Mara and Lena took a stroll towards Lena's private jet at a small airport near Metropolis. "I think it would be faster if I used my own plane," Mara said arrogantly.
"I designed this jet myself. There's no faster way to fly," Lena scoffed. "And it has military-grade cloaking."
"Wait...what?" Mara thought she misheard. "Anyway, you don't need to come with me."
"You don't need to go, either. We're both rich women who can send lowly subordinates to do this for us but here we are. I want to look Lex in the eye when I kick his ass," Lena said.
"Fair enough," Mara allowed.
Alex and Kelly went for a jog around the Metropolis suburbs. Kelly slowed down mid-run. "What's wrong?" Alex asked concernedly.
"Bum knee. It really sucks when your body starts breaking down," she said.
"You should...uhmm...have the VA look into that," Alex suggested.
"Funny, har-har," Kelly rolled her eyes.
"Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to be fat, out-of-shape, and old," Alex mused.
"You and James both," Kelly remarked.
"How does it feel to have a sibling with super-powers?" Alex asked still completely oblivious. Alex then got a phone call from the adoption agency.
"Oh really? That fast. Well...damn," Alex said delightedly.
"What was that about?" Kelly asked.
"The adoption agency. I'm going to be a mother," Alex said happily.
On the other end of the line was Brainiac 5 at the DEO using a different voice and masking his real phone number with the adoption agencies' number. "There is no true despair...without hope," he mused.
Moscow
Ben and Georgie sat alone together in front of the casket of Lydia. An Orthodox priest said some words and then departed from them. "I did this," Ben said to his son.
"She had a stroke," Georgie said to him. "It's impossible to predict such things."
"I could have predicted it," Ben blamed himself.
"You were always there for me, and I know you always will. I love you, mom," Georgie said to the casket.
Ben got up about to break down in front of his son. He left the chapel to get some fresh air. As he did, Alina watched him from across the street.
Metropolis
Kara, as Supergirl, landed in the DEO ready for action. "Secretary...Supergirl, I didn't think you would be coming in today," a random DEO agent remarked.
"Oh really? Know something I don't?" Kara asked suspiciously.
"No, it's just...," the agent stuttered.
"Have you found the criminal alien that calls herself Dreamer?" Kara asked and started chuckling at the name.
"I'm not sure," the agent muttered.
"Is there someone real I can talk to about this?" Kara asked frustrated. "I mean, what is this place? Where am I? This is the Department of Extranormal Operations, is it not?"
"I mean...what do we really do here?" Kara wondered.
"Are you...drunk?" the agent wondered.
"Bitch, I just might. Actually, I'm full of grief, right now. I am mourning the state of affairs around here," Kara said unimpressed.
"We monitor extranormal...," the agent began.
"No, aliens. You can say it. I'm an alien and believe me, I'm cool with it. Why don't we name ourselves the Department of Extranormal Aliens?" Kara asked.
"The DEA? That's already taken," the agent replied.
"Damn it!" Kara cursed.
"We haven't found Dreamer, yet," the agent told her.
"Well...no shit," Kara replied obviously. "How about my daughter who blew up the fucking White House! Have you found her, yet! I mean, what the fuck!" Kara shouted at her.
"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. You guys are cool, really," Kara said calming herself down.
"Col. Haley is...," the agent stammered.
"Not here as usual. How convenient. I'm in charge now. Listen up! An illegal alien has compromised our air-waves and has threatened to overthrow the government," Kara said to them.
Actually, Ma'am, in point of fact, the interview was done at Catco studios, a legitimate news outlet, and she didn't say anything remotely close to overthrowing the government," a random agent said.
"That sounds like insubordination," Kara glared. "Now, I know English is my second language, but I heard plain as day that she wanted to overthrow the government. Didn't you all hear that?"
"Yes, Ma'am!" they all shouted in unison.
"God damn, I love you guys," Kara smiled. "Find every human or alien that he has ever worked with starting with James Olsen because I want to know how the fuck he got super-powers."
"Is Olsen a credible threat to you?" an agent asked Kara.
"You fucking kidding me with that?" Kara scoffed.
Fortress of Solitude
Brainiac 5 blasted James with a flame-thrower covering him in flames. "I got to say. I'm not digging this one bit," James said spooked by the flames around him. "And why was it necessary for me to be naked for this?"
"I would have thought gaining super-powers would be a net positive for you," Brainiac 5 replied as he turned off the flames.
"Flameproof: How are you not excited?" Nia asked.
"You're the exciting one, actually. You can see the future," James said.
"Only when the plot allows me to," Nia said knowingly. "Now, I'm going to hit you with Thor's hammer here and see what happens."
"I'm not ready for Thor's hammer, yet," James said seriously as he got his clothes back on.
"I applaud your hairstyle choice, Nia. Alex prefers women that intentionally try to make themselves more masculine and less attractive," Brainiac 5 complimented.
"You still on about that? I haven't even met her one-on-one, yet," Nia said.
"Wait...what?" James wondered.
"As you may know, Nia is biologically male," Brainiac 5 said.
There was a long awkward pause. "And?" James asked incredulously.
"And I have a plan to have Nia and Alex reproduce. Their distant descendant will become the great Nura Nul," Brainiac 5 explained.
"Wow, that is whack. How do you hope to accomplish this?" James asked.
"The usual way but should that fail we can trick Alex into using Nia's sperm as her donor," Brainiac 5 said.
"I thought she wanted to adopt," James recalled.
"That isn't going to happen," Brainiac 5 said confidently.
"How do you feel about this, Nia?" James asked.
"I'm just going with the flow," Nia said lacking enthusiasm.
Brainiac 5 then received a message alert from the DEO. "Kara Zor-El is at the DEO. I should return immediately."
"You think you can handle her?" James asked concernedly.
"Of course," Brainiac 5 smiled and departed.
Nia picked up Thor's hammer. "So, hammer time?" she asked him.
"Not in the face. I have an image to protect," James said backing away.
"Stop being a bitch about this," Nia chided and went after him with it.
Russian Airspace
Mara and Lena enjoyed sushi on-board the private jet. "This plane makes its own coffee, cleans its own toilets, and flies itself," Lena said proudly.
"I expect nothing less," Mara said unimpressed.
Lightning then hit the plane as they entered a storm. "Strap yourself in. I'm going to make an emergency landing," Lena said to her.
"I actually can fly," Mara revealed joining her in the cockpit.
"We've lost engines," Lena said.
"Should have used my plane," Mara smiled condescendingly at her.
"Not the time," Lena scolded.
Mara took control of the plane and glided it down towards a convenient airstrip. Lena watched as Mara expertly navigated the plane. "When did you learn to fly?" Lena asked.
"In another time and place," Mara said vaguely.
Lena worked the wire circuitry and got power. The auto-pilot came back on. "Nice," Lena said pleased with herself.
"Emergency landing requires manual control," the computer said.
"Shit!" Lena said freaked out.
"I got this," Mara said lazily as she landed the plane.
"That lightning wasn't normal. Someone brought us down on purpose," Lena said.
"Making a lot of assumptions there," Mara doubted.
Russian officials came out to meet them on the airstrip. "Passports and papers," they demanded of them. Mara and Lena handed them over to the official in charge.
"This landing was not authorized," the official said to them.
"We had to make an emergency landing," Lena said defensively.
The official looked at the thunderstorm overhead and looked over their visa paperwork. "You intend to fly to Moscow?" he asked them.
"Yes, once the storm clears," Lena replied.
The official nodded. "Welcome to the Russian Federation. I hope you enjoy your stay here. You may depart when we have cleared the airspace."
"When may that be?" Lena asked impatiently.
"Hard to say," the official smiled.
Lena gave the man an incredulous look. "This is for your mother. An Easter gift," Mara said in Russian handing him an envelope. "The plane is also stocked with bottles of vodka to get you through this terrible storm."
Lena gave Mara an odd look. The official gratefully took her letter filled with cash. "I believe you will be able to leave shortly," he said to them in English.
"Did you bribe him?" Lena asked aghast. "And where did the vodka come from?"
"I stocked your plane the day before," Mara said obviously. "We're not in Kansas anymore, Lena. We're in Russia."
Midvale
Alex drove to Midvale and greeted her parents. "Something wrong?" Eliza asked concernedly.
"Actually, I'm really happy. You're going to be a grandmother soon," Alex told her.
"You're pregnant?" Eliza asked surprised.
"I mean, I'm very close to adopting. I just got a call from an adoption agency," Alex said.
"That's wonderful, Alex," Eliza said to her. "Come in and share the news with your father."
Jeremiah was in his chair watching Jeopardy. "I'm going to adopt a child soon. Isn't that great? You're going to be a grandfather," Alex said to him.
"I thought I already was," Jeremiah said confused.
Eliza gave him the hush look which Alex caught. "So, are you married?" Jeremiah asked her.
"Well, no," Alex said awkwardly.
"You really think you're ready to be a single mom?" Jeremiah asked skeptically.
"There are plenty of single mothers that work their asses off," Alex said defensively.
"It's not just economics. A child should have two parents at home," Jeremiah told her.
"I'm tired of waiting. This is my chance, and I'm taking it," Alex told him.
"Suit yourself," he shrugged.
Alex burned in annoyance. "So, I had a question that might sound a little odd. Did I have an adopted sister name, Kara Danvers?"
Eliza and Jeremiah looked at each other. "No, yes," they said at the same time.
"Damn it, Jeremiah," Eliza shook her head annoyed.
"How is this possible? I have no memory of her," Alex asked her.
"J'onn took the memory of her away from you," Eliza revealed.
"Why?" Alex asked.
"Because you tried to kill yourself, Alex," Eliza said bluntly.
"I would never," Alex protested.
"But you did. We were there at the hospital," Eliza said.
"Yeah, I remember that. I just had the flu," Alex recalled.
"No, Alex, that's what J'onn wanted you to remember. We adopted Kara when you were fifteen. You were close sisters up until... she died," Eliza said.
"That doesn't make any sense. Kara Danvers works at Catco," Alex said.
"She's an impostor, Alex," Eliza said.
Alex gave her a haunted look. "Kara Danvers is Kara Zor-El. She's Supergirl."
Eliza simply nodded.
Russia
Mara and Lena waited at the airport while the Russians got absolutely shit-faced with the vodka. Lena, for her part, took a bottle for them. "I don't drink," Mara said as Lena was about to give her some.
"Why not? We're both Catholics. Why the fuck not?" Lena asked downing a shot.
"My parents liked to drink...a lot. They would swear, sleep with other people, and even kill people," Mara reflected on.
"Jesus, what kind of parents did you have?" Lena asked stunned.
"They were soldiers, mercenaries, in a way. They had their own league and everything. I decided early on that I didn't want to be like them. I wanted to be different, my own person," Mara said.
"Coming from a crazy family, myself, I can respect that," Lena said.
Metropolis
Kara stared off into space at the DEO as Bob came over to her. "I found some files in Col. Haley's office. Lena Luthor has been working out of the lab here," he reported.
"Why? She has her own building," Kara wondered. "Show me the lab."
"The door is locked," Bob said trying to open it.
"Oh really?" Kara asked about to punch through it.
"Can I be of assistance?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"Open it," Kara said impatiently.
"I can't," Brainiac 5 replied.
"That's an order, asshole," Kara said to him.
"I can't. Article 351 Section 6 does not make exceptions for members of the president's cabinet. You will need an executive order by the president," Brainiac 5 said smugly.
"I'm not going through that bullshit, again," Kara said to him and then punched the door in.
Russia
Mara looked over a map and waited for Lena to get so drunk she passed out. "Take care of her while I am gone," she asked a Russian official in Russian.
Mara then exited the building, stripped down, and flew off as Supergirl. Seeing the right spot, Mara didn't see anything that resembled a building. Using her X-ray vision, she saw a structure below the ground. Mara landed and looked around. The ground under her feet lowered allowing her to descend deep underground. Mara then noticed an iris scanner. Looking at it, the iris scanner was fooled into thinking she was Kara.
Mara entered the PATRIOT facility with a Kara face-mask she had used to impersonate her mother the year previous. PATRIOT analysts largely ignored her as she went deeper. Using her X-ray vision, she looked for anything interesting she could use to figure out Lex's location.
She then entered a large hall full of analysts. Mara noticed they were busy posting on social media to create political discord in the West. "We weren't expecting you, today. You are supposed to be at the DEO," Nikolai said annoyed in Russian.
"I just wanted to make sure Lex Luthor is behaving himself," Mara said in Russian impersonating Kara's voice.
"We're keeping him entertained. He actually thinks he's in charge of the operation," Nikolai scoffed.
"Where is he now? I'll teach him a lesson in humility," Mara asked.
"He's at the new training facility. These are the coordinates. We try to move him around in case anyone should discover we have him," Nikolai said showing a map on a pad.
"We wouldn't want that," Mara agreed.
Alina then entered the facility and stared at Mara. "You're using the old suit. Lex would be so disappointed."
"I aim to disappoint him," Mara replied to her.
Alina smiled amused. "Did you take care of Lockwood?" Nikolai asked Alina.
"He knows better than to fuck with us again," Alina told him. "He's been at the chapel all day."
Mara eyed Alina catching her meaning. "Have you caught the alien shemale?" Alina asked Mara.
"Not yet. I'm having the DEO look for her," Mara told her.
"She supposedly can dream the future. We can't have her knowing our plans. She must be terminated immediately," Alina pressed.
"It will be done," Mara assured her. "I just wanted to swing by to...mess with Lex."
Alina rolled her eyes. Mara then turned away from them and walked out of the facility. Alina eyed Mara suspiciously. There was something wrong about her accent and word choice. As soon as Mara was gone from the room, Alina turned to the other analysts.
"Track her," she ordered.
Mara flew off back to the small airport and dressed back into her civilian clothing before Lena woke up.
Metropolis
Kara opened a case and looked over some Harun-El samples. "So, this is it. The Harun-El formula that gave Olsen his powers."
"Wouldn't it be great if humans could have super-powers," Brainiac 5 remarked.
"Yeah, you guys can kill yourselves at a much more rapid rate then," Kara said sarcastically. "No amount of Harun-El will make a human more powerful than me."
"But will you be around forever, Kara?" Brainiac 5 asked alluding to her previous death.
Kara had no answer to that. "Leave us," Kara said to everyone but Brainiac 5. Kara then circled around Brainiac 5. "We are a perfect couple, aren't we? I have infinite power and you have infinite leverage. But why do you frustrate me so much?"
"I have the means to destroy your country. This isn't even my real body. You will never find the real me," Brainiac 5 said to her.
Kara sat on a desk. "If you fire those missiles, there will be retaliation. Human civilization will be wiped away. I don't think you want that."
"I don't," Brainiac 5 allowed. "But I can't have you interfering with my work."
"Your work?" Kara questioned. "Was the death of the previous Supergirl and Mon-El a part of your research? Was my creation a research experiment? Does Alex know you're fucking her over with this adoption agency?"
Brainiac 5 said nothing to that. "I wonder what your friends would think about all that," Kara mused.
"It doesn't matter. All that matters is power, knowledge, and leverage," Brainiac 5 said coldly.
"Here's where your so-called leverage disappears. If I did something that threatened your work or your existence, you would push the button. But...if I killed a mayor or blew up a truck-load of soldiers, you wouldn't do it. That's not part of your plan, is it? I know all about mutually assured destruction but the thing about MAD is that you can only use it once. You're not going to do it if I were to kill a few of your friends or have the US invade a country or two," Kara figured.
"You willing to take that risk?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"Yeah," Kara nodded with a crazed expression.
"Sorry to interrupt, boss, but Supergirl has reappeared in Metropolis," Bob interrupted.
"Stupid girl. She doesn't know when to quit," Kara sneered. "Get a team together," she ordered.
"Right away, boss," Bob went off.
Kara turned to Brainiac 5. "If I kill her, you'll push the button, won't you?"
"Most likely," Brainiac 5 said coyly.
"What if I break her bones and beat her into submission?" Kara asked.
Brainiac 5 said nothing to that.
Russia
Mara shook Lena up. "What?" Lena asked groggily.
"Time to go. We can leave now," Mara said.
Lena nodded and then stumbled her way back into the plane. "Thank you," Mara said appreciatively to the Russian officials.
The plane lifted off with Mara taking over the controls while Lena was passed out in her seat. Mara inputted the new coordinates in the flight plan. PATRIOT helicopters arrived at the airport shortly after Mara and Lena had left. Alina walked out and greeted the officials in charge of the airport.
"Tell me everything," she ordered.
Lena's plane didn't take long to reach the new facility. Mara expertly landed the plane in a field and woke Lena up. "We're here," Mara told her.
Metropolis
Kara landed on the pavement with the DEO close behind. Looking around, she only saw James and Nia in uniform confronting her. "Arrest these fools," Kara ordered her men.
Nia blasted the DEO men to the ground with an energy surge. Kara remained standing unaffected. "You've gotten stronger. That actually tickled," Kara mocked her.
"Get down," James shouted at Nia as he picked up a truck and threw it at Kara.
Kara sliced it in half with her heat vision before it could reach her. "Pity. That was a nice truck," Kara said sadly. "Oh wait, it's a Ford," Kara corrected herself. She threw both pieces at James and Nia sending them to the ground.
Kara put her boot on James' chest. "Who's first?" Kara asked them.
Mara, dressed, as Supergirl then dropped down. "Stand down," Mara said to her. "It's me you want."
Kara walked away from James and Nia. "For a moment there, I really did think you were stupid enough to reveal yourself again."
Mara changed form into J'onn. "X-ray vision: It is a bitch," Kara smiled not surprised.
"There's still a part of the real Kara in you. I sense the conflict within you," J'onn said to her.
"There is no conflict," Kara stared him down.
"You know what you're doing is wrong, but you justify the means with the ends. People like you always wait for that positive end but it never happens. Then you realize your whole life was spent murdering and hurting people," J'onn told her.
"Worth the risk, I'd say," Kara replied. "I've done more to change the world in a few months than you have in a few centuries. I will right all of the injustices of this world. Then, when I'm finished, I'll go to other planets and fix them, too. We don't have to be enemies, J'onn. We can go to Mars together, kick ass together, and wipe out for good the White Martians together," Kara said to him.
"This world's problems will only be solved by consensus, not by force," J'onn told her. "The last Kryptonian that tried to conquer the world had her heart ripped out by yours truly."
"I am the LAW," Kara said to him.
"For now but things change," J'onn told her.
Kara swung at him only for J'onn to phase away. Kara spun around and tried to punch him again only for him to phase again. J'onn then took a hold of her and threw her into a tanker truck. The impact caused an explosion around Kara.
Kara emerged from the flames pissed-off. Looking around, J'onn, James, and Nia were gone.
Midvale
Alex looked over a photo album containing the wacky adventures she had with Kara. For Alex, it was like learning it all for the first time. She saw plenty of pictures of Kara without her eye-glasses and noticed a resemblance to Supergirl. Eliza placed a photo collection of Supergirl photos.
"This is the last one we had before she died," Eliza said sadly.
Alex looked over the picture. The picture contained herself, Kara, Mon, Kon, and Mara smiling. "They were such a great family together, so loving and full of spirit," Eliza said of the photo.
Alex stared at the photo of Mara. "Why did dad say he was already a grandfather?" Alex asked.
"Who are these two?" Alex asked of the younger two.
"Kon and Mara," Eliza replied.
"Mara...Mara Jade," Alex realized. "I have to get back."
"Alex, you can't confront Kara, now. She's doesn't have the same memories as our Kara. She's dangerous," Eliza warned.
"I'm dangerous," Alex said determinedly.
"Alex, she knows where we all live. She's been here before," Eliza said to her.
"The foreign exchange student," Alex recalled horrified.
Russia
Mara and Lena entered the training base and turned on the lights. Looking around, they found a room filled with cages that had hooks and chains inside. "Torture?" Mara wondered.
"Either that or Lex is really into BDSM," Lena said.
Mara looked over some files filled with papers. Lena looked over them as well and found Eve's handwriting on some of them. "Eve was here," Lena concluded.
Mara looked over files on each of the Guardians she had fought previously. She noticed that the woman she had spoken to at PATRIOT was one of the Guardians. "Alina, she has the ability to control water including water in the body," Mara summarized.
"Ursus, a man with the head of a bear? What the fuck?" Lena wondered.
The door then opened with Eve casually entering. "Eve?" Lena stared at her.
"Oh, you found me!" Eve said putting her hands up.
"Where's Lex?" Mara demanded.
"I saw what he did to those aliens, and I couldn't stand by him anymore," Eve said.
"Cut the crap, Eva Braun. You're a backstabber and a liar. You kept your true identity a secret from me and lied to my face for years," Lena accused.
Mara gave an uncomfortable look feeling suddenly defensive. "You're right, but I love you guys, truly. I just love Lex more," Eve excused. "I'll always be on his side."
"You're going to jail either in an American prison or a hole in the ground in Siberia, so you're going to tell us what we want to know," Lena threatened with an electric baton in her hand.
"Lex likes to keep his plans compartmentalized," Eve denied.
"He trusted you for a reason," Mara said.
Eve simply shrugged. Mara then noticed the claw marks on the floor leading to another room. "Let's go," Mara said to Eve.
The three entered another room and found Harun-El samples. "This is Harun-El," Lena said looking the test tubes over. Lena then found a good block of Kryptonite in a lead case.
"Kryptonite," Mara identified trying not to look sick.
Lena looked over a map of Europe showing Russian attack movements. "This is a plan to attack NATO," she realized.
Mara pushed a star symbol on the map activating TV screens. It showed convenient training montage footage of Kara's training with the Russians. Mara and Lena watched the footage of Kara intercepting missiles and wrecking old Soviet tanks. Mara watched as Kara smiled and laughed with the other Guardians like she was having a genuinely good time.
"She seems so happy," Mara said to herself.
Midvale
Alex got a phone call while still in Midvale. "The teenage single mom looked over your file and decided her child would be better off with herself than you. I'm sorry," Brainiac 5 said masking his voice.
"What? I would be the best mom in the world," Alex said outraged.
"Apparently, she thinks a mom that risks life and limb every other day fighting aliens and domestic terrorists is not a good environment to raise children," Brainiac 5 continued.
"That's bullshit. If my sister can raise two kids, I can do it, too," Alex said to him.
Brainiac 5 momentarily froze upon hearing that. "The truth is...it's because you're gay," he said and then hung up.
"Son-of-a-bitch," Alex swore displeased.
"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Eliza asked concerned.
"She wants to keep the baby. My adoption plans are over," Alex said sadly.
"Alex, just conceive naturally and then no one can say anything about it," Eliza suggested.
"Yeah, sure, with whom?" Alex asked bitterly.
"Have you ever tried the idea of a transwoman. They look ninety-five percent female-looking, and you can get pregnant with them naturally," Eliza suggested.
Alex felt a part of her mind triggered by that suggestion as if she had dreamed of such a thing a long time ago.
Russia
Lena looked over Kara's fighting footage and medical information. "It's what we thought, a clone made from the Harun-El."
"Where does Lex fit into this?" Mara wondered.
"The Russians are using him to control her," Lena figured.
"Tall order," Mara said dryly.
"She must have been brainwashed and indoctrinated by the Russians. The alternative is too horrifying to think about," Lena said.
"What alternative?" Mara asked her.
"That she's allied with the Russians by choice," Lena said.
"I think you two have seen enough," Eve said and then her face morphed into Alina.
"What the fuck?" Lena gasped.
"Two can play at this game," Alina said to Mara.
"I read your file. You're just water," Lena scoffed. Lena then suddenly collapsed at Mara's feet. Mara scanned Lena's body to see if she was still alive.
"I'm not going to kill Lex's sister," Alina rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't be here. Showing up in that uniform at PATRIOT was a gross violation of the agreement you made."
"I'm sorry I'm not sorry," Mara replied.
"That face mask and voice impersonation was impressive. You could teach our agents a thing or two," Alina said impressed.
"I know, right?" Mara agreed.
"Kara told us that only she was allowed to kill you. She'll be here soon," Alina said activating her watch.
Mara gave her an alarmed look and fired a beam at Alina's hand. The beam blasted her hand off destroying the watch. Alina quickly reformed her hand and gave Mara an annoyed look. "The signal has already been sent."
"How hard was it for you to brainwash her?" Mara asked her.
"Super-easy, barely an inconvenience because our world-view is obviously correct. The world cannot be dominated by one nation," Alina said.
"We don't control our partners. They give to us as much as we give to them. Wouldn't it be grand if every nation was in NATO including Russia? I'm from a future where there is one unified world government," Mara said.
"Joining the West is a suicide pact," Alina argued. "It is our pride that will make us stronger," Alina said.
"I'm taking Lena, now. Don't try to stop me," Mara said picking Lena up. Mara then felt a terrible pain through her body as the water in her body increased in pressure.
Mara fired heat vision blasting a hole through Alina. The hole quickly reformed itself. Alina then threw Mara into the TVs. Before she could recover, Alina threw Mara across the room slamming into the back wall. Mara fired from her hands destroying the wall she was pinned onto and fired at Alina. The beam blasted off her right arm. Alina quickly reformed the limb.
Mara sped towards Alina and punched her to the face. It went right through her face like water. Alina kicked Mara away and reformed her face. "What are you?" Mara wondered.
"Living water," Alina replied and then slammed Mara to the floor. "You're tougher than most but not even Kara can escape my grip."
Lena then stunned Alina with her electrical baton dropping her. "Let's go," Lena said urgently to Mara.
The two found themselves in a warehouse as Kara dropped in through the ceiling. "Start the plane. I'll handle this," Mara said to Lena.
Lena nodded and ran off. "Handle me? As if? I just kicked ass on your friends...again," Kara said to her.
"I'm not in uniform," Mara said.
"No, but you were when you impersonated me at the PATRIOT facility. Nice move, girl," Kara said advancing on Mara.
"I'm not here to fight you," Mara said to her.
"But you are trying to ruin my plans," Kara said.
"What plans?" Mara wondered. "What is Lex up to?"
"I honestly have no idea," Kara said not taking him seriously. "As for our little rule," Kara said and then blasted Mara with heat vision incinerating her clothes revealing the Supergirl uniform underneath.
"Well, look at that," Kara said and then punched Mara hard to the gut dropping her. "You think I am so evil, don't you? But someone far eviler than I is keeping your ass alive. Brainiac would nuke the world if anything happened to you," Kara revealed.
"That's what it means to be a Vindicator," Mara said getting back up.
"A what now?" Kara wondered.
Mara considered her options and then powered up to Super Insane. "Your friend is here. I would go save her," Mara said as she glowed intensely.
"So, you're finally willing to take a life," Kara smirked.
Mara let loose a powerful energy attack that incinerated the entire base in an instant in a nuclear-style explosion. Kara quickly snatched Alina away and flew away from the explosion. Mara gave a scream as she released everything she had in an instant and then finally her own body dissolved in the light.
"God damn," Kara said impressed by the explosion as the energy dome went higher into the sky.
Lena struggled to pilot her plane as the shock-waves from the explosion rattled her. Mara then entered the plane and quickly shut the door having resurrected herself from her own kamikaze explosion. "Activate the cloak," Mara said quickly.
Lena did just that cloaking the plane as it headed away from Russia. Putting the plane on auto-pilot, Lena turned to Mara. "Really? What the fuck?" she asked her.
"It's a very long story," Mara said sitting down.
"You know what? I don't even give a fuck, because we're not even friends. We're competitors actually. You fucking extorted me into getting you a job at Catco. You used my Catco to write favorable articles about Edge Industries' takeover of Metropolis. You've even plotted to buy my building, so you could evict me out of it," Lena accused.
"Some of that is true," Mara allowed.
"Who else knows?" Lena demanded.
"It's a long list," Mara admitted.
"Am I not cool? Am I not hip?" Lena asked pissed-off.
"You're a Luthor, Lena. That makes you dangerous," Mara said to her.
"Does James know?" Lena asked.
"I'm not going to touch that one," Mara said dismissively.
"I must be one big joke to you all," Lena said depressed. "This is the kind of shit that turns people into super villains, you know that?"
Mara rolled her eyes at that. "So, who was your mother? Let's get it all out," Lena asked.
"Kara Danvers," Mara replied.
"That bitch," Lena gritted her teeth. "She actually was my friend or at least I thought she was."
"Lena...in every comedy, there's always that one stoic unfunny character that ends up being the butt of all the jokes. It just happens to be you this time around," Mara said.
"Why does it have to be this way?" Lena asked sadly.
"It keeps things interesting. I have to find new and creative ways to keep you from knowing the truth. It creates drama, unnecessary drama, but drama none-the-less," Mara explained.
"I suppose," Lena said wiping away tears.
"You have a change of clothes on this plane," Mara asked.
"Yeah, over there," Lena pointed out a compartment.
"Thanks," Mara said putting on civilian clothes.
"I shouldn't be too hard on you. You're only nine, right?" Lena said.
"That's right," Mara nodded.
"I'm not going to remember this conversation, am I?" Lena asked.
"No," Mara replied.
"Damn," Lena sighed. "Oh well."
Mara walked up to Lena and snatched the tape recorder from her pocket and crushed it. "I'm so sorry, Lena. It's just not in the cards."
"I'm sorry, too," Lena smiled sadly.
"This is going to be weird for me. I can only hope..."
Moscow
Ben Lockwood walked up to Georgie who was still staring off into space in the chapel with the casket still present. "I'm going to find a way to get us home," Ben promised.
"How? You're a fugitive," Georgie said.
"I have information they won't want me to release. Maybe, I can make a deal," Ben said.
"That's how she died, isn't it? It wasn't a stroke, after all. Someone killed her," Georgie realized.
"Yes," Ben admitted.
"I'm going to make them pay for what they've done," Georgia pledged.
"Georgie, you can't go against them. They'll kill you without a trace like your mother," Ben warned.
"Someone has to take stand against them," Georgie insisted.
"Listen to me, we will get justice in time," Ben told him.
"No, I don't want to hear it. You're a coward and I hate you," Georgie stormed out. Alina spotted Georgie exiting the chapel and casually got out of her car to follow him. Ben then suddenly grabbed his son and chocked him out before he could do anything stupid.
Alina walked up to them and gave Ben an understanding nod.