Author's Notes: The beginning events of 7x10 (Tribulation) run concurrently with 7x09 (End of Days).
Adventures of Supergirl 7x10
Supergirl burst into John Milton's apartment sending debris down to the street level with a sonic boom. John's bar was completely destroyed on impact, the altar thrown to the side, and the stone mural falling off the wall where it cracked to pieces on the floor. Kara came to a stop next to Alex's body and examined her head with her X-ray vision quickly noticing two exit wounds. Looking at her hand, Kara saw the pistol in Alex's hand.
"Oh my God," Kara said horrified. "Mon, get your ass over here," she radioed. Kara only received silence as Mon was preoccupied. "Shit," Kara said genuinely scared. She picked up Alex's body and then flew her out of the apartment at top speed towards the DEO fortress. Within seconds, Kara had arrived and placed Alex in the medical wing. Brainiac 5 was immediately at her side.
"Fix her," Kara said tersely.
"Freeze her," Brainiac 5 ordered upon sensing no pulse or breathing.
Kara blasted frost breath over Alex's body to lower her body temperature. An MRI hologram went over Alex to show the damage to her brain. With no facial expression, Brainiac 5 hooked Alex up to a life support system that oxygenated the blood and pumped it to the rest of the body. As he was doing this, another drone hooked up one of Alex's arms to an IV. A third drone handed that drone a blood packet and begin administering fluid. Immediately, Alex's pale complexion started to become peachy again.
"Shave her head," Brainiac 5 ordered Kara.
Kara fired low-intensity heat vision on Alex's scalp burning her hair away and making her completely bald. The lead Brainiac 5 sliced into one side of Alex's skull with a laser knife and took a piece off. He placed the piece in a bowl and examined the entrance wound. Another drone did the same to the other side of Alex's head with the exit wound. Alex's brain tissue was now able to swell as pressure was relieved. Brainiac 5 then sent nanomachines into Alex's body to stop the bleeding and repair blood vessels in what was left of her brain.
In all this, Alex remained perfectly still without reaction. Another drone checked Alex's eyes to see if her pupils dilated, they did not. Brainiac 5 continued to remove skull fragments from the wound and suction loose blood. Kara simply stared as several Brainiac 5 drones went to work on Alex from different angles and functions. Once he did all he could, the lead drone went up to Kara. "We need to talk."
With Alex stabilized, Brainiac 5 and Kara spoke in the conference room. "She's in stable condition. Aside from the brain, all organ systems can be artificially kept alive," he began.
"And the brain?" Kara asked.
"She's brain dead," Brainiac 5 said bluntly. "The damage from the bullet physically damaged both hemispheres of the brain and the gasses behind the bullet created a shockwave through the brain as well. The brainstem is dead, preventing independent regulation of breathing and heart beating. Most of the brain has been liquified."
"We can replace the brain stem with stem cells and cybernetics, right?" Kara asked desperately.
"In theory, yes," Brainiac 5 allowed. "But she would simply be in a vegetative state."
"So, we replace the other areas of the brain," Kara said stubbornly.
"Even if it were possible, Alex's memories, her personality, everything that makes her a unique individual is gone," Brainiac 5 replied.
"So what?" Kara asked softly and looked away.
Brainiac 5 gave her a sympathetic look. "It would be no different than before, a drone simulating Alex's character."
"But it would be her body. I could touch her, my flesh meeting hers," Kara said tearfully. "Oh, God, Barney. I have failed her again," she said weepingly.
"We haven't yet investigated the cause," Brainiac 5 said flatly.
"Fuck, Barney, she shot herself in the head. Why? What could have happened to make her do that? Her mind must have been possessed or forced into it. It doesn't make any sense!" Kara raged.
"We must gather with the others. If they're in danger, we will be stronger together with overlapping abilities. Together we can form a theory on this mystery," Brainiac 5 said.
"Just retcon the timeline," Kara said finally.
"That would be risky. We may not defeat the anti-Monitor, Leviathan, and Nyxly like before. If we lose, all creation is at stake," Brainiac 5 objected.
"I don't give a damn. I can't live without her," Kara said going back into Alex's room and seeing her prone state.
"You're in an emotional state. We can wait on the decision," Brainiac 5 stalled.
Kara nodded acknowledging she was emotionally compromised. "Keep her on life support and don't tell anyone else about this," she ordered.
"Of course," Brainiac 5 agreed.
"And thank you," Kara said sincerely.
"I did not succeed," Brainiac 5 reminded her.
"Nonetheless," Kara said appreciatively and then stayed with Alex as Brainiac 5 went off to find the others.
Midvale
Eliza was at home completely oblivious to Alex's condition. Jeremiah was out for a walk. John Milton entered the house, noticed a simple cross on the wall, and then surprised Eliza as she was about to make lunch. "Oh, Mr. Milton," Eliza said startled. "Why are you here?"
"I just came by to tell you that your daughter, Alex, is dead," John said seriously. Eliza simply stared at him in disbelief. "She shot herself in the head. No coming back from that no matter how hard her friends try. It wasn't all her fault. I made her see and hear things that weren't even there to test her. I even brought you into the game."
"What the fuck are you?" Eliza asked horrified.
"You could use some tact," John scolded.
"I won't let you destroy my family," Eliza told him.
"I already have," John smiled.
Eliza punched him to the face nearly breaking her hand. "We can take anything you throw at us because we have each other," she glared at him.
"I know which is why I'm picking you off one-by-one," John sneered.
"Get the hell off my property," Eliza ordered.
"Hell? Funny you should say that because that's where your daughter is going," John told her.
"No," Eliza shook her head tearfully.
"Hey, I didn't make the rules," John excused.
Eliza took the cross off the wall and put it in front of him. "What's that going to do for you? Let's say you go to heaven. You'll be separated from your daughter for all eternity. In fact, you'll be nodding your head in approval and cheering as your daughter is tortured without end. Is that what you really want?" John asked her.
"You're a liar," Eliza doubted.
"But what if it's true?" John asked her. "Come on, take my side along with the rest of your family."
"I will never side with you," Eliza refused.
"Eliza, you look really worked up over this. Would be a shame if it gave you a heart attack," John said coldly. Eliza immediately felt a pain in her chest that traveled down her arm. She had trouble breathing and staying on her feet. All the while she was in emotional turmoil over the fate of her daughter. She took a framed family picture off the shelf and stared at it facing away from John's smirking face. She then collapsed taking the picture down with her. The glass shattered on impact. Eliza died on the scene with her cross still in her hand.
John frowned defeated and then strolled out of the house to return back to Metropolis. Not long afterward, Jeremiah entered the house and found Eliza's body.
DEO
That night, Kara kept watch over Alex as several Brainiac 5 drones monitored her. Hank entered the DEO and sensed Alex's condition. Grieved, he turned away towards the command center. Kara followed him there. "I've failed...I've failed her," Hank said as tears freely flowed.
"We all have," Kara said as they embraced in a cry.
"Why could I sense it? I feel like I've been in the darkness all day," Hank said bewildered.
"I think we're facing an enemy like no other," Kara said. "We have to come together and watch each other's backs."
Hank nodded. "I lost one daughter. I will not lose another."
Kara said nothing to that not acknowledging Alex's death. "Something is blocking us from communicating with the others. We're having to rely on Barney's drones to find people and bring them here."
James and Kelly then entered the DEO. Kelly eyed Alex's condition and gave Brainiac 5 a look of shock. "What happened?" she asked stunned.
"Gunshot wound to the head," Brainiac 5 said vaguely. "Where were you today?"
"I was doing foster care cases," Kelly said confused.
"And you?" Brainiac 5 asked James.
"On the campaign trail outside the city," James replied. "What the hell happened here, Barney?" he asked shocked.
"Alex performed surgery on Robert Parr earlier today, went to her apartment complex, then moved to St. Peter, Paul, and Mary's Cathedral. She then made her way to a psychiatric hospital. She remained there for a period of time and then went back to her apartment complex. Shortly thereafter, Kara heard a gunshot from John Milton's apartment on the top floor and found Alex in this condition," Brainiac 5 narrated.
"She never called me," Kelly said confused.
"We've been having communication issues. It's best if you all remain here until we have this figured out," Brainiac 5 advised.
"How is she, Barney? Tell me you can heal her," Kelly beseeched him.
"I cannot," Brainiac 5 replied.
Kelly immediately started crying on James' shoulder. Brainiac 5 went over to Kara and Hank. "I've been experiencing malfunctioning drones. The drones that are supposed to keep watch on Nia are not responding."
"Has this happened before?" Hank asked.
"Not at this level," Brainiac 5 admitted.
"It must be John Milton. Track him down," Kara suggested to Hank.
"I can't sense his mind," Hank shot down.
"Then, it must be him," Kara said angrily.
Brainiac 5 then twitched and stopped functioning. All the other drones in the DEO were also deactivated. "Barney?" Kara asked alarmed. The computer systems in the DEO also went offline as well as their phones. They were now in the dark.
At Lex. Corp, Karina, and Lex were working late into the evening. Karina then suddenly felt a tremor go through her and had to sit down. "Something wrong?" Lex asked looking up from his computer.
"I feel something terrible has happened," Karina said disturbed. "Forget about me, just continue on with your work."
Lex thought otherwise and decided to tap his watch to alert Supergirl. When that didn't work, he called her cell only for that to fail as well. Lena then arrived with a confused expression on her face. "One of Barney's drones just stopped working in the lab," she said.
"I can't reach Kara," Lex said.
"An EMP wave?" Lena figured.
"The lights are still on and I can call out to everyone else," Lex said as he called a random number.
Lena then noticed Karina's distressed condition. "What's wrong with you?"
"It's nothing," Karina downplayed.
"I can't access the DEO," Lex said referring to his laptop. "Something is wrong. If we can't contact them, we go to them."
"When?" Lena asked.
"Now," Lex said urgently.
A helicopter jet took off from Lex Corp and made its way to the DEO.
At the DEO, Kara paced about. "Where the fuck is Mon and Nia?" she demanded of anyone. She went back to Brainiac 5 and moved his arm up. He was totally stiff and lifeless.
"Do you want me to go search for him?" Hank asked.
"No, we can't risk it," Kara said. "God damn it, Barney, wake up!"
Lex, Lena, and Karina then entered the DEO from the helipad. "We couldn't reach you so we decided to come to you," Lex explained to Kara.
"Good thinking. Everyone is here except Mon and Nia," Kara said.
Lena then saw Kelly with Alex in a medical room. "What happened?" she asked shocked.
"Gunshot to the head. We don't know much else," Kara said.
Lena eyed the MRI scans on a tablet. "But this is...,"
"Look, right now, I'm just trying to stay busy and deal with the here and now," Kara told her.
"I understand," Lena nodded. "I can see what can be done about Barney."
"I got nothing," Kara admitted. "I feel like I'm forgetting someone."
Midvale
Kara flew over to Midvale and landed near the Danvers' house and found Jeremiah outside staring off into space. "Are you alright?" Kara asked him.
"Not really," Jeremiah said softly. "I...tried to call."
"Something or someone is blocking our communications," Kara told him.
He simply nodded to that. "I have to bring you both to the DEO right now for accountability. We're facing an enemy we don't understand," Kara said.
"Oh, I understand this enemy. I've understood this enemy for a long time," Jeremiah said reflectively.
"Okay, well, we can talk about it at the DEO," Kara said urgently.
"We're not going. If this enemy takes me, I know I'm in good hands," Jeremiah refused.
"Well, I need to talk to mom right now," Kara said about to enter the house.
"Kara...she's gone," Jeremiah informed her.
Kara gave him a horrified look and then rushed into the house. Upon entering the bedroom, she found Eliza resting peacefully in the bed, her eyes closed. Kara did a quick scan to determine she was no longer alive. "The doctor said it was a heart attack," Jeremiah said flatly.
Kara went to a knee at the bed and started crying. "Mother...," she sobbed.
"She's had heart issues in the past...," Jeremiah reminded her.
"Somehow, he got to her. The bastard must have told her what happened," Kara said angrily.
"What happened?" Jeremiah asked.
Metropolis
At the DEO, Hank waited for Kara to return. When she didn't, he started taking charge. "You got your wand?" he asked Lena.
"I do but I can't get it to work on even the simplest of spells," she said.
"This enemy is able to block our abilities, take down our communications, can control electronic devices, and make us see and hear things that are not real, and is immortal," Hank summarized.
"What do we do?" James asked.
"We pray," Hank replied.
The next morning, no one got any real sleep. Mon and Nia were still missing. Kara was still with Jeremiah in Midvale. With Brainiac 5 still deactivated, Hank, Karina, and Lena worked on Alex's surgery. They put her skull pieces back in place and covered it with skin. Using a healing beam, the long scars disappeared. Alex was still unresponsive completely brain dead on artificial life support.
"Anyone know what to do if this turns off?" Hank asked apprehensively.
"This is advanced but I should be able to tinker around with it. Organs won't die until hours, even days without oxygen," Lena said.
"What is our goal here? She's clearly brain dead," Lex asked.
"Harun-El?" Hank suggested.
"If you try to copy Alex, you'll just get another brain-dead body. I've done experiments in the past on rotten fruit and dead tissue. It always comes back dead," Lena said.
"This might end up differently," Hank said stubbornly.
"The ethics behind this is complex and...," Lena said uncertainly.
"Once Barney is reactivated, Kara will have him retcon the timeline," Karina said joining the conversation.
"She can't do that. It's too much of a risk if we fail against the Anti-Monitor, Leviathan, and Nyxly," Lena objected.
"I agree," Hank nodded.
"It won't stop Kara. She'll do it anyway," Lex predicted.
"Then, we have to stop her," Karina said obviously. "The Harun-El experiments that created me and Lex could turn out differently in another timeline or we may not even exist."
"The time for this debate is not now. We must keep Alex's body alive and keep watch on ourselves until the danger has passed," Hank ruled.
Midvale
Kara and Jeremiah walked the beach of Maine despite the cold weather. They were totally alone. "Halfway along my life's end, I find myself lost. The right path is nowhere to be found. I cannot express the difficulty and the density of horror I am feeling right now. I have never felt such bitter death before," Kara said mournfully.
The sun peeked out beyond the clouds for a moment. "Look to the light of God. It will guide you right and your fear will be less," Jeremiah told her.
"The whole night I felt distressed. I couldn't breathe," Kara said sadly. She then stared off into space as the waves crashed against the shore. "This enemy lured me in with his seductive mystery. He looked beautiful and alluring. He had great confidence and a daring pride. He was full of desire craving everything and never being satisfied. He reminded me of me."
"Will you give yourself over to misery and mourning? Will you retreat from the light out of fear?" Jeremiah asked her.
"Forgive me for failing your family," Kara said sincerely to Jeremiah.
"I believe Eliza is with God. The same with Alex," Jeremiah told her. "Soon, I will follow them."
"You are my only master. You only are the one from whom I would take orders. The only one I would honor. But do you see what I am up against? Save me from him. My blood runs cold in my veins. I'm scared," Kara admitted.
"This beast, the reason for all this misery will not let us pass. He is by nature an evildoer and his appetite will never be satisfied. He's hungrier than ever and many powerful nations have fornicated with him. And it's not going to get better until the end when he will suffer a painful death," Jeremiah said knowingly.
"What must I do?" Kara asked.
"Feed on wisdom, love, and valor. Hunt this enemy down all your life and send him back to hell," Jeremiah replied. "I think it best you followed me but if you do, you will hear shrieks of despair and grief. You will be put to the fire but in the end, you will be victorious."
Kara bowed her head to him. "So be it."
"Now, leave me and go to your friends. I'll be fine," Jeremiah assured her.
Metropolis
That evening, Mon and Nia instantly teleported inside the DEO. Mon was on the floor physically and mentally exhausted barely able to move. Nia was quickly bleeding out with a severed abdominal aorta and spinal column. She was already unconscious.
"Holy fuck," Lena realized. "Take her to a medical room," she requested of Hank.
Hank took Nia to a medical room and placed her down, it was already soaked with blood. The MRI scan showed the extent of the damage. "James, get an IV in her," Lena barked.
"We don't know if a Naltorian/human hybrid can accept human blood packets," Hank warned.
"Then she's fucked either way," Lena said dismissively. Nia then went into cardiac arrest. "Hank, phase your hands into her gut and stop the bleeding."
"Fuck, I'll try," Hank said as he placed his hands inside her.
Nia stopped breathing and no longer had a pulse. "Clear," Lena said and then fired an electrical pulse into Nia's heart from the ceiling. "Again, clear." Hank then repaired Nia's abdominal aorta with a healing ray in his hand. He then phased his hand out of her gut. "Again, clear," Nia ordered the computer. A final shock hit Nia reactivating her heart.
Lena sighed with relief. "Now the hard part. Turn her over," she said to James and Hank. Nia was placed on her back as Lena went to work on her vertebra and spinal column. Meanwhile, Mon got back to his feet and noticed Alex in the other medical room.
"Shit," he realized.
Supergirl then landed in the DEO and uncharacteristically embraced Mon. "What about Nia?" she asked.
"Alive...for now," Mon replied.
"Where have you been? What happened?" Kara asked.
"Our friend, John Milton, has a bag of tricks," Mon said dryly. I destroyed his body but as for his spirit, I don't know.
"Alex is in bad shape," Kara said vaguely.
"I gathered," Mon frowned.
"And Barney has become deactivated," Kara added.
"One of his drones tried to attack me," Mon reported.
"We need to stick together and pull security for one another if we hope to survive this," Kara said deadly serious.
"Yeah, sure," Mon agreed.
Hank then went up to them. "Nia's stabilized," he said.
"Once she has recovered, we're all going to Midvale for the funeral," Kara said.
"For Alex? Isn't that a bit too soon?" Mon asked.
"For Eliza," Kara said tearfully and walked away.
"Damn," Mon said softly.
Midvale
At Eliza's funeral, nearly the entire town was present. The Super-Friends were all present out of respect for Eliza but also for accountability. Kara greeted her good friend, Pete Ross, and his wife. Vicki Donaghue and her wife were also present from Paris. After Eliza had been buried, Jeremiah turned to Mon. "I have a list of John Milton's partners and associates," he said handing him a letter.
"I'll take care of it," Mon assured him as he put the letter in his jacket.
"You fought Satan and lived to tell the tale," Jeremiah said impressed.
"I still lost," Mon said bitterly.
"Next time, you won't," Jeremiah said confidently.
Eliza Danvers' tombstone had her lifetime as 1963-2021 with the text, "Beloved wife and mother." Kara then spoke to the crowd who, at this point, knew she was Supergirl without saying so. "Alex wanted to be here but...she's here with us in spirit. So, I'll speak instead. Eliza brought me in, a poor orphan girl from another land, confused, angry, afraid. She was the first one to ever give me love, real love. During the time I was in her care, she taught me to be a better woman, the best woman I could be. She was my conscience, my teacher, my...mother," Kara said tearfully. "She inspired me, she inspired all of us. I'm eternally grateful to have been her daughter."
As the funeral ended, Kara went to Pete and Vicki. "Thank you for coming," she said sincerely.
"Of course," Pete said sympathetically.
"Give my regards to Alex," Vicki said.
"I will," Kara nodded.
Metropolis
At John Milton's firm, a diverse group of characters came together for a board meeting. Each department head introduced himself to a new charismatic lawyer from Florida. They summarized John's interests in media, maritime law, energy law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, intellectual property, international trade, and customs. The managing director then noticed John wasn't present for the meeting.
"I'm sure Mr. Milton is on his way," the managing director said embarrassed.
"Oh, I already took care of him," Mon said, impersonating the Florida lawyer. In a flash, the entire board room exploded killing everyone present. The windows to the skyscraper were blasted out alarming the public below.
With the room burnt and gutted, Mon looked out the window and fired a beam into John's apartment destroying it completely. Fire and smoke roared from the top floor of the apartment complex. Mon then put two fingers to his forehead and disappeared.
On the other side of Metropolis, Maggie led a discussion with a crowd of Satanists. "Now, I know our last get-together got out of hand but this time it won't," Maggie assured them all.
Mon then instantly appeared next to Maggie, disappeared them both, and then reappeared where Maggie had stood. "Miss me?" he asked them. Suddenly, the underground Satanic lair exploded killing everyone. Assured they were all dead, Mon then teleported to Maggie's position on the streets.
"You get them all?" Maggie asked.
"Yep," Mon confirmed.
"I have a number of cases involving all sorts of weird-ass voodoo and Satanic shit. We couldn't do anything about it due to first amendment protections," Maggie said.
"Just give me their names and addresses," Mon said simply.
"Knock yourself out," Maggie said texting them to his phone.
Mon's next victim was in a bad neighborhood. Mon burst into the basement of the house and found a Jamaican man in the process of slitting a goat's throat in a pentagram. Mon raised his hand towards the voodoo priest and blasted him. The house collapsed all around the basement from the explosion. Mon went all over Metropolis slaughtering as many of John's allies as he could. When he was done, he returned back to Maggie with blood and ash on his uniform.
"Is it okay...if I see her?" Maggie asked referring to Alex.
"Whether it's okay or not, I'll make it happen," Mon said and then teleported them both to the DEO. Inside the DEO, Maggie made her way over to Alex's room. Maggie and Kelly gave each other brief looks.
"Take as long as you need," Kelly said gracefully and then left the room.
Maggie looked over Alex's sad condition. "You don't give up, Danvers. Fight."
Kara arrived at the DEO and was confronted by the entire gang. "Kara, Alex is gone. The brain has liquified. There's no hope of bringing her back," Lena told her.
"I have X-ray vision. I can see it," Kara said pissed off.
"Then, you know we have to take her off life-support and prepare her for burial," Hank told her.
"We don't have to do a damn thing," Kara said stubbornly. "Once Barney wakes up, he'll know what to do."
"What are you suggesting? That Alex be given a new brain? It wouldn't be her, just her body," Kelly said obviously.
"That's enough for me," Kara replied.
"Kara, this is madness," Hank said. "You have to let her go."
"Jeremiah is next of kin and he designated me to make all medical decisions for Alex. This DEO is mine now. So, you all can go fuck yourselves," Kara said angrily.
"Don't even think about retconning the timeline. Barney, if he wakes up, will never do it. And I'll stop him if he tries," Karina threatened.
"How are you going to find him? No one knows where he really is," Kara scoffed.
"I'll wipe the surface of this planet clean," Karina replied.
"You're bluffing," Kara sensed.
"We can't use the Harun-El. It would just recreate a brain-dead Alex," Lena brought up.
"I'm aware," Kara said condescendingly.
"Kara, what's your plan if Barney doesn't wake up?" James asked reasonably.
Kara gave him a flustered look. "I have to know she's safe," she said finally.
"She's dead, Kara," Kelly reminded her.
"She means her soul, right?" Maggie spoke up. "We have to know her soul is where it's supposed to be."
"Alex was a good person, a warrior for justice," Hank said confidently.
"It was also a suicide," Maggie brought up. "I've been to a lot of suicide scenes in my career, even cops. I don't like it any more than you do."
"Suicide doesn't send you to hell," Kelly said adamantly.
"How can you be certain of that?" Kara doubted. "We're not even on the same page when it comes to war, sexuality, and punishment."
"I know it in my heart," Kelly insisted.
"That's not good enough. She stays on life-support until I know for certain," Kara insisted.
"How can you know for certain?" Hank asked.
"There may be a man that can tell us," Lena said. "John Constantine."
"Once I have assurances from him that Alex is good, I'll arrange the funeral," Kara relented. "Send a transmission to Argo City. Winn should be notified in case he can come." Kara then walked away. Kelly followed after her.
"I know your grieving but you're susceptible to suggestions, right now. Who knows if this John Constantine will tell you the truth," Kelly said.
"If he lies about something like that, he'll go to hell," Kara said simply.
"And what if he can't find out?" Kelly asked.
"Then I find someone else," Kara said obviously.
"What if you never find your answer?" Kelly asked.
"Then, she stays on life support forever," Kara replied.
"You'll never get closure this way. She's not in hell. There's no way," Kelly beseeched her.
"Don't pretend we're on the same side on anything. I was taught from the beginning that suicide sends you to hell. It's the reason why I'm still here. It's self-murder. It's a sin. In the future, I put suicides on trial for murder," Kara said forcefully.
"That is so fucked up," Kelly said dismayed.
"Yeah...well, it fucking worked. The suicide rate went down to nothing as a result," Kara said smugly.
"We don't know what happened in that apartment. Maybe she was forced into it or possessed," Kelly suggested.
"Maybe," Kara acknowledged. "I'm not leaving this to chance."
"And what if he...what if he says she is in hell? Then what?" Kelly asked tearfully.
"I'm not out of tricks yet," Kara said and then left the DEO.
That night, John Constantine entered a Catholic library. At the backend was a painting of St. Michael, the Archangel, taking down Satan with a spear. There was also a fireplace, two couch chairs, and a table. John made his way towards the back only to be interrupted by a young priest. "May I take your coat, Mr. Constantine?" he asked politely.
"Holy shit!" John said startled. "No, I'm not staying long."
"How about you, ma'am?" the priest asked Kara.
"I won't be staying long either," Kara said. "I need to talk to you," she said urgently to John.
"I have some business to attend to," John said referring to the gender-neutral individual talking to a bishop.
"Try to make it quick," Kara said to him.
"So, you're rude no matter where you are," John chided and then walked up to the angel, Gabriel. As he approached, Gabriel materialized his wings while having his back turned to John.
"I know what you want, son," Gabriel said knowingly.
"Still keeping your all-seeing eye on me, huh? I'm flattered," John said sarcastically.
Gabriel turned around to face John wearing a suit and tie. "Well, I could offer something about how a shepherd leads even the most wayward of his flock, but it might sound disingenuous," he mocked.
"I've been seeing some unusual soul trafficking lately. You might consider giving me an extension. I could do your side some good these days," John said as Gabriel took a seat.
"You still trying to buy your way into heaven?" Gabriel asked incredulously.
"What about the minions I've sent back? That alone should guarantee my entry," John said frustrated.
"How many times have I told you? That's not the way this works," Gabriel shot down.
"Haven't I served him enough? What does he want from me?" John asked.
"Only the usual: self-sacrifice, belief," Gabriel said obviously.
"Oh, I believe, for Christ's sake," John said angrily.
"No, no, you know and there's a difference. You've seen shit," Gabriel said wide-eyed.
"I never asked to see. I was born with this curse," John said stubbornly.
"A gift, John...a gift that led you to suicide and damnation. Nonetheless, you squandered this gift on selfish endeavors," Gabriel said as he got back up and faced the fireplace.
"I've pulled demons out of little girls. Who was that for?" John questioned.
"Everything you've ever done, you've only done for yourself...to earn your way back into God's good graces," Gabriel pointed out.
"Impossible rules, endless regulations, who goes up, who goes down, and why," John said angrily as he tossed a Bible on the floor.
"John, go to confession and spill your guts. Then, do your penance," Gabriel said obviously.
"Fuck that," John refused. "You don't understand me."
"You're acting like a child, John," Gabriel rolled his eyes.
"Go...to...hell," John told him off.
Gabriel's eyes glowed as if he was about to kick his ass on the spot. John backed down and sat on the couch chair looking down in self-pity. "Why me, Gabriel? It's personal, isn't it? I didn't go to church enough, I didn't pray enough, I made change with the collection plate," John confessed.
Gabriel took a knee in front of him and touched his hands as he counseled him. "You're going to die young because you have AIDS and you're going to go to hell for committing sodomy with thirty men every year since you were 15," Gabriel reminded him. Gabriel then looked him straight in the eye.
"Unless you repent, you're fucked."
A disgruntled John exited the library with Kara following him. "He always did have a rotten sense of humor and his punchlines are killer," John said dryly. John then walked across the street towards a 7/11 and looked at a billboard that said, "Time's running out...to buy a Chevy." John proceeded to give the product placement billboard the middle finger and kept going.
Suddenly, a being of pure bugs attacked John throwing him into the street. The bug demon put John into a stranglehold. "Should have minded your own business, exorcist," the bug demon chided.
John crossed the street avoiding traffic only for the bug demon to be already on him. A red beam suddenly hit the bug demon vaporizing it completely. Kara walked up to John and helped him back to his feet. "Thanks," John said appreciatively.
"I have some questions," Kara said seriously.
"Alright. You may not like what I have to say," John warned.
"I'll risk it. My sister, Alex, was found with a bullet wound to the head. She's brain dead but on life support. It looks like a suicide. I need to know where her soul went," Kara said.
"A suicide, huh? Sounds like an open and shut case," he said bluntly.
"I think there are mitigating factors at play here. She was being tormented by Satan," Kara said.
"Aren't we all?" John said unconvinced.
"I need to know for certain where her soul went. They say you're the man that can know for sure," Kara said.
"You want me to search for her in hell? It's not a pleasant trip," John said reluctantly.
"What do you want? I can get you anything. I can give you a better apartment, cure your disease, get you a real job," Kara offered. "I'm a billionaire. Just name your price."
"You trying to bribe me?" John smirked.
"Look, I respect your work. You're the best in your field when it comes to matters of the soul. I'm the most powerful being on this planet, but I am coming to you for help," Kara said desperately.
"You prepared to hear the brutal truth, that your sister is in hell being torn apart over and over in screaming agony for all eternity?" John asked.
"I'll believe whatever you say," Kara said sincerely.
"Let's take a walk," John said. The two walked towards Kara's apartment several blocks away. "What makes you think Satan is involved?"
"He took the body of John Milton, a high-class investor all over the world. He joined the board of directors at Metropolis General. He was a womanizer, liked to drink, a total hedonist but there was nothing out of the ordinary about him. He took a keen interest in my sister when she became a cardiologist at the hospital. I read my sister's diary. Before it happened, she told me she had seen spirits," Kara said.
"What's your theory?" John asked.
"She was presented with an impossible choice, a deal with the Devil, and she shot herself to save the world," Kara said.
The power went out down on the entire street. The wind picked up and the two of them heard screeching noises. Kara's eyes glowed red as she got ready for a fight. "That's not really going to help," John told her. "Close your eyes."
"I'd rather not," Kara said looking around and scanning the air.
"Suit yourself," John said as he took out a tube and blasted the demons with fire. The demons revealed themselves and were incinerated by the fire sending them back to hell.
"Holy shit," Kara said stunned.
"Yeah," John said dryly. "Welcome to my world."
"What do you need?" Kara asked finally.
"A black cat," John said seriously.
Kara took John to her apartment with a random black cat she had found. John took a seat, put his shoes in a pot of water, and held the cat. "Need anything else?" Kara asked helpfully.
"I need you to leave...please," John said seriously.
Kara complied exiting the apartment half-expecting it to be destroyed in a moment. John sat there staring at the cat as the water in the pot began to boil. The cat became calm and time stopped. John then found himself in a large dark forest. The trees were misshapen and twisted, diseased. None of them had any leaves or fruit. They were all dead and brittle. Upon closer inspection, the trees looked like people. John could see their horrified faces in the trucks, their arms as branches, their feet anchored to the ground as roots. On their tree limbs were countless human corpses hanging, one for each tree. The forest moaned in pain and suffering to a distracting degree. Looking up, John saw giant vulture-like creatures swipe at the tree branches causing injury to the damned souls. With each branch snapped off, blood freely flowed. The tree in question would then scream in agony from the wound and then slowly regenerate it back. Several vultures went about tearing branches on these trees for no good reason.
John took all this in stride and walked through the forest breaking branches every so often. He ignored trees cursing him as he did. He then came upon a clearing and found a house made of tree branches, a twisted-looking cabin. It looked as though it had been built recently. John came closer to the cabin and saw a woman huddled in a corner weeping and shaking in pain. She wore a doctor's coat that was now dirty and shredded, her hair was now gone just like her body on Earth, and John could clearly see that she had bullet wounds to both sides of her head. Without a doubt, this was Alex.
John came nearer to her and went for her name tag. Alex then noticed his presence and went to attack him with a shriek. John then exited hell and returned to Kara's apartment. "Kara!" he called out.
Kara raced back into the apartment and found John smoking and the water boiling around his feet. "John," Kara said alarmed as he looked like he was on the verge of death.
"She killed herself and she's damned for it," John said handing her Alex's name tag.
Kara covered her face in grief and began to cry.
Author's Notes: If you're at this point, you've read plenty of fucked-up chapters and concepts over the course of these many seasons. It will continue to be fucked up. Unlike Devil's Advocate, Alex isn't getting a free ride back to a previous event so she can start fresh. The issue of suicide is sensitive so before you call BS on all this, the season is only half-over. This chapter reveals that much of what Alex thought was real about Kelly never happened. So, we have a double hallucination of Kelly supposedly seeing demons but it was really all in Alex's head the entire time. Maggie gets some redemption after End of Days with Mon's counter-strike. Eliza's heart conditions were featured prominently in the prequel fic, Midvale, and now it has finally come. At this point, Kara is at rock-bottom in the series. Constantine 2005 takes a lot of Catholic elements except for the most obvious one: Confession. It would have solved all of John's problems.