Despite having the ability to type over two hundred words a second, Kara Danvers paced herself in order to collect her thoughts and feelings more accurately. Alex was right it seemed, writing from the heart did help.
She returned to work an hour ago, flying onto the roof of the building and changing into a spare set of clothes she kept in the cupboard beside the stairwell. Nobody battered an eye when Kara Danvers walked into the office from the roof, her badge hanging from her cotton jacket displaying her work ID. Six years working at Cacto and it still amazed her how easily she was able to slip in and out without anyone questioning it. People come and go from the building all the time so you could forgive the security guards for losing count how many times Kara Danvers came to work through the front door. with her hair tied back and glasses once again sitting on the bridge of her nose, the reporter took a seat at her desk and got to work transcribing what few notes she'd managed to jot down.
Before long she was writing her first draft and everything just started spilling out. She wrote about how important the old Community Hospital was to the city and its people, how it brought the neighbourhood together where volunteers gave their time to help the injured and sick. She wrote about how the destruction and closure of the hospital left people discouraged and helpless, hundreds of people losing hope seeing this place in ruins. She told her story of how she personally felt saddened and heartbroken whenever she walked by that place, boarded up and fenced off, graffiti scrawled across the walls. Without meaning to she added how she felt responsible for being the indirect cause of the tragedy, how her arrogance and hubris brought that alien warrior to the site and killed so many innocent people. She carried that shame with her for years, trying to make up for her failure by saving as many people as she could and stopping every threat that came their way. Yet it never felt like enough. It still didn't feel like enough. But then the community, inspired by Supergirl and other heroes like her, took back the hospital and rebuilt it from the ground up. They made it bigger, better, and Kara had never felt more pride for her city. She wrote about how she got to stand amongst the crowd of people who helped rebuild this landmark and share in their pride, their hope, as they all applauded. It was as if they were telling the world "no matter what you do to us, we will always come back stronger."
Kara fell back in her seat after finishing her draft, releasing a deep exhale feeling a great weight lifting from her shoulders. Her eyes scanned the words in front of her, the very thing she had wanted to talk about taken shape, the words speaking to her deeply. She sighed. She couldn't let Alex know she was right, otherwise she'd never live it down.
"It's beautiful" a female voice said startling the girl of steel. Kara spun around in her swivel chair after quickly minimising the page, turning her head around afraid of who might've read her deepest inner thoughts. Fortunately the woman standing behind her was Nia Nal, her co-worker and fellow superhero. Nia was wearing her smart work clothes, a plain blouse and trousers and sensible shoes. Unlike Kara she didn't need glasses, though her long black hair was also tied in a ponytail. Her brown eyes widened when she realised she'd interrupted something, taking a step back apologising. "Sorry, I couldn't help it" she said quickly, gesturing to the computer. She'd come over a few minutes earlier and got transfixed reading the article Kara was drafting over her shoulder. "It really speaks to you" she commented.
Kara relaxed, reopening the document giving it another glance with her friend leaning down beside her. "Yeah, thanks. I might've overshared with this first draft though" she replied, immediately deleting the sections where she revealed she was Supergirl.
"Still, it was incredible" Nia said, looking at the young woman. "I guess this was closure then?" she asked.
Nia had only been a superhero for over a year. She was known as Dreamer, half human and half alien, her grandparents from the planet Naltor. As part of her heritage, her powers manifested several months after joining Cacto from Washington DC. But since her abilities only manifest to one female in each generation of her family, it left her at odds with her sister who was expected to develop this gift rather than her transgender sibling. But since then Nia has grown into a strong and resilient independent individual and was even labelled National City's superhero during a period where Kara had to step down as Supergirl. And under Kara's wing she'd grown into a formidable reporter too.
Right now though, all Kara cared about was she was too new to know the complete picture surrounding her and the destruction of the Community Hospital. She'd been told the fact and figured out the details, but Kara appreciated having someone who wasn't as involved as her sister or Jimmy. "I don't know about closure" Kara said. "The failure is still mine. Fourteen people are still dead."
"But now they've been honoured" Nia told her. "And now their families can move on. Maybe you can too" she advised. "The city has already forgiven you. Don't you think you should forgive yourself?"
Kara shrugged, unsure whether that might be possible. Nia put a hand on her shoulder, showing her she was there for her. Kara smiled, eventually breaking into a warm smile. It felt good to have friend helping her through this.
"Kara, Nia, can I see you in my office?" Jimmy called out, beckoning the two of them to follow him.
James Olsen's office was large and rectangular with three glass walls; two partitioning the office space and a third overlooking the city leading out to a balcony. Across the fourth wall was a grid of monitors linked to every Cacto satellite they had, funnelling a steady stream of real-time news and information directly to their Headquarters. A large glass desk sat in front of this display with a high backed chair slotted comfortable behind. In one corner of the office was a sofa and an armchair used for meetings, a glass coffee table placed between them like a mini informal conference room. Personal touches such as Olsen's trademark camera and prized award winning photos adorned the space, hanging on walls or desks alongside his laptop and stationary, branch telephone and personal printer.
Kara and Nia walked through the double glass doors to find Jimmy standing in front of his desk leaning against it, his feet crossed and his arms by his side palms down. He nodded to them both as Kara instinctively closed the doors behind them for privacy. The glass was several inches thick and sound proof, meaning nobody outside would be able to hear their conversation. "I'm fine, really" Kara said without asking, answering the question she knew he wanted to ask once again. "I'm drafting the article right now, Nia will tell you. You don't need to keep checking on me."
Jimmy looked back at her blankly, giving her a moment of silence before saying "good to hear. That's not why I called you in" in his professional voice. Kara realised this wasn't a personal conference, quickly resetting feeling rather embarrassed about jumping to conclusions. "What do you two know about Axis Environmental?" he asked them
"The waste disposal company?" Nia asked surprised, her eyes narrowing in confusion. She shared a look with Kara before reciting "they used to be a part of Ace Chemical until the management sold its shares off to avoid some bad press about the processing practices. Under its new consignment they specialise in chemically disposing of waste material, melting down unusable machines and breaking up toxic compounds. The city has a lifetime contract, along with dozens of corporations and businesses."
"Even L-Corp used them before Lena took over" Kara picked up. "They've been effectively cleaning up carbon emissions for years, their methods considered the most eco-friendly process due to their chemical formulas."
Nia's head tilted as she suddenly recalled "weren't they involved in a scandal a few years back? They were thought to be dumping their own waste deposits into a landfill and polluting the nearby ocean?"
"Accusations were raised" Jimmy nodded, reaching behind him and picking up a copy of the newspaper he pulled out of archive from that period. "But they were proved to be false" he added, showing them the headline "LAWSUITS AGAINST AXIS DROPPED." The article recounted how the investigation into the claims came back fraudulent and the company demonstrated how the final waste material of their disposal process was actually sold to a nuclear power plant because its properties assisted in the maintenance of their reactors. The by-line also revealed it was Cat Grant, former CEO of Cacto Worldwide Media, who broke the story.
"So why the sudden interest?" Kara asked him, now looking equally as confused as Nia. "Has someone made another accusation?"
"Not yet" Jimmy said, interlocking his fingers glancing at the door. The girls noticed, the cue indicating he didn't want to be overheard. "That armed robbery Supergirl stopped while I was at the Memorial Hospital" he said, looking at Kara.
Kara felt her chest tighten, feeling the need to apologise properly. "I know, I shouldn't have left like that…"
"Its okay" he quickly said, assuring her he wasn't angry. He understood when she needed to race off. "But I have a friend, a source, who works at the impound lot where the police take their vehicles for processing. He likes to give me a heads up about potential info relating to crimes like these. When he called me about the truck from the robbery, I asked to see what he could find."
"The truck didn't have plates" Kara recalled. "And there wasn't a company logo or anything."
"So I heard, that's why I asked. I got curious" he shrugged. "My guy looked into it and found a copy of the registration in the glove box. The police are still processing it, but I have someone at the DMV who I got to look at it off the books."
"What's this got to do with Axis Environmental?" Nia asked as Jimmy retrieved a fax from his bag.
"According to the records" Jimmy explained, reading the fax again, "The truck was part of a series purchased in bulk for the company. Now, without the plates it'll be hard to prove it's the same, but it looks like the truck came from an Axis parking lot."
The two reporters perked up as they reviewed the fax Jimmy handed them, the registration matching a purchase order to the company. It would need verifying but if it was true the Truck belonged to Axis Environmental. "So why would the body of Metallo be in one of their trucks?" Kara wondered.
Jimmy's attention shifted when he heard the name. "Wait, Metallo was what those gunmen were after?" he asked, all too familiar with the villain.
"Who's Metallo?" Nia asked, still too new to recall.
Kara gave her the brief rundown of how John Corban was converted into a machine and later killed, and why the kryptonite powered villain was so dangerous. "Alex and Brainy are looking into why he wasn't destroyed. But why would Axis have him?"
Nia gave it some thought before suggesting "maybe they were supposed to dispose of him?" Kara looked at her confused until she explained "Axis also have a couple of contracts with governments to destroy dangerous hardware. Military sometimes surrender weapons and they melt them down. Is it possible the DEO outsourced Metallo's disposal to them."
"They are a trusted company" Jimmy nodded. "And Jon mentioned once how the department is sometimes forced to outsource less vital tasks to fund more important projects."
"I'll have to ask Alex" Kara sighed, pacing the office. "If Axis were told to melt the robot down, why was it in an unmarked truck instead? And who were those men after it?"
"We don't know for sure" Nia pointed out, holding up the fax. "This doesn't prove the truck was from their lot, just the registration form is."
"That's why I want to assign you both to check this out" Jimmy said, circling back around to his seat. "Axis is a big company and has earnt a lot of respect over the years. But if they've started cutting corners or are involved in illegal activity, we'll need a lot of concrete proof to back it up."
"I'll start by verifying the purchase orders with my contact at the DMV" Nia said, not waiting to be dismissed before walking out the office returning to her desk. Jimmy let her go, happy to see his staff taking the initiative.
Kara, meanwhile, continued to pace the office. Jimmy watched her for a moment before taking a seat and asking "everything okay?"
"Yes" she replied automatically. But when she couldn't meet his gaze she faltered, sinking down to the armchair. "Mostly. It's just the idea of Metallo being out there, after seeing the Memorial…" she lost her voice, her gaze lowering. Jimmy sat silently at his desk, listening patiently. "I've fought a lot of dangerous people and aliens in the last five years" Kara continued. "I don't get this scared this easily. But seeing those names on that memorial…there was a moment when I was in that office building, holding up that roof, where I thought history was going to repeat itself. I was afraid I couldn't save everyone."
"But you did" Jimmy said. He'd seen the news, checked the reports. No fatalities. Supergirl saved everyone.
"But if Metallo is out there… we both know how dangerous he is. Imagine the destruction he could bring. What if I'm not able to stop him?"
Jimmy sighed, stepping out of his seat to sit on the sofa opposite Kara so he could look her in the eye. "What happened five years ago wasn't your fault" he reminded her. Then he added "and you are not the same person you were then. You've grown. You're stronger, smarter and faster. And this time you're not alone out there. You have me. You have Alex. You've got Nia, and Brainy and John. Whatever happens you will not have to stop it on your own. What happened five years ago never has to happen again. Not if we can help it." he reached over and put a hand on her knee, drawing her gaze up to him telling her "you are the strongest person I know. If Metallo does come back, you will stop him. I believe in you. And so does this city."
Kara couldn't help the rush of tears streaming from her face, her breath shaky as she broke into a relieved smile. She needed to hear all of that. It was the last piece of closure she needed. To be reminded she had grown beyond her biggest mistake and would never repeat it. She knew it was unprofessional in the workplace but she leaned over and gave her boss and big hug anyway. Jimmy returned it, laughing silently as he embraced her friend, even if it drew a few glances from the neighbouring cubicles and kicked up the gossip machine again.
While Jimmy was reassuring Kara of her ability to protect the city, Nia was busy working at her desk. Her contact answered her phone and she was able to request confirmation of the purchase order she as asking for, telling her to email the receipt as soon as she could. While she was at it, she left Brainy a voice mail to call her so they could ask about the DEO potentially outsourcing the Metallo job. Normally he'd argue that she shouldn't be discussing DEO business, but since they were all friends and she was his girlfriend he'd make the exception.
She put down her phone and started to make a google search on the company when she was suddenly drowsy. Her concentration faded as her vision began to blur, the computer screen becoming a swirl of colour. Nia shook her head, blinking rapidly trying to stay awake. She was narcoleptic so she recognised the sensations of falling asleep at her desk. She was usually on top of it with pills and several cups of coffee. But she was out of coffee and she didn't have time to grab her tablets before her mind was swimming in and out of consciousness. "No, not now" she mumbled before making the mistake of closing her eyes of a moment.
She opened them within moments to find herself at her desk. Everything looked normal, except the office suddenly seemed quiet. She looked around the dark interior, the lights off casting the room in shadows. She scanned the desks and water coolers, peering into the glass office and nearby corridors. The floor was empty, she was the only one here. That didn't make sense. It was bustling seconds ago.
Nia stood up in the empty office of Cacto, her eyes surveying the rooms spotting spilt coffee cups and scattered papers. It looked like they left in a hurry. But then it occurred to her how dark it was, even with the lights off. It was early afternoon, the sun should be out. But when she looked out the window she found the sky was ink black. There were no stars, no moon, and Nia got the feeling it was night.
That was when she looked down at the orange haze illuminating the air and her breath caught in her throat. The whole city was on fire, the flames engulfing every building and skyscraper. Her ears finally picked up the screams and shouts of the people below, their panicked voices calling out for help over howls of pain. People were dying, burning alive. The city was burning, she could smell the smoke, and the scent burnt meat filling her nostrils.
She felt her heart beginning to pound, backing away from the window. She had to do something. She was a hero, she had to help them. She began running towards the exit, the lift doors opening in front of her. But then an explosion ripped through the wall in front of her, the blast throwing her off her feet and through the office window, glass shattering around her as she fell out of the building and into the street below.
Nia landed on the concrete after a few feet, the ground rushing up to catch her. She gasped for air, swallowing a gulp-full of ash and smoke that made her choke. The burning city rose around her as she rolled onto her knees and crawled to her feet. She looked down and found herself in her silver and blue costume, her mask adorning her face while her hair fell over her shoulders. She had no recollection of getting changed. The fall from Cacto should've killed her. She raised her head and looked up. The street wasn't right. Buildings rose and fell, crumbing to rubble around her. She looked over the skyline and saw L-Corp, the sign collapsing to the ground as the building exploded in a large fireball, green flames rising into the sky. Nia couldn't explain what she was witnessing.
Then her foot tripped on something beneath her, making her look down to find she wasn't standing on concrete. She was trampling over a sea of bodies, dead bodies, their stench drifting up to engulf her. She gagged, covering her mouth as she looked around at the men, women, children and aliens. So many dead. Worse, she recognised some of them. She recognised the man who served her coffee in the morning. The alien refugee who ran the local bar they frequent. She found John Jones amongst the dead, his green skin pale and faded. She stumbled forward when she saw more, including Alex, Lena, even Brainy. She collapsed beside her boyfriend, his face still and silent as he stared up at her. She broke into tears, grief overtaking her.
She was snapped out of it when she heard a voice. It was quiet, like a sob. She looked up, rising to her feet when she saw someone else amongst the bodies. Her back was to her, but she recognised the red cape and blonde hair. It was Supergirl. "Kara!" Nia called, catching her friend's attention.
Kara rose from the floor, standing amongst the dead as she slowly turned around to face her. Nia's face turned to worry when she saw her face, her pale skin splattered with blood. Her eyes drifted down and she saw her costume was covered in it, her hands painted red and dripping with it. She wanted to ask what happened, but her gaze was drawn to the bodies around them, their dead faces staring back at them. "I had to" Kara whispered, her voice cracking with sobs, tears in her eyes. "I couldn't… I had to…" she stammered.
Nia stared at her, worry turning to fear she couldn't understand. The fire burned hotter as smoke swirled around them. Kara's shadow rose with the smoke, lifting behind her filling the red sky. Nia followed it up as it took the shape of a monster, a horned beast, a Red Devil! "Nia" it whispered, filling the hero with terror as the bloodstained Supergirl wept at his feet.
"Nia!"
Nia snapped awake at her desk, her heart pounding as she forgot how to breathe for a moment. Kara jumped back, letting the girl recover from her abrupt wake up call. It had been a while since she had to wake the young reporter up at her desk. "Are you alright?" she asked once the girl was functional and alert.
"What…what happened?" Nia asked, her eyes darting around the office. It was back to normal. Everyone was at work. The sun was out. The city wasn't burning. Her eyes fell on Kara, her skin clean and unstained.
"You were asleep" she replied, crouching at the desk looking worried. "I thought your narcolepsy wasn't as bad now that you're…" she whispered, glancing around the room. "Did you have a premonition?"
One of Nia's main abilities as Dreamer was precognition, specifically in dreams. It's why she was narcoleptic. But since she became Dreamer she had greater control, especially over the dreams and visions. But sometimes they took her by surprise. But this dream, this nightmare, this wasn't normal. She could still smell the smoke and feel the heat. She looked back at Kara, the image of her friend covered in blood branding into her memory.
"No, I was… I was just tired" she lied, wiping her eyes. "I didn't sleep much last night. Must've crept up on me."
Kara believed her. She hand no reason to believe she would lie. "Okay" she said, rising to her feet walking to her desk. "I thought we might pay Axis Environmental a visit, see if they've had a robbery. If someone stole their truck, they might not be up to anything. And if they are, hopefully our questions will stir some clues."
Nia nodded, reluctantly following her lead and picking up her stuff. She slung her bag over her shoulder, following her mentor to the lift. She stopped at the opening doors, the nightmare flashing the moment of the explosion that threw her out of the building. Kara waited in the lift, noticing her friend's nervous posture before she hurried into the small box.
Nia could've told her, but not until she understood what she saw. None of it made any else, and yet all the sense. If it was a vision, then their home was in danger and Kara was at the centre of it. What scared Nia as she rode the lift down to the lobby was she wasn't sure if that meant Kara was in danger or if she was the threat. She wanted to believe she could trust Supergirl with her life.
But she couldn't deny what she saw in her dream either.