It was just after half ten that evening when Jake White returned to his hotel room. He had made the executive decision to spend the evening out drinking while his friend and mentor made his escape; partly to give himself an alibi for his surveillance detail and partly because he really needed a drink tonight. This hadn't gone the way he had planned. He would feel better when Henry got a message to him to say he got out. But he knew it could be months before that message came, by which time his own operation would be complete. He was going to see or hear from the Blacksmith again, and that deserved a night drinking his sorrows. He'd stopped himself before he got too tipsy, not wanting to lose all his faculties as he called down a taxi and had it take him home. He walked back in feeling like shit and immediately switched the TV on to get some noise before flopping onto the bed. The new started blasting through his room though he wasn't listening.
He was just about to close his eyes and drift off when he spotted the burner phone on the bedside table. He groaned, leaving it out was sloppy. He forced himself up and crawled over to grab it, briefly flicking it open on reflex intending to throw it into the drawer. He froze when he found a text from Henry's burner. He sat up and opened the message, his heart skipping a beat when he read it.
"I'm sorry kid. They got me."
"Who got you?" he whispered, already typing a reply when his ears finally tuned into the news report echoing through his hotel room. "Police spokesmen have confirmed that a joint sting operation conducted at the National City docks has resulted in numerous arrests linked to smuggling and the trafficking of weapons. Amongst the suspects apprehended is Christopher Smith, a foreign diplomat who's suspect of trafficking illegal firearms using his diplomatic connections. Though the contents of the container marked as a diplomatic pouch was destroyed, evidence of illegal materials and remnants of these weapons was recovered from the wreckage. Christopher Smith was known in his field as the Peacemaker, due to his unending drive to end all war…
Jake stumbled out of his bedroom and stared at the TV as the new report continues its coverage, playing live footage from its new helicopters of the docks where police swarmed the area. He went pale when another cameraman caught an angle of the diplomat being dragged into a police car soaking wet. In the background however was Captain Sawyer and a few FBI agents all standing around a black man in glasses, Henry? The new report was focused on the diplomat they overlooked the suspect of the citywide manhunt that everyone was looking for.
"Oh no. no, no…" he gasped, staring at the screen clutching the mobile in his fist. They had caught him. He had hoped he'd get away but now he had been arrested. Jake did the math in his head. Henry could take, give up everyone he knew. He could give him up too. Jake wasn't concerned about himself right now. As soon as his clients found out, whether he talked or not, he wouldn't survive the night. "Shit!" he screamed, pacing the hotel room panicking. He had to do something. He had to do something. But he had the DEO surveillance. He couldn't risk it. He looked out the window, the car back in its place. He closed the curtains and turned the lights off. He needed to think. The TV continued on, the footage giving way to the new reporters covering the story.
He took a deep breath, sober and collected. He had to do something.
"Fuck" he muttered, dashing around his hotel room to get his stuff. He knew it was a risk, he knew he was likely to get caught or worse, but he had to do something. he collected his things and slipped out of the hotel room, walking briskly down the corridor to the stairs hoping nobody would notice him as he descended down to the basement, to the hidden door, to the hiding place he kept his suit.
The docks was swarming with agents and police officers arresting the crew of the cargo ship and the security detachment who came with the diplomat. As heavy as the firefight was only five people died overall. Three DEO agents, one FBI agent and one of the security detail. The rest were either wounded or surrendered as law enforcement overwhelmed them swiftly.
Colonel Haley arrived on the scene to witness the multiple arrests, the strike teams cordoning off the crime scene and dragging the suspects into police vehicles or unmarked vans. She walked through the crowd to survey the smoking remains of the diplomatic pouch that had been set on fire as forensics collected enough evidence out of the remains to confirm weapons were inside. She turned her head as Director Dox arrived with Christopher Smith in handcuffs passing him off to two of his agents. "This is outrageous" he shouted as he was shoved into the back of the police car. "You'll regret this! I have diplomatic immunity! I know people! I'll have your badge!"
"I wouldn't count on it" Brainy muttered, coming to stop beside the colonel standing to attention. "We've manage to recover approximately twelve illegal firearms from the fire" he reported, nodding to his team. Seven of them have been confirmed to he constructed from materials catalogued in the DEO."
"So we can link Mr Smith to the Blacksmith's operation? Excellent" she smiled. It wasn't often you got to expose a corrupt diplomat and put him away so efficiently. "Any sign of the mercenary?"
"We've got boats up and down the docks looking for him" he replied.
And speaking of the Blacksmith's operation, Haley turned her attention to Captain Sawyer as she arrived down the ramp with the man himself in handcuffs. Henry Irons was brought down to the docks to be greeted by the Colonel, who stood before him with her hands behind her back. She cast a sharp glance around the assembled party behind the captain, Supergirl and Dreamer dressed in their costumes, her gaze pausing on Alex who silently took a step back. "Mr Irons, my name is Colonel Lauren Haley, interim secretary of the United States Department of Alien Affairs. You have been charged with the illegal theft, manufactory and distribution of extra-terrestrial materials and weapons. You are also charged with conspiracy and collusion, association and harbouring suspected and known terrorists, murderers and criminal elements. You will be escorted to a federal site for interrogation before being transferred to Stryker's Island for incarcerating until your court hearing. Do you understand?"
The man silently nodded to her, looking through his glasses directly at her. For a man facing life in prison, he was oddly calm.
Haley caught Captain Sawyer's eye, silencing her with a look. No doubt the police captain wanted to process the man herself, but she was intelligent enough to know there was no way a criminal of this calibre was going near a civilian prison. Haley turned back to the Blacksmith, taking a step forward to quietly add "however, if you are willing to cooperate with us and share the identities of your clients and associates, your incarceration could be put under review."
Henry chuckled. "You want me to tell you about my clients?" he laughed. "Most of them are very private people" he warned.
"Right now, I'm only interested in one name" she told him, glancing to the assembled party as she politely requested "I want the identity of your associate, the Reckoning. We now he's been helping you supply independent insurgents like the Children of Liberty and Hank Henshaw. Give me his name, and we can begin the process of taking you into witness protection and negotiate your sentencing."
The man stood boldly in front of the imposing woman, even as he felt everyone else's gaze fall upon him expectantly. He knew which name they wanted, which name they were expecting, but it was one he still refused to give up. Alex had already demanded it, Captain Sawyer going as far to threaten him, but still he remained silent.
Haley scowled, ordering two of her agents to "take him away." the man was dragged across the docks, still holding his head up high as he was lead to a waiting unmarked SUV. "Director Dox, you and I shall accompany him" she decided, in case he changed his mind on the journey. The man nodded, following the Blacksmith to ensure he was secured for transport. Dreamer broke away to join him, leaving the colonel with Captain Sawyer and the Danvers sisters. "We appreciate your help in apprehending the fugitive Captain" she said, acknowledging the NCPD's contribution.
"You're welcome" she replied politely. "For the record, I would like to be informed when he talks so I can also be there when you arrest the bastard we're after" she added cautiously. She didn't need to mention Jakes name for they both knew who they were after. Haley nodded, though she couldn't make any promises.
Supergirl followed the Blacksmith with her eyes as he was led into the SUV. She hoped he would give Jake up too. If he didn't then all of this would've been in vain. But for the first time in weeks she was able to relax, taking a deep breath and letting the anxiety go for a moment. As a result she was able to hear the earthquake over the pacific that was about to sink a coastal town, sighing in response. "I have to go" she told them.
"Go, we've got it from here" Alex assured her, watching her sister reluctantly fly off into the sky to answer one of the world's more manageable problems. She turned back and found Haley standing before her, a disapproving look on her face. "I know, I'm not supposed to be here" she nodded, lowering her eyes.
"No, you were expressly told to stay away from this case" she agreed. But she couldn't deny that she had done well to assist. The police captain just detailed how helpful she'd been to their investigation. She stepped forward and cautiously told her "even if he corroborates his involvement and gives us the Mr White's name, it doesn't excuse your actions Ms Danvers."
"I understand ma'am" she nodded quietly.
Haley regarded her respectfully, looking at the acting director waiting beside the SUV talking to the costumed superhero. "You are fortunate to have such loyal allies" she remarked, looking back at her with a smile. "It would be a waste to let someone as valued at the DEO go." Alex looked up at her optimistically until she explained "I cannot make any promises. But I can give the investigation board my recommendation to give you another chance. You will still need to prove yourself, do you understand?"
"I understand ma'am" she replied. She saluted the colonel as she walked away to join Brainy at the SUV, turning a blind eye to the kiss he shared with Dreamer before she stepped away to let them depart.
Maggie approached a more optimistic Alex Danvers, pausing to pass an officer the Blacksmith's mobile phone in a plastic bag telling him to check it, watching the federal convoy pull out of the docks. "That looked promising" she observed.
Alex nodded. "I think I might be getting my job back soon" she grinned. Maggie congratulated her as they made plans to celebrate catching the bad guys.
The convoy rumbled through the city streets steadily, the armed agents in each of the five unmarked vehicles rocking gently around every corner. In the centre the black SUV carrying Henry Irons was flanked both front and back by two similar looking vehicles, each carrying a small squad of guards. In the centre vehicle Haley sat with Brainy, the pair of them staring intently at the silent black man who sat opposite, his wrists chained to the sturdy floor. There was two experienced agents either side of him, plus too more in the front. Three of them held assault rifles over their laps, the other hand his hands on the wheel with his eyes on the route they'd mapped out. Nobody spoke a word since leaving the docks.
It was ten minutes before the silence was broken by Henry, who watched the dark city roll by the window wondering if this was the last time he'll see it. "Such a beautiful city" he said. "Not as pretty as others, but it has a…elegance to it. I suppose I'm going to miss this place."
The two DEO officials looked at him coldly. Brainy leant forward to curiously ask him "why join the DEO? It was a risky position to take."
"It gave me access" he shrugged. "The DEO confiscates hundreds of exotic materials every month. A man in my line of work can't help but be compelled to sneak a peek."
"Why choose this line of work?" he asked.
Henry sighed, looking out of the window thoughtfully. "I suppose there's no harm in tell you. At first it was the money, then it became about stretching my skills. I know about you, acting director Querl Dox. I know what you are. So I believe you understand what I mean when I tell you that working with this kind of technology…it's an art. Fascinating and dangerous, but rewarding nevertheless. The things I could build, the ideas I got… my clients were only interested in weapons, but there's much more I could've done when inspiration strikes."
"I'm sure that'll be a comfort to your family, and the families of the men and women who die from your creations" Haley growled.
Henry sighed deeply. "I don't have much family left. So I don't believe there'll be anyone to mourn my passing when it comes."
"We won't let anything happen to you" Brainy assured him. Henry admired his confidence. "But we need you to cooperate with us."
Henry smirked, turning to look at him. "I could give the names of every man, woman and dictator who purchased my merchandise. But we both know there's only one name you want. And I'm afraid that one, I cannot give you."
Haley narrowed her eyes. "Are you claiming you don't know his name?"
"I'm saying I cannot give it to you" he repeated.
"Why?"
"The same reason Mr Dox hear won't share the identity of his associates" he replied.
Haley glanced to Brainy, who held his gaze not allowing him to divide them. It was clear whose identity he was referring to, those of the superheroes they work with. "Are you saying you hold loyalty to the Reckoning?" Brainy asked him.
"Much more than that" he nodded.
"Then you must have an idea of what he's planning" Brainy pressed.
Henry looked at him, seeing the concern behind his veiled expression. "I thought I did" he confessed. "But I'm afraid things changed. His focus was once clear, a single goal on the horizon. But then something happened, and now his goals have shifted."
Brainy looked at Haley, who silently nodded her head permitting him to continue, to keep him talking. Anything he said here they could use to build their case. "What changed? What happened?" he asked.
Henry laughed. "The last thing he expected" he said. He paused, looking out of the window at the skyline mumbling "in the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that moment…"
"I also love him" Haley finished. The pair of them looked at him, recognising the quote from a novel by Orson Scott Card. "are you saying he fell in love?" Haley scoffed.
Henry's expression answered for him, and Brainy sat back thoughtfully reflecting on the quote he recited.
Outside on the road, the convoy turned onto an overpass where traffic thinned out. There was little activity out here and this time of night so they made good time. The lead car plotted their course through the parked cars with confident precision. The man sitting next to the driver kept his eyes ahead watching for potential obstructions. He was the one to see the vehicle rolling out of the side street down the hill towards them. He warned the drive, who slammed the brakes before the car could collide with them as it rolled into their path crashing into a parked car.
The convoy came to an abrupt halt as the vehicles behind slammed their breaks. The passengers jostled to the stop. "What's going on out there?" Haley snapped over their radio.
"We don't know" a voice answered. "Moving to investigate" he said.
The man in the lead car climbed out of his passenger door with the two agents from the back, both of them watching his flank as he walked forward cautiously aiming his rifle at the vehicle in their path. He approached slowly, his eyes darting around the empty street towards the overpass. He scanned the vehicle, an ordinary jeep with nobody behind the wheel. He peered through the windows, the interior empty. With a silent signal to the others he reached for the driver's side door, carefully pulling it open swinging his gun around. There was nobody there. He leaned inside and found the reason for its journey.
"False alarm" the agent reported over his radio. "Some idiot left the handbrake off their vehicle."
The colonel and her associates relaxed before snapping back "well move it out of the way so we can get going." She clicked the radio off and sat back, not appreciating the interruption. Brainy, however, grew more worried. It was quite the coincidence for a single vehicle to suddenly decide to roll downhill into their path. He looked at the Blacksmith, who too had his doubts about this be coincidence.
The agent slung his rifle over his shoulder as his two allies joined him to push the car aside. It rolled out of the convoy's path after a moment of heavy lifting. Long enough for the figure hiding in the shadows to move into position watching them carefully. Once he was ready he brought up his arm, the LED screen on his gauntlet lighting up as he armed the triggers. In the jeep there was a hum catching the agents attention as they turned to the backseat where they found a small satchel they overlooked. After five seconds the hum was cut off and the satchel exploded.
The agents screamed as sparks flew into their faces, the firecrackers bouncing around the jeep sounding like gunshots in their ears. More firecrackers went off around the street, the nose bouncing around them coming from everywhere. Inside the convoy the agents heard the sound believing it to be gunfire and reacted accordingly. "Move!" Haley roared shouting into the radio. The panicked drivers floored the gas, the vehicles launching forward crashing past the jeep veering onto the wide overpass to escape the perceived ambush.
The figure in the shadows watched the convoy race in his direction. Law enforcement can be so predictable he mused as he pulled out the next trap. With a swift underarm swing he rolled out the metal cable cutting across their path, the line interwoven with spikes down the length running from pavement to pavement. The first car flew over it at top speed, the spikes shredding the tires causing it to lurch to the right crashing into a Humvee. The second car saw the first crash and the driver, young and inexperienced, hit the brakes before he discovered the spike trap. As a result he skidded to the left.
The centre SUV veered around the second car, throwing the passengers to the side as it drifted around the obstacle. The spike shredded the wheels causing the momentum to flip it into a roll, the vehicle tumbling forwards sending its occupants spinning head over heels until it crashed back onto its chassis dented and broken, the axel twisted and engine smoking, the car disabled. The rest of the convoy skidded to a stop in the middle of the overpass.
Inside the vehicle Haley groaned sitting up from her seat. Her seatbelt dug into her shoulder as blood poured from her head. Brainy shifted in his seat nursing a dislocated shoulder which he awkwardly pushed back into place with a grunt. Opposite them Henry blinked in shock, his glasses bent and the lens cracked. "What was that?" he asked.
"You tell me" Haley growled, looking out of the car windows to scan the street. "Check the road" she ordered the two agents with them. They nodded, stumbling out of the disabled car opening the doors.
They scanned the area as fellow agents raced to check on them. They found the spike trap on the ground and brought their guard up. They eyed every building around them, peered around the cars and over the side of the overpass. Beneath them was a railroad, a good thirty foot drop. The agents fanned out but the street looked empty.
That proved not to be the case when two canisters suddenly landed amongst the convoy rolling at their feet. The agents leapt back as they suddenly released a cloud of smoke blanketing the area. The two agents nearest the colonel turned around and advised them to stay inside, closing the car doors. Haley drew her side arm watching the cloud rise around them obscuring everything. She looked to their prisoner, but he was as in the dark as they were.
"Call it in" one of the agents suggested, looking to one of his partners. The young man nodded retreating to their vehicle to reach for the radio. He pulled it out and brought it to his lips when he glimpsed a shape in the wing-mirror. He spun around only to find a dark shape leaping at him throwing his fist to his face. But the fist didn't connect as a blade sprang from his gauntlet and stabbed into his throat, silencing him permanently.
"Contact!" another voice roared, seeing the figure through the smoke firing his gun. The figure pulled the blade free and leant over the vehicle taking cover. Two more agents sprinted to intercept, but when they got there he was gone. The agent he stabbed, however, collapsed choking on his blood. "Eyes up, we've got contact!" the agents shouted.
The convoy went onto high alert when the figure leapt out of the smoke again, swinging the trident in his hands cracking one of the women over the head with it. She stumbled to the ground, surprising the man behind her who turned to see the figure flip over his partner to kicking him in the chest. His gun went off but he tripped over the concrete banister and fell over the side screaming. The woman caught her breath and looked up to see the figure twirl his weapon and strike her with his weapon again, this blow snapping her neck and smashing her skull killing her instantly.
Agents moved in and attempted to surround the attacker, but he weaved in and out of their line of sight using the smoke for cover. "Any got eyes on them?" they shouted to each other. "How many are there?" "I don't know!"
"I see him!" one of them shouted, firing his rifle in the direction of a figure as he leapt over the car, aimed his wrist and fired a miniature cannon that hit him with an energy projectile cutting through his chest. He sprinted into the smoke, flanked the agents and appeared behind them stabbing his trident into one and then his retractable blade into another. They attempted to shoot him but he either dodged their bullets or they bounced off his armour.
Haley heard the battle outside and saw the muzzle flashes in the smoke, the shapes darting back and forth before the screams cut through the battle. "Call for backup" she ordered, turning to Henry grabbing his collar pointing her gun at him. "If you know anything about this" she hissed. He didn't answer, but the look of horror was real.
Brainy pushed the button on his radio calling "mayday, mayday, this is acting director Querl Dox, we are under attack. Is anyone receiving?" he released the button, but was concerned when he didn't hear static. He tapped the button a few times before checking the radio. It had been damaged. He switched to his other radio, pulling it from his belt to repeat the call. But instead of static he got a cracking whine. "Signals being jammed" he realised, tapping his earpiece getting the same.
Haley and Henry looked at him ashen faced, realising they were on their own.
Fortunately Maggie and Alex were just getting into the police cruiser when they got a radio call of their own. "So how to you want to celebrate?" Maggie was asking, looking at the red haired woman teasingly.
Before the blushing Alex could respond their radio crackled to life. "All units, be advised" the operator reported, "we have gunshots near the overpass over at Third and Houston."
"That's directing in the path the convoy would be taking" Alex gasped. Maggie yanked her seatbelt on and turning the ignition. "Control, this is Captain Maggie Sawyer responding" he informed the operator, turning her siren on peeling out of the docks to answer the call with Alex beside her.
Brainy ran the calculations in his head of possible contingencies. He could use his signal watch to alert the others for backup. It was evident the FBI and DEO agents were ill equipped to hand this situation. Colonel Haley, however, seemed to have a different strategy in mind. "Whatever happens, don't let him escape" she ordered, readying her weapon reaching for the door.
"Colonel, I wouldn't recommend this tactic!" he called, but she was outside before he could stop her slamming the door shut. She stepped out into the fog and crouched down, her gun braced in her hands. The gunfire had stopped and so had the screaming. All that remained was the gurgling sounds of a dying man. She followed the strained voice and found the figure dressed in black and red standing over the last of her agents, the loud crack of a neck snapping before he collapsed at his feet. She rose up pointing at the figure, recalling the report that the mercenary who was protecting the Blacksmith was still unaccounted for. "Turn around with your hands up!" she ordered.
The figure did indeed turn around, but it wasn't the mask of Bloodsport that greeted her. She found herself face to face with the Reckoning. Her face paled as he walked forward, the trident in his hands sitting comfortable in his hand dripping with blood. She fired her gun, the bullets bouncing off his light armour plating barely slowing him down. She backed up into the side of the SUV, emptying her clip until he got within range. With one elegant swing he brought the trident around swatting her gun aside, disarming the woman before twisting his body, bringing his weapon into both hands and thrusting forward. Before she realised it, the three prongs of his trident were impaled through her jaw, cutting through her spinal column before puncturing the car door behind her to make the inhabitants jump. She was dead instantaneously.
Brainy witnessed the murder with disbelief, the shadow of the Reckoning falling over the window as he pulled his weapon free, and the body of his former boss collapsing out of view leaving a smear of blood in her wake. With no other recourse, he pushed the button on his signal watch.