The return to the DEO had turned into a dull affair. She had left J'onn, Optic and Fletcher bickering on the finer points of how to handle Deimax. She had gone up to the roof to get away from it, as far as she knew the World Killer threat had been dealt with. What had once seemed so daunting was rendered a minor inconvenience with the ring's power. It was a rare instance of the ring being content and it having to fight off her disappointment.
She sat on the side, her feet dangled freely above the heights of National City's skyline. Another eventful day had gone by for it. A warm red glow emerged from far below. It made its way toward her, no brighter than the streetlamps pushing away the darkness. Bleez floated up to her. She hovered a few feet away, her wings were beating gently. She had cleaned herself up since Yellowstone, the injuries had all but faded and her uniform seemed untouched. She was striking as ever, her yellow eyes glinted like shining gold.
"Leaving those things alive is a risk. That one we just fought wants only destruction. You must have felt it," Bleez said. A chill from the ring saw through her aggressive tone. Supergirl shifted sideways and tapped beside her.
"Care to sit with me?" She said.
"I don't think…" Bleez started.
"Come on, you helped save this planet. Why not stop to look at the people you protect?" She said. Bleez opened her mouth to speak but seemed to stop herself. She folded in her wings and those yellow eyes scanned her intently. The boiling of her blood let up as Bleez took these moments to think. Supergirl looked past her, she people-watched the same old National City. Some lights turned on, various workers and cleaners got on with their night. Other's lights switched off to join the darkness as people made their way home, unphased by the cult's rampage. The hum of the city harmonised with the hum of the ring's chorus. A constant amongst the bizarre shifting nature of her circumstances.
Bleez approached slowly and gently placed herself where beckoned. She was distracted by the novelty of letting her legs dangle as she sat on this edge. Supergirl had to shift a little further, even folded in, the wings scratched at her side.
"I don't understand you, Supergirl. I've felt rage from you that's matched Atrocitus himself in its ferocity. Then there are times like this where it's nowhere to be seen." She looked at Supergirl's hand. "That ring's presence feels so strange, it can be cold and measuring. So much so my own ring placates itself. Where do you fall in all this? Violence or mercy, anger or stillness?" Supergirl looked at her, there was no sultry smile or gritted teeth. She was simply met with an inquisitive expression.
"I don't understand me either. Honestly, I think the ring is adjusting to me as much as I'm adjusting to it. I've been told if I don't harbour enough rage that it would abandon me. I fight it, practically demand it calm down and compromise, yet it sticks with me," she said. Bleez looked down at her feet again. Headlights drifted along the roads so far below them. The cool air breezed by her ears. She brushed her hair aside.
"My turn to ask a question. Why do you wear that hooded mask of yours, granted I barely know you but you don't seem the type with anything to hide," she said. Bleez rubbed her forehead and pouted, after another pause she pulled it off. She shook her hair out to reveal the long black locks that had poked out earlier.
"I've never really thought about it, it's just part of the uniform I manifest," Bleez said.
"Maybe you're less content with the ring's violence than you think. Easier to hurt others when you hide your face," she said. There was a flare of heat as both their rings glimmered.
"What's it to you? You don't even want anything to do with the corps," Bleez said. Despite the light blue skin and wings, she seemed so much more human with the mask off.
"I didn't. I thought at this point I'd want to get rid of it, the threat I kept it for is dealt with now." She looked to the sky. "Now it appears it's not done with me, and I have been listening to you, Bleez. Atrocitus can't keep going on unchecked, if I can change the corps for the better I will," she said. Bleez furrowed her brow and looked back out to national city.
"That's part of the reason I came back so quickly. Not only did I feel that creature's anger, but I met with more of the other Red lanterns. I told you that Atrocitus was coming for you, I think I was wrong," Bleez said.
"You're framing this like bad news," Supergirl said.
"Don't get me wrong, You're definitely part of his plans. Though it now sounds like this planet is where his true interest lies. I don't think it's a coincidence I keep getting drawn back here. This planet resonates with the rings for some reason or other," she said. Supergirl nodded.
"I knew this wouldn't be over so quickly, I'll just deal with whatever comes my way. I hope you're alright with me relying on you for information. Even now I'm sure the guardians wouldn't be overly happy if I left the planet," she said.
"Is there anything you want me to say on your behalf when I do go back out there?" Bleez said.
"I don't like this idea of picking sides." She sighed. "My ring listens to me, it protests less as my judgements are more of a compromise to its absolutes. My experience of the corps is practically nothing, but from what you've told me this is totally unheard of. This philosophy is practically all I've known as a Red Lantern, it seems as good a message as any," she said. Bleez wrung her hands nervously
"Well, I did say the corps needed to change. Freedom and compromise… there'll be plenty of reds who will reject that idea outright," she said.
"You don't have to stick your neck out for me," Supergirl said. Bleez folded her arms and closed her eyes briefly. She slowed her breathing, the red glow around her dimmed and the breeze brushed through her hair.
"Even with a more tempered ring, you must still hurt people. I've killed so many in my time, I even find myself regretting some of them. How do you deal with the guilt?" Bleez said. The image of her father flickered in her mind as she thought back to the chamber. Her heart and shoulders felt heavy, but there was a warmth to them. It was a different warmth, not from the ring or the weather. It was just from the memory.
"I let it motivate me, I can't let the mistakes of the past define everything I am. So I learn and then try to keep doing the next best thing," she said.
"The next best thing? I don't what that means," Bleez said.
"Try to see past the rage. Do what you think is right, the ring might just pay attention," she said. Bleez clenched her fist, she seemed to be concentrating on her ring. Supergirl said nothing, she allowed Bleez to have this moment to her own thoughts. They were easy words to say, acting on them was so very different. The incident at the hospital brought her to the brink, for so long that had been the norm for the woman beside her. The hum of her ring wiled away in her mind, it was warming her again. Always happy to remind of her of its constant presence, compromise or not it still had its own will to impose. Even with its persistence she enjoyed the stillness of the city at night. After the encounter with Deimax had shook the very Earth itself, it was a pleasant contrast to sit in silence and let her feet dangle in the night air. Her eyes stung as a sudden bright glow emanated beside her, she slipped off from the surprise. She had to catch herself in mid-air and floated back up to Bleez. Her ring had flashed and a surprised Bleez had a construct of translucent red feathers filling in the gaps of her boned wings. As the wings stretched out, the energy from the ring followed them along. They grew in brightness and thickness until the bone was covered in red energy to form angelic wings. Bleez opened her eyes and looked back. There was a shocked expression on her face, the feathers vanished as suddenly as they appeared. The red energy retreated back into her ring and the wings returned to normal. The bare bones were outstretched to her sides. Bleez pulled the hood over her head.
"I should go," she said, a red aura engulfed her and she floated up from the edge.
"Bleez…" she said. Even with the mask on, her flustered panic was easy to read.
"There's work to do. I'll report back if I hear anything useful," Bleez said.
"I… please do," she said, part of her wanted to pry. She thought better of it and let Bleez leave. Her red aura faded slowly in the darkened sky as she ascended out of sight. She sat back down and looked back to her own ring, it was a rooftop similar to this where it first came to her. It was strange to think how recently it came along with how it had become such a dominant part of her psyche. She wandered if she had sent Bleez on a similar path or how susceptible to her influence other Red Lanterns would be. She needed to keep the ring for whatever Atrocitus had planned, though it made her dwell on her relationship with it. If she could find some sort of balance with it in the long term or keep influencing it in her own way it might lessen the anguish it inflicted on her and her unluckier victims. With how much Supergirl had been questioned and doubted prior to finding it, even by herself, perhaps a place amongst the Red Lantern Corps was more attractive to her than she wanted to admit.
She let the thoughts pass by along with the motions of National City. The moonlight intermittently crept between the rolling clouds. She was content to be alone, though inevitably she was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. No doubt there was a long debriefing from both the DEO and the Lanterns. If it were Alex it would be unbearable, she was still yet to tell her that the ring needed to stay. She took the chance to enjoy the last few moments of National City in the quiet night. She heard the roof-access door swung open
"Been a strange day." Of course, it had ended up being someone she wanted to see even less than her sister. It was Optic's voice that carried across the open rooftop. She turned to him, he was leaning against the doorway.
"Here for some alone time too?" She said.
"Actually, I was looking for you," he said. She shifted back, content not to look at him while he spoke. "Thought you'd want to know. Deimax will be taken to Oa to be contained. Beth and Jo are with Superman. The World Killers are no longer a problem for you."
"Everyone else may be letting you off the hook, but you were designed to be one of them and lying is second nature to you," she said.
"I didn't come here for your forgiveness. Though if it makes you feel better J'onn is forcing me to be far more co-operative if I'm to keep seeing the others. My so-called lying will be far more scrutinised as I work with the D.E.O.," he said. Though she still refused to face him, she could still hear his breathing and a lack of movement.
"You've told me about the World Killers, why are you still here?" She said.
"I'm checking on you, hard to believe, I know. I didn't know Zor-El was your father. Judging by your reaction you didn't know about his involvement, can't be easy…" He paused. "What is your name, Your real name?" He asked.
"Why would I tell you that?" She said.
"Not many of us Kryptonians left, doesn't hurt to know," he said.
She let the ring fester in the anger toward her father and took a breath.
"You first, a real name," she said.
"That name died when I landed on Earth," he said.
"Humour me," she said.
"Dorn," he said.
"And your house name?" She said, he chuckled.
"Don't have a house," he said.
"Everyone has a house," she said.
"Not everyone. And it isn't uncommon to ditch a name when you're in the labour guild, also not so uncommon to ditch the work," he said. The ring was pulsing away, distracted by thoughts of her father and home.
"Are you lying to me right now?" she said.
"Probably," he said. She sighed, the ring was still no help. It hummed away at her and her blood was warming to its usual searing heat.
"Kara Zor-El," she said. He laughed. "What's funny?"
"You really weren't very creative with that secret identity of yours, were you?" He said.
"I recall Lena telling you not to be a dick about knowing who I was," she said.
"She did," he exhaled loudly.
"Is there a reason you're still talking to me," she said.
"Jo was adopted into a family, Beth has a husband, who knows who Deimax was before this. Becoming so very alien isn't easy. Even though you and I can blend in, it still takes its toll. I'm going to be visiting the World Killers regularly to help them adjust. Well… I guess Ex-World Killers now. It occurred to me that you might want the same thing," he said. She swung her legs round and faced his direction. Even with his casual lean he seemed serious.
"You don't like me and I don't like you, you can see why I'm sceptical of this offer," she said.
"You're right, I don't like you. Even with whatever tech Superman has to help Kryptonian's heal, there's no way Beth will ever fully recover from what you did to her. The others got lucky, Sam's more put together than I am but still took my offer… not sure what use I'll be…" he tailed off. "I'm many things, but I'm not petty. If I can help you like I'll try to help them, then I will," he said. She glanced down at her ring.
"I don't need help," she said.
"Maybe not from me, but everyone needs help sometimes," he said, she fiddled with the ring. It was more unpredictable than ever, not to mention who was coming for her.
"It's safer for everyone if I keep my distance," she said. After a pause he chortled to himself and rubbed his face.
"Now what's funny?" She said, her impatience for his mannerisms returned with force.
"Violence aside, I think I just figured out why I have such a problem with you," he said.
"You have plenty of reasons to hate me. I get it, I've apologised already," she said.
"Pfft, I don't blame you for the sins of your father. No, what I mean is that rhetoric of yours. Safer for everyone you say. To make a long story short I abandoned people that cared about me, told myself it was for their own good…"
"Don't you dare say we're alike," she interrupted, she sensed his own growing impatience.
"Being alone is no way to help yourself," he said.
"You saw what happened to the World Killers and chastise me for it. One loss of control and they nearly died," she said.
"Eurgh, I can't believe I thought the same way for all these years. It's so bloody obviously wrong when looking at it from the outside," he said, the aggravation in his tone grew with each word.
"I won't put myself in a position where I could hurt others, keeping distance is the price of that," she said.
"This isn't about "others" and you know it," he said.
"What the hell are you on about?" she said.
"Fine. I'll spell it out. I'm talking about Lena, you moron," he said.
"Don't you dare bring her in to this," she said.
"Lena cares about you, but you insist on pushing her away. Haven't you noticed that when Lena talks to you, you're suddenly in control no matter how extreme the circumstance? Don't use the fear of your own feelings to justify isolating yourself. Take it from someone whose lived that same mistake for decades," he said. She wanted to retort, the ring spurred her on to argue with a pulse of heat. Instead her shoulders slumped, her heart slowed and she let the words sit. Optic's breathed slowed as well, after a long silence between them he shifted out of his leaning position. Whether he was bored, had done the damage he wanted or was as exhausted as she was, he swung the door open and looked to leave.
"Just leave me alone, the city is safe now. You can slink back to the shadows," She called out to him. He held the door and turned back.
"I promised myself to keep an eye on the whole World Killer situation and help those affected by it when I abandoned my old life. It kept me sane, gave me purpose. That purpose carries on. Until Sam, Jo, Beth and Deimax are content I will be watching over them and helping them to adjust to what they are. No shadows for me, not anymore." He moved forward, the door started to swing shut behind him. He stopped himself and caught it to step back out. "My help isn't valuable to you, that's fine. But if you push away Lena. You won't just lose her, you'll lose yourself." Those were the last words he spoke before heading back own the stairwell.
She clenched her fists in frustration. It would be so easy to knock him down a peg and put him in his place. It was an arrogance that was hard to stomach, he presumed to know her and even compared her to him. The frustration was like a pit in her stomach, her shoulders and heart were still heavy. It took a significant effort to stop herself from yelling out into the empty night. Strangely enough, the ring was not encouraging it. It was passive in its own way, happy to drone that hum in her mind and sear her blood in a way she had grown so accustomed to, but it did not flare up or grow louder. She begrudgingly returned to her seat on the side of the roof. With someone like him around it was hard to be comfortable being Supergirl, the revelations of Krypton and her father pressed down on that side of her. She barely knew what a Red Lantern was, with her ring's influence in flux and Bleez's confusion she doubted there would be any useful conclusion on that side of things. It pained her but she found herself falling back on what Optic had said, with a mix of Kal's wisdom to add salt to the wound. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to talk to Lena about being plain old Kara Danvers.