So this chapter is a week late. I have been working non-stop the past couple weeks with my one job and just recently got hired for a second job, not to mention I'm currently taking two classes, one of which is very time consuming. The next couple chapters may be released on a three week basis instead of the regular two week strictly because I am so busy. In any case thanks for reading, let me know what you think and as always enjoy.
Chapter 17
Lori had practically carried Kelly back to her apartment. Her cousin had been so drained from using her kinesis that she could barely stand. It had been a relief when Lori finally drug her into her room and deposited Kelly on her bed. She was glad that her cousin was in a much better mood than the day before. Lori wondered if all she needed was to just feel useful or needed. That or her mom had said something to Kelly that had snapped her out of her self-wallowing. Vasquez was nowhere to be seen but Kelly assured Lori that the agent would be there. Kelly wasn't to be trusted to not run off and do something stupid. Though Lori was pretty sure Kelly wouldn't be up to moving any time soon.
"You need anything before I leave?" Lori was leaning against Kelly's dresser. "Like, I don't know, food?"
"I've got leftovers," Kelly said. "Worry about yourself first."
Lori grinned, "Someone's gotta look out for you."
"Right, right can that person be someone other than you?" Kelly teased.
"I doubt anyone outside of this family could stand you," she shot back.
Kelly laughed. She was always impressed with how easily her cousin came up with comebacks. She was never insulted by it, but sometimes her cousin went for the jugular. Lori wasn't exactly wrong though, Kelly had never been great in relationships and the only reason she and Nick were still friends was because they were both so weird.
"You got me, I give," Kelly said waving her off. "Now get out of here go home."
Lori could see her cousin was starting to fall asleep and didn't want to bother by arguing farther. She had to admit she was tired too. Sparring with Kelly was exhausting, the kinetic never held anything back because she knew she could never actually hurt Lori. She decided it was a good idea to leave. If she was lucky she would get home and one of her mom's would be making dinner. If not she could run and get a burger before going to bed. She left Kelly's apartment hearing her cousins light snoring as she shut the door.
XXXXX
Kelly woke up, unable to move. Her body felt heavy, like there was something on top of her holding her down. She struggled against the invisible restraints, trying to get her body to move. Panic started to set in. What was this? Sleep paralysis? She had never suffered from it before, why would she now? There was something else that startled her, a pressure on her shoulder that was completely different from the rest. Once her eyes started to adjust she realized she wasn't alone. Someone else was in her room, standing over her, their hand on her shoulder.
Before Kelly could find her voice the figure spoke. "Don't bother struggling, the paralytic I gave you is a strong one," the voice was definitely a woman's voice, but Kelly didn't recognize it. "It should wear off by morning."
"Who are you?" Kelly was finding that even speaking was difficult.
"I'm sure you've heard my name," the woman said. "I've certainly heard yours."
"Thorul," Kelly should have known, Warden was too aggressive to break into someone's home and drug them.
"The one and only," she chuckled. "It's a pleasure to finally get to meet you Flare."
Kelly wanted more than anything for her limbs to work. She wanted to attack Thorul, arrested her, do something, anything that might stop the nightmare she was living in. Thorul had gone after her family, made them a target. Kelly hated it, hated how useless she was.
"You have been giving my Warden a lot of trouble." The way she spoke about Warden led Kelly to believe she wasn't happy with the kinetic. "She went so far as to go behind my back to get you to join me."
"I've always been a trouble maker," Kelly spat.
"So I've heard," Thorul sighed. "Tell me Kelly, do you love your parents?"
The question caught her off guard. She couldn't for the life of her figure out Thorul's angle. Why was the woman there in the first place? Why go through this much trouble over Kelly when she already had a kinetic on her side?
"Of course I do, they saved me."
Ms. Thorul clicked her tongue. "No they delayed the inevitable," she said, her voice sending a shiver down Kelly's spine. "You were always meant for us. Your father made me a deal, you were the prize and I intend to collect."
"Why?" Kelly needed to know.
"Because you're special."
"I'm not going to betray my family," Kelly growled. "You and Warden can take your deal and shove it."
The hand on her shoulder was suddenly at her throat. The grip was painful, which was more of a surprise than the sudden change in Thorul's mood. Thorul leaned down over her to speak into her ear.
"The 'deal' Warden offered you was not mine. She had no right to offer you Donovan's life," her voice was low and dangerous. "I will however spare your family, including Kara, if you join me."
"Why change your mind?"
Thorul sighed removing her hand from Kelly's throat.
"Director Danvers is on the trail of the man who hired me, I've gotten all I need out of him, if he's arrested I have no reason to kill Supergirl."
Kelly hadn't realized her mom had gotten a lead on the mysterious third part in this scheme. It didn't surprise her though, bother her parents were great detectives. What surprised her was that Thorul knew. If Alex had discovered the identity of who had paid Marrison she would have kept it between her and a couple of trusted agent's. It worried her that their might be a traitor in the DEO, it wouldn't be the first time.
"If I say no?"
"I will slowly kill everyone you love, one by one until you are a broken shell of a woman."
She wasn't sure why she expected any less from the psychopath that had gotten Donovan released from prison. Thorul was insane, power hungry, Kelly could see why Warden was so eager to please her. Kelly realized saying no to her was probably the worst thing she could do. Thorul had been ahead of them all along, if she refused the offer she would kill her family. Kelly knew she wouldn't be able to stop her, not if Thorul could get into her home this easily. Joiner her would save her family and all it would cost was her freedom. For her family was that really that much of a price to pay?
Her mind made up, Kelly looked up at Thorul the best that she could, forcing a grin. "Fuck you." Kelly shot up, slamming her full body weight into Thorul. She knocked the Woman back into her desk. She had the upper hand, but only for a second. Before she could do anything more her leg, still partially numb, gave out from under her. She felt a prick in her neck from a needle. She collapsed, and for the first time caught a glimpse of Thorul's face. It was familiar but at the same time completely unfamiliar. Like she knew the woman but she didn't.
The last thing Kelly heard before losing consciousness was Ms. Thorul saying, "The hard way it is then." Then Kelly's would went dark.
When Kelly came to the second time she was on the floor next to her bed. At first she thought she had rolled out of bed onto the floor. It wasn't unusual, she fell out of bed at least once a week. The pain in her neck told her that wasn't what had happened. She remembered Thorul, their conversation. She remembered being drugged and collapsing. She remembered Thorul's face, and her threat. To come after her in her own home was insulting and the fact Thorul had so easily gotten away pissed her off.
Kelly hadn't been alone that night, Vasquez was still guarding her, making sure she didn't do anything she wasn't supposed to. Vasquez… Using all the strength she could muster Kelly got to her feet. Her legs still felt like jelly causing her to stumble as she made her way down the hall. Whatever drug Thorul had given her must have been extremely potent for her to still be feeling it. There was a lot that wasn't adding up. Making her way to her family room she found Vasquez passed out on the couch. No not passed out – drugged. She reminded herself.
"Agent Vasquez," Kelly shook the agent. "Hey Vasquez wake up."
Vasquez didn't budge leaving Kelly to wonder if she was even alive. A quick check of her pulse told Kelly she was very much alive just unconscious. She shook Vasquez harder. This time the agent stirred then bolted up knocking Kelly over.
"What the hell kid?"
"Good you're okay," Kelly said. "I don't really have time to explain, I need you to make sure my parents are okay. I'd do it myself but I have to go to L-Corp."
"I'm not supposed to let you out of my sight except for school and work," she said crossing her arms.
"Fine, I'm going to work." Kelly was still in her work clothes from yesterday, she could change later. "I still want you to make sure they're okay."
It made sense that Vasquez didn't remember anything from the night before. The drugs Kelly had been given were probably three times stronger than necessary for a normal human. Because of that Vasquez was bound to suffer from a few side effects. She should probably be examined at the hospital or something. Kelly didn't have time to dwell on it.
Before Vasquez could argue Kelly had gathered her jacket and keys and had bolted out the door. She was sure Thorul wouldn't start with Kara that would be too big of a risk. Lena would be a risky but plausible target. Her parents… well she probably would have already known if it was them Thorul went after. Then there was Lori, but Kelly pushed that thought away. Warden may have been a horrible person but there was no way she would let Thorul hurt a teenager, would she? Kelly really didn't know the answer but she hoped there was some humanity in the woman.
Because Lori had walked her home the night before her motorcycle was still at L-Corp which meant she would have to walk. She realized the situation was urgent but she didn't want to risk putting herself in danger by using her powers.
It took her over an hour to get to L-Corp even at a half jog. There had been a moment where she almost said fuck it and took off but she held herself back. It wouldn't have been a great idea to piss her mom off more. At that point she had just taken off at a sprint, pissing off everyone else walking to work that morning. The elevator ride up to Lena's office was excruciatingly long. By the time it reached the top floor Kelly was about to explode. She ignored Lena's assistant, bursting into the office with enough force to startle Lena, who dropped the stack of files she was holding.
"Kelly! What in Rao's name are you doing?"
"Y-you… you're okay?" Kelly stammered out. She was surprised but ultimately relieved. "Where's Kara."
"D.C. Alex sent her early this morning, wouldn't tell me why," Lena replied. "Now what are you doing?"
Kelly stared at her. She swore Thorul would have acted on her threat fast with the way Kelly had denied her. Maybe she had been wrong, maybe they would wait that was all they had done so far. That had been the problem, Thorul had visited her because it was taking too long, Kelly was sure of that. She would act sooner rather than later. Which begged the question; where was she?
"Kelly," Lena snapped her fingers gaining Kelly's attention. "What is going on?"
"I… I'm not sure."
Vasquez had called Alex the second Kelly had left. The young Danvers was acting very strange. She had no idea what could have possibly freaked Kelly out so much. There was a pain in her neck that she tried to massage away. Something had happened she just couldn't recall what.
"Danvers." Alex had always answered the same way.
"Director," she paused. Vasquez wanted to say that Kelly had run out of the apartment like the place was on fire but remembered what the girl had said. "Is Detective Sawyer alright? Kelly seemed to think she wouldn't be."
"Maggie was fine when I left this morning," Alex said. "Is there something going on I should know about?"
Vasquez wasn't sure how to reply. On the one hand, yes, Kelly was acting strange and the way her neck felt it was like she had been drugged. On the other hand Kelly could have just been worked up over nothing. It could have been her way of getting back at Alex for keeping her off the case. In the end she decided to not say anything at all.
"No ma'am," she said. "I'll keep you posted."
"Thank you Vasquez."
She ended the call with a deep sigh. It was in her best interest to follow Kelly. Either she would find nothing or she would figure out what had Kelly acting so erratically.
Kelly couldn't be sure that her parents were okay, but not having heard from Vasquez told her she shouldn't worry. And if Lena is… Kelly rushed forward gripping Lena's shoulders painfully tight.
"Where is Lori?" She had brushed it off before, but now? Who knew what Warden was capable of? Who knew how far she would go to please Ms. Thorul.
"She's at home," Lena said, worry trickling into her voice.
"Call her."
Lena didn't look like she wanted to do what Kelly was asking of her. Something seemed wrong, Kelly seemed borderline upset. Something had happened to push her niece into this state of worry. Choosing to listen to Kelly, Lena dialed her daughter's cellphone only for it to ring and go to voicemail. She tried three times before looking back at Kelly.
"She's not answering."
"I think she's in danger or one of us is," Kelly said. "I fucked up aunt Lena, I don't know how to fix this."
"You can get there faster than I can," Lena said. "I need to know she's okay."
Kelly nodded. She had caused this, all of it. Her very existence was putting everyone she cared about in danger. Now her cousin, her fifteen year old cousin, might be hurt because she was too much of a coward to sacrifice herself for them. Kelly hugged her aunt as tight as she could without hurting her.
"Go to the DEO, you'll be safer there," she said. "I'll find Lori and meet you there."
Her mom would put the dampener on her after this, she knew that. She'd rather be left vulnerable to Thorul and her crew than let her family suffer. She owed them that much. The door to the balcony was already open. Kelly took off at a sprint, launching herself over the ledge. She let herself free fall for several seconds before taking off towards the sky. She was at her aunt's home in seconds. Her stomach dropped, the front door had been torn from its hinges. Kelly kicked it the rest of the way down not caring what kind of damage she caused.
The inside of the apartment was even worse. The edge of the marble counter top was smashed, the coffee table (that they spent multiple family game nights around) was in pieces. Bookshelves, the TV, even the couch had been destroyed. Whatever had happened, Lori had put up a fight. Kelly couldn't see her cousin among the ruins of the apartment. Part of her was starting to worry that Warden took her. If they were willing to go that far to get to her then she would have no choice but to surrender.
"Lori!" Kelly threw the couch over hoping her cousin was underneath it. "Lori! Where are you?!"
She paused to listen. For the longest time there was silence, but just as she was about to shout for her cousin again she heard something down the hall. Kelly was by her cousin's side in seconds. She could see the green veins of Kryptonite pulsing through her body. There was a device on Lori's neck, it glowed a soft green. More kryptonite… She grabbed the device trying to crush it in her hand only to have Lori scream in pain.
"Stop, please stop," Lori begged. "It's tamper proof."
"Okay, okay," Kelly said, "I'm sorry…fuck…okay."
"Warden attacked me…broke my phone," Lori was struggling to stay sitting up right. "She took the watch mom gave me…the one that calls her…"
That would be a problem for later. At that moment Kelly needed to focus on Lori and making sure she was okay. If she let the Kryptonite go to long it could kill Lori, and right now it was already at the point of being extremely painful. She had no idea how long the exposure had to be before it became lethal. Kelly knew the only people that could help Lori were at the DEO. This was no longer about her, this was about Lori. Warden had brought this on. She bent down slipping an arm under Lori's knees and the other around her back.
"I'm going make this right," Kelly said. "I'm gonna make sure you'll be okay."
Lori was admittedly heavy for Kelly, Lori had a solid build for only fifteen, something that had to do with being half Kryptonian. Not only were Kryptonians built like steel they were just about as heavy. She carried her cousin to the window and kicked it open.
"Hold on tight kid."
She felt Lori tighten her grip on her shirt before she jumped this time taking off towards the DEO. Kelly was landing on the balcony seconds later, barely able to stop her forward momentum before she slammed into the glass wall that hadn't had time to open. She slipped under it making her way down the stairs. Her mother was standing there her back to Kelly, but the screen in front of her told Kelly all she needed to know.
"You better have a damn good reason for showing up here when I explicitly told you your access to the DEO was restricted," Alex didn't sound angry, but that didn't mean much. "I also told you not to use your powers, but here you-"
The words died on her lips when she saw Lori in Kelly's arms. She had seen the effects of Kryptonite before in Kara, she knew exactly what was happening to Lori.
"You need to help her, please."
Alex went to them, turning Lori's head to look at the device on her neck. It had the same simplistic design as the dampener Kelly used but much like the one Alex had that could only be removed by one of two people, the one on Lori's neck was tamper proof. They would have to come up with a way to take it off without hurting Lori.
"Let's get her under the yellow sun lights," Alex suggested. "It won't stop the Kryptonite but it will help."
Kelly followed behind Alex to the medical suit the DEO had installed to treat Kara. It had since been upgraded to better handle the needs of Lori, Kara and Kelly because of each of their unique situations. She placed Lori on the table while Alex switched on the yellow sun lights. Lori looked like she was suffering, she was sweating and her face was twisted in pain.
"Is Lena here yet," Kelly asked. "I told her to come here, there's a situation."
"No but I'm sure she will be," Alex said. "What exactly happened Kelly? Why didn't you come to me?"
"I didn't have time," Kelly admitted. "Warden was going to act fast, I just didn't think they would go after Lori."
"I need you to start talking to me," Alex said moving to stand next to her daughter. "You are keeping things from us and because of that your cousin got hurt. No more Kelly, start talking."
Kelly shook her head. She would explain everything after Lori was better. From the second she had woken up on her floor she had been formulating a plan. Thorul had threatened her and her family enough, and she could tell the woman was starting to get impatient. Her going after Lori proved that. She wanted Kelly to hurt, to feel like she had no other option but to join her. Kelly wasn't going to let that happen, she refused to be scared into betraying her family.
"Lori!"
Alex and Kelly both turned to see Lena in the door her hand covering her mouth. Kelly momentarily panicked unable to figure out how to explain what happened to Lori. Nothing she could say would make it any better. It was her fault this happened in the first place. Alex noticed her hesitation and went over to Lena instead. She spoke in a hushed voice that Kelly couldn't understand. Lena nodded, she still looked like any mother would if their child was hurt but behind that was a stern look of determination. Kelly stepped out of the way to give Lena more room.
It only took a second for them to forget about her. Lena and Alex's focus shifted to the device on Lori's neck. Between the two of them they were bouncing ideas off of one another of how to remove the device. Most of it sounded too complicated for Kelly to even begin to understand. They wanted to try and overload it somehow but each time Alex shook her head. Either saying 'to complex' or 'to dangerous'. Panic was setting in for Kelly. She was doing everything in her power not to shake apart. They needed to focus on Lori, she couldn't be distracting them. Her back hit the wall and with a shaky breath she slid to the floor.
"Couldn't we just crush it?" Lena said. "Sometimes the simplest answer is the best."
"Sure, but Kara would just be effected like her it's affecting Lori," Alex said.
"I'm aware of that Alex," Lena said with a sarcastic smile. She then pointed to Kelly. "I was referring more to the Haranel enhanced metahuman currently sitting on the floor."
Kelly shook her head, "I already tried that when I found her. All it did was hurt her." She hadn't exactly tried to destroy it, just rip it off but even the act of touching the device had caused Lori severe pain.
"Kryptonite emits a small amount of light energy that you could absorb, weakening the stone, at the moment you can destroy it," Lena explained.
"It would work," Alex agreed. "Get up kiddo, we need you on this."
She took Alex's hand unable to get up on her own. It seemed to her Lena kept asking her to do seemingly impossible tasks. Kelly had thought removing the ambient light from around Lori would be impossible, but she did it. Lena had been right then, maybe she would be right now. It was a rock it could be beat, just absorb the light it emitted and crush the device. Simple, probably painful, but simple.
Kelly placed her hand over the device, concentrating on a single point in her hand. She could feel the small amount of light absorb through her skin. It was an uncomfortable but not painful almost like it was draining her at the same time she was draining it. She could see the green veins receding from Lori's body. As soon as they were nearly gone she closed her hand around the device, feeling it buckle under her strength. Lori suddenly gasped for air as the device fell away.
"Thank Rao," Lena had her arms wrapped around Lori in a second. "You're okay…"
Lori hugged her mother back. She was shaken, that was obvious and Kelly felt bad because of it. Alex was on the other side of the room speaking to who Kelly assumed was Brainy. She looked angry or annoyed at whatever was being said to her.
"Kara is on her way back from D.C. she should be here in the next few seconds," Alex informed them. "No good news though. The Secretary of Defense has gone AWOL, I'll be sending a team to find and arrest him. Our focus needs to be elsewhere."
"Hang on, what does Secretary Ryland have to do with Warden?" Lena moved away from Lori confident her daughter was alright.
"Recently he's be breathing down my neck about your involvement at the DEO, which isn't out of the ordinary for the bastard," Alex started. "Brainy found a dozen off-shore accounts he was using to wire money to Mr. Marrison. Turns out Secretary Ryland was the one who hired Warden, he was using Marrison as a proxy."
"That explains a lot," Lena said. "But there is still one thing missing."
"Who does Warden work for?" Kara was standing in the door way, s slight grin on her face. Kelly realized she had no idea what had happened to Lori.
"That is the one thing we still do not know," Alex said. "Whoever it is they're ramping it up, putting on the pressure, they went after Lori this morning. And before you freak out she's fine. Thanks to Kelly."
Kara went over to Lori, doing that thing she did when she was worried someone was hurt even after being told they weren't. She looked Lori over closely until she was satisfied that her daughter was okay. Kelly rubbed her arm, she knew what was coming. She had to tell them the truth. The full truth, or whatever else happened from this point on was her fault and only her fault.
"Kel, you said there was a situation," Alex was slowly approaching her. "Whatever it is, you need to tell us now, before anyone else gets hurt."
She could already feel hot tears threatening to fall, she felt so guilty for lying, for getting her cousin hurt. For not being strong enough to do what needed to be done. "Her name is Thorul. She's the one pulling the strings, Warden is deathly loyal to her and she is obsessed with me. That's what all this is about. She is after me and no one else."
Alex was biting the inside of her cheek, part of her wanted to be angry but part of her knew it wasn't Kelly's fault, she had just been dealt a very bad hand. It didn't matter, they had a name they could find out who Thorul really was.
"Okay, Brainy can run a search for Thorul, we'll find her," Alex said.
"You won't find her," Lena said. "I mean you will but not the one you're looking for."
They all turned to face Lena, even Lori swung her legs off the table to look at her mother. She rolled her eyes.
"Thorul is me, or was a long time ago."
"Excuse me?" Alex was staring at her in disbelief.
"When Lex went crazy and was arrested I changed my name to Thorul," Lena explained. "When I moved to National City, I changed it back."
Alex shook her head. This was starting to get very annoying. "Thorul is an anagram. Goddamnit. She could be anyone."
"One thing is for sure, she isn't a Luthor, just someone pretending to be," Lena said. "She more than likely knew I used to go by it."
It was Kelly's turn to shake her head. "I don't think that's true. This Thorul has known my father since before his arrest, that's how long this deal has been in play." She had to wipe a tear from her face, she wasn't going to cry. "She came to my apartment last night, drugged me and Vasquez and gave me an ultimatum. Either I join her or she goes after each of you one by one. I told her to fuck off. And because of that Lori got hurt."
"She visited you?" It was Kara's turn to be shocked. "Why would she do that?"
"Because we're getting close," Alex said. "She knows we're close to finding them, they're trying to force Kelly to choose before we find them."
"Hold on, you saw her face, you think she's a Luthor because you saw her face." Lena, smart as ever had picked up on it before the others. "You recognized her."
"Sort of, she drugged me again before I could get a great look, but she was familiar," Kelly said.
She did her best to describe what she remembered, but the night was such a blur because of what she had been drugged with. There were problems when it came to Thorul actually being a Luthor, Lillian was dead, Lena wasn't a bad guy and Lori was fifteen. Not to mention that the woman Kelly was describing a woman in her forties. Which only Lena was.
The three eldest Danvers shared glances. They had no idea who it could be either, though Kara looked like she might have a theory of what was going on.
"This may sound crazy but we're Danvers crazy is implied," Kara said. "Kelly, Lori, I know both of you are aware of what the Crisis was, now after it because hundreds of Earth's merged into one we had some doppelgangers that wound up here. We had two Winn's, Kate Kane had two Beth's, and I'm starting to think Thorul may be another Earth's version of Lillian."
"Wouldn't she be in like her seventies then," Lori asked.
"Not exactly," Lena replied. "There are Earth's that run on a different time line, some in the past, some in the future and some in the present. I think Kara might be right. We should treat Ms. Thorul the same way we would treat my mother."
"Maggie is on her way in," Alex spoke up. "Once she's here we'll come up with a plan."
Alex turned to Lori and Kelly. "Kel you keep an eye on your cousin."
Kelly wasn't sure what she had expected but she had at least expected her mom to let her back on the case. She was clearly the target, she should have some part in the final push. Lori would be fine, she didn't need Kelly babysitting her. To Kelly it looked like Lori was about to argue the same thing but before either of them could speak two agents entered the room carrying rifles. It was unusual because the rifles they carried had live rounds, they weren't the DEO issue nonlethal weapons. Behind them were two more agents, one carrying a pair of cuffs they used to restrain aliens and metahumans.
"Kelly Danvers, we have orders to detain you," the larger of the two agents carrying a rifle said.
The two agents behind the big guy stepped forward roughly grabbing Kelly's shoulders so they could force her hands into the cuffs. Kelly tried to pull away but the second, smaller agent with a rifle held the weapon pointed at Alex.
"Orders from who?" Alex growled her voice dangerously low. "You all take orders from me."
"Not this time," the largest agent said, shoving Kelly towards the door. "Our orders are from someone above you. Now step aside Director, if you do not we have been authorized to use deadly force."
"What?" Kelly shouted struggling against the two agents. Her powers we dulled by the cuffs leaving her unable to break away from the two men holding onto her.
Alex had no choice but to let them past. Kara could have stopped them but it was too dangerous to try with two of the agents carrying guns. She had a feeling she knew exactly who had authorized this, it was his last play before they arrested him. They could put Kelly in a cell (which her daughter would not like and would most likely have a panic attack about) but as soon as they did Alex and Kara would take down the four rogue agents. Once they were dealt with they could get Kelly out of the cell and Alex would take the truth seeker to the agents to find out who exactly had given them the orders and just how many traitors there were at the DEO.
She could hear Kelly shouting the entire time. Kelly was claustrophobic something she had never gotten over from her childhood. Small spaces usually sent her into a panic and a bad one. They would have to act fast if they wanted to keep Kelly fairly calm.
"Kara as soon as they shut that cell door, you and I are going in," she said.
Kara cracked her knuckles. "No problem." Neither of them had to say anything to Lena, she was already next to Lori. She knew her place was to protect Lori while Alex and Kara took care of the rogue agents. Alex had her gun in her hand and was waiting by the door for Kara. The two Luthor's would be safe without them.
"Let's go," Kara said.
Alex followed behind Kara, using her sister as a shield in case the rogue agents started shooting. She was pissed that Secretary Ryland had authorized use of live rounds, they had used non-lethal means for years, he would have had to somehow get the guns into the DEO. She pushed the thought aside, what was done was done, there was nothing she could do about it now. Her focus needed to be on Kelly and the rogue agents.
"No no no no don't put me in there! You can't do this!"
Kelly's shouting was suddenly muffled by the paneled door of the cell sliding shut. The only sound aside from her banging on the glass was the sound of a mechanical panel (most likely the security console) being smashed. If it was the security console getting Kelly out would be more of a challenge, though not an impossible one.
Alex came around the corner into the corridor. The four rogue agents had their backs towards Alex and Kara giving them the element of surprise. Alex opened fire with her weapon, taking one of the agents out immediately. The two with the rifles spun around returning fire at Alex, had it not been for Kara stepping in front of her to absorb the rounds Alex would have been mowed down on the spot. Kara used her freeze breath to knock them back before moving forward, pulling one rifle out of the agents hand and snapping it in half. The second gun man whipped around firing the rifle in her face. A second later the gun was on the ground red hot from Kara's heat vision. She slammed both the agents in the chest with her fists sending them flying to the ground, unconscious.
Alex was on the four agent, he was nowhere close to being as skilled as her. He wasn't one of her agents, but she had so many people underneath her she had no way of knowing that had moles in the ranks. She slipped under his arm, extending her baton to hit him in the back. He crumbled next to her unconscious like the other four. Once he was down the two of them rushed to the cell Kelly was in. She was still throwing herself against it trying to get it to buckle under her strength.
What Kelly was forgetting was the cells were reinforced to house some of their more dangerous inmates such as the white Martian and the unknown alien species that had taken a chunk out of Kelly's shoulder earlier that month. Even Kara couldn't break out of the cells that was what they were built for, containment. Kelly wasn't thinking straight. Alex had learned very fast when Kelly came to live with her that she was prone to going into a blind panic in closed spaces. At first she had to have her bedroom door open to not feel trapped. She had gotten better over the years for most things but enclosed spaces that didn't have an easy exit were dangerous for her. It took a lot to get her to calm down.
Much to Alex's dismay the panel next to the door was busted meaning the only way to get the cell open was to do it remotely from Brainy's computer. When she radioed him he was already on it but was running into a problem with the system not responding.
"What do we do?" Kara was trying to pry the door open but it wasn't budging.
"We can purge the system but that would let this entire block out," Alex said. "I don't really want to fight a White Martian after the day I've had."
"So what else is there?"
"We calm her down until Brainy can override whatever is keeping him out of the system."
"She's your daughter."
"And you have claustrophobia just like her, you know the trick to calming her down," Alex shot back. "Please Kara. She's going to hurt herself."
Kara nodded. It was true she had always been the best at calming Kelly down when her claustrophobia acted up. There had only been a few times where Kara had to step in because she knew what it was like to be afraid of never getting out. She spent years in a pod trapped in space, who could understand Kelly's fear better than her?
Alex left her to go find Brainy so she could help him. Kelly was starting to look warn out. She had stopped throwing herself against the door and was now just pounding it with her fist. Kara placed her hand flat on the glass, waiting for Kelly to meet her eye before speaking.
"Kelly, focus on me," she said.
Kelly stopped. She was scared, there was no doubt about that, her mind probably trapped in that closet her father had locked her in all those years ago. Kara realized she wanted to listen but was having a hard time allowing herself to.
"Put your hand on mine," Kara said. "I want you to focus your energy on your hand. Remember when you were younger, you would show me the different things you could make out of light? My favorite was the bird."
Her niece was extremely talented when it came to her Photokinetic manipulation. She could make weapons and shields, even armor, but she could also make complex shapes. Kara didn't know for sure but she thought Kelly might have learned it so she could keep Lori entertained when she was babysitting her younger cousin. The few times Kelly went into a full blown panic attack Kara (and Alex) had used that talent to get her to calm down.
"Can you do that for me?"
Kelly nodded slowly placing her left hand where Kara's was and holding her right hand out in front of her. With her focus on a singular point in her hand everything else, like the small cell she was trapped in disappeared. Slowly, but surely, a shape began to form. It was nearly fully shaped when the cell door opened, breaking her concentration. Kara grabbed her pulling her out of it almost as if something bad was about to happen. Kelly took several deep breaths to gather her composure. She never had much control of herself when it came to small spaces, but she was grateful her aunt had done her best to help her.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Kelly said starting down the corridor, stopping when she got to the unconscious rogue agent who placed her in the cuffs. "I know it's probably a priority to figure out how many of these guys there are at the DEO but I think they can wait."
"What are you talking about?" Kara was following her niece as she made her way to the command center where Alex was now with Lena, Lori and Maggie. "We can't do anything with them roaming free."
"Kara's right," Alex agreed. "We need to deal with that."
Kelly crossed her arms. "Fine have Brainy and Vasquez weed them out. We have something more important to focus on."
"Which would be what exactly?" Alex had her arms crossed as well.
"Well I think I know how to find Ms. Thorul and Warden," Kelly said. "We're going after them, no more waiting, this needs to end."
They all exchanged glances. It wasn't that Kelly was wrong, they really did need to take the fight to Warden. It was that once again, the one person who needed to stay away from the fight was the one suggesting it. Alex sighed. There was no point in telling Kelly no. She would fight tooth and nail to stay active in the case, especially now that Thorul had threatened Kelly directly.
"Alright Kelly, tell us what we need to do."
