. Either you can be a part in the most monumental breakthrough in energy since we cracked the atom, or you can leave and I'll find someone else who has the proper vision to do what needs to be done. So what will it be?"

Jurgens hung his head. "We will start reviewing the data from the stone's activation immediately to see what we can learn from it."

Tycho patted Jurgens on the cheek. "Good man, I knew you'd see things my way. I want results on my desk in an hour." Tycho started to walk to the door and turned around to face Jurgens. "And see if there's anyway to miniaturize the containment vessel into something a little more portable okay? Great." Tycho exited the lab leaving Jurgens standing in the middle of the room glaring at the door.

Jurgens looked around at the other researchers. "You heard the man, we have an hour, stop looking at me and get to work."

-To Be Continued-