Chapter Sixty-Nine:

The other two Worldkillers just had to be in the grasp of Lady Sinister. It took a very long time to find this one, to unlock Reign within Samantha. But now that Lady Sinister had the blood of one worldkiller, she could be used as a beacon to locate the other two.

Lady Sinister smiled, somewhere in the world, these two women set out, unaware. And once Lady Sinister had their blood as well, then she could unlock the key to the Apocalypse which would force the people in this planet to evolve or perish.

The only problem was that Supergirl was still out there, along with her friends. Sinister would have Reign hunt her down, but she was needed to approximate the location of the other two worldkillers.

"So close," she commented.

The crystal on the table heated up and it indicated that Lady Sinister had a message. The diabolical Darwinist pulled away from her work and walked over towards the crystal. She scooped it up and activated the crystal. A figure dressed in grey robes, with the hood pulled over her head appeared.

"Yes."

"We have a bit of a problem."

Not the thing Claudine wished to hear when they were on the grasp of world domination. She ran a finger down the table and took a second to keep her temper in line. Once that was done, Lady Sinister spoke up.

"What kind of problem?"

"The Oracle approaches," she said.

The woman on the other side spoke in riddles often. She warned of an oracle who had been granted the powers of an entity older than time itself. An entity which could empower the weak and bring new life along with destroy anything which got in its path. According to legends, this entity could purify the Worldkillers, or from Lady Sinister's perspective, ruin them.

"You've often referred to this Oracle," Lady Sinister commented. "And yet, you have barely explained what she is. This is supposed to be an equal partnership, Selena, but I feel that...you are not telling me the truth."

"I have given you access to knowledge far beyond the primitive people of Earth, and yet it took you years to locate even one of the worldkillers," Selena commented. "But, despite that fact, I have information that you need to know."

"Tell me."

Selena enjoyed keeping Lady Sinister in suspense. Something that she did not feel too patient about for many reasons. Time had been money and Lady Sinister wished to get these Worldkillers all ready. If Selena thought she was superior to someone like her, then the woman was in for a nasty shock.

"The Phoenix," Selena said simply. "A cosmic entity of immense power which could cleanse the worldkillers. If she has brought here, that means we may have some difficulties causing them to achieve their ultimate purpose."

"I see," Lady Sinister said. "But, if she is so powerful, then why has she not shown up here to cleanse Reign?"

"Because she has not obtained her full powers yet," Selena said.

Those words hit Sinister and a thought entered the mind of this particular woman. She had an idea now, an idea which should be able to deal with this situation. At least in theory, and Sinister knew that one could not prove a theory, without application. No matter how many lives she lived, no matter what form, Sinister always found intrigue in powerful beings.

Much like the Worldkillers, much like Supergirl, and much like the Phoenix, Sinister found intrigue with them all. Each and every one of them.

"We will destroy the vessel before she obtains her full powers," Sinister said.

"Be careful what you do," Selena warned him.

"Reign is a force of nature, and if this Phoenix does not have her powers, then we should clip her wings," Sinister said. "Are you not confident in your creation?"

"It is not a matter of confidence but…."

Sinister terminated the link between the two of them. She walked down the corner, where Reign sat in wait. Sinister placed an arm on her shoulder.

"You have a task, Reign," Sinister said. "There is an entity who will stop you from your mission to purify this world and destroy all evil. She will support the new ways and forsaken the old ones. Are you going to take it?"

"No," Reign said. "Tell me everything of her."

Words failed Kara the moment her mother or a reasonable facsimile arrived. She got dressed, alongside with Alex. Carol had joined them. After the initial shock, Kara closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"This can't be happening," Kara said. "My mother died alongside everyone else. She sent me off to Krypton...to protect Kal-El...and that was the last time I saw her."

"I know it's hard to believe," Alura said. "I was relieved when Carol was sent to Argo, when she told me that you were okay. If felt like she was a gift from Rao."

Kara turned her attention away and looked out the window. If this was her mother, then they had been separated for a long time. If this was some kind of sick trick though...well Kara's knuckles whited just at the thought of someone pulling a sick trick like that.

However, there were so many questions in Kara's mind. Questions about what if. She wanted this to be true but there was a small part of her who feared that it might not have been. Kara's stomach did a very slight backflip as she tried to keep everything in check.

"It's impossible," Kara muttered. "It can't be...it's impossible."

"Sis, I think it's true," Carol said. "I found it hard to believe at first...but I've been to Argo...the towers are magnificent...they reach up to the top of the city."

Kara could tell Carol might have been to Argo or at least a pretty good simulation of the city. And yet, Kara could not be one hundred percent convinced. The Girl of Steel's eyes drifted from her sister to her mother and back and forth. The redhead with her mother lingered in the background.

"It's me," Alura said. "Here."

Alura pushed a necklace into Kara's hand. It was something that Kara made her mother when they were on Krypton. Kara's felt the warmth from the necklace, and she looked on to it. Unable to believe it, and yet it was staring back at her. Kara walked over and wrapped her arms around Alura with a hug.

"Mother, I'm so glad that you're alive," Kara said.

"As am I with you," Alura said. "This is Jean...she's a friend of mine."

"It's a pleasure to meet Alura's daughter," Jean said.

Kara stopped short, mouth hanging open when she got a good look at Jean, or rather the crest on her outfit. It took Kara a couple of minutes to finally find the ability to speak.

"You're her!" Kara yelled. "The Songbird, the one the prophecy had spoken of."

One could see the giddiness in Kara's eyes. Carol and Alex both raised their eyebrows. Alura half opened her mouth to say something, and Jean just frowned.

"You're the Flamebird...the Phoenix...you are the one who can stop the Worldkillers before their evil spreads," Kara said.

"I don't know if I can," Jean said.

"But, you have to be the one," Kara said. "You arrived on Argo, didn't you? It was a sign!"

The desperation spread through Kara's voice and no one felt the need to really burst the young woman's bubble. There were many moments past. Alura thought about placing a hand on Kara's shoulder and taking her off to the side. And she thought better of it.

The door of the elevator opened up and Alura let out a breath. Astra came out of the elevator and walked towards her.

"Alura?" Astra asked.

"A-Astra!" Alura said.

The two sisters locked eyes with each other and it was hard to tell whether or not Astra would attack Alura or embrace her. The General stared down her twin, eyes locked onto her.

"I see you survived," Alura said.

"I could say the same about you," Astra said. "The Phantom Zone was how I survived...the question is, how did you survive after all of this time?"

Alura had been pleased to see that Astra had not been mad about the Phantom Zone because that was the guilt she held every day. However, the Council put Alura in a bind. If Alura did not act with Astra, Kara might have been thrown in, to punish Alura. The Council's done that in the past, or threatened to do it, to force family members to comply to hand in fugitives in their family.

Leveraging children was one of the more questionable and morally ethical decisions the Council ever made. Alura could barely stomach the thought.

"Well?" Astra asked.

"It was Zor-El's shield...it worked, it protected Argo," Alura said. "Many died though….that first year was rough...including Zor-El."

"So, father didn't make it," Kara said.

"I'm afraid not," Alura said. "But, you are out of the Phantom Zone."

"Yes," Astra said. "I've served my debt, and I've done all that I can to help my niece and her friends protect this planet. I hope me being here is not a problem. Given that you were the one who set me up to be sent in."

"There was much debate on the Council," Alura gently said. "They realized that you were too dangerous."

"Yes, because I upset the balance of power and opened their lying eyes to uncomfortable truths," Astra said. "That's always been a folly with the Council. They can't handle strife. And I know Selena was the one who cast the deciding vote...given that I was about ready to expose what she and some of the Council members were doing."

Alura groaned, Astra still had not forgotten this, her claims there was some secret cult who worshipped people other than Rao.

"You really think they had forsaken Rao?" Alura asked. "Given that you…."

"My beliefs aren't important," Astra said. "Faith wouldn't have saved Krypton...because it didn't save Krypton. Therefore everyone's faith in Rao was misplaced...as I thought for a long time."

Kara knew this conversation could get very uncomfortable very quickly. Astra was the Kryptonian version of an Atheist and Alura was very devoted to Rao, as was Kara's grandparents. Which caused Astra to be somewhat estranged from them, but Kara thought they should really keep an open mind and accept people for who they are and not what their beliefs are. Or lack there of.

"They were creating monsters, and they just used one god as opposed to another to justify their atrocities," Astra said.

Alex and Carol both sighed, it seemed like Earth and Krypton had that in common. Mass genocide in the name of some god, using faith as an excuse.

"You thought Selena was a part of…."

"The proof I had was destroyed with Krypton," Astra said. "Along with Selena and her zealots…."

"Selena survived," Alura siad. "And she's...she's done wonders in helping preserve Argo."

"So, she's still pulling the wool over your eyes," Astra said. "After all of these years."

"She wants the same things that I do," Alura said. "To preserve what we can of Krypton."

"If she wanted that, then she would not have voted to send me into the Phantom Zone," Astra said. "Kara...are you feeling better?"

"Yes," Kara said.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be in the training room downstairs," Astra said.

Without another word, Astra returned to the elevator. Alura threw her hands up.

"Thirty years in the Phantom Zone, and she's still stubborn," Alura said. "I can't say I'm surprised. She's never one to listen to reason."

Kara kept her mouth shut, but she had a feeling that road ran both ways. Regardless, Kara had to return to the fact they might have a chance to shut down the Worldkillers.

"Kara?" Alex asked.

"I'm fine," Kara said. "Really, I am."

Always the horrible liar, even the false smile did hide Kara's frustration. Astra and Alura still had wounds, emotional wounds, and they needed to hash things out.

Something breached the parameter alarms at the DEO. Kara, Jean, and Alex moved in front of the line, with Carol following. The heaps of guards lying on the ground, along with government agents indicated that there had been some sort of trouble.

Reign dropped down right in front of them. Alex's attempts to restrain Reign did not go as planned. The symbiotic tendrils ripped apart from Reign.

"Sam, you're still in there!"

"Samantha was an anchor holding back my full potential!" Reign said.

"That's wrong," Jean said. "Your humanity is what made you stronger...it doesn't make you weak. If you allow Sam to die, then you are much weaker without her."

"Do not talk about what you don't know."

Reign lunged forward and stabbed Jean in the stomach as possible. Everyone viewed the scene before them in horror as Jean dropped to the ground, like a puppet with her strings cut off.

"She will not stop us," Reign said.

Kara kicked Reign through a window. She bounced off like it was nothing and came back at Kara. Kara proved to be a couple of steps ahead, taking down Reign with a maneuver that Astra taught her to turn an opponent's strength against them. That did not last for too long.

Carol and Alex bent down against Jean and attempted to stop the bleeding.

"I thought she was supposed to have all cosmic power," Alex said.

"Not the time," Carol said. "Especially when we need to stop the bleeding."

"She...she doesn't know what she just did," Jean breathed.

"I don't think she punctured anything," Alex said.

"She's mad...she's rattling her cage," Jean said. "I didn't want to let her out...not after June Seventh."

Alex did not have any clue what Jean was talking about. Just that they needed to stop the bleeding before she suffered too much. Carol and Alex picked up Jean.

"Let me go...you don't want to be near her when she comes out," Jean breathed. "Oh, I can feel it...that's what I feared….no...we had a deal!"

"She must be delirious because of the bleeding right?"

Jean's body levitated off of the ground and started to glow. Before their eyes, the wound that Reign inflicted on Jean healed. This left them with so many questions.

Kara flew down and smashed down onto the ground. Alex pulled Kara out of the way and Carol came back, swinging a large construct which resembled a huge mallet at Reign. Reign's kneels crumpled out from underneath. But, not for long. She refused to back down and kept coming at the Danvers sisters like some kind of slasher movie villain.

"You aren't going to stop me," Reign said. "Rao has left you. There is only Reign."

Jean flashed in between Reign and the Danvers sisters. Reign stepped back, as Jean pushed into her mind, bombarding her mentally with a mental attack.

"NO!" Reign yelled.

Those images hit the side of her head, extremely hard. Jean worked her way into the mind, and Reign lashed out.

Alex jumped up to try and help Jean. The wave of energy caught Sam and Alex at the same time.

Kara almost screamed, but no words came out. She watched, helplessly and hopelessly, as the Phoenix went to full power and atomized Alex and Sam before her very eyes. Then she flashed out of the way in a blink of an eye as well.

Alura came around the corner just to see the carnage. The three women were gone and Kara clutched the burning embers of where her sister once stood.
To Be Continued.