Diana felt the grass tickling her back, the fresh air flowing gently into her lungs. Her eyes were fixed on the sky, an infinite turquoise mantle monopolizing her attention. The wind moved the grass around her head, brushing her nose.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" asked Artemis at her side.
Diana shifted her gaze from the sky and turned to her wife. She was laying on the grass beside her, her red hair mingling with the green grass, as green as her eyes looking at the sunless sky.
Diana smiled. "It's perfect." She held out her hand to touch hers. "Later we can take Lena for a walk, or to hunt. What do you think?"
Artemis sighed, still smiling. "You know that will not happen, Princess."
A pang of pain struck her heart for a second. "What does it matter? I'll wake up soon, let me enjoy this while I can."
"You can't." Artemis turned to look at her. "It's unlike you to take refuge in dreams when reality needs you."
"Just a little more."
"No."
"I miss you."
"Lena needs you more than ever." Artemis touched her cheek with her index finger. "Our daughter has been alone for thirty years, you have to find her before those other people do."
"I don't want to break again, Missy." Diana reached out to touch her red hair. "And this time you're not with me to remind me who I am. I don't even know if you're alive." She wanted to touch her face, but she felt that if she moved too much she could wake up. "And I no longer remember how to live without you."
Artemis took her hand, resting her cheek on both joined hands. "I am always with you." A butterfly settled on her temple. "Lena is you and I together, all our virtues and none of our faults. You have to find her. Trust Alexandra and her capacities, help Maggie Sawyer get back to normal. And above all things, don't forget that you're not alone, Princess." Artemis was very close, so much so that Diana could see the two small freckles under her eyebrow.
She smiled wryly. "I'm not a princess anymore."
Artemis winked at her. "You will always be my Princess."
Diana of Nowhere
?:?
Before opening her eyes, Diana felt the itch of a few strands of hair tickling her nose. Her mind deceived her for a few minutes with the illusion that it was Artemis's hair, before reality hit her again. Her wife's hair smelled like rain and oats, not apples and blood.
The gray light gleamed as soon as she opened her eyes, her elbows slightly irritated by having fallen asleep on the sand. But I wasn't tired. Or maybe they just could not feel the weariness of their bodies. That did not mean they did not use up energy. We'd all fallen asleep. She was using Maggie's shoulder as a pillow, with Alex's black jacket covering her. Diana felt a small twinge of warmth and gratitude.
Slowly, she pushed her head away from Maggie's shoulder so as not to wake her, sitting on the sand. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Alex sleeping on the other side, her filthy hair spreading over her girlfriend's chest, her arms around Artemis's sword. I'm amazed at how strong she is. She did not remember ever meeting a mortal so strong in a long time. She could not help but wonder what Alex's fate would be. ('I want to be there when she becomes the Greatest.')
Missy...
Diana looked up from Alex's figure, finding the ghost of the woman (her name is Alura I can't believe she is Kara's mother) watching them in silence, standing still in the sand. She is quite silent. Diana removed the bright sand from her short hair, standing serenely and walking toward the ghost.
Alura's face did not change in the least. "I hope you have rested at last."
"At last?"
"You were having nightmares until your companions went to sleep at your side."
"I hate sleeping alone." I can't sleep without Artemis. "I'll thank them when they wake up." Diana tried unsuccessfully to remove the sand from her sandals. "How much have we advanced?"
The ghost shook her head slightly, raising her arm to point to what Diana thought was the west. "My Lord's castle is still visible. We have not advanced a third of the way yet."
I'm starting to hate the Underworld. Diana nodded slightly, not taking her eyes off the ghost. In life she must have been a very solemn woman, since Alura had hardly looked them in the face or talked to them since leaving the castle. The brunette had seen many ghosts on her previous trips to the Underworld, but none had ever seemed so unfriendly. "How did you end up in our Underworld?"
"I don't know how," answered Alura. "I just remember watching Kara's pod move away into space... And then, a lot of heat." Her gaze fell on the sand, as if she were watching something in the brightness that the Amazon could not see.
Diana pursed her lips. "Do you see that young woman who is sleeping with the sword in her hand?" She pointed to Alex. "Her name is Alexandra. She and your daughter grew up together, loving each other like sisters. Why do you refuse to communicate with her? Maggie and I could help you ask her questions about Kara."
"I have nothing to ask." Alura turned, moving (sliding?) a couple of meters. "In death I do not have the same emotions I had in life. I do not want to talk about the living."
Diana watched her for a few seconds, wondering if death turned souls indifferent, or Alura simply had a reason not to want to talk to Alex.
I can't give up
I can't give up
I can't give up
I'm sleepy
I'm very
sleepy
Four days later...
The Pretty Boy
7:13 AM (Current Local Time in Scotland)
Winn was certain that at some point in his life he had been more desperate, even though he could not remember when. Surely in his life, which included a killer father and multiple foster families, not to mention the enmity of many alien villains, there had been a moment worse than the present, a situation in which he had been more afraid. But Kara had always been there to save him, so Winn refused to panic.
However, it had been almost four days and Kara had not shown up.
Winn watched the room for the thousandth time, cornered next to the wall, where he could see everything around him. The bed where he refused to sleep was undone, the books were scattered all over the floor, his own smell of dirt tortured (I refuse to strip myself I won't do it) his nose. And the room seemed to get smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller and...
I know what you're doing. Winn looked at the corners of the ceiling, the lamp, the walls. He has not forgotten me I know he's playing with me I know Just wait until Alex gets your hands on you Kara will destroy your stupid face M'gann where is M'gann.
"I know what you're trying to do," whispered Winn. "But you're not going to get it. You're not going to drive me crazy. You don't know who I am, you don't know anything about me. I've survived worse things and you can't. drive me. crazy." He turned his hand into a fist. "You can't drive me crazy!"
*Pum* his fist hit the wall, the pain spreading rapidly through his hand. Winn clenched his teeth and refused to release the moisture behind his eyes. Why haven't they found us yet? Where's M'gann?
*Pum*
Winn almost jumped in surprise when he heard a soft knocking on the wall. What...? *Pum* *Pum* the noise was repeated. What is this? The brunet frowned, striking the wall with his other hand again. *Pum Pum* *Pum Pum Pum* The noise was repeated again. Is this some trick?
"Hello?" Winn hit the wall again. "Is anyone there? Hello?"
'I'm here!' *PUM PUM PUM PUM PUM* Winn recoiled in astonishment as the blows were repeated wildly, desperately. 'Get me out of here! Get me out!'
It can't be. He leaned his ear against the wall. How many people has this crazy kidnapped? He could hear the female voice with almost perfect clarity, which meant that the wall had to be much thinner than he believed at first. For a second his heart throbbed in the hope that it was M'gann, before it shrank to realize that the voice was much sharper than his friend's.
"Hey!" Winn shouted, trying to stay calm. "Don't shout like that! Someone could come."
'If I'm screaming it's because I want someone to come!'
"Believe me, no one good would come," said Winn loudly, bringing his mouth closer to the wall. "You have to calm down, okay? These people are dangerous and totally crazy."
'No! I need to get out of here!' shouted the girl. 'I have to find my family!'
"Were you with your family when they kidnapped you?"
'I-I don't know.' The voice on the other side broke. 'I-I know nothing. There are too many blurred things in my head. It was raining, a building was burning, and then I fell and then... then... Confused screams everything is so confusing I don't remember..."
"Easy." Winn wanted to add something to comfort her, unable to find words that were not lies. "Keep calm. Easy."
'I'm sorry,' said the female voice softly. 'I don't usually lose control this way, but I'm...'
"Desperate?"
'Yes.'
"Me too," Winn shivered slightly. "You're the first voice I've heard in four days." And if all this is a product of my imagination?
'Four days?' Winn was not sure, but he thought he heard a gasp. 'I just woke up, the handcuffs are digging into my wrists and it hurts.'
"Are you cuffed?"
'Yes, I can't move my arms or my legs,' said the girl. 'Somehow this shiny thing doesn't let me use my super strength.'
Winn blinked a couple of times. 'You have super strength?'
'...I had,' the voice answered melancholy. 'I'm an alien. I'm Po-... I'm Karen.'
Winn pursed his mouth, trying to imagine what Alex would do in this situation. "I'm Winn," said the technician, resting his forehead on the wall. "I work with aliens, precisely."
'Maybe the one who kidnapped us is some activist against aliens.'
"I don't think so," Winn smiled sadly. "What planet are you from, Karen?"
The voice on the other side took her time to respond '...One that was far away. My family died and I was sent here.' He heard a strange noise, like a buzzing sound. 'I came to Earth almost fifteen years ago, a woman hosted me and raised me with her children. They are my family, I have to get out of here to find them.'
"We'll get out," said Winn confidently. "My friends must be looking for me right now. We'll find a way out of here, Karen, I promise."
Winn waited to hear the girl's response, but the seconds passed and no voice answered.
"Karen?" He knocked the wall again. "Karen, are you there? Karen?"
Silence
"Hello?" Winn hit the wall harder. "Karen? Please answer me, say something. I'm not imagining things. Karen!"
"Wow, you're a mess."
Winn turned abruptly, almost tripping over one of the books on the floor. Jason Teague was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, reading a blue covered book. "Men who talk to themselves aren't attractive, Pretty Boy."
"You."
"Me." Jason tossed the book nonchalantly. "Did you miss me?"
Winn did not answer, remaining absolutely still, waiting for Teague to attack him. The blond rested his chin on his fist, looking at him with that half smile that Winn hated passionately.
"No threats or supplications?" Teague sighed, still smiling. "You're smart as well as cute, you know that won't work."
Winn did not open her mouth, refusing to give his enemy an answer. I still own my silence. He tightened his muscles, wishing he had Kara's super strength to crush the head of his kidnapper.
"Did the cat eat your tongue?" Teague stood up. "Would not you like me to eat it?" He bit his lip, looking at him from top to bottom. "I see, the cold shoulder. The Martian is also quite silent."
"Where is M'gann?" grunted Winn.
"I win!" He laughed cheerfully. "But honestly, who still cares about the Martian?"
"If you did something..."
"Stop." Teague cocked his head slightly, the smile still on his lips. "I don't like being threatened, much less with empty words, because you can't do anything to me."
"My friends will."
"Your friends aren't here, honey!" Jason spread his arms, looking around. "Unless Alex Danvers is under the bed or Kara is in the bathroom... It's just you and me."
Winn felt a violent rush of hatred all over his body, as he had not felt in a long time. I want to kill him. His hands turned into fists. I want to kill him. I want to kill him.
"There they are." Teague sighed with complacency. "There are my man's eyes: full of hatred, murderous desires. Did you know that you have a murderer inside you, Winn?"
"Not at all." I am not my father. "You don't know anything about me."
"It's normal that you want to suppress it." He turned and walked around the room, like a lion confined in a cage. "That's what everyone expects you to do: repress your desires, deny your impulses, be the good guy, the hero's best friend, a secondary character in your own life. But you're not that person, Winn." Teague looked at him, unsmiling, his face turned into a stone statue. "You're not like the others."
"What others?"
He shook his head. "Forget about them, none of them turned out to be anything special. I knew it from the moment I first saw you: you're the special person I've been looking for all my life."
This man is totally crazy. Desperation throbbed painfully in his chest, mixed with melancholy. "That's what your game is about? Locking me up to have me just for you? Don't you realize how sick you are?"
He denied with a shake of his head. "I'd love to have you locked up forever, but the reality is that you will eventually leave your room, but first you have to fall in love with me."
Winn's pupils became tiny, his heart pounding painfully against his ribs.
"But you could start with a bath, don't you think? I promise not to look."
Lena
12:40 PM
Sitting in the darkness of the Batcave, Lena came to the conclusion that she liked the Egyptian gods more than the Greek ones. In her right bracelet, the image of Isis looked like a creature out of a dream, a colorful fairy with wings instead of arms. On the other bracelet, Hera's solemn face shone, her expressionless gold eyes looking at her indifferently. She had never been religious and knew she would never be, but wondered which of them would listen if she decided to start praying. Whoever, as long as one of them helps me out of this mess.
She looked up, watching the gleam of a small white cat's necklace beside the blackboard. Lena re-read the words written on it, the summary of all the problems in her life over the past few months.
Where is Veritas hiding?
How do they relate to the Amazons?
How many members do they have? Who are they? Where are they?
How much magic do they have access to? (medallion)
How are they related to the stolen serum?
Their relationship with the Luthor.
Why do they want to kill LL/LoT?
Just looking at the blackboard, her stomach contracted. Not because the six questions showed how little they knew about their enemies, but for that question of which the answer she knew. (Why do they want to kill LL/LoT?)
('Imagine this is a bad movie. And now tell me, who is the villain?')
I can't think like that. They are the ones who kill thousands of people a year. They are the ones who have my family. I have to...
('Lena... we have to release her.')
Lena clenched her fists until they turned white, feeling the signs of worry growing in her chest. (I need Kara. Hurry up, Kara). To control her anger, she forced herself to stare at Mrs. Wayne's long fingers, dancing quickly on the keyboard. She had a small bandage on her right hand.
"What happened to your hand?" asked Lena.
Selina looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "The Penguin attempted to escape from prison yesterday. With Kate and Bruce investigating all the time, my nights have become much busier." The thin woman smiled briefly. "Wouldn't you rather wait upstairs? There's not much you can do here until Kate and Kara get back from Chicago."
"If I stay upstairs doing nothing, I'll go crazy," said Lena looking at the small white cat lying on the floor in front of her.
"In that case, can you bring the first aid kit?" Selina pointed to a small wooden piece of furniture a little to the left of the computer. "Just in case Kate got hurt."
Lena got up and went to the closet, taking out a first-aid kit that had to weigh at least eighteen lbs. Damn, this is heavy. The brunette left it at a small table by the stretchers, opening it and looking over all the gauzes, tweezers, needles, morphine, (wow, chips), magnets, and other medical objects whose names she did not know. Alex would know if she were here.
"How far along are they?" asked Lena, returning to her place.
Selina shook her head. "The Batplane is ten minutes away."
After ten eternal minutes of being watched by the cats, Lena heard the dull roar of the lightweight Batplane landing on the Batcave. Seconds after the engines went out, Lena saw Kara come in through the cave on her left, walking briskly. Her appearance was the same as that of four hours ago: black wig, green contact lenses, makeup that camouflaged the natural arches of her face and made her look older. Kate stepped behind Kara, taking off her blonde wig and glasses.
Kara did not look at her and continued on, entering another of the caves on her left.
"Kara?" asked Lena, frowning, feeling a pang of worry. "Where are you going? What happened?"
*BAM* A loud rumble came from inside the cave. *BAM* *BAM*
"Don't follow her," said Kate, stopping Lena. "They're just useless pieces of old cars."
Selina looked at her in alarm, rising from her chair. "What happened?"
"I think we already know what Veritas wants the EruditeCorp serum for." Kate sighed wearily. "In its normal function, the serum puts the user's brain through 'simulations'. The brain is monitored and the simulation creates an unreal world around the user."
"Dreams?" asked Selina.
Lena shook her head, with a bad feeling. "Science is using it to treat psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress, helping people deal with their problems in a safe way. Lex used to be fascinated by the project."
"Surely." Kate pursed her lips. "Because the serum can also be used to hurt people." The redhead reached into her coat and took out some files, throwing them on the computer table.
Lena felt her heart race, picking up the folder and opening it to find the familiar organized writing of scientific reports. "No..."
"In the wrong hands and making some modifications, the serum..."
"...it can worsen the damage rather than heal it." Thousands of scenarios appeared in her mind, each one worse than the previous one. They're playing with their heads.
Lena left the file on the table, hurrying toward the tunnel where Kara had previously entered. The roar of violent blows guided her into the darkness, until she reached a cave dimly lit by a blue light. As Kate said, Kara was pouring out her fury and frustration into old batmobile pieces. Lena watched with concern as Kara smashed an old black hood with a single punch. *PUMP*
"Kara..."
*PUMP* The blonde did not hear her, throwing the black hood against the wall of the cave. The scream of the bats on the roof echoed on the walls. Kara jumped on another old Batimobile, shattering it with furious quick fists.
"Kara, stop!" Against her common sense, Lena approached the furious alien. "Kara!"
The Kryptonian roared like a lion, completely raising the old Batimobile and throwing it away. The squeaking noise of the crashing metal mingled with the deafening screams of the bats. Lena paused for a couple of seconds, frightened, and angry at herself for being frightened, and then forced herself to keep walking. "Kara..."
"I have to fly to Scotland," gasped the blonde. "I'll look for them all over the country with my super speed, my super hearing, my vision. Sooner or later I have to find Alex's scent, or the sound of her breathing, or whatever!" Kara grunted, running her hand nervously through her messy blond hair. "Sooner or later I'll find her heartbeat. I just have to look..."
"You can't blindly look for them, Kara," said Lena, trying to touch her.
"Yes I can!" Furious, Kara stepped back. "Yes I can! I can and I will! I will do it now! I am the most powerful creature on Earth and Alex needs me now!" Her eyes were wide. "Alex needs me... Alex..."
"Kara." Lena took her hand. "They'd find you, they'd probably catch you, and we can't find them if they catch us."
Her face cracked, clenching her hands in mortal fury. Lena closed the distance quickly and wrapped the blonde in her arms. Kara trembled as if her heart wanted to leave her chest and her blood was on fire. "They're hurting them..."
"They are the strongest people we know, Kara. We only have one chance to save them." Lena took her face in her hands. "And if they catch us... then everything will be over."
Kara pursed her lips, her eyes less furious, and sadder. "What's happened to the world, Lena? This world is horrible without Alex, it's unbearable without Alex. I'm not myself without my sister. I'm afraid I'll never get her back."
"I won't let you lose hope." Lena kissed her eyelids. "I miss them too, Kara, and I hate those who took my family when I just found them. But we will get them back." Lena caressed her cheek. "I swear, Kara, we'll do whatever it takes to get them back."
"I know." Kara touched the medallion on Lena's chest. "I just hope no one gets hurt by that."
Kara was silent, turning her gaze to a corner of the cave. Two seconds later her muscles relaxed.
"What happened?"
"Nothing, it's just a cat."
Lena kissed her cheek. "Do you think you can go back? Do you need a moment alone?"
Kara sighed, looking at the remains of the black vehicle. "Maybe later."
Kara Zor-El
12:49 PM
Taking Lena's hand in hers, Kara advanced through the dark cave, back to the main room of the Batcave. Halfway through, her super hearing caught the sound of two voices talking. ("Where are Supergirl and Luthor?" "They needed a moment alone, Bruce." "I have something to show them, and it's important.") Imperceptibly, Kara quickened her steps, pulling Lena's hand.
Mr. Wayne had a pair of folders in his hands, talking to his wife and his cousin when Kara and Lena got out the tunnel. When he saw them, the man separated from the women and approached the couple. "I've talked to my son Tim. He seems to have had better luck than Kate and you, Kara."
Bruce handed a folder to Kara, who knew that it was paper recently printed for its warmth. The blonde opened it immediately, feeling Lena's breath on her neck as she bent to see it as well. In the folder, Kara could see a few photographs of Cat, Carter, a small brown-haired woman whom she recognized as Genevieve Trueman, a mysterious man with a mustache dressed as a chauffeur, and a blonde woman with glasses and a ponytail.
"What is this? Your son is watching Cat?" asked Kara.
"He's watching everyone." Bruce pointed to the blonde woman. "That's how he found her."
"Who is she?" asked Lena.
Bruce arched an eyebrow. "I understand you only spent a week with her, but I was hoping you would recognize her. She calls herself Polly Troy and she is Ms Grant's new personal assistant and bodyguard."
Lena's eyes widened slightly, her breath escaping from her lips in a mixture of surprise and relief. "Grandmother."
Bruce exchanged a look with Kara. "How fast can you fly to National City?"
The Truth
5:57 PM (Current Local Time in Scotland)
Tess made sure that the documents on her desk were closed but visible for the last time, in a corner where Powergirl did not have too much trouble seeing them.
I hope you value this second chance I give you.
"I do," replied Tess, ignoring as best she could the burning pain in her chest. "The Gap will die, you do not have to punish us again."
I remember that you like the women who call themselves The Bombshells on Earth-26. It would be a pity that they were erased from existence.
Tess quietly opened the first drawer of her desk, looking for her high blood pressure pills. The woman poured herself a glass of water from the jug beside her and took two. The burning in her chest ceased, being replaced by the usual dull ache. Tess knew that the skin on her chest was scorched, a red circle that would be perfectly visible if it were not hidden by her clothes. When you are surrounded by so many lies, it is important to remember that the Truth is only one. Tess put her hand on her earpiece. "Count to ten and make her come in." Then she removed the earpiece and opened the second drawer of her desk, where she stored it inside a small box of lead.
Five seconds later, an escort of eight people entered with a woman whose head was in a heavy lead helmet. The red cape had disappeared at some point, leaving alone the previously white suit, now rather gray. The handcuffs around her hands glowed green, tightening her wrists. "Take off her helmet."
One of the escorts stepped forward, carefully removing the heavy lead helmet from the woman's head. Tess could not help but feel her heart race as she saw Kara Zor-L's static face before her eyes, as if halfway between a grimace of disbelief and worry. Her pupils were dilated, turning her blue eyes into black holes of unimaginable terrors. Her head swiveled in a thousand directions, finally stopping at Lutessa, who tried to be as calm as possible. "Who are you?" She closed her eyes tightly, almost in frustration. "Where am I? Release me right now. I don't want to hurt anyone."
Unlike Kara Zor-El, Kara Zor-L has no remorse about using her strength whenever she deems it necessary. She's not the idealist Supergirl, remember, Tess. Lutessa did not even blink. "I'm sorry to tell you that you can't do that as long as you have these handcuffs on. They're made of a material called Kryptonite, which weakens you enough to be subdued."
Powergirl looked at her handcuffs with a suspicious expression, a silent rage behind her eyes.
"It had not been discovered in your world," Tess said.
Powergirl looked at her in silence, not letting her face betray her emotions, like a lioness preparing to defend herself. "I don't know how you know so much, but you're right: this green thing didn't exist on Krypton. I want you to take it off me."
Tess rested her arms on her desk. "Please sit."
"Take these things..." Powergirl growled softly. "...off me."
"Make her sit."
Two of the guards pushed the alien down, forcing her to sit on the wooden chair. Lutessa saw her lip quiver in anger for less than a second, staring at her as if she wanted to melt her. She was not sure she could not do it.
"No one here wants to hurt you, Miss Starr, but for that we need you to work with us." Tess returned to pour herself a glass of water, being careful not to look into her eyes, as if she were not important. "We don't know if you're in a psychological condition to control your strength. Those handcuffs are just as much for ensuring your well-being as ours."
"Let's pretend I believe you." Powergirl looked up into her eyes. "No doubt you know a lot about me, while I don't know anything about you or this place, so you can't say you're playing fair."
Tess did not take the bait. "You can call me Ms Mercer. Now that you're sitting, we can start, because we have a long conversation ahead of us." Tess rubbed her hands. "The first thing you must know is that we are Veritas, and it is our sacred duty to watch over the safety of the Multiverse."
"Multiverse?" Powergirl arched an eyebrow. "That's just a theory."
"It's very real and I can prove it quickly," said Tess coldly. "In your world, President Luthor has an invalid and mentally weak sister. Have you ever seen a picture of her?"
"What does the President's sister...?" Her eyes widened, her lips turning white. "Lutessa Luthor. You look like her, but... healthier."
"That's because I'm Lutessa Luthor, Miss Starr," replied Tess. "I am the Lutessa Lena Luthor from here, Earth-38. Your place of origin was called Earth-15."
Tess waited patiently for the information to be absorbed by the blonde's brain, whose gaze was lost on her hands on the table. When she finally looked up, there was only darkness in her eyes. "Why have you brought me here? Give me back to my Earth."
Tess took a deep breath. "We can't."
"You don't know who-"
"Your Earth no longer exists, Kara," said the brown-haired woman, using her real name. "It was destroyed more than two weeks ago. There are no survivors, only you."
The blonde woman's hard mask fell like a house of cards, her mouth opening slightly as if she wanted to let out a sob. Powergirl shook her head softly, her eyes bright with tears. Lutessa had a fleeting memory of Lena's tears, her suffering when she learned that there was nothing she could do to save anyone. Just die. That pain that seemed to be killing her inside. Powergirl's gaze was obscenely familiar.
"It's a lie," the Kryptonian stammered. "It's absurd, you're lying."
"You were there, Kara." She glanced over her shoulder to avoid her gaze. "It wasn't a nightmare, not a hallucination, you were there."
"The screams," Powergirl whispered. "No, those screams are nightmares." Her whole body began to tremble like a leaf, her gaze fixed on the desk. She no longer seemed to perceive the people around her. "Why?" A couple of tears streamed down her stoic face. "Why me again?"
Tess had the uncontrollable desire to explain why, but she did not. She was silent, waiting for Kara Zor-L to have an emotional breakdown, bursting into tears of pain and rage. But of course, she won't. No, according to the file, Karen Starr Grant/Kara Zor-L had never cried in public, only alone or in Ms Grant's arms. She was biologically Kara Danvers, but psychologically she was much more self-demanding, distrustful, difficult to manipulate.
Her fists were tightly closed, and Tess thanked the Kryptonite handcuffs. Karen stared at her. "Who was it?"
Tess made an effort not to look away. "It was God."
"Rao?"
"The God of all gods, Mobius."
Her fingers arched like the claws of a harpy. "And why did he do it?"
Tess felt her chest burn softly, as if someone were resting warm metal on her skin. "He did it to punish us."
Karen's lips tightened as if she tasted something disgusting.
"Our job is to keep the Multiverse safe from Mobius's enemies, Kara. And one of them escaped, killing thousands, and your whole world," said Tess, squeezing her hands to control her trembling. "We are in a war of Gods, do you understand? Your world fell because our enemy escaped."
"So you're saying I lost it all again for some damn collateral damage?" she asked, her face flushed. "Is that all my life was? Collateral damage?"
"Exactly."
The girl's natural reaction was swift. Powergirl tried to pounce on the desk, her eyes open painfully, shouting in a language that Tess supposed was Kryptonian. Two of the guards held her before her hands could touch Tess's throat, forcing her to sit back, still grunting in her native language. Karen tried to free herself from the guards' grip, trying to hit them with her head, but one of them held her jaw to keep her still. Tess gave her a few minutes to let off steam.
"That's what we are to the Gods, Kara; ants to crush when they are in a bad mood. I know it. You know it now, the gods have taken away two worlds from you. But you survived, and you can help us to avoid what happened to Earth-15 happening to the other Earths. You haven't lost everything yet."
"You're wrong. If my world is dead again..." she replied with her voice about to break. "I have nothing to fight for anymore."
"Yes, you have." Tess took a deep breath. "His power is limitless. If we stop his enemies and the balance returns to normal, he could... bring them back."
Powergirl seemed to lose all the air in her lungs, looking at her as if she had gone mad. Tess was not sure she was wrong. "What?"
"Earth-15 is gone forever." Her fists turned white. "But your family... Your friends... He can bring them back for you, Kara, he will do it if you help us and we succeed... Otherwise, we are all doomed."
"What do I have to do?" asked the Kryptonian.
Tess took a deep breath, realizing for the first time that her head hurt. "I'm going to tell you the truth. We have to kill the enemies of Mobius: Lena of Themiscyra and Kara Danvers, your doppelganger."
Powergirl's eyes widened. Tess nodded, looking at her handcuffs.
"I think you need some time to think... Take her back to her cell, please."
The girl who lost everything twice
6:49 PM (Current Local Time in Scotland)
Between the pushes of the people who held her with steel grip, Powergirl made her way back to her room. Unlike the previous time, she was not doing her best to hear something through the lead helmet. Kara Zor-L could only hear a distant buzz, a distant echo in the deepest darkness (an entire planet exploding in the distance, the terrifying darkness of infinity, then thin arms embracing her after nightmares. Adam inviting her to play. Carter's heartbeat when he was born.)
The door to her room (prison) opened. One of the men took off her lead helmet and the other pushed her forward. Karen lost her balance, but did not stumble. Behind her she heard the door closing.
It was only then that she dropped to her knees on the floor, feeling a malaise as violent in her stomach as if her insides had rotted. ('My name is Catherine Grant and you're going to stay with me.' 'C'mon Kar! We're siblings, you can trust me. Carter is not going to break if you hold him.' 'Karen Starr? I'm Alexandra Danvers. Why do you want to work for D-Corp?' 'This is your new assistant, babe? Ohhh, she's soooo cute! Here, consider this a gift. It's my new autobiography, Margaret Danvers: This is me.' 'B-But, Kar I'm old enough to fly! Adam and you were younger than me and that never stopped you!')
And in a second she had lost everything again.
A bitter ball of desperation clogged in her throat, as if she were drowning. I hate the sound of crying, Catherine says that crying is useless. The overwhelming white of the whole room turned gray. The room became bigger, smaller, bigger, smaller. Powergirl had entered a reality where the disaster lived with the confusion. Where she was only certain of one thing.
"They are gone."
And then the room stopped changing and she was screaming and screaming and everything began to shake.
The confused boy
6:53 PM (Current Local Time in Scotland)
Winn came out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist and drying his hair with another one ('The world corrupts us, son'.) The brunet avoided looking at himself in the small mirror of the bathroom, perhaps in fear of what he might discover in his reflection. ('It corrupts us and is the first to condemn us').
"I'm not like him," he said aloud, trying to erase Teague's twisted smile from his mind. "I'm not like him. I'm stronger. I'm good."
The muffled sound of a hysterical cry interrupted his words.
Winn came out of the bathroom, holding his towel firmly. As he thought, Teague was no longer there, only the cluttered books being evidence of his former presence. The agonizing cry was bouncing on the walls, painfully entering his ears and bristling every hair on his skin as if he were a cat. The saliva dried in his throat. Slowly, Winn approached the surface of the wall. "Karen?" He hit the wall slowly. "Karen, what's going on? Karen?"
'They're gone.'
"What are you talking about? What happened?"
'They died.' *PUMP* Winn stepped back, alarmed by the violent blow against the wall. 'They're dead.' *PUMP!* "They are DEAD! I didn't save them! They're GONE!'
*PUMP PUMP PUMP PUMP PUMP PUMP* The blows followed quickly, one after the other against the hardness of the wall. Winn was surprised at the girl's enormous strength and rage. "Karen." She did not respond, grunts of rage were the only answer he got. "Karen, stop!" The grunts were replaced by choking moans, noisy, painful sobs. "I'm here," said Winn. The crying continued sounding like the hum of a radio. "I'm here, Karen, I'm here." He felt like an imbecile, desperately searching for something to say. "I'm sorry."
The sobs sounded lower, as if she were drowning in them. 'I should have died with them.'
"Don't say that," said Winn in a firm but kind voice. "It's not true. Think about your family, would they have wanted you to die with them?"
'No,' murmured Karen. 'But what does it matter? They're not here to tell me that in person. Tell me, boy, what the hell does it matter if I'm alone again?' *PUMP* 'My adoptive siblings, my tutor, they're gone forever, unless...' she sobbed, calmed down a bit. 'Have you ever loved someone so much that you would be willing to do anything for them? Bad things? Even impossible things?'
"...No," answered Winn, sitting on the floor, catching the cold of the wall against his bare skin. "I mean, I have friends and I'd do anything for them. But the truth is that I have never had any luck in love at all."
'You don't have family?'
Winn bit his lip, trying to ignore the painful knot in his throat. "My father is dead," lied Winn. "My mother left me soon after. I have been alone since then, until I met my friends."
'You sound like a good boy,' murmured the girl on the other side of the wall. 'Please keep talking to me. I-I don't want to think.'
Winn rubbed his chin, feeling uncomfortable with his incipient beard. "Every time I think I've found someone, I end up disappointed. I think I've just stopped looking, I'm satisfied with having my friends."
'Tell me about your friends,' said the girl. Winn thought he heard a sigh. 'What are they like?'
Winn smiled a little, hugging his legs. "James is my... partner in the crime. You know, we didn't get off to a good start. We both liked the same girl, but Kara rejected us both so..." Winn stopped when he heard a rumble from the other side, as if something had fallen on the other side. "Karen?"
'I'm sorry,' said the girl. 'Keep talking, please.'
Winn looked at his thumbs. "He's going to find us, he's the most stubborn person I know. He, Alex, and Kara." Winn sighed. "We will leave here, all of us. I have faith in them."
'Who are Alex and... Kara?'
Winn smiled. "They're the most united sisters you could imagine. They always take care of each other, I wish I had a brother like that." He yawned. "Well, maybe a little less overprotective. When Kara started dating Lena, Alex put hidden cameras even in her refrigerator."
'Lena?'
"Um, yes." Winn shook his head. "Lena is my best friend, and she's Kara's girlfriend. She's, like, the person I always can talk to because she always understands."
'You care about her.'
"She earned it." Winn smiled wistfully. "I never thought I'd miss her bad taste in books... Karen, are you still there?"
'Yes.' The girl took a long pause. 'Tell me about Lena.'
The Candidate for President
1:30 PM
The candidate for President, Catherine Grant, hung up her cellphone after an exhaustive call with Snapper Carr, watching the streets move through the window of her limousine. Cat pursed her lips as the vehicle spun around on one of the many destroyed streets, where some builders worked on its repair. There is less damage every time, good. Donating money for repairing the streets had been a good tactic for her public image. According to Lord, Ronald Dump was more and more uneasy and nervous. Careful, Maxine, be careful.
"Now you must turn left, Aquaman," said Cat, looking at the King out of the corner of her eye.
"Miss Grant, please call me Arthur," answered her new driver. "My disguise becomes useless if you call me Aquaman."
"Your Majesty, with all due respect, you're only wearing a fake mustache." Through the rearview mirror, Cat could see the Atlantean blushing. "I can offer you another type of disguise if your intention is to go unnoticed."
"What kind of disguise?"
"Plastic surgery? Make-up?... Dye your hair?"
"That sounds very complicated." King Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Maybe I could get a magic spell, that would be much easier and more effective. Only the people I wanted to see me could see me."
"Your Majesty, I doubt that people would be unable to notice if my limousine drove on its own."
Aquaman parked the vehicle in front of the General Hospital, in an area that was left relatively untouched by starbolts and explosions. Cat smiled even before she saw them. Cameramen, photographers and reporters were piling up near the entrance, asking questions to a teenager accompanied by a blonde woman. Cat felt the pride grow in her chest when she saw Carter, doing his best to appear confident and mature. His eyes look directly at the cameras. And those ones of the former Queen were watching every point around them. Hippolyta's gaze fell on the limousine window, and Cat knew, even through the dark glass, that she was looking directly into her eyes.
Arthur stepped out of the car and opened the door for her, his smile unable to hide his distrustful look at the journalists, who might be potential threats. One of them shouted 'it's Miss Grant! It's Miss Grant!'. In less than two seconds, another small crowd of journalists surrounded them, spreading microphones, tape recorders, and cellphones.
'Miss Grant! What do you think...?'
'Cat! Do you have statements about...?'
'Are you going to move to Washington?'
'Was it your idea that Carter donated blood?'
"I'm so glad to see you all here today," said Cat, looking at the attentive Atlantean King out of the corner of her eye. "We all know the importance of helping each other to build a better society, and I encourage you to continue donating blood and resources to the victims of National City. Any help, however small, makes a difference. And in fact, donating blood was my son's decision." Smiling softly, Cat looked at Carter. "Honey, it's time to go."
Carter and 'Polly Troy' made their way through the crowd to approach the vehicle. Arthur firmly but gently pushed aside a host of cameramen who obstructed the door of the limousine, helping the three of them in. This is worse than when I announced that I was taking a break outside the city. The Atlantean entered the car through the driver's seat, turning the key and starting the engine.
Carter was sitting beside her, next to Hippolyta, examining the bandage on his arm. "There must be something else I can do."
Cat took his hand. "You already do more than enough supporting me, darling. You don't need to get involved in my campaign if it makes you uncomfortable, you know."
Carter rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Actually, I do have to."
"Your intentions are noble, Prince Carter. Admirable for someone of such a young age," said her assistant with a slight smile. Carter was genuinely confused. "However, the delicacy of democracy forces us to proceed with extreme caution. Your security could be compromised if you increase your visibility."
Carter blinked a couple of times. "Um, I appreciate your concern, Polly. But I really do think that I have to. I can be very useful for my mom's public image." Carter looked at her, sitting up straight as an adult. "Since Marsdin withdrew her candidacy, everything has been reduced to Dump and you. He has a pretty bad public image with all his divorces, children, rumors... For him it's difficult to present an image of 'family man' as is normal, but you can present an image of 'responsible and caring mother' with my help. That could give you a little bit of an advantage."
"Maybe in a different America, sweetheart." Cat rubbed his shoulder. "Today society is so upset and frightened that it's willing to choose a xenophobic bully with the good manners of a garbage truck, just because they think he can protect us." Cat shook her head. "He can't."
"And you're sure that you can?" asked Carter. He seems older and less fragile with each passing day.
Cat stroked his curls. "I'm sure we can, with the help of people like Kara, Wonder Woman, Ms Luthor... When they come back to us."
She glanced at the Amazon Queen, who watched them with a small smile and melancholic eyes. I know that feeling of missing your children. Cat smiled encouragingly. Hippolyta smiled back as best she could, opened her briefcase, and began taking notes for what they would need at the charity dinner that night.
Cat's smile faded as she realized that her assistant was writing in ancient Greek. Ugh, don't any of them know how to go unnoticed? Maybe that magic spell wouldn't be so bad after all...
A normal woman from Man's World
2:10 PM
Man's world had changed so much and in such a short time that Hippolyta had some difficulty adapting. It was only thanks to King Arthur that she had not gotten lost every time she had gone out of her 'apartment'. And also to the patience and generosity of the Empress Cat. Above her notes on what they would need for dinner (what the Tartarus is caviar?), she saw Prince Carter squeeze his mother's hand, demonstrating his support, loyalty and courage.
('You will see, Mother, I will be the best warrior in the world! And... I will free nations, and help people! Would that make you proud?')
My little sun and stars. The former Queen gritted her teeth. I have always been proud of you, Diana. Every day she wondered if it would be the day they get any news of Diana. Whether that news would be good... or not.
When they reached the street of the Empress' house, Hippolyta was momentarily blinded by more glows of those artifacts called 'cameras'. How are these people not blind yet? But Empress Cat was so brave that she did not seem upset by the presence of these enemies, but rather pleased at the challenge of facing them. This woman is so unpredictable...
"Ahh, the cameras, watching each of my movements, hungry for a mistake." Cat smiled, biting her lip slightly. "Well, everybody remember to smile and say hello. And don't answer any questions, don't forget that they are like sharks. Good thing the security team seems to be efficient enough."
The car pulled up in front of Cat's house, a large, peach-colored building, which reminded Hippolyta of the ancient mansions of Ethiopia. She was the first to get out, watching the other security guards keep everyone at a safe distance. The chief security officer, a young woman with short hair named Susan Vázquez, came up to ask her if everything had gone well. She replied 'yes', while still looking at the crowd.
Empress Cat and Carter got out of the car, walking quietly toward the door of their residence like a pair of generals entering a conquered city. Maybe things did not really change that much. The small woman greeted the people by waving her hands, ignoring the noisy questions and the confused exclamations. She and Susan Vazquez advanced to follow them into the house.
Inside, the Empress was talking to another security guard named Grady. Carter sneaked into the kitchen, probably to quench his appetite of a young warrior in the making.
"The house has been checked from top to bottom. Everything is in order, Ms Grant," said the guard.
"Thank you, Owen." Cat looked at Vazquez. "Susan, tell your team to keep an eye on the house. The catering team will be here in an hour, and I'll need you outside so they can work."
"Then we'll have to check them before they come in."
"I offer to taste the food to make sure it's not poisoned," joked the guard, before leaving the house next to his superior.
The former Amazon Queen heard the echo of the door closing. "Are you sure they are capable and loyal warriors?"
"Soldiers, Your Majesty," said Cat walking toward the living room. Hippolyta followed her, leaving her bag on a beautiful purple couch. "Nearly all of them are ex-soldiers, highly skilled. Susan was in Africa taming wild lions."
"I was in Africa once, almost three thousand years ago. There were many lions." She smiled, remembering when Antiope wanted to adopt one as a pet. "So there are no wild lions anymore?"
Cat sat down on the couch, checking a small mirror. "Africa is the only place that has wild lions."
"Then why did Susan Vazquez go to tame lions?"
"I met the millennial in the airport bathroom, give her some credit." Cat gently massaged her temples.
This world is so, so strange.
The Empress stopped rubbing her temples and rubbed her neck. "Anyway, I will have to get accustomed to remembering people's names and to the lack of privacy if what I really want is to govern this country for the next four years. Failure is not an option." She opened her eyelids, looking into her eyes. "There's too much at stake."
Hippolyta smiled slightly. "I am absolutely sure that you will be a good leader for your people. I have never met a human who is more willing to improve her country." She sighed, looking away. "Maybe if I had been more like you, my people would not have decided they were better off without me."
The Empress was opening her mouth to respond, when a noise (*Prum*) was heard from the cupboard to the right. Before even realizing it, Hippolyta was standing in front of Empress Cat, sharpening her hearing, raising her arms to prevent a possible attack. Enemies...
"Hippolyta, what...?"
"Shh," whispered the taller woman. "There's someone in that wardrobe. Call your guards."
I will not let anyone hurt the people I care about again. Hippolyta moved silently toward the cupboard, removing a medium-curved dagger from her belt. I will get him. She brushed the door handle with her fingers, listening to Cat's stealthy steps further away. I will interrogate him.
She jerked the door open. "Surrender!"
She had been right. Inside the dark closet, two women raised their hands, startled. Hippolyta was about to knock down the nearest one when she recognized her face. "Lena?"
"Hello Grandma," her granddaughter answered, smiling slightly, still staring at the dagger. "I'm sorry we had to hide, but Kara and I couldn't allow anyone to see us. We were about to come out of the closet..."
"Your Majesty..." Kara advanced a little. "It's us. You don't need to keep aiming at Lena with that dagger."
"Oh, Lena..." Hippolyta lowered the dagger, drawing her granddaughter into her arms to hug her tightly, smelling the scent of fresh fruit that her hair had always had. "You are safe. You are here." She pulled away enough to caress her face. "It's you." She kissed her forehead. "I was so afraid of losing you again."
"You're the one who is publicly dead." Lena hugged her harder.
"But you found me." The former Queen stroked her black hair. "You always find us, my sun and stars."
Cat's eyes locked on Kara. "Wow, you finally showed up."
"Cat, I-I'm sorry, I c-could not help it. I-"
"Kara," Cat interrupted the girl. "You're alright?"
"Yes," she answered too quickly, in a tone that did not sound very convincing. "I read what you wrote in the newspaper, that reminded me of who I am, and I thank you, Cat. But as we speak, they could be hurting our family. Hippolyta..." Kara looked at the former Queen. "Do you know where Veritas has the others? Is there anything you can tell me to find them?"
"They only managed to take Artemis, Kara," she answered, looking into her eyes. She looks so stressed and tense. "My daughter, your sister and her beloved fell down Doom's Doorway. They did not leave the island."
The blonde girl blinked a couple of times. "And what does that mean?"
"The Underworld," said Lena, her eyes wide and her skin very pale. "They are in the Underworld."
Kate Kane
2:25 PM
Kate allowed herself to open her lips slightly in surprise, her throat dry and her hands frozen on the keyboard, as if the Batcave had suddenly been transformed into a freezer. Maggie. She abruptly started typing on the computer, her teeth clenched tightly. Doom's Doorway, there has to be some way out of there. If they're in the Underworld, maybe Raven might be useful. Her reaction did not go unnoticed for Bruce, who looked at her with a cold, questioning look.
"Diana, Alex Danvers and... Maggie," Kate told her cousin. "They didn't leave the island, they fell down Doom's Doorway."
Bruce sighed. "What a relief."
"Excuse me, did you listen?"
"That means they're alive, Kate." Batman got to his feet. "You don't know Diana. There were only two possible answers for her disappearance: either she was dead or on another existential plane. Nothing in this world would be able to hold her against her will." He picked up some files. "And I don't want to imagine how powerful our enemy is if they can kill Wonder Woman."
Kate frowned. "They still have trapped another Amazon, two Martians and an expert hacker. Don't underestimate them, Bruce."
"I never do," he growled, quickly typing on his cellphone. "I have to go. Maybe Dick has found a way to read Lillian Luthor's book. And Kate..." He looked at her. "Not only pay attention to Queen Hippolyta's voice, but also to Luthor and Supergirl's."
"You distrust them?"
"No," replied Bruce walking toward the exit. "I'm just sure they're hiding something from us."
Kate sighed, watching as a little black cat jumped toward the chair where her cousin had previously been sitting. Unfortunately, me too.
Kara Zor-El
2:26 PM
Kara felt Cat's tiny hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to reality. Her former boss seemed totally calm, even though Kara could hear her heart beating slightly faster. "Let's go upstairs to talk. Carter's in the kitchen, and I don't want him getting into any of this."
As they climbed the stairs, Kara used her super senses to locate Carter in the kitchen, eating a sandwich while looking at his cellphone with his headphones on. Kara watched the corners of his lips rise into a smile as he watched the screen of his cellphone. Her heartbeat quickened slightly as she checked the adolescent's well-being in person. She could not have borne the blame if something had happened to Carter.
Being back in Cat's house made her feel nostalgic for simpler years, when her only concern was to protect her secret identity and keep the city safe from her Aunt Astra. Cat led them to the third floor, turning right and entering her study.
It felt good to be there again, in a familiar place with people she trusted. She, Lena and Hippolyta sat down in a large black armchair in front of the desk, and Cat in the purple one by the window. The sun barely entered through the curtains, reflecting shimmering orange gleams in her former mentor's hair. "Where have you been?"
"The Fortress," answered Kara, rubbing her hands together. "It has a global genetic localization satellite system, but I couldn't find anyone."
"They are not in our world, Kara," said the Queen softly, rubbing Lena's hand. "Doom's Doorway leads to Hades's domains."
"How do we get them out of there?" asked Kara, having a bad feeling at seeing the Queen's eyes.
"We can not get them out."
Kara felt a heat ball in her stomach. "I can fly to Themiscyra right now," she said, trying to sound determined. "Get in that Doom's Doorway and-"
"Look for them in the Underworld as if it were a park?" Cat raised her eyebrow. "Ridiculous."
"But..."
"I agree with Cat," said Lena, for a moment looking surprised by her own words. "You can't go to the Underworld in our current situation."
"I can bring them back."
"Before or after dealing with the Amazon Army?"
"I can go through them without any problem, Lena." Just not before throwing Alkyone into space. "Now I know where they are. I can go get them."
"And while you are not here, what about the world?" Cat crossed her legs. "I know it's not easy and I don't pretend to understand what you're going through, Kara. However, Lena and Hippolyta also miss Diana and are able to see it from a logical point of view. Your sister would tell you that if she were here."
Kara felt the embarrassment growing in her chest, pressing her lips and looking away. "You're right, again." Alex would be ashamed of my weakness. "I'm sorry..."
Cat took her hand, tightening her knuckles. Kara felt better for a second, allowing her lungs to release tension. Focus, Kara. Cat rubbed her arm to comfort her. "Don't apologize."
Hippolyta sighed. "Actually, it is almost fortunate that they fell down Doom's Doorway, otherwise my sis- the Amazons would undoubtedly have executed them." Hippolyta shook her head. "Diana was hurt, I do not think she could have defended herself, and she knows the Underworld very well." Hippolyta looked at Lena. "She will lead them out, I am sure."
Lena went pale. "How hurt?"
"...She was stabbed." Hippolyta looked away. "Sorry, dear, I could not save her."
"And my mom?" whispered the brunette. "You said they took her. What happened?"
"Lena, it is not necessary-..."
"Tell me," she said seriously. "I need to know it."
The Queen seemed suddenly very, very tired. "They stuck an arrow in her chest." Lena's mouth parted. "They took her sometime before sunset. Before I escaped, Io said that Alkyone's friends were not planning to kill her, but-" she sighed. "... destroy her."
Kara heard Lena's jaw tighten so tightly that her teeth creaked inside her mouth. "Lutessa."
"With that name it can only be a villain." Cat put her fingertips together. "Who's Lutessa?"
"Veritas' Leader," she said, with anger in her voice. "She put the bombs in the city. She's Lillian's daughter—the real one, I mean."
Kara saw Cat become slightly irritated. "Great, then we're dealing with terrorists led by a Luthor. I have seen worse scenarios." She rubbed her hands. "Do you know what they want?"
"We don't know," said Lena quickly. "We think they are a kind of ancient occult cult. The little we know is that they want me dead, and that they are behind the conspiracy in Themyscira."
"Religious terrorists led by a Luthor, now this is more interesting." Cat got up from the chair, walking to her desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a glass. Lena bit her lip, averting her gaze as Cat poured herself a drink. "Tell me Kara, where is this national threat hiding?"
"We believe that they have a base in Edinburgh, the place where Lutessa lived under the name of Tess Mercer. But the reality is that they're scattered around the world. One of their members, Jason Teague, is a serial killer who attacks brunet men." Her throat burned at the thought of Winn. "We both, and the people we're staying with, are investigating them."
"Are they reliable? Are you safe with them? Maybe you would be safer with us. I have the means to really hide you, no ponytails and glasses." She spoke sarcastically, even though Kara could hear the worry in her blood. "We're still journalists, Kara. Together we could beat them."
To Kara's surprise, Lena reached out and took Cat's hand, squeezing it gently. "Thank you for everything you've done, Ms Grant. But we're with people who have a lot of experience in catching criminals."
"Are you in the Army?"
"Something like that." Kara leaned forward. "I'd tell you if I could, Cat, but-"
"Fine," said Cat slightly annoyed. "And speaking of the Army, Baby Lane is back in town. Maybe she can help."
"I talked to Lucy." Kara avoided thinking about James at all costs. "She's also dealing with the problems left by the explosion. They don't have new information."
"Have you asked her directly?"
"Um..." I can't allow Lucy to be in danger. "No."
"Kara, did you hack the army?"
"Of course not." Kate did it. "I didn't."
Cat rubbed her temples. "You know what? It doesn't matter, I'm not president yet." Cat stood abruptly. "I'm afraid you must leave before the catering team arrives. This conversation must remain a complete secret. Dump would throw a party with the headlines, 'Is Grant planning to deliver our country to alien invaders?'."
Kara stood, taking Lena's hand.
Her girlfriend smiled wryly. "I think I'd vote for you, Ms Grant."
"Please, Ms Luthor, don't do that. It would be rather ridiculous for you to be murdered, by going to vote."
"By the way..." said Hippolyta for the first time in several minutes. "How did you get in without anyone seeing you?"
Kara rubbed her hands together. "One of my powers is to fly faster than the human eye can perceive."
"Not very recommended for humans," Lena sighed.
Kara went to Cat's window, letting her senses spread around her. Thousands of sounds, smells, and colors flooded her brain with information. Lena's heartbeat. Cat's perfume. Hippolyta's violet eyes. Kara took a deep breath. No one is paying attention to this window, they won't see us leave. "We can leave now, Lena."
Hippolyta stepped forward to embrace her granddaughter with all her might. "Promise me you will stay safe. We can not lose you now that we have found you."
"I promise." Kara could not tell whether her girlfriend was lying or not. Lena smiled at her grandmother, kissing her on the cheek. "I still don't know how, but I'll find Lutessa. We'll stop all this madness."
"Lena." Hippolyta took her face in her hands. "Maybe the time will come in a near future where you have to make a decision. I want you to know that we do not always have the option to do good, sometimes we have to choose to do the least bad thing."
Lena looked at her with bright eyes, nodding and moving toward Kara, to surround her with her arms as if they were going to waltz. Kara looked at Cat for the last time, wishing with all her might that she had not become the target of thousands of evil people. "Cat, please take good care of yourself."
"That is my job." Hippolyta shrugged, smiling a little.
Kara watched them for a couple of seconds before nodding, holding Lena tightly, and jumping out the window, so quickly that the colors blurred for a second and Lena's breath got caught in her throat.
Lena
2:57 PM
Almost four seconds later, Lena's brain stopped shaking inside her head and she knew they had stopped. The brunette opened her eyes, finding herself floating in the middle of the field, many feet away from the ground. The wind threw cold blows at her back, entangling her surely already disastrous hair. Kara's solemn face was inches from hers, so inhumanly quiet that she could only be hiding how frustrated she was. "Are you okay?"
Lena avoided looking into her eyes, staring at the distant ground, feeling the familiar fear of being at great heights. Unlike other times, the fear grew peacefully, without Lena trying to stop it. She needed to feel it.
"Lena, please, talk to me."
Unable to know if she could restrain herself if she looked Kara in the eye, Lena only shook her head slowly, her fear becoming an evil parasite that fed on her pain. ('They stuck an arrow in her chest' 'They are in the Underworld') . "I can't lose them," whispered Lena. "I just found them."
Kara closed the distance, wrapping her in her arms and stroking her back. "I won't let you lose them."
Because of me, everyone is in danger. Lena did not stop looking down, wondering if Kara would be fast enough to catch her if she let go and let herself fall. How many lives is mine worth? A sudden surge of rage filled her, as she felt a slight warmth emanate from the medallion on her chest. No. I won't let them turn me into a coward like them. Maybe I'm not a good Amazon, but I'm still a Luthor. And the Luthors know how to win a war.
"You think we're the good guys in this story, Kara?"
Her girlfriend stroked her head. "Everyone is the hero of their own story, Potsticker."
Lena took Kara's hand, placing it on her medallion. Kara looked at it, then looked at her with mute understanding.
I don't need to be a hero, I need to be a warrior. Because this is a war and in war there is no good and bad. Only winners and dead.
Kate Kane
3:05 PM
Kate stared in disbelief as her cousin removed his Batman cowl, leaving a book on the table of the Batcave. Kate stared at it incredulously, taking it in her hands and examining it closely. It looked new. There was no way it was the same book. "Did Dick learn to do magic?" asked Kate, opening it, finding many tiny Greek letters.
"It would take a long time." Bruce sat beside her, typing on the computer. "Instead, he simply found a magician."
Kate felt a sudden aversion to the object in her hands. "A magician?"
"A very powerful magician," Batman replied without looking at her. "It seems that the book had some kind of protection against strangers. Dick has a contact that agreed to restore it."
"We should investigate him."
"It's been done. Giovanni Zatara, Lord Sentinel of Magic of New York. His daughter Zatanna has a soft spot for Dick. Giovanni had a couple of problems with demons a few years ago, but he's cleaner than most of our occasional allies." Bruce looked at her, rising from his chair. "Now we can use the computer to translate it. Page 159 has priority."
Kate searched the page, surprised to find that it was handwritten with elegant, long letters, like a doctor's. This is Luthor's writing. Kate moved to the right of the computer, to a considerably large scanner. The redhead wondered for a moment if this was not what Lena Luthor was hiding, or if it was totally new information. "Computer, scan the page and tell me what it says."
*Scanning... Η πόρτα του χάους*
"Translate it into English."
*The Chaos Door* said the robotic voice of the computer.
Bruce clasped his hands under his chin, looking pensive. "Read the whole page."
*It was not easy, but I managed to get hold of a gap and keep it safe, in secret from the others. I do not think anyone ever knows what I sacrificed to achieve it. According to my calculations, everything will go well while Diana remains ignorant. None of the ancient texts tell me exactly what I must do, they only offer me confused prophecies and inconsistent dreams. I know what I must do, but not how I must do it. Somewhere in this huge world of which so many people ignore, so much is the Chaos Door and I must find it. I think that...*
A red light on another of the computers caught her eye. Supergirl and Lena Luthor were coming at full speed. "They're approaching."
"Stop." Bruce got up abruptly from his chair, talking to the computer. "Save the file." He took the book in his hands, trotting quickly toward the exit. "Don't tell them about the book yet, Kate, and try to keep yourself calm. The Kryptonians know if you lie, from your heartbeat."
What the hell? Kate followed her cousin. "Bruce, you can't hide this from them."
"I won't hide it, I just won't tell them yet. I must first investigate it correctly."
"Bruce!" *Pump* Her cousin slammed the door. "Now I remember why I hate working with you."
Batwoman advanced moodily to the computer, removing Lillian Luthor's words from the screen. Everyone is keeping secrets. Kate could not help but feel frustrated that her cousin might be right. They know more than we have been told. What are you hiding, Kara and Lena? What are you not telling us? Who do you want to protect? Who are you really?
Kate heard the sound of the footsteps of both women advancing through the entrance tunnel, approaching from the darkness. How has all this happened? Maggie, who are your friends really? Kara and Lena emerged from the tunnel, their faces hardened into stone. For a moment Kate could see the similarities between Luthor's hard face and Diana of Themiscyra's famous solemn face. And Kate wondered, for less than a second, just how powerful Lena could be.
"Maggie, Alex and Diana," said Kara, running a hand through her blonde hair. "They fell down Doom's Doorway. Um, did you hear the whole conversation through the earphones?"
"And I made several conclusions about it," said Kate, trying to stay calm. "No one mentioned Lillian Luthor at any time."
Lena nodded slowly. "Hippolyta thinks she's dead."
"And what do you think will happen when she knows she is not?"
"I'll tell her," Lena sighed. "In better circumstances, when this is all over, or at least when things get better."
I don't see how this can end when they've exposed Supergirl. Kate sighed, looking at the Kryptonian. "Kara, I have to tell you something."
The blonde looked at her. Supergirl needs to recover some hope.
"It's true that we can't go looking for them in the Underworld, but I think we can communicate with them."
"What?" In Kara's eyes, a small light shone. "How?"
"I have an... occasional ally." Batwoman pursed her lips. "She's a sorceress who lives in Blüdhaven. She used to practice spells to talk to the dead before."
"Are these things real?" asked Lena, before shaking her head. "Forget it. Can she communicate with Diana, Alex, and Maggie?"
"I suggest we go find out," said Supergirl, folding her arms. "What's her name, Kate?"
"Raven Roth, Princess of Hell and Daughter of Trigon the Terrible, second Lord of Hell."
Lena sighed wearily. "Hell."
"Literally." Kate took the keys to the Batplane from the table. "We had better go immediately. We have no time to lose."
I can feel myself GIVING in...
Damn my WEAKNESS...
I'm so sleepy
And there's another THING that is taking my PLACE
Princess, WaTch OuT. WATCH OUT
Lena
I love you
I'm sorry
Maggie Sawyer
?:?
The sand around Maggie glowed like stardust, giving her the feeling of walking on rain clouds. However, she also felt that the landscape out of an abstract dream was the most frightening thing she had ever seen in her life. Not because there were monsters threatening their lives, but because of the infinite and unknown of the darkness around them. A fear from the depths of her basic instinct, as old as maddening. The fear of the unknown is in every human being, or something like that Aunt Minerva used to say.
As Alex could not see Alura, her girlfriend was advancing, taking her by the hand, as if it were a romantic walk in the most macabre place in the world. Diana walked a little further, her face indifferent, as if she were miles away. She had been so quiet that Maggie was beginning to worry.
"What's Alura doing?" whispered Alex, bringing her head closer.
Maggie stared at the ghost, moving forward so silently as if she were sliding. She left no footprints in the sand. "Nothing, she just moves along. She's not even making sure we're following her."
"Maybe she doesn't need to see us."
"My detective instinct doesn't work very well in the Underworld, sweetie. I don't even know if her eyes can see like a person's, or she can only feel us."
"I have to talk to her." Alex frowned. "It's important to Kara."
Why the hell is Kara's mother in the human underworld? Maggie tilted her head, remembering that James had told her that each world had its own Underworld. What are you doing here, Alura?
"Try to talk to her," whispered Alex. "It doesn't have to be about anything in particular, just try to get her to talk to you."
Maggie bit her lip, walking faster and pulling Alex's hand to shorten the distance between them and the ghost. "Alura, why does the sand shine? What is it made of?"
"I'm sure your friend can answer that question," the ghost replied dryly.
Alex looked at her expectantly, but Maggie only shook her head in silence. Her girlfriend frowned in frustration. "Why don't you want to talk to me?"
"Tell your friend I have nothing to talk to her about."
Before Maggie could open her mouth, Alex spoke again.
"Aren't you interested in knowing about Kara? You sent your thirteen-year-old daughter to another planet, and you don't want to know if she is doing okay?"
Alura still did not answer, though Alex had no way of knowing.
"Damn it, what's wrong with you? Kara always said that you were a good mother."
"I'm not Kara's mother," answered Alura quietly. 'I am only her ghost.' Her voice did not convey any emotion. 'You would not understand.'
Maggie passed those words on to Alex, who looked helplessly at the space in front of her. "And what's keeping you here?"
"My duty is not to answer your questions, only to take you to the exit. The hardships of the dead are no business of the living."
This is not Alura, Maggie thought after whispering her words to Alex. This is a ghost, an echo of what was once Kara's mother. This is only slightly better than the hologram. Maggie sighed, thinking of her girlfriend's sister and her face when she realized the fate of her mother's soul. She wondered what her reaction would be, if that would make things worse than they already were. I wonder where Kara and Lena are. If National City was attacked and they're still alive, where would they go? Metropolis?
"Gods," said Diana quietly.
Alex looked up at her. "What?"
"The sand under our feet." Diana pulled a little lock of dirty hair from her forehead. "It's what remains of the bodies of ancient Gods, older than time, so old that their names were erased from the memory of men."
"But the gods are immortal," said Maggie, releasing Alex's hand.
"That's the scariest thing." Diana sighed. "My mother used to say that they were used by the Great Monster to attack Lena in the three-million-year war, but She killed as many as she could before she was defeated." Diana smiled wistfully. "My daughter has a warrior's name." Her smile faded. "I miss her."
Maggie took her friend's hand, squeezing it lightly. "We'll find them."
Diana looked at her with a sad smile. "And then what?"
Alex smiled furiously. "Then we kill all the Amazons." Her smile trembled a bit. "If you don't have something against it, of course."
Diana did not look at her. "No one could stop you from doing what you want." Her blue eyes lost their shine. "All I care about is finding my family."
Alex shrugged, putting a hand on the hilt of her sword. "I'll take it as a no."
Maggie bit the inside of her cheek, still watching the figure of the ghost move on the sand, as quietly as no living being would. What are you hiding? Maggie's curiosity stung in her gut. What is a Kryptonian ghost doing here, Alura? Maggie looked up at the infinite, that terrifyingly creeping landscape that no other simple mortal had ever seen. What ties you to the Earth?