Notes: Warning: This chapter includes a scene which contains brief transphobic and homophobic language.
Wednesday, March 8th, 2016
Olivia took a deep breath as she watched Haley walk into the Oval Office and tried to tamp down temper. Something which was becoming increasingly difficult with every day that passed.
"Madam President," Haley said.
"Director Haley. Please, sit."
Haley sat down on the sofa across from where Olivia was sitting, and Olivia took a moment to give her a quick once-over. Unlike last time she'd been there, she was wearing a suit rather than a uniform, which Olivia hoped was a good sign. She'd been unhappy about putting someone from the military in charge of the DEO, but Haley was the only one her people could find who had extensive experience with dealing with alien and metahuman assets and wasn't tied to Cadmus or General Lane's intelligence unit in some way. She'd been pretty much the only choice to replace Vasquez, but now, Olivia was questioning the decision, because everything had gone to shit in less than forty-eight hours.
"How was your trip?" Marsdin asked.
"Short," Haley said. "The transmat network makes travel a lot easier."
"It does, though I admit, it still makes me more than a little nauseous."
"The portals at the stations are better about that then the point-to-point transit system," Haley said. "The system would make a hell of a military asset if we could get control of the technology."
"I imagine it would, but that's not really your area of responsibility anymore, Director."
"Yes, ma'am," Haley said, sounding none too happy about it.
"I've read your report, but I'd like to you walk me through everything that happened."
"Of course. As ordered, I arrived at the DEO and assumed command per instructions. I had Agent Vasquez brief me on the status and operations of the DEO. That took most of the night. I then removed Agent Wentworth as Assistant Director and replaced her with Cameron Chase. Agent Vasquez took exception to the appointment, but I wanted someone in the role who I could be sure was interested in maintaining the integrity of the DEO rather than appeasing Supergirl. Yesterday morning, we received word that Supergirl had returned from wherever she had been. Agent Vasquez, per my instructions, contacted Supergirl and asked her and Nia Nal to come in for debriefing concerning the Reign matter. Supergirl, Nia Nal, Agent Danvers and Agent Sawyer arrived on the landing deck unannounced, then attacked and restrained the two sentries posted there and destroyed their weapons. Supergirl was belligerent and antagonistic at first and would only agree to an hour of time for the debrief. I brought her into the conference room and called you. After you dismissed myself and Assistant Director Chase from the debrief, I asked Agent Vasquez for a status report, which she refused to provide. Agent Willis arrived, and she and Agent Vasquez engaged in a display of inappropriate fraternization in the middle of the command center. Agent Wentworth reported that all feeds from Kryptonian assets were cut. Agent Vasquez began the process of switching our surveillance to purely internal assets. Around that time, Supergirl and Ms. Nal exited the conference room. I asked for a private word with Supergirl. She refused. I asked her to restore the feeds. She refused and pointed out all the other ways she had cut assistance to the DEO. Since it was apparent Supergirl wasn't going to cooperate with us, I took the opportunity to ask Agents Danvers and Sawyer to return their gear to the DEO for reissue while they are on medical leave. Supergirl once again became belligerent and ordered her attendant Nimda to execute stored orders called the 'Repo' and 'Homeland' protocols, at which time equipment began disappearing from the DEO via transmat beam. Agents Danvers, Sawyer, Vasquez, Willis and Wentworth all handed in their badges and left with Supergirl."
"What's the current state of the DEO?" Olivia asked.
"We've shifted operations back to the desert facility for the time being. The downtown facility is completely inoperable. Supergirl took the omegahedron that was powering the building, along with the sunstone, the sunstone interface station, the water and trash recyclers, and the water generator. The building isn't hooked up to the city power grid or the water or sewer system. There isn't even a dock for trash pickup."
"Could we purchase the missing equipment commercially?"
"The recycles and the water generator aren't commercially available, and we've been put on a no-buy list for LCorp and all of its subsidiaries. They're refusing to sell us anything. I had to send agents to Walmart with a credit card to purchase toilet paper and cleaning supplies for the desert facility."
"I didn't realize LCorp made toilet paper."
"They don't, that I know of, but LCorp is the parent company of one of the largest facility management vendors in the country. We got a call from them about two hours after the incident cancelling all contracts, effective immediately. The cafeteria workers and the janitors walked off the job mid-day. I've got trained agents scrubbing toilets, I've got food trucks lined up outside the gates of a high security facility. We're functional, and we're maintaining containment, but half the armory at the desert facility is gone, and the entire armory from the downtown facility is gone, and given that Rescue Inc. is holding open interviews for any DEO agents, I suspect we might lose a lot of people, too."
"What about the non-Kryptonian alien tech?"
"There's not much of it. Most of what was had was destroyed when the original downtown facility was bombed. What's left, we can't touch, because it's evidence in ongoing cases. Containment is going to be hard for any prisoner above a certain weight class, too, since she took the Nth metal cages from the downtown facility."
"Is there any good news?" Olivia asked.
"Yes," Haley said. "There's a large supply of red sunlight grenades and power-dampening rods at the desert facility. We also have some arc rifles, and I've reached out to Guy Gardner, and he's willing to help bring her in."
"You want to get Guy Gardner to help you fight the woman who took down Superman, an Amazon, an Atlantian and one of Batman's crew in less than two minutes?"
"I meant bring in Supergirl," Haley said.
"I'm sorry, what?" Olivia asked.
"Supergirl. She made off with hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of government property and destroyed more than a decade's worth of research and records."
"I thought she only took the equipment she had supplied the DEO with in the first place."
"She also took all of the Kryptonite, as well as the Kryptonite radiation emitters, and she erased all information and specifications on how to manufacture them. We don't even have enough information to monitor for Kryptonite radiation."
"And you want to arrest her for that?" Olivia said.
"Yes," Haley said.
"Director, do you remember the conversation we had before I sent you to National City?"
"I do."
"Do you remember the part where I told you that under no circumstances were you to take any action which might alienate or antagonize Supergirl?"
"I do."
"Tell me something, Director. What DEO equipment could Agent Danvers and Agent Sawyer have in their possession that was so important you needed to ask for its return at that exact moment?" Olivia asked.
"The power suits they've been using," Haley said.
Olivia stared at Haley for a moment. "And it never occurred to you that demanding that her sister and her best friend turn over tech that she had given them to protect them might be seen as provocation?"
"Those suits are DEO assets."
"No. Those suits belonged to Alex Danvers and Maggie Sawyer. They were gifts from Supergirl, to her friends. And I specifically told you that you were to try and repair the relationship with Supergirl. Not douse it in gasoline and throw matches at it."
"Ma'am, with respect, Supergirl was already in the process of withdrawing her support from the DEO. There was no longer any relationship to repair. But we still have a rogue Kryptonian on the loose, and those suits could make all the difference in dealing with this Reign."
"Director, Supergirl is a hurt, angry little girl who is in the middle of a tantrum. I've seen it before, right after the CatCo shooting. She will eventually calm down and see reason again, and when she does, it is vital to the safety of this nation and this planet that we have a good working relationship with her."
"Madam President, I understand-"
"No, you don't. I do not have words to begin to describe the depths of your lack of understanding. There are things, Director, which you have not been told. But understand this. I removed Director Vasquez because it had become clear that she was no longer capable of following orders, and however important it is for us to have a working relationship with Supergirl, I could not let her continue to co-opt the DEO into her personal fiefdom. I put you in charge because you are supposed to be good at dealing with aliens, but if you cannot follow orders and you cannot deal with aliens in a way that doesn't anger and antagonize them, you can be replaced. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," Haley said.
"Then go back to National City. Do whatever it takes to get a meet with Supergirl and fix this."
"Yes, ma'am."
Miranda stepped into the hotel room, wondering why her campaign manager had been so insistent she take this meeting. The answer presented itself the moment she laid eyes on Phil Baker, sitting at a table with Mercy Graves, and a stoutly-built man she didn't recognize.
"Good morning, Senator Crane," Baker said. "Please. Have a seat."
Miranda took the last empty seat at the table. "Hello Phil," she said.
"I imagine you're surprised to see me," he said.
"A little. More surprised by the company you're keeping." She gave a small nod in Mercy's direction.
"Oh, that hurts, Miranda," Mercy said.
"Not as much as it would hurt my chances for election if I were caught meeting with one of Lex's minions," Miranda said.
"I honestly wouldn't be so sure about that," Baker said. "The winds are changing, and you're a big part of that."
"I have noticed a shift in attitude," Miranda said. "All it took was for people to start losing their jobs."
"Yeah," Baker said. "People never change. Slaughter them in job lots and no one cares. But you hit them in their wallets, and suddenly everyone's paying attention."
"The joys of Capitalism," Miranda said.
"It's not enough, of course," Baker said. "Supergirl came out of the gate strong, and she's got a lot of goodwill banked, and she managed to handle the media so well she's got most of the country completely in her pocket. The whole sob story about dead kids really sold it, too. Most of the country is still on her side."
"Is this meeting just to tell me things I already know?" Miranda asked.
"Not at all," Phil said. "You see, Miranda, the original plan had been for us to get through the election, and then to force Marsdin to resign. Unfortunately, that plan is no longer an option. I'd run myself, but it's too late in the election cycle to mount a credible challenge for the Democratic nomination. Which only leaves us with one real option, and that's you."
"You want to help me get elected?" Miranda asked.
"I do," Baker said. "I'm a Democrat, and I'm a liberal, but there are limits. Now, I don't care if some guy wants to marry some other guy or put on a dress and call himself a woman. Every society has its freaks and perverts. But there does have to be a line, and I think we can both agree that letting aliens roam around, pretending they're anything other than animals is a step too far."
"Absolutely," Miranda said.
"Good. That's good. That means we can work together. Which brings me to the purpose of my visit here today. I would like to introduce you to Doctor Jeremiah Danvers."
Miranda couldn't keep the shock off her face at that name, and she looked over at the stoutly built man.
"Any relation?" she asked.
"Alex Danvers is my daughter," Jeremiah said.
"I see," she said. She couldn't help but notice that he didn't claim any relationship to Kara Danvers, which she thought was very interesting. "And the other one?"
"That's an interesting question," Baker said.
Miranda looked over at Baker. "What do you want?"
"I want a seat at the table," Baker said. "Director of Alien Affairs has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
"I think that can be arranged, provided your information is useful," Miranda said.
"Good."
"Then let's talk about my terms," Jeremiah said.
Miranda looked over at him.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"Mr. Baker has his terms, but some of the information is mine, and if you want it, then I need something in return," Jeremiah said.
"And what would that be?" Miranda said.
"Immunity," Jeremiah said. "For Alex, and her girlfriend, Maggie Sawyer."
"Immunity for what?" Miranda asked.
"Any charges for collaboration," Jeremiah said.
Miranda considered it for a moment. Her first impulse was to say no. She wanted to line all of the collaborators up against the wall and shoot them alongside the aliens. But there was something about him that told her that whatever information he had might just be worth it. Of course, there was also the fact that just because she made a promise didn't mean she had to keep it. She was a politician after all.
"Done," she said. She looked over at Mercy. "I suppose you want something too?"
Mercy shrugged. "Not me. I'm just trying to be a good citizen."
"Right," Miranda said. Which meant that Mercy wanted something big that she didn't think Miranda would agree to ahead of time, but Miranda had played the game before. It was probably worth the risk.
"Alright then. Let's hear it."
"The first thing you need to know is that you're asking the wrong questions," Baker said.
"What do you mean?" Miranda asked.
"Haven't you noticed that Marsdin has been very careful not to make any statements as to the whereabouts of Lillian Luthor and Sam Lane?" Baker asked.
"I assumed they're in some holding cell somewhere while the DOJ prepares its case," Miranda said.
"No," Baker said. "No, they aren't."
"Okay. Now you have my attention."
"What is this place?" Alex asked as the breach closed behind them.
"A pocket dimension. I have a handful set up. Mostly for storing things that are too dangerous to leave lying around the Fortress."
Alex looked around the chamber, which was filled with what she recognized as Fort Rozz stasis tubes.
"You said we were going to Fort Rozz."
"Yeah. Welcome to level ten."
"Level ten?"
"Before Fort Rozz, if a prisoner was considered bad enough to banish to the Phantom Zone, they were just dropped directly into the void. But about ten years before the destruction of Krypton, the council found itself in a difficult spot. The / vish/ had caught Jindah Kol-Rozz, a priestess of Rao, holding ceremonies dedicated to Yuda Kal. Normally, that was automatic exile to the Phantom Zone. But she'd found Black Zero's headquarters and recovered their data archives, and the Council was worried that they might need to interrogate her further. So, instead of just dumping her into the timeless void, they converted an armored heavy freighter into a prison. Fort Rozz. The ship was divided into ten containment levels based on how dangerous the prisoner was and how long their sentence was. Astra and her people were considered level nine prisoners. Level ten was reserved for prisoners who were considered escape risks. And Jindah, as a Priestess of Yuda Kal, had access to all sorts of Dark Magics. But you have to be awake to escape. So they put her and other level ten prisoners into stasis. When we scrapped Fort Rozz, I brought all of the level ten prisoners here. And I tossed Indigo in here when we caught her."
"Isn't that a little dangerous? What if someone gets loose?" Alex asked.
"The whole system is on a fail-deadly trigger. If any of the stasis tubes opens without my authorization key being entered, the entire pocket dimension will collapse, and everything here will just wink out of existence, dispersed into the cosmic foam of the universe as vacuum energy."
"Are we safe in here?" Alex asked.
"Yeah. The fail-deadly won't kick in if the system detects certain people in the dimension."
"Good to know," Alex said. "So, why are we here?"
"Because Jindah Kol-Rozz was trying to recreate the Worldkillers when she was arrested," Kara said.
"You think she'll know something about Reign?" Alex asked.
"That's the idea," Kara said. She led the way over to one of the cylinders and typed in her authorization key. The cylinder started to hum. "This will take a few minutes."
"Great," Alex said. "How are you holding up?"
"You mean aside from the fact that I'm apparently going crazy?"
"You're not," Alex said.
"I am," Kara said. "It's not even really a surprise, considering. I just… I wish I was stronger."
"Kara, you are not weak," Alex said. "You're hurt. Everything you've been through, everything that you've had to do just to survive. The fact that you've made it this far is nothing short of a miracle."
"And none of it matters if I fall apart," Kara said. "If I can't get it together, everyone is going to die."
"That's not going to happen. You don't have to do this alone."
"I know. But there are things that have to be done that no one else can do."
"Okay. I get that, but is this really one of them? I saw the same dream as you. One of the Worldkillers has sonic powers, one of them has electrical powers, one of them has some kind of poison, and we have no idea what the last one does. But Leslie has electrical power too. And that Siobhan girl, she has sound-based powers. And according to the instruction manual Mar Novu put in my head, violet light can cure any poison or toxin, or heal any injury. We can match them. Power for power. You don't have to face them alone."
"And if their powers are stronger than yours?" Kara asked. "Reign broke through a shield I designed to take everything I could throw at it. The best readings I got indicated that she hit it at least twice as hard as I could have before it collapsed. What if the one with electrical powers can throw twice what Leslie can? What if the one with sound powers can scream twice as load as Siobhan? Am I just supposed to take you all out there to die?"
"Well, what are we supposed to do? Sit back and watch you take on five opponents who are all twice as strong as you?"
"I don't know," Kara said.
"What would you do during the war?" Alex asked. "If you were going up against the Worldkillers during the war, would you ask the crew of the Waverider to stay behind?"
Kara didn't answer, which told Alex everything she needed to know.
Kara could feel Alex's eyes on her, waiting for the answer to her last question, but she stayed silent. She wasn't sure how to explain the difference between taking the crew of the Waverider into battle and taking the people she had around her now into battle. She wasn't sure she understood it herself, really. But the crew of the Waverider had been built with the understanding that they were in the middle of a war, that any of them could die at any moment. The people around her weren't fellow soldiers. They were her friends and her family. She had pulled them into the war because she didn't have a choice, but that didn't mean she liked it, and it didn't mean she wanted to lead them into a battle against enemies they couldn't possibly defeat.
The stasis cylinder let out a small hiss as the seal broke, and the lid swung up, revealing an old woman with long black hair. She sat up and looked up at Kara.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am Kara of the House of El."
"And do you know who I am, Kara of the House of El?"
"Jindah Kol-Rozz. Priestess of Yuda Kal."
Jindah smiled for a moment, then looked over at Alex. "Who are you?"
"Alex of House Danvers," Alex said.
"House Danvers?" Jindah asked.
"You've been asleep a long time," Kara said.
"You're Alura's daughter, aren't you?" Jindah asked.
"Yes," Kara said.
"And why have you awakened me, Kara of the House of El?"
"Tell me what you know about the Worldkillers," Kara said.
Jindah smiled again. "Tell you about yourself, you mean. Tell me, which one are you? Purity? Pestilence? The Immortal? The Flower of Heaven? Or Reign?" Jindah swung her legs over the side of the stasis chamber and stood up.
"That's far enough," Alex said.
Jindah stopped. "No. Not Reign. Not Purity. Not Pestilence. Not the Flower of Heaven. Not the Immortal. You're something different. Something new. Tell me, who fashioned you?"
"Tell me about the Worldkillers first," Kara said.
"A trade? Interesting. A child of Rao bargaining with a Priestess of Yuda Kal. This is unprecedented."
"Just tell me how to defeat them," Kara said.
"Defeat them? Child, you are one of them. What do they call you?"
"Tell me first, then I'll answer your questions."
"Let me touch your face, and I'll answer your questions."
"No," Alex said. "No way. You are not-"
"It's okay, Alex," Kara said.
"You said she's a witch."
"She is. A powerful one at that. But she won't hurt me."
"How can you be sure?" Alex asked.
"Because if she hurts me, she won't get what she wants," Kara said. "If she hurts me, I can't tell her who made me."
"Clever girl," Jindah said.
"You're hardly the first witch I've dealt with. Give me your word, on your power, that you will do me no harm, and you may touch me."
"You have my word."
Kara nodded, and Jindah reached out, running a finger along Kara's jaw.
"So much power," Jindah said. "You are magnificent. A bit of each of them." She tilted her head. "There. There it is. The Survivor. But no. Supergirl? Hardly a fit name for a Worldkiller. Godslayer? Curious. The Red Daughter of Krypton. The Blue Death. How many names do you have, child? How many pieces have you been broken into?"
"Are you done?" Kara asked.
Jindah lowered her hand. "Putting me here in this little pocket realm weakens me, but it does not take away the sight. I can see your past. You are a Worldkiller in truth, and yet you still long for the light of Rao. Why? You have bathed in darkness and blood and the cold. You know the power and the pleasure and the comfort there. Why turn away from it?"
"Because I remember what it felt like to feel warm," Kara said. "I have knelt in the temple and felt His light on my skin. Because I know what it's like to be loved."
Jindah laughed. "After the things you've done, do you really think Rao will accept you into his light?"
"No," Kara said. "When my day comes, I know He'll turn me away. I know that I'll fall into shadow, and wander in darkness forever. I am tainted by the same filth you are. But I still have this life. I still have a chance to save the people I love and send them into His light."
"You will be alone, in the end."
"No, she won't," Alex said.
"Yes, she will. When the end of days arrives and she stands on the planes of Apokolips, the only ones who will stand beside her are the ones who have wronged her most, and even they will abandon her in the end. She will face death and destruction and the end of all things alone with only her enemy for company."
Kara rolled her eyes. "If you trying to scare me, you're wasting your effort. I know what's waiting for me on Apokolips, and it stopped scaring me a long time ago. Not, tell me about the Worldkillers."
"Very well. The Immortal is their shield. She will protect them from all harm. The Flower of Heaven will rob them of power. She will render their weapons and machines useless. Purity's voice will cleanse the world of the weak and the corrupt. Pestilence will strike down all of those who will not repent with a touch. And when world is pure again, Reign will rule over it all."
Kara looked over at Alex. "The Flower of Heaven will be the electrokinetic. Purity will be the one with sound powers. Pestilence the one with poison."
Alex nodded. "What are the Immortal's powers?"
"She is invulnerable. Stronger and tougher than the rest. Impenetrable skin, unsurpassed strength."
"So, she's a brick. A female Doomsday," Kara said. "Where did they come from?"
"Krypton, of course. It's funny. Until I touched you, I didn't realize Krypton was gone. I must say, it's a shame I didn't get to watch it die. Though the view through your eyes was delicious."
"How are they hiding?" Kara asked.
"In plain sight," Jindah said. "That's the beauty and the elegance of Black Zero's design. They are perfect infiltrators. You could sample their blood all day and never see anything out of the ordinary. They can hide among you, and even the strongest telepath would detect them only in the moment they reveal themselves to attack. They could be anyone. Your friend, your neighbor, your business partner, your babysitter."
"How do I kill them?"
"You shouldn't. You should join them. Oh, the six of you, you could purify galaxies. Entire Universes. You could even face down the New Gods themselves. If you like warmth, you could take Apokolips and rule it as your own. Let the fires of the hell pits keep you warm."
"How do I kill them?"
"You don't," Jindah said. "I have seen your futures, Kara of the House of El. And in none of those futures do you kill them. You have only two choices. Lead them into battle or die by their hands. But the Monitor is right. If you are to live, you must repair your mind. I could help with that. I could cut out the disease. Fill in the cracks. Merge you back into a single self. I could even teach you to tap the magic you know is inside you. You could be a god, Kara, if you just let me make you one."
"Not today," Kara said. "Back in the cylinder."
"No. We had a bargain. I answer your questions, and you answer mine. Who made you?"
"You didn't see?" Kara asked. "I'm surprised."
"I did, but I want to hear you say it."
"Why?" Kara asked.
"Because it will hurt you," Jindah said. "And every little bit of pain will bring you closer to what you could be."
"Well you're just going to have to live without that, you sick bitch," Alex said.
"No," Kara said. "It's okay, Alex. We had a bargain. And you never break a bargain with a witch. Zor-El did this to me."
"Your own father. Did he tell you why he did it?" Jindah asked.
"Yes," Kara said. "He wanted me to survive."
"And you will never forgive him for it, will you?"
"No," Kara said.
"Okay, that's enough," Alex said. "Back in the can."
"Very well," Jindah said. She turned around and climbed back into the stasis chamber. "We will speak again soon, Alex of the House of Danvers. And on that day, you will beg me for help."
"Yeah. Don't hold your breath."
Translated from the Kryptonian:
vish
A member of the Kryptonian military guild who serves as a law enforcement officer. I.E. A Cop
