Chapter Seventy-Four:
Jean turned up right behind Alex, Maggie, and Barbara so much that Maggie almost leaped up into the air. Alex put a hand on Maggie's shoulder and figured an introduction was in order.
"This is Jean Grey," Alex said. "She's helping me out with the little problem."
"Did she just pop up out of nowhere?" Maggie asked.
Barbara snickered for a moment. A little levity could help this situation. Jean just smiled as well, and wrapped her arm around Maggie's waist, pulling her in tight and making her relax, at least as much as she was going to at this point in time. To be fair, all on edge.
"I'm sorry if I startled you," Jean said. "I figured it would be less conspicuous if I popped up. I guess that I could be wrong."
"No, it's not your fault," Maggie said. "It's not that I'm on edge...that's all."
Jean could understand them all being on edge because of what was going on. The trio stepped into the clinic of Doctor Leslie Thompkins. On cots, as far as the eye could see, there had been people who had been laid out. And then, there were more people in the backroom.
"Damn," Barbara said. "It's spreading fast."
A kindly middle aged woman, with dark hair, slightly greying, walked out of the room. She ran another sample of blood to a station which appeared to have been filling up fast. She turned around and smiled when catching a glimpse of Barbara Gordon.
"Doctor Thompkins...Mr. Wayne asked me to bring the medicine by," Barbara said.
"Yes, I understand he's running around at all of the other clinics," Leslie Thompkins said. "Thank you Ms. Gordon...this is overwhelming…."
"I know you have the strictest of confidence," Alex said. "But, can you tell me exactly what you think is causing this?"
Leslie raised an eyebrow. She recognized Barbara, obviously, she had been well know as the Police Commissioner's daughter. And then there was Detective Sawyer, who had been by here a couple of times. The other two women remained a mystery to them.
"I'm sorry….I haven't been introduced Miss…."
"Agent Alex Danvers of the FBI and this is my partner, Jean Grey," Alex told her. "We're concerned that a mysterious virus has gotten loose in Gotham City. Do you know anything about the origin?"
Leslie felt a bit faint, but pressed on. The patients needed her, and needed her to be at her best. She shook her head in response.
"No, Agent Danvers, I haven't," Leslie said. "We're understaffed...thankfully the new doctor who showed up did just in time to help me treat this."
Here, Alex grew slightly worried. Someone showed up in Gotham City, just around the time where the plague just began to take hold. That caused Alex to have many questions and the need to get some answers.
"So nothing," Alex said.
"Nothing," Leslie said.
Jean stared down the woman, and obviously she was as frustrated as all of them had been. It would have been unwise to jump to some of the worst possible conclusions possible.
The doorways of the clinic opened, and an attractive woman with shoulder length red hair stepped into the clinic. Maggie's eyes widened for a fraction of a second when looking at this particular woman. She tried to remain cool, although it was very much obvious that the presence of this particular woman threw her off.
"Kate," Maggie murmured.
"Maggie," Kate said. "It's...nice to see you again...and here...in Gotham City."
"I've been back here for a few months," Maggie said.
"Oh, you have?" Kate asked.
"So, wait, you know Kate Kane?" Barbara asked.
Barbara realized she had spoken up at one of the worst possible imaginable times, judging by the looks that the two women were giving her. Alex put her hand on Barbara's shoulders.
"So, what are you doing here?" Maggie asked.
"I'm volunteering to help out," Kate said. "How about you?"
"Well, it's an official GCPD matter now that people are dying," Maggie said. "We think that someone's behind this, but we just don't have any idea who might be behind it."
To say Kate was not surprised would be the understatement to end all understatements. The other woman with Maggie, she jumped in as well.
"Doctor Thompkins," Alex said. "You said that there was another person here...is she…."
"Grace Parker," Leslie commented. "She's a volunteer who came here last week...and she's...she's…."
Leslie leaned forward and almost crashed down to the ground. She had been like a puppet who had her strings just cut off and Alex almost jumped back, in horrified shock with what happened to Leslie. She had been healthy and collapsed.
"Doctor Thompkins," Alex said. "HELP! SOMEONE GET HELP! PLEASE!"
Kate, Maggie, and Jean all rushed over. One thing had been certain. Whatever afflicted the women at this clinic at also afflicted Doctor Thompkins.
There had been many questions on Alex's mind, and she had just decided to answer the obvious one. Moving Jean to the side, Alex leaned towards her.
"Do you think that you could cure them?" Alex asked. "Like you did Sam….."
"The Phoenix Fire is not all healing, unfortunately," Jean said. "Sam was all strong….she was able to withstand a lot...but these people...they might not have that much time left."
Alex knew, sensing that this disease is going to be spreading very soon. So far, they had not been able to figure out any leads, on how to get in front of these. Alex never felt more frustrated in her life, which was remarkable in some ways.
"Sam could be the cure to healing them all," Jean said.
"I don't know," Alex said. "We still haven't been able to unlock all of the secrets of their blood….what if this is was Sinister wants? What if she wants an entire army of people like this...like her….you know what I mean."
"Yes, I know what you mean," Jean agreed, frowning even more deeply in the process. "Maybe you should check in with Lena? Surely she might have a better idea given that she has Sam under observation."
Alex dialed up Lena and waited what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a mere moment for Lena to pick up on the other end of the line.
"Lena?"
"Yes, Alex, what can I do for you?"
"Just checking in to see how Sam's doing," Alex said.
One could hear the sigh coming a mile a way. And Lena did not disappoint. Alex pressed the phone up to her ear as close as possible.
"She's going stir crazy," Lena admitted. "You sound...you sound like you're in the middle of something."
"Yes," Alex said. "I'm keeping an eye out for the third Worldkiller...she's in Gotham City."
"You sure about this?" Lena asked. "Do you know who she is?"
"I have a hunch," Alex said. "I'm just waiting for her to slip up...and Jean's there as well. She might not even be conscious of what she was doing…..we have to be very careful not to spook her."
"Be careful," Lena warned her.
Alex's eyes kept on Grace Parker, who moved around, giving medicine to the sick of the clinic. Which included the main doctor, Doctor Leslie Thompkins. Alex worried about Maggie or Barbara or anyone else close by succumbing. She might be safe due to the symbiote, and Jean had cosmic power that protected her. Others were not so lucky.
"I have to be," Alex said. "So, what's the latest on Sam's blood?"
"No reason to be worried, but no reason to be relieved either," Lena reported. "Why do you ask?"
Alex took a moment to collect her thoughts before pressing forward and answering Lena's questions.
"The Third Worldkiller is infecting these people," Alex said. "She's just stricken down one of the best doctors in all of Gotham City, Doctor Leslie Thompkins."
"I'm sorry to hear about that," Lena said in all honesty. "But, what do you think that…."
"Sam's blood could be the key in saving them, much like it saved the people with the Spider Virus. At least that's what Jean seems to think."
One could hear the very long sigh over the phone and Alex could see that Lena was not too happy about this bit of news. And to be fair, Alex would have have asked Lena, if she had not been beyond desperate to solve this particular situation. And th si situation passed beyond desperate the moment that Doctor Thompkins dropped to the floor.
"Lena?" Alex asked.
"Yes, I'm still here," Lena said. "I'm not sure if it's wise. I'm still running tests and….there has to be another way."
"These people are running out of time," Alex said. "Especially since…."
Alex leaned down and felt the forehead of Doctor Thompkins. She had been burning up severely and running out of time. And that was not good for someone like her, or anyone. These people clung onto life. This pestilence affected them even harder than most, due to being from an area of Gotham City that was far from the cleanest.
"I'll call you back," Lena said.
"Right."
Suddenly, Grace Parker stepped into the room. An attractive, and unassuming Asian woman, she did not seem like the type. A doctor from what Barbara had said, but then again, Alex's suit was starting to stir. The woman swept over the patients and suddenly, suddenly, something inside of Alex snapped.
Alex's suit tentacle whipped out and grabbed Grace around the throat, before slamming her against the wall. The good doctor had gasped out in surprise when staring her down.
"It seems like I'm not the only one who has a little alien secret," Grace said. "Agent Danvers."
"So, you're her," Alex said. "You're the third Worldkiller. You're the one who is the cause of the Pestilence...and you are already awakened."
"I'm merely sharing my gift to the world," Grace said. "Sending these people off to a better place...any place is better than Gotham City."
Grace broke free and tried to infect Alex with her so called gift. The symbiote blocked the infection and then caused Grace to fly back when she had been whipped in the face.
A scream had been heard from outside. That was particularly normal for Gotham City. However, Alex listened again and realized who screamed.
Maggie, she screamed, and Alex whipped her wrists forward and cocooned Grace from head to toe in black webbing. She hoped that this would hold the woman.
Kate and Maggie walk outside. Kate thought that things were as awkward between them now, as they had left each other years back.
"So, that's Alex?" Kate asked. "She seems nice."
"Oh, she is...she's very commanding," Maggie said.
Kate thought that it would be rude and out of line for her to say that Maggie needed a strong hand to keep her in line. She really did not know what to say. It really hurt that they parted so bitterly. Kate remaining in Gotham City had been a point of contention for Maggie, but her family's legacy was there. And Kate dated a few times, but nothing really serious. She had been called the lesbian version of Bruce Wayne by some people, due to her attraction to models, which Kate found kind of amusing.
Still, she did not know what the hell to talk about.
"But, you left her to come to Gotham," Kate said. "Is there a reason why?"
"I'm trying to understand...why you left me for Gotham," Maggie said.
"It's been three years," Kate said. "And I think…."
What Kate thought had come to her. The tall and imposing woman, pale, with dark hair showed up. There was something about her which made Kate realize that they were in danger.
"Lady Sinister," Maggie murmured.
"Detective," Sinister said. "Don't make me move you."
She smashed down onto the ground and turned around, destroying one of the oldest buildings in Park Row with a sonic cry. Whether or not it was inhabited bore little meaning to Lady Sinister. She just wished to show the power she had.
"Two Worldkillers," she said. "And three completes the set."
"No."
Alex dropped down and blasted Sinister in the back. Sinister staggered and Alex grabbed onto Sinister. Sinister ripped into Alex's suit, almost yanking it off of her. Alex's other screamed in pain.
So much pain, so much agony, and Alex flung right into the side of the building. She breathed heavily as Sinister jumped into the ground and almost stomped her into the ground.
Three bullets deflected off of Sinister's back. Sinister turned around and launched Maggie off of the ground with a sonic scream. An echo came from them, with Sinister walking over towards her.
Kate jumped onto the woman's back, in an attempt to choke her out. Sinister shrugged Kate off like she was nothing and plowed her down to the ground. Every single bone in Kate Kane's body rattled.
"You've come for me?"
Alex groaned instantly when rising up. Grace Parker freed herself and walked towards Lady Sinister.
"My gifts are yours to have," Grace commented. "You are here to weed out the weak and make sure the strong survive? For too long, humanity has been coddled."
"Grace, no," Alex breathed.
Lady Sinister broke out into an ear to ear grin.
"You are a woman after my own heart and it's refreshing to see someone have the right attitude," Lady Sinister said. "However, my dear, you must realize that there can only be one."
Alex realized if Sinister got those powers, on top of the other two, they would not be able to stop her. She rose up and wrapped Sinister's wrist up. Sinister released another sonic cry which caused the symbiote great distress.
"You and your sister, you have intervened in my plans one time too many," Sinister said. "But, I'll deal with you later...right now…."
Sinister knocked Grace down onto the ground and retracted what appeared to be some kind of metal dagger from her hand. Grace's eyes bugged open as she sucked in so many breaths.
"Please, my lady, I can be faithful," Grace said. "I can be true to you...your cause...let me join you."
"Sorry, but your blood is more useful to me," Sinister said. "And I learned the hardway leaving one of you alive is too dangerous...but my master will cure that mistake when he reshapes the world."
Before Sinister could strike, Jean flashed in front of the woman in all of her glory. Sinister stepped back, the fire of the Phoenix awe inspiring as always.
"This ends now," Jean said.
"We agree."
To Be Continued.