A fleet of police cars rushed to the abandoned Lockwood steel mill that had been taken over by a local drug cartel. "Just form a perimeter. I got this," Kon said using his X-ray vision to see the combatants inside.
"Alright, hot-shot," Maggie allowed.
Kon entered the steel mill and found bad guys everywhere. A sniper aimed at Kon's chest only for Kon to beam him through the eye killing him instantly. The steel mill then became full of gunfire as the drug cartel fired on Kon. The bullets merely bounced off him.
"Really, guys?" he asked unimpressed.
Kon casually walked around the mill firing beams at each combatant blasting holes in their torsos or taking their heads off. Cartel men desperately fired at the MPD outside hoping to create a hole for them to escape. An armored truck tore out of the steel mill and sped away. Kon ignored them and went inside a drug lab. Looking around, he then saw a bomb.
The bomb exploded destroying the entire drug lab. Kon walked away from the explosion unscathed. "You mind taking out that truck?" Maggie radioed to Kon.
"Yeah, sure," Kon said getting after it.
Kon got in front of the truck as it went straight for him. "You dumb mother-fuckers," Kon smiled as he raised his hand and fired an energy beam at them. The beam went through the windshield killing the driver and blasting the truck to scrap metal. Kon walked over to the truck to make sure the driver was dead.
"It's Caine. We got him," Maggie smiled.
Mara came to a podium in an auditorium in front of the press and city leaders. She was wearing a conservative business suit. "So, people of the press, city officials, in a few minutes, Omni Consumer Products and the troubled city of Metropolis will join together in a new bold venture. Sometimes, you have to start over from scratch to make things right and that is exactly what we're going to do. We're going to build a brand new district, an example to the world."
A model of the buildings Mara wanted to build then came up from the floor for everyone to see. "This is how the city should be and will be under the management of private enterprise. The mayor then entered the auditorium and came on stage to confront Mara.
"You're going to have to tear down a lot of buildings to make that thing," Mayor Kusack objected.
"Yeah," Mara agreed nonchalantly.
"You will take away people's homes," Kusack continued.
"You mean homes owned by banks, underwater, and on the verge of foreclosure," Mara pointed out. "We will provide new affordable housing in brand new apartment complexes. They will be safe, secure, and clean."
"Not much room for neighborhoods," Kusack objected.
"Neighborhoods are obsolete in a major city. There is plenty of land left for neighborhoods in the country," Mara replied.
"What about democracy? No one elected you," Kusack argued.
"You mean, the fifth of the voting population that voted you into office with a fifteen percent turn-out rate?" Mara mocked.
"Yeah," Kusack said embarrassed.
"I can be fired as CEO of OCP by my stockholders for poor performance each quarter. We have to wait four years to throw you out of office, and we're still having to wait," Mara said disrespectfully.
"You can always recall me," Kusack excused.
"Don't be moronic," Mara said dismissively. "If I don't deliver, our stock goes down and our profits dwindle. I am accountable for my performance. You are not."
"A lot of people won't be able to afford your stock to make a difference at your stockholder meetings," Kusack pointed out.
"You want people that have no education or skill-set with no sense of ownership to make important decisions for this city? Now, I understand why you want sixteen-year-olds to vote, for non-citizens to vote, and for convicted felons to vote. You're not about responsible management. You're about keeping yourself in power. Now, sit down," Mara glared at him.
Mara took out a tube filled with the drug Nuke. "This single container holds enough Nuke to addict a city block. A hundred of these are produced every day and sent to sweat-shops where urban slaves produce this drug for our family members, our friends, our loved ones, and our children. I'm going to put an end to this plague once and for all. I am going to give the police the resources to track down every shipment and every dealer."
The crowd applauded Mara's initiative. "Thank you," she smiled pleased with the reception.
Moscow, PATRIOT
Nikolai had other ideas on how to handle Nuke. He sat down with other security chiefs. "We have a large supply of Nuke from the Americans. We're going to poison the supply with a chemical agent that will increase aggression, increase muscular strength, and eventually lead to cardiac arrest. This will cause chaos in American streets," Nikolai proposed.
"Can it be traced back to us?" a security chief asked.
"No," Nikolai said confidently.
"Do it," the security chiefs agreed with Nikolai's plan.
Nikolai then received a phone call from Alina who was using a satellite phone in Syria. "Yes?"
"We have her in position with a strike team," Alina said to him.
Kara was in military uniform as she worked as a team with Russian special forces. In a brutal shootout with ISIS forces, the entire team was dead. Kara's uniform was shot up, but she remained standing. ISIS fighters flooded towards her position. Taking the radio, she contacted command.
"Conduct airstrike on my position," Kara said and then gave them the coordinates.
"Please confirm your request," command radioed back.
"Affirmative on the request. Tell Nikolai...I hate him," Kara said and then hung up. Su-35s took off from a nearby airbase and sped towards Kara's position. Using Kara's tracking device, they knew exactly where to hit.
"Come on, you bastards. Just get a little closer," Kara said as the ISIS fighters got closer to her.
Twin Su-35s fired guided missiles on Kara's position creating a massive explosion that took out several city blocks. The ISIS fighters were either incinerated or blown to pieces upon impact. Kara emerged from the smoke in her teal blue suit and casually walked towards an injured ISIS fighter.
"You done fucked up," Kara told him and then broke his neck killing him. She then took his clothes, so she would blend in, and walked back to base.
Metropolis
Kon came into the DEO all smiles and gave a civilian-dressed Mara a look. Alex came over to confront him. "What are you doing here?" Alex asked him crossly.
"Why you hating?" Kon wondered.
Alex looked at his Superman logo t-shirt. "You some kind of Superboy?" she asked him.
Kon scoffed. "Try prince of all Insane."
"What's your secret identity?" Alex demanded.
"I don't have one. I never needed one," Kon said confused.
"What's Supergirl's identity then?" Alex ordered.
"You fucking with me?" Kon asked.
"If you refuse to tell us then you have to leave," Alex told him.
"Am I being punked?" Kon asked incredulously.
"We have a new policy at the DEO. Superheroes either comply with our orders, or they can't work with us," Alex said crossly.
"I'm just trying to visit my favorite aunt," Kon said confused.
"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about," Alex said to him.
"Alright, I've assessed the situation and I'm leaving," Kon said flipping Alex the bird as he left.
Alex then turned to Mara not recognizing her as Supergirl. "So, the president gave you a top-secret security clearance and you thought you could just waltz in here."
"Yeah," Mara said nonchalantly.
"What does a Catco reporter want with the DEO?" Alex asked skeptically.
"I'm also the executor of the Edge estate and CEO of OCP," Mara reminded her. "When Superman and Zod fought in Metropolis, it destroyed several city blocks. Lex Luthor ended up making ridiculous amounts of money on contracts to rebuild the city. I would rather not have that happen again."
"So, what do you have to contribute to the DEO?" Alex wondered.
"I don't think you quite understand the power dynamic here. I don't have to do anything," Mara said to her.
Brainiac 5 handed Mara a folder filled with papers. "Welcome to the DEO, Miss Jade," he greeted.
"Finally, someone who knows how to be polite," Mara said scornfully.
The police radio then indicated a frat party gone wrong. "None of our concern," Alex rolled her eyes.
"Yes, but Supergirl is there," Brainiac 5 told Alex.
"Alright, let's move, people, Alex ordered.
"Really?" Mara eyed Brainiac 5.
That night, two frat guys tore up a bar with super-human strength. The DEO intervened as people fled the scene. Alex took out a baton and began kicking ass on one of the frat guys. Supergirl dropped down and was immediately attacked by the other frat guy. Mara easily pushed the frat guy to the ground.
"Thank you for your assistance, Supergirl. We'll take over from here," Alex said to her.
"Happy to help, Alex," Mara replied.
"It's Director Danvers," Alex said peeved.
"Yes, of course, Director Danvers," Mara rolled her eyes.
At Alex's apartment, most of the DEO gang was there to play cards. Alex put down a full-house beating everyone and taking all the chips in the pot. "Read'em and weep," Alex said victoriously.
"I love that you guys get together like this. Game night was a staple in my family," Nia said amused.
"Where did you grow up, Nia?" Alex asked curiously.
"A small town up north called Parthus," Nia said.
"Doesn't that mean paradise in Irish?" Lena asked knowing the answer already.
"Absolutely. It's not only beautiful but aliens and humans have lived together in harmony for decades. I'm actually coming back this weekend for harvest fest. My parents and sister will be there," Nia said.
"Sometimes, I wish I had a sister," Alex considered.
The rest of the DEO gang looked at each other making sure none of them contradicted her. In the apartment across the street, Mara watched the scene unfold from her easy chair using her X-ray vision and super-hearing. She had bought this apartment specifically to observe Alex without her knowing. Seeing Alex happy and enjoying herself, Mara understood why Hank did what he did.
Mara came to work at Catco a little flustered. "You do realize you have two doughnuts in your hands?" James pointed out.
"We Insane people have high metabolisms," Mara told him as she consumed both of them quickly. "I'm starting to have second thoughts on this mind-wipe thing."
"You know why Hank had to do it, right?" James said seriously.
"I don't think it solves the underlying cause. The problem with Alex is of a spiritual sort," Mara considered.
"Must be tough for you," James said sympathetically.
"Actually, it's barely an inconvenience," Mara said.
"You should throw yourself into your work and not think about it," James suggested.
"Is this your way of saying 'get back to work'?" Mara questioned.
"No, I would never say that to you," James lied.
Asian reporter Takanawa entered the room with a folder. "I'm sorry. Is this a bad time?" she asked awkwardly.
"No, go ahead and have a doughnut," Mara said to her.
"I don't eat sugar or dough," she passed.
"More for me," Mara said stuffing her face.
"You've got chocolate on your hands and on your face," Taknawa pointed out.
"I don't care," Mara replied.
"So, what's on your mind?" James asked Takanawa.
"I found a glitch in L Corp's numbers. My source tells me there is a black budget. They say it has to do with genetic testing," Takanawa said.
"Genetic testing isn't illegal," James reminded her.
"If it wasn't shady, why would they keep it off the books?" Takanawa asked. "So, can I follow the money?"
"Absolutely, knock yourself out," Mara advised.
"Yeah but send me what you have first. I want to vet it," James said having no intention of doing so.
Takanawa then left the room. "Your girlfriend is up to something," Mara said accusingly.
"After everything you do with Edge Industries and OCP, you better back off," James told her.
"Maybe I'm the source," Mara teased.
"That's fucked up. We don't snitch on each other," James reminded her.
Mara entered the women's restroom and found Nia on the phone in front of the mirror. "My flight was canceled because all flights are canceled. I can't leave now, because I have a job. Okay, I'll try. Love you, too," Nia said hanging up.
"Sister," Nia explained. "We're close, but she drives me crazy."
"I can relate to that. My brother drives me crazy," Mara said.
"Really?" Nia rolled her eyes at the slight. "I've never missed harvest fest," Nia told her.
"A first for everything," Mara smiled.
There was a long awkward pause. "Can I please take a day off for my family?" Nia pleaded.
"You going to cooperate with our plan?" Mara asked.
"Fine, I'll go on a date with her," Nia agreed.
Bro then entered the restroom looking for Mara. He was dressed in a suit that appeared to be on the verge of shredding it due to his massive muscles. "My Bro," Mara said pleased to see him.
"This is a woman's restroom," Nia pointed out.
"Bro identifies as a woman at the moment," Mara downplayed.
"I do?" Bro wondered.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Mara asked wide-eyed.
"No, of course not," Bro said politely.
A woman entered the restroom and then immediately backed out upon seeing Bro. "Look, you can't even get there by car even if you wanted to. You would fall asleep behind the wheel and kill someone," Mara pointed out.
"I guess I'm fucked," Nia realized.
"I'll drive. Bro needs to see more of the country anyway," Mara said.
"You want to come with me?" Nia questioned.
"Yeah, isn't your town an oasis of tolerance?" Mara asked.
"Yeah," Nia agreed.
"They must be taught a lesson in reality," Mara said dangerously.
"I'm having second thoughts," Nia admitted.
"You want to go out and see townsfolk?" Mara asked Bro.
"Certainly. I always like to meet new people," Bro said brightly.
"Then it's settled. Oh, and I decide the music," Mara said.
"Because you're the driver?" Nia guessed.
"Because I'm your boss," Mara corrected.
At work, Alex contemplated the memory of the truth seeker. She had been sent to the interrogation room where a giant octopus monster put tentacles in both her ears and up her nose in an uncomfortable weird position. Col. Haley was there asking questions. "Are you Director Alex Danvers?" Col. Haley asked.
"Yes," Alex squeaked trying to get used to the weird-ass alien in front of her.
"Do you know the identity of Supergirl?" Col. Haley asked.
"No," Alex replied honestly.
"Do you know anyone else that knows the identity of Supergirl?" Col. Haley asked.
"No," Alex answered.
"Do you have a sister?" Col. Haley asked.
"No," Alex replied.
"Did you ever have a sister?" Col. Haley pressed.
"No," Alex repeated.
Brainiac 5 came up to Alex. "Something just doesn't feel right," Alex said to him.
"Perhaps this will make you feel better. I've discovered the species we have apprehended last night," Brainiac 5 said showing them in their cells.
"Yeah, they're human," Alex said obviously.
"Not just human. Frat boys," Brainiac 5 said seriously.
Mara drove Nia and Bro in her nice sports car. "So, when did you come to Earth?" Mara asked.
"When I was eighteen," Nia answered. "My father was human, and he was having a difficult time on Naltor. My mother had a dream of a farmhouse where we could live peaceful lives.
"So, when did you decide that being a boy wasn't for you?" Mara asked casually.
"A few years before we left for Earth. By the time, we left the modifications I had made to my body were mostly irreversible," Nia said.
"Any regrets?" Mara asked.
"No, not really. At first, I was really apprehensive about Earth. I heard stories that it was a patriarchy and that women were treated as second-class citizens. But as soon as I arrived here, I found that this was only true in some areas of the planet," Nia said.
"In the future, there will only be one gender, one race, one ethnicity, and one religion. Everyone will be the same," Mara predicted.
"That sounds weird and a little boring," Nia judged.
"Well, the future is not set," Mara allowed.
"You sure like to talk about the future a lot. Maybe you're a Dreamer and don't know it," Nia teased.
Mara gave nothing away. "You don't really approve of what I've done, who I am," Nia realized.
"No," Mara confirmed. "In my faith tradition, one does not try to change their sex or gender. It is defiance against God's purpose."
"It's the same with Alex, right?" Nia asked.
"Yes," Mara replied.
"I always thought that Christians believed they were saved the moment they accepted Christ. Why all the judging if people are already saved?" Nia asked.
"I don't subscribe to that interpretation. A mortal sin can deprive a person of salvation even if they were baptized," Mara said.
"And what I've done is a mortal sin?" Nia asked.
"Could be," Mara considered.
"Well, at least you're honest with me. I hate it when people snicker behind my back and then tell me how tolerant they are," Nia said disdainfully.
"At the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand her well enough to defeat her, then in that very moment I also love her. I think it's impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves," Mara recited.
"That's beautiful," Nia said wiping away a tear.
"And then I destroy them," Mara concluded.
"Damn," Nia said stunned. "So, why don't you chew me out when I come to work in a dress or go to the women's restroom?"
"My mother taught me God's serenity prayer: Grant me the serenity to accept that which I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference," Mara said reflectively.
"So, I'm a lost cause," Nia realized.
"You say so," Mara agreed.
"When we meet my family, can you not mention my dream powers," Nia requested.
"Because a biological male with dream powers would shatter their pride and prejudice they have had for thousands of years?" Mara asked.
"Yeah," Nia said lamely.
"If you don't try to shatter my window, I won't shatter yours," Mara promised. Mara looked back and found Bro fast asleep in the backseat.
Alex interrogated one of the frat boys. "We've determined that you had Nuke in your system. You're going to be charged with drug possession and numerous assault charges. You will be expelled from school and locked away for a long time. You're fucked."
"Damn, you have some rope I can use to hang myself?" the frat boy asked.
"Or you can cooperate with us and we'll let you go. The Nuke in your system had an extra ingredient that increased your muscle size and increased aggression. Where did you get the Nuke?" Alex asked.
"Some kids in a motor-home. I don't know their names. I never asked," the frat boy said to her.
"If you're lying to me, I'll give you over to the squid," Alex said to him.
"I'm telling you the truth. That's all I know," he said honestly.
Alex exited the interrogation room and met up with Brainiac 5. "I have a source that tells me a large shipment of Nuke was poisoned. It will be impossible to trace it at this point. We must assume that every batch of Nuke has this poison," Brainiac 5 said.
"Oh really? Who is your source?" Alex asked.
"I do not know, but I do know the source is from Russia," Brainiac 5 replied.
"Oh my God," Alex realized.
At L Corp., Lena was busy at work with her next test subject: Emil Blonsky. He was in a jacked-up state missing all four limbs from an IED explosion in Iraq. Lena looked over his file: British Royal Commando. "You ready?" she asked him.
He merely nodded. Lena injected him with the Harun-El serum and immediately his body began to spasm. Lena watched intently as his four limbs started to grow back, then his scars disappeared, and then eventually his whole body became whole again.
"I've done it," Lena said pleased with herself.
"I'm me again," Emil said stunned. He gave Lena a hug with his new arms. "Thank you so much," he said thankfully.
"No, thank you," Lena said realizing how rich she could get from this.
Nia had a dream where she watched her mother drink a black liquid, crumble to ash, and then become a raven that would fly off. "Holy shit, that was weird," Nia awoke startled.
"Good thing I'm driving," Mara said dryly.
"This is home," Nia said seeing the familiar houses in her town.
As they came to the house, Mara took hold of Bro and threw him out of the car. "Wow, that's impressive strength you got there," Nia said.
"You will find that being a woman doesn't excuse you from regular exercising," Mara told her.
Bro woke up and looked around. He was wearing a large Midvale sweatshirt and khaki pants. His hair was still freakishly wild. "What a peaceful place," he remarked.
"Yeah, try not to destroy it," Mara told him.
"Wait...what?" Nia wondered.
"Figure of speech: He likes to drink," Mara assured her.
The three of them went inside Nia's family home. After some small talk, Nia finally introduced Mara to her parents and sister. "This is my friend and boss, Mara Jade," Nia introduced.
"Glad to meet you. This is a lovely home," Mara said with false sincerity.
"And who is this?" Isabel wondered of Bro.
"I am Bro Lee," he said politely.
"He's my...butler," Mara lied.
"Nice to see you making rich friends, Nia," Paul smiled.
"She's actually the richest woman in Metropolis, right now," Nia pointed out.
"Excuse our humble home," Isabel smiled.
"I also live humbly. My apartment is the size of your kitchen," Mara said.
"Do you like radishes?" Paul asked.
"Absolutely," Mara lied.
"Isabel's radishes are legendary," Paul said.
"If you say so," Mara replied.
"And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Maeve has all her mother's gifts," Paul complimented.
"Oh really?" Mara doubted.
"Fuck me, right?" Nia muttered.
"You really give me far too little credit," Maeve said arrogantly.
"You have been a prodigy since you were in diapers," Isabel remarked.
"Tell me more," Mara said enjoying the soon-to-be-obsolete conversation.
Nia then saw a glass of black ink and freaked out dropping it on the floor. "Nia, really? You're such a klutz," Isabel scolded.
"Among other things," Mara added.
"I'm so sorry," Nia said embarrassed.
"She's just famished. We haven't eaten anything the whole way here," Mara excused.
At the dinner table, the food was completely vegan. Bro looked at his plate not sure what to make of it. "So, you work at Catco now? Nia's read Cat Grant's book forty times," Paul smiled amused.
"More like fourteen," Nia said embarrassed.
"That's interesting because I haven't even read it once," Mara said.
"It was always Nia's dream to be a journalist. To be the center of things, to make change," Isabel said.
"Some of us believe that advocacy should be kept out of journalism," Mara commented. "So, what do you do?" she asked Maeve.
"I have a painting studio," she said.
Mara looked over the weird-ass paintings in the home. One had a boulder floating over a cornfield. "Does the boulder represent the bank ready to crush the field the farmer worked so hard on?" Mara asked.
"That's one interpretation," Maeve said smiling.
"Hmm...I actually own a few banks," Mara said.
"Once my dreams kick in, I'll be painting some weird shit," Maeve said excitedly.
"It's quite the trip," Mara agreed knowingly.
"You can't rush these things," Isabel told her.
"Has Nia told you about our strange family legacy?" Maeve asked.
"A little," Mara replied.
"Dreaming the future is passed down the matriarchal line. One woman from every generation gets the gift," Maeve said.
"Is it possible for a male to receive this gift?" Mara asked.
"No, impossible," Maeve said confidently.
Isabel said nothing to that but looked uncomfortable with the notion. Mara handed off her wine glass to Nia. "You're going to need this."
At the DEO, Brainiac 5 briefed Alex on his findings. "There are twenty more incidences," he reported.
"It's spreading," Alex realized. "I feel a little off like something isn't right," Alex said.
"I've noticed," Brainiac 5 agreed.
"I wonder what it is," Alex contemplated.
"You should get some rest and allow me control of operations," Brainiac 5 suggested.
"Wait, no, fuck you, Barney. I see what you're trying to pull," Alex said not caring for his attempted coup.
Mara visited Nia's old room and looked over her bookshelf. "When are you going to tell Maeve the brutal truth?" Mara asked her.
"Maybe, never," Nia considered. "There's a phenomenon in our race where the power can skip a generation."
"Misery does love company," Mara agreed.
"It's a disaster. I never even wanted the power. I always wanted to be out in the world, reporting, helping people," Nia said.
"I understand your need to hide your power from your sibling. I understand all too well," Mara said referring to Reign. "It would crush my brother to know I have surpassed him."
"In wealth?" Nia wondered.
Mara didn't answer. "Maeve has been studying dreams all her life. It's everything she ever wanted," Nia said.
"Your sister was so confident she would get the gift because she's prejudiced against the men of her race. For thousands of years, the women have put down the men denying their gifts or persecuting those who dared to express them," Mara said knowingly.
"How can you know that?" Nia asked.
"You will forgive me if I don't find your sister's plight moving," Mara said dismissively.
Flashback (In the Future)
A fleet of Imperial Star-Destroyers approached Titan ready to kick ass. The Titan fleet came out to meet the Earth-based fleet. On the bridge of the flagship were several male and female Dreamers in white suits hooked up to electrodes. "Give me predictions for Attack Beta-7," Brainiac 5 ordered and then stunned the Dreamers unconscious.
"This would go a lot easier if you had allowed me to design our capital ships," Brainiac 5 said to Kara.
"My design is bad-ass. Look how intimidating it looks," Kara said defensively.
"The bridge is completely exposed, the docking bay can easily be attacked, and we have no rear ion cannons," Brainiac 5 pointed out.
"We have shield generators," Kara argued.
"Which are also completely exposed," Brainiac 5 said.
"I agree. This ship design is not ideal," Mon concurred.
"Fuck you two, I wanted a fleet of fucking Star Destroyers. I get what I want. I always get what I want," Kara said to them both.
"And they call me the psychotic one," Mon muttered.
Nura came up to Brainiac 5. "Attack Beta-7 will give you victory but half the fleet will be destroyed," she reported.
"Well...shit," Kara contemplated.
"We could simply destroy the moon," Mon suggested.
"Who of us would be willing to take on such a heavy burden?" Kara wondered.
Shortly thereafter, Mon rose to the deck of the Star Destroyer with a force-field around him to protect him from the vacuum of space. He powered up to Super Insane and pointed his hand at the moon.
"Saturn Girl is hailing us," Brainiac 5 said to Kara.
"No, fuck her. She had her chance," Kara refused.
Mon fired a beam that ignited Titan's atmosphere, cracked the surface of the moon, and then blasted the entire moon into a fireball. The Titan fleet was consumed in the explosion.
"None of the Dreamers predicted that shit," Kara said disappointedly.
"To be fair, you are impossible to predict," Brainiac 5 said to her.
"I want a Death Star but it better not have a thermal exhaust port that goes right to the core. Can you believe that shit? I mean, what the fuck?" Kara said to Brainiac 5 as what was left of Titan became part of Saturn's ring system.
"That would be very impractical and expensive," Brainiac 5 told her.
"Do it," Kara ordered wide-eyed. "Also, do a blessing or something for all those fucks we just killed," Kara added.
"As you wish," Brainiac 5 bowed his head to her.
An attendant brought baby Mara to Kara. "Look at that. That's a moon destroyed. Do you know who did that? Your father did that. Yes, he did," Kara said to baby Mara.
She smiled and laughed adorably not understanding anything her mother had said.
End Flashback (In the future)
"Well, at least Nura didn't have any gender confusion," Mara said dryly.
"What?" Nia wondered.
"Nothing," Mara said dismissively. "I think you should keep this a secret for now."
"I'm going to talk to my mom. I'm going to ask whether it's possible to transfer the powers to Maeve somehow," Nia said.
"You have the opportunity to show your race that males can inherit this gift, too. You can be the symbol for their struggle," Mara objected.
"Wait, you think I should be a masculinist for my people?" Nia asked incredulously.
"It was what you were born to do," Mara said. "Wait, that came out wrong," she realized.
"You know what? I should do the exact opposite of what you tell me because you're my enemy, after all," Nia said obviously.
"I always wish good fortune on my enemies. It makes their fall all that more satisfying," Mara told her.
"Could you interview my sister for, like, an article or something? To buy me some time," Nia requested.
"Interview a country girl with no powers?" Mara asked skeptically.
"Yeah," Nia said hopefully.
"I suppose," Mara said having nothing else to do.
Hank came to the DEO to talk with Brainiac 5. "The mind-wipe should be untraceable to the victim, but I did have to erase a lot of shit. I mean, we're talking decades of shit."
"Col. Haley is still on the mission to find out Supergirl's identity," Brainiac 5 said.
"I don't really give a shit about that. I was more concerned with Alex's mental well-being. She tried to kill herself. I got the ambulance there just in time," Hank said seriously.
"Over Kara's death? She has hidden her grief quite well," Brainiac 5 said surprised.
"She's an agent. She's been trained to hide her emotions," Hank said. "I had to erase all memories of both Supergirl and Kara from her mind. The same for Mara and Kon."
"Is it reversible?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"No fucking clue," Hank admitted.
Hank then went over to the troubled Alex. "I'm ready," she said to him.
Hank put his hand on her head and pretended to use his powers. "You're fine," he lied.
Alex smiled happy that nothing was wrong with her.
Mara did her interview with Maeve and then walked around town with Bro. "What do you think of this settlement?" she asked.
"It's good," he said vaguely. "I've never experienced civilization before. All my life, I was in the wilderness with only my father for company."
"So, everything amazes you," Mara realized as Bro stared at horses carrying carriages down the street. "I'm from the future where everything is much more advanced than this. For me, everything has downgraded to the wilderness where there is war, poverty, disease, starvation, and internal religious and political conflict. Sometimes, I wish I could go back to the future," Mara said.
"Why not then?" Bro asked.
"Even if it were possible, I have friends here that I would lose. They would all pass away and become dust. Can you contemplate the entire universe becoming dust with a snap of your fingers?" Mara said snapping her finger.
"I have never seen anything other than Vompa and Earth," Bro replied.
"What do you want for yourself?" Mara asked him.
"Nothing. I'm satisfied with just having food and a place to stay," Bro smiled.
"You are completely fulfilled and I am completely unfulfilled," Mara contemplated.
"I suppose there is something I want. I must one day have a male heir," Bro said remembering his father's teachings.
Mara gave Bro a stare. "You would need...an Insane female to give you one."
"Yeah, too bad they're all gone," Bro said disappointedly.
Mara felt herself getting hot and bothered. She then became distracted by Children of Liberty thugs and their barking dogs. "What if I ordered you to beat those guys up?"
"I wouldn't. I only wish to fight Darkseid. He killed my father," Bro said gently.
"To kill him?" Mara questioned.
"No, just to teach him a lesson," Bro clarified.
"You have such incredible power. I can teach you how to use it," Mara offered.
"Great, but with great power comes great responsibility," Bro said to her.
Brainiac 5 entered the cell with the frat boys. "Hey, bros. What's happening? Where did you get that cool shit you guys had last night?"
"Are you for real?" a frat boy asked skeptically at Brainiac 5's Metropolis University sweatshirt.
"I'm hip, jazzy, super-cool, neat, keen, and one of those groovy cats. It's in the fridge, daddy-o. Are you hip to jive? Can you dig what I'm laying down? I knew that you could. Slide me some skin, soul brother," Brainiac 5 said awkwardly to the frat boys while offering his hand to them.
"What the fuck?" they both wondered.
"Tell me where I can get those drugs," Brainiac 5 smiled withdrawing his hand.
"We don't know, alright. They're just three losers in a motor-home. That's all," one of them said.
"I tried to be cool, but you've left me no choice," Brainiac 5 said and then allowed Hank inside. Hank proceeded to mind-rape the two of them for information.
Shortly thereafter, Brainiac 5 and Hank came back empty-handed. "They honestly don't know who they are," Hank said to Alex.
Mara entered the house with Bro at her side. Isabel was on the floor passed out and Maeve was freaking out. "She's not breathing."
Mara used her X-ray vision on Isabel. "I'm so sorry," she said sincerely.
Meanwhile, James came into Lena's office and saw board games on her coffee table. "What is this about?" he wondered.
"Practice for game night. I hate to lose," she said seriously. "We're both very smart people, but we have poor communication skills. We need to work on that," she said wide-eyed.
"It's just a game," James said dismissively.
"It's not!" Lena said going full-blown crazy girlfriend. "You in or not."
"In, of course," James said instantly. "So, what's up with your black budget? I thought it was just one experiment."
"No, Wade Wilson was a total success but there was no way I could predict that he would get killed by an anti-human ray," Lena said sadly. "But I have a new candidate. I've made him whole again."
"That's great, Lena. But you have a source within L Corp. that is leaking information about you," James said seriously.
"Who's the reporter?" Lena demanded.
"You know I can't disclose that," James told her.
"I'll give you what you most desire," Lena said getting closer to him.
"Damn, it's Takanawa," James admitted.
"I'll take care of her," Lena said ominously.
"She's my best reporter," James said concerned.
"Shut her down, James," Lena ordered.
At his apartment, Emil flexed his new fingers and practiced walking around. "It's a miracle," he said to himself. He then felt a craving for the drug that he was most addicted to: Nuke. Taking the Nuke, he injected himself with it. He immediately felt high. His muscles bulked up, and his mind turned to rage. The Nuke then interacted strangely with Lena's serum. His skin then started turning green, horns erupted on his limbs, his hair fell out, and he started to grow.
He had become an...Abomination.
The DEO, meanwhile, was looking to track that motor-home finally finding it on its way to Parthus. "You want to come along with us and kick ass?" Alex asked Hank.
"Absolutely," Hank agreed.
Nia tearfully selected a white dress. "You can't blame yourself for this," Mara told her.
"I had a dream in the car ride. I saw my mother drink a cup of black ink. That's why I freaked out when I saw that same cup of ink on the table. If I had studied harder, I would have known it meant death," Nia said.
"Nia, it didn't require study to figure that out, just common sense," Mara consoled her.
"My sister should have this power, not me. I'm not prepared for it," Nia admitted.
"My brother and I have the same problem. He's studied martial arts his whole life, but I can defeat him...easily. It's just the way things are. We cannot choose what talents God gives us. We can't be resentful of other people's talents either," Mara told her.
"I can't ever tell her. It would break her pride," Nia said to Mara.
"Then don't," Mara said simply. "What is more important: A lie that brings a smile or a truth that brings a tear?"
"You got that from Miracle on 34th Street," Nia quickly realized.
"Still good words," Mara argued.
"I still don't know," Nia said uncertainly.
"I'll make it easy for you. If you tell your sister, I'll fire you and then I will bring a Wal-Mart to this town," Mara said to her.
"You monster," Nia said stunned.
Mayor Kusack and two council members arrived at an abandoned factory just outside Metropolis. "I don't like this. I think we should get out of here while we still can," a nervous council member said.
"I know what I'm doing," Kusack told them hiding his own nervousness.
The three went into a dark room and found the drug cartel gang under new leadership. "Can any of you fine gentlemen help me?" Kusack asked with fake politeness.
"So, how much help do you need?" a twelve-year-old boy in a suit asked.
"Our current deficit is almost forty million," Kusack said taken aback by the kid.
"It looks like you're in pretty big shit," the kid noted.
"Well, we can use all the help we can get, young man," Kusack said condescendingly.
"Tell you what, put me down for fifty just to make sure," the kid told them.
"Like...fifty dollars?" Kusack asked jokingly.
"Don't be a queer. Fifty million," the kid said obviously and then opened a truck filled with money bags and gold bars.
"Will that do it?" the kid asked.
"Oh yeah, that will do it," Kusack agreed greedily.
"For God's sake, these people are criminals," one of the city council members pointed out.
"Why do you got to label these people? You know, I hate labels," Kusack shot back.
"So, here's the deal. You get the money, and you get the MPD off our back. We provide a high-quality product for a cheap price. With you giving us free reign, we can make it cheaper and safer," the kid said.
"We've heard rumors that Nuke has been poisoned with a new ingredient that turns people into rage-monsters," Kusack said concerned.
"Those are just knock-offs. We'll deal with them soon enough. Our product is not contaminated," the kid said confidently. "It's either us or that Jade bitch."
The door was suddenly blasted open as Kon entered with his sword ready. He fired a beam into the lights sending the warehouse into darkness. The drug cartel fired on Kon. When they hit, it merely bounced off him. Kon made short work of the entire crew slashing them all to pieces. Kon then came across the kid.
"Don't kill me, please," he pleaded to Kon.
"Time for you to go back home, you Russian fuck," Kon said to him.
"Okay," the kid nodded.
Kon then eyed the mayor and city council members. "You three are in some deep shit." He then noticed the fifty million in the truck. "I'm going to have to confiscate this," he said wide-eyed.
During the memorial service, Mara and Bro stayed next to Nia. "In Parthus, when someone passes, we wear white to honor the light in each one of us. Thank God, it's not Labor Day," Maeve began with an awkward joke.
"Anyways, humans and aliens alike, everyone knew my mother's light was blinding. I'm so lucky I got to bask in her light every single day, and I am so lucky to follow in her footsteps, continue her work, carry on her legacy, and inherit her gifts," Maeve said.
Nia then suddenly saw a vision of something bad about to happen. Mara quickly covered her mouth and kept her in her seat. "It will be fine," Mara told her. Mara then gestured to Bro to go outside.
Bro found raged-out Children of Liberty about to attack. "I don't want to hurt you," he said to them.
"That makes one of us," he said rushing the barn. Bro got in the way and let the man punch at him without effect. Bro then lightly pushed him to the ground knocking him out. Bro then fired an energy blast at another assailant before he could light the barn on fire. The man fell to the ground stunned. More Children of Liberty thugs charged the barn.
Bro quickly sped through all of them beating them down without seriously injuring them. Coincidentally, the motor-home in question came up on the barn. DEO SUVs arrived at the same time tracking the motor-home. Confusing the situation, a raged-out girl attacked members of the Children of Liberty. Bro intervened keeping the raged-out girl and one of the mourners from attacking each other.
Alex took out her pistol not understanding the situation. Bro saw the weapon and was immediately triggered. He fired a blast at Alex sending her to the ground. Alex aimed her pistol at Bro and fired off a magazine. The bullets merely bounced off him. Bro began to lose control, with all the violence around him, and began to power up. Mara came up to Alex to scold her.
"You just made it worse," she said to her.
"Jade? I was containing a volatile alien," Alex said defensively. "Don't interfere."
"Hank, I need you to calm him down," Mara said to him.
"I'll try," Hank said as Bro started yelling in rage. The wind picked up and the ground began to shake under Bro's feet. Hank came up to Bro and put his hands on his face.
"Calm the fuck down," he said as he entered Bro's mind.
Bro then calmed down and went back to normal. "Did I hurt anyone?" he asked.
"Only the bad guys," Hank assured him.
"You're under arrest," Alex said to Bro.
"He's mine. He'll be going with me," Mara said to Alex.
"If you get in my way, I'll arrest you, too," Alex threatened.
"Go back home," Mara instructed Bro. He then flew off.
Alex then put handcuffs on Mara. "You're under arrest."
"Can you give Nia a ride back? She shouldn't be driving with her condition," Mara asked of Hank.
"Of course," Hank agreed. Hank then morphed into Mara and went into the barn to go find Nia.
Mara was then taken into one of the SUVs with Brainiac 5 in the driver seat. "Of all the things you've done, you got arrested for obstruction of justice?"
"Yeah, really funny," Mara rolled her eyes.
"Not as funny as what's going down in Metropolis, right now," Brainiac 5 said as he got news of an attack.
"Have you contacted Kon?" Mara asked.
"He's there on the scene," Brainiac 5 informed her.
"Drive fast, so we can get out of sight of Alex," Mara told him.
It was night as Kon dropped down in a busy street with a superhero landing busting up the pavement as he did. Abomination turned his attention towards Kon. With everyone watching, Kon tensed up and went Super Insane. He then continued to power up shaking the ground as he did. Mara swooped in as Supergirl at Kon's side.
"Don't interfere," Kon said as he continued to power up.
"Oh, I'm done interfering," Mara said annoyed.
Kon doubled, then quadrupled, and then octupled his muscle mass. His muscles became so inflated that his shoulder masses were about to overwhelm his head. "Oh yeah!" Kon said impressed with himself.
"You look absolutely ridiculous," Mara chided.
"Says the girl who can't do it herself," Kon shot back.
"I've developed another way. It's called Fully Super Insane," Mara said. "I simply go Super Insane all day and even when I go to sleep."
"My way will allow me to reach Super Insane level two," Kon said confidently.
"No, my way will," Mara corrected.
"No, it won't," Kon argued.
"Yes, it will," Mara fought back.
"No, it won't," Kon repeated.
"Yes, it will," Mara repeated.
As they were arguing, Abomination was destroying the city block throwing cars and people in every which way. Brainiac 5 then flew over to them. "Is there a problem?" he asked.
"Kon is taking his sweet time powering up," Mara said annoyed.
"You could probably defeat him without doing so," Brainiac 5 judged. "Or you could fight him together."
"We're more into one-on-one fighting," Kon reminded him.
"This has nothing to do with you wanting this area leveled, so you can later develop it your way?" Brainiac 5 questioned Mara.
"Look, I don't kill, alright, but that doesn't mean I have to save everyone," Mara said to him.
"Alright, I got this," Kon said and then charged Abomination. The two forces collided in the middle of the street. Kon was thrown backward, tumbled several times, and then face-planted into the pavement. Kon groaned as he got back up. Abomination immediately charged Kon. Taking two halves of a ruined car as boxing gloves, Kon hit Abomination several times sending him to the pavement. Kon continued punching Abomination until the car pieces were obliterated and then punched him to the face with his own fist as hard as he could. Abomination spat out some blood.
"Is that all you got?" he asked Kon.
"Oh shit," Kon realized as Abomination kicked him into a building.
Mara and Brainiac 5 watched as Kon and Abomination destroyed the city block and then proceeded to destroy another city block. "Is it time to help him now? You are stronger than he is," Brainiac 5 pointed out.
"I can't. It would destroy his pride. He has trained himself to be a warrior since birth. He has always been stronger than me, more aggressive than me, and more lethal than me," Mara said to him.
A DEO helicopter arrived on the scene with Alex in command. "And it just got worse," Brainiac 5 muttered.
As Abomination and Kon fought on rooftops, Alex's helicopter fired 30mm Gatling gun on Abomination without effect. It did blast out windows, tear down water towers, and blast holes through the walls of apartment complexes.
Abomination jumped towards the helicopter to take it down. Kon leaped up and grabbed Abomination's foot. The two obnoxiously punched at each other and all three of them went down crashing on the rooftop of a building. Mara and Brainiac 5 watched as a few city blocks were in flames.
Kon came upon the helicopter and saw that Alex was still alive. "Still don't find me useful?" Kon asked her.
Abomination then took hold of Kon and slammed him against a wall. Kon gave Abomination some solid punches and kicks but then Abomination put his arm on Kon's throat to suffocate him. Mara and Brainiac 5 flew up to the rooftop to see the fight continue.
Abomination slammed his horned elbow into Kon's pectoral muscle breaking a rib as he did. Kon started breathing erratically as his lung was punctured. "How about now?" Brainiac 5 asked Mara.
"Not just yet. He needs to go unconscious," Mara told him.
Kon took hold of Abomination and slammed his head into the wall. He then went for a killer energy attack. Abomination deflected the blast igniting the fuel leaking from Alex's helicopter. Realizing the danger, Kon blew frost breath on the fire putting it out before it could reach the helicopter. Abomination then punched Kon to the head knocking him out.
"Reign," Mara said softly as her eyes went red.
Abomination put his foot on Kon's head when he saw Mara power up. Static electricity sparked around her uniform as if she been struck by lightning. Mara easily powered up to Super Insane level 2 and pointed her hand at Abomination. He roared at her not intimidated in the slightest.
Mara then fired a single energy blast that went through Abomination's gut and destroyed the wall behind him. Abomination then fell to the ground dead. Mara's eyes went back to blue as she powered down to normal Super Insane.
Mara picked up the dazed Kon. "What...happened?" he asked.
"Bro killed him," Mara lied.
"That guy is a beast," Kon said impressed and then passed out.
Mara took hold of Kon in her arms and flew off into the air.
Mara was dressed in civilian clothes as Brainiac 5 took her in. Col. Haley entered the DEO and saw Mara in handcuffs. "What kind of fucked up shit is this?" she demanded of Brainiac 5.
"She's charged with obstructing justice," Brainiac 5 said simply.
"Release her. She's not to be touched. That comes from the president," Col. Haley said to him.
Brainiac 5 then released Mara. "I'm sorry about this, Miss Jade," Col. Haley apologized.
"Just make sure it doesn't happen again," Mara replied.
"Still, everyone that works for the DEO must be put to the truth test. Will you comply?" Col. Haley asked her.
"I don't really have a choice," Mara agreed.
In the interrogation room, the squid monster wrapped itself around Mara's body. Reign left Mara's body and then entered into the squid monster. "Are you Supergirl?" Col. Haley asked.
"No," Mara lied.
"Do you know Supergirl's identity?"
"No."
"Do you know anyone else who does know Supergirl's identity?"
"No."
"You're free to go, Miss Jade. We do this to everyone who works for the DEO," Col. Haley said to her.
"I completely understand," Mara said as Reign reentered her body.
Nia was brooding during the car ride home. "Thanks for being kind of understanding about me being trans."
"You're trans? That's cool. It's like you're a shape-shifter," Mara said amused.
Nia stared at Mara in horror realizing the person driving her wasn't Mara at all. Mara then turned the radio station to the oldies
With a number of city blocks destroyed and much of the city council arrested, Mara's plans for Metropolis were going smoothly except for one obstacle. Late at night, Asian reporter Takanawa came into her office. "James Olsen says that L Corp's black budget is FDA approved. Did you lie to me?"
"James is obviously lying," Mara said dismissively. "Do you really think he would confirm his girlfriend's wrong-doing? Lena is also his boss."
"Who am I supposed to trust?" Takanawa asked.
"You're a reporter, right? Figure it out. Dig deeper," Mara suggested. "Except OCP, of course. If you ever investigate me, there could be...trouble," Mara told her.
"Right," Takanawa smiled nervously and then left the room.
Mara looked out the window and saw Metropolis in flames in the distance. She then looked at a model of Metropolis as it currently stood. With her finger, she knocked over a few buildings from the battle with Abomination. She then contemplated the L Corp. tower and then flicked it over.